This is Ileana Wolf, I am writing a blog post for anacrusis on air. On my radio show I discuss different genres each week. I compile a bunch of different artists within that genre and talk about each one. So instead of doing something like that I thought I’d break away from my norm. Instead I have brought some of my favorite songs and I will be dissecting them instead. The songs that I have chosen are Human Crime by the Pixies, When You Die by MGMT, and Jackie Dressed in Cobra by the New Pornographers.. The way I classify my favorite song is if I never get sick of it. Sure I won’t listen to it for a while but once I hear it again I can’t stop listening to it. At the end of each analysis I will give them a rating as well!
First Human Crime. This is my all time favorite song, also because the Pixies are my all time favorite band. It’s very simple but something about it always gets me excited. The genre strays away from the pixies normal post grunge and goes for a more alternative rock sound. Even though we lose a lot of the grunge sound, it still has the same charm and vibe as their Come on Pilgrim album or even Dolittle. Human Crime was released March 2nd and wasn’t very massive when it was released. I didn’t even know that it did and I’m a pixies super fan, have been for a while. But as soon as I heard it it was all over. The story of the song follows a band on tour. The way that their minds alter and putting them in a surreal state going against the normal world. They put themselves in a magical glittery world. It was an inside joke from the band about being the netherworld of touring. They represent this through the music video too where we the audience enters the band’s world. The music video is very glittery and dream-like, we even follow around a pixie girl, dancing her heart out. Leaving the party world we see no one wants to follow we see her running around trying to get back, it’s no longer glittery or dream-like almost like it being the Netherlands of the tour. I rate this one 10/10.
When You Die is a song that I have loved since freshman year. The song is considered to be neo psychedelica, which is a diverse genre of music that revives and updates the sounds and ethos of 1960s psychedelic rock, blending its dreamy, surreal tones with modern elements like electronic tones. This one scratches a certain part of my brain. It’s very pleasing for me. I think the guitar is the best part about something that makes it so I can’t stop listening to it. The song itself is about confronting one’s mortality, and the question if anyone will truly care if you are gone. All of this being represented through a magician being murdered by his lover. We do see this in the music video. We follow the magician waking up going to work, seeing his lover in bed, him eating and drinking the same thing. It became more psychedelic, eyes appearing everywhere like his lover hired many people to kill him. Everyone watches him until a stage light falls on his head leading to the biggest trip. Doctors tearing him open, every motion now having a grainy flower texture to it. Ending with his lover telling him “I’m gonna eat your heart out” his clap slows at his realization. I give this one a 9/10.
Lastly I will be discussing Jackie Dressed in Cobras. The new Pornographers is another one of my favorite bands. They did have a recent controversy with one of their band members, but they quickly addressed the situation and then cut him out of the band and their lives which kept me with the band. The song is indie pop and it shows, the catchy tune is able to get stuck in anyone’s head. The story of the song follows a dangerous woman named of course Jackie, who lives in New York City. They describe her with this alluring presence with themes of urban decay and obsession. However all of these lyrics seem to be a bit nonsensical. Which is the typical style of the band. But even though this song sounds dark in nature due to the lyrics. The melody itself is very upbeat and easy to move to. Sadly there isn’t a music video to match along to the lyrics and give us a little more insite, but that just tells me I should make an unofficial one. I rate this song a 9/10.
Thank you to whoever may be reading this. Music is such an important thing to me and something I hope is important to others. We should be talking all the time about music and keeping others inspired to keep creating, keep listening, and keep inspiring. Well break through these times, and nothing can ever break the human mind, or experience.
