Mate's Day Monday - James Ward

 

My dear friend Hendo has asked me to write a spiel for Mates Mondays, we often have differences of opinion, I detest banjo playing hipsters, dreary guitars, and steaming piles of shit (AKA The National), but we do see eye to eye on epic guitar riffs, and 80s metal. Today I’ve decided to share a few of the albums that are close to my bleeding heart, looking at the list, people who don’t know me might think I still wear black shirts and hate authority, they are probably right. Most of these albums are from the 90’s and looking over the list again it’s a bit vanilla, I mean there’s nothing particularly edgy about adding Foos to any top ten list these days, but the hours I have spent singing to Everlong or My Hero at the top of my lungs speeding along with car windows wound down, gives it a special place in my musical heart.

The first album I ever bought on my 3 CD spinner Sony was Jagged Little Pill, and I’ve been trying to regain my masculinity ever since (admitting this is part of closure) I must have been 13-14 at the time and she was the bees-knees, my pre-pubescent voice could hit all her screaming high notes and the angst in her lyrics appealed to me. I promptly made up for this transgression against the heterosexual male population by buying RATM and thrashing the ever loving shit out of it, to this day I still know every lyric to every song off that first album, it left an indelible stain on the tablecloth of my life – Fuck “The Man”, Fight “The Power” The Offspring album choice was difficult, but the energy and emotion of Ignition in my opinion completely trumps a more “campy” energy that increasingly emerged in their later stuff I don’t want playful guitar in my albums, less vegetables, more meat. Don’t get me wrong there are some gems in the later things, but after Americana I didn’t follow them anymore. Generally people wouldn’t picture me as a Marilyn Manson fan - I don’t wear anywhere near enough eye liner, but some of his stuff is really interesting, Im not sure how much of this has to do with Trent Reznor behind the scenes but he was one of my fav artists to get high to, layers and layers of music – like a symphony built upon some really good lyrics.

The rest of the list isn’t particularly imaginative, but in all honesty those are the albums I spent my 15-25s listening to and I love them all in their own way. I’ve probably bored you to death with justifications for this list, and after this Ill probably never be allowed to write another, might be that my next list actually has some music from the last decade in it! Keep up the good work Hendo, without you introducing me to good music I’d still be listening to the Edge. Because Im such a GC, Ive also created a Spotify playlist that you can link to and listen to my song choices from each album, give it a spin!

Here's the playlist

In no particular order;

1 – The Offspring - Ignition
2 – Rage Against the Machine – Self-titled
3 – Foo Fighters – The colour and the shape
4 - Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
5 - Alanis Morrisette – Jagged little pill.
6 - Tool – Aenima
7 – Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar
8 - Rise against - the Sufferer and the Witness
9 - Shihad - the General Electric
10 - Smashing pumpkins - Meloncholy & the infinite sadness
11 - Blink 182 - Dude Ranch
12 - Nirvana - Nevermind

Mate's Day Monday - Paul Salter

 My Musical Love Affair

I've been thinking about all the music in my collection that I could write about. Most of my music taste sits firmly on the heavy side of noise with an odd blues/jazz cd when the mood suits.

The most played music in my library is by a band that has been a bedrock for me throughout the years. The band is Def Leppard.

The first album cassette I ever bought was Hysteria. I was 13 years old and it changed my life. I lived and breathed this music. I wanted to play it, listen to it, I wanted to be them and I was desperate to see them. Six months later I got that opportunity down in Bournemouth.

Many years have passed since then. I'm almost 40, I own every piece of music they ever released and some bootlegs that they didn't. I've lived in Australia for 15 years now and (coincidentally as my wife says) I fly home for a visit when Def Leppard are touring there. The last time I flew back home I saw them in Bournemouth once again. It was a full circle moment.

The last time I saw them live was a couple of years ago here in Melbourne and they nearly took the roof off of the arena. The concert aspect is the showbiz, the bright lights, the merchandise and fanfare. Don't get me wrong I love the experience but it's all about the music for me.

The music that has become the soundtrack of my life, which got me thinking why do some bands stick? How do some crawl under your skin, seep in to your blood, your bones and your soul? Why do we follow the bands we do?

For me and Def Leppard it was a mixture of rebellion, rawness, coolness (yes even with the mullet that I grew as quick as I could) and on some level it was acceptance. Their songs told me I didn't have to pretend to be something I wasn't. But mostly it was the sound. The thumping electrifying sound that made me want to move and live.

With the talk of a new album not too far away and possibly a tour I'm ready and waiting. Rocket yeah!

So NMAB followers, which band got under your skin and why?

Paul Salter
 

Mate's Day Monday - Andrew McLaren

Let the Children play.

 

Thanks to NMAB for letting me write a piece and carry on some bullshit about what music I listen to and what I love. Can I just say that I love Hendo. Fact.

Alright boys and girls, here we go……………

Children by Robert Miles.

I never thought much of this song; yeah sure it was good when it come out in the mid 90’s but not something that ever stuck out with me. However it was one of the vivid memories I have from the 21^st September 2013. That was the song that was playing in the café we were in when it was attacked by terrorists in Nairobi.

That was the song that was playing when I was shot and almost died.

It’s amazing what sticks in your mind when events such as that day unfold. The music playing on the café speakers was something that really held focus as I was bleeding from the multiple gunshots and grenade shrapnel. All through the attack that haunting tune just stayed with me.

I will not go into the events of that day too much. They are still pretty raw to me but what I will tell you about is the music that I listened to enable my recovery in hospital. Music is good for the soul and if anyone says it does not help when you are injured or sick has never used it as therapy. Trust me, it works.

I listened to that song again today for the first time while writing this piece. It gave me shivers, brought back memories of that day. But to be honest, I now have a new and unusual love for that song. It will always sit with me and it does have a sort of special, morbid place in my heart.

After 12 days in the hospital I was hooked to my iPod to get me to sleep, wake me up, keep me going and hold my concentration. The drugs I was on, the lines I was hooked up to and the moaning of the other patients mixed with all the sounds of a Kenyan hospital created a cacophony of noise I needed to escape from. Sometimes I had my ear plugs in, other times I let that shit play loud.  I can tell you right now, Kenyans are not fans of Slayer’s “Divine Intervention”.  Maybe they just haven’t really appreciated metal here yet?

But there were several tunes/albums that stuck out with me, held and kept me going. A few oldies but a couple of newbies that I heard while living in Kenya.  So here they are:

Robert Delong – Global Concepts. Its about 9 months old now but this song has so much energy and oomph I was listening to it every day. It got me up and got me going and really got me moving. This eclectic German fellow is going to be a big star one day.

Watch The Duck – Poppin’ Off. This song is almost a year old but damn its catchy. When you can mix a little dub step, blues, indie, D n B and a very Bobby Womack lyricist this song is a winner out and out.

Blakroc – Blakroc. There really is not one song one here that is filler. Every song is great and  is one of the most complete albums I have ever heard in Hip Hop. The Black Keys were awesome in this collaboration and as some know I am not a huge fan so they really did themselves proud.

My Dark Twisted Fantasy – Kanye West. I do not care what this guy does in public. Hell, I don’t read gossip mags. This by far and away was my fav Hip Hop album in the last 5 years – Close second was “Watch the Throne” but I listened to this album trying to get to sleep at night. Runaway is the best song to drift off too.

Divine Intervention – Slayer. It’s the greatest band in the world. Enough said.

Coming From Where I’m From – Anthony Hamilton. This guy’s voice is one of the best I have ever heard There is a touch of Jackie Wilson and you can tell he is channelling Sam Cook and Marvin Gaye as well. He is also the face of Kenya’s Premier lager too. Unfortunately I will be missing his concert here in Nairobi by a few weeks as we should be back in New Zealand by then.

Tired – Stone Sour. I have never been a huge fan of Slipknot but thoroughly enjoy Stone Sour and have a new found respect for Corey Taylor after reading his book – The Seven Deadly Sins. This song is one of my favourites off the concept 2 part album “The House of Gold and Bones Part 1”

So I go back to that song that I started this diatribe about. Children by Robert Miles. I will never forget this song. When it come out in 95’ it didn’t really resonate with me as I was in a Hip Hop/Metal phase at the time. I can tell you right now, that song; I will remember as long as I live.

Take care y’all.

Andrew