Nope, I didn’t make a mistake in the title and yes, I know I’m already 24, going on 25 (as strange as that seems). What I’m doing, is taking a retrospective look at this last year of my life, during which I was 23 years old. I find it kind of hard, especially when it seems like two weeks ago I was 22 and a lot of time went by without me doing much at all… And the best way for me to do this is by talking about the music I’ve been listening to.
I pity those who don’t appreciate music and its power, because they don’t realise that our very lives have soundtracks to them. That’s probably why it’s so normal for films to have soundtracks… It’s quite something though, when the music you’ve been listening to actually fits with the themes of your life… And I’m not talking about those who listen to depressing music because they want to stay depressed, nor those who listen to last month’s R’n’B star, then go dress and talk like them… More like, the bands I have come across and listened to over and over for the sheer pleasure of their music, displaying lyrics that actually sometimes lay my heart bare...
(Philosophical rant mode for the next 382 words, skip if uninterested)
It’s funny, thinking in the last few days about the way I relate to music, and how I relate music to other people, I realise I have grown up quite a bit: as a teenager I was a music fascist, meaning that I would try to force my music on everyone else, and anyone who didn’t like the same kind of music as I did got smitten by words of condemnation. I remember I used to fear becoming someone who would appreciate other styles of music, like drum’n’bass and lounge chill-out, and stop liking Metal. Moving to England… Anyone who has a strong opinion about anything is bound to get shot down by fierce sarcasm, in the old U of K. It’s harsh, but teaches one not to take themselves too seriously. You grow up from there. Silly comments about my music don’t faze me anymore (but if you do make a comment, prepare your face…), I’ve grown to appreciate a broader variety of music, amongst which, some drum’n’bass and lounge chill-out. I still like Metal, though I listen to a lot less. In fact all my old favourite bands have stayed at the top of my preferences, by far; actually that position has strengthened from listening to different styles… I still believe that my music is the best and that anyone who disagrees doesn’t know what they’re talking about, but I tend not to say that to their face (the operative word being “tend”). I would say I’ve gone from being a “music fascist” to being a “reformed music fascist” (kind of like the way you go from… Better not go there, let the reader understand). I realise I’m a 90s guy! The bands I love the most are the alternative/indie rock bands that came out of the US in the nineties… Of course, it’s not about 90s or not. It’s about the passion in the lyrics, in the music, the seamless marriage of lyrics and music creating metric and linguistic beauty… So if I hear something like that, I’ll like it. I’ll always be made fun of by English people for the music that I listen to, that’s because they produce some of the worst pop and rock… Hmm (abstaining from specificities, for the sake of the peace). I don’t need to defend the bands I love, but I can explain why I do. I keep it for myself now, and if someone is interested, I’ll tell them.
(Phil. Rant mode switching off…)
One of the bands I got totally picked on for listening to non-stop this last year is a Japanese rock band called Asian Kung-Fu Generation. It’s strange that English people are so big on sarcasm and yet fail to understand the sarcasm of others.
I had a lot of time on my hands at some points of last year, being on and off work, and came across them through the anime I watched. Finding more of their music I grew to like them more and more. They’ve made several albums, not two of them sounding alike, demonstrating a real creativity in their music. There was real passion in their rock, something drawing me to them as one is drawn to someone else because of a sense of commonality. Of course, lyrics being so important to me, I had to find their translation. Thank God for internet fans! I found a full-fledged fansite with translations into several languages of their lyrics. It seems that Masafumi-san (lead singer) is always writing about similar things. If Ajikan (diminutive of the band name) had a colour, it would without a doubt be blue, aquatic blue… The theme in so many of the songs in the albums Sol-Fa and Fanclub are relating to being a twentysomething in the middle of the city and still feeling like the only person on the planet, without direction and meaning to one’s life… Almost despair, but never totally, always with a sense of hope for better things in lying ahead… I understood why I liked them so much:
“How many times on a boring day have my dried up memories poked above the surface?”
“How many times at midnight have my dried up memories faintly shone?
Shine on this town…” A rabbit in the backstreet, Fanclub
It may not seem particularly meaningful. But it was to me.
Without wanting to sound too melodramatic, this last year has been one where I have had to meditate a lot on my life; I also sat on my ass a lot... It creates a kind of quiet and complacent depression. Not a good place to be in for too long. You’d want to “erase… and rewrite.” (Rewrite, Sol-Fa)
But… I managed to finish writing songs that had been started years before, and that wasn’t out of depression, as some say that the best music you write is when you’re down; who would want to rehash their depression to others (I mean repeatedly)? I remember my friend Geoff speaking truly prophetically when he said “you want to be creative? Get close to the Creator?” (Not exactly in those words, I’m making him sound cooler than normal.) I was able to use some of the time on my hands to pray and spend time with God, and actually, out of those times, my creativity was stimulated so much… And is now at a different level, as I am again and again being inspired (truly) for new tunes and lyrics, something I believe God has put on my heart…
I tried to stay faithful to what I believed would come during this year, even though this mantle of visionlessness covered me… But I can now say, that is what you have to do if you’re ever in that place. Hold tight to the hopes and promises that you have hidden in your heart and plod along until you’re out.
Another band I used to like, but that actually got a hold of me this year is Jimmy Eat World… They have a knack for making really catchy tunes… Not in a pop type of way, it’s actually quite unique, they can express the sentiment of a song, just make one go “Yeah!” and identify, with a guitar bend (see Crush or Blister from the album Clarity) or a voice harmony (Authority Song); they also fit some cool words into their texts, just catching you off guard... !
And I’ve got to say… I was caught off guard one day recently: I was walking down the street with Jimmy playing in my ears, a great track I hadn’t really heard before, when halfway through, I was left speechless, as I listened to the singer telling me my life for the past year and expressing my sense of hope throughout it…
“Amazing still it seems, I’ll be 23…
I won’t always love what I’ll never have,
I won’t always live in my regret.
You’ll sit alone forever,
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I’m here, I’m now, I’m ready,
Holding on tight, don’t give away the end,
One thing that stays mine!” 23, Futures
How could he know?... I lived in regret, wanting what I didn’t have, what seemed so out of reach! Sitting on my couch waiting, hoping, holding on. So often I wanted to know how it was going to end, but the resolution was so amazing, so shocking, I’m glad I didn’t know, because that made it all the more glorious! I caught the vision for my life again, and ran with it! The depths of my heart roar like a lion for truth, that is my life’s battle. I still don’t know the end, but it’s exciting… However, I have an inkling.
In November, the Red Star EP came out, foreshadowing the release of Third Eye Blind’s next album in 2009, Ursa Major. This is something 3eB fans have been waiting for, for over 2 years! I heard the tracks and flipped! (www.myspace.com/thirdeyeblind)... Say what you want, NO ONE writes lyrics like Stephan Jenkins. The quality of the musical production, the lyrical choices and disposition, are just breathtaking. Another reminder of the fact that good things are worth waiting for...
Another good thing that was worth waiting for is my sister’s album: Interprétation (by Eli Natali, www.myspace.com/elinatali) came out this month and I’ve just been listening to it over and over. Walking down the street (again) at one point I cried out “for goodness’ sake, Lisa! How can you write such good lyrics!?”
I think I’ll review them individually in a later post, but I just wanted to mention them to say that I believe this next year of 2009 is holding stuff which I’ve been expecting for a long time and it will spur me on into further musical endeavours (amongst others), as I follow in the steps of those who inspire me. (Even K’s Choice might release a new album this year!)
... And I wish the same for you all in this next year of 2009. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I didn’t get a chance to mention him up until now, but another guy who is just phenomenal, and doesn’t need anyone to interpret his thoughts: Cosmo Jarvis (I don’t know whether that’s his real name), a 19 year-old kid from Devon. Just go on his myspace page (www.myspace.com/cosmojarvis), you’ll see what I mean.
So, I don’t know if it came across, but our lives have soundtracks, and though the music we listen to dips in and out of it, I have a giant theme, accompanying me through everything. It’s called Grace. It’s composed by Jesus. (... www.myspace.com/Jesus... not really, it'll take you to a latino guy's page.)
I pity those who don’t appreciate music and its power, because they don’t realise that our very lives have soundtracks to them. That’s probably why it’s so normal for films to have soundtracks… It’s quite something though, when the music you’ve been listening to actually fits with the themes of your life… And I’m not talking about those who listen to depressing music because they want to stay depressed, nor those who listen to last month’s R’n’B star, then go dress and talk like them… More like, the bands I have come across and listened to over and over for the sheer pleasure of their music, displaying lyrics that actually sometimes lay my heart bare...
(Philosophical rant mode for the next 382 words, skip if uninterested)
It’s funny, thinking in the last few days about the way I relate to music, and how I relate music to other people, I realise I have grown up quite a bit: as a teenager I was a music fascist, meaning that I would try to force my music on everyone else, and anyone who didn’t like the same kind of music as I did got smitten by words of condemnation. I remember I used to fear becoming someone who would appreciate other styles of music, like drum’n’bass and lounge chill-out, and stop liking Metal. Moving to England… Anyone who has a strong opinion about anything is bound to get shot down by fierce sarcasm, in the old U of K. It’s harsh, but teaches one not to take themselves too seriously. You grow up from there. Silly comments about my music don’t faze me anymore (but if you do make a comment, prepare your face…), I’ve grown to appreciate a broader variety of music, amongst which, some drum’n’bass and lounge chill-out. I still like Metal, though I listen to a lot less. In fact all my old favourite bands have stayed at the top of my preferences, by far; actually that position has strengthened from listening to different styles… I still believe that my music is the best and that anyone who disagrees doesn’t know what they’re talking about, but I tend not to say that to their face (the operative word being “tend”). I would say I’ve gone from being a “music fascist” to being a “reformed music fascist” (kind of like the way you go from… Better not go there, let the reader understand). I realise I’m a 90s guy! The bands I love the most are the alternative/indie rock bands that came out of the US in the nineties… Of course, it’s not about 90s or not. It’s about the passion in the lyrics, in the music, the seamless marriage of lyrics and music creating metric and linguistic beauty… So if I hear something like that, I’ll like it. I’ll always be made fun of by English people for the music that I listen to, that’s because they produce some of the worst pop and rock… Hmm (abstaining from specificities, for the sake of the peace). I don’t need to defend the bands I love, but I can explain why I do. I keep it for myself now, and if someone is interested, I’ll tell them.
(Phil. Rant mode switching off…)
One of the bands I got totally picked on for listening to non-stop this last year is a Japanese rock band called Asian Kung-Fu Generation. It’s strange that English people are so big on sarcasm and yet fail to understand the sarcasm of others.
I had a lot of time on my hands at some points of last year, being on and off work, and came across them through the anime I watched. Finding more of their music I grew to like them more and more. They’ve made several albums, not two of them sounding alike, demonstrating a real creativity in their music. There was real passion in their rock, something drawing me to them as one is drawn to someone else because of a sense of commonality. Of course, lyrics being so important to me, I had to find their translation. Thank God for internet fans! I found a full-fledged fansite with translations into several languages of their lyrics. It seems that Masafumi-san (lead singer) is always writing about similar things. If Ajikan (diminutive of the band name) had a colour, it would without a doubt be blue, aquatic blue… The theme in so many of the songs in the albums Sol-Fa and Fanclub are relating to being a twentysomething in the middle of the city and still feeling like the only person on the planet, without direction and meaning to one’s life… Almost despair, but never totally, always with a sense of hope for better things in lying ahead… I understood why I liked them so much:
“How many times on a boring day have my dried up memories poked above the surface?”
“How many times at midnight have my dried up memories faintly shone?
Shine on this town…” A rabbit in the backstreet, Fanclub
It may not seem particularly meaningful. But it was to me.
Without wanting to sound too melodramatic, this last year has been one where I have had to meditate a lot on my life; I also sat on my ass a lot... It creates a kind of quiet and complacent depression. Not a good place to be in for too long. You’d want to “erase… and rewrite.” (Rewrite, Sol-Fa)
But… I managed to finish writing songs that had been started years before, and that wasn’t out of depression, as some say that the best music you write is when you’re down; who would want to rehash their depression to others (I mean repeatedly)? I remember my friend Geoff speaking truly prophetically when he said “you want to be creative? Get close to the Creator?” (Not exactly in those words, I’m making him sound cooler than normal.) I was able to use some of the time on my hands to pray and spend time with God, and actually, out of those times, my creativity was stimulated so much… And is now at a different level, as I am again and again being inspired (truly) for new tunes and lyrics, something I believe God has put on my heart…
I tried to stay faithful to what I believed would come during this year, even though this mantle of visionlessness covered me… But I can now say, that is what you have to do if you’re ever in that place. Hold tight to the hopes and promises that you have hidden in your heart and plod along until you’re out.
Another band I used to like, but that actually got a hold of me this year is Jimmy Eat World… They have a knack for making really catchy tunes… Not in a pop type of way, it’s actually quite unique, they can express the sentiment of a song, just make one go “Yeah!” and identify, with a guitar bend (see Crush or Blister from the album Clarity) or a voice harmony (Authority Song); they also fit some cool words into their texts, just catching you off guard... !
And I’ve got to say… I was caught off guard one day recently: I was walking down the street with Jimmy playing in my ears, a great track I hadn’t really heard before, when halfway through, I was left speechless, as I listened to the singer telling me my life for the past year and expressing my sense of hope throughout it…
“Amazing still it seems, I’ll be 23…
I won’t always love what I’ll never have,
I won’t always live in my regret.
You’ll sit alone forever,
If you wait for the right time
What are you hoping for?
I’m here, I’m now, I’m ready,
Holding on tight, don’t give away the end,
One thing that stays mine!” 23, Futures
How could he know?... I lived in regret, wanting what I didn’t have, what seemed so out of reach! Sitting on my couch waiting, hoping, holding on. So often I wanted to know how it was going to end, but the resolution was so amazing, so shocking, I’m glad I didn’t know, because that made it all the more glorious! I caught the vision for my life again, and ran with it! The depths of my heart roar like a lion for truth, that is my life’s battle. I still don’t know the end, but it’s exciting… However, I have an inkling.
In November, the Red Star EP came out, foreshadowing the release of Third Eye Blind’s next album in 2009, Ursa Major. This is something 3eB fans have been waiting for, for over 2 years! I heard the tracks and flipped! (www.myspace.com/thirdeyeblind)... Say what you want, NO ONE writes lyrics like Stephan Jenkins. The quality of the musical production, the lyrical choices and disposition, are just breathtaking. Another reminder of the fact that good things are worth waiting for...
Another good thing that was worth waiting for is my sister’s album: Interprétation (by Eli Natali, www.myspace.com/elinatali) came out this month and I’ve just been listening to it over and over. Walking down the street (again) at one point I cried out “for goodness’ sake, Lisa! How can you write such good lyrics!?”
I think I’ll review them individually in a later post, but I just wanted to mention them to say that I believe this next year of 2009 is holding stuff which I’ve been expecting for a long time and it will spur me on into further musical endeavours (amongst others), as I follow in the steps of those who inspire me. (Even K’s Choice might release a new album this year!)
... And I wish the same for you all in this next year of 2009. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
I didn’t get a chance to mention him up until now, but another guy who is just phenomenal, and doesn’t need anyone to interpret his thoughts: Cosmo Jarvis (I don’t know whether that’s his real name), a 19 year-old kid from Devon. Just go on his myspace page (www.myspace.com/cosmojarvis), you’ll see what I mean.
So, I don’t know if it came across, but our lives have soundtracks, and though the music we listen to dips in and out of it, I have a giant theme, accompanying me through everything. It’s called Grace. It’s composed by Jesus. (... www.myspace.com/Jesus... not really, it'll take you to a latino guy's page.)
(Photo courtesy of Jeanne Harper, all rights reserved)
2 comments:
Ciao monfrère! What an extremely interesting post. I have often thought along those same lines (that our lives have soundtracks) and I love to hear you express it all in writing. Your writing is very inspiring too... lyrics don't speak to me as much as your blogging does!
je t'aime! see u at 5 at the airport on friday!
h
Wooh! I ♥ 23.
I agree that our lives have soundtracks ... that's why I try to change the music I listen to, especially when I have to "move on" from something :) How could the UK diss 90s rock!?!????
Sorry, don't mind me stalking you again ^^ Missing you!
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