Kids In Glass Houses are definitely one of my favourite bands, I saw them live back in 2008 with Tink09 and Hollagram Star, they were the support act for Paramore and we had no idea who they were, then a couple of weeks later they released "Give Me What I Want" and we couldn't believe we had just seen them live. They are a 5 piece band consisting of Aled Phillips, Joel Fisher, Iain Mahanty, Andrew Shay and Philip Jenkins. Their latest single didn't chart very well even though I really liked it, they are one of those bands that sometimes do well and then sometimes don't, I hope they don't give up and that they manage to make a great song that will chart very high.
"Matters At All" was written by Kids In Glass Houses and Jason Perry. The song is about making things happen, the world goes by so quickly and if you don't take the chances that are sent your way you'll regret them for the rest of your life. I really like this meaning to the song and I like how it is interpreted into a music video.
The video is confusing if you see it on the music channels, as they have cut it down and it makes no sense whatsoever. I've been worried about doing this video as I never did understand it, but today was the first time I watched it on YouTube and the video is the full version which makes this much more obvious what has gone on.
Clearly the main character is a little delusional, she wants this guy and probably presumes she can have him, she totally forgets that he clearly has a girlfriend, and she imagines herself as his girlfriend. Then we get a rewind (not seen in the music channel version) and we actually see that she likes this guy but he already has a girlfriend, so clearly she is stalking him, and I think the girlfriend realises this hence why she has a fit when our main character gives her the photos. (This description would be much more clearer with names, anyone know the actor/actresses names?)
There are also scenes of a performance nature which is really great to watch and I did feel the energy from them when I saw them live, and they manage to replicate that in the performance scenes. This is what makes this video that bit better than others as they have managed to portray the band as well as the song.
This song has to be one of my favourites after "Undercover Lover", the full version of the music video is definitely a lot more clearer and a lot more interesting and understandable. Since I am reviewing the full video my rating goes out to it. If you ever manage to see this video on the music channels you'll realise it doesn't make sense.
So I struggled a lot on picking the new release, there wasn't anything I was interested in, only Rihanna's "Diamonds" which doesn't have a music video. After much searching I read a twitter post by Aiden Grimshaw that announced he bought a single today on iTunes, and this was the song, after one listen I was instantly hooked and I have bought this single, and I agree with Aiden Grimshaw it was totally worth it!
The Other Tribe is a new band on the block, they are a six-piece band consisting of James Hill, Miles Metric, Ollie White, Alex Oldroyd, Max Cleary and Charlie Brown. They have been going since 2009 and are from Bristol, UK. Their live shows have been rated high a lot, and it seems this single will definitely be charting this Sunday, it's been climbing up the chart since yesterday and I doubt it will stop.
This music video links in with the band more than it does with the song, which is a whole different take on things and it really interests me. It's totally narrative with a bit of a performance side in certain scenes. This is definitely a video that would stand out on a music channel, and the fact that the song managed to capture me within the first listen just makes this all the more better.
The video follows a girl (actress name unknown), who wonders through the forest and finds tribal items, she then goes deeper in the forest and finds a tribe who welcomes her in. There are many sensual references, but they have done them on a small scale that people may not even see them.
Overall I have to thank Aiden Grimshaw for introducing this band to me. The song is amazingly catchy and I cannot wait to hear more from them. The music video relates to the band which is a unique twist to the common music video, and I cannot wait to see what videos are around the corner for these guys.
I reviewed No Doubt this week as a new release, and I definitely had to do one of their songs for my Sunday revisit, but I had trouble deciding which song. But looks like iTunes DJ once again chose for me as it played this song yesterday. No Doubt has recently reformed and released "Settle Down" along with a new album, they will definitely be sticking around this time and I cannot wait for more new music from them. The band consists of Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont. This song features Bounty Killer, real name Rodney Price, who has had a slightly successful career in the US, but has only ever touched the UK with this song.
"Hey Baby" was written by Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Bounty Killer. It's extremely catchy and it's definitely one of those songs you expect to go straight to number one, however it just missed out grabbing the number 2 spot, being beaten by Enrique Iglesias' "Hero". They have only ever had a number one with "Don't Speak", however I expect them to top the chart once again in the future.
This music video is a typical 2001 music video, I have seen quite a few similar ones while blogging, and I have come to expect to see this sort of side to music videos, it really reminds me of Pink's "Get The Party Started".
The video is both narrative and performance and manages to link in with the song effectively. The video represents the band and what they get up to on their tour bus and while out at clubs and stuff. The events in the video are based on true events.
That does mean that Tom Dumont really did defeat a woman in a drinking game (in this scene the woman is played by Sonya Eddy). And Adrian Young actually won $200 (US) on a dare to hang upside down on gymnastic rings naked, this happened in a club in New York. The video hit controversy for that scene especially since Bounty Killer is Jamaican and it was considered an act of homosexuality, and back then and even now, Jamaica isn't as accepting of LGBT rights as other countries are.
I like the performance side of things too, it looks like it's been done many times before, but I cannot think of any video using similar effects, although I'm sure I've seen other videos that are alike.
This is an extremely catchy song that you definitely can't help but sing a long to. The music video is a typical 2000's video however it is very controversial too. I have to give it 10 out of 10 for effort, with the amount of similar videos out back then it's difficult to stand out, and this is exactly what they have managed to do. I wish the song had got to number one, but guess we can't have everything we want, but maybe a new song might top the UK chart, we lay in wait for No Doubt to finally get their 2nd UK number one.
Yesterday I was listening to my iTunes on shuffle and this song got played twice, I believe I've already listened to it today on shuffle too, clearly iTunes wanted me to review it, so here I am, and here it is.
The All-American Rejects have been one of my favourite bands for ages, they never fail to disappoint and they are evolving better and better, I wouldn't have thought they would release a song like this, but they have and they have made it their own. They are a four-piece band consisting of Tyson Ritter, Nick Wheeler, Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor. They have had a number of hits and a number of songs that should have been, they are getting a bigger and bigger UK fan base and it won't be long before they are on a lot of people's playlists, in my opinion the sooner the better, this band needs to promote a lot more.
"Walk Over Me" was written by Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter, it is potentially their 3rd single from the amazing album Kids In The Street, the first being "Beekeeper's Daughter" and the second being "Kids In The Street". Only the first single has been released in the UK so far, with limited success, however the album is currently their highest charting album to date, so clearly they are getting more and more fans as the years go by.
This music video is the sort of video I hate. I don't know why, but it really grates on my nerves, and seriously I cannot be the only one who feels this way. I think the main thing is that it has been done so many times before that every time I see a new video using this concept I cringe away from it. However, The All-American Rejects has gone all out on it. At the end of the day if you're going to do this sort of video you HAVE to take the mickey out of it and break as many boundaries as possible with it, otherwise you will get a low rating from me. And well done, The All-American Rejects have managed to make this video good and a lot more watchable.
I cannot help but laugh at this, the fact that it's a bit scary with fish munching heads off and a knife stabbing people, makes this one of my favourite music videos in this style, if not, the best. How can you not crack a smile at this, and the fact that it looks like it was extremely difficult to make and the fact that there was obviously a lot of thought going in is exactly what I want from a video like this.
There are a few things that I'm not sure on such as there isn't an overall link, just subtle links with some of the lyrics, but they've made this video really work and I can't help but be happy that they have managed to change my opinion of this video within the first few seconds.
Overall a great song that may not be officially released but if it is I hope it does well as it clearly deserves it. The accompanying music video is not something I'm happy with, it's not a style I like to see in music videos, however The All-American Rejects has pushed the boat out and made it much more enjoyable, will I be watching more of this style of music video? Probably not, but I shall be a lot more aware of it. And I doubt I'll find a video in this style that will beat this one.
Franz Ferdinand are another band that I both like and don't, the main reason is because they disappear for too many years and you eventually get bored of playing all their old songs and then when you give up hope on them ever returning a new amazing song pops up that you can't help but like, which is really annoying. They are a British band from Glasgow, Scotland and they consist of Alex Kapranos, Nicholas McCarthy, Robert Hardy and Paul Thomson. They are working on their fourth studio album and it is supposed to be really good. However they have been gone since 2009, and 3-4 years is too long for me to wait, I have already given up on them, however I will be blogging about them and their new songs if they are up to scratch, and I bet they will be.
"Take Me Out" was written by Alex Kapranos and Nicholas McCarthy. It is their best hit in the UK thus far managing to get to number 3 on the UK chart and just missing out on the top spot, it also did well internationally too, and it's definitely one of a few of their signature songs, but I think they will have a hit fairly soon and everyone will know who they are.
The music video isn't my sort of thing, it's very 1930's and that is exactly what the band wanted to do, so they get 10 out of 10 for effort from me. There is a lot of imagery and I definitely like how they have used things they have seen and discussed and put them all together and spun it up in their own little way. I shall not list everything they have managed to incorporate as that can be found easily on the Internet. But the fact they have managed to do exactly what they wanted to do is definitely worth the stars I'm giving the video.
The downside is that it didn't grip me, it's a typical performance piece and although it is different to what is about, there is nothing to keep me entertained and involved. I feel like I'm watching some old film at the cinema, and I cannot stop fidgeting as I wait for it to finally end.
Overall a great song that is actually worthy of the chart position, but a music video that doesn't seem to involve the audience the way it should. I am balancing out my rating as this is what the band wanted to make and they have thought about the video massively, so much so that they didn't want to make a typical pop video, and that makes it go up in my books, even though the video didn't suit me.
