Planned Banter

Michael here. (Holy crap, THREE WEEKS IN A ROW! Suck it, Jaysun.) Welcome to a very special 5 x 5. This one is about music. I know I don’t talk a LOT about music on the show, because I have some very odd tastes in aural stimulation. But, what the hay. This week’s format is going to be 5 songs I’m listening to right now, and 5 albums I’d recommend to people. These are NOT my favorites, just stuff I’ve been listening to recently, that may fit or bring me out of moods I’ve been in lately. So welcome into another trip ino my twisted mind. Mind the carpet, have a seat, and (hopefully) enjoy. (Forgive any ignorance to genres or nomenclature. I’m not extremely well versed in music theory or anything.)

Songs I’m Listening To

1.) “Baptism” Crystal Castles (Crystal Castles II)

I’m not a huge Crystal Castles fan, but I do love this song. For some reason, when I’m doing something creative, I like listening to this. It gets the juices flowing. It’s a fun little trance/techno song with some EPIC scream singing. The hook just gets into your brain and roots around there a bit. Usually, when I’m writing, I don’t like lyrics in the background music, but this doesn’t seem to bother me.

 

 

2.) “Planetary (Go!)” My Chemical Romance (Danger Days: The True Lives of the Dangerous Killjoys)

 This is my favorite song off of this album. This is my driving song. Now, I don’t do a lot of driving, but when I do, this is the song I like to listen to while doing so. There is so much going on in this song, and it’s great to sing along to loudly (with the windows rolled up). I actually hear this song on the radio a bit! I really liked the way MCR updated their sound on this album, and this track really showcases that evolution.

 

 

3.) “Do It With a Rockstar” Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra (Theatre is Evil [Upcoming])

 This is the first single released form Amanda Palmer’s upcoming Kickstarter-funded album. She released this as a free download to her supporters first, then to everyone else later. You can download it here. I LOVE this song. Great lyrics, REALLY catchy hook, and a very fantastic band. This song is easily one of my Top 5. So, that may or may not tell you something about me. Irregardless (I know it’s not a word, but it’s mine), at least give it a listen. I gave you a link and EVERYTHING.

 

4.) “Irresistible Force” Jane’s Addiction (The Great Escape Artist)

 I was a decent Jane’s Addiction fan, back in the day. This song, though, made me go back and appreciate how great of a band they were. Again, this song is so … catchy. This is also one of my wife’s favorite songs right now. So, I get to listen to it a lot. Honestly, though, this song equates to All-Star Superman for me. What happens when the Irresistible Force meets the Immovable Object? This song.

 

 

5.) “Everything At Once” Lenka (Two)

 I blame new Disney movies for this one. This is the song that plays in their new advertisement for Disney All Access — where you can buy a movie, and watch it on your media player, computer, tablet, and phone. It’s catchy, and sort of … haunting. The melody is really upbeat, but it sort of sounds subtly creepy. As an honorable mention, I recommend listening to a song from her first album called “The Show.” It’s another one that has popped up in a lot of ads and movies/TV shows.

 

 

Recommended Albums

1.) Year Zero, Nine Inch Nails

 This is, personally, my favorite NIN album. It tells an awesome dystopian story (awesome enough that rumors abound of an HBO show based on the premise) in a way that only Trent Reznor can. Especially given our current economic and political climate, this is a very topical album.

 

 

2.) Turnabout Jazz Soul, Noriyuki Iwadare

 This album takes some of the most popular Ace Attorney music and jazzes it up. I actually play this at wok a lot, and no one is any the wiser that it’s a glorified video game soundtrack. It is GREAT background music for reading and writing for me. Two of the standout tracks for me are “Phoenix Wright ~ Objection!,” which is probably one of the more recognizable themes in the games, and “Godot ~ Fragrance of Dark Coffee,” which is the Jazz-iest of all of the songs on this album. GREAT listen.

 

3.) Turtleneck and Chain, The Lonely Island

 I really liked The Lonely Island’s first album, but they really shine on this one. ALL of the songs contained within are catchy and hilarious. The guest stars on some of the songs really make it even funnier. I mean, Michael Bolton probably was introduced to a whole new audience thanks to “Jack Sparrow.” I really look forward to their future endeavors (although I’ve yet to see Hot Rods), but until then, this will tide me over.

 

 

4.) Muppets: The Green Album, Various Artists

 Okay, I LOVE the Muppets. When this album was introduced, I was VERY curious, because even people who have seen some of the more recent Muppet stuff may not recognize some of these songs. Doesn’t matter, though, because this is a ridiculously fun album. I feel they got a very good collection of artists to put their own spin on some of these classic tunes. I was actually surprised, because some artists I don’t normally like impressed me with their renditions. I will always recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in the Muppets.

 

5.) Cage the Elephant, Cage the Elephant

 Now, I have a sort of personal connection to this band. I went to Western Kentucky University, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Cage the Elephant is from Bowling Green. I have a soft spot in my heart for that place, and when I heard about them, I said I’d give it a listen. (As a matter of fact, I am planning to head down to visit my alma mater, and possibly catch a concert by them in the not-too-distant future) I really enjoyed them, but around that same time, a game called Borderlands came out. If you don’t know, the opening sequence to Borderlands has one of their biggest singles, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked,” playing throughout. And it FITS. Perfectly. Give them a listen. I doubt you’ll regret it.

 

Well, there you have it. Another 5 x 5. My next 5 x 5 may be a bit late depending on how my work schedule gets re-arranged. I hope you’ve enjoyed these, and I look forward to making many more. If you have any ideas for future 5 x 5′s, I’d love to hear them. Thanks!