Battle Without Honor

Right off the bat I need to tell you, this song is bad ass. It's entitled Battle Without Honor by Tomoyasu Hotei. The song is off of his 2004 album Electric Samurai and it's been in quite a few movies, most know it from the Kill Bill movie. It's a song that can literally change how you walk, it can strengthen your strut or have you push the accelerator closer to the floor. Like I said, bad ass.

It opens up with a funky guitar lick and when the beat comes in the song takes off. There are no lyrics but there's no need for any. Tomoyasu recorded three versions of Battle Without Honor on his Electric Samurai album, my favorites are the original and version 3. The accompanying video is a remix but it's the closest thing to the original song I could find. I would recommend stopping it at the 3:46 mark.

This song needs to be blasted as loudly as possible. Don't worry about your neighbors, they'll be bopping their heads right along with you and then come over to ask you where they can find a copy  of it. That's what a bad ass song makes people do, want it for themselves. Enjoy!

First of the Year

This song should have been posted a long time ago because I really love it, it should have been shared by now. The name of the song is First Of The Year and the artist is Skrillex. This is the second time Skrillex has made an appearance on my blog and that's only because the songs have been worthy, this one especially.

First of the Year is explosive and hard not to enjoy, even if you don't like dub step. The song starts off all sweet and tender, not preparing you for what's to come. The melody is nice, the vocals almost child like and the song takes a playful rest. That is until that first scream for 911 comes in. The darkness and the madness descends on the song and the true talent of Skrillex is seen. The beat picks up after the second 911 request after a few measures and then falls back into the familiar groove.

First time I heard First of the Year, I couldn't turn it off (same thing for the video as well). This song didn't make me a Skrillex fan, I was already one by the time I heard this but it did make me a bigger one. Even if dub step is not your thing, take a listen, be open minded and it may just convert you. Enjoy!

Hymn to the Fallen

This piece of music is off the soundtrack to one of the greatest war films ever made. The film is Saving Private Ryan and the piece of music is entitled Hymn To The Fallen which was written by maestro extraordinaire John Williams. It is the soaring piece that plays when the credits roll and it embodies the spirit of every frame of the film which was directed by Steven Spielberg.

Private Ryan didn't have a lot of music in the film, John and Steven wanted it to be as sparse musically as possible, mainly because Steven wanted the audience right in the middle of the action and he didn't want anything distracting them. The music came during the down moments in the film, after the soldiers battled for their survival and contemplated how close they came to death. John wanted Hymn to be a tribute not to just the soldiers portrayed in the film, but those actual soldiers who fought and died in WWII. I think he did an exceptional job.

People originally thought Saving Private Ryan was the kind of film that was outside of John Williams' wheel house, that it took him too far away from his comfort zone. That maybe Steven should look to another composer who had the skills to score a film like this. Steven stuck to his guns, fought for John, and was rewarded...with this. Enjoy!

Mercy Street

If you are a fan of Peter Gabriel then you are more than likely a fan of his classic song Mercy Street. It's a moving and poignant song that sounds as perfect as a song could sound. If you are a fan of Herbie Hancock then you know how talented that man is and what his legacy is when it comes to jazz music. There is nothing Herbie cannot do, and he proved that when he dropped his album The New Standard back on March 5th 1996.

Herbie took pop songs and turned them into jazz standards. He refashioned them, updated them, made them funkier, fresher, gave them a different voice. One of those songs was Peter's tune Mercy Street. Herbie gave it some serious juice and and sped the song up and made it even harder to forget it. The piano work is pure perfection, but what outshines Herbie on this track is the tenor sax work by Michael Brecker and hearing those two go back and forth with one another is timeless. Michael Brecker's play gives me goosebumps it's that GOOD!

This was Herbie's 40th studio album, 40th and it is absolutely amazing, as his rendition of Mercy Street can attest to. This is one of my favorite albums because if you put this on today, it sounds like it could have been recorded yesterday. The New Standard stands the test of time and for an album that's bordering on being twenty years old, you can't get much better than that.

Fides En Lucius Dei

This is one of my all time favorite pieces of music, it may have something to do with how the drums never stop driving this piece onward, who knows. What I do know is the name of the piece, it's Fides En Lucius Dei and it's by Trailerhead. The first time I stumbled upon this music, I honestly wondered where it had been all my life. It's glorious and moving, and it takes you along for the ride.

Like I said, the drums never cease but the song starts out real timid, you get a taste of what's to come but you have no idea. Then the voices come in and the song picks up momentum as the drums open up. The voices ride along, adding a dimension of gravitas you didn't expect to get from how the piece started. Then the voices begin to build and the next thing you know, you're amongst the clouds, the wind in your hair, and the sun on your face.

Then just like that, it's over, but the drums never leave you. They softly fade out like they faded in and the ending suddenly isn't that bad. I don't know about you but I wanted to hear this again as soon as it was over. Will it be a one time thing for you? Enjoy!

Synapse Dynamics (Arty Remix)

Okay, so recently life has been kicking my ass lately. So much so that I haven't been inspired to write, that's just me being honest with you. New surroundings, new difficulties, uncharted waters, all that has taken a toll on my creativity, until today. Until this song came up on my playlist today. The name of the song is Synapse Dynamics (Arty Remix) by Mat Zo. It's a really fun, energizing song that needs to be heard as loud as you can stand. It's amazing when heard that way.

For those of you that don't know, the young Mat Zo is an English DJ who also produces drum and bass, trance, and house. The kid is all over the place and his orginal version of Synapse is nice. It's dark in some places, mellow and cool out in others, and as much as I like it (and I really do like it), it has NOTHING on the remix. Where the original is dark, the remix is ALL brightly lit up. Where the original feels like it rumbles along, the remix...simply soars.

When I need some pep in my step, I seek this song out. When I can use a smile on my face, I seek this song out. When I need to be reminded that life is meant to be enjoyed, I hunt this song down and play it as loud as I can. That's because a wise man said it was amazing to hear it that way. Enjoy!

Hang On To A Dream

From the moment I heard this song (and don't ask me where I heard it, I really can't remember), it has been playing on a continuous loop. The song is Hang On To A Dream by Kattoo. It is fascinating to me how this song is such an expression of sorrow at times and pure triumph at others. Kattoo aka Volker Kahl has created a piece of music that is certainly not for everyone, but for those who feel this song, for those that get it, it is a masterpiece.

Hang On has a sound that begs to be in a the movies. It's cinematic in both sound, scope, and grandeur. It is poignant and sad one moment, uplifting and inspiring the next and that's the true genius behind this piece. The vocals, the strings, the atmosphere created is hard to ignore and the melodies are so beautiful and yearning. This song speaks to me.

Released back on September 11th in 2007, Hang On acts almost as a soundtrack to the horrific events that took place on that day, and the end of the song, the static, the broken signal brings to mind the conversations cut short as the unthinkable unfolded. I know it's somber, but it's also magnificent and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond

One of my all time favorite songs has been remade. Wait, I don't think you heard me, (ahem) ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE SONGS HAS BEEN REMADE!!! Hear me now? Good! The song in question is the Pink Floyd classic Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Now I am a big Floyd fan, HUGE even, so when I came across this version of the iconic tune honestly, I was all prepared to hate it. I was all prepared to rip it to shreds and then just summarily dismiss it. Shockingly, I can't.

This version is performed by Kendra Morris and while it doesn't quite have the magic and and majesty of the original, it does come across with a similar feel and spirit as the original. With Floyd songs, that's no easy feat. There's a reason why there aren't more remakes of their songs, they are damn difficult to pull off. Kendra however, comes out wailing, reminiscent of Floyd's back up singers back in the day which is a nice nod to the past. The guitar, while it's no David Gilmour is serviceable and while Roger Waters was singing about ex-band mate Syd Barrett, you could hear the pain and frustration in his voice in the original, something Kendra can't capture, she does give the song a refreshing bounce vocally.

My favorite part of this version comes at the 3:59 minute mark where it becomes almost Beatle-esque. Kendra and the people behind this remake did the best they could and you can hear that. They didn't half step, they came at this thing full bore and I can respect that. And though the ending was a massive let down, really I'm just happy they didn't fuck it all up. Enjoy!

Flikr of Ur Eyes

Now for something a little different. Okay, okay, a lot different but I think you will enjoy this. I've been beating you all about the head and ears with the funk lately, this is a complete 180 change in course so hold on tight. The song is entitled Flikr of Ur Eyes by the group Swarms. This is dub step in a way that's rarely heard. Gone is the rumbling bass, the hard driving beat, or the enveloping sound. All of that has been replaced with...

Off of their 2011 release Old Raves End, Swarms brings something to the table I like to call a "maturity" to dub step. Listening to this is like downing a refreshingly chilled glass of pinot grigio on a hot summers day. It's smooth, melodic, and it never gets stale. The songs true beauty, in my opinion are the "vocals", they bring in that important melodic content and make this song beautiful.

The video has it right, this is driving music if nothing else. The song will have you bopping your head and tapping your fingers on the steering wheel. It's haunting as well, you'll be thinking about it long after it's over. I don't know if Flikr of Ur Eyes will make anyone a Swarms fan but hopefully you'll enjoy this song as much as I do.

Brick

I took a little break to deal with some real life matters, but I'm back and the first song I want to hit you with is a classic. I don't know if you remember the roller skating craze that gripped this country back in the mid eighties but this song was huge at the rinks I frequented. The song is Brick by the Dazz Band and at some point, this song when played made you drop whatever it was you were doing and run to the dance floor or get back on the rink.

It's really just a funky jam session that starts off with that crisp beat and keyboard part. Then the bass line joins in along with the really insignificant lyrics and the song is off and running. The beat is the driving force behind this song as other instruments are added and subtracted along the way. It's almost impossible for me to sit still when I hear this song and it always transports me back to a time when life was all about fun.

The Dazz Band had bigger hits than Brick (Let It Whip instantly comes to mind) but Brick is funky, it's fun, and it's such a groove driven tune (and I love a good groove driven tune) that I had to add it to my blog. Just the bass line alone makes it worthy of inclusion. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and I hope it transports you back to a time when life was fun for you as well.