Hernon's Harmonies Halloween playlist

Its that time of years again everyone! It's late October and Halloween is fast approaching so grab your costumes and get ready for some ghoulish antics. Whilst you're at it, why not treat yourself to some scary tunes? This selection of songs certainly won't trick you in a nasty way, or maybe they will? Depends on your music taste really, but there are bound to be a few that'll make you jump. Mwhahaha! (please note: these songs are in no particular order).

1. Highway To Hell by AC/DC http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKggnBh2Mdw
2. Dangerous Animals by Arctic Monkeys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHe3E366_Po
3. Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix) by Yeah Yeah Yeahs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3c4dPxN1qM
4. Don't Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUO_5EALZoM
5. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvkKX035484
6. Thriller by Michael Jackson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEHsIcsjtdI
7. Under Your Spell by Desire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEAKJw8Cz1c
8. Pet Cemetery by The Ramones http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3J0iwwsq-w
9. Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDWgsQhbaqU
10. Vanished by Crystal Castles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrAKCLxswBE
11. The Hell Song by Sum 41 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjKQKnCUYkE
12. Number Of The Beast by Iron Maiden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mHe6FMs46o
13. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) by Jimi Hendrix http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvmKlZGTTU4
14. Ghost Town by The Specials http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqZ8428GSrI
15. Madness by Muse http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN607gpo_x0
16. Feed My Frankenstein by Alice Cooper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWoIZGAETOE
17. Ghost Town by The Vaccines (this isn't a cover of The Specials) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avS2RKpapDk
18. A Forest by The Cure http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xik-y0xlpZ0
19. Doused by DIIV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnV-uhvOA5A
20. Miss You by Blink 182 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1tAYmMjLdY   

New by Paul McCartney

He's been there and done it all, name it and he's done it. In fact, it would probably be harder if you tried to think of the things that he hasn't done. At the age of 71, Paul McCartney has sold well over 100 million albums and has completely changed the face of music forever. He first started out in an obscure band in the sixties called The Beatles (you probably haven't heard of them). But then they split up and Paul McCartney decided to form Wings in the seventies. That ended and now he has been playing solo for many years. "New" is the latest offering from the legend himself.

Because Paul McCartney has been there and done it all, this means that he can pretty much do whatever the hell he wants. There is no "second album syndrome" or "mid career crisis" for him. "New", however, will sound surprisingly fresh (for some)
as the name suggests. It's almost as if Paul McCartney has been reborn into some sort of old man superhero. Usually when people get old, they just retire and wait to die. Not Paul McCartney though. Remarkably, he has managed to create something that will entertain listeners rather than bore them. "New" is essentially like an old man telling stories from his past, and these stories will sound incredibly exciting to younger generations.

Everywhere you go on this album, there are splatters of The Beatles seeping through. For example on title track "New" the keyboard sounds an awful lot like the one from "Piggies" on The Beatles "White Album" (but a bit faster though). Another example would be "Early Days" which absolutely screams out to the likes of "Blackbird", "Mother Nature's Son" and "Dear Prudence". There is even a touch of Wings here and there. Try "Everybody Out There" and you'll immediately think of "Mrs Vandebilt". You could go on for a while with the amount of Beatles and wings references. This, however, is a positive thing because it makes "New" a rewarding listen with plenty of replay value.

"Save Us" and "Alligator" are great openers, the first being a fast bluesy number and the second being the same but a bit slower. "On My Way To Work" is a folksy story telling song that will surely make listeners imaginations run wild. "Appreciate" sounds like it could soundtrack a film that involves a stealthy spy sneaking round. "Hosanna" is one of the slower songs on the album and "Looking At Her" sounds like it was written for Paul's new wife judging by the lyrics. "Turned Out" and "Struggle" are delightful piano ballads that are enjoyable.

However, this isn't really an album that will leave behind an amazing legacy like "Sgt Peppers" or "Abbey Road" did. The songs do their job fine though and people will enjoy listening to these tunes. Overall, "New" certainly isn't an old man that hasn't given up hope. Instead it is an old man doing what he has done all these years brilliantly without pushing the boundaries like he did in his past years. The influences from his boundary pushing days are still there though, but some people won't be able to tell. To sum it up: "New" will sound more fresh to casual listeners, but the hardcore listeners will only find it mildly fresh as they'll be able to nitpick out the details that have been done before. Still, this nitpicking can be enjoyable depending on your tastes.

OVERALL: 7/10

BEST SONGS: LOOKING AT HER, EARLY DAYS, ON MY WAY TO WORK.
WORST SONG: I CAN BET

You Wanna Know EP by Don Broco

Don Broco are a band that seem to have slowly risen in popularity these past couple of years. This is defiantly down to the success of their album "Priorities", because without it, they probably wouldn't have been able to accomplish achievements such as playing the main stage at Reading and Leeds festivals. Songs such as "Hold On" and "Priorities" seem to go down really well with crowds that love a chirpy pop punk song.

The band seem to have to been thrown into this recent scene of British pop punk bands along with acts such as You Me At Six and Lower Than Atlantis. This isn't hard to see why seeing as all three bands have a melodic, "let's go and mosh" type sound. "You Wanna Know EP" includes new song "You Wanna Know", a remix of said song, a cover of "You Know You Like It" and 2 acoustic versions of songs that were on "Priorities".

Choppy, tights riffs are the main course being served up on the opening tracking "You Wanna Know". This is pretty much shown from the beginning after a brief 12 second build up. It's like greyhounds anticipating a race and then suddenly, BAM they're off out the gates. The texture then drops for the verse where we are treated to a funky bass line and twiddly guitars. After this tasty starter, we then go back to that delicious main course riff. So we've had a main course, a starter and then a main course again. Umm how about we call that second main course a desert seeing as that's the traditional order of events. Anway, "You Wanna Know" is a funky stomper of a pop punk song that is sure to get those moshes grooving. Oooo yeah! Also you may be wondering "why the food references?" well, one of the lyrics is "You said you'd have your cake" so it seems appropriate. The Club Sex mix of this song is great too. Imagine "Sexy Back" by Justin Timberlake but more chilled out and that's what you've got. This sleek seductive mix of the song is sure to get lustful hearts in the clubs twerking and ummm yeah, the rest you can guess.

"You Know You Like It" is pretty much the same as the original version expect there are electric guitars rather than electronic instruments. This isn't bad but it isn't exactly spectacular either. A fine and decent effort overall. The two acoustic versions of "Here's The Thing" and "Actors" are fine too and they are what you would expect from acoustic versions of songs. However, there is only one complaint and that is that the drums on "Actors" slightly drown out the acoustic guitar, but apart from that these acoustic tunes are nice soothing listens that will surely please big fans of the band.

"You Wanna Know EP" is an enjoyable listen and the title track is easily the highlight. The mix is great too and "You Know You Like It" is a decent cover but it plays it a little too safe. Also, the acoustic tunes are nice touches but they could've of been produced slightly better. Apart from a few niggles this is an interesting listen that goes far beyond the basic pop punk formula.

OVERALL: 7/10

BEST TRACKS: You Wanna Know, You Wanna Know (Club Sex Mix)
WORST TRACK: Actors (acoustic)
   

   

Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die by Panic! at the Disco

Grab your black clothes, piercings, hair dye, then grab a time machine and go back several years to the mid noughties. This was a time when emo bands such as My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy ruled the earth like the dinosaurs did billions of years ago. One of these so called emo bands was Panic! at the Disco. Although the band may not have enjoyed quite the same amount of commercial success as their counterparts, they are still well loved by many and their fanbase is a decently sized one.

Essentially, "Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die" is an emo rock record mixed with a more modern, more commercial sound. So expect plenty of "Woah oh oh oh" choruses blended with synthesizers and enhanced vocals. The album defiantly has that party type feel to it but most of it sounds so half baked. For example, many of the songs on the album are mid tempo synth songs that never really pick up or go anywhere, this makes the album a bit of a chore to listen to at times.

"This Is Gospel" is a mixed opener. The enhanced vocal track that has been added in the verses sounds unnecessary and cringey. However the chorus is your typical, fun emo rock song with power chords and "oh oh oh" sing alongs galore. Overall, the chorus equals a fairground ride and the verses equals one of those parties that doesn't have any alcohol. "Miss Jackson" is a huge sounding, soulful track but its basically just a load of repetitive vocal melodies over the top of each other. The song becomes a bit boring after the fifth listen or so. Furthermore, Panic at the Disco could've used female singer Lolo a bit more on this track rather than just using her for one part. "Miss Jackson" could've really been something special if they used Lolo for say, the verse parts possibly.

Now, going back to what was said earlier: basically the majority of songs on this album are just mid tempo emo rock songs that have synthesizers slapped on them. Sure you can do this, its absolutely fine. There is no rule book in music that tells you its illegal to try certain things out. However if your going to go for this type of sound then at least have some decent vocal hooks. There are too many songs on "Too Weird To Live, Too rare To Die" that have dull, half assed and repetitive vocal hooks. For example, "Nicotine's" chorus sounds so lazy, its just "your worse than nicotine" over and over again for about 16 bars. Panic! at the disco could've of come up with some different lyrics or something. "Girls/Girls/Boys", "Casual Affair" and "Far Too Young To Die" all fall under the exact same trap. "Vegas Lights" sounds like its just gagging to be on a FIFA video game and that's not a good thing seeing as most of the tracks on FIFA are just there to be used as some background music to a menu.

There are moments on the album when there is a bit more variety, but there isn't much of it. For example, "Collar Full" is a slightly more fast tempo track with some nice synthesizer effects on it. One of the better tracks on the album. "Girl That You Love" has some of the sort of instrumentation that could probably fit on the soundtrack to the film "Drive". Its very 1980's noir and that's something that sounds very cool and chic. The album's closer "The End Of All Things" is a piano ballad and that's fine. However those god damn enhanced vocals make it sound just wrong. Imagine Adele's "Someone Like You" with auto tune effects on it. It just wouldn't sound right would it?

"Too Weird To Love, Too Rare To Die" really fails at trying to be a fun party record. In fact, it just makes you want to sit down on your chair and read a book instead. Sure there are some decent moments but do you really expect to pay money for an album that is 20% cor and 80% snore? Well no, unless your stupid. Avoid unless you are planning to have the world's most lifeless party and need a soundtrack for it.

OVERALL RATING: 3/10

BEST SONGS: COLLAR FULL, GIRL THAT YOU LOVE.
WORST SONGS: NICOTINE, VEGAS LIGHTS, CASUAL AFFAIR.



 

Blush EP by Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice are a 4 piece alternative rock band from London and they have been called a favourite new band by many including NME magazine. The band are still fairly unknown despite having released 3 singles in the past few years. "Blush" is the band's first EP and it contains 4 brand new tracks. So, let's see why NME magazine have been getting all excited then.

The EP starts off with the title track (the track is called Blush to those of you that don't know what a title track is) and the song varies greatly in texture. First, it starts off incredibly minimalistic, with just a single echoing electric guitar and a single female vocal. But then it builds up to this shoegaze-y type climax with fuzzy electric guitars and soft vocals. It's very much like a few of the songs on The Smashing Pumpkins first album "Gish". "She" has more of a punk groove in the first half of the song because of its repetitive drum and electric guitar sections. It then gets soft before finally going back into the punk groove again. "She" is a track full of variety and not just because of its song structure, the vocals also change from being soft to slightly more aggressive. This makes it sound a bit messy because of its constant changes. "Nosedive" is a 2 and a half minute bubblegum indie pop song that's enjoyable enough. Finally we get "90 Mile Beach" which is a delicate, dreamy song that has some good guitar work and some excellent backing vocals.

Overall the "Blush" is decent but it's not particularly thrilling or spectacular. If your looking for something that you can enjoy for a short amount of time then "Blush" is perfect. However this EP is basically just a variety of 90's influences mashed into four songs.

OVERALL RATING: 5/10

BEST TRACK: BLUSH  
WORST TRACK: SHE

One Breath by Anna Calvi

Twickenham based singer songwriter Anna Calvi enjoyed a lot of success with her debut album back in 2011. The album even managed to gain a Mercury Prize nomination that year which is pretty outstanding seeing as only a handful of artists get Mercury Prize nominations. So how does Anna Calvi’s second album shape up? Does it produce the same magic that the first album did? Or does it suffer from the dreaded second album syndrome?

Anna Calvi has a seductive, silky like quality to her voice that sometimes erupts into these high powerful notes. Imagine a 50’s pin up girl singing  for the seductive, silky part and then imagine a female Thom Yorke when he sings that really high, long note in “Creep” for the powerful part. If you said that Anna Calvi had a lot of contrast in her singing style then you could be correct. Her voice is a lot like the album in a contrasting type of way because a lot of the songs on it start off with barely anything and then they become really rich with textures and sounds.

“Suddenly” kicks things off with reverb guitars, vibrato vocals and one hell of a vocal hook. Florence Welch would surely be jealous of the amount of vibrato vocals going on in the “ahh” vocal hook in the chorus. Seriously, Florence Welch is well known for her vibrato voice but Anna Calvi takes it to another level on this track. “Eliza” starts off quietly in the verses but then powerfully erupts for the chorus a la “Smells Like Teen Spirit”.  “Piece by Piece” is a flirtatious yet nostalgic sounding song that blends gorgeous plucked notes with zany guitar work. “Cry” is a slightly uncomfortable listen because its texture picks up so randomly without any warning; it really makes you jump out of your skin.

There are also a few slower tracks on the album that contain absolutely lavish string sections that the likes of Mozart and Beethoven would probably enjoy if they were around in the 21^st century. These songs include “Sing to me” and “One Breath”, in fact the string sections towards the end of these songs are actually very reminiscent of the ones in the Radiohead track “How To Disappear Completely” from their “Kid A” album. The build up to the string sections are superb also. “Carry me over” contains a string section too but it varies from sounding scary to absolutely heavenly. Like “Cry”, “Carry Me Over” is slightly uncomfortable to listen to at times but it has its genius moments too in its 5 and a half minute duration.

Other tracks include “Tristan” which contains bouncy acoustic guitars and vocal sing along hooks galore. “Love Of My Life” is “Goo” era Sonic Youth with its noise guitar riffs and Kim Gordon-esque vocals. “Bleed Into Me” and “The Bridge” are ghostly sounding songs that close the album very well. They are a nice change from the rest of the songs on the album.

“One Breath” is an album that certainly takes more than one listen to appreciate it. This is because it often builds up in texture a lot and sometimes this texture can be unpredictable and unsettling. Once you are on your fourth or fifth listen though you will know when the rich, instrumental textures appear and this makes for a rewarding listen because you persevered. Overall, yes this album does produce its magic moments and no it doesn't suffer from the dreaded second album syndrome.

OVERALL RATING: 7/10

BEST TRACKS: Suddenly, Piece By Piece, One Breath.
WORST TRACK: Cry. 

Why the use of “Baby Blue” by Badfinger in the Breaking Bad finale was genius and why Breaking Bad is genius in general.

Walter White. Jesse Pinkman. Saul Goodman. These are names that will surely go down as some of the most memorable characters in TV history. If you have seen Breaking Bad then you will know how incredible it is. The show has got it all: top notch acting, a well written script and characters that constantly get more intriguing thanks to their development. If you haven’t seen it then what are you doing!? Get yourself a Netflix subscription, sit down and start “binge watching” all 62 episodes immediately. In a nutshell, the plot for the show is that a chemistry teacher gets cancer so therefore he decides to make and sell crystal meth so that his family is financially stable for the future.

The show has managed to gain HUGE critical acclaim and yes, the big capital letters for huge are necessary and here’s why. Firstly, breaking bad has managed to get a 9.5 out of

10.0 on IMBD based on 122 reviews from professional critics and 336,000 ratings from the public. If you think about it, pretty much every single person has given the show a perfect review on IMBD except for the odd person. Secondly, the show has received 151 nominations and won 50 awards from various high profile American awards ceremonies such as the Emmy Awards and The Golden Globe Awards. All of those masses of awards speak for themselves. Thirdly, Breaking Bad has recently received an award from the Guinness Book of World Records entitled the “Highest rated TV series of all time”. Those people at Guinness World Records are really precise so to earn that title is pretty damn impressive.

WARNING: SPOILERS FROM HERE ON IN.

If you are a fan of Breaking Bad then you will know that the show ended last week. You will also know that the final scene was Walter White going back to Todd’s crystal meth lab, admiring all of the equipment and then eventually dying from a bullet wound. Whilst all of this was happening Badfinger’s 1972 single “Baby Blue” was playing in the background. “Baby Blue” couldn't have been more perfect for this scene, it’s like the song’s 41 year old lifetime had been leading up this moment. Lyrically the song fits the plot and the character of Walter White like a jigsaw. “Baby Blue” obviously refers to Walter White’s own addictive trademark brand of blue crystal meth. Another example is the lyric “I had one chance and that was to run” which refers to Walt’s disappearance in the previous episode. Furthermore there is a lyric that refers to the Bullet hitting Walt “A deep burning pain in my side, I feel the bullet go deep in my chest”. There are literally loads of references to the series and Walter White in the lyrics. Look them up and find some more if you are feeling analytical. Not only did the lyrics match but the instruments sounded badass too. The Pete Townshend windmill style guitar chords and the stomping drums sound epic. Not only did the song sound epic, but it also saw a 2981% increase in sales. Wow.  

Breaking Bad has given us so many memorable moments that we will never forget. Some personal favourites include: Walt leaving Jesse’s girlfriend Jane to die, Gus’s explosive death and Jesse’s constant use of the word “bitch”. Hopefully the show will stay in my mind long enough so that I can tell my grand kids about it. Yes, Breaking Bad really is that good. Trust me.    

TOP 10 TRACKS FOR SEPTEMBER 2013

1. Gun- Chvrches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktoaj1IpTbw
2. Forever- Haim http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEwM6ERq0gc
3. Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?- Arctic monkeys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2spbZbOPu_w
4. The Mother We Share- Chvrches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mTRvJ9fugM
5. Mad Sounds- Arctic Monkeys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uimWYQcxjhk
6. If I Could Change Your Mind- Haim (a link couldn't be found for this track)
7. Arabella- Arctic Monkeys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoKd98AslF4
8. Go Slow- Haim https://soundcloud.com/haimtime/go-slow
9. Introspection- MGMT http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Afg1c83ydEg
10. Night Sky- Chvrches http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcc1EMEcM5E

(Please note: there will be a lot more artists for the October top 10 as I only started album reviews half way through September)

Days Are Gone By Haim

Haim are an all girl three piece indie pop band from Los Angeles and they have enjoyed a lot of success these past few years. They first burst on to the scene and caught many people’s attention when they released “Forever” as a single in mid 2012. The song was well received and many people were keen to listen to their debut album, but before that Haim played at many festivals across the summer of 2013 including Glastonbury. There was TV coverage of this Glastonbury set and more and more people started hearing about them. A year after “Forever” was released as a single, Haim have released their debut album “Days Are Gone”.

If you have never listened to Haim before then think of “Rumours” era Fleetwood Mac combined with 80’s bubblegum pop music and Michael Jackson style vocals sung by a women as well. Yes, this is a rather brilliant combination and it is sure to appeal to a lot of people. Haim could quite easily reach the dizzying heights of their indie pop peers Two Door Cinema Club if they manage to get their music out there to the masses.

The album kicks off with the track “falling” and this is a reverberated gem of a pop song. There is clear evidence of that Micheal Jackson style delivery combined with reverbed instruments, this then all cuts out and we are treated to a bombardment of the lyric “Falling” as it constantly pans from left ear to right ear. Lyric simplicity at its best. We are then given “Forever” which contains a mid tempo funky bass and drum section that then builds up to a powerful, energetic guitar chord riff. And oh yes, let’s not forget the terrific vocals that are similar to the previous track. “The Wire” sounds like a Queen track: the guitar riffs are very Brian May-esque and Freddie Mercury would surely be proud of the vocal melody and chord changes. Overall we’ve pretty much got a perfect opening triple whammy here.

The 80’s influences are pretty clear through out the rest of the rest of the album. “If I Could Change Your Mind” has the verse of a Fleetwood Mac song and the chorus of a Cyndi Lauper song. It’s a lot of fun to listen to. “Honey And I” could probably fit onto Simon Paul’s “Graceland” album and “Day’s are gone” is more of a chilled out Synthpop song. We are then given the black sheep of the album which is “My Song 5”. The track is a moody sounding blues song that contains some kick ass guitar riffs and weird low pitched bass effects. This is what makes “Days are gone” (and Haim in general) brilliant though: because they can take any influence and turn it into this fun indie pop song.

As the album progresses towards the end, the songs get a lot slower and more chilled out. “Go Slow” and “Running If You Call My Name” could quite easily soundtrack the slow dance at an American prom in a John Hughes film (check him out if you’ve never heard of him). They are gorgeous, airy pop songs that just want to make you sway from side to side. “Let Me Go” is a slow, angry stomper of a song that contains some good guitar work. It really stands out from the rest of the songs that are on the final quarter of the album.  

“Days Are Gone” is a really top notch, fun album. There are a lot of 80’s influences combined with a modern indie pop sound. Haim have produced a really fantastic debut album and hopefully they can deliver more of the same in the future.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10
BEST TRACKS: FOREVER, IF I COULD CHANGE YOUR MIND, GO SLOW.

WORST TRACK: DON’T SAVE ME.