Return / Ruby Weapon.

After the collapse of my old blog, I have decided to reprise this one. I still need an outlet for my music recommendations, because there are far too many brilliant artists that don't get enough propping, and I attempt to rectify that.

So, to kick this new episode of Finally, Musicals! I present the wonderful Ruby Weapon. Now, a name probably best known from the Final Fantasy series, but I can guarantee (mainly because Final Fantasy sucks ass) that this incarnation of that name is much more enjoyable.

Ruby Weapon is a one man project, aka David A. Burr. He has built up a collection of covers (subsequently posted on YouTube, and circulating), and they are brilliantly done. Giving grace and power to the cover, he has sophisticatedly eaten and produced reworks of "Don't Worry, Baby" (originally by The Beach Boys); "1#", "My Girls", "Who Could Win A Rabbit?", "Winter's Love" (originally by Animal Collective), "Bros" (originally by Panda Bear), "Two Weeks" (originally by Wild Beasts) and a few more; taking already awesome songs are redefining their awesomeness in a different kettle of awesome is a hard thing to do, but he manages it well. The covers are stripped down, mainly with an acoustic guitar, however, with relaxing echo and reverb, it adds a certain charm to the songs, and building on what already exists within the songs to create something more revised and considered.

In terms of his own work, I am not that much acquainted, but as a starter, do download the set of covers as they are very good. Here is his Youtube channel, where everything is that you need to knowz.

Ad-yo.

Ps. I'm listening to The Beach Boys right now; what's with "Make It Big"? It sounds like Def fucking Leopard cover.

Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man

What would happen if folk suddenly became cool, underground and quirky and dark with the freedomed structure of progressive rock?
Imagine that...Or perhaps you don't have to.
See what I did there? Made you believe a falsehood before actually revealing it's truthness. Silly.

Anyway, I'll go on.
Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man are a band, which combine feelings of Victorian london; dank, dirty and biblical, but, with added raw guitar, strong, cutting drums and story telling singing. Fronted by cult bohemian dandy Frederick Blood-Royale, who almost preaches his lines to his audience. Every word is perfectly pronounced and dictioned to a certain extent that you are not sure whether to consider him talentless or innovative, as with most brilliant genius'. The band may as well be called 'The Human Condition' as it's very much a philosophical ride of human self-strife and frantic crushing sounds. They manage to put in a bit of everything a band needs into their musical collection. They can have strong songs and they can have spacey, trippy ones. They can have steady, contemporary songs and they can have experimental freak-feast songs.

The band have written two EP's which they have called Opus'. 'Opus I: The Lay Of The Land; The Turn Of The Tide' and 'Opus II: Obscured By a Setting Sun'. There are so many elements to this band, from their actual musical production, their artworks, their naming, subject matter, system of release, etc. They bare intakes of prog rock, folk, grunge, rock, post punk; however, saying that, is it shallow of me to try and label them like that? They're clearly within their own sound, such as Placebo or Panic! At The Disco, before they went indie, when punctuation mattered. It's fair to say that a good band makes good use of punctuation. But, I'm digressing. Ox are certainly something new, and undeniably innovative, even if it's not for you, yet. Some people will look down on Ox as nothing more as a pretentious romp of a middle class musical experimentation, even if they're merely basing that on Blood-Royale, even if they're just basing that on his eyebrow raising alias and general appearance, which, really, I'm glad about, because it makes him even more the interesting, unique and brilliant. But, they are so much more than that and to think that is just narrow-minded and, quite frankly, boring. Personally, I think they're fantastically original and a brilliant addition to a library. They're the kind of band that deserve to be listened to on vinyl than any other medium as they just have that ancient value that feels real and truly vintage and old fashioned, whilst, still being fresh at the same time.

They are everything. They are power. Space. Friendship. Enemies. Intelligence. Culture. Morality. Evil. Good. Ox. Eagle. Lion. Man.


Hoof On Bone On Mud.

Videosforpictures.

I'm really getting into Videosforpictures, the musical work of YouTuber ofarevolution441, and internet friend/video collaberatererer of mine, Ja(y/)son.

Honestly, when I first heard is work, I was bordering on my decisions on it, not knowing which seemed the more likely, as they seemed to balance each other out.
One was: 'This is...just terribly straining. He can barely sing and it's so convoluted, I can't even take it in'
But, with any form of art, you need to take a step back and appreciate it on a higher spectrum.


In actual fact, VFP is a stunning contribution to music.
It's odd because, you always like to imagine you're with something special, like a band, as it progresses before the mainstream, but you don't realise it until it's become mainstream, but, I think this is different.
VFP is special.
It's an oddly unique blend of Radiohead-esk abstract indie, experimental, math, a slight hint of raw grunge and the cutting piano chord striking beautifulness that fills every track and is a sound ahead of nearly anything that's about now.
His straining voice is oddly endearing and just induces empathic feelings from his audience. You feel every vocal chord with him, like a true musical story teller.
His lyrics are very T. Yorke influenced, and evidentially so. There's a constant stream of abstract naturalism throughout it all, which, when examined, spell out a beautiful and poetic portrayal of a young man's opinions on his world, and the people that surround him.
The music itself is raw, distorted piano, on poor recording software (a video camera's mic...), which adds so much for the type of music he makes, in actual fact. You may listen first time around and think that he really needs a good quality studio, but, in actual fact, that would just ruin it's air; it's atmosphere. The music is dark, dingy and dirty, yet optimistic and richly heartwarming and being recorded with such low quality just gives the impression of a recording in a cold, empty cellar, devoid of any purity.
This, ironically, is what makes VFP a whole and centred piece of art.
It is exactly that; ideals and observations of a mind, centred in the middle of a cold, empty, dark, dingy and dirty world, staring at the what is and the mind's opinions on that exactly.
The torn, beaten, ripped and chisel-stricken sound, including his weary, almost pathetic, (in it's actual definition's form, rather than a derogatory misterminalisation) voice, which is just crying out for someone to listen, but, in a musical form/tune.

I highly recommend.
And tbh, this isn't bias.
I have been friends with many people who have made music and I just can't bring myself to tell them how crap it is.
This is actually brilliant.
Gogogogogogo.

Download Very Three, his first EP:
http://www.mediafire.com/?zgtcouv7gjt


Cow In Parachute is on it.

Dananananaykroyd.

It's time for music to get fun. Everyone's far too serious now'adays. Everyone wants to be taken so literally.
'Oh, I'm baring my soul!'
'This song is a part of me that I am sharing with you'
Shut up, no one cares. They don't go to gigs to hear you whine about your petty romance problems. So, let's just enjoy the experience of going to a live venue, shall we?
Good.

I give you Dananananaykroyd; Glaswegian self-dubbed and quite apt genre of that of 'Fight Pop', they are one of the best live acts in the U.K. right now. Six members; Two catchy guitarists, a Futurehead-in-law bassist, a yelping attractive vocalist, an enraged drummer and a part time backing drummerererer and backing singerererer, who generally just enjoys being second priority for a lot of things in the band. Not to take anything away from him. They are the ultimate live band. I think calling them unbalanced, yet lovably social is a nice description. The band interact with their audience quite well. However, if you don't like hyperactive twenty-year old Scots screaming in your face, on your table or generally ignoring what a stage actually is, than, It's probably not for you.
Shakespeare once said 'The whole world is a stage' and I am pretty certain Dan...Aykroyd (Yes, that's where it came from) were paying quite close attention to that particular statement during their obvious array of literary escapades. The band are master showmen. They bounce off the audience brilliantly (sometimes, that statement can be taken quite literally); for example, employing them in reinventions of scene kid gig antics; The Wall Of Cuddles is quite simply a brilliant remake of a gig game.
But anyway, their live experience is certainly one to be had, and I will go no further in claiming that I am now technically an ex-drummer of the band, and I will use that claim, regardless of the circumstances around it's time-span and reasoning.

I may as well explain their sound a bit more. Think Refused's 'Liberation Frequency' but happier and maybe crossed with a bit more of a poppier version of a Tubelord song. Screams/yells, happy riffs and dancing, basically. It's fun, it's uplifting, but at the same time, strong and hard. They have an album approaching and I urge you to add it to your collection, for at least, my sake.

Thank you for your time, folk.


The Greater Symbol And The Hash (Sissy Hits version).


Chrome Rainbow.

Hello, World.

This is going to be a musical recommendation blog. In it I will source and advise you on your future listening pleasure.
I will attempt to broaden your musical horizons with sounds to confuse, entice and scare your lovely ears.

So, are you with me? No? Yes?
Well, whatever you are, welcome aboard, you're coming along anyway.