Tuesday 23 June 2015

10 Great Songs About Aliens and UFOs

Guys I saw a flippin' UFO on my way to T-Dot this passed weekend. It was awesome. Not saying 100% for sure it was an alien spacecraft, but I mean, c'mon. 10 Great Songs About Aliens and UFOs.

1. "Alien" - Pennywise

Along with "Bro Hymn" i'd say "Alien" is Pennywise's most well known song. It hit #36 on the charts after all, not a common feat for a punk band. Not sure this song is actually about extraterrestrials, the lyrics make it sound more like they are talking about treating people who act and look differently poorly. Like they're aliens.


2. "Through The Never" - Metallica

This one comes off Metallica's monster self-titled album released in 1991. "Through The Never" was like the 12th single released off of it or something, it's nuts. Again this song never specifically mentions aliens, but it does deal with wondering about what is beyond our comprehension of the galaxy around us. Through The Never was also the name of Metallica's recent live concert/action thriller movie released in 2013.


3. "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" - Klaatu

OK here we go. This is one is definitely about aliens, heck this hippy-trippin' Canadian band even named themselves after a fictional one. Klaatu was the name of the alien in The Day The Earth Stood Still.


4. "Rosetta Stoned" - Tool

Maynard can write a song about anything, that's one of the reasons many people call themselves Tool fans. In one of his more bizarre moments we find "Rosetta Stoned" a peculiar, quick-paced track with ambiguous lyrics. Upon closer inspection it's a telling of an alien encounter and abduction told from the first person.


5."Starman" - David Bowie

I could really have put any song off of Bowie's classic 1972 album Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars. "Starman" is the song about a being from beyond the stars who would blow our mind if he came to see us. Imagine the day that aliens do finally make contact. How would you react? How would anyone?


6. "Mars Attacks!" - Misfits

Back in the late 90's Tim Burton was developing a movie based on the hyper-violent cult trading card series from the 60's of the same name. The Misfits being huge fans of the cards wrote a song based on the premise of Martians invading Earth and offered it to Burton to use in his movie. Ultimately Burton decided against using contemporary music on his soundtrack and declined. A blessing in disguise if you ask me, I'd hate for any Misfits song to be associated officially with that piece of shite movie.


7. "It Came Out Of The Sky" - Creedence Clearwater Revival

For a time there was a genuine UFO craze and sensation. Especially in the 50's and 60's when photographs and videos were difficult to legitimately discredit and therefore every Joe Blow would claim an alien close encounter for their 15 minutes of fame. CCR is singing a song about that very thing, where a hick named Jody tries to sell his piece of spacejunk for 17 Million dollars! Cool song though.


8. "Come Sail Away" - Styx

Perhaps the most well known and  highest charting song on this list about UFOs is Styx's swan song "Come Sail Away". It still receives heavy rotations on classic rock stations to this day. It's also probably Styx's best song period, because let's face it guys, "Mr. Roboto" is pure ass.


9. "Spaceman" - Bif Naked

Before she had a global following the 2001 release of her album Purge, Bif Naked was virtually unknown outside of her native Canada. "Spaceman" was her biggest hit up until then and it can be found her great album I Bificus, released in 1998.


10. "Hangar 18" - Megadeth

The title of this song is a direct reference to the hidden military base in Dayton, Ohio were the alien bodies were supposedly taken after the famed Roswell incident. Megadeth singer and head songwriter has strong political views and views about America's military, though he does try to keep his political life and music life separate. If you notice a similarity to some parts of this song and "The Call Of Ktulu" by Metallica it's because Mustaine was Metallica's original guitarist and had a hand in writing both songs. He is credited with writing "The Call Of Ktulu" but was kicked out of Metallica before Ride The Lighting was released. Cool song and video, "Hangar 18".


Do you believe? Keep watching the skies!!!

And so on...


JZ <----- Twitter business



Thursday 18 June 2015

10 Great Songs With Animals In The Title

Yup feeling basic today. Basically I haven't done a list in some time and felt like getting something resembling content out there. I like animals. I like turtles. Here are 10 Great Songs With Animals In The Title.

1. Sage Francis - "Sea Lion"

I'm very specific about the hip-hop I like. I like it smart, I like it catchy and I like it with lyrics not riddled with FUCK or BITCH as every other syllable. Sage Francis calls Rhode Island home and his album A Healthy Distrust is one of my favourite Hip-Hop albums.  The second track "Sea Lion" exemplifies perfectly the type of rap I enjoy


2. The Antlers - "Bear"

The Antlers are an indie-rock trio from Brooklyn who have earned themselves a large, devoted following since their start in 2006. Their third album Hospice, released in 2009, was a critically acclaimed triumph. Songs were emotional and haunting, lyrically moving with flashes of instrumental brilliance. The song "Bear" is an honest look at unplanned pregnancy. Simple, yet  terrifying.


3. Beach House - "Zebra"

"Dream House" is a term often used to describe the type of music played by Maryland duo Beach House. Their ethereal and air-light song "Zebra" definitely lives up to that label.


4.  Fleetwood Mac - "Albatross"

Long before Christie McVie and Stevie Nicks. Hell even before Lindsay Buckingham were a part of Fleetwood Mac a man named Peter Green was the band's front man. Green was a revolutionary on the guitar, combining many different styles that seamed effortlessly from song to song. The 1968 B-side "Albatross" is seen as one of Green's crowning instrumental track. Unfortunately for the group Peter Green's addiction to hallucinogenic drugs eventually landed him in a psychiatric hospital being diagnosed with schizophrenia. Though he would, his career never fully recovered.


5. Damien Rice - "Elephant"

Ireland's Damien Rice made a comeback this passed year after an eight year hiatus following his 2006 album 9. The song "Elephant" was originally supposed to be titled "The Blower's Daughter Part 2" because of how similarly it is structured to the first Blower's Daughter which was Rice's breakthrough single off his first album O.


6. Wintersleep - "Orca"

Hailing from Canada's East coast, Wintersleep may have encountered an Orca or two in their time as a group since 2001. Though it wasn't until 2008 when they got properly recognized and won the Juno for Best New Group."Orca" appeared on their first independent release in 2003.



7. Wilco - "Hummingbird"

Perennial indie-rock band Wilco has enjoyed a very long and successful career without ever having a hit radio single or #1 record. Their loyal fans support them and they let their laid back brand of acoustic and folk inspired rock speak for itself. "Hummingbird" is off the 2004 album A Ghost Is Born


8. Stone Temple Pilots - "Army Ants"

Are insects considered animals? Ah sure, why the hell not? I love finding these lesser known songs by huge bands. Though the Stone Temple Pilots will never again be what they once were (thanks Scott) we'll always have these songs from yesterday to keep the memories alive. By the way the term "army ant" can be applied to over 200 species of ants!!! That's nuts.


9. One Self - "Bluebird"

This is a good cruising track. A jolting, yet smooth beat that you can roll around town to while looking out at the world from under the brim of your tight cap. One Self comes out of Milwaukee and is known for his high energy shows that often incorporate spoken word passages.


10. Smashing Pumpkins - "Tarantula"

This is another one of those bands, like STP, where the figurehead of the group seems to be doing everything they can to tarnish the legacy of the group and destroy anything good the band has left in them. In this case Billy Corgan has made some questionable choices when it comes to the Smashing Pumpkins since the release of Adore. From dating Courtney Love, to trying his hand at the Wrestling world, to releasing 44-song concept album that nobody asked for and so much more, many Pumpkins fans are just begging for Corgan to stop. At least one attempt at bringing back the Smashin Pumpkins was somewhat successful. The release of Zeitgeist in 2007 wasn't the worst thing in the world, it did give us the song "Tarantula" after all.


Thanks for reading!!

SUGGEST SOME IDEAS FOR ME!!!!

JZ