Now - Paramore

It's ok, it's still me here, you haven't wandered into Megan's not daily music blog, but music is today's topic, more specifically the single from Paramore's 4th album that comes out in April. I recently got back into Paramore so I obviously began paying attention to the news about the new album (I'd know it was coming out for a long time, I just hadn't cared before) The reason I'm writing an entire post on a single song is simple: I don't know what my opinion of it is, so I'd like to see what other people think about it to help me. Obviously step 1 in helping me here would be hearing the song, so here you go.

I'm literally just playing that on a loop as I write this and I have to say, the first 15 seconds are bloody awful, it is one of the most irritating intros to a song I'll voluntarily listen to. Then the "Now-ow-ow-ow..." is used throughout the song and that's probably my main complaint about the song. I dislike the "Don't try to take this from me" bits even more, seriously that's just... no, but they only come into it twice (only 4 lines, not a massive issue) so I can cope.

Other than that I have very little to really complain about. It sounds properly different to all their old stuff but still somehow, in the back of my head, really reminds me of one of their previous songs, but I cant think which, especially around the lines "starting over, head back in" if an old Paramore fan can see what I mean and tell me which song I'm thinking of I will be forever grateful.

Aside from the previously mentioned exceptions, I think Hayley sounds better than ever and the band sounds just as good as a 3 piece as it did with 5 members. In fact, scrap what I said at the start, once you get past the intro it is a damn good song and I'm sure the album with have some songs that are even better. So while I still want to hear your opinion I think I've got a hold on mine now. Now is a good song that just has a few parts I don't like, I'll probably buy the album and I'm sure I'll love it as much as the other 3, besides the intro to this song won't be used for the others will it? So I'll probably like most of them more than this.

So there we go, proof that over-thinking a song into a blog post can fix the indecision you're having about it, so this was worth it for that if nothing else. Now you're done reading this leave a comment just I know how you feel, if you like it tell me why, if you don't, do the same (don't just put "It's shit" you'll sound stupid)

Right, that's all for now, I'm off to listen to the rest of Paramore's songs, I'll see you peasants later.

Nikola Tesla

Lets just be clear about a few simple truths before we begin. Nikola Tesla was the greatest scientist to have ever lived, if his life wasn't plagued by the lesser minds of business men like the cretinous Tomas Edison then Tesla would be a household name as the father of modern science. Tesla did things alone in the 19th century that teams of scientists cannot replicate to this day. He was quite possibly the smartest person in history and yet he is greatly underrated by many people, the same people who hold up the insane notion that Edison was inventor of the light bulb and father of the modern electrical era. If you are one of these people, take a seat and let me explain everything wrong with your views on scientific history.
Lets start with the common but insane idea that Tomas Edison was the inventor of the light bulb and therefore the man responsible for the electrical age we live in. Besides religion I can't think of anything so commonly accepted and yet so far from reality, Edison did nothing more than work out how to market and sell the ideas that were pioneered by 22 men before him, he invented nothing. Edison also worked hard to prevent to development of(amongst other things) : alternating current, radar, X-rays and wireless electricity. 3 of these are important parts of the modern word Edison was supposed to have helped usher in and one has still not been re-invented, all 4 were the products of the great mind of a certain Serbian who isn't officially credited with their invention because he let other people use build on his work without patenting them to hold back development by other people.
Just a few other things we wouldn't have without Tesla: hydroelectric power, transistors (and therefore computers), remote controls, neon lights, modern motors, wireless communications and radios. I honestly can't think of anyone who has given more to the world than Tesla did. If his work was backed for it's merit and not based on the profit it could generate, then we'd be living with the benefits of Tesla's genius in so many ways. Not least is the wireless power I mentioned earlier, Tesla developed a method of transferring power safely through the atmosphere and was in the process of building a tower that could have provided free electricity to the entire world. Then his funding was cut off, people with money don't like other people having free things so the project was scrapped.
Then, after all that, all his amazing work and every genius invention. Tesla died alone and penniless, shut in a hotel room talking to an imaginary bird. It says far too much about the world that possibly the greatest mind humanity has ever known was lost to the world in that way, I'll leave this post with the same thing I said about Eponine: Tesla deserved so much but ended up dying with nothing.

Blogception

That's a blog post about blogs, but you already knew that. This blog has been up for just over a year now and I had another one before that, I've known people who had before that as well. However it's only recently that other people's blogs have really started to attract my interest. I only 3 blogs at the moment... and two of those are the same person so...
The reason I write a blog is to clear my head of random or obsessive thoughts to try and give me a chance to think freely on the inside of my head. It never works of course, the thoughts that really clog up my head are not ones I'll be making public any-time soon. I find writing helps anyway, clearing out the little things makes a bit of room for the rest.
You might think that's a stupid reason to start a blog, to you I say this: come up with a better one. You can use a computer well enough to get here, so you're perfectly capable of having a blog at least as good as this one. You might think no one will read it, that's what I always think, but even this little pile of crap gets around 50-120 views a day, it might not sound like a it but it isn't bad. There are over 7 thousand-million people in this world (I refuse to contribute to the american devaluing of a billion) there are people out there who you will never meet that share your interests, so share with them.
It's not like you have to share anything near your life story with the internet, focus on one interest if you want to, there are as many niche blogs out there as there are niche interests. Take Emily's blog, "Common People" for example, I would have never thought about blogging about hashtags, but frankly it's one of the funniest things on the internet, so there is really nothing wrong with a tight focus. Can't decide what to focus on? Make more than one blog then! The other two blogs I follow are Megan's general blog "A little splash of magic" and the more specific "A little splash of music" if she has the time to set up a second blog (one she claims will have daily posts) during the January exams, then you certainly have time to run one for however many interests you have. Leave it for a few weeks if you're busy or bored, then come back when you want.
The world is a big place, there are all sorts of people in it, people who share your interests. The only way to know that these people exist is to share your interests and let the world know about them.

The most inevitable post in blogging history

I went to see Les Mis yesterday, this is the post we all knew was coming. I've decided against any attempt to write a review as it will just become fangirly and meaningless to everyone. Instead I'm going to address the main concern raised before the film came out, the casting. It was a cinema production from day one so no one really expected west end/Broadway stars to be playing the main characters, but nevertheless the singing talent of the cast was understandably questioned. Now the film is out I give my opinion on what the answer to those questions should be, or it might turn into a character by character analysis, we shall see. Obviously I'll talk about the film as well, how could I not? It was just amazing!.. Moving on. This list is in the order they are on IMDB, if you think someone should be mentioned earlier, don't complain to me (if it was up to me, Eponine would first, and second... and the rest)
On and while we're here, if you don't want any spoilers, stop reading now.

Hugh Jackman- Jean Valjean

I'm sure I was not alone in thinking "Wolverine in a really sad musical? That can't work!" Oh how wrong we were! Jackman is brilliant, he plays the conflicted but unyielding compassion of Valjean brilliantly. He isn't as powerful a singer as the people who have played him on stage but he is one of the best singers in the film and he makes full use of the way cinema allows him to show every powerful emotion. "Who am I?" was so brilliantly full of turmoil and fear. Despite the fact he was singing all the time, Valjean is a totally believable character, his interactions with Javert are all tense and emotional. The scene where Javert is released from the rebels is brilliantly shot and acted, it perfectly shows both the similarities and differences between the two men. Both have an unwavering dedication to do what they believe is right, the only difference is their motivation. Valjean seeks to please god by helping others to repay his sins, Javert is driven by his duty to the law and the conviction of duty. It is one of the best scenes in the film and shows off just how good a Valjean Hugh Jackman is.

Russell Crowe- Javert

Although technically the 'bad guy' of the film, it is impossible to bear a grudge against Javert. All he ever does is his duty, what he believes to be right. I didn't believe Russell Crowe could pull off Javert, I didn't think he could sing it well enough and I could see how easy it would be to make Javert a hateful and evil character. Thankfully I was again surprised by the brilliant performance. When Javert places the medal on Gavroche I almost cried (for the second time) Javert is not a mindless soldier like so many characters are made to make other films a world of simple black and white, he is very human. It's the conflict between his humanity and his duty that eventually drives Javert to his death. The way that both "Stars" and "Javert's suicide" are shot is beautifully paralleled, while the songs are polar opposites. During Stars Javert sings of his clear, focused, unchanging dedication to the law and his duty. Then his life is spared by Valjean and he is torn between his duty to take a fugitive into custody, and repaying the debt he owes the man who freed him, despite Javert hounding him for well over a decade. The actual shots for both are breathtaking, but I'll let you see that for yourself.

Anne Hathaway- Fantine

I wasn't too worried about this one, I certainly thought Anne Hathaway would make a better Fantine than catwoman. I was right, she may spend most of the time crying but you can't expect anything else. Fantine is possibly the most pitiful character in all of creation, but that takes nothing away from the depth of the character, you feel truly sorry for Fantine, something about the way Anne Hathaway plays her really works. She doesn't really live long enough for me to say much more. Fantine is brilliant because no matter how bad her life gets, and it gets pretty awful, she takes nothing for herself and does everything for her daughter.

Amanda Seyfried- Cosette

I'll be honest with you, I don't like Cosette, young Cosette has to deal with the abuse from the Thenardiers and has some depth to her. Then Valjean adopts her and she grows up to be pretty much a non-character. I remember her role in the film simply because when I think about there remains a Cosette shaped  hole in the plot. On top of that, I don't think Amanda Seyfried is anywhere near attractive enough to have the effect on Marius that she does, nor is she well trained enough to sing soprano. Even when done well Cosette is a vapid waste of space, unfortunately in the case of this film, she is not done well.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter- The Thenardiers

If Javert is the bad guy you can't hate, then these two are the comedy duo you cannot like. While they do perform the greatest and funniest version of "Master of the House" ever, they then manage to play both characters so well I wanted to hit them both rather hard, as it should be. The Thenardiers are terrible people, abusive to both Cosette and Eponine, thieves, looters, blackmailers. They are brilliantly acted to a point of total loathing (remember this is HBC we're talking about, to make me hate that takes a talent that only she herself possesses... *ahem* moving on) I say they're a comedy duo but honestly they made me properly angry. The characters as characters are amazing, as people they are worse than anyone else in the film. Most of the characters in the film have a morally justifiable drive behind their actions, duty, redemption, family, etc.  for the Thenardiers? Money, nothing else matters to them, they are just hideous people, perfectly acted.

Eddie Redmayne- Marius  

I had no idea who Eddie Redmayne was before seeing Les Mis, so I had no preconceptions going into it. My only comparison is Nick Jonas so with that standard to live up to, Redmayne is god on earth. Speaking generally though, he is a pretty good Marius. Not a bad singer, not a bad actor. Marius is a bit thick for not noticing Eponine, but other than that Marius is a pretty good guy. His gamble on the barricade saved (well, slightly extended) the lives of everyone else there... Except Eponine, which leads me to the question: Why the hell were "A Little Fall of Rain" and "Drink With Me" not properly in the film? But I digress, Redmayne is a very good Marius, giving him proper depth and emotion, so much so that I even believe his interest in his two dimensional wife

Aaron Tevit- Enjolras

Another guy I hadn't heard of, another very good actor. A very restrained and level Enjolras but still with all the passion and spirit he should have. Enjolras's death was one of the best scenes in the film. It was brilliant and terrible in equal measure. From the first shot at Gavroche right to the point Enjolras falls out of the window it's one of the most moving and horrific scenes in the film.

Samantha Barks- Eponine 

Before I get all fangirly over Sam's Eponine, can we all just take a moment to pause and give thanks that this brilliant role was not given to Taylor Swift, ok lets go: Samantha Barks is fucking amazing as Eponine! This woman singing "On my own" is the only thing that has made me cry in years, she is just that good. Eponine is one of the best characters in anything ever and Samantha Barks plays her perfectly. Everything that ever happens to Eponine is fucking awful, yet she dies with a smile on her face. I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone can not be in love with Eponine, yet Marius manages to not even notice that she is in love with him! Seriously, that's a whole new level of retarded. Eponine deserved so much and ended up dying with nothing.

Musicians you don't know, but should

Firstly if you're a festival person that title certainly won't apply to you. Secondly I'd understand (but not forgive) thinking that that's a very hipsterish title, but for one good reason it isn't: I'm going to put videos in this post and implore you to find more, a hipster want's no one to share their music, I want everyone to. If you do know any of the following artists, there are a few real people might know, and I don't know that you know them please say so, it's always great to know people you share interests with.
Anywho lets get on with it shall we? Just a little bit on each, with the strong advice you go and listen to much, much more. Starting with a band that it's very hard to find good videos of.

Hobo Jones and the Junkyard Dogs

Put your volume up high and ignore the wind, it'll be worth it when you go see them live. It's almost worth going to a festival just to see these 3, they are certainly the best (and possibly the only) skunk band in the world (that's skiffle punk, don't say this isn't an educational blog) Few bands will ever make you laugh as much as a hobos gig will. Songs like Tyburn jig (that's that one ^) show that they can do properly beautiful serious songs, but seeing wino beat a toy guitar with a ladle while my brother fails to play a kazoo, that was pretty good too. The hobos are pure brilliance and the fact all they got from Britain's got talent was half a second in a montage, shows just how awful that program is. Fuck ITV, go and see this band

3 Daft Monkeys

I did a one man waltz to this song at Beautiful Days, it's one of the few things I remember (I ran out of vodka by the end of the (extended, woot woot!) set) another is Athene's dress...  no comment there. There is a new 3DM album out this year and Athene just had a baby, these are things that make me smile and give me hope for humanity. I struggle to find fault with these 4 (yeah, 4, 3 daft monkeys, one daft name) my dad complained that there was no percussion, now they have a drummer (hence 4) who is turning into Bilbo Baggins (he's not started transforming yet in this video) and they're fun people too (imagine chatting to say, bono, no one wants that) Want a conversation purely in hashtags? I've had that conversation with their bassist. Have a shirt from 2010? It's fine to run (like an excited child) across a festival to have a chat and get it signed... in 2012. They are an amazing band and genuinely nice people.

And while I'm here: Massive congratulations to Tim and Athene on the birth of their son!

Dan Donnelly

Dan is quite simply one of the nicest, most talented people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting (even if he does call me Jackson) There are so few people who sound anywhere near as good with or without a band and he will never "make it" (what-ever the hell that means) because music doesn't sell anymore, image sells and Dan has an image that no record company will ever consider, human. If you make your living playing in people's living rooms for a place to sleep and it's working, you have to be getting by on pure talent (that's the past now, Dan's a proper grown up dad too now) one of those gigs was in my dads living room a good few years ago, it will never be forgotten.

Deferred Sucess

I chose that specific video for one reason and one reason only, one of those voices you hear at the end there, is moi! So I've sung on a professional music video, your move Jevons! Again, this a band that will make you laugh as well as sing amazing songs that you'll be singing months later. "I don't wanna go home was summed up perfectly by Skeg so as I'm lazy, I'll let that do "This is a tale of every festival you have ever been to, that moment when you wake up on a Monday morning and you realise that its back to the humdrum of real life, bills, deadlines and preparing for the fact that it is not ok to speak to strangers, it's not ok to dance and sing along with them, then you get that 'earworm' from the night before, that one song, sung on a small stage with hundreds of people singing along, or that fella on the bridge en route back to camping field singing what everyone else is feeling, and you find yourself humming the hazy lyrics as you pack away your tent, ready for your real life."

Mad Dog Mcrea

The most recently seen by me and a very good band to just dance and sing to. The first on this list I've not had the chance to get to know, I'm going to have to talk about music now aren't I? Well here goes. "Mad Dog Mcrea blend a unique mixture of folk rock, pop, gypsy jazz, bluegrass and ‘shake your ass’ music. From self penned songs of adventure, drinking, love and life to traditional songs of gypsies, fairies, legless pirates and black flies, Mad Dog never fail to capture their audience with their infectious songs." that's totally not taken from their website. Seriously though this is a bad well worth a look with some brilliant songs.

Ferocious Dog

Frankly if I need to say any more than "Ken's hair" then something is wrong here, but I will. When I first saw this band I was certain there was no way I'd ever like them, but here we are. The more I go to festivals the less bands I pass up on (at BD I was pretty much at the main stage for everything but PIL) Ferocious dog play a great range of music and very little of it is bad, if you don't like this song, look up another, you'll find something for I promise.

The Skints

Yes, I do know the words to this song. Another band I was fairly nonplussed about at first, then they were announced for Beautiful days so I thought I'd check them out and holy Moses! They are good, very good. Far from any band I'd liked before but why should that ever be an issue? They were absolutely brilliant on the main stage and I'm certain they'll be back on before too long and that is a very good thing. The only bad thing I can say: one of their songs has the line "when we met we both were strangers"... is that not a given? I can deal with it though.

Dreadzone

AHOY! (Sorry Mrs L) I used to avoid Dreadzone sets like the the plague, but the more I listen to them the more they grow on me. Yet another beautiful memory from beautiful days, they were on far earlier than normal but it was still an amazing set that I bounced so hard to I was sure I'd broken an ankle. Dreadzone's music is as one of a kind as their front man, when Spee was diagnosed with scoliosis the only change that made to the sets was the fact he now brings a stool to sit on while he sings, that's how we roll in the fields!

The Levellers

They organise Beautiful Days, they headline the festival. They are the first band I ever truly got into and I'm sure will remain at the top of my musical list for many more years. This year is their 25th year in action and they are still just as good as ever. Their time at the top if popular music faded long ago, but that has done nothing to stop them releasing music to rival their best. Static on the airwaves was not as good levelling the land, but it was close, can anyone ask for more?

I think I'd better stop there, well done for sticking with me on this, I hope you like something here but if not that's fine, because in the words of a song both the first and last band on this list often end sets with "There is only one way of life, and that's your own"

When are you... you?

It hit me as I was walking home, the person walking down the road to my house is a totally different person to the one who walks through it, at school I'm different again, so I started wondering how much of people I know. I doubt people are ever truly acting as someone else, rather fronting one area of their personality to fit the situation they're in. I'm condemning it in any way, we all do it, we need to. Just think of how you talk to your friends, now imagine talking in that way to your grandmother. See my point? Good.
So naturally I get to wondering, when am I most me? I've come to the conclusion that you're reading it. It's far from perfect, I've been censoring myself since I first got a reasonable number of hits, but it's the closest thing to me you're likely to see. I even have emotions here, something that's met with shock and horror in the real world, so of course I can never start to have human emotions to make it normal.
That's why I like writing here so much, I write the way I am, not the way I act. Twitter is the same to a lesser extent, I can write and tweet all my weird obsessive crap and not see the reactions. This plan goes to shit when people I know read it and question me on it. I'd much prefer it if people who I know don't read my things (with a few notable exceptions) so I can be obsessive in peace.
But as it is, this is the way we are, toodle bye dear.