This is more from the straight edge side of things than I normally like, but the music of the Gorilla Biscuits filled my skater years with the angst and energy needed at the time. On first listen I remember thinking that the name of the band was just stupid, there was no statement of rebellion inherent in the name. How can people who name themselves such a silly name actually have anything useful to say, or even take themselves seriously as musicians? Then I heard the music, and at the time it was quite fresh, and well produced (i.e. you could hear the lyrics and all the instruments at the same time, unlike other punk form the same era that all bled together).
I’m lucky to be where I am today.
Not by myself, summers on the way.
The jobs I’ll be working, the money I’ll spend, not making a living,
just making new friends.
And I’m trying my hardest to make the most out of every minute.
Not getting any younger, getting older. it’s scary.
Swept out from under your feet your youth’s gone and you wonder why…
BECAUSE TIME FLIES
How much does it cost the booze and the drugs you need.
Put your life on pause.
Is it that much fun, maybe for some.
I think its dumb to let anyone or anything slow me down or prevent me from living my life.
Not getting younger, getting older.
It’s scary.
Swept out from under your feet your youth’s gone and you wonder why.
Work machine makes us old before our time.
I don’t consent that’s how I feel.
Because life’s too short , so I do what I can to get by.
I’ll decide where my time is spent and you can bet there’ll be a smile on my face.
How about yours? How about yours!?
Back to the punk. Bad Brains are one of the best examples of the DC area punk scene, and this is the song that introduced me to their unique sound…
You don’t want me anymore
So I walked right out that door
I play the game right from the start
I trust you, you use me, now my life’s all torn apartSo I’m sailing, yeah I’m sailing on
I’m moving, yeah I’m moving on
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail onTried to see if I’ll give up
But there wasn’t any luck
It’s a fact, a fact of life
That’s the game, game of strife everything is all in strideSo I’m sailing, yeah I’m sailing on
I’m moving, yeah I’m moving on
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail onSo I’m sailing, yeah I’m sailing on
I’m moving, yeah I’m moving on
Sail on, sail on, sail on, sail on
Yeah, La-la-la, La-la-laToo many years with too many tears
And too many days with none to say
So how will we know when there’s nowhere to grow
The fact of life, life too short ohThere’s too many years with too many tears
There’s too many days with none to say no, no
So how will we know when there’s nowhere to grow
The fact of life, the fact of life yeahToo many years with too many tears
And too many days with none to say
So how will we know when there’s nowhere to grow
The fact of life, life too short oh
Anything by Ms. Harvey could go here, anything. She has written some amazing songs, full of raw emotions and tremendous lyrics. Enjoy…
water
walking on
water
for years
taking it into my head
living by the right lines
reading what the very man saidwater
walking on
water
neighing on eleven years
taking it into my head
mary mary drop me softly
i’ve been reading what your very man said
neighing on eleven years
taking it into my head
leave my clothes on the beach
i’m walking down into the sea
prove it to me
now the water to my ankles
now the water to my knees
think of him all waxy wings
melted down into the sea
mary mary what your man said
is washing in all over my head
mary mary hold on tightly
over water under the sea
In case you didn’t know, I love almost everything Trent Reznor has touched, the man is a musical visionary. So I was very excited to hear he had a new project with his new wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. Which direction will they go? Will the sound be something equally as beautiful as “Ghosts I-IV” or will it be a more stripped down full on rock sound? Expectations were high and, as always, they weren’t completely met.
This isn’t to say that the new sound isn’t good, it’s just that it’s not as different as I had hoped. Every track has that signature Reznor/Ross sound, which is a good thing, but it mostly sounds like they decided to flesh out, and put lyrics to, a few of the left over ideas from the Ghosts project. There are a few notable tracks, “A Drowning” being the pinnacle of the set, but overall there isn’t really anything special about this. Maybe on a few more listens I will get used to hearing the chorus on “BBB”: “Listen to the sound of my big black boots” which comes off as juvenile for such an established musical force such as Trent Reznor. And, maybe, I’ll grow to love “Fur Lined” which appears to have the signature drum sound and beat for a NiN single first heard on “Only”.
All in all it’s not a bad EP, but I think fans such as myself were hoping that the new sound would be radically different than the last NiN sound. They do have time to grow and evolve, which I’m sure they will.