#Lyrics are from songs about your girlfriend by los campesinos | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

salt-up-to-your-ankles · 2 years

Text

fuck it im gonna list my favourite los campesinos songs because right now theyre my 2nd favourite band behind crywank and above franz ferdinand and i want to talk about them all the time LMAO and no these arent in a specific order or anything

• the sea is a good place to think of the future - this one isnt really a suprise since its what my usernames based off but i love the song and all the little details like the lyrics and how "perfect symmetry" is said in the exact middle of the song and its mmm i love depressing sad music and some of the themes really hit hard its the perfect mix of crywank-y lyrics but los camp! type songs

• alls well that ends in medias res - i love the original song too but this version specifically i love a bit more mostly because of the acousticness and the extra little lyrics its mgmmgm yeah

• we are beautiful we are doomed - this was one of the first lc! songs i listened to and its the song that got me into the band really and i love it so much dhhshs the intro bit kinda reminds me of video game soundtracks like undertale kinda and the lyrics are really good especially "i cannot emphasise enough that my body is a badly designed poorly put together vessel - i hope my heart goes first" and "you kiss my neck i whisper in your ear: this is my downfall" actually all the lyrics of this song are good

• avocado, baby - very good bassline(?) and the lyrics are great too and good to read into and i love the music video for it theres so much happening and the sound effects and the suit gareths wearing mfhdhshs and also A HEART OF STONE, RIND SO TOUGH ITS CRAZY, THATS WHY THEY CALL ME THE AVOCADO, BABY !!!!!

• miserabilia - oh my god the 2 different voices singing work so well and "shout at the world because the world doesnt love you, lower yourself because you know that youll have to" has to be one of my favourite lyrics ever, if i could learn and perform any song with my friends id definitely wanna do this one because its just so good, its one of my top songs

• my year in lists - funny horny lyrics 😁👍 im joking i love how upbeat the song is then the more calm parts at "i cherish the fondness the day (before) i met you" and also the 2 different singers again make it so good also also the repition of winters coat in this song and knee deep at atp is just hfhdusj 👍👍

• allez les blues - i havent listened to many songs from whole damn body yet but i love this song so much its just so happy and upbeat and the chorus is so catchy dhshss it would make such a good ringtone if i wasnt scared to have lyric songs as my ringtone fhshjss

• c is the heavenly option - okay i know this is a cover BUT i really like how for the "my boyfriend" parts theres a male singer and for the "my girlfriend" parts theres a female singer its really cool dhshshs also the "c c c c c c c is the heavenly option" part at the ends really nice with all the layers of vocals

• this is a flag. there is no wind - firstly the first line is amazing i mean who doesnt wanna start a song with CAN WE ALL PLEASE JUST CALM THE FUCK DOWN secondly the lyrics are really good and theyre good to overthink and read into thirdly the chorus is great fhjdjs

okay i could go on forever and in a lot more detail about more songs but ill end it here i hope you enjoyed LMAO

85 notes · View notes

tweetermixtapeclub · 7 years

Link

Greetings! Matt here! After doing some thinking on how to structure my first playlist for the group, I thought it’d be fun to provide a sort of snapshot of my musical tastes. An introduction! Me in song form? Not exactly, but close.

The mix is titled THE MEAN because it shows where I’ve seemed to settle as a music fan - everything that’s been exciting me most in the last few years is reflected here in some way even if not all my favorite songs made the cut. But like I can’t use up all my fav songs in the first go-round, ya know?

Los Campesinos! - “By Your Hand”

I think the world would be better off if every mixtape opened with a Los Campesinos! song (they mean a lot to me, just like that Phonogram comic said). Choosing one for this here mixtape wasn’t super easy, but “By Your Hand” made the cut because it was my semi-reintroduction to the band after they kinda dissolved into the musical ether while I was transitioning from torrenting/purchasing to streaming. I hadn’t checked in on them in a while, and this track - which opens their fourth record - blew me away.

By the way, they just put out their new record and it’s really, really good.

WHY? - “Fatalist Palmistry”

WHY’s lead singer Yoni Wolf, like Gareth Campesinos!, has a way with words that affects me at a core level. The way they frame simple relationship issues as world-imploding, body-disfiguring incidences like cats clawing out eyeballs. This is one of Why’s more straightforward, melodic tunes, but I first gravitated towards them because of how well they mix genres. If you like this one, try some more!

Pompeii - “Numbers”

Next up is a really gorgeous song about eating disorders. This sort of melodic rock music was especially important when I lived at home and attended my religious alma mater, because it was easy to digest by those around me. Limited opposition by parents and less complaints by roommates, that sort of thing. This is from Pompeii’s first album, Assembly, which is one of the more underrated / underexposed records I’ve latched onto. Beautiful compositions, some great string work, strong lyrics.

Dear And The Headlights - “Run In The Front”

Dear And The Headlights’ “Run In The Front” is a fun, explosive shift from Pompeii’s somberness. This is my favorite of their songs, but if you hear this you’ll understand their schtick immediately - shouty vocals over acoustic guitars that explode into VERY GOOD CHORUSES THAT ARE MADE FOR SCREAMING ALONG TO WHILE DRIVING. They only ever put out two records (‘07 & ‘08) which is a damn shame.

Bad Bad Hats - “Psychic Reader”

WHOAH who woulda thought that Bad Bad Hats would be the first band to be featured twice on this blog? This is off of their debut full length (I believe they’re still offering it for free) which was one of my favorite albums of 2015. There’s a simplicity to their song structure that still manages to feel full and propulsive.

Frou Frou - “Must Be Dreaming”

Quick jump back in time here to 2002 when Imogen Heap joined with Guy Sigsworth for the short lived group Frou Frou. GARDEN STATE introduced the world to “Let Go,” but “Must Be Dreaming” was always my favorite track from the record. One of my fondest memories is blasting this album on a particularly rainy day while driving around my home town.

The Blue Nile - “Tinseltown In The Rain”

Despite being the oldest song on this mix, “Tinseltown” is actually the song that’s newest to me. The lead singer of Los Campesinos! put out a playlist the featured this track and it’s been present on nearly every mix I’ve made since. It’s an absolutely gorgeous Bowie-esque soundscape that fits any situation.

Carly Rae Jepsen - “Your Type”

I honestly could have pulled tracks from Carly Rae’s E•MO•TION (and the album’s Side B) out of a hat to see which one to include here, but “Your Type” wins the day...for no other reason than it’s the track I’ve listened to the most this week. I’ve always loved pop music, and Carly is producing the best around right now. Excellent collaborators, the voice of an angel, a fascination with the cycles of Love...can’t get enough.

Destroyer - “Downtown”

I’ll never forget the first time I heard a Destroyer song. The disconnect between what I was hearing and the actual artist name totally blew me away, and I love introducing people to Dan Bejar’s work to see if it shocks them as much. This track is off Destroyer’s excellent album KAPUTT which came out the year I got married and provided the soundtrack to that entire wonderful and stressful time. Sick bass lines, an emphasis on saxophones...it’s absolutely stunning, and that’s not just the nostalgia speaking.

Motion City Soundtrack - “LG FUAD”

I grew up in a religious household and one of my first personal vices was putting in headphones and listening to music that wasn’t shy about using curse words. So naturally this is the Motion City Soundtrack that ends up here. It’s playful, crass, and taps into an emotional insecurity that I find to be pretty universal.

Wild Beasts - “Reach A Bit Further”

Wild Beasts (another of my favorite bands) are consistently putting out strange, esoteric albums. I first encountered them when I was making the shift from more traditional pop-punk to what I guess would be categorized as the indie-rock, Pitchfork-y crowd and they really puzzled me. The awkwardness of their vocals. The emotional honesty. This track prominently features their two vocalists and I find it suuuuuper romantic.

Broken Social Scene - “7/4 Shoreline”

Following up Wild Beasts with another of my all time favorite bands, Broken Social Scene. Here’s a great example of one of their more straightforward, rockin tracks that still highlights their perfect blend of catchy melody and lo-fi, cluttered approach. It’s an awesome wall of sound.

Bloc Party - “This Modern Love”

Is this the best song ever written? I guess I’ll let you be the judge, but it’s definitely up there.

Say Anything - “Alive With The Glory of Love”

I considered Max Bemis my personal Jesus for a not insignificant portion of my life, and I’ve continued to follow him as he maneuvers the Say Anything brand towards stranger and more independent destinations. This song was their breakout single, and it still holds up as a perfect example of Max’s signature vocal delivery and the amazing musicianship that was part of a band at their prime.

As a sidenote, why does Spotify only have the edited version of the album????????

Frightened Rabbit - “My Backwards Walk”

This song ends with the immortal refrain “You’re the shit and I’m knee deep in it” which I once said to an ex girlfriend assuming she’d find it endearing. My love of this sentiment encapsulates my attachment to Frightened Rabbit - even though I’m happily married, I’ve always reveled in their broad, often heartbreaking romantic themes. This song in particular is able to portray emotion in such a specific, truthful way - not wanting to leave a physical space because it means leaving a person.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - “In This Home On Ice”

I first heard Clap Your Hands Say Yeah in a beachy book store while on my first real day trip with a new group of friends. Similar to Wild Beasts there’s an abrasiveness to the vocals that fascinated me and remains a huge part of the appeal. This was always my favorite track off this, their first and most popular album.

Twin Shadow - “Run My Heart”

Every mix needs to end with a piano outro (I guess), and what better way to go out than this strange, fiercely independent track from Twin Shadow. The dude has put out three fantastic records that posture the singer-songwriter as a guy who is both too cool for love and absolutely obsessed with it. I can’t help but think that this particular track summarizes the contradictory, posturing attitude I see in his music - no one who isn’t emotionally vulnerable could craft so many songs about emotional vulnerability. Plus, it features another fantastically explosive chorus.

3 notes · View notes

mint-sm · 7 years

Text

LOS CAMPESINOS! REVIEW/ANALYSIS: Hello Sadness

Okay, so this requires a slightly longer intro for context, because actually quite a lot happened that led up to this album being the way it is. The biggest word that immediately strikes this album is “change,” and it all begins with the stuff that happened outside of it and the band itself.

First of all, according to this interview from early 2011, this then-unnamed next album following “Romance is Boring” was intended to be a “more direct and poppier affair” after “Romance is Boring” started to breach more towards experimental noise pop. It’s likely to assume that it wasn’t going to be like a “Hold on Now, Youngster…” level of pop appeal, because not only did the band at the time not look fondly on that record as I’ve mentioned before, but also, indie music was going through a bit of a change at this point. This type of overly punchy, maximist “indie” style of previous albums was starting to die in its popularity, as it was slowly just kinda blending into the mainstream (and as we all know, mainstream means everything has to be boring now because shut up).

This wasn’t really helped by how the original team had already been in a transitionary period of shifting its lineup, and sadly, much of it entailed band members that really did lend Los Camp a lot of its unique and compelling energy: Drummer Ollie Briggs, violinist/keyboardist Harriet Coleman, and probably the most notable loss, lead vocalist/keyboardist Aleks Berditchevskaia, who actually left before “Romance is Boring” was released. A new lineup with Jason Adelinia, Rob Taylor, and Gareth David’s sister, Kim, was formed for the album, and while I’m comfortable with this shift, and it was inevitable since this is a band that at that point had been around for about 5 years, it’s still a shame, because damn, a lot of what made their previous records so dynamic, lively and colorful came from them.

Also, during this time, Gareth was apparently going through a really nasty breakup, and it shows in the subject matter and lyrics of “Hello Sadness,” and that statement about this album being “more direct and poppier”... well, the end result is definitely more direct, but poppy it is not. It’s the band’s most clear-cut breakup album, and it’s likely the darkest album they’ve ever released by a wide margin. Oh, some of Los Camp’s initial appeal still remains, with the catchy melodies and choruses, intricate poetics, and some genuinely poppier tracks, but here are all the things you have to consider:

The instrumentation has become less vibrant as a result of the moodier atmosphere the album’s trying to convey and possibly as a result of the changed-up band lineup. New vocalist Kim Campesinos!, while not bad, doesn’t have the sing-songy, colorful, or vibrant energy and chemistry with Gareth that Aleks provided in previous albums, and now she’s just more of a backup singer, meaning no more lively call-and-responses from here on in. The surrounding music scene has changed to prefer a more refined alternative-rock sound than the concentrated and blasting noise rock or punky influence of before. And on top of that, the album was recorded and released in what the band’s lead vocalist/lyricist described as “the year of the most upsetting breakup of my life.”

And it’s called “Hello Sadness.” Does it end well?

IT'S NO LIE IF THE WATERS ROSE / AND DROWNED THAT PLACE FROM COAST TO COAST / YOU WOULDN'T SEE THIS SMILE LEAVE / MY FACE FOR ALL ETERNITY /

Well, no, not really, but it does start very well, at least! The first few tracks of this album start off the band at its liveliest and poppiest, though there are some changes, primarily the nitty gritty of the production style. Much of the noise and grit that was found in the band’s previous works is gone, making things a bit more mellow, but tracks like “Songs About Your Girlfriend” come pretty close. It’s a very tight track, there’s a lot of really nice melodies and riffs, and while it doesn’t speak too much differently about Gareth’s lyricism -- it’s basically about being a fucking rock star in the face of an ex and her new boyfriend -- it’s still a fun bit of indie rock with a lot of potential for getting stuck in your head.

The first track, “By Your Hand” is also very catchy; I have to imagine this was one of the earliest songs made for this album before the band started to go in a moodier direction, because it’s just that nice to listen to. Again, it’s not as bombastic or dramatic-sounding as something from any of the band’s previous albums, but it is very lively and has a lot of pop appeal; those little looping e-piano riffs, the brass accompaniment in the background, and the catchy crowd choruses, and the lyrics are kinda just like some cute, kinda funny romantic encounter. I could imagine this playing as like maybe like a theme song to some teen-oriented high school movie or something, it’s basically just a decent, pleasant-sounding pop tune with some really nice choruses and some vibrancy to it.

YOU DO NOT LIKE US CAUSE / YOUR GIRLFRIEND LIKELY DOES / AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS AGREE ON HER SOFT-SPOT FOR ME / I'LL HAVE MY HARD HANDS OVER / HER SOFT SPOTS SOON, YOU WILL SEE /

However, the title track is where I think the band starts getting really interesting. Something I’ll touch on more in a bit is that the album honestly doesn’t do a very great job at presenting conflicting emotions, something that I’ve very much praised the band for, since most of the time, it doesn’t seem like we’re given enough context for any of the scenarios presented to feel anything more than just “sadness.” I’ll explain why I think that’s the case in a bit, but essentially, most songs from this album feel like they’re presenting one strong emotion, but previous songs of other albums presented far more.

The song “Hello Sadness,” however, I think stands alone since it IS able to establish more of an internal conflict, clearly illustrate it for us, and manage to bring us on Gareth’s side, as he just belts these gorgeous-sounding vocal melodies that paint a really strangely hopeful yet utterly futile-sounding and hollow mentality, but in a way that works to the song’s advantage as the production is probably the most simultaneous bombastic and heartbreaking on the entire album, building up to just this epic climax of wailing guitar riffs, epic drums and background vocals, and Gareth just fucking roaring his lines.

Throughout this album, Gareth is trying to bring us onto our side and convince us the idea that heartbreak is pretty much akin to death, and I think this song, more than any other on the album is able to do that and make it just so utterly epic.

I CHRISTEN ALL THE SHIPS THAT SAILED / ON YOUR LITTLE KISSES' SALIVA TRAILS / GOODBYE COURAGE / HELLO SADNESS AGAIN! /

Unfortunately, this album takes a bit of a nosedive starting from the middle section, and that’s where I start having a lot of problems. See, as I’ve said, Gareth is trying to build up a sort of emotional state where much of the enjoyment comes from thinking “wait, what emotion am I supposed to be feeling here?”, and never getting a definite an answer because it just makes their music that much more versatile. Sadness has always been a thing in Los Camp records, but it’s made much less overbearing by covering it under some other conflicting emotion, and Los Camp has shown to already be masters in making things feel equal parts of multiple moods and emotions at once, be it anger, disappointment, fear, sarcasm, or even joy.

However, with “Hello Sadness,” much of the songs feel content in just evoking a single mood of anguish and despair and that’s kind of it, and unfortunately they feel kinda boring after a while, especially since the instrumentals on songs like “Life Is a Long Time” and “Every Defeat a Divorce (Three Lions)”, just feel kinda standard and unsophisticated and not all that diverse or intriguing, sonically or lyrically.

A part to making heavily emotional artwork work is to have the artist(s) be able to bring the audience into their intended mental place, and give them context to be able to relate and convince them towards this feeling. Unfortunately, this album kinda lacks context, and it’s just not that compelling, and that’s a shame.

We can tell from the lyrics of a lot of these things as to what Gareth is feeling, maybe some of the circumstances, but despite how flowery and… interesting some of the lyrics are -- for example, the “three lions” of “Every Defeat a Divorce (Three Lions)” appear to be based on the lions on the English National Football logo, which come to life and start clawing him to death as a metaphor to heartbreak. Yeah. -- they just can’t move me, because I don’t really “get” or really relate to the context most of these songs were born of, and he doesn’t really do a great job of convincing me to get invested.

I can get the high anger and volatility of something from as harsh and abrasive as “Plan A” from “Romance is Boring,” and I can get the mildly cringeworthy but upbeat cheeriness, lighthearted joy of “By Your Hand” of this album, but I just can’t get a lot of the other lyrics that ultimately boil down to “I’m sad. I’m disappointed. Heartbreak is like death. Here’s another lyric about me being brutally killed by a giant animal to illustrate that. Would a bird do this time?”

YOU KNOW IT STARTS PRETTY ROUGH / AND ENDS UP EVEN WORSE / AND WHAT GOES ON IN-BETWEEN / I TRY TO KEEP IT OUT OF MY THOUGHTS /

Not that it doesn’t get a little better by the end, though. That bird line above is referencing “The Black Bird, the Dark Slope,” which does pick up a lot more energy, and honestly kinda feels like a darker-and-edgier reinterpretation of the band’s twee indie rock days. It’s less gritty and raw-feeling, Kim’s vocals, while not bad, are just kinda relegated to a background accompaniment, maybe with a few lines here and there, and the lyrics just get kinda ridiculously too edgy at times (seriously, THE ENTIRE SONG is about a giant black bird tearing him apart limb from limb), but it still works pretty well, again, kind of like a blacker, cleaner response to something from “Hold on Now, Youngster…”

But the ending doesn’t really do this album concept a proper service, I think. “Light Leaves, Dark Sees Pt. II” is just kinda… dull, and while I don’t dislike slower songs just by principle, this just feels kinda plodding and too listing to really make it feel any more than just kinda lazy. I much prefer “To Tundra” earlier on this album, which is still a little too basic lyrically and instrumentally, but it does have a more satisfying climax, or “Baby I Got the Death Rattle,” which is also not the most adventurous song on this album, but does have a little bit more viscerality and punch to it, and as well a pretty nice and funny outro.

AND I CHEWED MY ONLY NECKTIE / FROM THE METAL FRAME OF MY BED / WHERE I TIED YOUR WRISTS TOGETHER / SPENT ALL NIGHT GIVIN' (OH, YOU GET THE MESSAGE!) /

Overall though, this album is kinda boring, but totally listenable. It has a few really good ideas, and some of the songs from here do rank as some of my favorite Los Camp tracks, and overall it’s not really a tedious listen, but ultimately it’s just not the most engaging thing this band has to offer. If you actually do manage to fit that moody or darkly snide atmosphere it’s almost completely consumed with, I think this might do it better for you (there was a time of depression when I considered this my favorite more than “Romance is Boring”, so heh), but as its own thing, it’s kinda just meh.

It’s a shame that this wasn’t as dynamic as I was hoping it would be, or as compelling, but you know, times change, life hits you, and if this is all you can really feel like writing? Eh, go for it. Thankfully after this, Los Camp would later spend a longer while for their next endeavor, something that would stand out much more, and perhaps be… less sad? How could they do that? :O

Eh… we’ll get to that next time. (3/5)

FAVES: “By Your Hand,” “Songs About Your Girlfriend,” “Hello Sadness,” “Baby I Got The Death Rattle”

#los campesinos #music review #hello sadness

0 notes