First, they don’t look like the picture. Second, you have to take any chance you get to recall The Hangover, even if the subject is only tangentially related because it’s an awesome movie. Third, the band has Vegas in their name and thus the picture is totally applicable. Fourth, the band hails from Canada. Fifth, they play hardcore. Sixth, they kinda sound similar to Lions Lions to me or for a bigger name, Chiodos.
They released an EP called No Turning Back. Check out their song, Fight On, here on 1146 miles. Then go buy their EP off of iTunes.
And here’s a bonus extra, their cover of Bieber’s Baby.
Any mention of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool is seemingly forever paired with the sad news that Charlie Haddon, the lead singer, committed suicide earlier this year. Before they had their moment, he was gone.
The digital release of their debut effort, The Golden Years reveals the underlying, if only subconscious, acknowledgement that it’s bittersweet listening to Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. You can’t help but enjoy the music. It’s first rate. But this is it and all that can ever be from the group. It seems to temper the listening experience.
Highlights of the album for me and Our Lives, Curtain Falls, and Next To Nothing. They’re all sad songs. Incredibly sad, in fact. They stand in sharp contrast to Dance The Way I Feel, which is the first song many of us, including myself, heard from Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. I don’t know if I’m favoring the sad songs because of the reality of the lost Haddon or if it’s those efforts that are truly the standouts.
I’m not going to get bogged down in the psychology of which songs stood out to me. They are all good. I wonder, though, how history will look back on Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. I have this sneaking suspicion that Curtain Falls will be Charlie Haddon’s Hallelujah.
I heard this awesome unfinished dubstep remix on Soundcloud by Louis Leatherbarrow and loved it instantly. I hope Louis finishes it because it is one of my favorite things that I’ve heard on Soundcloud. I just couldn’t wait to share a finished version though.
While I can appreciate the Sopranos-like ending to it, I thought it might sound better if it was finished up. And given the fact that I’ve got time on my hands, I opened up Ableton to try to create an ending for the track. After a bunch of messing around, I decided that I should just reverse what had already been done. I messed around some more. I undid everything and just returned to the reversed version. Messing around just messed up the sound to me. I inserted the reversed version onto the end. The vocals actually worked out really well reversed I think. Let me know what you think.
I think I’m going to return to just music blogging and let the professionals and the talented keep producing music and remixing stuff. I’ve got a long way to go before I can make anything as good as the Pet Project remix. All credit to Louis. You should follow him on Twitter @BlindMelon7.
I previously posted a Clock Opera remix of Marina & The Diamonds’ I Am Not A Robot. I am a big fan of that remix and I’m glad to see that Clock Opera is starting to get even more recognition. They’re in Kitsuné’s tenth Maison compilation (The Fireworks Issue). The compilation will be released November 15 digitally and hardcopies on November 29.
In honor of PMA’s 3 quarters through the year top 50 songs list of 2010, I’m posting one of my favorites from their list: #7 Robyn’s Cry When You Get Older.
What your mama never told ya
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older
Young boy by the traffic light
What your daddy never told ya
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older
Hold up a second, now I got something on my dirty mind
I start out with good intentions but mess it up like all the time
I try to keep up appearance but always end up way out of line
I need some kind of miracle, ’cause I lost all my faith in science
So I put my faith in me
She said:
There just must be more to life than this
He said:
Careful, ’cause you might just get your wish
(Everybody in the back singing)
Hey girl in the strobing light
What your mama never told ya
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older
(Everybody singing)
Young boy by the traffic light
What your daddy never told ya
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older
Back in suburbia kids get high and make out on the train
Then endless incomprehensible boredom takes a hold again
And in this other dream I’m on top of the world, ahead of the game
Think of reality and it hits me hardcore to the brain
We gotta get away
She said
There just must be more to life than this
He said
Careful, ’cause you might just get your wish
(Everybody in the back singing)
Hey girl in the strobing light
What your mama never told ya
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older
(Everybody in the front)
Young boy by the traffic light
What your daddy never told ya
Is love hurts when you do it right
You can cry when you get older
I Am The Agent is a self-described alternative rock band, hailing from Australia. It’s said they are making the rounds around Sydney. Hopefully their fanbase is growing there. I can say they’ve got a fan halfway across the world here. These Aussies deliver a sort of new grunge revival. It’s not the Pacific Northwest melancholy but there are the hints of influence in the sound. I was sort of waiting for a huge breakdown but it never came in Melodramatic Popular Song. It’s alright though.
“She’s got a bottle of tequila, a bottle of gin,
And if I bring a little music, I can fit right in.”
I love those lyrics everytime I hear them. Seems fitting for my life. I’ll let others try to interpret the song because their views are probably more correct than mine, but I wanted to just sort of get away and that’s what this song’s about for me.
Having said that, it’s a beautiful song from the Counting Crows and desperately underrated. I tend to rank it among my favorites. I hope that you enjoy the song or if you’re in the same boat as me, maybe we can fly to Barcelona…
