Irish Aris's Walrus: The Reveal

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:02pm

In 6th place, submitted by

Sawduck

, Of Monsters And Men-Crystals

Though I didn’t know this song, I feel that I have heard it recently, it sounds familiar. This was the biggest climber on this list. Initially it was nowhere near top-10 but with every listen I liked it more and more. I was always under the impression that Of Monsters and Men are too folky for my liking, but this song is anything but folky. Plus I love Iceland and always on the lookout for artists from there.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:08pm

In 17th place, submitted by

Gru

, Mkai-Nothing Lasts Forever

Another song that I didn’t find memorable enough. Run-of-the-mill indie rock that sounds like many other rock songs. The intro is nice but after that it kept fading in the background in comparison to the other rock songs in this list.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:13pm

In 5th place, submitted by

JP Liz V1

, Fun. feat. Janelle Monae-We Are Young

Fun. were one of the first bands I discovered after I moved to Ireland. At the time this song was everywhere and I liked it so I bought their album which I found very good, with Some Nights being my favourite song of theirs. In hindsight I think it is a tad overplayed but it is a song that if it comes in a bar on a night out with my friends we would all dance to it. Plus the epic lyric line “My friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire State”.

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 24-07-2020 8:19pm

Starting to get very nervous...

24-07-2020 8:23pm

12th out of 21 isn't so bad.

But this.....

Irish Aris wrote: »

Though the tempo of the song is in no mans land,

....cannot go unchallenged.

This started from the lower ranks and jumped a couple of places after every listen.

You should've listened to it at least 5 more times before the Reveal then. :cool:

phatkev · 24-07-2020 8:31pm

Irish Aris wrote: »

In 16th place, submitted by
phatkev
, Animals as Leaders-Woven Web

This one benefited from being an instrumental. The sound is a bit too progressive rock/metal for my liking but the lack of voice helps concentrate on the music and there are some good ideas in the song, it’s not just a heavy guitar sound. It started as a bottom 3 candidate but managed to stay out of it and gain a couple of places towards the end.

Ah I always knew this was a riskier option giving the fact you told us you weren't a massive metal fan, but this is just too good a piece of music not to get a feature in a walrus!! That "bass" part (its actually the low string of an 8 string guitar) that comes in around 1:30 blows my mind every time i hear it

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:34pm

Apologies, a dear friend called me, we continue now.
In 18th place, submitted by

Mustang Shelly

, Pvris-Half

When the guitar started the song, I thought that this might be something in the darkwave/gothic rock. Alas, the direction quickly moves to a generic indie rock sound with touches of shoegaze in a couple of places. Another song that the vocal mix hurt it, I just thought that there was too much going on and got the feeling that it was over produced. But because of that opening guitar riff, I make a mental note to check what else Pvris have in offer.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:39pm

In 4th place, submitted by

fixXxer

, Florence and the Machine-Shake It Out

I love, love, love Florence. An amazing singer and performer with an overall great body of work. Shake it Out wouldn’t be my favourite song of hers, but it is nevertheless a great song that was in contention for the top spot, before 2 new discoveries made their way into the top-3.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:42pm

Time for the top-3 and bottom 3.

In alphabetical order we have:
Also Starring LeVar Burton
beakerjoe
Electric Nitwit
RasTa
S1ippy
the purple tin

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 24-07-2020 8:42pm

Me and my Indie Rock song are not feeling confident anymore...

Electric Nitwit · 24-07-2020 8:43pm

Irish Aris wrote: »

...before 2 new discoveries made their way into the top-3

:pac:

(I genuinely have no idea how mine will have been received, I'm not surprised to be in the last 6 anyway!)

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:45pm

In 19th place, submitted by

Electric Nitwit

, Human Impact-November

True to his word, EN submitted a song that meets my definition of noise. The issue I had with this song is that the vocals are not only a bit harsh but they also getting lost in the mix. If this was an instrumental it would have scored a few places higher (I reckon around mid-table) because the melody, though a bit heavy, is something that I had enjoyed in the past in post rock bands like Mogwai, Explosions in the Sky and the Constellation Records roster. But the vocals killed the mood and the song never escaped the bottom 3.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:47pm

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

Me and my Indie Rock song are not feeling confident anymore...

You should be. . . or maybe not???

Electric Nitwit · 24-07-2020 8:47pm

Ha ha, oh well!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained :pac:

It's a compliment that I thought you might like it... I think

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:50pm

In 3rd place, submitted by

s1ippy

, Gorillaz feat. Slowthai and Slaves-Momentary Bliss

. I like Damon Albarn and how versatile his musical output is. But I don’t think I know more than a couple of Gorillaz songs and they weren’t in my radar for many years. This was a recipe for disaster: the weird electronic sound of Gorillaz combined with the rapping of Slowthai and the punk rock of Slaves. Well, to my surprise, it all works splendidly. Albarn combines all elements beautifully and the end result surpassed any expectation. Great choice and I’m already exploring all the Song Machine singles for more surprises.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:55pm

In 20th place, submitted by

the purple tin

, Khruangbin feat Leon Bridges-Texas Son

This sounds as if it came straight from the 70s. A psychedelic rock sound that it’s not my thing at all. The opening guitar riff reminded me of Calexico, but as soon as the drums kicked in and then the voice, the song lost me.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 8:58pm

In 2nd place, submitted by

Also Starring LeVar Burton

, Local Natives-Gulf Shores

The second great discovery of this list. It started a bit slow but at 1:12 the most amazing synth line comes in and takes the song to a whole different level. There are also some very interesting background voices on the 1:35 mark that add more variety to the song. Another great choice and another song that goes directly to my playlist. It came very close to the top spot, in the end it fell just short of it.

phatkev · 24-07-2020 8:59pm

Love Khruangbin!! A band I've been trying to squeeze into a Walrus for ages, just never got the right time to do it

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 24-07-2020 9:02pm

Irish Aris wrote: »

In 2nd place, submitted by
Also Starring LeVar Burton
, Local Natives-Gulf Shores

The second great discovery of this list. It started a bit slow but at 1:12 the most amazing synth line comes in and takes the song to a whole different level. There are also some very interesting background voices on the 1:35 mark that add more variety to the song. Another great choice and another song that goes directly to my playlist. It came very close to the top spot, in the end it fell just short of it.

Whoop!

Thank f**k for that. Would've killed me if this had come last - one of my favourite songs. Saw them live twice, the second time was towards the end of last year, and was just a phenomenal gig.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 9:04pm

In 21st place, submitted by

RasTa

, Lisa O’Neill-Rock The Machine

This never had a chance. I mentioned in my “opening statement” that my tolerance to banjo is quite limited and this is a song dominated by the banjo. On top of that I don’t like Lisa O’Neill’s voice, I find it a bit. . . nasal (for lack of a better word). The lyrics were somewhat interesting but not enough to take the song off the last spot

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 9:07pm

And in 1st place, submitted by

beakerjoe

, The Killers-The Man

I am a big fan of The Killers and Brandon Flowers as a performer. This was the first release right after Brandon’s excellent, 80s influenced solo album The Desired Effect and I think it as a continuation of that sound. A brilliant upbeat song that’s probably written for the stage, and the live interpretation is even better than the studio effort.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 9:12pm

beakerjoe takes the top spot, but things are really tight at the table with many gamers forming groups one point apart from each other.
RasTa unfortunately occupies the last spot, I wonder if our music tastes are really that far apart, but with 5 more rounds to go there is still plenty of time to go up.

Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Total Points
beakerjoe 15 21 36
s1ippy 16 19 35
Also Starring LeVar Burton 14 20 34
Necro 21 12 33
Homer J. Fong 20 10 30
JP Liz V1 12 17 29
Zaph 19 9 28
phatkev 18 6 24
Sawduck 7 16 23
Gru 17 5 22
Shane U 11 11 22
fixXxer 4 18 22
Green&Red 13 7 20
Kolido 5 15 20
Osh 9 8 17
JohnGreenFan 2 13 15
lassykk 1 14 15
the purple tin 10 2 12
Electric Nitwit 8 3 11
Mustang Shelly 6 4 10
RasTa 3 1 4

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 9:16pm

And here's the YouTube playlist. The Mkai song is from a live version - for some reason the save option was deactivated on the official video and I couldn't add it to the list

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUaRXycpvvkHY1W-FJuMbcLUvC0uPMcz-

Next category will be the duet/collaborations.
I'm targeting Sunday for now. There is a small chance that I might not be available on Sunday in which case we will move the reveal on Monday.

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 9:18pm

Deleted User wrote: »

12th out of 21 isn't so bad.

But this.....

....cannot go unchallenged.

You should've listened to it at least 5 more times before the Reveal then. :cool:

Haha, ok, you are right, poor choice of words.
It's just that this mid-tempo thing is always puts me on pause: not fast enough to tap my foot, not slow enough to make it a proper ballad.

24-07-2020 9:32pm

Lisa O'Neill's an interesting choice, probably someone I admire moreso than actually enjoy listening to. She's clearly talented but best taken in small doses I think.

RasTa · 24-07-2020 9:47pm

Hehe, I did pick a few songs from categories you mentioned you didn't like.

This might get ugly

Electric Nitwit · 24-07-2020 9:49pm

Irish Aris wrote: »

And in 1st place, submitted by
beakerjoe
, The Killers-The Man

I am a big fan of The Killers and Brandon Flowers as a performer. This was the first release right after Brandon’s excellent, 80s influenced solo album The Desired Effect and I think it as a continuation of that sound. A brilliant upbeat song that’s probably written for the stage, and the live interpretation is even better than the studio effort.

I love The Killers, who doesn't love them, right?
I can never get this song though, because every time I hear it I think of this one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvcPC5M3Bkc

Space wrote:

Who's the man with the plan?
Who's the man? I am
Who's the man with the plan?
Who's the man? I am

The Killers wrote:

Who's the man with the plan?
I'm the man
Who's the man? Who's the man?
I'm the man, I'm the man
Who's the man with the plan?
I'm the man

the purple tin · 24-07-2020 9:51pm

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

I love The Killers, who doesn't love them, right?

Me

:D

Electric Nitwit · 24-07-2020 9:58pm

the purple tin wrote: »

Me :D

You mean you've got soul but you're not a soldier?

quickbeam · 24-07-2020 10:01pm

Is there a worst lyric ever written than:

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Like, it doesn't even make grammatical sense.

Electric Nitwit · 24-07-2020 10:07pm

quickbeam wrote: »

Is there a worst lyric ever written than:

Like, it doesn't even make grammatical sense.

Ha ha, I agree - and can't stand that song as a result. Their lyrics have always been pretty terrible though, their second single was "somebody told me that you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year". I mean, what? Still love it though

The one that really kills me is Spaceman, because it's a brilliant tune until it breaks into
"My global position systems are vocally addressed
They say the Nile used to run from East to West
They say the Nile used to run
From East to West"

Irish Aris · 24-07-2020 10:32pm

quickbeam wrote: »

Is there a worst lyric ever written than:

Like, it doesn't even make grammatical sense.

I always thought it meant dancer as a species

s1ippy · 24-07-2020 11:22pm

These tracks are going to go down extremely well on the living room dancefloor tonight.

Zaph · 24-07-2020 11:53pm

Irish Aris wrote: »

I always thought it meant dancer as a species

It's taken from a Hunter S. Thompson quote about America raising a generation of dancers, or something like that. Basically Thompson was questioning whether younger generations were softer than the ones before them. Still an unbelievably sh*te lyric though. An s at the end wouldn't miraculously transform it into a good lyric, but at least it would be grammatically correct.

Green&Red · 25-07-2020 12:09am

Irish Aris wrote: »

In 6th place, submitted by
Sawduck
, Of Monsters And Men-Crystals

Though I didn’t know this song, I feel that I have heard it recently, it sounds familiar. This was the biggest climber on this list. Initially it was nowhere near top-10 but with every listen I liked it more and more. I was always under the impression that Of Monsters and Men are too folky for my liking, but this song is anything but folky. Plus I love Iceland and always on the lookout for artists from there.

Liked this song

beakerjoe · 25-07-2020 12:12am

the purple tin wrote: »

Me :D

Youre so wrong

beakerjoe · 25-07-2020 12:18am

Irish Aris wrote: »

And in 1st place, submitted by
beakerjoe
, The Killers-The Man

I am a big fan of The Killers and Brandon Flowers as a performer. This was the first release right after Brandon’s excellent, 80s influenced solo album The Desired Effect and I think it as a continuation of that sound. A brilliant upbeat song that’s probably written for the stage, and the live interpretation is even better than the studio effort.

Like most songs its ckose to my heart. It came out as ai was training for the Marathon back in 2018 and it was a god send.

Im a wrestling fan and so is Mr Flowers, so I immediately thought it was a nod to Ric Flair, the self proclaimed Man of wrestling. So you can imagine my surprise to find out its a song about Brandons ego and vanity in his early fame.

Either way I love it and was expecting Becky Lynch to use it as Wrestlemaina entrance in the future.

The song is catchy, toe tapping and easy to sing a long to, and its a great opener to their last gig I saw. Brandon is a great showman/front man and this song amplifies that live.

Thanks Iris, glad you agree. Very humbled.

beakerjoe · 25-07-2020 12:18am

Song many songs on this round I hadnt heard, so this playlist will go down well.

Green&Red · 25-07-2020 12:16pm

Great round IA, really like a good few of those. That Regrettes song is excellent, my pick of the round

RasTa · 25-07-2020 12:36pm

Like a cowbell, we need more banjo. I regret not picking this for round 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0oKHGThnz0

the purple tin · 26-07-2020 12:31pm

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

You mean you've got soul but you're not a soldier?

You have me pegged Nitty, no fighter am I

I was thinking about that Villagers video, and your man might have been right not to collect the money, suddenly all those arses at work that treat him like dirt would be pretending to be his friend, asking for a loan, inviting him out for drinks and make him pay for every round etc.
Gold-diggers would be all over him too trying to marry him and live large off his dough while having toyboys on the side, then divorce him and take half the money. People sending begging letters to the house and so on. A meek guy like him would not be able to say no to any of that.

The only thing would be to maybe claim it but keep quiet about it, or else give it all to charity, I would hate to think of all that lolly just going back to the greedy Lotto bosses.

the purple tin · 26-07-2020 12:36pm

RasTa wrote: »

Like a cowbell, we need more banjo. I regret not picking this for round 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0oKHGThnz0

Or maybe this little beauty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJOIqmlI65Y

Being at that gig would be Irish Aris's personal version of the ninth circle of hell

Zaph · 26-07-2020 1:29pm

Earl Scruggs is awesome. Steve Martin does a great version of that tune too.

The sound from the banjo Cedric Watson is playing sounds very much like the instruments used on some of the old Alan Lomax recordings of American folk and blues music from the 30s and 40s. A lot of the people he recorded were dirt poor, so presumably they used homemade banjos using gourds, rather than the typical instruments we're used to seeing. Lomax was a really interesting guy who collected music from all over the world, including Ireland, and among the more unusual things he recorded in the States were prison chain gangs singing work songs. Well worth checking out for anyone who's interested in old blues and gospel music.

RasTa · 26-07-2020 2:09pm

Yeah I've watched loads of the Lomax stuff. Amazing.

Actually the OP is from Greece so he should be loving the Banjos and Baouzouki's etc!

Irish Aris · 26-07-2020 4:45pm

RasTa wrote: »

Yeah I've watched loads of the Lomax stuff. Amazing.

Actually the OP is from Greece so he should be loving the Banjos and Baouzouki's etc!

not at all hahahahaha!!!! I am not a fan of bouzouki either and that type of follk music. I do like some of the traditional Greek music, but it's must to have percussion instruments to keep the rhythm. Similar with traditional Irish music, I need to hear the bodhran.

In relation to the banjo and folk/bluegrass music in general, the starting point last year was Rhiannin Giddens and the album he did with multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turisi. There is enough banjo but combined nicely with all the other instruments. This is my favourite song from that album:

And this is the only song that I really like the sound of the banjo:

Irish Aris · 26-07-2020 4:55pm

Good afternoon everyone.
I will do another category tonight. Currently following the final Premier league games of the season, we will start at the usual 7 pm.

Brian Eno is one person that has done many great collaborations throughout his career:

This is one that I have been listening to frequently the last couple of years:

And here's one that some people won't remember as it was never released as a single:

beakerjoe · 26-07-2020 5:01pm

Give it ..... oh I dunno 45 minutes plus added time and I shall be around.

Electric Nitwit · 26-07-2020 5:34pm

Irish Aris wrote: »

And this is the only song that I really like the sound of the banjo:

Haven't heard that song for a long, long time... and I haven't missed it

Irish Aris wrote: »

Good afternoon everyone.
I will do another category tonight. Currently following the final Premier league games of the season, we will start at the usual 7 pm.

Cool, looking forward to this one. I usually try to pick either a song I love, one I think the host will really like, something that fits the category really well or just something interesting and fairly unknown. This round I think I've ticked all those boxes and I'm optimistic. I hate it when I'm optimistic, it usually ends badly

But no, tonight...

Edit: I presume someone picked David Bowie and Queen, that's the definitive answer here isn't it?

Irish Aris · 26-07-2020 5:40pm

Electric Nitwit wrote: »

Haven't heard that song for a long, long time... and I haven't missed it

Cool, looking forward to this one. I usually try to pick either a song I love, one I think the host will really like, something that fits the category really well or just something interesting and fairly unknown. This round I think I've ticked all those boxes and I'm optimistic. I hate it when I'm optimistic, it usually ends badly

But no, tonight...

Edit: I presume someone picked David Bowie and Queen, that's the definitive answer here isn't it?

Also Starring LeVar Burton · 26-07-2020 5:58pm

Wouldn't surprise me to be walking away with last place on this round. Personally I love the song I've gone for, but can also see why some people would absolutely hate it...

Irish Aris's Walrus: The Reveal

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