Ben's Brother--Let me out

這次介紹的是來自英國的Ben's Brother(班的兄弟) 他們的首張專輯Beta male fairytales , EMI的音樂部落格上把它翻成次男傳奇,真的是太有趣了,上去他們的官網看了一下他們的簡介,發現這個團名和專輯名稱都是有原因的. 原來阿主唱也就是團長Jamie Hartman,有個非常有運動才能的哥哥(Ben), 從小他就一直活在它哥哥的盛名之下, 大家永遠都只記得它是Ben的弟弟, 很少人注意到它優異的音樂天份, 在很小的時候就可以創作歌曲, 而他哥哥把他創作的cd分享給其他人時, cd上頭甚至寫著ben's brother,後來才越來越多人注意的這位弟弟的聲音. 妙的是當Jamie成名之後, 竟自嘲地用Ben's brother 來當團名, 而發行的第一張專輯名稱也充滿了自謔的意味, 看來他對自己的beta male的身分也挺坦然的. 這張專輯除了主打歌Let me out之外,有許多歌曲 也很好聽像是carry on 和 beauty queen. 個人最喜歡beauty queen 這首歌,可惜網路上沒有人分享這首歌.所以這次介紹的是Let me out .一開始的鋼琴伴奏,有Keane的感覺,但Jamie滄桑的聲音一出就立刻有了他獨特的風格.非常欣賞他們的樂風,讓人有種聽不膩的舒適感.想聽其他歌的朋友可以上官網試聽喔!

Album: Beta Male Fairytales

Artist: Ben's Brother

Released: 2007/11/06


(PHOTOs from bensbrother and 7digital )



Let me out





Lyrics
You sit and you stare and you wait and you wonder
You think "Maybe it's me and I'm being a fool."
You start to believe it's a curse that you're under
And you're just a doll for a girl who is cruel
With a pin

So let me out
Or let me in
And tell me how, we can win
Cause I really wanna know now
Before I begin
To let you go
(To let you go)
So let me know

I'd rather be wandering hungry and homeless
Than here in the warmth of a silent defeat
You've gotta be honest with me and be ruthless
‘stead of shifting uncomfortably there in your seat
And your skin

Ch 2

And who'd've thought I'd have the strength to say
"Let me out or let me in"
But as the words are pouring from my mouth
I wanna say them again, and again and again

So let me out
Or let me in
And tell me how, we can win
Cause I really wanna know now
Before I begin
To let you go
(To let you go)
Oh
Let me out, or let me in,
Oh no no
And tell me how
We can win
Oh no I really wanna know now
Before I begin
Oh to let you go, to let you go
Let me know
(Lyrics from lyrics mania)

Breaking Benjamin--Rain

1998年成軍的Breaking Benjamin,該團名的由來是主唱 Benjamin Burnley 在成名之前在餐廳駐唱時不小心摔破了借來的麥克風, 該麥克風的主人在Ben表演完之後,上台說到感謝Benjamin 打破(breaking)了我那該死的爛麥克風"Thanks to Benjamin for breaking my fucking mic"(last.fm retrieved on January 28, 2008) 團名很妙的他們,沒想到它的原由更無厘頭,這樣也能生出一個名稱. 一開始Breaking Benjamin的成員除了主唱Burnley之外其他團員都不是很固定,直到Aaron Fink 和 Mark Klepaski退出了已和唱片公司簽約的 lifer樂團,加入Breaking Benjamin後班底才正式底定. 加上鼓手Chad Szdliga四位團員同樣都來自賓西法尼西亞州的小鎮(Wilkes-Barre). 該團的的曲風偏向metal的侵略性和叛逆性的風格卻又不失讓人易記的旋律.已經出過三張專輯中,個人最喜歡phobia的the diary of jane一曲,特別是acoustic 版的特別有味道,但是我一直聽不懂它副歌歌詞的意義(I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane) 當然有很多歌曲直得一聽,像是skin, sooner or later, forget it, so cold等 我覺得他們的歌不會讓聽慣流行樂的人覺得太刺耳或是太難以接受,而聽慣nu-metal或是 emo-punk 之類 的人也不會覺得太芭樂.這真是一個'穠纖和度'的團呢!哈!這次推薦的歌收錄在We are not alone 裡的 rain有別於其他首暢銷單曲那樣搖滾,,它只用簡單的幾個和弦,沒有其他樂器的伴奏,配合Burnley渾厚深情的歌聲,一樣又是一首動聽的歌曲.

Album: We Are Not Alone

Artist: Breaking Benjamin

Released: 2004/1/29

(above information and photos from wikipedia ,allmusic and last.fm)

lyrics

"rain"

Take a photograph, it'll be the last
not a dollar or a crowd could ever keep me here
i don't have a past i just have a chance
not a family or honest plea remains to say

rain rain go away come again another day
all the world is waiting for the sun

is it you i want or just the notion of your heart to wrap around
so i can find my way around
safe to say from here your getting closer now
we are never sad cause we are not allowed to be

rain rain go away come again another day
all the world is waiting for the sun

rain rain go away come again another day
all the world is waiting for the sun

to lie here under you is all that i could ever do
to lie here under you is all

to lie here under you is all that i could ever do
to lie here under you is all

rain rain go away come again another day
all the world is waiting for the sun

rain rain go away come again another day
all the world is waiting for the sun
all the world is waiting for the sun
all the world is waiting for the sun
(above lyrics from lyricsdownload)

Let's Join the Balck Parade !

(Photo from allmusic)

繼去年Linkin Park (lp)來台開唱後, 今年1/27在台大綜合體育館將要舉辦My Chemical Romance (MCR)的巡迴演唱會. 這無疑是台灣搖滾歌迷的一大福音!我第一次聽到MCR的歌是three cheers for sweet revenge 的 I'm not okay. 原本對嘶吼鬼叫的音樂還不習慣的我,聽這首歌時,我不自覺地跟著哼唱起來,甚至情不自禁地想要隨著它的歌詞大聲喊出I am not okay! Did you really listen to me? 主唱Gerard Way用歇斯底里的唱法來詮釋歌曲,聽來似乎跟 LP 主唱的Chester有異曲同工之妙,但是兩團的曲風卻又截然不同, LP的曲風較多元,結合饒舌和搖滾,還有其他不同的音樂元素像是電子樂等. mcr 是在2001年成軍,第一首歌是由Way和鼓手Matt Pelissier(後來2004年鼓手換成Bryar)一起寫的 skylines and turnstiles, 這首歌的靈感主要是由於主唱當時在紐約工作時,親眼目睹了911事件,他看到雙子星大樓在他面前倒塌. 由於受到恐怖電影和漫畫的影響,該團的風格十分明顯,尤其是主唱死白的臉和黑色的服裝,還有專輯的封面或是歌詞總是充滿故事性和戲劇性,並含有奇幻及陰森的風格.我個人比較喜歡2006年的The black parade, 整張專輯就跟他的名稱一樣灰暗,從它的曲目名稱可見端倪像是Cancer, i don't love you 和disenchanted. 其中的主打歌welcome to the black parade聽起來就像是在聽一個故事一樣.可惜youtube上的mv的作者不提供內嵌的服務,有興趣的朋友可前往 MV --welcome to the black parade 觀賞.

(above information from wikipedia and allmusic)

(photo from wikipedia)

Artist: My Chemical Romance
Album: The Black Parade
Released: 2006/10/24

lyrics

"Welcome to the Black Parade "

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.
He said,
"Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken,
The beaten and the damned?"
He said
"Will you defeat them, your demons, and all the non believers, the plans that they have made?"
Because one day I leave you,
A phantom to lead you in the summer,
To join the black parade."

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.
He said,
"Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken,
The beaten and the damned?"

Sometimes I get the feeling she's watching over me.
And other times I feel like I should go. Through it all, the rise and fall, the bodies in the streets.
When you're gone we want you all to know We'll Carry on,
We'll Carry on
Though your dead and gone believe me Your memory will carry on
Carry on
We'll carry on
And in my heart I cant contain it
The anthem wont explain it.

And we will send you reeling from decimated dreams
Your misery and hate will kill us all
So paint it black and take it back
Lets shout it loud and clear
Do you fight it to the end
We hear the call to

To carry on
We'll carry on
Though your dead and gone believe me Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated You're weary widow marches on

And on we carry through the fears
Ooh oh ohhhh
Disappointed faces of your peers Ooh oh ohhhh
Take a look at me cause
I could not care at all Do or die
You'll never make me
Cause the world, will never take my heart
You can try, you'll never break me
Want it all,
I'm gonna play this part
Wont explain or say i'm sorry
I'm not ashamed,
I'm gonna show my scar
You're the chair, for all the broken Listen here, because it's only..
I'm just a man,
I'm not a hero
Just a boy, who's meant to sing this song
Just a man,
I'm not a hero
I -- don't -- care
Carry on
We'll carry on
Though your dead and gone believe me Your memory will carry on
We'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated You're weary widow marches on
We'll carry on
We'll carry on
We'll carry on
We'll carry

We'll carry on
(above lyrics from completealbumlyrics)

Amy Winehouse--rehab

每到一年要結束的時候,都會有許多一年回顧的報導,像是一年中發生過的十大重大新聞之類的. 看到TIME雜誌也以如以往一樣,洋洋灑灑地列出了50 個 top 10 lists,其中像是有top 10 movies 或是 top 10 medical breakthroughs 等等. 2007的top 10 songs 有些曲目聽都沒聽過,但是相信第一名的Amy Winehouse所演唱的rehab,很多人應該不陌生. 第一次聽這首歌,馬上就被她黑人獨有的藍調唱腔給吸引住了,她的嗓音讓我聽了有種微醺的感覺,聽過這首個的人,我想很難不記得這樣令人著迷的歌聲.她不但是一個靈魂爵士歌手,也是位作詞者. 雖然她有嚴重的酗酒和嗑藥問題,但仍不影響他在歌唱事業上亮眼的表現.出道至今發行過兩張專輯的她,已經備受矚目,2007年在美國發行的black to black 更一次獲得了六項Grammy Award的提名. 這張專輯有別於上張frank的爵士樂風,轉向了現在流行的R&B,其中收錄單曲rehab更是令人印象深刻,它主要是在描述她拒絕進勒戒所的心路歷程.其中有許多歌詞寫的很生動像是[hey tried to make me go to rehab I won't go go go, I'd rather be at home with Ray]直截地表達出她內心的聲音.

Album: Black to black

Artist: Amy Winehouse

Released: 2007/3/13(America)

(Above information is adopted from time, wikipedia and allmusic)






Lyrics

"Rehab"

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

I'd rather be at home with ray
I ain't got seventy days
Cause there's nothing
There's nothing you can teach me
That I can't learn from Mr Hathaway

I didn't get a lot in class
But I know it don't come in a shot glass

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

The man said 'why do you think you here'
I said 'I got no idea
I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my baby
so I always keep a bottle near'
He said 'I just think your depressed,
this me, yeah baby, and the rest'

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know

I don't ever wanna drink again
I just ooh I just need a friend
I'm not gonna spend ten weeks
have everyone think I'm on the mend

It's not just my pride
It's just 'til these tears have dried

They tried to make me go to rehab but I said 'no, no, no'
Yes I've been black but when I come back you'll know know know
I ain't got the time and if my daddy thinks I'm fine
He's tried to make me go to rehab but I won't go go go

(Lyrics from azlyrics)

Aqualung--Brighter than sunshine

前陣子看到電視撥出<再見鍾情>(A Lot Like Love)時，又讓我喚起Brighter than sunshine 這首電影插曲。當初是因為男主角 Ashton Kutcher，而去電影院看這部片，他之前演的蝴蝶效應(The Butterfly Effect)讓我印象深刻，在wiki看完他的簡介 發現他真的是一個才華洋溢的藝人，他不但演戲也擔任獨立製作，甚至也在自己的節目中主持和電影中演出。 他最早是演出美國影劇That 70's show的 Michael Kelso一角之後ㄧ砲而紅，之後又擔任許多節目的製作人像是MTV的整人節目Punk'd. 但我實在搞不懂他未啥會跟大他十五歲的Demi Moore結婚呢?雖然他自己也承認這是個不理智的決定。 但這些都不是重點，這篇文章是在介紹Matt Hales 的Brighter than sunshine這首歌。大部分的人可能對Matt Hales這個名字不熟悉，其實Matt Hales 又叫做Aqualung(水中呼吸器XD)。他是以strange and beautiful這首單曲走紅擠進英國單曲前十名，也收錄在電影第三者(Wicker Parker)的原聲帶。2003年的單曲brighter than sunshine 也因在電影A Lot Like Love裡撥出而大受歡迎。在搜尋這首歌的相關資料時，我發現不只是我，很多人都因為看了電影而喜歡這首歌，看來利用電影來宣傳歌曲是個很有效的方法，當然也要歌曲好聽電影好看才可以。

Artists: Aqualung

Album:Strange and Beautiful
Released: 2005/03/22
(above information and photos adopted from wikipedia )

Lyrics

"Brighter Than Sunshine"

I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

Tied up in ancient history
I didnt believe in destiny
I look up you're standing next to me
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, i don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine

I never saw it happening
I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling

I didn't have the strength to fight
Suddenly you seemed so right
Me and you
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun
It's brighter than the sun, sun, shine.

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
It's brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, I don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine

I got a feeling in my soul ... [repeat chorus to end]

(The lyrics from http://www.azlyrics.com/)

Oasis--stop crying your heart out

(photo from www.bbc.co.uk)

Many might know this song for the movie-- the butterfly effect.
In it this song is played during the end credits. This song was written by Noel Gallagher (guitarist in Oasis). At first time hearing it, I thought it is about the words that comfort a vulnerable and sensitive girl. In fact, through the lyrics, it aims to cheer the listeners while they're in times of hardship. Like the spirit of "Don't look back in anger," he explained that song was inspired from a friend of his who was going through a pretty bad times with his kids. Like the comments in NME, it truly console me with its reassuring lyrics and steady rhythm whenever I felt down.

Album:Heathen Chemistry
Artist:Oasis

Lyrics:

Hold up
Hold on
Don't be scared,
You'll never change what's been and gone
May your smile, (may your smile)
Shine on, (shine on)
Don't be scared, (don't be scared)
Your destiny may keep you warm,

'Cause all of the stars,
Have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You'll see them someday,
Take what you need,
And be on your way and
Stop crying your heart out

Get up, (get up)
Come on, (come on)
Why you scared? (I'm not scared)
You'll never change what's been and gone

'Cause all of the stars,
Have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You'll see them some day,
Take what you need,
And be on your way and
Stop crying your heart out

'Cause all of the stars,
Have faded away
Just try not to worry,
You'll see them someday.
Just take what you need,
And be on your way and
Stop crying your heart out

We're all of the stars,
We're fading away.
Just try not to worry,
You'll see us someday.
Just take what you need,
And be on your way and
Stop crying your heart out... [4x]
(lyrics from sing365.com)

用音樂連結生活的記憶

在八零年代眾多創意的英語教學法中，有個名為暗示教學法(Suggestopedia)，主要是透過巴洛克音樂有規律循環的特性，來間接催眠學生進入淺意識狀態，進而降低學生的學習焦慮，而大大提升了英語學習效果 。這讓我聯想到我自己對聽音樂的一些想法。很多人在成長的過程中，都會有一些音樂特別地留駐在回憶中。那些歌曲很容易讓人回到以前的記憶，彷彿閉上眼睛就可以重現以前的再聽那歌曲的當下所發生的事情和感受。甚至有些音樂是同一個年代的人共同的記憶，像是小虎隊的紅蜻蜓陪伴過許多六七年級生度過那無憂慮的快樂童年，或是羅大佑的歌曲訴說著八九零年代，台灣青年的困惑和茫然。但是，每個人都有不同的歌曲去映襯出他生命過程中的不同經歷和階段。或許當出聽那些歌時並沒有很強烈的感受，只是在當時的過程，往往在以後聽到歌曲後漸漸重現在眼前。隨著過往與當下的歌曲旋律和歌詞表達連接，在過一段時間後重新回味，總是會拉出當時聽音樂的場景。相信每個人心中都有一段音符或歌曲連接著各自的生活經驗和記憶，這些用音樂連成的記憶將會隨著年紀的增長越串越長，卻也越聽越令人尋味。

(Photo from www.new-renaissance.eenet.ee/lonny/pages/main.htm　and http://www.istockphoto.com/)