My Favorite Twisted Love Songs: "Always," Saliva

Saliva usually goes in for generic stadium metal songs ("Click, Click, Boom" anyone?) but the Memphis quartet (who is down one Josey Scott because he left to do Christian rock - true story) occasionally pops off a beautiful - and in this case, murderous - ballad.

MTV requested the part of the song which goes: "The pistol shaking in my hands" be edited, replacing "pistol" with "anger." Which makes absolutely no sense, but you know, as long as the song is squeaky clean.
 
Despite that, I've posted the video anyway, because I think it captures the hate-fueled psychosis of the song quite nicely. Here's a link to the actual song, though.

Twisted Love Songs: "Control," Puddle of Mudd

"I was going out with an uncontrollable person. I was uncontrollable, too," said Puddle of Mudd lead singer Wes Scantlin about this song. "But the intimacy was really, really good . . ." Story of a rockstar's life, apparently.

The lyrics are pretty transparent. "I like it when you chain me to the bed/But then your secrets never show" and "I love the way you look at me/I love the way you smack my ass" are some of the best. A little-known fact is that Scantlin co-wrote it with Brad Stewart, former bassist for Shinedown.
This was the first single off 2001's Come Clean, which made the Billboard Top 10 in its first few weeks, although it's still not as well known as "Blurry." Check out the video for a glimpse of Fred Durst. Believe it or not, he actually discovered these guys and put them together, sort of like rock's answer to the Backstreet Boys.

Twisted Love Songs: "Closer," Nine Inch Nails

This is one of the most misinterpreted, most controversial songs of the nineties. The heartbeat-paced rhythm combined with Trent Reznor's half-hissed sexually explicit lyrics shocked people everywhere. The Mark Romanek-directed video was equally horrifying to most, with its images of S&M, anti-Christian symbols, and oh yeah, two sides of beef cut to look like angel wings and a spinning pig's head.

Despite all this, "Closer" is a much beloved song in the alternative music community, and not just by industrial rock fans: Maroon5 and 30 Seconds to Mars have covered it, as well as a bluegrass band called the Asylum Street Spankers (this last version is more of a parody, really, and it's pretty terrible). There's also a dubstep version floating around out there (even worse).

In my opinion, it's one of the most creative, ingenious works in modern rock. I decided to post this live version from the Beside You in Time video, because I've already featured the original music video on the site. Here's a link to it, though (be warned: the video contains nudity). Also check out Mark Romanek's narration of how they made the video. It talks about stuff like Reznor buying an antique, undeveloped roll of film to shoot with, and how the "levitation" scene in the video was actually inspired by Mary Poppins.

Twisted Love Songs: "Harder to Breathe," Maroon5

Maroon5 is known for writing sexy songs, but this one is a little more twisted than the rest (the video, however, is rather bland. See the one for "Misery"). With lyrics like: "Does it kill/Does it burn/Is it painful to learn/That's it's me/Who has all the control?" it's definitely a good one for this list. But the song isn't about what you think. Frontman Adam Levine said in an interview with MTV News that he wrote this song out of frustration when their label said they didn't have enough material for the record they were releasing at the time, 2002's Songs About Jane. All I can say is, keep frustrating that guy.

Twisted Love Songs: "The Promise," In This Moment ft. Adrian Patrick

The screams in this song alone - wow. Frontwoman Maria Brink is as well known for her primal screams as she is for her Alice-in-Wonderland-gone-Goth wardrobe. Mix in Adrian Patrick, from Vegas metal outfit Otherwise (who looks just like Wolverine's half-bro Victor), and you've got some pretty powerful vocals. Fun fact: Brink wrote the song with Five Finger Death Punch frontman Ivan Moody in mind, but he had to drop out due to record label issues. In Brink's own words, "[t]his song is about when you are madly in love with somebody, but you know that you’re dangerous for that person and vice versa. They’re dangerous for you even though you crave them. You want it more than anything, even though you know it will end badly."

Twisted Love Songs: "Scream," Avenged Sevenfold

A7X lead singer M. Shadows usually dedicates this song to "all the ladies in the crowd," which is kind of funny, because it has more to do with killing than sex. Still, it's undeniably a good one. Trivia: Shadows' wife, Valerie (who was also their tour manager at one time, incidentally) is responsible for the magnificent scream at the beginning.

Twisted Love Songs: "Love, Hate, Love," Alice in Chains

A dark, pained song about loving someone, but fearing that you're bringing them down with all your evil ways. Doubly tragic, considering that AIC frontman Layne Staley supposedly introduced his girlfriend, Demri Parrott, to heroin. She later died from needle poisoning, several years before Staley fatally overdosed. A sad song, but very brilliant.

My Favorite Twisted Love Songs

Have you ever wanted to punch someone in the face, tear their hair out, and kiss them all at the same time? Probably not, but the subject makes for good lyrics. And I love twisted love songs. I like the occasional sweet ballad, don't get me wrong (and I'll probably do a list of my favorites of those, later) but I really like a good love-hate song. I'm going to list some of my favorites, posting the videos or song clips. There might be some bands that have more than one song, because some musicians are, you know, really good at writing semi-homicidal lyrics about past relationships.

The Best Music Video I've Ever Seen

I had absolutely refused to listen to post-Layne Staley Alice in Chains - I felt it wouldn't be the same. But when I first heard this song, on rock radio, I was awed - literally awed - before I could even turn the dial. It's what made me pre-order their latest album, Black Gives Way to Blue. Sadly, the rest of the album didn't pan out so well (at least not in my opinion), but it doesn't matter. This song is the type of song that can only be made once in a lifetime. I thought it couldn't get any better.
Then I saw the video. This fascinating, creepy, insightful mix of human vice and suffering has inspired many of my short stories and poems, as well as influencing plot elements of my longer works. But don't take my word for it. Listen. Watch. Come away believing in music again.

My Current Running Playlist

Music kind of relates to everything in my life, especially when it comes to running - which I enjoy thoroughly - I know, that's psychotic, right? But it's amazing to me how one song can make the difference in a race or a workout when I'm lagging a little. My running playlist changes from time to time; I'm always looking for some good pounder songs, something to bring it home. And I know there are others out there who love the smell of fresh-cut summer grass on a ten-mile run, so here's to us.
Since I am technologically challenged, I couldn't find a way to upload a playlist on here, so I will just link the songs to YouTube pages that you can watch at your leisure. They are listed in no particular order.

1. Down with the Sickness - Disturbed
2. Are You Ready - Three Days Grace
3. Dragula - Rob Zombie
4. Bodies - Drowning Pool
5. Master of Puppets - Metallica
6. Seek and Destroy - Metallica
7. Becoming the Bull - Atreyu
8. Doomsday - Atreyu
9. Zero - The Smashing Pumpkins
10. Heartkiller - H.I.M.
11. Lazarus Heart - The 69 Eyes
12. Indestructible - Disturbed
13. St. Jimmy - Green Day
14. Hump de Bump - Red Hot Chili Peppers
15. Factory Girl - The Pretty Reckless
16. Natural Born Killer - Avenged Sevenfold

I know that this list consists of a lot of "overplayed radio hits." But I'm not really one for the hipster, I-knew-them-before-they-were-cool thing. It's great if you like a band that's off the mainstream, but I like what I like - and it's popular for a reason. Just to reassure you, though, I hate Nickelback just as much as everyone else. Hopefully my credibility just went up a little.

Favorite Singers: Jonathan Davis

Yes, I'm still doing these. I just have way too many favorite singers, and it was hard to narrow it down to just these. But on to Jonathan Davis.
When you hear a Korn song, you know it's Korn as soon as Davis starts singing. I've never heard a voice that sounds remotely like his, which is pretty remarkable these days, when nu-metal bands are a dime a dozen. (Not that Korn doesn't stand apart musically as well; you can definitely hear the rap influence in their sinister, punching beats.) His voice is kind of nasal, sort of wrung and tortured out of him, but it has a remarkable elegance about it that made him the perfect choice for the singing voice of the vampire Lestat in the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned (One of my favorite movies of all time, even though it's nothing like the books. But that is a tangent I could spend forever on, and I'm not going to digress - yet that is a good idea for a post: horror movie soundtracks.). He also pretty much single-handedly wrote the soundtrack for that movie, which is fantastic. I will post a blurb about that later, with my favorite tracks and comments.
Davis, with Korn, also contributed to the Nightmare Revisited soundtrack, a new take on the Nightmare Before Christmas songs, with a version of "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" that is both creepy and whimsical.
His lyrics are pained, despairing, and lovely for all their stark nakedness, and it's his talent, musical, vocal, and lyrical, that's made Korn what it is. I know I keep saying that about bands, but you've got to admit, if your singer sucks, even though you've got a great guitar player, you probably won't be very successful. It can work vice versa, too, but singers are the face, the image, and the main sound.

Best tracks: "Twisted Transistor," "Coming Undone," "Alone I Break," "Freak on a Leash," "Pop a Pill"

Favorite Singers: M. Shadows

Like Avenged Sevenfold (or A7X, as it's sometimes styled) or hate them, you have to admit they're a pretty unique band in the world of metal and hard rock. Their lyrics deal with deep subjects such as death, hell, and the Bible (their very name comes from God's condemnation of Cain in Genesis). And they have a very unique singer to match: Matthew Sanders, or as he's known onstage, M. Shadows.
Like his band, Shadows can be an acquired taste. In the beginning, Shadows did a lot of scream work, rather than the slightly nasal sound he uses more now. Some may call it an "emo" sound, and maybe it is, but it's definitely powerful (plus, all of the guys in that band look like they could mess you up). He's brought back the old metal screams a little on their new album, Nightmare, with songs such as "God Hates Us," but for the most part, I like his new style better. I remember the first song I ever heard of theirs was when I saw the music video for "Seize the Day," and it's still one of my favorite songs, just because of its lyrical depth. I like a band who can question life and death.

Best tracks: "Bat Country," "Nightmare," "Dear God," "Beast and the Harlot"

Favorite Singers: Adam Gontier

From the time I heard Three Days Grace's breakout hit, "I Hate Everything About You," I was intrigued by Adam Gontier's unique harsh-yet-melodic voice.
There's something about Three Days Grace's songs that is prettier, more melodic than their other post-grunge counterparts, though the subject matter is anything but light.
I'm kind of hardcore in the fact that even though Life Starts Now, their latest, was a softer, prettier album than any before it, I still think One-X was their best, and it's still one of my favorite albums. Gontier's voice is just so raw and powerful on this album, and the lyrics are so real, probably because he admitted a lot of the lyrics are very personal: “The record is a lot more personal to me than our first record, just in the sense that our last record was sort of written about our friends, and things that happened around us and growing up in a small town,” said Gontier in an interview with the Associated Press. “This record is sort of more about my life over the last few years.” That included a stint in rehab for addiction to OxyContin, after which Gontier and the band did acoustic tours in several rehab facilities, where Gontier would answer questions about his addiction. I say mad props for overcoming that. I know personally that addictions suck, and to find a way to help others through that is awesome.

Best tracks: "I Hate Everything About You," "Home," "Pain," "Animal I Have Become," "Riot," "The Good Life," "Last to Know"

Favorite Singers: Matthew Bellamy

I had never listened to a singer who used falsetto that I actually liked - until I heard Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy.
The British rocker is famous not only for his singing voice, but also for his guitar and keyboard playing during concerts (he composed the famous solo on "Butterflies and Hurricanes" that several professional pianists have tried to emulate). He's also famous for his relationship with actress Kate Hudson, but that's a digression I'm not going to explore on this blog.
Muse is famous for their experimental style, leading to their inability to be categorized in terms of musical genre, and Bellamy is no less experimental with his voice, using falsetto, metal screams/whispers, and aggressive, punchy punk phrases (check out that alliteration!), often within the same album. He can croon love songs with the best of them or incite a full-blown revolution. 2009's The Resistance offered traditional revolution anthems (Bellamy is also known for his self-proclaimed "libertarian" views) such as "Uprising," to love songs like "Undisclosed Desires."

Best tracks: "Unintended," "Supermassive Black Hole," "Hysteria," "Sunburn"

Favorite Singers: Layne Staley

"I knew that voice was the guy I wanted to be playing with," said Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell about the first time he heard Layne Staley sing. "It sounded like it came out of a 350-pound biker rather than skinny little Layne."
Far from the dreary, lethargic vocals of Kurt Cobain, Staley had a powerful, charismatic singing voice that was apparent even when he was giving his final performances before his tragic death of a heroin overdose in 2002.
Staley actually started out drumming at age twelve, before aspiring to be a singer. Alice in Chains broke into the mainstream with the single "Man in the Box," a song written by Staley about media censorship. The song was ironically censored by MTV, replacing the two occurrences of the word "shit" with the words "pit" and "spit."
A multitalented musician, Staley, in addition to writing about half the lyrics for AIC's songs, also composed the music for three of them: "Angry Chair," "Hate to Feel," and "Head Creeps." Staley was known to do some of the drum work for AIC's two EPs, Sap and Jar of Flies. He was also an amateur artist who had paintings displayed in galleries when AIC was on hiatus. He designed the artwork for the grunge supergroup Mad Season's first and only album, Above, and served as lyricist and singer for the group until they disbanded.
Many musicians have been influenced by Staley's energetic vocals, and many bands have written tribute songs following his passing. Metallica has stated that the 2008 album Death Magnetic had Staley's battle with substance abuse as a theme.
Whether you love or hate grunge, you have to admit that it has influenced numerous groups today, and Staley's voice was iconic in that era.

Best tracks: "Rain When I Die," "Dam That River," "We Die Young," "Man in the Box"

Favorite Singers: Ville Valo

Ville Valo, the somewhat androgynous (he kind of looks like what you'd expect Anne Rice's vampire Lestat to look like), hypnotic-eyed lead singer of Finnish rock band HIM, definitely doesn't have a so-so voice. I first noticed HIM when I listened to their cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game." Valo is a baritone, his voice reminiscent of the late Peter Steele of Type-O Negative, but it is astounding coming from someone of his build. Fellow Finns Apocalyptica asked him and Lauri Ylonen (from Finnish band The Rasmus) to cut vocals on the song "Bittersweet." I kind of wished they hadn't, because Ylonen's voice sort of annoys me, but when I heard the track, I was impressed.
Valo is notorious for being friends with Bam Margera, the Jackass star, and also for his collection of tattoos, which include the "heartagram" logo of HIM designed by Valo himself.

Best tracks: "The Kiss of Dawn," "Wings of a Butterfly," "Bleed Well," "Wicked Game"

Favorite Singers: Amy Lee

Amy Lee's voice wowed me from the time I first heard "Bring Me to Life" in 2003. Not only does she have a lovely range that can go from alto to soprano in one song, but she has incredible power in her voice. Ben Moody noticed this, too, when he saw her playing Meat Loaf's "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" on the piano at a church camp in Little Rock. The two later formed Evanescence.
Also an accomplished pianist, Lee composed the song "Hello," from Evanescence's debut, Fallen. The song is a tribute to Lee's sister, who died young. She was also asked to sing "Sally's Song" on the Nightmare Revisited soundtrack, which featured popular musicians singing familiar songs from Tim Burton's cartoon hit The Nightmare Before Christmas.
After a falling out, Moody and the other members of the band (except for Lee) left to be replaced by a new lineup. But honestly, it doesn't sound a whole lot different. If you got rid of Lee, though, Evanescence would be no more. Her voice is that iconic.

Best songs: "Lithium," "Sweet Sacrifice," "Bring Me to Life," "Haunted," "My Immortal"

Silly Video #2: "Frontier Psychiatrist" by The Avalanches

One of the comments on this video says, "This makes Lady Gaga's videos look normal." And it's true; it does. The Avalanches are a mysterious DJ-type group from Melbourne. The song is weird enough by itself, but the video is straight out of a drug-induced dream. Enjoy.

Hilarious Video Day!

Okay, I'm feeling pretty silly today, so I am going to post some awesome music videos. A lot of people may have seen them, but I'm going to comment on them anyway, because that's what I do.
First up is "I Feel Better" by Hot Chip. They're a British indie band formed in 2000. They've released four albums, including the latest one from which "I Feel Better" is taken, One Life Stand. This has got to be one of the most brilliant things I've seen; it includes not only a number of attractive, shirtless men, but a nemesis who has come to be known on the YouTube comment boards as "Cancer Jesus." Check it out.

Rocky Sings For Billie - Last Night on Earth

This is probably the most awesome, random thing I've seen on the Internet all year - Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong playing the piano for one of the songs off 21st Century Breakdown, "Last Night on Earth," while his dog Rocky sings. I thought I'd share it.