That's all stuff and nonsense

Sometimes I wish I didn't lisen to so much music, because inevitably you absorb all these melodies which then become part of your subconscious. A while ago I was just mucking about on the piano and I came up with this little melodic line which was damn catchy. I kept playing it, repeating it over again and found the chords and was feeling pretty pleased with myself until I realied that I'd basically written Fall At Your Feet, at which point I closed the piano in disgust and vowed never to write again.

I've just started getting into The Arcade Fire, and I finally realise what the (minor) fuss is about because their album is bloody brilliant. I actually saw them live at Lollapalooza last year but unfortunately I hardly remember it, because staying conscious in 47 degree celsius heat was slightly higher on my list of priorities at the time. I love that thier songs have really complex instrumentation and structure, yet you can still hum along with them because they have really beautiful, memorable melodies. I like to think of it as accessible experimental art-pop. I'm kind of disappointed that I didn't enjoy them more than I did at Lollapalooza, which is also why it took me so long to listen to them now (because I've had them on my iPod for months).

Also this past week I've been playing Beth Orton - Trailer Park heaps. She has a great voice and her songs are soooooo good. There's a really good laid-back groove to them. She Cries Your Name and I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine are my favourites. She Cries Your Name is one of the laid-back groove ones. It's quite relaxing to listen to. I Wish I...is just a really beautiful, sad breaking up song. And right now I'm listening to Missy Higgins, because I've been playing her a lot on the piano and guitar lately and I wanted to hear what the originals actually sound like.

-R

PS I did write a song this week. It was a horrendously sweet, ridiculous cutesy throwaway piece of bubblegum pop, something simplistic and cheesy that an eight-year-old could've written. It would give cavities on the first listening. I hate it. I can't believe I came up with that tosh. It's so immature and simple.