Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The Secret Project. All your IP are belong to us.

Click this to register, but you're probably an user anyway because we do have any friends.


If you're already an member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 8
Christmas Mixtapes!; The Redux
Topic Started: Nov 23 2011, 05:13 PM (4,555 Views)
dwestfan13
Member Avatar
Feeder
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Ohai Volt
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Volt
Member Avatar
Keep Moving Forward

MrMarill
Jan 22 2012, 11:03 AM
Yeah Volt you should prolly get on that, it's not festive any more =[
What are you talking about?

*looks at calendar*

....Ohhhhhhhh noooooooo

Well, I suppose now is as good a time as ever. I felt really bad for never doing this, and over the years I would randomly remember that I still needed to do this. Unfortunately I have difficulty remembering to do some things, and I have a very serious problem about staying motivated on projects, so this mixtape thing was an unfortunate victim of that. Regardless, today is the day I make it right, so here's that mixtape review I promised 5 years ago.

Modest Mouse - "Missed the Boat"
This song starts with a really chill guitar riff, I definitely dig this groove. The layered guitars add that sort of magical feeling I love about mid 2000s indie rock, plus I really like the clean tone of it. The chorus makes me feel nostalgic for some reason, since I've never heard this song before. I've never listened to Modest Mouse outside of "Float On" and "Dashboard" before, I feel like I really need to give them a listen.

Nightwish - "Dark Chest of Wonders"
Oh hell yeah. This song is one hell of an album opener, with one of Nightwish's coolest riffs. Tuomas does such a good job in this song, as always. He's a big reason why I love Nightwish so much. Tarja is also on point in this song, her voice is so haunting. And hot damn that breakdown, this song's atmosphere just doesn't let up, I want to go on epic adventures after listening to this. I was so glad that they played this song when I saw them live a few years ago.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
I love this song so much. The drums are so energetic, yet the song feels like a ballad. Karen's voice is so beautiful in this, it's such a relaxing song to sing along to. That riff after the chorus packs a huge punch, too. This is probably my personal favorite song from Rock Band 1 to just listen to, this track is just comforting.

Leaves' Eyes - "Spirits' Masquerade"
Ah yes, this is definitely a dwest playlist. Dramatic opening? Gothic choir? Driving guitars? FUCKIN' BAGPIPES, BRAH? Symphonic metal is crazy, man. I love the Celtic folk sound that's mixed into this song, plus all the snare drum stuff scattered throughout the song sounds cool in general. Ahhh, it's been so long since I listened to symphonic metal I'd forgotten how good it can be. The musical break halfway into the song is nice and peaceful sounding, love the shanty sound going on. When the band comes back in, hoo boy. This song is a good example all around of why I like this kind of music.

Katy Perry - "Self Inflicted"
Ohai, Avril. I really miss 2000's pop-rock, this is what I grew up listening to. Nothing on the radio today really captures the spirit of this kind of music, and it kinda bums me out. A solid jam throughout, pretty formulaic, but it just works.

Epica - "The Obsessive Devotion"
I'm detecting a theme, though really who is surprised? The blast beats in the intro get me pumped up for a pretty sick jam. The juxtaposition of clean opera vocals and growling is always interesting, and it's done to good effect here. This song reminds me so much of "Our Truth" by Lacuna Coil, with the guitar tone and Arabian motifs. This being another epic, it changes up quite a bit later in the song. I'm not really digging the change at about the 5:50 minute mark, but then it goes back into that sweet groove from the beginning, so we're good.

Florence + The Machine - "Shake It Out"
This song is so good. Florence's voice is a treasure, and this chorus is just so good. The use of dynamics in this song can't really be understated, it's a good example of how to use them to good effect (and not 100% loud 100% of the time like a lot of songs do). The drums in this song are a big highlight, really helps to create that magical atmosphere I was talking about earlier. Why wasn't this song a bigger hit? A tragedy, if you ask me.

The Naked and Famous - "Young Blood"
I've never actually given these guys a listen, but I see them mentioned a lot. After listening to this song, I definitely feel like I need to give them a proper listen. I've definitely heard this song before, and it looks to be their biggest hit by quite a bit. I love the use of synth in this song, I'm a big fan of atmospheric stuff like this, and the hook in the chorus is infectious. I can't really understate how much I love songs that use both male and female vocals, I wish more bands did that.

Nelly - "Just a Dream"
I explicitly remember Ro wanting me to make fun of you for including Nelly, so... PFFFT FUCKING NELLY, DWEST, WHATCHU DOIN'? Seriously, though, I remember hearing this song on the radio a bunch back when this song was new. I also miss this kind of music, which is crazy because I used to hate this music. Crazy how nostalgia works. The chorus takes me back to middle school, hanging out with my friends after school. It's such a feel-good song.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Wizards in Winter"
I was gonna make a joke about it not being Christmas, but then I remembered what the whole point of the mixtapes were, WHOOPS. Yeah, this song is a classic, bringing dancing lights to houses all across the country. I went and saw these guys a few years ago, and this song was just incredible to see. I love basically everything about this song, so it'd be easier to just say that this song is amazing and I never get tired of listening to it.

Amberian Dawn - "Shallow Waters"
This is the, what, fifth symphonic metal song in this thing so far? Classic dwest. I love these guys, they brought basically their entire discography to the Rock Band Network, and they were pretty much the only band like this available in the game. I never bought this song, but I feel like I should if I ever go back to RB3 for whatever reason. I'm really bad at describing what I like about songs in detail, but this song is really solid throughout. Awww yeah, those hard as shit guitar solos that I love this band for.

My Chemical Romance - "Sing"
Fuck yeah, one of the best songs off of Danger Days. This is one of my sister's favorite bands, in fact she came into my room when this song came on. This song is just so uplifting, it inspires me to do good things. The drums are great, and the little bits of piano really bring out the atmosphere. The bridge in this song is just so cool, really ties the whole thing together well. Fun fact, I remember Glenn Beck hated this song, because it inspired children to start a revolution or some shit, so that's another reason to like this song.

Social Distortion - "Ball and Chain"
Social Distortion are so good, they were one of the many bands that I came to love through GH/RB. I always loved the flat sound of Mike Ness's vocals, I like flat voices in general and I'm not really sure why. It just sounds punk, I guess. Anyways, the song has a swing beat and a catchy chorus, I could definitely see getting really into this at a live show. Just listening to it right here makes me want to sing along. Both guitar solos are solid, too.

Evanescence - "Good Enough"
Woo, one of my favorite bands. This was actually one of my favorite tracks off of The Open Door. Being a piano player, I always appreciate tracks like this. Amy Lee's voice is haunting as usual here, something that seems to be a theme in the song choices here. The power she puts into her voice is impressive. This certainly isn't the sound that Evanescence is known for, but it's still a fantastic showcase of what Amy Lee is capable of.

The Airbourne Toxic Event - "Something Around Midnight"
Ohey, it's that one band with that one song that was in Band Hero. The one that was about underage sex, FAMILY FRIENDLY! Anyways, this song is structured like a ballad, starting quiet and building to a satisfying climax. I really dig the atmospheric guitar that's going on throughout the song, plus the subtle synth that gives the song that extra punch. The guitar that finishes the song off is really nice, as well. This song kinda reminds me of The Killers, which is definitely a good thing. That alone makes me want to check out more of their songs.

Edenbridge - "Midnight at Noon"
Of course there'd be just one more symphonic metal song in this thing. The drums in this song kick ass, in fact they're basically the showcase here. Guitar, bass, and synth are pretty standard, but ooh some harpsichord mixed in, excellent choice. Guitar solo was very technical, it was good but certainly didn't wow me like the solos from Amberian Dawn. Nooo, a fadeout ending. Such a cheap way to end this song.

Less Than Jake - "Mostly Memories"
The last song, and oh boy is it a doozy. I fucking love ska punk, it has so much energy in it, and the use of big band instruments is just so good. I've never heard this song before, but it sounds like something that'd fit right in with the stuff I jammed to as a kid. In fact, a lot of this mixtape in general has reminded me of my younger years. Such a good song to end this thing on.

Well, that's it. A solid collection of songs that took me 5 years to listen to. Happy birthday, dwest!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Create a free forum in seconds.
Learn More · Register for Free
« Previous Topic · Entertainment · Next Topic »
Add Reply
  • Pages:
  • 1
  • 8