Andrew McMahon's Ten Best Songs Ever (According to Me)

Fuse recently posted a list of what they consider to be Andrew McMahon's ten best songs ever (catch that list here), but I found myself in dire disagreement with most of it. Such a list, for example, that doesn't include "Bloodshot" is a blasphemous list. Such a list, however, can only ever be opinion-based, so to each their own. Fuse's list prompted me to make my own, so here is mine:

Honorable Mention - Something Corporate - "Watch the Sky"

10. Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - "See Her on the Weekend"

09. Something Corporate - "iF yoU C Jordan"

08. Something Corporate - "As You Sleep"

07. Jack's Mannequin - "Dancing with a Gun"

06. Jack's Mannequin - "Kill the Messenger"

05. Jack's Mannequin - "Dark Blue"

04. Jack's Mannequin - "Holiday from Real"

03. Jack's Mannequin - "Caves"

02. Jack's Mannequin - "At Full Speed"

01. Jack's Mannequin - "Bloodshot"

Danny Elfman - "Poor Jack" [Analysis]

I wanted to take the time to talk about this song from one of my favorite films ever, The Nightmare Before Christmas. (Please note that this blog entry will contain spoilers about the film, but if you haven't seen it, then what the Halloweentown is wrong with you?) The song is titled "Poor Jack" and is sung by Jack (Danny Elfman provides his singing voice) after he is shot out of the sky. His attempt to take the guise of Sandy Claws (his name for Santa Claus) and be in charge of Christmas rather than Halloween for a change fails miserably, and he sings this song about how terribly sorry that he feels for himself. The song is basically Jack's Dead Man's Pity Party... or is it? Let's a take a look at the song's lyrics, shall we?:

What have I done?

What have I done?

How could I be so blind?

All is lost.

Where was I?

Spoiled all, spoiled all.

Everything's gone all wrong.

What have I done?

What have I done?

Find a deep cave to hide in.

In a million years, they'll find me.

Only dust and a plaque

That reads, "Here lies Poor Old Jack."

Like I said, Jack is pitying himself. This could, after all, be one of the most depressing Disney songs ever, right? Wrong. Here's the rest of the song:

But I never intended all this madness, never,

And nobody really understood,

How could they,

That all I ever wanted was to bring them something great.

Why does nothing ever turn out like it should?

Well, what the heck, I went and did my best,

And, by God, I really tasted something swell,

And, for a moment, why, I even touched the sky,

And at least I left some stories they can tell, I did,

And for the first time since I don't remember when

I felt just like my old bony self again,

And I, Jack, the Pumpkin King...

That's right, I am the Pumpkin King!

Ha, ha, ha!

And I just can't wait until next Halloween

'Cause I've got some new ideas

That will really make them scream,

And, by God, I'm really going to give it all my might!

Uh oh, I hope there's still time to set things right.

Sandy Claws, hmm.

People give "Let It Go" from Frozen (which, don't get me wrong, I love) so much credit for being such a self-empowering Disney song but ignore this, probably because of the first part of the song being a lament about his failure. However, Jack comes to the realization that despite everything that went wrong, his intentions were good, and he isn't a bad person. He learns from his mistakes and decides that he wants to do better. He also decides that there is nothing wrong with who he is. Gone is the self-loathing that we hear in the early number "Jack's Lament." Here it is replaced by self-acceptance and self-love. Only then is he able to see himself as someone who is lovable. Only then does he realize that Sally loves him. In some ways, I honestly think that this is even more empowering than "Let It Go," which is basically the ultimate anthem for introverts.

Nick Jonas - Live in Concert at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, NY [Sunday, 10/4/15] [Review]

During the very late part of the summer (I believe that it was about a month or so ago), Nick Jonas played a free show at the New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY, which isn't too terribly far from me. It is approximately thirty miles, a forty-five minute to an hour drive. I could not find anyone who was interested in going with me, though, and I didn't want to go to the fair alone. Some things happen for a reason, though, because I recently found out (as did everyone, since it was so recently announced) that he was playing in Utica, NY at Mohawk Valley Community College, so I had a second chance to see him! This time around, the concert was not free, but as an MVCC employee (I am an adjunct professor of English), I got a discount, and the ticket was only $20. This was probably a much more intimate, not to mention comfortable, setting than the fair probably would have been, too, and considering the fact that this may have just been the best show that I have ever attended, the $20 was well worth it. One thing that Nick Jonas definitely knows how to do is put on a good show!

A duo opened for Nick, and I quite honestly wasn't crazy over them, so I was glad that their set was only a few songs. I can't remember what they were called; it sounded like they said Cassie & Monroe, but they said that they had a Twitter account, and when I ran a search for them on Twitter, I found nothing. They were sort of like a blend of pop and rap, with one of them singing and the other rapping. Their songs were silly and fun, but as I said, I was there to see Nick and wasn't really all that into them. Fortunately, after their set, fans didn't have long to wait until Nick began his set. Immediately, I was pleasantly taken aback by the screens on stage, demonstrating all sorts of strange, trippy images, some of which seemed an awful lot like a James Bond film intro. I don't know why (probably because the concert was in a gym on a community college campus), but I really wasn't expecting the show to be so visually stunning, but I sure was in for a night to remember, a night of vivid colors, flashing lights, and an awesome setlist, which was as follows:

1. Chains
2. Numb
3. Wilderness
4. Good Thing
5. I Want You
6. Who I Am / Give Love a Try / Hotline Bling
7. Warning
8. Push
9. Under You
10. Santa Barbara
11. Levels
12. Teacher
13. Take Over
14. Jealous

I was really pleased with the setlist. With the exceptions of "Avalanche," 'Nothing Would Be Better," and "Closer," he performed almost the entirety of the album and then some, and the songs flowed pretty nicely together. I somehow knew that he would open with "Chains" and was right about that. The screen on stage, which was demonstrating moving white shapes, opened up as a door through which Nick entered, making his appearance in a plaid shirt and causing the crowd to roar with excitement. Nick was backed by a band on stage, which I think was guitarist, bassist, and drummer, and the live rendition of "Chains" was pretty awesome because with the band, it was a heavier, rock rendition of the song, which, on the album, is pretty light and soft. "Wilderness" was one of my favorite performances of the show, which is probably mainly because it is my favorite song on the album, and "Good Thing" was a whole lot of fun, too. He is really animated on stage, and you can tell that he is genuinely having fun. The fact that he agreed to play at the New York State Fair for free last month really shows that he does what he does for the right reasons, too.

One highlight for the majority of the crowd really seemed to be when he performed a medley of older songs from his days with the Jonas Brothers and with Nick Jonas & the Administration. This seemed to evoke the most amount of excitement and participation from the audience. Also included in this medley was a brief cover of Drake's "Hotline Bling," with which I honestly had not been familiar. A true highlight for me was his performance of "Push," as this was so fun to watch. Before the song began, a translucent curtain came down behind which Nick stood, and the curtain displayed images of water, making it look as if Nick were under a waterfall (this was one of many really exciting, visually stunning performances of which I captured some video). After this performance, Nick announced that he is currently in the process of working on a new record (which is really exciting!) and then said that the next song was new. The song was called "Under You," and this is a really fun song of which I can't wait to hear the studio version. It was catchy, and I was singing along to it (not to mention enjoying the vibrant colors on the stage) by the end of the performance.

"Santa Barbara" was another highlight for me. Behind Nick was an image of what appeared to be the sun, and the crowd passionately raised their hands and waved them back and forth during the emotional chanting part of the song. I really started to feel very emotional during this performance. Parts of this show really felt like a religious experience, like Nick was sharing a deeply personal part of himself with his audience. Some artists have the ability to do that while others do not as much. He definitely does, which is a large part of the reason why I enjoyed this show so much. "Teacher" is an upbeat, fun song and is definitely a colorful highlight on the album, so of course, it was here, too. Lots of bright, vivid colors such as pink and yellow flashed behind him, and silhouettes of women's legs and women's bodies flashed and danced behind him, which was one part that really reminded me a great deal of James Bond. A lot of the backing videos and images were, as I said, very trippy, and they also flashed quickly and brightly. I kept thinking that as much as I was really enjoying it, I was grateful that I didn't have epilepsy.

After Nick performed "Take Over," the lights of the stage shut down, and Nick wandered off somewhere. I watched in amusement as some people left, believing the concert to be over. I was amused for three central reasons. (1) He didn't even say goodbye. (2) Who would believe that he would perform a show and not perform "Jealous"? Really? (3) They obviously had not been to many shows before, if any, because there is always an encore. That's part of the experience. Hearing "Jealous" was really exciting because it is the song that made me a fan of Nick, and you could tell that the whole crowd was really hyped to be hearing it. The stage flashed with pink and blue lights, with tropical, beachy images of palm trees appearing behind Nick. As I said, this was probably the best show that I have ever attended. Nick was just so vibrant and genuinely happy to be there, and whoever put all that hard work into the videos showing behind Nick really needs to be commended. This show might have also featured the best sound quality that I have ever heard at a show, with the volume of Nick's vocals being perfect and his voice being crisp and clear. If I ever get the opportunity to see him again, I surely will! Thank you for a magical night, Nick Jonas!

Rose McGowan - RM486 - Single [Review]

Rose McGowan recently released her debut single "RM486," and to put it simply, I can't get enough of it. A lot of news sources are referring to it as her music debut, which isn't technically true. McGowan has recorded music before for the Grindhouse: Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror soundtrack, recording songs such as "You Belong to Me" and "Two Against the World." This is, however, her single debut as well as her debut as an original musician. I went a while not knowing what the title was in reference to, but McGowan has told Billboard that RM are her initials, while 486 is in reference to an abortion drug. I'm still not 100% sure what that has to do with the song, but at least the title is not completely confusing to me now (although I am honestly surprised that I didn't figure out that RM is in reference to her initials on my own). The song grabbed my attention when I saw it advertised because I know Rose McGowan from her role as Paige Matthews on Charmed and from her brief role as young Cora on Once Upon a Time. The advertisement was actually for the music video (which features a shorter edit of the song), one of the most interesting music videos that I have ever seen. The music video features Rose McGowan portraying multiple different characters such as a nude, bald, and completely white alien with very long fingernails and a character with blood-red skin covered in glitter.

The song itself is very electronic in nature and has an outer spacey feel to it, sounding almost like a retro song from the eighties. There are a couple of artists of whom it reminds me as well as an artist of whom the music video reminds me, but I will keep the comparisons to myself out of respect for Rose, who has said that she wants nothing more than to be herself, to not be compared to other musicians. The song opens with the following monologue: "I've seen things that people can't imagine, attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark, and all those moments will be lost in time like tears in rain. Time to die. Time to die." This is a quote from the 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner, a quote which is almost verbatim but is loosely paraphrased. The vocals here are considerably quieter than the accompanying music and are a bit difficult to understand without looking up the lyrics (even Genius does not know some of the lyrics), and this is honestly true in regards to most of the song's vocals, due, in part, to the vocals being so echoey. The song's chorus says that she is "only here to paint color on the sun," which I think is in reference to Rose wanting to make a difference with her art and with her music. Painting color on the sun (if, of course, such a thing were possible) would affect the entire world because the entire world would see it, and the entire world would be more colorful. I believe that that is what Rose is saying here, that she wants to make an impact.

I am in love with the beat of this song and with the therapeutic "feel good" tone to it. I have been listening to it non-stop for days now. As I said, my only complaint with the song is that I wish that McGowan's vocals were louder and easier to understand, but I do sincerely hope that McGowan will continue down this path of original music and will eventually release a full-length album (and by eventually, I mean soon). Although she has said that she doesn't know for sure if and when an album will come out because she isn't signed to a record label (yet), she has also said that she has come to hate the world of acting because (for one reason) it is, most of the time, through the voices of men, meaning that most writers, producers, directors, etc. are men, which is true. I therefore don't see her doing much more acting if that is how she feels about it. She seems really enthusiastic about this song and about being a musician in general, so I think that we can expect more from her as long as she gets signed, and even if she doesn't get signed, she managed to put together and release this amazing song, so I am thinking that she can put together and release more amazing singles and maybe even release a full-length album independently. I really don't think that she would have any problem getting signed to a record label, though. She is well-known already, and "RM486" is getting quite a bit of media hype. Here's to wishing Rose McGowan the best of luck painting color on the sun!

Madonna - Rebel Heart Tour - Live at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY [Saturday, 9/19/15] [Review]

When the Rebel Heart era started, my friend David (who is also a huge fan of Madonna) and I decided that we would make it a point to see her live this time around. We made such plans early on and vowed that we would make it happen come hell or high water. Here's the thing about Madonna. She's talented when it comes to performing, songwriting, dancing, and even singing (I say even because some people dispute this, saying that her ability to sing live without any digital aid is not that great, something that I think that she has proven wrong on more than one occasion), and she has obviously left a legendary mark over the last thirty+ years, but I will just say this - there is a line from her unreleased leaked track "Two Steps Behind Me" that says that "tickets are going to cost," and even though I am taking that out of context, it certainly is true. Two tickets for me and my friend costed over $300, and those were for pretty shoddy seats. We were not only at a considerable distance from the stage but also had a side angle (photograph of my view of the stage is inserted below), which prevented me from seeing quite a bit, such as many of the tour videos that played behind dear Madge. Really good seats close to the stage costed anywhere between $2,000 and $5,000, and no, I didn't accidentally add extra zeros. That was obviously out of the question, and it amazes me that anyone in their right mind would be able to afford that. It really makes me wonder who sets these prices. If it's Madonna herself, then as much as I respect her as an artist, it would seem that she has a bit of a superiority complex. Then again, though, if people are actually willing to pay that kind of money, then I guess that it's reasonable that someone would take advantage of that.

Several months before attending the show, David and I created our own setlists. I think that his was more of a dream setlist, but I did my best to make mine as realistic as possible. I was anxious to see how close that I would be. This is the setlist that I created:

1. Illuminati
2. Iconic
3. Borrowed Time
4. Hollywood
5. Hung Up / Addicted
6. Ghosttown
7. Give Me All Your Luvin'
8. Bitch I'm Madonna
9. Girl Gone Wild
10. Vogue
11. Borderline
12. Turn Up the Radio
13. Give It 2 Me
14. Unapologetic Bitch
15. Devil Pray
16. Holy Water
17. Erotica / S.E.X.
18. Human Nature
19. Veni Vidi Vici
20. Rebel Heart
21. Celebration
22. Like a Prayer / Living for Love

I was, however, way off on my predictions. The only "dream" inclusion was a mashup of "Hung Up" and "Addicted." I knew that she wouldn't perform "Addicted," anyway, let alone perform it mashed up with "Hung Up" (but I sure do wish that someone would do that). Although I was wrong about what song that she would open with, my expectation was that "Iconic" would, at the very least, be near the beginning of the show, and I was right about that, as the show opened with "Iconic." I was also right about "Devil Pray" and "Holy Water" being played back to back, but it was actually in reverse order and closer to the beginning of the show. Aside from that, I was terribly wrong, and it really pains me to admit that I was, overall, disappointed with what I got. I would have preferred my setlist. For starters, Madonna closed with a pretty generic performance of "Holiday," violating my expectation that she would close with "Living for Love" (since closing with the lead single from the associated album is essentially what she has done since the Drowned World Tour in 2001). The main reason why I was disappointed with that is that she has closed so many tours with "Holiday," so it was nothing new. The Who's That Girl world tour, The Girlie Show, and the Re-Invention World Tour all closed with "Holiday." I was also really disappointed with the "Living for Love" performance itself. It was essentially the same performance that we have seen in the past (with the cape and the minotaurs), and I was quite honestly fine with that. It worked in the past, and I didn't mind being presented with something familiar but also still fresh. What I didn't like, however, was that it was a remix that was performed, a remix that essentially killed the power and strength of the chorus.

I did not spoil myself regarding the setlist prior to seeing the show. I wanted to be surprised by what I heard, but before going in, I determined that she would most definitely perform "La Isla Bonita." I didn't put that on my predicted setlist because it didn't occur to me until afterward that Madonna always performs "La Isla Bonita." It must be a favorite of hers because ever since the song was released on True Blue in 1986, she has performed it on every single tour. It's a good song and is certainly a classic, but it's getting old. I found myself really disappointed with the setlist overall because aside from the Rebel Heart songs that she performed, most of the songs that were included were old songs from the eighties that have been done time and time again ("Burning Up," "Material Girl," "Everybody," "Lucky Star," etc.). I understand that they're classics, but absolutely nothing from American Life (my favorite Madonna album and also the album that I feel fits the best with the rebel theme) was performed, and only one song between Music and Rebel Heart was performed, which was "Candy Shop" from 2008's Hard Candy. "Candy Shop" is not a single, but this seems to be another song that Madonna enjoys performing live because she has done so on every tour since the Sticky & Sweet Tour. Although they were not on my setlist (because, as I said, it was primarily meant to be a realistic prediction, not a dream setlist), I really would have liked to have heard more Rebel Heart songs like "Inside Out," "Wash All Over Me," and "Hold Tight." It is also a sin that she didn't perform "Veni Vidi Vici" because even though it isn't really one of my favorites from Rebel Heart, the reflective, introspective nature of it made it a necessity to perform on the tour, and it should have either been near the beginning of the setlist or near the end.

There were, for me, three primary highlights of the show. The first was the fourth song performed, a medley of "Holy Water" and "Vogue." This performance reminded me of The Girlie Show (the tour to promote the 1992 album Erotica), primarily because of its provocative, sexual nature (see performance here). I remember leaning over to David and saying that if she hadn't already taken heat from conservatives, she surely would. Much to my surprise, I have not seen any related headlines. Another highlight for me was her acoustic performance of "True Blue." Although an oldie, she hasn't performed the song in nearly twenty years, and, as I said, it was an acoustic rendition (see here), and it was absolutely beautiful. I cannot wait for a studio version to surface. The third highlight for me was the title track, "Rebel Heart." Although I was disappointed (but not the least bit surprised) that she performed the album version of the song as opposed to the superior Avicii demo version, it was still such a surreal experience to hear the melody live. The Avicii demo is the first song from this era that I (and probably most Madonna fans) heard, and I was blown away by how good that it was. If the album had collectively lived up to the standards set by that demo, then it most certainly would have been her best album yet. Although I couldn't see it all very well, a video played while Madonna sang the song, a video featuring fanmade artwork and whatnot, and near the end of the performance, I felt overwhelmed by emotion and got teary-eyed. As I said, it was just a really surreal experience to hear that song being performed live in front of me.

The majority of the remainder of the show was, however, rather disappointing, especially since, overall, it did not match the intended goal of the era - which was, as it has been put (even in the intro of the show), a revolution. "Messiah" is a beautiful song, one of my absolute favorites from the album, and although I am glad that it was included at all (I honestly didn't expect that it would be), it deserved to be actually performed rather than serve as an interlude. I really enjoyed most of the outfits (especially this utterly beautiful, colorful dress worn during the middle section of the show), but as I said, I didn't have the greatest view. That's why I can't really effectively review the dancing, the props, etc.; I didn't get a good view. In fact, David tried to point out a depiction of the Last Supper to me, but I couldn't see it. It's a shame that tickets to see her are so majorly overpriced because I would have immensely enjoyed myself had the seats been better. Madonna seemed really free and happy, and all that I could think throughout a majority of the show was how lucky the people on the bottom floor near the stage were. Even the merchandise was majorly overpriced. I got a t-shirt because I wanted a keepsake, but it was $40. Hoodies were, I believe, $75. David and I wanted programs but did not get them because I believe that they were $30 apiece. Again, I don't know who decides on these prices, but it's ridiculous. Seeing Madonna was on my mental bucket list, and I feel so lucky and blessed that I was able to make that a reality, but if I were ever to see her again, it probably wouldn't be unless it were close and/or if I had the money to afford (a) better seat(s) because otherwise, I don't think that it would be worth it. I think that I will get much more out of this tour when I see it on blu-ray or DVD than I did seeing it live.

Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon [Review]

Something that I love about Lana Del Rey is the fact that with an increasingly impressive catalogue of demos and unreleased tracks that seem to keep leaking and leaking and four major releases since 2012's commercial debut Born to Die,  she seems to be a very busy girl when it comes to her music. Fans (which many have agreed to refer to as Lanatics) never have to wait too terribly long for new music; merely fifteen months passed between Lana's last release, Ultraviolence, and this release, Honeymoon. It is debatable as to what album number that this is. One could either say that it's the third album, the fourth album, or the fifth album, and all would technically be right but with different reasons. Even if two people were to say that it's the fourth album, they could each have a different reason. Lana's first album is technically 2010's Lana Del Ray a.k.a. Lizzy Grant, followed by Born to Die (2012), Paradise (2012), Ultraviolence (2014), and Honeymoon (2015). All of these, in my mind, count as their own separate albums. Many people consider Paradise to be an EP, but similar to Lady Gaga's The Fame Monster, it is, to me, its own album. The sound is a little bit different than that of Born to Die, and including the bonus track "Burning Desire," the album features nine tracks, which is beyond what would normally be considered an EP (Madonna's debut album from 1983 features eight tracks and is considered a full-length album), but I digress. I will, simply put, refer to Honeymoon as Lana's fifth album.

Once again, Lana manages to retain her typical style while still doing something new with that said typical style. Considering all of the major/commercial releases, I think of Born to Die as the pop album, Paradise as the noir/film soundtrack album, Ultraviolence as the psychedelic/rock album, and Honeymoon as the blues/jazz album. I remember reading quite some time ago that Honeymoon would be a return to Born to Die's sound, but that is definitely not the case. Of the previous three major/commercial releases, Honeymoon is probably closest in sound to Ultraviolence, as they are the two most downbeat albums thus far. Even then, though, as I said, Lana still delivers something new. Abandoning the electric guitars and psychedelic sounds found on Ultraviolence tracks such as "Cruel World" and "West Coast," she primarily opts instead for strings, piano, saxophone, etc. Highlights on the album include "God Knows I Tried," "High by the Beach" (the lead single), "Freak," and "Salvatore," but so many songs on this album are so phenomenal melodically and lyrically, so much so that it is really difficult to choose a favorite (but I think that I have conquered that difficulty and have chosen "Freak"). I think that my only complaint regarding the album (aside from its terrible cover art - I mean, is it meant to be a Starline Tours ad?) is its title. I don't feel that Honeymoon fits the album's overall content. I remember hearing rumors that the album would be called Music to Watch Boys To (which is the title of the album's second track), and I would have been a lot happier with that, as I feel that that would have been more appropriate.

Honeymoon opens with its title track "Honeymoon," which was technically the first song released from the album, as it was uploaded to Lana's YouTube channel during the summer. The song, to me, sounds a lot like a film noir song, a song featured as the lead song from a very old movie. It opens with soaring orchestral strings wailing the song's main melody, with Lana opening the album with lyrics that manage to be both self-confident and self-depreciating: "We both know that it's not fashionable to love me, but you don't go 'cause truly, there's nobody for you but me." The song's noir sound reminds me of Paradise, but its lyrics, which seem to be about acknowledging and accepting her lover's shortcomings (which could potentially even be voluntary and violent, as evidenced in the lyrics "We both know the history of violence that surrounds you..."), remind me of Ultraviolence (from songs like "Shades of Cool" and "Sad Girl"). I really enjoy this song, but the bridge near the end featuring the lyrics "There are violets in your eyes..." is a bit off-putting to me because the melody seems to come out of nowhere, not matching with the rest of the song. Underneath this bridge is militaristic marching drums (reminding me of "Young and Beautiful"), which does add an interesting touch to the song. When the song's chorus picks back up for the final time, it is backed by a newly added haunting piano accompaniment being played high-pitched, simulating a bird tweeting.

The second track is "Music to Watch Boys To," which, as I mentioned before, is the song that I had, at one point, thought to be the title track. The vocals are very echoey, with Lana immediately kicking the track off a cappella with "I like you a lot..." When the first verse starts, I am immediately reminded of "Sad Girl," as the melodies of the first lines ("Pink flamingoes always fascinated me" from "Music to Watch Boys To" and "Being a mistress on the side, it might not appeal to fools like you" from "Sad Girl") are nearly identical. The song's chorus is the echoey intro. I love this song, but it was mixed a bit oddly (although I am sure that it was done intentionally), as Lana's vocals are drastically louder than the song's accompaniment. My belief is that it was done intentionally to give the song a sense of being a cappella, even though it is not. It is no secret to anyone who is even vaguely familiar with Lana's personal life that she hasn't had much luck with men, and lyrically, "Music to Watch Boys To" seems to acknowledge that, seeming to be about how her music commemorates the men who walk in and out of her life. It really represents not only the album in general but also Lana's music in general, which is one reason why I really think that Music to Watch Boys To would have been a much better title for the album than Honeymoon. I already mentioned the fact that I don't like the album cover and explained why, but another reason why I don't like it is because it does not fit the album title.

The third track on Honeymoon is "Terrence Loves You," which Lana has actually said is her favorite song on the album because "it's jazzy." The song opens with a low, bassy guitar that is reminiscent of Ultraviolence, but overall, I agree with Lana, not necessarily with it being my favorite song on the album but about it being jazzy. The song has been described by Rolling Stone as "hypnotic," which I definitely think is fitting. The chorus of the song, which painfully laments that "I lost myself when I lost you...," is backed by a light saxophone that perfectly complements Lana's painful wistfulness. The song also features a nod to David Bowie's 1969 song "Space Oddity" in its lyric: "Ground control to Major Tom." I like the clever pun in the chorus, as well: "...I still got jazz when I've got the blues." The word "blues" obviously has two meanings here. I am not sure who Terrence is supposed to be. I've even tried doing research on the matter but have found nothing. There is a prominent jazz musician named Terence Blanchard, but I don't think that the song title is in reference to him because it isn't spelled the same way. The album is also lousy with references to old(er) songs of Lana's, and it is possible that "Terrence Loves You" features one, too. In the bridge of the song, she sings, "I put the radio on...," which could be a reference to her unreleased song "Put the Radio On," in which she also sings about listening to radio in relation to her relationship.

Moving on to the fourth track, "God Knows I Tried" is the song on the album that probably sounds the most like Ultraviolence, bringing to mind songs like "Pretty When You Cry." This beautiful song, which, at times, seems almost like a gospel-style song, is an example of a song that proves Honeymoon to be Lana's rawest, most confessional album yet, and she has apparently even said that "God Knows I Tried" is a song that is incredibly close to her heart. It is one of several songs on the album that seems to be a sort of response to all of the negative criticism that Lana has endured over the last few years ever since she achieved fame, such as the idea that she is artificial and inauthentic, that she's trying to emulate an era that is not her own. Ultraviolence tackled this issue on its track "Brooklyn Baby," on which she sings that "they judge me like a picture book by the colors, like they forgot to read." Here, Lana sings that "I feel free when I see no one, and nobody knows my name" and that "I've got nothing much to live for ever since I found my fame." Here, Lana is tackling the idea that fame is not the glory that it's cracked up to be, that it has its darkness and its loneliness. It, of course, carries with it the fact that you're always being scrutinized and judged by the public eye, whether that be the media or just listeners. The song is almost like a response to the "haters," saying that despite what you all seem to think of her, she is a human being who has really struggled.

The aforementioned discussion of my analysis of "God Knows I Tried" is why I like the fact that that song and the album's lead single "High by the Beach" are paired next to each other. There are different ways of interpreting "High by the Beach." One is that it's strictly about a relationship with a man of whom Lana has simply had enough. She is blowing him off, saying that she doesn't need him anymore to be happy (a huge point of development from previous albums with songs like "Dark Paradise," "Without You," "Sad Girl," etc.). I believe that to be a legitimate and intended meaning of the song, but I also think that there is another intended meaning. I think that this song is also meant to be another response to negative criticism from the public. Lyrics such as "Don't need your money... to get me what I want" and "The truth is I never bought into your bullshit when you would pay tribute to me..." indicate this. The music video also supports this idea, as it has nothing to do with a relationship but instead shows a helicopter hovering around Lana's home until she finally decides that she has had enough and shoots the helicopter out of the sky, causing it to be explode. The metaphor is fairly obvious; her home represents her private life, and the helicopter represents the media constantly trying to get a piece of her. Music videos don't always directly correspond with the meaning of their songs, but I think that this one does. Musically, the song is quite different than anything else on the album. Beginning with what sounds like an organ, it ends up being the most upbeat song on the album and has been described as having a sort of hip-hop feel to it. It is one of my favorites and is another one that features a reference to an old song; the line "Lights, camera, acción" is directly from "Put Me in a Movie."

The sixth track on the album is called "Freak" and is probably my favorite song from the album. I love Lana's hypnotic (yes, I am reusing that word) humming and the dark, haunting, almost industrial instrumental underneath. This is another confessional song for Lana, as she sings, "Baby, if you want to leave, come to California; be a freak like me, too. Screw your anonymity; loving me is all you need to feel like I do." It seems like she is addressing a potential lover, saying that she sacrificed her privacy and her anonymity for the sake of fame, and now, she is seen as a freak. I adore the melody of this song and features yet another parallel to an unreleased song. In Lana's unreleased song "Angels Forever, Forever Angels," she sings, "Is the sun in your eyes, easy rider?" In "Freak," she sings, "Sun reflecting in your eyes, like an easy rider," an obviously deliberate parallel. The song moves directly into "Art Deco" with no pause; it's gapless. I am embarrassed to admit that I actually didn't know what "art deco" meant and had to look it up. In case you don't, either, it's an artistic movement that spanned from about the 1920s to the 1940s. Think of the design from the new The Great Gatsby film. Lana has, in the past, shown a love and admiration for past eras such as the 20s and the 60s/70s, so it makes a lot of sense that she would evoke this imagery. The song is asking its intended audience why they are always wanting more when they already have so much. Rumor has it that it's about Azealia Banks, which is supported by lyrics like "Got things that've yet to be seen like your rapper's delight." The song is very low and whispery, and even though I do really like it, I think that it might be a bit overrated, since a lot of people are saying that it's their favorite song from the album.

There really isn't a whole lot to say about the eighth track, as it is a short interlude featuring the T.S. Eliot poem "Burnt Norton" over some ambient music. The poem seems to bring in the question of time, stating that what actually happened in the past and what could have happened in the past are similar in that neither exists. The past can never be again, and all we have is the present. The ninth track is a slow bluesy rock song called "Religion," and its meaning is pretty straightforward; it is about a relationship with someone to whom you are devoted like one would be devoted to a religion or a god. This is emphasized in lyrics such as "when I'm down on my knees, you're how I pray" (it is, of course, entirely possible that there is some intended sexual innuendo there, but I can't say for sure because I don't know). The tenth track from the album, "Salvatore," is one of my favorite tracks from the album. Like "High by the Beach," "Salvatore" is quite different from anything else on the album and different, for that matter, from anything she has ever done. The chorus is, melodically, one of the most powerful choruses on the album. She channels a little bit of Italian, and I know that "Ciao, amore" means "Goodbye, love." The song sounds very European and reminds me of a slower "Americano" by Lady Gaga, only with an Italian influence rather than a Spanish one. The song references Lana's unreleased song "Backfire," as both songs mention the character (or possibly real person in Lana's life; I don't know for sure) Salvatore.

The eleventh track from Honeymoon is "The Darkest Day," and while I really love this beautiful bluesy song (which is probably the song that sounds the most like Born to Die), it is a bit difficult to listen to because of how close to home that it hits for me. Like "Music to Watch Boys To," the vocals are very echoey, and on the chorus, Lana wails that "ever since my baby went away, it's been the blackest day." I say that it hits home for me because it describes the grieving process after a devastating breakup, and loss like that is something that I understand all too well. Some of the lyrics remind me of the lyrics "Don't they know it's the end of the world? It ended when you said goodbye." This is, of course, from Skeeter Davis's 1962 song "End of the World," which we know Lana is familiar with because she covered it. The twelfth track is titled "24" and is probably my least favorite song from the album. The song is also bluesy and refers to the fact that even though mathematically, days are short (only twenty-four hours), hours feel long when half of them are spent being lied to by your lover and the other half are spent plotting how to take anger out on said lover. The song also refers to her lover's violent tendencies with lyrics such as "You hit that street and my crooked lust. You count to three while they're all dying." In some ways, the song makes a callback to the opening track "Honeymoon," which also talks of a man with violent tendencies. Could the two songs be about the same man?

"Swan Song" sounds like it could fit on Paradise, perhaps as the closing track. The song, which, like Paradise's "Ride," sounds like a slow Americana rock song, invokes a fantasy of ditching the glamorous life of a celebrity and escaping somewhere where she can be free with her lover. A swan song is someone's final act before death or retirement, and Lana consequently sings that "I will never sing again." One can only hope that the song is only a song and is not meant to be taken so literally and so personally. Otherwise, ever since Lana went away, it will have been the blackest day! Much like the standard edition of Ultraviolence closes with a Nina Simone cover (of "The Other Woman"), Honeymoon (which disappointingly has no deluxe version) also closes with a Nina Simone cover, this time of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," a song that has been covered countless times by different artists. Even though the track is cited as a Nina Simone cover (probably because she was the first to record it in 1964), Lana's version is much more similar to The Animals' cover version, which came out in 1965, as it sounds a bit like a psychedelic rock song from the sixties. Most likely, most everyone has heard this song from one artist and/or another, so I don't really feel the need to analyze the song too deeply, especially since the title basically speaks for itself. I really like the song, though, so I am glad that Lana covered it, especially since her vocals are really great on it and also since it fits the theme of songs like "God Knows I Tried." Overall, I immensely love and enjoy Honeymoon. Most of its production is crisp and unlike most anything else that you hear in 2015. Is it my favorite Lana Del Rey album so far? It's hard to choose one, but that honor probably goes to Ultraviolence. It's a really strong, solid album, though.

Otep - Live at the Lost Horizon in Syracuse, NY [Sunday, 6/14/15] [Review]

Earlier this year, thanks to a great friend, I became an Otep fan and was invited to see them live in Syracuse. After obtaining Otep's entire discography and listening to it, I fell in love with songs such as "T.R.I.C.," "Ghostflowers," "Apex Predator," "Perfectly Flawed," "Rise, Rebel, Resist," "Sacrilege" (originally known as "The Lord Is My Weapon"), etc. The band is led by socially and politically conscious Otep Shamaya (a true rebel in every sense of the word), whose roaring and aggressive vocals essentially make the unique band what it is (the band is, after all, Shamaya's namesake). Seeing her live was an incredibly exciting experience, one that I won't ever forget. The only aspect of the show that I didn't like was that I felt that there were way too many opening bands. I don't remember the exact count, but I think that there were five or six. Even though I went to see Otep, the concert started at 7, and I didn't see her until around 10:30 or so. I didn't catch most of the bands' names, but I do remember Circle the Suffering, mainly because my friend's mom bought me their EP at the show as a belated birthday gift. I really didn't find most of the bands all that interesting, though, which was probably at least partially because the sound engineering was way off; the instruments were so much louder than the vocals, and I couldn't really make lyrics or even melodies out. Otep, on the other hand, was a different story because I fortunately knew the songs.

Otep came out on stage with the crowd cheering, louder, of course, than they did for any other band that had played that night. Otep came out wearing a sleeveless Otep shirt that was actually on sale at the merchandise table, reminding me a great deal of Marilyn Manson with her reptilian eyes (as pictured below, a photo taken from Otep's Facebook page). She opened with "Eat the Children," the opening track from the band's 2007 album The Ascension (which might be my favorite album of theirs). Most of the crowd seemed to know the song, as they sang along to the haunting intro: "Hush little baby; don't make a sound/Hush little baby; don't make a move/This is gonna hurt me more than you." One aspect of the show that I really enjoyed was the fact that Shamaya is a fantastic performer. She doesn't just stand in one place on the stage during a show; she is very active, moving about from one end of the stage to the other, pointing at the audience, jumping about, and so forth. In her book Quiet Lightning on the Noisy Mountain (which I am currently in the process of reading), Shamaya notes that performing live is very much like a religious ritual for her, and I could see that, especially with props such as a pig head for "Blood Pigs," flowers that she distributed to the audience for "Ghostflowers," a Guy Fawkes mask like that from V for Vendetta for "Confrontation," etc. She was very much into the music, very much into the performing, and very much into the experience in general.

I think that one of the very few cons of Otep's performance was that it doesn't seem like she changes her setlist very often. I recently watched a DVD titled Otep: Live Confrontation, which is several years old; the DVD was released in 2009, yet the setlist was pretty similar to that of the show that I attended. I was really hoping that she would perform what is probably my favorite Otep song - "Perfectly Flawed" - but she did not. I was also hoping for another one of my favorites - "Rise, Rebel, Resist" - but she didn't perform that one, either. As I said, the bulk of what she did perform, such as "T.R.I.C.," "Battle Ready," "Blood Pigs," "Confrontation," "Breed," "Filthee," etc., was also performed on that DVD that I watched. "Apex Predator" was the only song that she performed from the newest album Hydra, and while I do absolutely adore that song, both my boyfriend and I had been hoping that she would perform "Blowtorch Nightlight." The name of this tour is the Art of Fury Tour (I say is because it isn't over yet), and it doesn't seem like this tour's purpose is to promote Hydra. With that being said, however, I don't really mean to complain too much; the performances were awesome, and since I had just recently became a fan a few months ago and this was my first time going to an Otep show, it was really nice to see/hear an eclectic setlist.

My favorite performances during the show were "T.R.I.C." (which someone at the show was gracious enough to record and post to YouTube, as included below, even though the sound quality isn't the greatest), "Fillthee" (during which Otep sprayed the audience with fake blood, spraying me directly in the face twice), "Battle Ready," etc. The energy was especially high and evident in such performances. "Confrontation" was a lot of fun to see/hear, as well. What I did not like, though, was the mosh pit. When I go to a show (even a metal show), I just want to watch the performer and enjoy the show, not be disturbed and bothered by people being shoved into me. At one point, someone fell into me and spilled alcohol all over me. My boyfriend got kicked out near the end of the show because someone shoved him, and he shoved back. If moshing weren't allowed (which it shouldn't be, especially since it is dangerous), then ridiculous, out of line things like that wouldn't happen. Back to the point of this review, though, the band closed with their cover of the Nirvana song "Breed," which was a great performance, as well. There really was no performance that was bad. I had a great time (even though I couldn't hear for a couple of days) and certainly wouldn't mind seeing Otep again if she/they ever hit the area again. The best part, though? I got to meet Otep after the show; I shook her hand and even got several of my Otep CDs signed by her! (I had a photo taken of the two of us together but don't care to share it because I look terrible in the photo.)