This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Today I want to bring an album to the table that I think has not gotten quite the credit it deserves even though it's certainly not gone unnoticed by the press. The album came out a couple years back and it's entitled 'Foiled'. The band who brought it to us hails from Houston, Texas. They're called Blue October, not to be confused with a British band who go by the same name.
Blue October features the brothers Furstenfeld, Jeremy on drums and Justin on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. CB Hudson handles lead guitar, Matt Novesky wrangles the bass and Ryan Delahoussaye provides violin and piano, though probably not both at the same time. All the band members lend their voices to tracks, a factor that gives their sound quite a bit of depth. Justin's unusual vocal style gives a unique quality that seems to polarize those who I've played this album for: either they love his singing or they hate it, very few people fell in between. His personal style choices evoke similar reactions, as well.
We'll start with the big guns. If you've heard any of the tracks off this album, chances are good that you've heard 'Into the Ocean' or 'Hate Me' which received quite a bit of radio play, especially the latter song whose video also did quite well. While both songs deal with extremely intense personal struggles with topics like self loathing, suicidal fantasies and drug abuse, the tunes themselves have an upbeat quality. This produces an odd effect for me, but I appreciate the dichotomy. If you watch the video for 'Hate Me' you might find that helps the song make more sense, the singer's referencing (it's widely speculated) his mother and that is her voice on the answering machine at the beginning of the video from an actual message she left him during a difficult time in his life. It's probably one of the most agonizingly emotional music videos I've ever seen.
The rest of the CD contains a mixture of songs that tend to deal primarily with the subjects of love and/or friendship. I guess you could say this album's all about relationships. 'You Make Me Smile', 'She's My Ride Home' and '18th Floor Balcony' are all towards the romance angle, each offering a different spin. 'What If We Could' and 'Let It Go' have a more melancholy mood, focusing on broken romance. 'Overweight' and 'Everlasting Friend' are about friendships and two of my personal favorites on this album. 'Sound of Pulling Heaven Down' probably has the heaviest sound to it out of the whole CD, but 'Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek' contains darker masochistic lyrics that prove why it made a good choice for the soundtrack to Saw III, the movie.
I enjoy these guy's lyrics quite a lot and I think they blow away a lot of the indie/emo/alternative bands out there because they've got a unique combination of stylistic elements, though I do admit their subject matter could be more broad than what they showcase on this particular album. Overall, with 13 tracks (including a hidden track and a couple extra songs on more recent issues of the CD) I think it's a hell of a deal. It's easy to see why this sucker went platinum, if you ask me.
In case you were wondering why the album's titled Foiled, that's a name that the Furstenfeld brothers' dad came up with because it had trouble getting released due to record label hijinks.
One last thought. On the topic of bands with names incorporating colors, I believe every color's been covered now: Blue October, Black Sabbath, White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Silverchair, Agent Orange, Pink, Yellowcard, Deep Purple, Goldfinger, James Brown... did I miss any?
Blue October features the brothers Furstenfeld, Jeremy on drums and Justin on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. CB Hudson handles lead guitar, Matt Novesky wrangles the bass and Ryan Delahoussaye provides violin and piano, though probably not both at the same time. All the band members lend their voices to tracks, a factor that gives their sound quite a bit of depth. Justin's unusual vocal style gives a unique quality that seems to polarize those who I've played this album for: either they love his singing or they hate it, very few people fell in between. His personal style choices evoke similar reactions, as well.
We'll start with the big guns. If you've heard any of the tracks off this album, chances are good that you've heard 'Into the Ocean' or 'Hate Me' which received quite a bit of radio play, especially the latter song whose video also did quite well. While both songs deal with extremely intense personal struggles with topics like self loathing, suicidal fantasies and drug abuse, the tunes themselves have an upbeat quality. This produces an odd effect for me, but I appreciate the dichotomy. If you watch the video for 'Hate Me' you might find that helps the song make more sense, the singer's referencing (it's widely speculated) his mother and that is her voice on the answering machine at the beginning of the video from an actual message she left him during a difficult time in his life. It's probably one of the most agonizingly emotional music videos I've ever seen.
The rest of the CD contains a mixture of songs that tend to deal primarily with the subjects of love and/or friendship. I guess you could say this album's all about relationships. 'You Make Me Smile', 'She's My Ride Home' and '18th Floor Balcony' are all towards the romance angle, each offering a different spin. 'What If We Could' and 'Let It Go' have a more melancholy mood, focusing on broken romance. 'Overweight' and 'Everlasting Friend' are about friendships and two of my personal favorites on this album. 'Sound of Pulling Heaven Down' probably has the heaviest sound to it out of the whole CD, but 'Drilled a Wire Through My Cheek' contains darker masochistic lyrics that prove why it made a good choice for the soundtrack to Saw III, the movie.
I enjoy these guy's lyrics quite a lot and I think they blow away a lot of the indie/emo/alternative bands out there because they've got a unique combination of stylistic elements, though I do admit their subject matter could be more broad than what they showcase on this particular album. Overall, with 13 tracks (including a hidden track and a couple extra songs on more recent issues of the CD) I think it's a hell of a deal. It's easy to see why this sucker went platinum, if you ask me.
In case you were wondering why the album's titled Foiled, that's a name that the Furstenfeld brothers' dad came up with because it had trouble getting released due to record label hijinks.
One last thought. On the topic of bands with names incorporating colors, I believe every color's been covered now: Blue October, Black Sabbath, White Stripes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Silverchair, Agent Orange, Pink, Yellowcard, Deep Purple, Goldfinger, James Brown... did I miss any?
Lyrics submitted by mike
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Hayalperest
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Holiday
Bee Gees
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
azure ray