Tag Archives: music
Geek Music: Black Materia Edition
I know I’m super late to the party for anybody that’s known about this since it came out, but it was just recently that a friend of mine mentioned this album to me. For people that haven’t heard of Random before, I first became aware of this guy when he put out an album called Mega Ran, a tribute to Mega Man’s music. Random took tracks from the Mega Man soundtracks and wrote raps to go along with some of the beats. While you see groups like The Black Mages, Minibosses, and The Advantage taking video game tracks and performing their own (often awesome) takes on them, Random’s Mega Ran was the first time that I’d seen someone write lyrics for game tracks that actually went well and sounded good. While I appreciated the quality, I was never a huge Mega Man player when I was younger, so I just sort of moved on from the tracks and got on with my life. Now, four years later, I’m rediscovering Random again. Only this time, he’s teamed up with Lost Perception to give the same treatment to Final Fantasy VII’s soundtrack, my personal favorite game soundtrack of all time, and they’re calling it Black Materia. Like Mega Ran, Black Materia is an album full of raps set to the beats of the game’s soundtrack, all being completely related to the background tracks they’re set against (e.g. the rap set to Tifa’s theme is all about Tifa.) The album includes some of my personal favorite like the Cosmo Canyon and Cid themes, as well as the one everyone would expect, One Winged Angel, and many more. All told, there are 16 main tracks to the album, as well as three of what Random calls “Bonus Beats,” which are remixed versions of tracks from the soundtrack that, as he puts it, “weren’t used…yet” that are still great to listen to. So if you like raps or you like Final Fantasy VII’s soundtrack, maybe you should at least check out a few tracks. If you like both of those things, this should be a no-brainer. Head over to this page if you’d like to purchase the album. It’s $7.77 for a digital copy, and there are 3 different sets of hard-copy CDs if you’d like to go that route (one of which even comes with a cool poster.) I’ll definitely be making sure to keep Random on my radar in the future, to see if he keeps up his awesome work.
Nintendo 3DS: Price, Release, & More Revealed
We’ve been waiting for this for a while, but it’s arrived: Nintendo has finally announced upcoming details of thier new attempt to revitalize (not that it needed to) its DS handheld games console, with the new 3DS.
Not your father’s Christmas music – Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Seven years ago I was introduced to a new way to listen to Christmas music. I was invited to see a Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert.
Since that first concert I’ve managed to not miss a single year of their Winter Tour through Nashville. For the past few years I’ve gone on my own but had the advantage of being to afford a single floor seat rather than a less expensive seat in the risers. The last two years they’ve allowed photography and I’ve taken full advantage of that, totally loving capturing the show in digital photos.
But every year I get asked the same question: “Why do you pay so much for a ticket? It’s just an orchestra.â€
My response is always incredulous. It’s so much more than just an orchestra. Even without seeing a single show you can hear on their albums (both the Christmas and non-Christmas ones) how different they are from a regular orchestra. I love classical music. I adore it, I grew up with it, I play it on flute and it never gets old for me. I also have a love of rock, of wailing guitars and of amazing guitar solos.
Now imagine the two combined.
(photo by Elf)
TSO manages to bring new life to songs that we’re so used to hearing in other, more traditional ways. Seriously, this really is the only Christmas music I can listen to at any time during the year and still smile and enjoy it. Their non-Christmas albums (“Beethoven’s Last Night†and “Night Castleâ€) are brilliant as well and totally break out some of my favorite classical pieces and put a new spin on them.
But even that might not explain why I spend over $50 for a single floor seat each year.
That is perhaps best explained in the photos I’ve taken. They capture single moments of an absolutely breathtaking show. No matter where I’ve sat for the show, it’s been amazing (though I’ll admit the floor seats are pretty wonderful for photo taking) and I’ve never failed to scream myself hoarse by the end of the night. Even if you’re not big into Christmas music, you should give them a listen and then check out the show when it passes through your neighborhood.
After all, when you have hot men playing electric guitars while wearing tuxes and headbanging…it’s no longer “just an orchestraâ€.
It’s an experience.Â
(this post brought to you by Elf who adores Trans-Siberian Orchestra possibly a bit too much)
(photo by Elf)
“I Dreamed a Dream” – Thoughts on Les Misérables
There are many things that people often don’t admit to enjoying. Showtunes is one of those things.
I, on the other hand, believe in flaunting that particular geeky love. Loudly. In public. As often as possible.
Just a few moments ago I had to stop what I was doing at work and listen to a song that came over the speakers. It’s one of my coworker’s radio days and I brought in a cord to hook her ipod to the system. Well, she’s a woman after my own heart and has a ton of Broadway on her playlist. This particular song was from Les Misérables and is called “Drink with Meâ€. If you’ve ever sat with me and gotten me talking about musicals you’ll know that Les Mis is one of my absolute favorites. From the moment I first listened to it after learning we’d be doing a marching band show to it my sophomore year of high school I was in love with the story and the music.
Now, like many musicals Les Mis has several different versions out on CD based on what cast is recording them. I own the Broadway, French, London, 10th Anniversary (Dream Cast) and Complete Symphonic Recording albums. Each one has cast members that I like and dislike and some even have different songs though they mostly have the same version of the music.
For example:
Music for snowy mornings – “Edward Scissorhands”
As you already know, I have a love affair with Danny Elfman’s music.
This morning I deviated from my current obsession with Beetlejuice and instead of listening to that soundtrack during my morning commute I was inspired by the snow flurries to put in the music from Edward Scissorhands. A coworker had reminded me about the beauty of it when I was talking about my love of the Beetlejuice soundtrack. She mentioned that she often played it when laying her grandson down to sleep. Just after that conversation I went and found my copy of the soundtrack and set it out where I’d be able to just grab it and go but continued on with my unexplainable Beetlejuice fascination.
Even more music to make you feel epic – Beetlejuice
Well, this music might make you feel more manic than epic but it’s still some awesome music.
There are some composers whose work is extremely recognizable. For me, Danny Elfman is the one that I can pick out usually within a few notes. While I’d heard his stuff with Oingo Boingo growing up I don’t think I sat up and paid real attention to his music until I watched Beetlejuice. I remember being young and knowing that just the opening chords of the main title, complete with the creepy sounds of “Daylight come and me wan’ go home…†scared me even then but I loved the music.
True Blood Season 2: The Score
Last week I got all excited when I was browsing Amazon and drinking some coffee before work and found the score to season 2 of True Blood available for download. While I’m usually a very good girl about avoiding impulse buying first thing in the morning (before I’ve finished the first cup of coffee) I didn’t even think twice about purchasing the mp3 album and starting the download while I finished getting ready for work. I’d enjoyed the score to the first season so much that I’ve been wishing and hoping they’d release more music soon.
After listening to the full album twice through now I can say that while I love certain tracks on it, I think the music from the first season might still be my favorite. Even so, Nathan Barr is an amazing composer and the music he’s written for the show is beautiful. The themes that he’s able to set for each character and then alter enough to make them fit the situations are well written and recognizable.
Probably one of my favorite musical themes through the show is what I call the “Loss†or “Grief†theme. It’s probably best associated with Sookie’s Grandmother but it’s often played when a character, usually Sookie, is hit with a loss in her life. You can hear it played through the first season, most noticeably after the events with Gran. It’s while Sookie is eating that pecan pie alone at her table that you hear that there are words to it, making it a sad and sweet Southern-sounding hymn. (I admit, I cried during that scene and the music was at least partly to blame). Much to my delight Nathan Barr continues to use this theme through the music in the second season, particularly on a track called “Packing Granâ€.
One of my other favorite themes is the love theme between Bill & Sookie. While I may not care for Bill at all, the music set for them is a lovely piece that builds in intensity and occasionally leaves you hanging without a musical resolution.
There isn’t much on this particular album that involves Maryann even though she was a huge part of the second season. For that I’m a little grateful. The track “House Party†manages to wrap up her and her influence in one single musical track. You also catch a glimpse of her madness in the early track “Ride & Slashâ€. We are introduced to some more music involving Eric on this album and the track “Eric’s Grief/ The Bleeds†had me sitting in my car for a few extra minutes, entranced by the new themes and music that I now associate with my favorite blond vampire.
All in all, it was worth the download. I now have more music to fuel my fantasies about being swept away by a tall blond Swedish man. *happy sigh*
Anyone else have a similar reaction to the album? Anyone going to run and nab one of the score albums just to hear what I’m describing? Let me know what you think of them!
Music to make you feel epic: Pirates of the Caribbean
I have to admit, I was a little nervous while trying to decide on my first post here on The GeeksFTW! but it hit me this morning as I was driving to work…
Geeky music. Specifically the scores to the three Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
If I’m feeling the need for epic, these are the soundtracks that I always pull up to listen to. Nothing can make the morning (or evening) commute more interesting than listening to a track like “The Kraken†from “Dead Man’s Chest†as I’m merging onto the interstate.
Listening to the soundtrack from “Curse of the Black Pearl†can take me back seven years ago to when the movie just came out in theaters. I immediately bought the soundtrack and promptly blew out the speakers in my car listening to it at almost top volume. From the jaunty riffs that remind you of Captain Jack Sparrow’s distinctive walk to the sweeping epic music that makes you wish your car had sails and that you had a pirate hat, the first soundtrack is brilliant.
The score to Dead Man’s Chest is just as amazing if a little darker than the first. My favorite track on that is easily “The Kraken†followed by “Davy Jones†that begins with the sound of the music box locket he wears. “At World’s End†competes heavily with the first movie’s score for the winning place of “most epicâ€. The tracks “At Wit’s End†and “Hoist the Colors†(complete with chorus) and “What Shall We Die For†never fail to make me shiver. Add in the spaghetti western feel of the track “Parlay†and you’ve got a score that might not win “most epic†but easily ties for it.
Even if you aren’t normally a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean or of instrumental scores, give these a try.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sit outside on my break, listen to the score and dream of being a pirate.
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