27 July 2021 – Babies by Kyle feat Alessia Cara

July 27, 2021 kevinisabastardalessia cara, babies, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, kyleLeave a comment

I really liked KYLE’s “Light of Mine” album. I had tickets to see him in 2018 and ended up not getting to go. I listened to the album on repeat for months and I overplayed it for myself so I wasn’t able to listen to it for a while. He also starred in “The After Party” on Netflix so I guess it felt like over saturation. Too much in too short a period of time.

I like the feeling when you’re finally able to come back to an album like that and relisten to songs. Doing that with “Light of Mine”, I have to say “Babies” is an undeniably good song. The lyrics are quite neat when you look at them. Both KYLE and Alessia Cara’s verses have references to “ABC” by The Jackson 5. In the first verse:

And I was learnin’ ABC’s
No one taught me how to love you

And then in the second verse:

And this ain’t easy, 1-2-3’s
No one taught me how to love you (No one taught me)

It’s simple but it’s kinda cool. The song is the opposite to “ABC”. He’s talking about how relationships aren’t easy and they don’t always work, but there’s room to learn and figure things out. The whole thing works well. They have very complimentary voices. The verses have a great bounce

This might sound deranged, but I think if they ever went back to making those sci-fi animated films like “Titan AE” and “Atlantis”, “Babies” would fit perfectly into the soundtrack. Those type of films always had a romance shoehorned in. “Babies” would work because it is sweet, it has a positive message and it has a kind of quiet outer space vibe. Make of that idea what you will.

You can listen to “Babies” by KYLE feat. Alessia Cara here.

26 July 2021 – Over You by Zak Waters

July 26, 2021 kevinisabastardkevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, over you, pretty sister, zak watersLeave a comment

Over the last 2 years or so, I’ve been Marie Condo-ing my personal social media. Does this make me happy? Mute, block, delete the app. At this point, I’m down to only having Instagram on my phone and only using Facebook for messenger and very occasionally to check when people’s birthday’s are. Even on Instagram, I’ve cut down on who I follow to people I genuinely enjoy as an online entity. I’ve even muted people that I like, but have stressful lives. I’ve been happier for it.

One person, who has survived the culls is Pretty Sister, formerly known as Zak Waters (possibly still known as Zak Waters, that might be his name, but probably isn’t). He’s got a new album out and, as I assume he intended, I haven’t listened to it because it made me want to listen to some of his stuff that he released years ago as Zak Waters.

Sometimes the song of the day is down to a moment within a song. My song today is “Over You”. What I really like about it is this kind of a turn around that the song does twice. The music seems to slow to a stop and suddenly start back up again. It’s like it dummies a stop coming out of the chorus and then bursts into the best sing along part of the song – the repeated “No don’t wanna be lonely lonely lonely” bit. Zak Waters has an incredible voice so it really works well. I love this song because it has such a pop/edm crossover feel. It’s from 2013 which was during my nightclub years and this was just what I wanted in those days. It’s got the kind of Moombahton beat to it which combines well to make it a real summery song. All together a terrible choice of song of the day for a school night, because all I want to do now is drink cocktails and dance.

You can listen to “Over You” by Zak Waters here.

25 July 2021: Jack Nicholson (Part 3)

July 26, 2021 kevinisabastardabout schmidt, jack nicholson, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, the shiningLeave a comment

So this is the third and final Jack Nicholson post. You know the deal. I’m going to move into the films quickly because there’s going to be some wrap up at the end.

“The Shining” (1980)

I really like “The Shining” and Jack Nicholson is an undeniable force of nature in it. It’s an iconic role and an iconic film. I genuinely don’t think anyone else could have done what he did here and I think everyone who has played a manic and sinister character since “The Shining” has probably ripped something out of Nicholson’s Jack Torrence. It’s hard to put a finger on what is so good about his performance as opposed to what is so definitively him about it. He manages to create this character that seems menacing, but also kind of beaten down. He’s got a smarmy, everyman cheeriness that hides a shitty husband and a disconnected father.

My memory of it before rewatching it this week was of a less supernatural film. I remembered it as purely psychological piece. It is very open in it’s flirtation with the supernatural and it is quite obvious that something else is at play and I really enjoyed that this time around

“About Schmidt” (2002)

“About Schmidt” is a good film and Jack Nicholson is very good in it, but I really don’t like his character and I think it shaped the way I think about Jack Nicholson as a man when I saw it first. His Schmidt is a nightmare of a character. Just a helpless bastard. I guess in my mind, I felt that it was probably an easy role for Nicholson to play because he was starting to look like his character in real life.

So I’ve watched a bunch of Jack Nicholson films and I think it has changed my opinion of him. I didn’t get the hype and now I do. Even though there were films of his that I had always enjoyed, I didn’t really give him the credit he deserved. In particular, “The Shining” and “Chinatown” are two of my favourites. He has played some great roles and put in some iconic performances. Wikipedia claims he’s considered one of the greatest actors of his generation and I’m not going to disagree with that. He obviously had some misses and I think his really good performances seem to trail off towards the end of his career, but I give him credit for retiring when he did. There’s an honesty to not making films for the sake of it.

So Jack Nicholson passes my test. If there are any good Jack Nicholson films that I missed, I would love some recommendations, or if there’s terrible films that might are so bad they might change my mind, I’d like to hear about those. I’d also be interested to hear suggestions on other actors who should be put to the same test.

23 July 2021 – Shine Blockas by Big Boi feat. Gucci Mane

July 23, 2021 kevinisabastardbig boi, gucci mane, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, shine blockasLeave a comment

Anyone who read my post about Outkast’s “Ms Jackson” will know that I have a lot of time for Big Boi. “Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of Chico Dusty” is an absolutely scandalous album. Big Boi does some crazy stuff, especially when you consider that it’s from 2010. The features are out of this world on multiple levels. There’s established heavy hitters as well as left field choices and up and coming artists of the time. A big part of what works so well is that the songs are rock solid. The production is incredible. The songs just sound so good. Even the skits are good and I hate skits in general.

“Shine Blockas” is a fucking great song. I only heard Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes “I Miss You” for the first time today and to pick the sample from that to make “Shine Blockas” is mind blowing. The vocal sample is so smooth. And then on top of it all Big Boi and Gucci Mane are in flying form. The rapping is perfectly measured, there’s edge and slickness in perfect balance.

I loved this album when it came out first and have come back to it a number of times over the last few years. I came back to it today for the first time in while. I’ve written before about how when you re-listen to an album that you love, you always always find something that jumps out at you. I always loved “Shine Blockas”, but it’s only reflecting today that I really realised what a belter it is.

You can listen to “Shine Blockas” by Big Boi feat. Gucci Mane here.

22 July 2021 – Middle of the Night by Amy Shark

July 22, 2021 kevinisabastardAmy Shark, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, Middle of the NightLeave a comment

I’ve been looking for a sunny album to get into this week to go with the good weather. It’s not really working out. I listened to a lot of Phoenix yesterday and today, but I keep going back to Amy Shark’s “Love Monster” album. It’s not particularly sunny, but it is a very consistent album, full of dark and thoughtful tunes.

As is often the case, picking my song of the day from that album is almost arbitrary. They’re all powerful, emotional songs that seem to originate as vocals and an acoustic guitar. I like songs that start from that point because that’s where I have always written from so it makes the most sense to me. It’s kind of an IT approach to song writing, where you get as close to a full song as quick as possible.

“Middle of the Night” is one of the less acoustic guitar songs on the album, although I’m sure there’s a decent version that could be made from it. I think it’s my favourite at the moment because of the lyrics. I like the way Amy Shark writes lyrics because they’re focused on a topic most of all. There’s very little extra language put in exclusively to sound good. It’s the kind of lyrics a person could actually write down as opposed to vocal sounds to fill space. I also like the repeated “Fuck my life” lyric. Swearing is such useful type of language that censoring it or avoiding it is really limiting. Here it’s essential in creating that defeated feeling. It’s a bleak track but it’s cool and it’s been stuck in my head all week.

You can listen to “Middle of the Night” by Amy Shark here.

21 July 2021 – 1901 by Phoenix

July 21, 2021 kevinisabastard1901, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, phoenixLeave a comment

My cousin Ciarán introduced me to Phoenix. I was 18. It was a strange time. I think I was mad depressed for a period of time after Christmas but it turned into the really good period that ran up until the middle of the summer at least. I was really happy and super focused. I had my leaving cert and I really fucking killed it. I got really into maths at that time. I think because I found it the easiest thing to study. It was right or wrong, very objective.

When I studied I’d lock myself in the room for hours and I would listen to the four Phoenix albums that were out at that time back to back in chronological order. It was like a meditative thing where the music blocked out everything else.

That coincided with when I started going out for the first time. People were turning 18 so there were lots of parties. People’s parents would leave them home alone so there was free gaffs.

“1901” is the song that links both elements of life. It was a great mood lift when studying. It’s energetic and fun. It’s the kind of song that could act as a break from study, to shake it all out and come back focused. It’s also a great indie dance banger of the time. It’s a frantic wiggle. The drums are that perfect late 2000s/ early 2010s punchy indie dance sound. The synths are just a massive wall of noise and the guitars are clangy highlights to the whole piece. I love French singers singing in English because of Phoenix. I’m not sure exactly what it is that made me like lead singer, Thomas Mars’ voice in the first place but it’s now a quality that I like about other bands or singers so it’s obviously deep in my little brain.

“1901” is such a perfect song for that time that it will always be one of my favourites.

You can listen to “1901” by Phoenix here.

20 July 2021 – Get Down Saturday Night by Oliver Cheatham

July 20, 2021July 20, 2021 kevinisabastardget down saturday night, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, oliver cheathamLeave a comment

I wrote half of this post and changed my mind. I was a little conflicted about which version of the track to pick. I was going to pick the Room 5 version, “Make Luv”. I felt like I needed to preface it by talking about how much I like the original before I could talk about why I prefer “Make Luv”. As I wrote I changed my mind.

I love the original version by Oliver Cheatham, “Get Down Saturday Night”. It’s a fuller sounding song. Oliver Cheatham had more to do. The backing vocals are great. The bassline is fantastic. It’s slower than the Room 5 version but it’s got a proper groove and it’s very danceable. One of my favourite parts is the the bridge. You’ve got the jangly guitars from the pre chorus. I love the classic move of shouting out locations. It’s just such a great trope. And then there’s the sample of the laughing kids which is almost creepy.

I love when it appears in the film “Ex Machina”. It’s very intense, but so appropriate. Oscar Isaac’s character’s reaction is exactly the same as mine when this song comes on. I don’t care about anything else, I’m about to tear up the fucking dance floor.

You can listen to “Get Down Saturday Night” by Oliver Cheatham here. I also love that the best version of the song on Spotify is on an album for cool dads.

18 July 2021 – American Psycho

July 19, 2021July 19, 2021 kevinisabastardAmerican Psycho, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.comLeave a comment

I rewatched “American Psycho” last night. It’s very good but it’s definitely a tough watch. It’s unbearable at times. Just very intense. There’s a bunch of things that I like about it. I love the music. Christian Bale is incredible as usual.

The thing that struck me when I watched it last night was the supporting cast. I think Christian Bale is exceptional and that’s been explored before, but the supporting cast are all very good as well and there are a whole bunch of people I’d forgotten about.

Jared Leto is in there as Paul Allen, an even more grotesque Wall Street bro than Christian Bale’s Patrick Bateman (Bateman’s external persona that is). His hair is even worse than Bateman’s. He’s smarmy and unpleasant. Jared Leto does a great job. He’s an odd dude, but he often crops up very good films. His appearance here made me think about his appearance as the Joker and made me wonder about Christian Bale as a possible Joker. His Bateman is definitely a decent blueprint.

Chloë Sevigny is very good as Bateman’s assistant, Jean. I think that because the viewer can see how bad he is, it’s useful to have someone like her there. She’s not like the other Wall Street people and she obviously has positive feelings towards his, somewhere between worship and attraction. She’s a sweet character and she’s a good contrast to compare Bateman to. She also helps to highlight the way he’s teetering on the brink, starting to spill over but clinging on.

I also liked seeing Justin Theroux in there as the only person that Bateman finds interesting, Timothy Bryce. He actually has one of the best scenes, it’s like two back to back great moments, the discussion of the repercussions of AIDS and then the conversation about the strength of their cocaine. Check that out here.

Then you’ve also got Reese Witherspoon and Willem Dafoe in there giving decent performances.

I feel like “American Psycho” is in the same category as “Fight Club” of films that certain men love but I think it deserves the praise it gets. I really like Bateman’s obsession with pop music. I appreciate the competition around business cards. It’s a wild ride with some wild characters and some great performances.

16 July 2021 – Freak Like Me by Sugababes

July 17, 2021 kevinisabastardfreak like me, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, SugababesLeave a comment

I literally only realized that the Sugababes weren’t the Sugarbabes. Life is just one rollercoaster after another…

I always liked the Sugababes. The reason that “Freak Like Me” was in my head this week was that I watched the New British Canon video about it by Trash Theory on YouTube. You can check that out here. Basically, the video breaks down the origin of the song and credits its producer, Richard X, with reinventing British pop music. I thought it was pretty cool. It’s a great song with an interesting story . They’ve got great voices and the two songs that a being used for the mash up are a great and very surprising combination.

You can listen to “Freak Like Me” by Sugababes here.

15 July 2021 – Following Fools by Lime Cordiale

July 15, 2021 kevinisabastardfollowing fools, kevinisabastard, kevinisabastard.com, lime cordialeLeave a comment

I’ve written about Lime Cordiale before. I’ve even kinda written about “Following Fools” before, but not as one of my songs of the day. It’s one of my favourite songs and also one of my favourite videos.

One of the things I like most about Lime Cordiale is that they get into serious shit even though they’re goofy dudes. There’s a big conversation to be had about men and manhood and masculinity. I don’t think everyone is able to have it. “Following Fools” is about young men following in the footsteps of older men. It acknowledges the responsibility that older generations have, but I also think the title suggests a recognition of the facts that (a) nobody knows what they’re doing, and (b) every previous generation got some things wrong. I love this song because it starts the conversation without going into Joe Rogan mode. It’s coming from a place of love and honesty.

On top of all that it’s a classic Lime Cordiale tune. The bass grooves away. The pre chorus vocals have that vibe of those Beatles songs where you get the impression the drugs had taken hold. It’s dreamy and sweet. The fact that it’s meaningful is just a bonus really.

You can listen to “Following Fools” by Lime Cordiale here.