When I first booted up Skyrim by Bethesda Software, the most recent Elder Scrolls game at the time, it was with the understanding that I would most likely dislike the game.  I’ve no long-standing connection to the game series, you see, as I was bored by its predecessors.

This game, though, caught me from the very start with its title music.

Do not, for a moment, get me wrong: the game has issues.  The chief of these are addressed most efficiently, as is generally true of Bethesda games, by the modding community rather than the company itself.  Patches abound for mechanics tweaks, UI changes, bug fixes, mesh enhancements and countless more.

It seems just, therefore, that its title music should be treated to the same fan-propelled alteration.

I know next to nothing about Skar, but this track is incredible.  Its power is undeniable and suits perfectly a modern take on the warrior-culture of the Nord inhabitants of the game’s titular nation.

Listen in good health.

In honour of the commencement of Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor, a flashback to this brilliant, iconic, awful piece of musical fan music.

The KLF were an electronic band in the UK, and it’s members… either released this as the Timelords, or were also producing music under that name independently of their KLF works.  I’m not sure and I’m not so invested as to feel the need to find out.  Hie thee to Google if you demand more info.

What this song was to me, however, was a terribly catchy, terribly enjoyable and, well, terribly terrible part of my youth.  It crashed into my awareness, unrepentant and brash, a powerful testimony to the act (and skill) of being able to fiercely love something and yet still be able to have a bit of fun with it.  Doctorin’ the TARDIS might be a dreadful mashup of sound clips and a rather blatant ripoff of a couple of other songs, but it is fun.  Honest, ridiculous fun.

And that’s all it needs to be.

I don’t, Gods forbid, present this as an example of good music.  It’s a reminder to those Doctor Who fans out there to check yourselves and ask the question: am I taking this too seriously?  Can I still have fun with it?  Can I expect solid programming out of Doctor Who and still genuinely enjoy it just for the sake of what it is, right now, today?

One of the core themes of the show is change.  If you can’t let it change, if you have to fight and bemoan and wail about it, are you really a fan of the show – the whole show – or are you just a fan of the small part with which you are most familiar?

Merry Music Monday, folks, and congratulations to Jodie Whittaker and the whole Doctor Who crew.  So far I’m loving it.

spotify:track:4AFCrbzvR3vLfekhABLjDU

Ah yes, Regurgitator, a true staple of Australian music.  This isn’t the first song of theirs that I heard but it was the first that I knew as a Regurgitator song.  Unit is the first of their albums that I listened to, the first I bought and remains my favourite.

This song in particular strikes quite a chord, as it reminds the listener that it’s actually okay to be a complete dork as long as you’re having a good time.

Enjoy!

spotify:track:6qWG7dpOSs5dfgJ7d35am5

I woke up with this song in my head.  I don’t know why.

This is one of the songs of my younger years.  In 1997 I was twenty-one, still finding my feet and asking some very hard questions of myself regarding my identity, my worthiness, my goals and dreams and aspirations.  Many of those questions, another twenty-one years later, I have yet to answer.  This song, released at such an influential period in my life, retains a special place in my heart.

Enjoy, if you care to.

#PharrellWiliams and #WeirdAlYankovic – Back to back.  No explanation.  Enjoy (or don’t).

spotify:track:1vNoA9F5ASnlBISFekDmg3

Yes, it’s a cover.

My information on this may be shaky but as I understand it, the artists (Bad Wolves) were intending to collaborate on this song with the Cranberries prior to Dolores O’Riordan’s death.  She was only four years older than me.  This song therefore became a tribute, and a compelling one it is.

The lyrics are a little different but they point out something utterly essential: we haven’t learnt.  For all our advances in technology, society and medicine, it truly is ‘the same old theme in 2018.’

spotify:track:6CAvslNIfjK0RzKzRl9vGt

Argh!  I missed last Monday’s post!  Oh well.  Two posts for today, it seems.

I have a real soft spot for this song.  I first heard it as ‘Bloodsucker 2000’ on the album ‘Music from the Succubus Club.’  I won’t go into the nuances, but suffice it to say this dark but playful tune caught my heart pretty much immediately.

spotify:track:7gHkDNieGzYmyuC7E1Xbxw

This is the track that a friend of mine used to introduce me to the concept of electroswing and, more specifically, the excellent French band, Caravan Palace.  It remains one of my favourites of theirs, though others hold special places in my heart nowadays.

I don’t pay a great deal of attention to musical trends or genres, so I was unaware of the existence of electroswing before this song – and I have to say, I love it.  The fusion of old and new is kind of incredible, and Caravan Palace does it particularly well.

And so, I present it without further comment.  Enjoy.

spotify:track:1L0rSOoUzZNRRIwu5dYo3i

A friend of mine recently suggested – or perhaps welcomed, or challenged, depending on your viewpoint – that I begin regularly posting a Music Monday entry to my blog.  She does the same and has found it helpful to have a regular blogging goal to which she can adhere.

I’m uncertain how to approach this without being too self-critical, so instead I’m not going to overthink it.  Music will be posted from Spotify unless I have a strong urge to throw in a video, in which case I’ll aim to share the artist’s official video from YouTube.

So here is my first entry: Double Thread, by Melbourne-based band, The Orbweavers.

Further thoughts under the cut.

Continue reading →