The Music Note

"So don't treat me like a puppet on a string" sings Bob Marley, in what I feel to be one of his more underrated tracks (if you can even call it underrated, maybe less played would be more appropriate).   Waiting In Vain is a beautiful love song with simple, yet emotionally direct lyrics, that are complimented with reggae beats and a lingering guitar solo.

The official music video for John Mayer's Shadow Days was released today.  I feel it is an honest reflection of the song - the images and overall direction of the video work well with the lyrics and instrumentation.  I have found some of Mayer's previous videos to be forced and unnatural in places, but he genuinely seems to be in his element in Shadow Days.   I like it almost as much as the Clarity video. Counting down the days to  Born and Raised!

I'm very sad to hear today that Tommy Marth, saxophone player with The Killers, has died aged 33. Marth played on   The Killers' 2006 album Sam's Town and it's 2008 follow-up Day & Age.   He also toured with the band in 2008 and 2009, and features in the live line-up on the Live from the Royal Albert Hall  dvd, released in 2009. The Killers have paid tribute to Marth, writing on Twitter: "Last night we lost our friend Thomas Marth. Our prayers are with his family.  There's a light missing in Las Vegas tonight.  Travel well, Tommy." This is such devastating news.   Day & Age is my favourite Killers album, mainly because I love how much saxophone is featured on many of the tracks. The songs on this album are great anyway, but the sax really enhances the production, and also marked a new sound for The Killers.  I was fortunate enough to see many of the live shows from the Day & Age era, and thought Marth was a fantastic addition to t...

Release Me is my favourite track off Jack's Mannequin's latest album People & Things.   The track is fast paced from start to finish, with thudding keys and jolting guitar.  Structurally, the song is solid too - Andrew McMahon's lyrics of "My fuse is set, I'm pressing go / Your match is lit, but it's burning slow", create the perfect bridge, making way for a powerful chorus.

The way in which we obtain and listen to music has changed drastically over the past decade or so.  Thanks to digital music stores such as iTunes (as well as illegal file sharing sites), a fair majority of us are now downloading our music online. Purchasing music digitally is very convenient, as we can have music in a matter of minutes and often at a cheaper price than buying it from high street music stores. Purchasing digitally also means we can be more selective and precise by ordering one or two tracks instead of an entire album.  In addition to all of this, many music fans are discovering artists and bands online, either through recommendations based on their browsing and purchasing history, or through music reviews written by fellow music lovers. However, the boom in digital music has of course led to a major drop in physical album sales, in turn resulting in the closure of many high street music retailers. This is clearly a major drawback for the music industry, th...

Influenced by 80's electro pop,  Paris Is Burning  is the standout track from Ladyhawke's self titled debut album. Stomping beats and a heavy bass line are complemented by breathy vocals telling us that "Paris is screaming all night long". Chanting vocals of "I've lost my way, it's hard to find it through / I see the night, but lost all sight of you", complete with raging guitars are a thrilling addition to an already infectious dance song.

Featured on the Nashville band's third album Chateau Revenge, From My Windowsill is a wonderfully sublime track with lyrics to match.  "And the taxis are rolling by / And the girls dressed in the latest styles / From the station to the concrete sky / There's no sign of heartbreak for miles and miles" sings lead singer Daniel Tashian, accompanied by backing vocals so melodic, you'll find yourself singing them all day.  My favourite part of the song is the middle 8, in which strings effortlessly layer progressive drums, making way for a beautiful guitar solo.