Guest Choices #2 - Ross Watson

American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAqbnTKQBIY

I think this song, the title track from their third album, sums up the band’s style: no nonsense American rock and roll.  I love the way the song slowly builds and then bursts into life at beginning. I think the lyrics in this song hold a lot of meaning to the band. They could maybe represent the long forgotten ‘American Dream’ or could just be about someone’s dream of fortune.


As with all their songs, you can tell a lot of emotion has been put into the writing process. I can see some people disliking this song or the band’s whole back-catalogue, because it is not adventurous or ground-breaking. But I think this is why I love The Gaslight Anthem; they just play old-fashioned guitar rock. Some have compared them to Bruce Springsteen and he has even joined them on stage.

Helicopter – Bloc Party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R6S5CJWlco

 Bloc Party released their debut album Silent Alarm in 2005. At this time indie rock music was going through a revival.  Around 2004-2006 indie bands like Arctic Monkeys, Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and Editors all released debut albums, which had a major effect on the British music industry and pushed indie music back into the mainstream.

This is a fast paced indie rock song, characterised by a non-stop drumbeat with intricate guitar melodies and lyrics.  It is fantastic live. I first discovered Bloc Party through hearing this song and have followed them ever since.
 
Graffiti – Maximo Park
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoUGf5VtAz4

 Graffiti is a fantastic song to see live, especially because it is accompanied by Paul Smith’s eccentric on stage dance moves. The song has a great start as it slowly builds to a crescendo of synth, drums and guitar. I especially love how you hear the northern twang in Paul’s voice, something that is a trademark in all Maximo Park songs. The lyrics in the song point to disappointment and maybe a sense of fatigue with life.

Sunshine of Your Love – Cream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH3P2P331vE

I was brought up with rock music from the 60s by my Dad. Bands like Led Zeppelin, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream were played repeatedly in our house and this rubbed off on me. When they formed in 1966, Clapton was famous in his own right after success with The Yardbirds and was regarded as the world’s finest blues guitarist. His blues background was a clear influence on Cream and their brand of psychedelic rock and roll.

Sunshine of Your Love was from the band’s second album Disraeli Gears and is arguably their most famous song. It is instantly recognisable through the opening guitar riff.  The band members show their talents in the middle of the song which has solos from all three members.

Supermassive Black Hole – Muse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tugqHunwDA&feature=relmfu

Prog/alternative rock band Muse are another personal favourite of mine, and this song sums up their outrageous and audacious nature. This song from their fourth album Black Holes and Revelations, highlights Matt Bellamy’s distinctive falsetto vocals and driving guitar riffs. I particularly like the guitar bridge.  I’m not really sure what the lyrics are about but the amount of vocal and guitar effects used give it a sound like no other band.