Sunday, December 11, 2011

Hear This...Guards- New Single "Do It Again" / "Swimming After Dark"

In the process of trying to fully understand the term 'pop wave doom,' I came across a new single from NY rockers Guards called 'Do It Again.'  As the seasons change and us in the USA have begun to adjust to the harsh realities of winter, this song can do nothing but bring us back to the warm feeling of summer with its catchy melodies and sing along mentality.  While it's definitely a killer, upbeat track, I'm not exactly sure how well it qualifies as pop wave doom.  So how can you define these guys? Fortunately, I came across another track of theirs, 'Swimming After Dark' which came out about the same time as previously posted ‘I See It Coming.’ After giving it a listen, I assured that it might point me back towards this mysterious genre. With a similar sound to their song 'I See It Coming,' ‘Swimming After Dark’ is definitely a great track complete with its own orchestral pieces giving the song a beautiful and rich sound differentiating it from other NYC mod-rock songs.




Sunday, December 4, 2011

Audiovisuals...Watch Guards and the Magik Magik Orchestra perform "I See It Coming"

      Fishing the web for music in lieu of my final exams, I came across this stunning orchestral rendition of Guards' song "I See It Coming."  Coming across this song about a year ago, I instantly became a fan of this band's style- that of which I couldn't exactly put my finger on.  They were distinct enough from general rock n roll, but to the point were all their songs sort of carried something similar. I know, huge help with that last remark.  "A song like this one only brings to mind a collection of words like 'joyful pain,' or 'dark beauty.'" Still unclear, one site tags their music as 'pop wave doom.' "Perfect!" And that was enough to call me a fan.
      And finally to the point- I came across this adaptation of "I See It Coming" and thought it worth posting.  Its definitely a cool version, and this case, a rarity amongst renditions to be on par with its predecessor.  I quickly came to know it as the perfect farewell/conclusion/finale song song ever.  Its shouted towards you as if to be a poem of protest, shaking off the bleakness and disparity of life.  "Calling the living to go out and live"....I don't know exactly.
      Placing it under the term 'Audiovisual', I go out on a limb and imply that there's also some superior visual quality that deserves not to be ignored- hence the term. For this song, what you see is what you hear. Its nothing quite special. Preformed in front of a quaint symphony of brass, string and piano alongside a real live choir, all amidst the eerie backdrop of a Church, that of which bears the presence of  hazy morning light all around its inside. Oh and by the way, its filmed in black and white. What more can I say to it? Check it out.