After a lengthy hiatus, Grab Bag returns to Dozens Of Donuts. Here, we'll find and react to completely random songs from the depths of music's annals. There's no prerequisites, no regulations self-imposed. Anything can make this list if the site I'm using to discover these songs, RateYourMusic's random release generator, spits them out. This is a great way to discover new music with no attachment to something in your catalogue. Or, a dark reminder that truly horrid music exists in droves.
The positioning is based on the order in which I discovered them. The rating system similar to what DoD already enforces, in that 5 / 10 is average, not bad.
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re:BLUE ROSE | K-Pop | 2019
Suffice to say, K-Pop ain't my forte. One of the few foreign genres English speakers have taken an interest in, Park Bom's '4:44' provides a sound explanation as to why. Apart from one strange line, '4:44' is sung entirely in Korean, however there's a distinct international appeal within the production and Bom's vocal demeanor. She presents herself as a figure atop figures, confident and assertive, yet fragile when necessary. This style of stagecraft is all the rage with female performers nowadays, and she does an admirable job at it. However, the production is really where '4:44' shines. It is dense, lush, and quite pristine. An Elton John-esque piano ballad begins matters, before thunderous drums and an array of background vocalists help fulfill the arena-filling sound it so strives for.
7 / 10
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SpaceCake | Electro House | 2011
Run of the mill House, long past it's heyday. Ignoring the crystalized production value of the modern era, if you listened to 'SpaceCake' without the knowledge of which year it came to be, you'd be forgiven for assuming early 90's. Sure, it has influence from rowdy Dubstep, and the crunchy Industrial tinge draws comparisons to Clark's brand of IDM, but there's no variation beyond that. It is robotic, stiff, insistent upon routine and tradition. House music is meant to liberate, and though 'SpaceCake' aspires to such an idea, the passion and desire to achieve such exaltation is sorely absent.
3 / 10
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Rattlesnakes | Jangle Pop | 1984
This is a ridiculously impressive song, are all Lloyd Cole works this complex? Seriously, I thought Jangle Pop's supposed to be simple, endearing, easy to comprehend. On 'Perfect Skin,' not only do the Commotions double down on motley acoustics that almost bear resemblance to, dare I say, Bluegrass, but Cole himself jaunts exotically across this embellished foundation with fidgety flair. Add unusual couplets, fascinating lyrics that paint Cole as a hoity-toity learner, and subtle structural shifts during the bridges, and it's no wonder 'Perfect Skin' was praised upon release.
8.5 / 10
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Mama's Boy | Pop Soul | 2019
Neo-Soul's in a difficult place right now, where it's unsure if it wants to be Pop or R&B. This has left an influx of black females vying for that intersecting point, all effectively mimicking the same ideas with minor variations to showcase identity. That's exactly what we see on Rachel Chinouriri's 'Adrenaline.' SZA immediately comes to mind upon hearing her voice, until Chinouriri's coy, childish infirmity emerges to differentiate herself just enough to abstain from criticism. Her vocals are fine, her lyrics are too, though 'Adrenaline' suffers from a lack of focus. After listening intently I'm still unsure what it was even about, or how the year 1984 got involved. A track that'll leave the needle unmoved.
5 / 10
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Communion | Indie Rock | 2008
Upon selecting this month's Grab Bag songs, nothing intrigued me more than 'Flipside.' I mean, look at that band, look at that (real) cover, and look at the genre. It doesn't make sense, none of it. And what do you know, when contradictions enter art, success is had. Though on the surface The Soundtrack Of Our Lives' boilerplate Rock doesn't concern itself with modernity, abiding by tried and tested structures long-since established, enthusiasm lies in the heart of Ebbot Lundberg's voice. Similarities are to be had with Wilco at their most straightforward. The hook of 'Flipside' is where everything comes together, building momentum each time it arrives, culminating in a beatific three minutes that makes you just want to listen again.
7.5 / 10
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Court Yard Hounds | Country Pop | 2010
This was going to be tough to appreciate. If there's one genre I have an irreversible disdain for, it's Country. Especially modern, Pop-blend Country. But thankfully, Court Yard Hounds stick to the roots of the genre, with acoustics, heart, and a homely feel. 'See You In The Spring' is a duet with Jakob Dylan about relational woes, because I mean, is there anything else to sing about when duetting with the opposite gender? At least Court Yard Hounds inflict a little seasonal affective disorder into the mix. Musically, it's earnest and conservative, never going beyond what's within the realm of possibility, and I respect that. Artistically it's awfully stifled, and that'll forever prevent me from enjoying a work like 'See You In The Spring.'
4 / 10
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The Golden Ravedays 2 | Breakbeat | 2017
At 16 minutes, 'What Do You Miss' is a test in endurance. The same, one-second acoustic loop carries the entire piece, as Superpitcher offsets such redundancy with extra loops and, most prominently, a psychotic girl meowing like a cat. I'm serious. Amidst this fine beat that veers on Downtempo without the atmospherics and Microhouse without the technicality, a woman croons aimlessly as various instruments come and go. Honestly, it's a fascinating listen of idea unspooling. A sketchbook if you will, or an artist's palette that's undergone a myriad of color combinations.
6 / 10
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Let Your Dim Light Shine | Alternative Rock | 1995
Soul Asylum, though their career was long-lasting (and still continues), never surpassed one-hit wonder status. 'Runaway Train,' I'm sure you've heard it? In retrospect, I'm not even sure how that song reached such commercial status, as it's bland even by mid-90's Alternative Rock standards. It's the anthem for missing teens though; what a strange merit to have. As for 'Promises Broken,' I listened to it three minutes ago and essentially forgotten what it sounds like. Forgettable is putting it lightly. Upon a re-listen we find more homesick lyrics by Dave Pirner over languished production, as derivative and regurgitated as ever. 'Promises Broken's' one saving grace is its one chorus, sorely underutilized.
3.5 / 10
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Nervous Night | Pop Rock | 1984
When it comes to radio music, no decade nettles me more than the 1980's. The fashion, hair styles, weepy romantics. It's all so bleh. Nah, not just bleh, but barf. Hooters epitomize that era, as the only thing missing on 'All You Zombies' are chivalrous lyrics aimed at courting a flock of giddy dreamers. In that aspect I applaud Eric Bazilian's religious overtones, straying from the norm, leaving the chorus' libel on "all you zombies" up for interpretation. Though, after doing some research, his pretentious proclamation that he didn't know the meaning behind a song he wrote is bollocks. Beyond the curious lyrics there's not much left to admire on 'All You Zombies.' It's everything you expect from mid-80's Pop Rock; cliche-ridden and devoid of nuance. Though the extended, guitar-oriented bridges help stave off criticism in regards to passion.
5 / 10
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