I am SO excited for 2012. Perhaps it’s going to be a year filled with a lot of JGL-Zooey duets?? Please let it be so!

Make sure you catch Mr. Strickland, those naughty kids slipping some alcohol into the punch, and Marty McFly number two going incognito!

Said the Whale Back to the Future

Without further ado, here are the lyrics:

And bowl me over black and blue
It’s far too hard to say I’m all over you
And take my pulse and hose me down
My heart’s on fire

I’ve said these words a thousand times
The bathroom mirror stopped and smiled
So take my pulse and hose me down
My heart’s on fire

Cause when you’re standing on your own
And you feel you’ve got nobody round you
Yeah you know I’ll be the one who helps you from your knees
When you’re standing on your own
And you feel you’ve got nobody round you
Yeah you know I’ll be the one who helps you from your knees
My heart’s on fire
My heart’s on fire

I wish you’d never show me now
It seemed to easy to turn you down
And so it seems you are my tears
Is your heart on fire?

Cause when you’re standing on your own
And you feel you’ve got nobody round you
Yeah you know I’ll be the one who helps you from your knees
When you’re standing on your own
And you feel you’ve got nobody round you
Yeah you know I’ll be the one who helps you from your knees
Yeah you know I’ll be the one who helps you from your knees
My heart’s on fire
My heart’s on fire
So bowl me over black and blue
It’s far too hard to say I’m all over you

Happy weekend y’all!

Meanwhile, here in the US the indie scene is also thriving and I can hardly keep up with all the new group names popping up almost every week! That’s part of the fun though – discovering a band I truly love amidst the obscure, quirky names is almost like finding gold!

But let’s get past the angst that comes with the news. It seems that each of the members of Silverchair will still be very much in touch with the music industry – Daniel is creating a film soundtrack, Ben is recording his own music and Chris seems to be on the business / musical venture side. And it’s also good to note that they’ve disbanded only because they wanted to pursue something that inspires them more, not because of some childish rift. In fact, the members even mentioned in the mail that “the three of us still truly care about each other”. So there’s still hope for the future.

For now, let’s take out all the Silverchair CDs from the rack, from Frog Stomp to Young Modern, and celebrate one of the most prominent and versatile names of the music industry, and one of the most influential names in my own personal music journey.

Post a comment below to give a nod to this great Aussie band! We love you guys!

Another distinct performance comes from Kris Allen during top 36, the song that got him through to top 12. It was the song that made me remember his name and face for the very first time and marked the start of his great journey of growth throughout AI season 8 until finally winning the whole thing.

And as if that weren’t enough, back in season 9, Man in the Mirror was one of the songs you can sing during Hollywood week. Needless to say, several sang this Jackson tune, enough to subconsciously compel me to look in front of bathroom mirrors more frequently. One of them was Jermaine Sellers who let out his Diva attitude a few weeks too early, stating the band screwed up:

I also distinctly remember Thaddeus Johnson’s slower rendition, who didn’t quite make it through the big stage at American Idol:

And still others like Joe Munoz, who didn’t quite make it his own:

Which AI idol sang it the best for you?

Another unique characteristic of Keane is the absence of a guitarist, something that has worked to their advantage, because you get tunes that are more raw, and somehow more reflective.

When they released their second album, Under the Iron Sea, with “Is it any Wonder?”, you start seeing that they’re embarking on a journey towards something less morose. But you have songs like “Bad Dream” that beg to differ. The second album felt like an amalgamation of both the past and what is to come. I enjoyed the second album as much as the first.

Fast forward to 2010, with the release of Night Train, which includes 2 songs featuring Somali Canadian rapper K’naan. The melancholy has been replaced by upbeat saccharine beats.

The new songs are definitely a light year far departure from the old songs, but I remain in the middle as to whether it’s a departure I love or approve of, or whether I’m hoping they’d go back to where they came from. Tom Chaplin’s beautiful voice is still eminent but instead of sitting down in quiet, almost solemn contemplation while listening to Keane’s tracks (something I find myself doing when I listen to their earlier songs), I find myself bobbing my head, tapping my foot, and generally feeling the good energy of the newer songs. Between these two effects on me, I would say I like both equally, depending on the day and depending on my mood. My opinion on the albums is quite similar.

What I find myself missing terribly though is that characteristic way he’d gasp for breath at certain intervals of the song. It sounds a tad ridiculous I know, but I just can’t help looking for it. I won’t ever stop looking for it, which means I probably won’t ever stop listening to the addictive tunes that Keane continues to dish out either.

What are your opinions on the new album of Keane vis-a-vis the older ones? Which do you like more?

~ Missy

Will Schuster’s version:

Jason Castro’s version:

What’s your take on this Somewhere Over the Rainbow duel?

I must say that I’m not jumping up and down and raving nonstop about the album. I confess that I am still very partial to his first album “Room for Squares”, as it showcased more styles and beats. With that said, however, “Battle Studies” is quite a good album, none the less.

Here’s the “Assassin”, one of his less well-known songs on the album:

I like how it’s soothing but not dreary or boring. I find myself bopping along while listening to it, but I feel very at peace as well. Vicky happens to like this band too.

~ Zen