Katuwapitiya

I am someone who really places a lot of importance on lyrics. To some, especially in certain genres, they can be an afterthought. Being someone who thinks he can write decently sometimes, I just can’t forgive laziness when it comes to that aspect of music. How can a band be fine with a beautiful instrumental arrangement ruined by some ridiculous rhyming couplet? I’ll never know.

Now I know some people will say that it is unfair to take lyrics out of context. I disagree. Here are the nine worst lyrics that I came across in 2009:

9. “I got a bollywood chick, she says she wanna know what Hollywood is”- Swollen Members in Bollywood Chick

8. “I’m nodding my head like Yeah!
Moving my hips like Yeah!”- Miley Cyrus in Party in The USA

7. “She get it pop it, lock it, drop it,
That birthday cake”- Sean Kingston in Fire Burning
(I don’t think Sean Kingston should be singing about cake.)

6. “A domesticated girl that’s all you ask of me,
Darling it is no joke, this is lycanthropy.”- Shakira in She Wolf

5. “I can transform ya, like a transforma”- Lil Wayne in I Can Transform Ya.
(Lil Wayne produces quite a few quoteables but this one was probably his worst.)

4. “Though I’ve been too weak to escape
And I don’t have the strength to pluck a grape”- The Tragically Hip’s Love is a First

3. “I go ooh ooh, you go ah ah lalalalalalalala
I can’t lie lie lie lie lie lie
I wanna wanna wanna get get get what I want
Don’t stop
Give me give me give me what you got got”- The Veronicas’ Untouched
(The Veronicas ruin what is actually a pretty decent pop instrumental with random gibberish. This song came out a while ago but only really gained popularity this past year.)

2.“Duel it, duel it, duel it, juggle it, duel it, duel it”- Phoenix’s Lisztomania
(When I first heard this line, I thought that he was saying “too late chocolate”. The actual lyric is not much better. Seriously, does anyone listen to what Thomas Mars is actually singing?)

1. “‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance”- Owl City’s Fireflies
(Screw you Owl City. If I wanted to hear an empty unsubstantial version of the Postal Service, I’d listen to Deathcab.)

So it’s December already. Feels like I started this blog just yesterday but in fact, it’s been over a year. What’s happened in that time? A year ago, I shot a video that was later posted on pitchfork, stereogum and modest mouse’s website, which was probably the highlight of my short blogging career. I also got some great hate-mail from a post about Lil Wayne that included gems like “Shut your bloodclot mouth” and things that are too vulgar to post but were hilarious before I deleted them (for more on these deletions, ask me in private). I also tried to be ironic and in fact reached out to some very strange readers (which also led to deleting that post completely). I tried adding some advertisements to the site to pay for my hosting and raised a solid $20 before realizing that I needed $100 before cashing out. I got to share my favourite thing of all time. With all that in mind, what I’ll remember most is the great feedback I’ve gotten and the love for the music that I’ve shared.

Overall though, I feel like 2009 was pretty shitty. I lost a friend and have had some pretty low lows. Didn’t get to where I wanted to be, realized how hard some things can be, questioned myself, and wondered about those around me. I can only hope that 2010 brings back some of the awesome that was 2008. Things are already turning around.

This is the first personal post I’ve ever made and it will probably be one of my last. After all, this is about the music. And there is so much great music out there. (awkward segue) Le Blogotheque makes these great videos of artists outside of venues and studios, just playing music in beautiful places. His newest video is no exception. I love the randomness of the crowd (a random married couple?), I love the live vocals, and I love the spinning (though it’s probably not for everyone). Here is Phoenix’s “1901″, in front of the Eiffel Tower (in HD! Hit fullscreen for all its glory!):