Alice in Videoland - "In a Band"

Enjoying Alice in Videoland is mandatory. There is no other option.

Alice in Videoland - "Cut the Crap"

I've not posted any AiV in a little while. So, here's probably their most famous song, except for maybe "We Are Rebels" (although I think this one has "We Are Rebels" beat on pure popularity).

Alice in Videoland - "She's a Machine"

Whoa -- I never knew this music video ever existed. I know that Alice in Videoland rocks, but I never knew they had a video that was like this. Just look at this. If you appreciate animated music videos, you'll love this to pieces.

Absolute Grrrls Manifesto [chapter 1] (a.k.a. "Let Me Rip Money out of Epic Lightning's Wallet")

(Property of Alfa Matrix, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

Here is a listing of just the bands that I personally endorse that are going to be on this compilation:

Ayria

Collide

Lovelorn Dolls

Tying Tiffany

Junksista

Alice in Videoland

Psy'Aviah

Marsheaux

I:Scintilla

Stray / Unter Null

Does Alfa Matrix hate me or something? It's like on April 12, Alfa Matrix is going to tell me, "You're going to give us a chunk of change, and there's just nothing you can do about it." This almost feels like a tax or a bill. I have to buy this.

Alice in Videoland - "We Are Rebels"

I haven't adequately doted on Alice in Videoland lately. This song makes me want to jump out of my seat every time I hear it. Watch and enjoy.

Seven songs that motivate me

(Public Domain License)

Although it was very tempting to make this a three-video Thursday, I practiced restraint and decided to make a post discussing ten songs that get me going while I'm at work. I have a day job, and while I'm at my desk or walking on my way to and from work, there are some songs that just get me going. Now, I've completely fawned over some of those songs in previous posts, but I want to talk about the songs that might not get as much love elsewhere. Mind you, there are also plenty of videos or album reviews that I post of songs that I like, but I might not listen to very often. This is a list of things that I listen to on a daily or nearly daily basis. In a way, this is meant to be an "about me" post.

(One thing to note is that these songs are also not in any particular order.)

1. "Playing the Fool" - Unter Null - From Sacrament, this song gets me particularly pumped up when I'm in a less than stellar mood, especially in regard to things in my personal life. The lyrics clearly state that a former significant other has been so deplorable that it has caused Erica to completely lose respect for him and remove him from her life. It's not the kind of song that I play for inspiration as much as it is to channel irritation, particularly the kind that is specific and pointed, into something tangible and stop thinking about it.

2. "Better Off" - Alice in Videoland - I won't lie. This song is kind of depressing, but it has a certain calming beauty to it. Although there is discussion that floats around about what the real meaning of this song is, I think it simply has to do with having to put up a happy front when you're feeling sad or depressed and getting emotionally drained by it. By the end of the song, it seems like the narrator just doesn't care about putting that front up anymore. This song has a fair bit of that kind of chiming, whistling Swedish electronica charm to it, and I think that's part of what makes me feel happy, even though the song is really very melancholy.

3. "Once in a Lifetime (Extended)" - Wolfsheim - If you went to goth nights in the early part of the 2000s, you probably noticed this played almost every week. This song is dark, with snappy, clicking beats in the foreground and synth bass in the back. It brings in a mood of pure despair about how a man who has lost his family to the ocean in some sort of tragedy is contemplating suicide, because nothing can console him now that he lost everything that matters to him. Obviously, this is another grossly depressing song, but it brings about this sense of nostalgia for me from a good time in my life, back when I started getting into the goth scene.

4. "Hydroelectric" - MDFMK - As far as I'm concerned, this is one of Lucia Cifarelli's best vocal performances. This song seems to be about a general sense of being able to give yourself up to someone. Although the imagery that MDFMK provides is very "them", when you move all that aside, you actually get an emotionally charged song that can make you feel good.

5. "Voices" - Helalyn Flowers - This song holds more value in its beat and melody than in its lyrics. I always want to bob my head or tap the desk whenever this song pops up. There is a definite futuristic sound to this, but it also sounds like it could be pop music, given a different circumstance. The way the song seems to want to beat you in the head with the fact that everything is done with electronic or synthesized guitars, drums, and other instruments almost creates a sort of novelty to it. I admit that I've gone the whole song not even paying attention to the lyrics sometimes, just trucking along with the task at hand while letting the beat sizzle through me.

6. "Liar" - Emilie Autumn - This is my favorite song from Opheliac. Let it be known here that Emilie Autumn is probably one of the best (if not the best) musicians I've ever heard in regard to being able to convey high drama in music form. "Liar" is probably her best song for that. That scratchy violin cuts through me like a knife. All the booms and pings add incredible atmosphere. And she has a singing style that just runs me over. I love listening to this on my walk to work. It gets the blood flowing and wakes my brain up in a way that feels more like having a healthy breakfast, instead of something merely loud and banging, which is more like waking up with a Monster drink and a donut.

7. "Unicorn" - Apoptygma Berzerk - This is the token sappy love song of the list. Well, it's as sappy as Apoptygma Berzerk can be, I guess.

So, anyway, if you want an idea of what I listen to on an everyday basis (and I went out of my way to not put in an I:Scintilla or Tying Tiffany song), here's a good sampler.

Alice in Videoland - "Spaceship"

There are times when blog posts practically write themselves. This is one of them.

Alice in Videoland will always have a special place in my heart, because they were kind of the precursor to my rekindled love for the type of music I'm writing about now. I had been in a bit of a rut, and I had kind of let my industrial-electronica interests simmer on the back burner. Alice in Videoland though, with songs such as "Numb", "We Are Rebels", and "Better Off", got me back in the swing of things. Basically, through the use of music search websites (e.g. Pandora, last.fm, etc.), Alice in Videoland led me to I:Scintilla, Freezepop, and Tying Tiffany, and I:Scintilla led me to most everything else. It's kind of odd, since I don't think any of those bands are particularly similar to each other, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Anyway, one of the only annoying things about AiV is the fact that they don't have a big Internet presence. Their official Facebook page, for example, is not buzzing with activity. It's disappointing, because, at least based on what I've read about them, they seem to be a really cool bunch and would probably be awesome to interact with, if only they'd put themselves out there for fan interaction. I was actually amazed to see them post something a few days ago, which was a link to the video above.

The video for "Spaceship", which I think may have been AiV's first music video, based on Toril Lindqvist's comments, is a prime example of why these people are so special to me. You can tell that they had fun with this video, and I can't help but to think that these people love what they do with every ounce of their being. There are some musicians and musicians who, although they may be talented, they don't appear to really be in love with their craft. Alice in Videoland is does not seem to be one of those bands, at least from my perspective. When I watch this video, I feel the energy that exudes from the band, and I think that's the biggest draw for me. The song is fairly simple, and it's not going to tell you the meaning of life. It's not a throwaway song though. It's fun, and I think the listener is supposed to feel a sense of pure enjoyment.

If you like AiV, or if this post made you interested in AiV, please let them know! I'd like nothing more than to see them do more fan interaction. I think both the band and the fans would get a lot out of it.