TeenView Music
  TeenView Music
  • HOME
  • NEW POSTS
  • INTERVIEWS
    • Overview
  • REVIEWS
    • Band Reviews >
      • Bands Overview
    • Song Reviews >
      • Songs Overview
    • Album Reviews >
      • Albums Overview
    • Concerts >
      • Overview
    • Random
  • BANDS
  • PRESS
  • ABOUT

Bands of this Week- VIZA & Mystic Knights Of The Oingo Boingo

8/24/2013

1 Comment

 

VIZA
MYSTIC KNIGHTS OF THE OINGO BOINGO

Dan, a staff writer, chose bands and songs that make you think about their lyrics, and how they conflict or conform to your own beliefs and ideas, be it based in political or relationship realms.  I truly understand his thoughts as I can sit here and recite lyrics in my head that bring tears to my eyes (John Prine – “Hello In There” – aging or Peter Gabriel – “Don’t Give Up” –suicide).  However, sometimes the last thing I want to do is think when I’m listening to music.  I just want to be taken away from the everyday struggles of life.  I want to have FUN!  That’s where the balafon and oud come into play.

 I’m cheating with my band of the week, because I’m choosing two bands of the week.  One is modern and is constantly touring.  They are named VIZA.   The other has disbanded with no chance of a reunion as most of the members suffer from hearing lost and have no desire to make it worse with even one more concert.  However, in the 80’s I was lucky enough to see this band, Oingo Boingo, live at least a half dozen times.
Picture
Their Halloween shows are legendary.  Every concert was an exhilarating high.  It was on your feet fun from the first notes of the balafon from “Grey Matter” to the last shouts of “Goodbye Goodbye.” 
Danny Elfman was the lead singer, composer, and writer of their songs.  He no longer needs the band.  He is a four time Oscar nominated composer for such films as “Batman” and “Edward Scissorhands.”  He is also the man responsible for “The Simpsons” television theme song.  Additionally, he was the singing voice for Jack Skellington in “The Nightmare before Christmas.”  He also plays the balafon, which is an African xylophone type instrument. 
 
They had eight members in the band, playing drums, guitars, keyboards, along with a three-piece horn section. Their recordings generate some of the experience of a live show, but after hearing their music you can imagine it live and feel the excitement. I love all their albums, but my favorite and the one that best demonstrates their talents is 1982’s “Nothing to Fear.”
Picture
There is the silliness to songs like “Reptiles and Samurai” and “Wild Sex in the Working Class.”   “Grey Matter” and “Nothing to Fear” are more serious works but don’t lose the tone of the album’s playful edge.  These are not records that spawn deep discussions. This music gets you off your feet and signing along with the band.  Once they disbanded, I believed I would never again experience a live show that produced such an entertaining, dance-filled fun time. Then I was introduced to the oud.

 The oud is a pear-shaped stringed instrument commonly used in Arabic, Hebrew/Jewish, Greek, Turkish, Byzantine, North African (Chaabi, Classical, and Andalusian), Somali and Middle Eastern music.  It is not very popular in modern American music, be it hip-hop, country, or rock-n-roll.  However, it is a featured instrument in the band VIZA.  
Picture
Along with the oud, the band incorporates guitars, bass, drums, and a percussionist to create a very distinctive blend of music.  Like Oingo Boingo they are from Los Angeles, California.  And like Oingo Boingo, they are FUN!

 They have a very diverse group of musicians in their band.  Their social backgrounds have a heavy influence of Armenian and Greek.  The drummer is Hispanic.  They have fused all these styles and experiences to create something real
special and unique.  Nobody sound like them.  My favorite album is 2010’s “Made in Chernobyl.”    
Picture
The lyrics can be thought of as just nonsense at first listen, but if you try you can find deeper meaning to the words.  However, with VIZA, I’m not looking for hidden messages or spiritual guidence.  I’m too busy dancing, smiling and having a good time.

Eleven songs and not one you would want to skip in the bunch.  If you only buy one album this year. Please buy this one. 
If you already have this album, and want something else to keep your feet moving, then check out old Oingo Boingo.  They have a couple of greatest hits compilations. These two bands are all about the FUN!  They received equal time in my play lists.

Picture
Hank Lujan is awesome. End of story.
1 Comment

Band of the Week- Between The Buried & Me

8/2/2013

0 Comments

 

BETWEEN THE BURIED & ME

Picture
BTB&M is a progressive metal/technical death metal/math metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina that formed in 2000. 

The members of BTB&M are:

Tommy Giles Rogers
Paul Waggoner
Dustie Waring
Dan Briggs
Blake Richardson

They have 6 studio albums:

 Between the Buried and Me
 The Silent Circus
Alaska
 Colors
The Great Misdirect
The Parallax II: Future Sequence

 and 1 EP:

The Parallax: Hypersleep Diologues

 BTB&M has a very unique way of using musicality to their advantage. Throughout their music, you can her many different time signatures not usually used in heavy metal music, such as 7/8, 12/4, etc. 
 
I am--one could say--a screamo lover. So BTB&M is perfect for me. However, their background music is quite interesting, so it's definitely worth looking into even if you don't like screamo.
 
Check out the BTB&M Official Website

Picture
Zoe Adler is a music journalist from Long Beach, California. Besides her website, which is her pride and joy, she works with the GRAMMY Foundation and the Long Beach Independent. Additionally, Ms. Adler is a musician, spending half of her time playing the flute, piccolo, trombone, and marching baritone. She has been with TeenView Music since the very start and hopes to make something of it in the future.

0 Comments

    Archives

    September 2022
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    April 2014
    March 2014
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    RSS Feed

    Overview
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.