On My Way: Spoileeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer.

Yikes. It’s a Big Episode, you guys. I’ve come to realise (all the time when I haven’t been writing Gleecaps) that there’s little point in imposing a coherent framework on Glee. In an episode where they attempt to fit in suicide, teen marriage, Regionals, a death of a major character and A CONVERSION BACK TO CHEERLEADERISM, I might as well hire a monkey to bash out an analysis. And here’s the thing: People that are infinitely more eloquent than me have already tried, and to some extent succeeded, at highlighting what was right, but also very wrong, about On My Way. Thus, I’m sticking to the music as ever without delving too deep into the episode as a whole. I’ll inevitably fail, such was the emotional, but oddly exasperating potency of this episode. I will say this: For twenty minutes, this was some of the most effective and moving television I have ever had the (dis)pleasure of watching. Onwards:

Cough Syrup – Young The Giant

I’ve already noted that this is one of the best covers Glee has ever done. It was also one of the best segments they’ve ever featured. If people look back on Season 3 and say Quinncrazyplotcrazyyadayadayadarickymartin, I can show them this and the Rumour Has It/Someone Like You segment and impose silence! Over at the A.V Club, Todd VanDerWerff noted that ‘Blaine has exactly one singing mode, and that’s needlessly confrontational, though smiling.’ Yeesh, they are not fans. And if ever DC had a reason to emote, this seemed like that opportunity! Seriously though, these five minutes were deeply affecting, and if the Kurt-Blaine storyline wasn’t quite working for you, Karofsky was bound to touch a nerve. Unless you’re one of these awful, awful people, in which case: Near-victory! And get the fuck off this site. Also: Glee was pretty confrontational in this episode. In the The First Time, they represented sex with a few eskimo kisses, but they didn’t pull any punches in the depiction of the suicide. 

Grade: A

Stand – Lenny Kravitz

I mean, sure. I’ll grant them this, it was sure as hell more appropriate in light of a suicide than a 2011 party song. I completely understand that in reality they wouldn’t have had time to change. But a) they consciously chose to dedicate this to a kid who had just tried to commit suicide and b) this isn’t reality, this is Glee. Surely the writers could have pencilled in more appropriate songs? Speaking of appropriate, this might not seem like the place to critique Glad You Came but I still have to get through the dancing technique of the Warblers (post-DC.)

Grade: B

Glad You Came – The Wanted

Okay, I’ve already mentioned that this seemed bizarro and incongruous. So let’s instead talk about dancing. The thing that made Blaine such a charming leader was that he had this spontaneity while performing but always kept up the profesh (professional, yo) look of the Warblers. Now, they resemble some dance troupe that would possibly make it to the semi-finals of Britain’s Got Talent. Maybe that’s harsh of me but Sebastian’s head doesn’t seem to move in time with the rest of his body. Of course, I can’t talk as I have about as much dancing talent as a drunk snail. Also weird: You can’t dance like that in blazers! The shoulders go up and you start to channel Quazimodo, as the breakdancing (seriously?) Warbler demonstrates. Grant Gustin’s voice is pretty undeniable though:

Grade: B+

Fly/I Believe I Can Fly – Nicki Minaj ft. Rihanna/R. Kelly

Completely fine. I enjoyed the rapping, making me the 1% in something (finally!)

Grade: B

What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger) – Kelly Clarkson

I’m oddly isolated form this song which is weird given my like of KC. Also, something bizarro happened with the music synching while I was watching which made Heather Morris look like she was simply opening and closing her mouth instead of opening and closing her mouth while singing a kick-ass break-up/life sucks song.

Grade: B

Here’s To Us – Halestorm

Jeez, Rachel was a bit vain this episode. A kid tries to commit suicide, and anxious that attention wouldn’t be on her for a whole twelve minutes, she decides to push her wedding forward. That made me a little suspicious of this song, which was equal parts pleasant to equal parts forgettable. 

Grade: B+

Overall Grade: B+. A hard episode to grade as it was so freakin’ mental. Overall, those first fifteen minutes or so saved it. 

Quinnsight: Apart from the obvious (almost certain not-death as a result from texting because, please) Quinn was unbearable this episode. A few words about the God Squad: Condescending, unthinking, narrowminded, tools. This episode, they are almost certainly wrong (and painfully offensive) about suicide. ‘I just don’t get it,’ squeals pretty blonde, newly cheerleader-ed Quinn, ‘how could anyone be that sad?’ Well, maybe their fucking ice cream ran out while watching a repeat of Sex and The City, Q. What are RIB doing?! Quinn had become a thoughtful, refreshingly level-headed character. As my imaginary wife, Dianna Agron deserves better, y’all. 

Blaine Watch: I love being right (partly because I feel validated, partly because, like Cristmas, it only happens once a year.) Sebastian is good, you guys. He has a Born This Way Foundation-shaped heart, full of beautiful, shiny gold. And he and Blaine are almost certainly going to be together in the no-too-distant future. Sorry, Kurt but your ponchos got in the way.

Thinking Aloud:

• Okay, fine. Let’s talk about Quinn potentially dying. Firstly, she’s not going to. Secondly, it serves her right for texting while driving. OH WAIT, sorry, I temporarily completely lost my mind. But that won’t stop the writers from delivering a preachy message (through the ever-condescending mouthpiece of Mr Schu, who actually was quite lovely this episode) about texting while driving. Which is hey, an important message. But probably not a message so important you have to potentially crush a leading character to spread.
• What’s with these hiatuses? I know what’s actually with them (I follow TV schedules too) but they sure are messing with my viewing patterns. How’s a guy to cope with this inconsistency. Oh, life imitates art you say? 
• I go to a school much closer to Dalton than Karofsky’s, but would those kids not be punished for spraying abuse over his locker? And would they really hurl more abuse after he tried to kill himself? Maybe that was the point in the episode -highlighting how shocking life can be for gay kids- but it seemed a little unbelievable to me. That may be the experience of my fortunate environment speaking but I was still slightly surprised. 
• List of inappropriate things in this episode:
• 1) What Doesn’t Kill You (Stronger). Was there not ONE SINGLE FREAKIN’ SONG ABOUT NOT KILLING, OR DYING IN THE TITLE that they could have chosen?
• 2) One of the regional judges was wheeled on in a coffin. A motherfuckin’ coffin. In an episode about suicide.
• 3) So Principle Figgins smells of curry, eh? Strike another point in the Glee’s racist scorebook. Inequality rocks!

See you guys for another Gleecap in seven weeks (!) Regroup, replan, revitalise. 

Glee: Yes, no, maybe.

You know, I’m really glad Glee’s back. There’s only so many times I can play ‘Which lyric of I Kissed A Girl do I find most uncomfortable?’ Common consensus was ‘I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it,’ but this puts up a pretty convincing argument against any offence at all. Fun, lesbian-friendly pop songs: Now guilt-free! Anyway, back to what I was saying: I am glad for Glee’s return. Despite what looked like a nonsensical plot-line, lots of iTunes friendly covers, I was ready to get back into the Gleecapping seat and spreading my opinion on the only television series that thinks Rihanna and synchronized swimming is a good way to say ‘Want to spend the rest of your life with me?’:

I’m condensing these Gleecaps into best and worst songs with a few Thinking Aloud and the obligatory Quinnsight and Blaine Watch.

Yes/No

Best Song: Without You – David Guetta ft. Usher

Look, this was just really good. And really sweet. There’s not much more to say about it, which is kind of the point when it comes to stripped-back covers of Usher club songs, no? Affirmative. Unfortunately the video below cuts off before a crazily sassy Santana moment. Such is YouTube.

Worst Song: Moves Like Jagger/Jumpin’ Jack Flash – Maroon 5/The Rolling Stones

I hate classifying things as ‘worst’, especially with so few options as it creates an artificially accentuated spectrum of subjectivity. That said, this didn’t feel quite right. I won’t say anything about the vocals or mash-up and blame it on those red scarves. Indoors? Really?

Michael

Best Song: Never Can Say Goodbye – The Jackson 5

This was been one of the highlights of Season 3 which, faint praise aside, is largely as a result of Dianna Agron’s charm and a neatly constructed (and plot-advancing) production.

Worst Song: Ben – Michael Jackson

I just can’t. Sorry. The eyepatch was kinda cool.

The Spanish Teacher:

Best Song: Sexy And I Know It – LMFAO

No song really felt like it was really doing anything in this episode. That’s probably as a result of this episode not really doing anything at all. I’m picking Sexy And I Know It purely because I’m actually a fan of the original song. I know, I know. I don’t need reassuring of my own sexiness. 

Worst Song: A Little Less Conversation – Elvis Presley

This needs no justification. 

Heart:

Best Song: Love Shack – The B52s

This was an outrageously sweet episode so it’s slightly surprising that I probably went for the least sentimental of the songs. However, I have a strange obsession with the B52s’ track. It stems from an even stranger obsession (and running in-joke) with my sister about B52s and their alcohol content. Also: I like these groups numbers in Breadstix and it was in stark contrast to last season’s V-Day episode which was also pretty fantastic. 

Worst Song: Stereohearts – Gym Class Heroes ft. Adam Levine

Jeez, the God Squad are the most condescending, hypocritical and irritating group that have ever hit McKinley. More later. This wasn’t as offensive as their sexual politics but it was still pretty bad. Still, I didn’t hate Sam’ rapping as much as some people on my Facebook. I actually found it kinda endearing. Such is the power of Hallmark-endorsed holidays.

Thinking Aloud:

• Proposals: Will & Emma is fine. We’ve been waiting a while for this and it seems like an inevitability. And hey, does it matter that Emma’s only had like, two lines this series (one of which was yes)? Not to Ryan Murphy it doesn’t. Rachel & Finn is just too monstrous a concept for me to deal with. Shoot me an email in six years time and I’ll respond.
• Listen, I get it. Sebastian’s reached his villainous peak, will make good come Sectionals/Regionals/Internationals and will later make musical love to Blaine. I don’t even mind the blaring inevitability of it, but couldn’t they have found something slightly more badass to do than chuck a frozen beverage in his face? 
• That whole Whitney Houston tribute was sweet but seemed a bit off a tack on once the Glee writers realised they had hit gold by placing I Will Always Love You in the episode that premiered after Houston’s death. 

Quinnsight: This column is almost redundant! They’ve fixed Quinn up so well that we’re probably almost able to retire this section for good. Hell, in Heart she was one of the most sane voices throughout. Okay, the Yale storyline seems a push but who knows? She’s shown nous on the show before and didn’t let a pregnancy get in the way of her GPA. Congrats, RIB. May this last longer than a week. (I totally just tempted fate didn’t I?)

Blaine Watch: I was about to write ‘business as usual, Glee slowly reverting to Darren Criss show’ before I remembered: SLUSHY BLINDING. Hey, I get that DC was busy but was there no single other possibility to fake Blaine’s two week absence? Illness, bank robbery, hired as a mind architect for inception? Because all these would be more believable than an overly-salted slushy. That said, Blaine’s return was pretty sweet and his song for On My Way is brilliant.

It’s amazing how refreshing a week of Alpine skiing can be, how enlightening it is to take a break from the status quo and just get out there…and do. Having said that, I’m heartily looking forward to the school/university transition that creeps closer with every day, and the liberation that will bring.

Keeping on that theme, here is a delightful single by Man Without Country, the same people who brought out killer 2011 remixes of M83, Active Child & Moby (all found here):

It’s the perfect electro-upbeat-pop package, and the wavering synth compliments the issue presented in the video and lyrics: an inability to think for yourself is all you’ve ever known. This cuts right into the visual presentation of that retro brainwashed feel, and your mind has to disconnect audio from visual.

Get out there. Get thinking.

Released on April 9th on Lost Balloon/Cooperative Music

The post that was going up today has been suspended. It’s not my fault, everything has to be dropped when Drive Like I Do and any or all of their incarnations (Drive Like I Do/B I G S L E E P/The Slowdown/Talkhouse) show their face.

Well let’s start with the great news. The band are almost certainly going to remain under the name Talkhouse. So following them should be an awful lot easier! The best bit of news is that Matt Healy, the lead singer, as put out a delightful acoustic song called 102. More reserved, very different but just as lovely. Outstanding song with a wonderful sentiment matched with a beautifully shot video makes for a great day.

Here’s a great cover from Dance a la Plage too!

Meg Myers: About to explode (metaphorically.)

Of all of the singles I’ve posted here this year, I think After You has the most potential to break out. And I don’t just mean some kids in your school might like it. I mean, Adele at the Brits 2011/ Videogames pre-LDR backlash big. It’s rare that I am actually able to say that. Also rare: this density of hyperbole in a blog post. The last time it happened was with Somebody That I Used To Know (and there, all I did was predict a trend that had already kickstarted in Gotye’s native Australia.) This feels different. Gotye had released two prior albums and had a catalogue of side-projects. Hence, this post reaches you with mondo excitement. Meg Myers is going to be huge, and one listen to After You and you’ll feel exactly the same way. Apparently spring turns a boy’s heart to fancy, Myers’ voice is an equally apt counterpart. (If I haven’t provided enough incentive to jump the jump, here’s a video of a polar bear hugging a dog.)

After You presents itself as a female Strange & Beautiful in its love-cum-stalker attraction. Thus: ‘I’m writing letters in my head.’ Sometimes, I wander about like a love-sick Angel Clare so Myers hit me pretty hard. Hell, even if you burn Valentines Day cards on February 14th, you’ll feel something during these three minutes. That she carries a tune of such profundity, especially one so early in her career, is utterly outstanding. Listen, love:

Has British alternative rock been missing from your life? Is Kasabian not filling the void? Does looking at the top 40 from 2007 make you yearn for Look See Proof? Fear not, The Scholars are brining it back after the jump.

I have struggled more than most having to endure music I really, really dislike on the radio. Once upon a time the worst thing you heard was Hard-fi. Don’t get me wrong, they weren’t good, but they didn’t make me physically ill. That’s why the Scholars have come into my life at just the right time.

To be fair, average indie rock could probably do the trick for me. But friends this is so far from average it’s unbelievable. This Heart’s Built To Break is dark, brooding and ever so powerful. Full of raw emotion, this Oxford quintet literally make me feel like the ultimate ninja. It’s White Lies meets Kubichek! and it’s fucking awesome. Oh yeah, AND it’s free – you lucky audience you.

Let’s all enjoy electro pop at its finest after the jump. (This was the weakest cold opening I’ve ever written).

PNAU are an Australian dance duo who you will probably best know for their breath-taking side project Empire of the Sun. They’ve worked closely with Elton John and have been performing since the mid-1990s. Soft Universe is their latest album and was synthpop at its finest (I realise I’ve now associated them with three genres).

Unite Us is the stand out track. Powerful and delightfully catchy, it represents a genuine call to the dance floor and what pop music is all about. It dropped as a single yesterday on Ministry of Sound but the official video is here for you.

Glee: And apologies (not always hand-in-hand)

Man, I know most of my posts lately read like one long apology but once more unto the breach, dear friends. Once more: I apologise. I’ve been in the country all week without a laptop/internet, spending my time learning to drive/riding horses which has left me a fairly competent driver and emotionally crippled after watching War Horse. Anyway, one of my failures this week was to not catch everyone up with a Gleecap. I’m smacking my hands for you guys, don’t worry. As Glee (in the U.S) has one more episode and is then taking (another!) hiatus, I thought I’d round up all of this year’s five episodes so we’re all fresh for its return. In the mean time, new Glee music. Here’s the original, Gleeview after the jump:

Anyway, Darren Criss has covered Cough Syrup for next week’s Glee which is a bold choice for the internet favourite (I’m referring to YTG but I understand that the term applies to both.) Thank goodness he did as it’s probably one of the best covers Glee’s ever done. DC’s voice fits the whole thing perfectly and seems much more natural than say, Last Friday Night. Not that that didn’t work, but as evidenced by his BD tribute, his voice fits these stripped back tunes perfectly. Or, perhaps more accurately it’s the emotion that he (with remarkable effortlessness) attaches to. Is it any surprise that it was that ridiculously nostalgic and loaded Katy Perry single that proved to be his break-out performance? It was an AVClub review that I read that noted that ‘there are many things that he could mentor young performers on, but acting while singing is not one of them.’ Maybe that’s true (I don’t really think so) but there’s no questioning Criss The Younger’s vocal talent and (a loaded word in our Del Rey/Adele times) authenticity. There! I said it. Darren Criss is authentic. Catch you next week. 

So I know on this blog we’ve kind of been going Lana Del C-Rey-zy (that’s why you come here: for the quite frankly world class puns), but having spent the last couple of days in Paris and therefore not being able to write, I’ve decided to charm your ears with this nice little remix of such a big song.

Yes of course we have all heard Born To Die. In actual fact, this remix is not the same slow, emotion-clad number that the original gives the listener. There is a faster beat, and the song opens with an ethereal chime that you’d do well to pick out in the original. While it is much more upbeat, it’s easy to recognize the familiar lyrics. Hackman has scored here! Listen below:

Majestic: Sam Cooke

In which Henry attempts to make up for a lack of posting:

In a rough tradition of writing to a theme each week (last week was Lana Del Rey) I thought I’d rewind things to the school of old today. If you’ve read our updated About page, you’ll know one of my favourite singers is the the rather magnificent Sam Cooke. However, there’s a lack of correlation between my passion for his music and the number of posts I’ve dedicated to him. Theme of the week: Self-justification. Or good music, whatever.

This (clearly) isn’t a new track but it’s one of my (many) favourites. Bask in his voice, I say. Bask: