Cogs can think.

Why would you look at that, Alanis Morisette’s new song and accompanying music video, off her new album, “Flavors Of Entanglement“.

And now I’m all confused. What am I supposed to do with this? Seriously, I really don’t know what to think of this. Is this good? Is this bad? Can someone help me? I’m a long-time Alanis fan, one who was disappointed by So-Called Chaos because it was too slick, too poppy, too simple - still much better than most other musicians’ material, but just not the best Alanis can do. And this song kind of feels the same. It has some nice tricks (the beats outside of the chorus are brilliant in their simplicity), but I just don’t feel this is the best she can do. It’s catchy, it’s easy to listen to, but I just don’t feel like it’s going to stick.

Lyrically, it’s brilliant, as usual - typical Alanis. There are few who can write like she can. “Look at us form our cliques in our sandbox/look at us being cruel kids with both our hearts blocked”. Not bad, not bad at all.

This might be one those songs that grows on you - she has a few of those. In addition, it’s never wise to discredit an entire Alanis album merely by looking at the singles. Alanis usually shines on the non-single tracks, where she dares to be more experimental, more adventurous.

It’s not a coincidence that her best material after Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie comes from Feast On Scraps, a collection of previously unreleased tracks.

Walk on shells tonight
Can’t do right tonight
And you can’t say a word
Cause I leap down your throat
So uptight am I

I never said I was perfect
But I can drive you home

Such a beautiful chorus. Every time I hear it, I can’t do anything else but commend Shirley on having written this utter piece of brilliance.

Another difficult musical decision I just made. What’s the best album by The Cardigans?

A few things you need to know about The Cardigans. Basically, the band’s career can be divided in two. Their first three albums (”Emmerdale” [1994], “Life” [1995], and “First Band On The Moon” [1996]) are not my thing. There’s nothing wrong with them technically, it’s just that the ’60s inspired sound is not for me. This period of The Cardigans, which I refer to as the ‘old Cardigans’, did produce one gem: “Lovefool”, probably known by just about anyone. A great song, with much more depth to it than you’d say upon hearing it for the first time.

No, my Cardigans are the ‘new Cardigans’, which started with 1998’s “Gran Turismo”, which had a completely different sound to it than their previous material: it was dark and electronic, and very, very well produced. From beginning to end, the album is one entity, songs logically flow into one another, and despite sporting just ten tracks, it’s enough. There’s only one way to describe this album: it’s done. These albums were followed by the country-inspired “Long Gone Before Daylight” in 2003, and the much darker and more raw “Super Extra Gravity” in 2005.

At first, I thought it would come down to either “Gran Turismo” or “Super Extra Gravity”, but surprisingly, after some intense listening sessions of the three ‘new Cardigans’ albums, I had to scrap “Super Extra Gravity” from the list. Despite the album sporting nothing but very, very good songs, it’s also a very inconsistent album. It goes from left to right, as if it doesn’t know what it wants to be. So, despite absolute gems like the pounding “Losing A Friend”, the manic “I Need Some Fine Wine And You, You Need To Be Nicer”, and the haunthing and chilling “And Then You Kissed Me, II”, the album lacks coherence.

Which leaves me with the other two. After some more listening, it became apparent to me that “Long Gone Before Daylight” just lacks something. I can’t really put my finger on it, but it seems as if the album lacks power. The percussion is fairly subdued, and the guitar play is light - not bad, but light. This creates a lack of power, a power that certainly is present on the other two.

By the way, the album’s closener, “3.45: No Sleep”, is a song you just have to have.

This means that the dark and electronic symphony “Gran Turismo” is my best album by The Cardigans. It’s an exercise in technical excellence, and it’s the best showcase for Nina’s dreamy, bedroom-y voice. I can’t help but fall in love with her every time I listen to the album.

All three albums are top-quality material, but “Gran Turismo” just stands out.

There are five albums I’m currently waiting for. These five albums will more or less define my music habits for 2008 and 2009.

First and foremost, a new album by my idol, my girl knight in shining armour, my future wife, my everything: Fiona Apple. I need not introduce you to my admiration downright obsession with Fiona, and I also need not detail (again) why she is, by far, the greatest singer/songwriter that has ever walked this earth. Just go to the little search field in my sidebar, and do a query on her name.

Anyway, she said in the first half of 2007 that by fall 2007, she’d dive into the studio to work on her fourth album. Her third album, “Extraordinary Machine”, was released on 4 October 2005 (after an excruciating seven-year wait) to basically unanimously raving reviews, but it did mean the end of an era; “Tidal”, “When The Pawn…”, and “Extraordinary Machine” together form a trilogy. On “Tidal”, Fiona portrays herself mostly as sullen, slightly sad, and sometimes even as the victim. On “When The Pawn…”, she’s more of an agressor instead of a victim; she details the damage she ((un)willingly?) inflicts upon others, and she comes across as more assertive, ready to pick up a fight. On “Extraordinary Machine”, however, we hear a Fiona who has come to terms with her past, who accepts herself for what she is - we finally hear a Fiona who is content, even happy. The final line on the album closener “Waltz” says it all: “Everyone else’s goal’s to get big headed / why should I follow that beat being that I’m / better than fine.”

So, now that the trilogy is complete, what’s next for my beloved Fiona? Time will tell, but I hope Time won’t take its sweet time like it did between 1998 and 2005.

The second album I’m waiting for is The Cardigans’ 7th studio album. Studio time is planned for late 2008/early 2009, and knowing The Cardigans, who pride themselves on never having made the same album twice, we’ll be surprised and baffled by what they’ll come up with this time. I hope for at least a little dash of “Gran Turismo”, as I think that album’s dark and electronic sound had much more in it than just “Gran Turismo” - which is not to say it could’ve been better, I’m just saying the sound hasn’t been explored to its fullest of potential.

I’m also waiting for a new Garbage album. “Bleed Like Me” left me with a bitter aftertaste, as the album was a clear response to criticism the band received after “Beautifulgarbage”, a highly experimental, difficult-to-listen-to-at-first masterpiece. And you really shouldn’t listen to music critics. Because they are idiots. “Beautifulgarbage” was highly stylised, and mostly lacked the powerful guitar riffs from their highly successful and critically acclaimed first two albums. So, for “Bleed Like Me”, Garbage tried to sound more ‘grunge’, more raw, and it just didn’t work very well. Garbage is a band consisting of four producers (Butch Vig being one of them) so they should stick to what they do best: studio albums. Turn and twist those knobs, Shirley, Butch, Steve, and Duke, I know you like it.

Speaking of Shirley, she’s recording her solo album, and I’m obviously awaiting that one too. The album will be “quite dark and moody”, and that’s just how I like Shirley Manson.

This leaves me with number five on this list, and that’s the second A Camp album. A Camp is the solo project of Nina Persson, vocalist of The Cardigans. A Camp’s first album, imaginatively called “A Camp”, caught me completely off-guard, and even though it was not love at first sight, a few listens later, I embraced it for what it was: a slightly experimental journey into the unknown, Nina breaking free form the shackles of being in a band. It’s a great album, although I’m sure its country influence won’t be to everyone’s liking.

The coming two years are going to rock. Well, musically at least.

Björk ftw. Seriously. During a performance in Shanghai in China, she shouted “Tibet! Tibet!” a couple of times while performing the frantic and utterly crazy “Declare Independence“. The Chinese could not handle this; they left the hall, and millions of Chinese are now all offended. The state media (as if there are any independent media in China) are ignoring the incident.

Thank you Björk. You have the guts to do what most here in the west do not dare to do: go into the lion’s den, and say it like it is.

“Declare Independence” has almost become my ‘motto’ - every people has the right to belong, to govern themselves in a way they deem fit, to protect their sovereignty, to declare independence. I fully support the people of Kosovo, the people of Schotland, the people of Tibet, and so on. This world will be a better place if people and cultures get the freedom and breathing room to develop themselves, to make their own decisions, while working together for the greater, common good under organisations like the EU and NATO. There’s no need for a global, bureacratic megagovernment in order to create world peace - all it takes is to give cultures independence and sovereignty on a local level, while working together closely on a global level.

It has worked pretty darn well in Europe. Except for the fact that the EU has invaded the local level a tad bit too much.

While we’re on the subject of Garbage, you really can’t, uhm, die, without having seen the video for Garbage’s “Push It”, one of the most critically acclaimed music videos ever made. If you have any kids, please cover their eyes or, I don’t know, shove them in a cupboard or something, as this video can be very disorienting and upsetting (not gross, just… Messed up).

And now, you’re probably wondering, what the fcuk was that about? Trust me, you won’t know. There’s a strong schism between the video and the actual lyrics in the song, so that won’t give you many hints. There’s a viewer’s guide to the video, but while comprehensive, it doesn’t catch everything seen in the video.

“This is the noise that keeps me awake, my head explodes and my body aches…” A line that I will never forget, a line that will never be far from whatever train of thought is scheduled in my head. Eery.

It’s a difficult decision, but I think I settled on what Garbage song is the best.

This song is so incredibly fragile and powerful at the same time - I don’t think there is another song out there that so well captures the feeling of unanswered love - except for Fiona’s “I Know”, maybe.

This song reminds me of a certain someone. She definitely looked fine - and sadly, still does. I wish she was ugly as sin or something, would’ve made it all a whole lot easier to digest.

Oh well.

I’ve never been particularly fond of Nirvana’s albums. They’re nice, but to me, they are way overrated. Cobain’s untimely death of course only contributed to the hype. Still, Nirvana has a very special place in my heart, for reasons that are really none of your business.

There is an exception. Nirvana’s unprecedented Unplugged album. It is by far the best unplugged album out there, and it shows a completely different Nirvana. Instead of the fairly repetitive songs on their albums, we get to see and listen to a much different Nirvana - emotional, introvert, sensitive; filled with blues and folk. It is a landmark in music history, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s an album any self-respecting music lover should have listened to at least ten times.

Nirvana’s unplugged sessions were never meant to reach a wider audience, but after Cobain’s death, it only made sense to release the sessions - they were Cobain’s public suicide notes, especially the final song, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night“. Cobain’s interpretation of this 1870’s classic folk song is such an eery experience, it makes you twitch, shiver, and generally make you feel very, very uncomfortable. Every possible human emotion will travel through your body, and regularly, I can barely contain these emotions, forcing me to stand up, walk around, to start doing something. The singing is subdued, contained - only to lash out at the final verses and lines, completely unexpected, but therefore, ever more effective.

Right before he sings the final few words, a silence breaks the song. You hear a deep, frustrated, but at the same time relieving sigh from Cobain - to me, it always appears as if during that exact moment, Cobain decided to end it all. And that makes this song one of the most important songs in human history. Cobain and Nirvana had still so much potential in them left, and it is a very, very, very sad thing that we never got to see them rise to their fullest potential.

On the other hand, we’d have had to do without Unplugged. And as cruel as it may sound, Unplugged alone almost makes you understand Cobain’s death.

As I’ve blogged about before, The Netherlands has a very rich music culture. The problem, of course, is that most of you don’t understand a word Dutch (shame on you!), and as such, really can’t properly experience Dutch music. That’s why, every now and then, I translate a Dutch song into English, for all to enjoy.

Guus Meeuwis. If there is one artist that has experienced a positive development over time, it’s him. He started out as a rather corny student singer, but later turned out to be a great, inspiring singer/songwriter, and his last string of songs are of outstanding quality. I especially like “Tranen Gelachen“.

The rain ruins a March afternoon, at least, that’s what she thought
But I kept some sunlight in my head, so I get the last laugh

And without my jacket, I step outside
Full of spirit, I start my journey
I have to tell myself not to whistle
That’s how I walk towards the sun

Today, I’ll meet my friends of old, just to see if something’s still there
Of the boys within us, who didn’t ask for anything, who didn’t want to know what was black or white

I laughed tears of joy, acted silly, and in the end, contently… Turned off the lights

I’m greeted by a pat on my shoulder
How are you, first joke, first beer
In this light we barely aged, a short silence, then we laugh

One by one, the room fills, the guys never change
Still, there is so much new to tell, the guys never change

I laughed tears of joy, acted silly, and in the end, contently… Turned off the lights

The stars foresee a morning in March that whispers, “spring is here”
And I can’t get a cab at this hour, but why do I care - spring is here

I laughed tears of joy, acted silly, and in the end, contently… Turned off the lights
I laughed tears of joy, acted silly, and in the end, contently… Turned off the lights

Turned off the lights

I love this song so very much, because I know I will be in a similar situation ten years from now, and when future Thom leaves to meet his friends of now, he’ll still remember this song, smile on his face, pedal to the metal.

With Fiona next to me, of course.

I just heard something very interesting on TV. Sharon den Adel, leading lady of Within Temptation, said that when we as Dutchmen and women look at Americans, we see people that look exactly like us, and as such, we expect them to act like us, to have the same values as we do, and to have a culture alike to ours - we don’t expect any significant differences, and we are very surprised when we encounter the vast differences in culture between us and ‘them’. However, she continues, when we look at Japanese people, we see people who look very different from us, and as such, we are not surprised to see them act differently, think differently, and to have an entirely different culture.

A very intriguing theory, and I must honestly say, I have never looked at it like this before. That’s a rather clever theory from the quite sweet and charming Sharon - I’ll have to keep this one in mind.

Interesting.