xkcd

http://www.last.fm/user/4x4Grimreaper · by **Rhombulus** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:16 am UTC

About 2:50 into Ants of the Sky by Between the Buried and Me, right when the breakdown kicks in, then when it comes in again with the ringing cymbal behind it.

Any number of songs that sound like one guy and his guitar vs. the whole world - the ones where you really see the true meaning of a song boiled down to its very roots.

by **Kirjava** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 7:22 pm UTC

Midnight wrote:ok so in Citizen Erased, by muse, the SECOND time the harmonic leady intro bit starts. Which is to say, after it all winds down to smooth melodic stuff, and then it goes "WHABAM HARMONICS R COOL U GUYS" and then the wall o sound starts.

So much awesome.

I also love the incredibly gutteral guitar solo during the aforementioned 'wall o sound'

by **Sir_Elderberry** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 9:13 pm UTC

Two moments in Decemberists songs stand out to me, for some reason, I couldn't explain why:
1) The Infanta:

"From all across the parapets
Glow a multitude of coronets
With melodies rhapsodical and fair
And all our hearts afire
The sky ablaze with cannonfire
We all raise
Our voices to the air..."

2) I Don't Mind:
"And when the stage lights dimmed on the fading scrim
It was morning before the cheering died
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?"

by **Kyle Korver** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:27 am UTC

"A song for the dead" by Queens of the stone age

Especially from 4:40 to the end

by **Kaelri** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:42 pm UTC

The buildup from noise, to gentle flute, to trumpets and snare drums, up to the epic bassline that carries you all the way through "Apocalypse in 9/8," the seventh and penultimate section of "Supper's Ready" by Genesis. It's surprising how 9/8 can rock that hard. The chords at the end never fail to give me goosebumps. If there is a god, those are clearly the chords that will play when history is about to end.

Most recently, Steven Wilson's solo album, Insurgentes, ends with a huge, distorted, terrifying wave of noise in Get All You Deserve, in whose wake you suddenly find yourself surrounded by nothing but a gentle piano in a church. (It was actually recorded there.) He did it so much better than Death Cab on "Pity and Fear."

The sudden ethereal explosion of the chorus in Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" is certainly one for the ages. Oddly enough, I think I hear this in the aforementioned album's "Harmony Korine," which may actually do it better.

I see your Elbow's "Ribcage" and raise you a "Switching Off," after the dark, minor bridge section pauses, then releases into the last chorus. Coincidentally (or not), this part has the same chords as the end of 9/8. Plus one of the most moving lyrics I've ever heard.

The climax of The Dear Hunter's "Red Hands." Much like Wish You Were Here, Red Hands is the sort of song you want to get about three hundred people in a big concert hall singing in unison at the top of their lungs. There are no fewer than four harmonizing vocal lines by the end.

6.29 in the 06/09/29 recording of Sufjan Stevens' "Majesty Snowbird." The vocals just do something to me.

The Corrs' "Heaven Knows" has an annoyingly sublime string/vocal section from 2.23 to 2.42. Annoying because it's perfect and gorgeous and goes nowhere at all. This is, in fact, a good microcosm for the Corrs' musical career since that album.

Porcupine Tree's "Halo," after a pretty dull, straightforward metal guitar solo, suddenly hops into a short acoustic reprise of the chorus with a guitar and piano playing alongside each other. That is now my favorite symbiosis of two instruments. It's the whole bridge was some chaotic, horrifying genetic experiment designed to create a perfect musical hybrid that makes you close your eyes and say "ahhh, yes, that's what I was looking for."

Another Genesis one: "The Musical Box." The wall.

The Books' "An Owl With Knees" is one of those quiet-yet-unstoppable tracks. It's full of sharp, plucking, amelodious sounds, and after the vocals, it carries on like that for a while until a couple of cellos, which have been hiding under the surface the whole time, driving the song from below, rise up like a whale jumping out of the water.

"Be Good to Them Always," also by The Books, when they reveal the source of the first verse's lyrics. It's totally arbitrary, but for some reason it gives you the same kind of chills as something like the power plant reveal in The Matrix.

The third act of Blackfield's "Open Mind." Anyone who's heard the song knows the part. I'd love to remix it someday.

Similarly, the shift in Radiohead's "Last Flowers." I honestly like that song better than the whole rest of the album.

The third verse of Peter Gabriel's "The Rhythm of the Heat." One of the most unnerving passages I can remember. It always reminds me of The Hollow Men. And then it's repeated in chorus. He has a great voice for creepy tribal chants. Kevin Gilbert's "Shadow Self" has a similar section, but goes a lot further with the idea (and it actually mentions "the hollow men," so I'm not crazy). I memorized it when I was ten, for some reason.

Spoiler:

For another Porcupine Tree, the half-hour epic "The Sky Moves Sideways" goes into a dreamlike, mind-numbingly gorgeous acoustic interlude halfway through. It's the kind of piece I could meditate to for a couple hours. If I were the sort of person who meditated.

I second Popplagið. Try listening to it backwards sometime, too. A while back, Sigur Ros had posted the whole album on their website, but reversed. I really don't know why.

...I guess that's enough for now.

by **lancastrianluna** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 11:00 pm UTC

The first solo in the Cure's "Friday I'm In Love."

The Syd theme in Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."

The electric guitar coming in on R.E.M.'s "Drive."

There's also a guitar arpeggio that makes my life on the Replacements' "Alex Chilton," after the solo.

by **SecondTalon** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:28 am UTC

Lemonheads - Confetti - when the echo of the chorus starts up....

Code: Select all: He kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her if he could’ve (kinda shoulda sorta woulda loved her)

Love that.

by **ParanoidAndroid** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:45 am UTC

Sigur Ros-"Hoppipolla"
2:05 to the end, starting where Jonsi starts singing this:

Spoiler:

Seriously, it's one of those "all is right with the world" moments. Especially at 3:18, where he launches into that soaring falsetto. <3

by **Zerstörer** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 5:08 pm UTC

• The ending riff in "Face of Melinda" by Opeth always gets me
• The epic burst of sound at the end of "I Love You, I'm Going To Blow Up Your School" by Mogwai
• The riff at 7:12 in "In Fiction" by Isis is also amazing
• The entire Vikingligr Veldi album by Enslaved
• When the violins kick in while the old man continues his narrative in "The Dead Flag Blues" by GY!BE
• "Hearts Alive" by Mastodon
• The final part of "Ea, Lord of the Deeps" by Burzum, when that guitar riff that you've just barely been able to make out the past few minutes roars out of nowhere to carry the song to the end
• Pretty much any moment in Tool's discography, whether it be an Adam Jones solo that he can make awesome without using very many notes, or the rhythm section in "Eulogy" towards the middle... then again, they are my all-time favorite band.
• "Unas, Slayer of the Gods" by Nile... marries a sense of grandeur to unrelenting vigor, without trying to make it pretty like power metal or melo-death.

by **Beacons!** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:05 pm UTC

The introduction to this song is the only piece of music to give me goosebumps from pure emotion.
Also, from the same band at about 3:23 this song there is a moment of pure musical bliss. I'm a sucker for a church bell.

last.fm · by **Aethernox** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:22 pm UTC

There is a stunningly beautiful song named 'As Embers Dress the Sky' by a band called Agalloch. While the entire song is very dear to me, there is a portion nearing the last half of a song, at the end of the acoustic guitar passage, that I would like to contribute.

After several minutes of acoustic guitar overlaid with various other sounds/instruments, suddenly the entire band begins playing again, to accompany to verse

Shine on, evening skyfire
Paint the sky with the blood of a raven
Bereavement, Oh garment of ebony
As embers dress the dusk of man...

and this, along with the two following minutes, are simply sublime in my opinion.

by **Marcusesses** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:25 am UTC

Those "perfect moments" are why I listen to music, really....a short sampling of (in my opinion) those perfect moments:

- The final two songs on Radiohead's "OK Computer" (Lucky and The Tourist)...When played back-to-back...wow
- Both guitar solos in Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" -> maybe not the greatest of solos, but when Gilmour hits those high notes....
- Anytime Fran Healey from Travis goes into a falsetto (e.g The Cage, Afterglow).

Of course, there may be a million other moments for me, but these ones really stand out. Admittedly, not as heavy as some other choices, but these are perfect musical moments to me. Hopefully someone finds these as awesome as I do.

by **Maseiken** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:54 am UTC

The lead up to the first chorus of "Hybrid Rainbow" by The Pillows.
Actually... pretty much any Riff from any Pillows song, maybe it's just something that gets to me though, having also been so devoted to FLCL...

Ooh, also the first few bars of the Presto movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.
DunduluduluduludulududdleduDUNDUN-
DunduluduluduludulududdleduDUNDUN-
DunduluduluduludulududdleduDUNDUN-
DunduddleduddleduddleDUNDUN-
DunduddleduddleduddleDUNDUN-
DUN!

And so on.

Actually... pretty much that whole movement. it's a shame people mostly remember the Adagio. You only it every now and then, but it deserves much more credit in my opinion.

It's the piece that makes me ACHE to learn the Piano, in the same way Hybrid Rainbow makes me ACHE to be a Vocalist in a band...
And Japanese.

Seriosuly, if you ever find yourself doubting the awesome-ness of the Piano,
Crank
That
Shit.*

*Actual phrase spoken by Beethoven in his description of this movement.

by **someguy** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 10:03 am UTC

I hope no-one's posted this one (a quick search turned up nothing.)

The part in Cat Power's 'Metal Heart' (original version from Moon Pix) where she works in the line from 'Amazing Grace' and one of the doubled vocals soars for a split second... that's neck-hairs-on-end time for me, every time.

Check it out.

I listen to that album waay too much.

by **Bobbias** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:38 am UTC

I could make a huge list, but I'm a bit tired, so I think I'll keep it short.

The resolution at 3:24.. Love it.

0:48, when the lead comes in and 1:24 when the main theme comes in.

1:03 to 2:03 or so and 2:19 to 2:21 are probably my favourite moments in funtwo's canon.

by **malec2b** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:54 am UTC

The vocal harmony in the chorus of Surprise, Surprise by Caravan, particularly on the "Didn't we believe we were mooooooooore!" with the two completely different vocal qualities singing together.

Moody Blues-Nights in White Satin, with the build up at around 3:30 leading up to "And I love you, yes I love you, oh how I love you"

Pink Floyd-Eclipse at the end "Everything under the sun is in tune, but the sun is eclipsed by the moon"

The Aaaahhh at the end of March of the Black Queen/beginning of Funny how Love Is by Queen, because it makes an amazing transition from the dark tension of March of the Black Queen to the cheerful release of tension in Funny how Love Is.

When the guitar solo starts in Starship Trooper by Yes.

by **ShemTealeaf** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:27 pm UTC

The "I miss you!" scream at about 6:40 in Good Morning, Captain by Slint

by **Aleril** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:00 am UTC

At about :40 into "The Arm" by Islands, when the song just bursts into full-on drums, guitar, and strings.

Goosebumps. I get them.

by **SirMustapha** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:46 am UTC

Maseiken wrote:It's the piece that makes me ACHE to learn the Piano, in the same way Hybrid Rainbow makes me ACHE to be a Vocalist in a band...
And Japanese.

Funny, because the ONE piece that I'd really, really, really be able to play on the piano is his sonata 21, in particular the main section of the closing Rondó. The first time I heard the pianist playing a devilishly tricky left hand part, a majestically simple theme on the left hand AND a constant two-note trill, I couldn't help but wonder "fuck, just HOW does he do that?".

Also piano related, one of the "perfect" moments is the finale of Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2 -- but not just any rendition, no. I'm talking about the ending of The Cat Concerto Tom & Jerry cartoon. It's pretty much a catharsis.

by **uknowurright9** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:25 am UTC

classical - the first 3 beats of rachmaninoff's prelude in c# minor OR the fading "mysterious" ending of the fantasie-impromptu by chopin
other music - the fade in and out at the beginning and end of the end by the doors or jim morrison screaming WE WANT THE WORLD AND WE WANT IT NOW! in when the music's over (favorite doors song) OR the ending of a whole child ago by biffy clyro

by **Wardial3r** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:33 am UTC

Something Corporate makes me ache to play piano.

The breakdown in Hurricane is to die for.

2:16-2:52 is just amazing. So is most of his work.

Can't find a youtube, so here's a last.fm.

Something Corporate - Hurricane

by **mickyj300x** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 6:43 am UTC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXXSO_YS ... re=related
This Alkan Sonatine, from about 2:00 to 2:06 almost made me laugh out loud.

by **Mulus** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:06 am UTC

Haven't looked through the thread to see if these have been posted. But two of my favorites:

Bono does that whole Apartheid speech, then

Bono wrote: Am I bugging you? I don't mean to bug ya. Okay Egde, play the blues

Then Edge goes into a sick riff. (From Silver and Gold off of Rattle and Hum).

Also, the part in The National Anthem by Radiohead where everything starts to get crazy and the horns keep getting more and more intense until finally it becomes too much and the song breaks down. Awesome.

by **quartrmster007** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 12:34 am UTC

Haven't checked for this, but basically the entire song "High Hopes" by Pink Floyd

every time I listen to it, once the guitar solo/outro kicks in, I get a chill up my spine. David Gilmour knows how to play lap steel.

"...the water flowing, the endless river, for ever and ev...er" *instant chill*

by **Goatboy** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:47 pm UTC

I was just listening to "Goodbye Sky Harbour" by Jimmy Eat World, and I love love love when, during the huge extended outro the guitars drop out, the bass drops out, and it's just these vocal bits and some light drumming and you think it's about over, but then these electronics drums come in and it keeps going for another five minutes or something. I love it.

by **Thailer** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:40 am UTC

I always love Story of a Girl. Every time the chorus goes, "This is the story of a girl," girl falls on the downbeat except for the last time when it comes a half second later on the up beat. I love that.

by **a386** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:11 pm UTC

Goatboy wrote:I was just listening to "Goodbye Sky Harbour" by Jimmy Eat World, and I love love love when, during the huge extended outro the guitars drop out, the bass drops out, and it's just these vocal bits and some light drumming and you think it's about over, but then these electronics drums come in and it keeps going for another five minutes or something. I love it.

mmm yes what a good song.
The second-drums come as such a surprise! It's exhilarating.

by **Orsa** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:24 pm UTC

I haven't read through the whole thread but...

LIKE A BRIIIIIDGE, OVER TROUBLED WAAATER... I WILL EEEAASE YOUR MIIIIIIIIND.

Perfect song as a whole. Bridge over Troubled Water- Simon and Garfunkel.

by **charliepanayi** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:56 pm UTC

Let's Call It Love - Sleater-Kinney

Around the 4:00 mark I think, when Corin Tucker virtually howls the title of the song. Also the end of the song as it segues into the album's final track 'Night Light'.

by **qwefjz** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:35 pm UTC

Only Skin - Joanna Newsom

All 17 fucking minutes of it.

Seriously, listen.

Louder.

Website · by **CJTnoir** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:28 am UTC

Sir_Elderberry wrote:Two moments in Decemberists songs stand out to me, for some reason, I couldn't explain why:

2) I Don't Mind:
"And when the stage lights dimmed on the fading scrim
It was morning before the cheering died
Is it too late to tell you that I don't mind?"

Oh, gosh, yes, the Decemberists. I could probably list a bunch by them.
The wholes of The Gymnast, High Above the Ground (too bad there are no quality videos of that song), Cocoon (even fewer videos for that) and Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect.
The lyrics to Here I Dreamt...:

-Letting the Cables Sleep by Bush. 2:02, where the instruments drop out completely and there's a moment of complete silence before the strings start up again.
-Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. The one lone low note at 0:59 sets the emotion of the whole song for me. And the one high note at 2:22, after a huge build-up/release... That makes me cry a good 60% of the time.
-The whole end of I Can't Tell You Why by the Eagles, starting at 3:10.
-Lately, I've been fond of Clarity by John Mayer, the parts at 1:22 and 3:20, where it stops being poppy and gets a little more soulful.

I have too many perfect moments, I'll stop myself here.

by **OmegaLordX** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:02 pm UTC

Guitar Hero - Amanda Palmer. It's all so wonderful.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x77zq7 ... hero_music
Also, seconding ANY Decemberists stuff, because everything they do is win. (Also their new album is streamable now)

by **Jengajam2** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 7:49 pm UTC

Kansas - Icarus (Borne on Wings of Steel) - 2:39 to 2:43
Thomas Dolby - Airwaves - 0:45 to 1:01
Gary Numan - Are Friends Electric? - 1:22 to 1:32
Bob Segar - Mainstreet - 0:00 to 0:13
Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue - 3:20 to 3:33
Dion & The Belmonts - Abraham, Martin, and John - 0:22 to 0:48
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - 0:50 to 1:37
The Hues Corporation - Rock The Boat 0:51 to 1:27
...and the chorus to "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles

by **Angelene** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:35 pm UTC

someguy wrote:I hope no-one's posted this one (a quick search turned up nothing.)

The part in Cat Power's 'Metal Heart' (original version from Moon Pix) where she works in the line from 'Amazing Grace' and one of the doubled vocals soars for a split second... that's neck-hairs-on-end time for me, every time.

oh my goodness yes, this, this is actually one of the first songs that came to mind when I saw the topic, although I think I actually prefer the Jukebox version, for some reason where she sings blue smoke...

also, whoever said Joanna Newsom, heavens but that album saved my life.

some of my favourite songs are those that build and build to these almost orgasmic climaxes

dirty three has an epic example of that with authentic celestial music, it's almost an uncertainty that the song will ever reach the promised peak in that it just seems to escalate and by the last few minutes it becomes difficult to breath until the crashing crescendos and the relief is just...tis sex dear

by **Stabologist** » Sat Apr 11, 2009 10:01 pm UTC

In Streetlight Manifesto's "Point/counterpoint", when the horns and drums build up to the chorus.

by **Macbi** » Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:56 am UTC

Nina Simone's Sinnerman from 4:24 to 5:40 (the clapping bit) (from 4:19 here)

Bobbias wrote:1:03 to 2:03 or so and 2:19 to 2:21 are probably my favourite moments in funtwo's canon.

by **taavi2302** » Wed Apr 15, 2009 9:36 am UTC

Created an account just to post in this thread.

My recommendation to anyone with tough enough "musical nerves" to be able to listen to metal: Opeth - Bleak (live from Roundhouse Tapes). The first three minutes feature growling vocals accompanied by slow, heavy and slightly Eastern-sounding metal, but then it suddenly moves to beautiful clean vocals, goes through several shifts, from fast and hard to soft and quiet, until one particularly slow and quiet section is followed by 30 secs of absolutely intense metal riffing (since 5:38), restless yet powerful, that suddenly "blooms" into this wonderful bluesy section (6:16), with every instrument suddenly bursting in its own direction, each on their own respective path but still combining to create a wonderful synergy, before coming together again to a more traditional metal riffing, itself reinforced by the memory of all the movements that have come before and all that the song has been; in the end, you're wondering, "how did this song get HERE?", yet, at the moments during which this happens, you don't notice it, because it flows so seamlessly and naturally.

Seriously. I've been watching it several times each day for weeks now.

by **The Rumpled Academic** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 2:51 am UTC

qwefjz wrote:Only Skin - Joanna Newsom

All 17 fucking minutes of it.

Seriously, listen.

Louder.

Agreed. To narrow it down a little, though, the part beginning at 3:14 where the strings fade away and she sings "press on me, we are restless things" chills the marrow of my bones every time...

Or wait! The transition at 9:51! Building to the trumpets at 9:59! It's like falling up a rabbithole!

Or maybe it's all about 12:42, with the second glowing iteration of "stoke without sound / the blameless flames"...

Yeah, all right. All of it.

by **charliepanayi** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 8:32 am UTC

The Rumpled Academic wrote:
qwefjz wrote:Only Skin - Joanna Newsom

All 17 fucking minutes of it.

Seriously, listen.

Louder.

Agreed. To narrow it down a little, though, the part beginning at 3:14 where the strings fade away and she sings "press on me, we are restless things" chills the marrow of my bones every time...

Or wait! The transition at 9:51! Building to the trumpets at 9:59! It's like falling up a rabbithole!

Or maybe it's all about 12:42, with the second glowing iteration of "stoke without sound / the blameless flames"...

Yeah, all right. All of it.

I'd put forward the bit where Bill Callahan starts singing as one such moment too.

by **mysticRight** » Fri Apr 17, 2009 3:25 pm UTC

311 - Applied Science.

Half way through the song after Chad takes his drum solo, then the guitars kick back in and Nick sings "Electricity running through is all that feels good..."
This is especially powerful during a live performance when the drum solo is extended for a few minutes and you kinda forget what song you are listening to. Then the beat and flow of the song re-enters your body and the lyrics parallel exactly what youre feeling at the time.

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