"Hold the Line" by Major Lazer from the album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do. 2009.
Oh man, do I like this group. I had a tough time whittling down which specific tune to feature-- all the songs I've heard have their own distinct kick to make it interesting. "Hold the Line" might define the band best, though, especially when tied to its music video. So sorry, Toto, the title's not in Kansas anymore.
The reggae dance-hall sound that pulses here paints just one side of the marvelous Lazer fuzzy dice. This humorously titled album rolls a Yahtzee with the thumping "Anything Goes," grooving "Cash Flow," jazzing (and comedic!) "Mary Jane," and finally electropopping "Keep It Goin' Louder." And I don't mean last-turn, 3rd-attempt, 4-dice-saved-up Yahtzee scavenge. I'm talkin' a right-out-the-barrel, still-unused-Chance-slot, double-points bonus Yahtzee game clincher. But who plays Yahtzee anymore? The fact stands that great songs build a great album. Besides, it's about time someone gave the Gorillaz a run for their money.
"Wait, what? The Gorillaz? Where did that come from?" Wellwellwell. You likely know that the Gorillaz are a 'virtual band.' Essentially, this translates as the band members being cartoon characters. Literally. All promotional and 'public' appearances consist of the animations doing their thing. There's a whole slew of character development and a storied history has grown throughout the years. I can't say I know much about it, but through the music video of "El Mañana" I gather that the character Noodle has some mystery surrounding a possible death. That doesn't tend to happen to real-life band members very often, so the benefit arises how fantastical the drawn band-mates' dash through music history can run. Of course, having a floating island powered by a windmill helps that fantastical element. It just can't compete with Major Lazer's fantasy.
Now, if you couldn't figure out the purpose of the virtual-band-blather, Major Lazer also lives in Cartoonland. Extraneous use of the letter 'z' aside, that's about where the similarities end between the two. The Gorillaz have only one permanent 'real-life' member behind the music (guests tend to fill in for any extra roles). Major Lazer, instead, has two DJ-producer types collaborating on the music, and bring in featured artists on a track-by-track basis. The genres obviously differ, though both groups try mixing different styles and elements to create a uniqueness amongst every track. "Keep It Goin' Louder" coddles the mainstream market quite gently, but not even the most pop-sounding Gorillaz number fits comfortably with other top 40 slush. Of course, "Feel Good, Inc." hit the most popularity, but I'd venture the Soulchild Remix of "19-2000" has the best fit mainstream aura about it (at least for the 2001 era it spawned in).
The big shaker on the seesaw lies in that fantasy I mentioned that each band creates. While the Gorillaz' music videos are an absolute joy to watch, I have to give Major Lazer the point in story. I know I admitted a slim working knowledge of the G's timeline, but just listen to the premise of ML. In 1984, a secret war against zombies occurred. Jamaican commando Major Lazer lost his arm fighting in the battles, but received a giant laser for a prosthetic limb courtesy of the U.S. military. Now he fights the evil of the universe as a gun-for-hire (or shall I say laser-for-hire?) under the guise of a Trinidad nightclub owner. And when I say evil, I don't mean inhumane dictators or something. I'm talking vampires, monsters, and zombie survivors. He produces dancehall, reggae, and pop tracks as a cover for his butt-kicking of malicious creatures, all upon a rocket-powered hoverboard. Perhaps you roll your eyes at how ridiculous this all sounds, but the yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree package is this: None of it is taken seriously! It's over-the-top on purpose, and man is it fantastic! Even the animation gets amazingly rendered in that choppy 1980's cartoon style. The featured "Hold the Line" demonstrates how all of this blends together so splendidly. You can see the supernatural villains, including mummies and vamp-driven-tanks, and the muscular Major Lazer blasting his way above it all. The album title "Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do" should give a bit of an idea of the tone too. As it turns out, Cartoon Network has picked up the whole idea for an actual TV series. Now, that I would watch!
But hey, it's Song of the Week. Let's talk about the song. It begins with a Spaghetti Western guitar drawl before the quickdraw of a "MAJOR LAZER!" echo that pierces across the landscape. Real quick, I have to mention how that moniker makes for a great shout-out- something so common in this sector of the musical pie chart. I mean, Ludacris shouts "LUDA!" for his signature, 50 Cent has his "FIFTY!" call... even producer RedOne throws a "RED ONE!" around in this manner. But these cannot compete with "MAJOR LAZER!" They sound jokey in comparison! Anyway, once the almost surf-music bassline kicks in, the song takes off with Jamaican accented rap. While not much can be called 'fancy' or 'in-depth' here, the driving sound and heavy rhythms make for a bobbing pleasure. Fun number, but I do suggest checking out the rest of the album. If "Hold the Line" doesn't line with your style, a different track no doubt will.
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