OK, I’ve featured songs from video games, and covers. What’s the next category? I know! Anime!

Song of the Week: Deja Vu from Initial D

If you are a seasoned memes-man, you will recognize this song from various videos of cars going sideways. The reason for this silliness is Initial D, an anime about drifting. I haven’t watched much of it, but I have it on good authority that cars go sideways and overall, it’s pretty entertaining.

This song isn’t the best song in the world, nor is it a tribute. However, it does serve an important purpose. Studies have actually shown that listening to faster music can lead to improved mood. There is a limit, of course. Don’t crank every song’s speed up to 11. But the Eurobeat style is very quick, with a percussion track that keeps the pace up.

If you’re feeling down, find yourself some faster music. The Initial D soundtrack is a good place to start, as are the works of Archie and nanobii. I’m also partial to Shawn Wasabi.

It’s time for another song from a video game that makes me want to bang my head, but this time, it’s from a video game event: the League of Legends World Championship.

Song of the Week: Legends Never Die ft. Against the Current

I normally have a lot to say about why this song is good. This time, it’s pretty simple: it feels momentous. The verses build to the chorus, and the chorus rocks through to each verse and bridge. The lead-up to the chorus makes me throw my head back and sing to the sky. Be careful of spontaneous headbanging while driving or walking.

OK, I can find a little to talk about. Of the major eSports games (LoL, DOTA 2, CS:GO, Starcraft, various fighting games), no other game has the kind of musical extras that League of Legends has. (I am aware of Elder Tauren Chieftain, but they are primarily for World of Warcraft.) Getting songs commissioned for use at world championships is not terribly new, but their other work is stellar. Tune in on other Songs of the Week (probably) for:

• What sounds like the backing music for a diss track, except it’s got manatee noises
• The heaviest metal
• A really sad song about a mummy that still gives me the goosebumps
• A song so manly, your mustache will grow a mustache

Each of these songs was created either for a trailer for upcoming content, or because they have taken a joke to the best extreme (this is where Elder Tauren Chieftain comparisons can be made).

I promise this song isn’t a cover. This song makes me want to bang my head and motivates me to get stuff done.

Song of the Week: The Instinct by Mick Gordon

The first Killer Instinct was a video game from back in the days of Nintendo 64. It was known for having crazy combos (for the non-gamers, that’s when your character punches the other character a lot without them being able to stop you) and for its great music. Killer Instinct was made by Rare, whose other games included Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, and Battletoads, all of which had great music.

Fast-forward to 2013. Rare, previously a publisher for Nintendo, had been bought by Microsoft and released some real stinkers. Even their venerable series Banjo-Kazooie had been tainted by a new released. When they announced a new Killer Instinct, people were cautiously optimistic. And then the music hit.

This is a modification of the original song from 1994, like a different movement of the same melody. The composer, Mick Gordon, has worked on other major video game releases, like the new DOOM and Wolfenstein games. One of these weeks, I’ll feature a song from DOOM, I’m sure.

Gordon’s compositions would grace Killer Instinct’s stages for the first two “seasons”, or major content groups. By the third season, for whatever reason, he left to work on other projects (probably DOOM, which is a fine choice). Composing duties were given to Celldweller and Atlas Plug, who are both really good composers and I don’t have time to get into them right now. You’ll definitely be hearing a song from them eventually.

Many of my Songs of the Week will be instrumental. Instrumental music is rarely offensive to people’s sensibilities, is easy to play in the background while working, and most importantly, won’t get you into too much trouble at work. (Warning: I will not vouch for you if your boss catches you listening to music at work.) This week, however, I have to highlight a song that gives me goosebumps every time I hear it because I want to sing along and feel the emotion all over again.

Song of the Week: Sound of Silence by Disturbed

(I had to stop writing here because I pulled up the YouTube video and had to sing along with it. Back in a few.)

Those of you who read my introductory post (or who went back in the archives) will notice that this is the second cover of a song in a row. First two SotW posts, two covers. I enjoy covers because they allow for unique takes on established songs, combining the past with the present.

Once you’ve gotten past that, you may have also noticed that this cover is by Disturbed, famous for songs like Down with the Sickness, a favorite of mine during the rebellious teenage years. This song sounds nothing like their other popular songs. When I first heard it, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the heavy metal to kick in, but it never did. They had a vision for this song, and they followed it through.

Paul Simon, of Simon and Garfunkel who originally performed this song, has given his blessing to this cover. It’s Disturbed highest ranked song on the mainstream top music charts, and has easily the most views of any of their music videos on YouTube. Give it a listen, and hear how a metal band pays homage to the musicians of the past.