Black Box Recorder

England Made Me4’00”

I trapped a spider underneath the glass

I kept it for a week to see how long he last
He stared right back of me
He thought that he could win
We played the waiting game
He thought that I give in
England made me
I had a dream last night, that I was drunk
I killed the stranger, and left him in a trunk
In Brighton railway station
It was an unsolved case
A famous murder mystery
People love mystery
I need my privacy, I lead a secret life
Sleep with the enemy, and betray both sides
I travelled all my life, but never got away
From the killing jar, and it got me sick

Hut旗下的著名低调乐队The Auteurs的灵魂及前卫人物Luke Haines与两个毕业于戏剧学院的年轻人Sarah和John组建了这支玩票式乐队Black Box Recorder。Luke在音乐表层上不知不觉地陷入一种微妙、细腻、蜜糖般沉着文静的情趣中去，而更多的原因在于两个临时“演员”——John唯美而保守的和谐吉他点弦与Sarah沉闷疲倦、冷静得有些骇人并固袭默守的嗓音所赋予的特性，这亦是标准英式的对于沉着从容而易使人心迷神乱的情节的酿造，厌世并避世的幽雅的童话故事。这是一部献给麻木灵魂的凄美的安魂曲，对被现代物质破坏并扭曲的童真精心布置的一场豪华的守丧。它有计划地去保持一种对毁灭的感怀，在他的第一首单曲“child psychology”这个眩晕的音乐旋涡里，歌词里面充满了一种病态的厌倦。而当我们听到Sarsh的声音时，不觉得里面有什么不满，反而像是她在平静的讲述自己。这是一种梳理，完全的自我，就像我们梳理自己的思绪。BBR擅长运用他们的无所谓来表达自己的音乐。尽管对生活有太多不满，只反复的念着“Life is unfair, kill yourself or get over it”。封闭的内心，迟疑的感情，不再纯真的纯真孩子，成了这张专辑里唱出的东西。bbr阐明了你我的处境并提供了选择：在黑暗中腐烂，或在黑暗中化碟。

Radiohead

Subterranean Homesick Alien4’27”

The breath of the morning, I keep forgetting
The smell of the warm summer air.
I live in a town where you can’t smell a thing,
You watch your feet, for cracks in the pavement.
Up above, aliens hover
Making home movies for the folks back home.
Of all these weird creatures who lock up their spirits, Drill holes in themselves and live for their secrets.
They’re all…Uptight.
I wish that they’d swoop down, in a country lane, Late at night when I’m driving.
Take me onboard their beautiful ship,

show me the world as I’d love to see it.
I’d tell all my friends but they’d never believe me
They’d think that I’d finally lost it completely.
I’d show them the stars, and the meaning of life.
They’d shut me away, but I’d be alright.

每次，当世界的某个角落因战争而悲泣的时候，总有这样一些人会站出来，为此忏悔。

Muse

Sing For Absolution4’54”

Lips are turning blue, a kiss that can’t renew
I only dream of you, my beautiful
Tip toe to your room, a starlight in the gloom
I only dream of you, and you never knew
Sing for absolution, I will be singing
And falling from your grace
There’s no where left to hide, in no one to confide
The truth burns deep inside and will never die
Now wrongs remain unrectified
And our souls won’t be exhumed

Mono

Life In Mono4’27”

The stranger sang a theme

From someone else’s dream

The leaves began to fall, and no one spoke at all

But I can’t seem to recall, when you came along

Ingenue, I just don’t know what to do

The tree-lined avenue, begins to fade from view

Drowning past regrets, in tea and cigarettes

But I can’t seem to forget, when you came along

受到CoolJazz、60年代的流行音乐和经典电影原声配乐影响，TRIP-HOP风格的2人组合Mono由歌手SiobhanDeMare和制作人MartinVirgo于1996年在伦敦成立。在这之前MartinVirgo曾经是NelleeHooper’s制作室的成员之一，曾经制作过MassiveAttack的“UnfinishedSympathy”和其它一些如BJork的Debut。Virgo和DeMare在1996年中期，制作了LifeInMono的唱片。在这之后，他们出版了他们的首张专辑FormicaBlues，这是一张惊人的新鲜的处女作品。Virgo的做曲为FormicaBlues添加了深度，而歌手Siobhandemare的喘息式的唱风则更使这张专集显的精彩。

The Tears

Refugees2’51”

You are the dust and I am the rain

Lets go out in the rust and

Let’s gather the change

Let’s take to the streets

You and I we’re life’s refugees

But like Bonnie and Clyde we’re free

Don’t say there’s nothing between us

You stain the pavements, I’ll take the blame

Our love is our saviour, our life is our grave

‘Cause we’re all refugees

And we’re all drifting like leaves

But like Bonnie and Clyde we’re free

Don’t say there’s nothing between us

We’ll live for the sunshine

And smile through the rain

So let’s take to the streets

You and I compete with the freaks

And like Bonnie and Clyde we’re free

Don’t say there’s nothing between us

Well there’s nothing between us

Well there’s nothing between us

问我这样的乐迷为什么喜欢The Tears，最可能的原因，不外乎Suede情意結作祟。是情意結令我们注定要聽The Tears。當年這種曇花一現的美妙樂風，想不到在差不多十年後的今天，才完全成形。Refugees的歌詞彷彿就是The Wild Ones的下集。「如果你願意留下來，我倆將會是狂野的一對。」他卻選擇離去。多年來風雨飄搖的日子，彷如難民般流離；可最終，他倆還是再次走在一起，Like Bonnie & Cylde we’re free。這是重拾自由、彼此尊重的可貴。The Tears的專輯，就如碟名Here Comes The Tears一樣，簡單直接，一份輕盈浪漫的感覺，游走在專輯內每個角落。Bernard的電結他彈奏依然是那麼無出其右，絕對可媲美最早期Suede的辛辣，卻多了一份揮灑自如。我們絕不能要求已屆中年的Brett及Bernard再玩出So Young那種只屬於年輕的沉溺、自憐。但一樣可以充滿生命力。

Travis

Love Will Come Through3’40”

If I told you a secret, you won’t tell a soul
Will you hold it and keep it alive
Cause it’s burning a hole, and I can’t get to sleep
And I can’t live alone in this life
So look up, take it away
Don’t look da-da-da-down the mountain
If the world isn’t turning, our heart won’t return
Anyone, anything, anyhow
So take me, don’t leave me
Baby, love will come through

It’s just waiting for you
And you stand at the crossroads
Of highroads and lowroads
And I’ve got a feeling, it’s right
If it’s real what I’m feeling

There’s no make believing
The sound of the wings of the flight
Of a dove, take it away
Don’t look da-da-da-down the mountain

很多年以前，听过一首歌，确切地将应该叫做“看过”，Sting的Englishman in New York，那时候对流行歌曲的了解非常少，对欧美音乐更是一无所知。曾经以为所谓的流行歌曲都是情歌，后来才知道，除去情歌，更多人在唱着更切合实际的声音，比如这样一首描写游子心情的歌，当中说：

I don’t drink coffee I’ll take tea my dear
I like my toast done on one side
As you can hear it in my accent when I talk
I’m an Englishman in New York
See me walking down Fifth Avenue
A walking cane here at my side
I take it everywhere I walk
I’m an Englishman in New York
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
If "manners maketh man" as someone said
Then he’s the hero of the day
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say
I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien
I’m an Englishman in New York
Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety
You could end up as the only one
Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society
At night a candle’s brighter than the sun
Takes more than combat gear to make a man
Takes more than license for a gun
Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can
A gentleman will walk but never run
其实，英国是个盛产流行偶像的唱片大国，他们可以把全英音乐奖的终身成就奖授予艳俗的Spice Girls，也可以从一年年的全英音乐奖中走出Coldplay, The Darkness，这个国家见证过工党支持者Oasis的大红大紫，也欣赏过Massive Attack等诸多乐队的反战举动。对听众来说，这样一个保守与激进并存的国度，只要不断有一个个鲜活的声音出现给人带来快乐或痛苦，就足够安慰。Just be yourself no matter what they say。