2012 has started at the same amazing pace as 2011 for Scala & Kolacny Brothers, with a tour of Northern Spain, dates in Belgium, Germany, Italy and Ireland, an upcoming trip to Korea as well as TV appearances at ITV's Dancing On Ice (UK) and at the famous San Remo Festival... But 2011 was the breakout year for Scala & Kolacny Brothers as they conquered the United States and Canada with a major tour, in support of their first North American CD release, including headlining stages at SXSW and Coachella. This success was immediately followed by a first record release in the U.K., a sold out show at London's Union Chapel in June and a triumphant “special guest” performance at the Latitude Festival, where they played the prestigious Sunday noon slot. In June the group headlined at the Heineken Dia De La Musica in Madrid, in November the album ‘Scala & Kolacny Brothers’ was released in Italy, where it immediately hit the top 10 (!) and in December the group returned to 4 sold out shows in Berlin, as well as a Radio Eins very special-alternative-Christmas-songs special. 2011 has brought Scala & Kolacny Brothers the status of international phenomenon and it all seemed to start with a simple email.
When the email arrived in May 2010, the Kolacny brothers thought it was some kind of joke. “Yeah”, the brothers thought, “right.” But the request was genuine. And the film turned out to be The Social Network. It transpired that the director, David Fincher, is a huge fan.
The song in question is a hauntingly beautiful acoustic reworking of Radiohead¹s Creep. In July 2010, two months after the brothers received the email, the Social Network trailer was released. The powerful music was center stage, heightening a growing sense of unease like a chorus of fallen angels.
Like the film itself, the trailer has been a huge global hit more than 250m people have seen in the Cinema, on TV or online. Thanks in part to the subsequent buzz on social media, traffic to the brothers’ website went through the roof: their interpretation of Creep is an internet phenomenon, watched in various forms well over 25m times.
A record-label bidding war erupted in America but the brothers chose to sign with Atco, a subsidiary of Warner, with whom they had been negotiating. They released an eponymous album in in the US in March in the US and in the UK and most of the rest of Europe - 6 June 2011 (on Wall Of Sound). Italy followed in November of this year and the album was re-released in December in the UK, with two additional titles. In 2011 Scala & Kolacny Brothers also released 2 acclaimed video clips, for their versions of Use Somebody (directed by Inti Calfat) and Everlong (directed by Mark Woollen, who also directed the The Social Network trailer).
In September Scala & Kolacny Brother’s version of U2’s With Or Without You, was featured in the trailer for Season 2 of the British hit drama series Downton Abbey (broadcast in the USA on PBS where Scala & Kolacny Brothers also have their new special ‘Live From Bruges’ airing from December). And in December Scala’s version of Last Christmas was used in the trailer for the Downton Abbey Christmas special, while the group performed at Downton Abbey’s VIP Christmas special launch party in London.
But even with numerous TV shows (including 'the Simpsons'!) using Scala & Kolacny Brother’s music in 2011, it was the Social Network trailer which shone a spotlight on the unique musical project that is Scala & Kolacny Brothers an indie-rock choir, comprising of the two Kolacny brothers, Steven and Stijn, and Scala, their all-girl choir. Steven plays the piano, Stijn conducts the choir. The brothers usually work with 20-30 singers, aged 16-26, at a time, but these days have more than 200 girls on their books, ensuring plenty of cover for their increasingly busy schedule.
Scala & Kolacny Brothers take rock and indie songs and reinvent them as elegiac hymns to breathtaking effect with the piano often the sole accompaniment to the voices. On occasion they also use drum machines, sequencers and synthesizers, and also often perform with a full rock band.
The new album includes versions of Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana), Champagne Supernova (Oasis), With or Without You (U2), Use Somebody (Kings of Leon), Everlong (Foo Fighters) and more. Creep also features, as do three original compositions Seashell, Masquerade and Our Last Fight.
Rock and indie music works best because “the beating heart of the songs is often very black and very emotional, and the female voices of the choir add a certain melancholic touch”, says Stijn. “Sometimes they bring out whole new dimensions in the songs our version of Nothing Else Matters could be
classical music; its sound is nothing to do with Metallica anymore.” Other influences range from Sigur Ros to Nirvana and include the dark electro-pop of Goldfrapp and Depeche Mode, and the brooding mini-symphonies of Massive Attack.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Scala & Kolacny Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over bored and self assured
Oh no, I know a dirty word
Hello, hello, hello, how low? (x3)
Hello, hello, hello!
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yay! (x3)
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
Hello, hello, hello, how low? (x3)
Hello, hello, hello!
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My Libido
Yay! (x3)
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, nevermind
Hello, hello, hello, how low? (x3)
Hello, hello, hello!
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
A denial !! (x9)
The lyrics to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Scala & Kolacny Brothers revolve around a feeling of teenage rebellion against society's norms and conventions. The opening lines "Load up on guns and bring your friends, it's fun to lose and to pretend" express the desire to rebel against the established order and the boredom of conforming to societal expectations. The next lines, "She's over-bored and self-assured, Oh no, I know a dirty word" shows the singer's lack of concern for social propriety and the thrill of pushing boundaries. The song also touches on the angst and insecurity of adolescence in lines such as "I'm worse at what I do best, and for this gift I feel blessed."
The chorus of the song, "With the lights out, it's less dangerous, here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us," highlights the nihilistic nature of the song and reflects the disillusionment and boredom of youth culture. The repeated phrase "Hello, hello, hello, how low?" is thought to have been inspired by a habit of lead singer Kurt Cobain's to greet musicians with "Hello, hello" in a low voice.
The iconic line "A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido" is open to many interpretations, some believe it to be a commentary on the diversity of human race, while others think it is a nod to the animalistic nature of humanity. The song ends with the repetition of "a denial" nine times, signaling a rejection of authority.
Line by Line Meaning
Load up on guns and bring your friends
Get prepared for any challenge and bring along those close to you for support
It's fun to lose and to pretend
Sometimes it's enjoyable to let loose and play pretend
She's over bored and self-assured
She's thoroughly uninterested and confident
Oh no, I know a dirty word
Oops, I used a naughty word
Hello, hello, hello, how low? (x3)
Hello, hello, hello!
Greetings, how are you feeling? (repeated multiple times)
With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
In the dark, things are less risky; we're here, entertain us. I feel foolish and infectious; we're here, entertain us
A mulatto
An albino
A mosquito
My libido
Yay! (x3)
A mix of races, a pale creature, a blood-sucking pest, and my sexual drive; yay! (repeated multiple times)
I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift, I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end
I'm terrible at what I excel in, but I feel grateful for this talent. Our small community has been constant throughout time and will continue to be
And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it was hard to find
Oh well, whatever, nevermind
I can't recall why I enjoy this flavor, but it brings a smile. I struggled to locate it, whatever, nevermind
A denial !! (x9)
An emphatic, repeated denial (repeated multiple times)
Contributed by Alexander T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
iRate Doran
This is my favourite cover of this song by far. Subtle. Creative. So different to the original and yet somehow so true to its essence / meaning. The eerie subtle atmosphere and desperation...wow...
It inspire me to write my own (but obviously inferior) look back to my teenage years with 'Smells Like Sitting Here' (https://soundcloud.com/irate-doran/smells-like-sitting-here-homage-to-dizzee-rascal-and-niverna-in-one-song-by-irate-feminist-electronic-musician) - my homage to Dizzee Rascal (whose album 'Boy in da Corner' was just brilliant in its ability to describe growing up in East London) and Niverna.
Solidarity
iRate
irateirate.com
https://soundcloud.com/irate-doran/smells-like-sitting-here-homage-to-dizzee-rascal-and-niverna-in-one-song-by-irate-feminist-electronic-musician
Jeff Cantrell
Hearing the lyrics in this version really makes the song a lot more depressing.. And it makes sense. The song, which is largely popular, is kind of fast and has an almost upbeat overtone, but when you slow it down and listen to the words, it's maddening. Cobain said that he hated that he always had to play this song at every show. Think about it, you write a song conveying all the pain and anguish you feel inside, and people latch onto it for all the wrong reason. It became something commercial, something that cobain hated. Truly a song influenced by immense pain
Florent Del Grande
Exactly !!
The Casual ATV Guy
I caught it un the original. I still feel they offed Kurt. You seem him doing an aarp tour like everclear? Lol
La mite en pullover
Votre réflexion est magnifique. L'artiste qui monnaie sa souffrance est dans des ténèbres
wonderland78
It's like... this song is the genuine pain behind the original, once the anger has finished.
nashu2k
+wonderland78 dammit man, it's almost 25 years later... and the - then - enthusiastic 11 y'old is now all done with the anger part...
Ryan Mitchell
Wish Kurt could hear this version. This made my hair stand up. Emotional anyone ?? Lol
Louie Gallo
Seriously. Spot on.
Johan Bouduin
Couldn't describe it any better
lokomotir
Damn right