If you were lucky enough to read my blog during the early days in 2006, you would have witnessed a fantastic interview with a little known band called Los Campesinos! - Gareth, Neil and Harriet are officially denoted the best members of the band, of course. That interview went so well [Read here] and the band have gone onto reasonably big things (like appearing on Soccer AM), I haven't felt the need to do another interview since. Until now.
Like LC!, London three-piece White Lies are building up hype and have big things ahead of them. Having dissolved their previous post-punky meets art-rock style outfit Fear Of Flying (who I saw many times, even in their first incarnation as The Flow back in 2004!), they've undergone an intriguing metamorphosis into bleakness, reliving some of the best melancholic bands of the Eighties. So I thought I'd better sneak an interview early before they tire of such frivolous ventures. Here's what Jack LB, White Lies drummer and London clubnight promoter had to say.
Who are White Lies?
White Lies is Harry McVeigh on vocals and guitar, Charles Cave on bass and myself Jack Brown on drums. Collectively we write and record everything as a 3 piece. Tommy [formerly of the now defunct Mumm-ra] is an essential live addition which allows us to push our live performance.
Why 'White Lies' as a band name? Presumably not after the Paul Van Dyk song?
White Lies was something that came to us without ever listening to Paul Van Dyk. There is no one reason for the name. It's something we all agreed on, and it has a dark tone to it, so it sits well with our music.
How did you get involved with James Sandom (Kaiser Chiefs manager) and Supervision Management?
James got in touch with us after hearing 'Unfinished Business'. He is vastly experienced and shared our vision of what White Lies should be about and where we want to go.
Considering the recent FOALS backlash, are you concerned about being a buzz band?
Although our name has been going around a fair bit, I think we are still a fairly unknown quantity. We're starting to pick up press and radio coverage but we have no internet following compared to some buzz bands. Most people have heard 2 or 3 of our tracks at most, so we still offer a lot more to come. We are developing completely naturally as a result. The buzz won't matter if we succeed in doing what we want to do as a band.
'Unfinished Business' is the debut single out on April 28th. Why was that chosen as the first offering?
'Unfinished Business' is song which includes all the important factors relating to our music. It's a track which covers what we want to do sonically as well as musically. We all feel its a strong first statement to make.
The single's being released on Chess Club Recordings [link], an extension of your clubnight, will we be seeing more singles out on that label?
Chess Club is my label and night that I run with people outside White Lies, so it's not really attached to White Lies in any other way. Chess Club has lots more exciting releases planned for summer, but I can't really tell you who yet as some of it is TBC. All exciting new music from many different genres though.
After a bit of an A&R battle, White Lies recently signed to Fiction Records. Why Fiction?
Jim Chancellor who runs Fiction is the most passionate man in the music industry - that's a fact - and to have him A & R our records is a huge compliment. The whole Fiction team has a very inventive and focused approach to each artist. It's a small team and they will help us build a career that's tailored to our needs. And as a band you can't ask for more than that.
Will you be working with Stephen Street (producer of the two Fear Of Flying singles) on any future releases, such as the album?
There are no plans at the moment for us to work with Stephen. We will be recording the album with Ed Bueller [Suede and Pulp producer] and Max Dingel [mixed the final Fear Of Flying single and has engineered on albums by Muse, Weezer etc] co-producing.
Which band/s are you most looking forward to meeting or simply seeing play on the NME New Noise tour that you'll be heading off on soon?
The NME tour line up is a strange billing for us to be on. We stick out a bit on that bill, but we like a challenge. I'm looking forward to watching Crystal Castles, I hear they're deranged live.
You're playing a few festivals, which one are you most excited about playing and are there any others you'd like to perform at?
VISA permitting we will be doing some great shows this summer. But as the line ups aren't announced I probably shouldn't say too much. We are opening the main stage of Lollapalooza in chicago which is awesome. We will also be playing on a Japanese mountain, but you didn't hear that from me [their appearance at Fuji Rock Festival has since been confirmed]. We aren't doing Glasto this year so that's an aim for sure.
And that's your lot. White Lies are clearly an ambitious, revitalised band that have their own vision of success. I wouldn't bet against them surpassing those goals but it's still early days yet. Many thanks to Jack for taking the time to answer my questions, he's obviously a busy man!
'Unfinished Business' is out very soon on limited 7", stockists are listed [here].
on Friday, April 25, 2008
So Johnny Foreigner's debut album has leaked. They've had much love on this blog, and I was one of the first blogs to give them a mention back in early 2007. 'Waited Up 'Till It Was Light' is due out on June 2nd, preceded by the 'Eyes Wide Terrified' single in May (see embed vid below). Considering their repeated exposure on here, I think I'll go on a bit of a rant about album leaks rather than focusing on the band, for once.
Now, I imagine the band (and especially their record label, Best Before) won't be too happy about the leak. But do bands bring it upon themselves by sending out promo copies so early? Every album these days seems to leak - even The Raconteurs release which was basically thought to be leak-proof (no promo copies sent out, from recording to release in three weeks) but then iTunes buggered that one up for them. But even with the age of digital watermarking of promo copies, isn't it a bit ridiculous to send your album for review almost two months before it's out? Maybe it is necessary, and someone can shed the light on this process. I certainly have very little experience in marketing and musical press.
And then we have lots of internet people starting threads on messageboards saying how great the album is - do we consider these people as enthusastic, well-meaning fans or arrogant twats? Maybe a bit of both. No doubt anyone reading those threads will now try to procure the album illegally to hear what the fuss is about. Curiousity is an innate part of human nature. So is boasting.
Thankfully for Johnny Foreigner, the early reports seem to be positive. I can't imagine anything worse than having your album leaked early then universally hated. Then again, all but a couple of the album tracks are rejigged versions of previously recorded songs so if you were already a fan, you're almost bound to like it. Considering the immensely lo-fi production of the early days, that would have probably been the only concern. However, it appears that Machine (who has also produced Fall Out Boy, Lamb Of God and lots of other bands that sound nothing like JoFo) has done a sterling job. The album tracks appearing on MySpace are fantastically textured without being too crisp and overproduced.
The problem now is that I've highlighted the leak and am no better than those who do the same. But to actively leak an album? That must take some lack of moral fortitude or some misguided thinking. At least I'm the lesser evil.
Yet somewhat ironically, I have not heard the new album and while I could probably find it, I'm quite content to read how great it is and wait a little bit longer to hear it. I've been waiting for 15 months, I'm pretty sure I can last another one. Maybe they'll even bring the release date forward. To try to convince you to resist temptation, I've got radio session versions of two songs from the album (Lea Room has not popped up in demo form or otherwise till the leak) and download a zip of their 15-track demo giveaway album thingie via [Megaupload].
Johnny Foreigner are on a never ending tour of the UK, including festivals aplenty so if you have downloaded the album, I suggest you do the right thing and go see them asap. And then buy the album. And if you're yet to experience JoFo live, stand back and await the onslaught of awesomeness.
Just a quick couple of points - firstly, my third podcast bites the dust on May 20th so listen/download it now! Featuring Johnny Foreigner, Miracle Fortress, a brilliant Joy Division cover and other stuff, listen [here]. And secondly, I have an interview with the much talked about White Lies coming in the next post. They're already signed to a major label and playing festivals like Lollapalooza, even though they've only been going since late last year. Egad! I'm off to revise for my uni exams now, which start next week :(
Now, I imagine the band (and especially their record label, Best Before) won't be too happy about the leak. But do bands bring it upon themselves by sending out promo copies so early? Every album these days seems to leak - even The Raconteurs release which was basically thought to be leak-proof (no promo copies sent out, from recording to release in three weeks) but then iTunes buggered that one up for them. But even with the age of digital watermarking of promo copies, isn't it a bit ridiculous to send your album for review almost two months before it's out? Maybe it is necessary, and someone can shed the light on this process. I certainly have very little experience in marketing and musical press.
And then we have lots of internet people starting threads on messageboards saying how great the album is - do we consider these people as enthusastic, well-meaning fans or arrogant twats? Maybe a bit of both. No doubt anyone reading those threads will now try to procure the album illegally to hear what the fuss is about. Curiousity is an innate part of human nature. So is boasting.
Thankfully for Johnny Foreigner, the early reports seem to be positive. I can't imagine anything worse than having your album leaked early then universally hated. Then again, all but a couple of the album tracks are rejigged versions of previously recorded songs so if you were already a fan, you're almost bound to like it. Considering the immensely lo-fi production of the early days, that would have probably been the only concern. However, it appears that Machine (who has also produced Fall Out Boy, Lamb Of God and lots of other bands that sound nothing like JoFo) has done a sterling job. The album tracks appearing on MySpace are fantastically textured without being too crisp and overproduced.
The problem now is that I've highlighted the leak and am no better than those who do the same. But to actively leak an album? That must take some lack of moral fortitude or some misguided thinking. At least I'm the lesser evil.
Yet somewhat ironically, I have not heard the new album and while I could probably find it, I'm quite content to read how great it is and wait a little bit longer to hear it. I've been waiting for 15 months, I'm pretty sure I can last another one. Maybe they'll even bring the release date forward. To try to convince you to resist temptation, I've got radio session versions of two songs from the album (Lea Room has not popped up in demo form or otherwise till the leak) and download a zip of their 15-track demo giveaway album thingie via [Megaupload].
Johnny Foreigner - Eyes Wide Terrified (BBC Radio 1 Session) [Yourfilehost D/L]//[Sendspace mirror]
Johnny Foreigner - Lea Room (XFM Xposure Session) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
Johnny Foreigner - Lea Room (XFM Xposure Session) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
Johnny Foreigner are on a never ending tour of the UK, including festivals aplenty so if you have downloaded the album, I suggest you do the right thing and go see them asap. And then buy the album. And if you're yet to experience JoFo live, stand back and await the onslaught of awesomeness.
-----
Just a quick couple of points - firstly, my third podcast bites the dust on May 20th so listen/download it now! Featuring Johnny Foreigner, Miracle Fortress, a brilliant Joy Division cover and other stuff, listen [here]. And secondly, I have an interview with the much talked about White Lies coming in the next post. They're already signed to a major label and playing festivals like Lollapalooza, even though they've only been going since late last year. Egad! I'm off to revise for my uni exams now, which start next week :(
on Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Following yesterday's foray into the acoustic world [link], featuring Lucy & The Caterpillar, Aisha and Jam On Bread, we address some other exciting happenings in the non-electric world.
Looking Glass is the side-project of Jim Wallis, best known for his role in My Sad Captains, a fascinating band in their own right. The recordings Jim has put up on MySpace include stuff with Andy Bell. He could either be the Erasure singer, Oasis bassist/former Ride man or someone else called Andy Bell. But that little tidbit takes away from just how genuinely enchanting Jim's music is. In the sad event of a My Sad Captains break up, keep an eye on this bloke....
Looking Glass - All Me [Yourfilehost]
Gossamer Albatross featured on my February podcast [#6] and have conjured up some new tracks, albeit in rough demo format. Continuing their tradition of infusing folk with classical music, the new material could represent Gossamer Albatross' finest work yet. Which is quite the compliment, considering their previous efforts. The instrumental sections, in particular, are enthralling.
Gossamer Albatross - The Queen Of The Sea (Demo) [Yourfilehost D/L]
Pick up the other two demos (n.b they're .wma files) [here]
Okay, time for tenuous link of the day. London synthpop affectionados have returned to the fray. I know what you're thinking - electronic music and blog posts dedicated to acoustica makes no sense at all. Well, WRM recently offered up an acoustic version of 'Luna Park', a track from their debut album, 'Kick'. That debut album was produced by Phones, otherwise known as Paul Epworth and combined with a highly regarded debut single 'Love Is A Number', WRM were on the cusp of something big. However, it never quite amounted to anything.
Now, they're back, replacing one member (out goes the ludicrously named Taxxi and in comes Poppy) and putting up a couple of new mp3s of demos on their MySpace. 'Bones' ploughs on with the old sound - an introduction to an album which will probably make or break WRM. Let's hope it's the former. Then again, the acoustic track is compelling enough to question whether they perhaps they could have headed down a different route?
White Rose Movement - Luna Park (Acoustic) [Yourfilehost]
White Rose Movement - Bones (Demo) [Yourfilehost]
Looking Glass is the side-project of Jim Wallis, best known for his role in My Sad Captains, a fascinating band in their own right. The recordings Jim has put up on MySpace include stuff with Andy Bell. He could either be the Erasure singer, Oasis bassist/former Ride man or someone else called Andy Bell. But that little tidbit takes away from just how genuinely enchanting Jim's music is. In the sad event of a My Sad Captains break up, keep an eye on this bloke....
Looking Glass - All Me [Yourfilehost]
Gossamer Albatross featured on my February podcast [#6] and have conjured up some new tracks, albeit in rough demo format. Continuing their tradition of infusing folk with classical music, the new material could represent Gossamer Albatross' finest work yet. Which is quite the compliment, considering their previous efforts. The instrumental sections, in particular, are enthralling.
Gossamer Albatross - The Queen Of The Sea (Demo) [Yourfilehost D/L]
Pick up the other two demos (n.b they're .wma files) [here]
Okay, time for tenuous link of the day. London synthpop affectionados have returned to the fray. I know what you're thinking - electronic music and blog posts dedicated to acoustica makes no sense at all. Well, WRM recently offered up an acoustic version of 'Luna Park', a track from their debut album, 'Kick'. That debut album was produced by Phones, otherwise known as Paul Epworth and combined with a highly regarded debut single 'Love Is A Number', WRM were on the cusp of something big. However, it never quite amounted to anything.
Now, they're back, replacing one member (out goes the ludicrously named Taxxi and in comes Poppy) and putting up a couple of new mp3s of demos on their MySpace. 'Bones' ploughs on with the old sound - an introduction to an album which will probably make or break WRM. Let's hope it's the former. Then again, the acoustic track is compelling enough to question whether they perhaps they could have headed down a different route?
White Rose Movement - Luna Park (Acoustic) [Yourfilehost]
White Rose Movement - Bones (Demo) [Yourfilehost]
on Monday, April 21, 2008
Some may remember my (possibly ill-advised) attempt at showcasing urban music on the blog, entitled The Urban Hour ([Part One]//[Part Two]). Nonetheless, I am moving on with the acoustic version, imaginatively titled The Acoustic Hour. Hurrah? More to come soon, possibly tomorrow.
TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Burnley's quirky songstress Lucy & The Caterpillar is quite twee. She's also quite ace.
Lucy & The Caterpillar is 20 year old solo artist Lucy, accompanied by her Caterpillar, a 3/4 size guitar. I've had my eye on Lucy for a while (christ, that sounds pervy) following her lovely debut single 'Red, Red Wine' which was followed by a more melancholic 'Kings Cross'. Since then she's been working with The Earlies, and new single 'Lucy's Opinion' is the result of that collaboration. Unfortunately, it's not quite as great as her past singles but you can hear a radio session version of it, as well as bee-side 'Bumblebee' below. On the upside, it comes as a special edition cd with handmade sleeve (only 200 copies), so worth buying for that alone. Head to Lucy's website to nab it [link].
Lucy & The Caterpillar - Lucy's Opinion (BBC Radio 1 Session) [Yourfilehost D/L]
Lucy & The Caterpillar - Bumblebee (BBC Radio 1 Session) [Yourfilehost D/L]
Jam On Bread is a ukelele-based acoustic outfit. Jam On Bread is Stephen. Stephen has an amazing beard. And also constructs some enjoyably whimsical folky pop. He's a bit twee too. His ode to Swedish label, Labrador Records is self-indulgent and not particularly chirpy, yet still retains a wonderfully charming essence. A job well done. While we're here, I recommend having a listen to Stephen's song about his desire to have been a manatee on his MySpace too. I don't think genetic engineering can help him just yet.
Jam On Bread - I Heart Labrador Records [Yourfilehost]
Aisha has appeared on Keep Hope Inside in the past but in remix form. So here we have Aisha in her full unadulterated glory. Except she's teamed up with a fiddle player! Eva and Aisha combine to produce an intensely melodramatic feel compared to Aisha's past delicately bewitching acoustic pop exploits. She's been largely bereft of attention so now's the time to give her a chance. Check out the MySpace for plenty of other downloadable tracks.
Aisha & Eva - Gone [Yourfilehost]
TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Burnley's quirky songstress Lucy & The Caterpillar is quite twee. She's also quite ace.
Lucy & The Caterpillar is 20 year old solo artist Lucy, accompanied by her Caterpillar, a 3/4 size guitar. I've had my eye on Lucy for a while (christ, that sounds pervy) following her lovely debut single 'Red, Red Wine' which was followed by a more melancholic 'Kings Cross'. Since then she's been working with The Earlies, and new single 'Lucy's Opinion' is the result of that collaboration. Unfortunately, it's not quite as great as her past singles but you can hear a radio session version of it, as well as bee-side 'Bumblebee' below. On the upside, it comes as a special edition cd with handmade sleeve (only 200 copies), so worth buying for that alone. Head to Lucy's website to nab it [link].
Lucy & The Caterpillar - Lucy's Opinion (BBC Radio 1 Session) [Yourfilehost D/L]
Lucy & The Caterpillar - Bumblebee (BBC Radio 1 Session) [Yourfilehost D/L]
Jam On Bread is a ukelele-based acoustic outfit. Jam On Bread is Stephen. Stephen has an amazing beard. And also constructs some enjoyably whimsical folky pop. He's a bit twee too. His ode to Swedish label, Labrador Records is self-indulgent and not particularly chirpy, yet still retains a wonderfully charming essence. A job well done. While we're here, I recommend having a listen to Stephen's song about his desire to have been a manatee on his MySpace too. I don't think genetic engineering can help him just yet.
Jam On Bread - I Heart Labrador Records [Yourfilehost]
Aisha has appeared on Keep Hope Inside in the past but in remix form. So here we have Aisha in her full unadulterated glory. Except she's teamed up with a fiddle player! Eva and Aisha combine to produce an intensely melodramatic feel compared to Aisha's past delicately bewitching acoustic pop exploits. She's been largely bereft of attention so now's the time to give her a chance. Check out the MySpace for plenty of other downloadable tracks.
Aisha & Eva - Gone [Yourfilehost]
on Thursday, April 17, 2008
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to embark on a feature entitled 'George Lamb versus Music'. Today, we have the second episode with Miss Ebony Bones.
If you're wondering who George Lamb is then head over to my first post [link]. Essentially, he's quite an unpopular radio DJ but he's not as bad as people make him out to be. Anyways, he has some impressive musical guests in to perform on his show and Ebony Bones recently made an appearance.
While receiving little blog hype, she has made a huge impression on print media. I find the whole situation quite bewildering - I remember her as an actress from a pretty abject soap series called 'Family Affairs' on Channel 5. I think the wifebeater from the series now owns (or works at) North London pub/venue Nambucca too, in case you were interested. Probably not.
Firstly, I have to mention that she seems to be a bit of a fashionista. Seriously, she makes The Long Blondes look like they're the height of musical integrity. Not that there's anything wrong with having a bit of style but I worry when it might overshadow the music. Thankfully, that's not the case.
Ebony Bones throws in a little bit of everything into her music from tribal rhythms and chants to disco beats. Richard X (famous pop producer) and members of The Damned (seminal punk band) have been involved in her music, which says everything really. If you thought El Guincho [KHI feature] sounded like a carnival, Ebony Bones sounds like two carnivals going on at once, side by side, each vying for your attention. Mental. She could do with better lyrics/song titles though!
The single 'Don't Fart On My Heart' is out this week in the UK, followed by an album sometime soon. Ebony Bones is also playing some festivals complete with full band in the summer. Oh and more George Lamb sessions (from other bands) to come soonish hopefully.
I probably should have mentioned this on one of my recent posts seeing as I've had a couple of appearances at #1 on the Hype Machine's most popular list in the last few days but anyway, this is your LAST CHANCE to listen to my second podcast. It's a year old now so it's being taken to the old podcasts' home to retire peacefully. Details and mp3 [here]. I even namedrop Gareth from Los Campesinos! towards the end.
Also, I've got a poll going on the right (->) to see what you think of the site redesign, it was pretty bog standard before but is a bit better now I hope? If you have any thoughts, feel free to drop an anon comment in this post and obviously, vote! And are my posts too long/short, too little emphasis on the music or have too many photos etc? My subscriber list fluctuates massively. Let me know what I'm doing right or wrong please! I bet no-one will comment now.
If you're wondering who George Lamb is then head over to my first post [link]. Essentially, he's quite an unpopular radio DJ but he's not as bad as people make him out to be. Anyways, he has some impressive musical guests in to perform on his show and Ebony Bones recently made an appearance.
While receiving little blog hype, she has made a huge impression on print media. I find the whole situation quite bewildering - I remember her as an actress from a pretty abject soap series called 'Family Affairs' on Channel 5. I think the wifebeater from the series now owns (or works at) North London pub/venue Nambucca too, in case you were interested. Probably not.
Firstly, I have to mention that she seems to be a bit of a fashionista. Seriously, she makes The Long Blondes look like they're the height of musical integrity. Not that there's anything wrong with having a bit of style but I worry when it might overshadow the music. Thankfully, that's not the case.
Ebony Bones throws in a little bit of everything into her music from tribal rhythms and chants to disco beats. Richard X (famous pop producer) and members of The Damned (seminal punk band) have been involved in her music, which says everything really. If you thought El Guincho [KHI feature] sounded like a carnival, Ebony Bones sounds like two carnivals going on at once, side by side, each vying for your attention. Mental. She could do with better lyrics/song titles though!
Ebony Bones - Don't Fart On My Heart (BBC 6Music Session) [Yourfilehost D/L]//[Sendspace mirror]
Ebony Bones - We Know All About You (BBC 6Music Session) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
Ebony Bones - We Know All About You (BBC 6Music Session) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
The single 'Don't Fart On My Heart' is out this week in the UK, followed by an album sometime soon. Ebony Bones is also playing some festivals complete with full band in the summer. Oh and more George Lamb sessions (from other bands) to come soonish hopefully.
-----
I probably should have mentioned this on one of my recent posts seeing as I've had a couple of appearances at #1 on the Hype Machine's most popular list in the last few days but anyway, this is your LAST CHANCE to listen to my second podcast. It's a year old now so it's being taken to the old podcasts' home to retire peacefully. Details and mp3 [here]. I even namedrop Gareth from Los Campesinos! towards the end.
Also, I've got a poll going on the right (->) to see what you think of the site redesign, it was pretty bog standard before but is a bit better now I hope? If you have any thoughts, feel free to drop an anon comment in this post and obviously, vote! And are my posts too long/short, too little emphasis on the music or have too many photos etc? My subscriber list fluctuates massively. Let me know what I'm doing right or wrong please! I bet no-one will comment now.
on Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Inspired by DangerMouse's 'Grey Album' (remember that?), New Yawk rapper WebbaFied takes on French dancefloor fillers Justice. And what we get is an intriguing reinterpretation of the 'Cross' album.
I was horrifically put off Justice by their Simian combined 'Never Be Alone' effort - played once, it was bearable. Possibly even good. Then after the 300th time of hearing it, I really throught I would never listen to another Justice track ever again. Too many bad memories. Until the following video appeared on my television screen one night:
If you're too lazy to click to see what that is, it's obviously 'D.A.N.C.E'. A stormer of a track in its own light, the video is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. WebbaFied's 'D.A.N.C.E' is just as energetic and his amusingly witty lyrics compliment the work done by Justice. Recent Justice single 'DVNO' sees WebbaFied take more of a backseat but when he chimes in, he always maintains the intensity of the track. WebbaFied does have a strong political stance, like many artists not happy with the way governments are handling themselves, he expresses this in his music. Give tracks like 'Genesis' and 'One Minute To Midnight' a listen for such lyrical spitting. And while not political as such, 'Stress' is viciously brilliant. It's obviously not all perfect though, 'New Jack' for example is just a bit...dull and Mr Fied offers little to 'The Party'. But those are minor points.
I guess the biggest compliment you can pay WebbaFied (and mixer Iron Soloman) is he never seems out of place on the tracks. Considering that 'Cross' is so acclaimed (Grammy nominations, Pitchfork etc), that's pretty impressive. I was going to do the hilarious joke about them "doing it justice" but they beat me to it! All that and more on the behind the scenes vid [link].
Here's a couple of the tracks plus an Immuzikation mashup of Justice and Boys II Men! Probably the only time Boys II Men will ever appear on Keep Hope Inside. Unless....
WebbaFied's touring Europe soon, check the dates and download the whole 'Cross' reinterpreted album via his MySpace [link]. You can read his grammar-free interview at Music Liberation too [link].
I was horrifically put off Justice by their Simian combined 'Never Be Alone' effort - played once, it was bearable. Possibly even good. Then after the 300th time of hearing it, I really throught I would never listen to another Justice track ever again. Too many bad memories. Until the following video appeared on my television screen one night:
If you're too lazy to click to see what that is, it's obviously 'D.A.N.C.E'. A stormer of a track in its own light, the video is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. WebbaFied's 'D.A.N.C.E' is just as energetic and his amusingly witty lyrics compliment the work done by Justice. Recent Justice single 'DVNO' sees WebbaFied take more of a backseat but when he chimes in, he always maintains the intensity of the track. WebbaFied does have a strong political stance, like many artists not happy with the way governments are handling themselves, he expresses this in his music. Give tracks like 'Genesis' and 'One Minute To Midnight' a listen for such lyrical spitting. And while not political as such, 'Stress' is viciously brilliant. It's obviously not all perfect though, 'New Jack' for example is just a bit...dull and Mr Fied offers little to 'The Party'. But those are minor points.
I guess the biggest compliment you can pay WebbaFied (and mixer Iron Soloman) is he never seems out of place on the tracks. Considering that 'Cross' is so acclaimed (Grammy nominations, Pitchfork etc), that's pretty impressive. I was going to do the hilarious joke about them "doing it justice" but they beat me to it! All that and more on the behind the scenes vid [link].
Here's a couple of the tracks plus an Immuzikation mashup of Justice and Boys II Men! Probably the only time Boys II Men will ever appear on Keep Hope Inside. Unless....
WebbaFied vs Justice - D.A.N.C.E [Yourfilehost D/L]
WebbaFied vs Justice - DVNO [Yourfilehost]
Justice vs Boys II Men - Phantom II Men (Immuzikation Mashup) [zSHARE]
WebbaFied vs Justice - DVNO [Yourfilehost]
Justice vs Boys II Men - Phantom II Men (Immuzikation Mashup) [zSHARE]
WebbaFied's touring Europe soon, check the dates and download the whole 'Cross' reinterpreted album via his MySpace [link]. You can read his grammar-free interview at Music Liberation too [link].
on Tuesday, April 15, 2008
So while the recent preview of new single 'Pork And Beans' has got everyone excited about Weezer again, it's overshadowed some other new Weezer stuff appearing/possibly appearing on album six, "the Red album". 'Automatic' is a track that will be appearing on the new s/t album and has cropped up in a remix format (to soundtrack the new Gran Turismo game). The other new track, 'Everybody Get Dangerous' was played in the background of recent film '21' and may be appearing on the album.
Now I don't think Weezer have ever been mentioned on here, which is pretty weird considering they are pretty much my favourite band. Or at least their debut album, 'Weezer' ("the blue album"), has been my favourite album ever since I was about 16. The output in recent years hasn't been quite so great, even my low expectations of Rivers Cuomo's solo album of demos weren't met but could we be seeing a return to form?
There's been a lot of talk about how Weezer's record label (Geffen, owned by Universal) have been prompting a more commercial sound but it's difficult to tell if that's actually going to be the case. Sure, we've got some idea from the previews but 30 seconds clips will never tell the whole story.
What's really quite interesting is hearing Rivers step aside from vocal duty. Apparently, the new album will feature songs written/sung by all the members and I've got one of those songs today, 'Automatic'. Except it's a remix. And 40 seconds long. But it's got Pat Wilson singing! The other track 'Everybody Get Dangerous' is a short clip from the movie '21' and considering it's not on the official soundtrack, this could be the best you'll get from it. Assuming it doesn't appear on the album or as a b-side, of course. Anyway, have a listen, make some judgements if you want. All I'm going say is that, I'm optimistic and excited for the new album!
'Automatic' was ripped from the new Gran Turismo 5 computer game trailer [link], while 'Everybody Get Dangerous' was shamelessly stolen from fansite Weerez.com [link]. 'Pork And Beans' will be downloadable on April 22nd and the new album's out on June 16/17th.
Dare I believe it but supposedly there are some Weezer UK dates (Manchester and London) in June, a little googling will lead you to a source but it isn't the most reliable! So don't get your hopes up. Fingers crossed though!
Now for some pork and beans fun, what's your favourite Weezer track? Pork Triangle? El Porko? Only In Beans? I know, I know....lame.
Now I don't think Weezer have ever been mentioned on here, which is pretty weird considering they are pretty much my favourite band. Or at least their debut album, 'Weezer' ("the blue album"), has been my favourite album ever since I was about 16. The output in recent years hasn't been quite so great, even my low expectations of Rivers Cuomo's solo album of demos weren't met but could we be seeing a return to form?
There's been a lot of talk about how Weezer's record label (Geffen, owned by Universal) have been prompting a more commercial sound but it's difficult to tell if that's actually going to be the case. Sure, we've got some idea from the previews but 30 seconds clips will never tell the whole story.
What's really quite interesting is hearing Rivers step aside from vocal duty. Apparently, the new album will feature songs written/sung by all the members and I've got one of those songs today, 'Automatic'. Except it's a remix. And 40 seconds long. But it's got Pat Wilson singing! The other track 'Everybody Get Dangerous' is a short clip from the movie '21' and considering it's not on the official soundtrack, this could be the best you'll get from it. Assuming it doesn't appear on the album or as a b-side, of course. Anyway, have a listen, make some judgements if you want. All I'm going say is that, I'm optimistic and excited for the new album!
Weezer - Automatic (LA Riots Remix) 43 SECOND PREVIEW [Yourfilehost D/L]
Weezer - Everybody Get Dangerous 46 SECOND PREVIEW [Yourfilehost D/L]
Weezer - Everybody Get Dangerous 46 SECOND PREVIEW [Yourfilehost D/L]
'Automatic' was ripped from the new Gran Turismo 5 computer game trailer [link], while 'Everybody Get Dangerous' was shamelessly stolen from fansite Weerez.com [link]. 'Pork And Beans' will be downloadable on April 22nd and the new album's out on June 16/17th.
Dare I believe it but supposedly there are some Weezer UK dates (Manchester and London) in June, a little googling will lead you to a source but it isn't the most reliable! So don't get your hopes up. Fingers crossed though!
Now for some pork and beans fun, what's your favourite Weezer track? Pork Triangle? El Porko? Only In Beans? I know, I know....lame.
on Sunday, April 13, 2008
I've had Vampire Weekend already. Yeasayer soon. All I need is Black Kids and MGMT to complete the American hype/buzz bands set! It's like Pokémon all over again. Gotta catch 'em all. So today, I have "new" tracks from #8 and #9 in the BBC Sound of 2008 (a good a measure of buzz bands as any) poll for you.
Black Kids really captured the imaginations of bloggers worldwide with their free 'Wizard of Ahhhs' EP late last year. While I was more reticient, others clamoured to portray them as the next big thing with an Arcade Fire-meets-The Go! Team sound.
6 months or so on, the hype is still around but as with any hype band, their music now has to stand up to the increased attention. And 'I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You' has certainly done the business, just missing out on the top ten in the UK singles chart. I think it's a fantastic indie pop track but do they really have anything that even matches that track? I'm not so sure. In the meantime however, let's enjoy what they've achieved already.
Unlike Black Kids, MGMT's hype came long after they'd started and even quite sometime after inking a major label deal. The benefits of this meant the band could release an album on the back of all the hype and that proved to be a successful ploy. #12 in the UK albums chart isn't bad going at all. While the immediacy of Black Kids pop tracks meant they had more attention than MGMT initially, as the psychedlic electropop of MGMT set in, the hype-ball began rolling. And they dropped the whole "it's pronounced management" business, which was a bit silly anyway.
The reviews of 'Oracular Spectacular' suggest the album isn't just 'Electric Feel' and 'Time To Pretend' (two definite standout songs, and obvious singles) and a lot of filler. There are a few album tracks on the MGMT MySpace, so you can head there and judge for yourself.
And considering it dropped in my inbox recently, here's a nice mash-up of MGMT, Daft Punk and a bit of The Doors by Immuzikation.
Wow! I just checked my inbox as I was writing this and he's sent me another mash-up, this time melding MGMT's 'Kids' and 'All My Friends' by LCD Soundsystem. Apparently, this was inspired by Alfredo's grandmother. Aw, I love mash-ups. I think I love Immuzikation, even though the track lasts forever!
Will MGMT and/or Black Kids stand the test of time? I can't possibly say. But while people like Immuzikation are around, immortalising these bands with ace reinterpretations, I think everyone's a winner.
Some of my past readers might have noticed a bit of a layout change. If you haven't, press F5 (or whatever the refresh button is) and take a looky. Unless my ugly mug has made your computer break.
What do you all think of the new template? I really like the banner but I'm not so sure about the colour scheme. Also, is the font big/small enough for everyone? Any improvements you can suggest, please do! Let me know if it looks funny on your computer too, I dunno if it will work in all browsers.
And if you prefer a more simple method of feedback, there's a poll on the right, where you can vote for whether the new layout is any cop. Hope you like it and cheers!
Black Kids really captured the imaginations of bloggers worldwide with their free 'Wizard of Ahhhs' EP late last year. While I was more reticient, others clamoured to portray them as the next big thing with an Arcade Fire-meets-The Go! Team sound.
6 months or so on, the hype is still around but as with any hype band, their music now has to stand up to the increased attention. And 'I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You' has certainly done the business, just missing out on the top ten in the UK singles chart. I think it's a fantastic indie pop track but do they really have anything that even matches that track? I'm not so sure. In the meantime however, let's enjoy what they've achieved already.
Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You (Live On Later With Jools Holland) [Yourfilehost D/L]//[Sendspace mirror]
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (Live On Later With Jools Holland) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
Black Kids - Hurricane Jane (Live On Later With Jools Holland) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
Unlike Black Kids, MGMT's hype came long after they'd started and even quite sometime after inking a major label deal. The benefits of this meant the band could release an album on the back of all the hype and that proved to be a successful ploy. #12 in the UK albums chart isn't bad going at all. While the immediacy of Black Kids pop tracks meant they had more attention than MGMT initially, as the psychedlic electropop of MGMT set in, the hype-ball began rolling. And they dropped the whole "it's pronounced management" business, which was a bit silly anyway.
The reviews of 'Oracular Spectacular' suggest the album isn't just 'Electric Feel' and 'Time To Pretend' (two definite standout songs, and obvious singles) and a lot of filler. There are a few album tracks on the MGMT MySpace, so you can head there and judge for yourself.
MGMT - Time To Pretend (Live At SXSW 2008) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
And considering it dropped in my inbox recently, here's a nice mash-up of MGMT, Daft Punk and a bit of The Doors by Immuzikation.
Immuzikation - One More Time To Pretend [zSHARE]
Wow! I just checked my inbox as I was writing this and he's sent me another mash-up, this time melding MGMT's 'Kids' and 'All My Friends' by LCD Soundsystem. Apparently, this was inspired by Alfredo's grandmother. Aw, I love mash-ups. I think I love Immuzikation, even though the track lasts forever!
Immuzikation - All My Children [Yourfilehost]//[zSHARE]
Will MGMT and/or Black Kids stand the test of time? I can't possibly say. But while people like Immuzikation are around, immortalising these bands with ace reinterpretations, I think everyone's a winner.
-----
Some of my past readers might have noticed a bit of a layout change. If you haven't, press F5 (or whatever the refresh button is) and take a looky. Unless my ugly mug has made your computer break.
What do you all think of the new template? I really like the banner but I'm not so sure about the colour scheme. Also, is the font big/small enough for everyone? Any improvements you can suggest, please do! Let me know if it looks funny on your computer too, I dunno if it will work in all browsers.
And if you prefer a more simple method of feedback, there's a poll on the right, where you can vote for whether the new layout is any cop. Hope you like it and cheers!
I received a pretty random email the other day, informing me of some recent musical thievery. Except the email address was from a website that no longer exists and referenced a blog/magazine that gives precisely zero Google search results ('Toy Drive' anyone?). Mysterious, to say the least.
Despite this, the email seemed to have a sense of credibility and accuracy. It was all about Estelle, who is conquering the airwaves with her Will.I.Am produced, Kanye West collab, 'American Boy'. By the way, a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge version of the track as well as her Scouting For Girls cover can still be downloaded [HERE]. Basically, the email was telling me how 'American Boy' had ripped off a track by Toronto's Arabesque called 'Nature's Phone'.
Considering I had nothing to lose and was pretty bored in between revision, I did a little comparison. Mystery emailer person had a very good point. They do sound similar. Mystery emailer even handily provided an mp3 of Arabesque's track, at a rip roaring 320kbps. Which makes me suspect it's simply an elaborate promo email but rather that than be sued for having the track up!
Anyway, have a listen below and hear for yourself:
Apparently, Kanye had heard about Arabesque quite some time ago so I'm not sure what role he may have played. In the end though, everyone rips off someone or another at some point so I guess we just have to accept it and move on. Or in the case of Arabesque, try to gain some deserved attention!
On a related note, Sam Sparro whose single 'Black And Gold' is almost certain to become a global phenomenon, popped into BBC Radio 1 to play an Estelle cover and 'Black And Gold' recently. He did a most excellent version of 'American Boy' - I never suspected he'd be a competent rapper! 'Black And Gold' was understandably a bit less funky than the single version but the quality of the song and Mr Sparro's soulful voice still shone through.
I have a niggling suspicion Sam Sparro will be a bit of a one hit wonder but he can always follow his father and make music for tv shows like Star Trek. Which is mega cool. Or he could fight out for the role of Brains in a future Thunderbirds movie with the guy from Hot Chip and Esser.
p.s just to say, the rip of 'Black And Gold' has a few imperfections. The BBC radio player has been..err..playing up. I think the original radio output might have gone wrong. Anyway, sorry!
Despite this, the email seemed to have a sense of credibility and accuracy. It was all about Estelle, who is conquering the airwaves with her Will.I.Am produced, Kanye West collab, 'American Boy'. By the way, a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge version of the track as well as her Scouting For Girls cover can still be downloaded [HERE]. Basically, the email was telling me how 'American Boy' had ripped off a track by Toronto's Arabesque called 'Nature's Phone'.
Considering I had nothing to lose and was pretty bored in between revision, I did a little comparison. Mystery emailer person had a very good point. They do sound similar. Mystery emailer even handily provided an mp3 of Arabesque's track, at a rip roaring 320kbps. Which makes me suspect it's simply an elaborate promo email but rather that than be sued for having the track up!
Anyway, have a listen below and hear for yourself:
Estelle ft. Kano - American Boy (Live On Later With Jools Holland) [YOURFILEHOST D/L]//[SENDSPACE D/L]
Arabesque - Nature's Phone [YOURFILEHOST D/L]
Arabesque - Nature's Phone [YOURFILEHOST D/L]
Apparently, Kanye had heard about Arabesque quite some time ago so I'm not sure what role he may have played. In the end though, everyone rips off someone or another at some point so I guess we just have to accept it and move on. Or in the case of Arabesque, try to gain some deserved attention!
On a related note, Sam Sparro whose single 'Black And Gold' is almost certain to become a global phenomenon, popped into BBC Radio 1 to play an Estelle cover and 'Black And Gold' recently. He did a most excellent version of 'American Boy' - I never suspected he'd be a competent rapper! 'Black And Gold' was understandably a bit less funky than the single version but the quality of the song and Mr Sparro's soulful voice still shone through.
I have a niggling suspicion Sam Sparro will be a bit of a one hit wonder but he can always follow his father and make music for tv shows like Star Trek. Which is mega cool. Or he could fight out for the role of Brains in a future Thunderbirds movie with the guy from Hot Chip and Esser.
Sam Sparro - American Boy (BBC Radio 1 Estelle Cover) [YOURFILEHOST D/L]//[SENDSPACE D/L]
Sam Sparro - Black And Gold (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge) [YOURFILEHOST D/L]//[SENDSPACE D/L]
Sam Sparro - Black And Gold (BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge) [YOURFILEHOST D/L]//[SENDSPACE D/L]
p.s just to say, the rip of 'Black And Gold' has a few imperfections. The BBC radio player has been..err..playing up. I think the original radio output might have gone wrong. Anyway, sorry!
on Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Camden Crawl [link] fast approaches. If you're unfamiliar with the event, it's a two day festival (ish) in Camden, here in London. It's absolutely packed with bands and fans - the term "clusterfuck" comes to mind. I've also heard it's a bit of lottery to get to see the bands you want but that also means you get to some great new bands you might have missed.
Anyway, there's a couple of interesting competitions surrounding the event. Red Bull are sponsoring a stage at the Crawl as part of their Red Bull Bedroom Jam venture [link], where they'll handpick a band to play on from submitted entries. They're supporting youth music so if you're in a band and you're all under 19, head over to the site and give it a go. They've also got some tickets for under 18 year olds (otherwise not permitted at the Crawl) for their own stage. Check it out.
And gigwise.com are doing a similar competition to play at the Crawl, which I'm focusing on here, where they've whittled down hundreds of demos to twenty finalists, entitled 'Indie Idle' [link]. So today, I'm donning a ginger wig, oirish accent and pulling up my trousers to almost unbelievable heights to judge each of the twenty artists.
Obviously, as there's twenty bands, I'll be giving them a limited review. Typically, I'll just be listening to the song on offer on gigwise.com then giving my intial impressions. Keep it snappy, keep you happy. But if the band have been nice enough to allow other tracks for download, I'll be giving those a listen too. This is an mp3 blog after all.
Those were my initial thoughts, and considering my inferior knowledge of hip hop, I'm struggling here. 'Fresh Kicks' is quite fresh and downloadable at his MySpace [link] so you can decide.
There's a fair bit of talk that they're like The Clash, which I kind of get. They definately sound like The View though.
No mp3s on offer so see you later. Fun stuff, nonetheless.
Not sure about the bandname but they're lyke freakin awsum. Unless you hate noisy bands.
Pretty much the Sunshine Underground with a bit of angular-ness (so Gang Of Four then). But there's an occasional spark of immense noise, which is most welcome.
BearKnucles - Move And React [Yourfilehost download]
Like Los Campesinos! taking on college rock, and they're sort of from Wales too. Classy. Good demo, freely available from their website [link]
The Muscle Club - I've Never Read Anything [Yourfilehost download]
So I was unimpressed with their indie-by-numbers effort 'London Road' but luckily for them they have better stuff over on their MySpace. 'Can't You See Emily' is much better, like a cross between Mystery Jets and The Cribs. Although minus points for spamming internet messageboards and forums.
Guildean Gang - Can't You See Emily [Yourfilehost download]
Not enough songs have harmonica in them. Quite catchy, at times Kaiser Chiefs-esque although you do get the sad feeling they'll never be anything more than a pub rock band.
The Ramblings - Sorry Holly [Yourfilehost download]
*Impending A&R scrum alert* I think this track grabbed me the most. They've managed to meld electro, dance and eighties indie pop in a coherent and dazzling form. Considering they're still teenagers, I expect big things from Skyhorse.
Skyhorse - 1989 [Yourfilehost download]
I think they've been around for ages but I'm just not feeling it. The more tracks I listened to, the more I felt that they were a disappointing Libertines ripoff.
The only band in the twenty that I've actually featured on Keep Hope Inside before and another band who have been around for years and years. Bit disappointing really.
'Sorry' genuinely reminds both of glam rock pisstake Do Me Bad Things and electro legends Freeform Five. In fact, it's almost a cover of Freeform Five's 'Electromagnetic'. That's no bad thing though.
Soft Toy Emergency - Sorry [Yourfilehost download]
I think I was being a bit petulant here and it turns out they have a bit of gypsy punk and psychedelia going for them too. Still, not really my cup of tea.
And that's all twenty. Christ, that took an utter age. Overall, I think the standard was reasonably high but I could easily whittle it down to ten finalists.
My favourites were Skyhorse, Ice. Sea. Dead People, My First Tooth, Soft Toy Emergency and The Muscle Club but in the end I voted for Ice. Sea. Dead People. To be honest, that's more because I met 2/3rds of them at Truck festival a few years ago and played frisbee with them. But their band is great too, and will feature on this blog again in future. Special mention also to Catalan Corruption, who are all only about 14 and are following in the footsteps of Pull In Emergency and Lo-Fi Culture Scene in the systematic underage takeover of indie pop.
I suggest you go have a listen to some of the bands yourself at gigwise.com [link], where you can also vote for one band. You've only till midnight though, so hurry up!
And if you made it all the way to the bottom of this post, I shall reward with you with pretty much the final opportunity to listen to my second podcast, recorded about 51 weeks ago. All the details are [here] and if you like Bat For Lashes, Friends Of The Bride, Look See Proof or anyone in between them, I suggest you have a gander.
Anyway, there's a couple of interesting competitions surrounding the event. Red Bull are sponsoring a stage at the Crawl as part of their Red Bull Bedroom Jam venture [link], where they'll handpick a band to play on from submitted entries. They're supporting youth music so if you're in a band and you're all under 19, head over to the site and give it a go. They've also got some tickets for under 18 year olds (otherwise not permitted at the Crawl) for their own stage. Check it out.
And gigwise.com are doing a similar competition to play at the Crawl, which I'm focusing on here, where they've whittled down hundreds of demos to twenty finalists, entitled 'Indie Idle' [link]. So today, I'm donning a ginger wig, oirish accent and pulling up my trousers to almost unbelievable heights to judge each of the twenty artists.
Obviously, as there's twenty bands, I'll be giving them a limited review. Typically, I'll just be listening to the song on offer on gigwise.com then giving my intial impressions. Keep it snappy, keep you happy. But if the band have been nice enough to allow other tracks for download, I'll be giving those a listen too. This is an mp3 blog after all.
Yezza ('Fresh Kicks')
"Token hip hop act. Pretty decent though."Those were my initial thoughts, and considering my inferior knowledge of hip hop, I'm struggling here. 'Fresh Kicks' is quite fresh and downloadable at his MySpace [link] so you can decide.
Medicine Show ('Too Young For Love')
"Hyperactive indie pop, file under The View"There's a fair bit of talk that they're like The Clash, which I kind of get. They definately sound like The View though.
Grand Pocket Orchestra ('Odd Socks')
"Reminds me of kids and FisherPrice toy instruments."No mp3s on offer so see you later. Fun stuff, nonetheless.
We've Taped Over Your Cassettes ('Bar Brawl')
"Ace bandname but for a track called 'Bar Brawl', surprisingly inoffensive electro".Ice. Sea. Dead People ('Hence:Elvis')
"RAWK. Kill kenada meets Jarcrew. Explosive."Not sure about the bandname but they're lyke freakin awsum. Unless you hate noisy bands.
My Name Is Red ('Something Ugly')
"Satisfyingly chunky bassline. Not as great elsewhere."BearKnuckles ('Move And React')
"Like the Sunshine Underground but without the dance influence."Pretty much the Sunshine Underground with a bit of angular-ness (so Gang Of Four then). But there's an occasional spark of immense noise, which is most welcome.
BearKnucles - Move And React [Yourfilehost download]
Catalan Corruption ('A New Way')
"Another mini-maccabees, enjoying their teenage kicks. Good fun."Little Things ('Brand New Rollerskates')
"A bit Counting Crows maybe? Radio 2 here they come!"The Muscle Club ('I've Never Read Anything')
"Indie pop but a bit angsty. I don't think they like reading."Like Los Campesinos! taking on college rock, and they're sort of from Wales too. Classy. Good demo, freely available from their website [link]
The Muscle Club - I've Never Read Anything [Yourfilehost download]
Guildean Gang ('London Road')
"Indie pop but a bit boring. Next!"So I was unimpressed with their indie-by-numbers effort 'London Road' but luckily for them they have better stuff over on their MySpace. 'Can't You See Emily' is much better, like a cross between Mystery Jets and The Cribs. Although minus points for spamming internet messageboards and forums.
Guildean Gang - Can't You See Emily [Yourfilehost download]
The Ramblings ('Sorry Holly')
"Blues rock with an amusing message about male promiscuity. HARMONICA!"Not enough songs have harmonica in them. Quite catchy, at times Kaiser Chiefs-esque although you do get the sad feeling they'll never be anything more than a pub rock band.
The Ramblings - Sorry Holly [Yourfilehost download]
Kick Box Riot ('You're Only Young Once')
"A mix between The Enemy and Foos-esque soft rock. Easy on the ear."My First Tooth ('Sleet And Snow')
"Weather related folky pop. Lovely. HARMONICA!"Skyhorse ('Don't Open Up')
"Eighties electro at its Radio-1-daytime-playlist smoothest"*Impending A&R scrum alert* I think this track grabbed me the most. They've managed to meld electro, dance and eighties indie pop in a coherent and dazzling form. Considering they're still teenagers, I expect big things from Skyhorse.
Skyhorse - 1989 [Yourfilehost download]
The Gin Riots ('I Didn't Mean It')
"A tryhard amalgation of pop, punk and indie rock."I think they've been around for ages but I'm just not feeling it. The more tracks I listened to, the more I felt that they were a disappointing Libertines ripoff.
The Shame ('Cosmic Love')
"Noisy but anthemic. Vitriolic punk."Love Ends Disaster! ('Suzanne')
"Basically, an indie rock ballad. But with some kerrazy sfx."The only band in the twenty that I've actually featured on Keep Hope Inside before and another band who have been around for years and years. Bit disappointing really.
Soft Toy Emergency ('Sorry')
"Filthy, sexy electro. Freeform Five fans take note."'Sorry' genuinely reminds both of glam rock pisstake Do Me Bad Things and electro legends Freeform Five. In fact, it's almost a cover of Freeform Five's 'Electromagnetic'. That's no bad thing though.
Soft Toy Emergency - Sorry [Yourfilehost download]
The Dirty Backbeats ('Shakin' All Over')
"Retro rock. Been there, done that."I think I was being a bit petulant here and it turns out they have a bit of gypsy punk and psychedelia going for them too. Still, not really my cup of tea.
And that's all twenty. Christ, that took an utter age. Overall, I think the standard was reasonably high but I could easily whittle it down to ten finalists.
My favourites were Skyhorse, Ice. Sea. Dead People, My First Tooth, Soft Toy Emergency and The Muscle Club but in the end I voted for Ice. Sea. Dead People. To be honest, that's more because I met 2/3rds of them at Truck festival a few years ago and played frisbee with them. But their band is great too, and will feature on this blog again in future. Special mention also to Catalan Corruption, who are all only about 14 and are following in the footsteps of Pull In Emergency and Lo-Fi Culture Scene in the systematic underage takeover of indie pop.
I suggest you go have a listen to some of the bands yourself at gigwise.com [link], where you can also vote for one band. You've only till midnight though, so hurry up!
And if you made it all the way to the bottom of this post, I shall reward with you with pretty much the final opportunity to listen to my second podcast, recorded about 51 weeks ago. All the details are [here] and if you like Bat For Lashes, Friends Of The Bride, Look See Proof or anyone in between them, I suggest you have a gander.
on Wednesday, April 09, 2008
So after yesterday's introduction to the whole "best or worst thing ever" concept [link], we'll crack on with today's contributions.
Ohio trio Times New Viking have had a plenty of buzz around them for sometime now, and not always for the best of reasons. Having released two albums on Siltbreeze Records, they've found a new home at Matador. Those two albums are notorious for their distorted, lo-fi sound which some find completely unlistenable. Yes, the production is that bad. However, that does appear to be half the charm of Times New Viking. At times, anyway. If you watch the embedded vid then listen to the mp3 below, you might sort of understand what I mean.
I'm not a big fan of the intentionally mediocre recordings but I guess that's now a bit of a gimmick. They haven't polished their sound since moving to Matador, as new album 'Rip It Off' shows. If you can detect the tune when listening to one of the tracks, you'll find that it's actually quite good. Overall, however, the jury's still out.
Yesterday, we had new Vice Records signees Dark Meat and today we have another new addition to the Vice Records roster, King Khan And The Shrines. The confusion begins almost immediately, with there also being a band called King Khan And The BBQ Show. And this band also seem to have gone by the name King Khan And His Shrines.
But the music is more important and listening to KK&TS is like stepping back into the sixties. Names like Hendrix and James Brown pop in my head when having a listen to the band but I'm no expert on music from that era.
Now some people might like that, others might wonder what the point is in emulating music that has already been done so well. I really enjoy it and they seem to have achieved some critical acclaim, placing #33 in Pitchfork's Top 50 albums of 2007. Not bad going.
Their new album is called 'Supreme Genius Of King Khan And The Shrines'. They probably thought that was hilarious, I think it's a bit arrogant. Better than false modesty I guess though. I'm sure it's a pretty great album, anyway.
'The Supreme Genius Of' will be out in the States on June 17th, followed by the first ever King Khan And The Shrines US tour in July/August.
Finally, we've got some friends of mine and definately a band that will completely polarise opinion and embody the concept I've been discussing. They're a collective (I say this, simply because their line up seems to change every 2 months) from London called Joy-Rides. If you like The Fall, I suspect you might like Joy-Rides. I don't really like The Fall.
But that's more Mark E Smith's fault rather than music. So I can have an appreciation for Joy-Rides. Although that appreciation more stems in the fact that they are awesomely unpretentious, full of chutzpah and their live shows are shambolic brilliance. The unintiated look on in awe or disgust. Never indifference. And that's surely a good thing?
For some reason, I'm namechecked in their demos or something ('Self Saam'?!) but if you have a listen they could sing about all their friends and every blogger in the universe and you still wouldn't have a clue as to what was coming next. They might make you laugh, they might make you cry but they honestly don't seem to care. They know they're never going to sell out Wembley, they just want to have fun and entertain. And that should be applauded.
Joy-Rides play London's Legion venue on Old Street this Sunday, see their MySpace for more details [link], where you can also download more (distinctly lo-fi) demo tracks.
If you missed my second podcast way back in April 2007, just a warning that it will be disappearing forever very soon. So I suggest you give it a download and have a listen. Featuring the likes of Bat For Lashes, This Et Al, Look See Proof and Gay Against You, head [here] for more details. If you want to know what's going down in 2008, check my March 2008 podcast [here]. Cheers!
Ohio trio Times New Viking have had a plenty of buzz around them for sometime now, and not always for the best of reasons. Having released two albums on Siltbreeze Records, they've found a new home at Matador. Those two albums are notorious for their distorted, lo-fi sound which some find completely unlistenable. Yes, the production is that bad. However, that does appear to be half the charm of Times New Viking. At times, anyway. If you watch the embedded vid then listen to the mp3 below, you might sort of understand what I mean.
I'm not a big fan of the intentionally mediocre recordings but I guess that's now a bit of a gimmick. They haven't polished their sound since moving to Matador, as new album 'Rip It Off' shows. If you can detect the tune when listening to one of the tracks, you'll find that it's actually quite good. Overall, however, the jury's still out.
Times New Viking - Drop-Out [Yourfilehost download]
Yesterday, we had new Vice Records signees Dark Meat and today we have another new addition to the Vice Records roster, King Khan And The Shrines. The confusion begins almost immediately, with there also being a band called King Khan And The BBQ Show. And this band also seem to have gone by the name King Khan And His Shrines.
But the music is more important and listening to KK&TS is like stepping back into the sixties. Names like Hendrix and James Brown pop in my head when having a listen to the band but I'm no expert on music from that era.
Now some people might like that, others might wonder what the point is in emulating music that has already been done so well. I really enjoy it and they seem to have achieved some critical acclaim, placing #33 in Pitchfork's Top 50 albums of 2007. Not bad going.
Their new album is called 'Supreme Genius Of King Khan And The Shrines'. They probably thought that was hilarious, I think it's a bit arrogant. Better than false modesty I guess though. I'm sure it's a pretty great album, anyway.
King Khan And The Shrines - Torture [Yourfilehost]
'The Supreme Genius Of' will be out in the States on June 17th, followed by the first ever King Khan And The Shrines US tour in July/August.
Finally, we've got some friends of mine and definately a band that will completely polarise opinion and embody the concept I've been discussing. They're a collective (I say this, simply because their line up seems to change every 2 months) from London called Joy-Rides. If you like The Fall, I suspect you might like Joy-Rides. I don't really like The Fall.
But that's more Mark E Smith's fault rather than music. So I can have an appreciation for Joy-Rides. Although that appreciation more stems in the fact that they are awesomely unpretentious, full of chutzpah and their live shows are shambolic brilliance. The unintiated look on in awe or disgust. Never indifference. And that's surely a good thing?
For some reason, I'm namechecked in their demos or something ('Self Saam'?!) but if you have a listen they could sing about all their friends and every blogger in the universe and you still wouldn't have a clue as to what was coming next. They might make you laugh, they might make you cry but they honestly don't seem to care. They know they're never going to sell out Wembley, they just want to have fun and entertain. And that should be applauded.
Joy-Rides - Drum Beats [Yourfilehost]
Joy-Rides play London's Legion venue on Old Street this Sunday, see their MySpace for more details [link], where you can also download more (distinctly lo-fi) demo tracks.
-----
If you missed my second podcast way back in April 2007, just a warning that it will be disappearing forever very soon. So I suggest you give it a download and have a listen. Featuring the likes of Bat For Lashes, This Et Al, Look See Proof and Gay Against You, head [here] for more details. If you want to know what's going down in 2008, check my March 2008 podcast [here]. Cheers!
on Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Sometimes you just can't tell whether something is the best thing ever or quite possibly the worst. Err, WUT?
Ignoring the hilarity of LOST, I think you know what I mean. Think: trashy b-movies (Arnie and Stallone), fast food (tasty yet hideously unhealthy) etc.
Bambi Get Over It are probably the defining example of this concept. Firstly, looking at their name, which I don't think I really like but other people love (judging from MySpace comments). It really reminds me of the Guillemots single! Then, and more importantly, their music is probably equally as polarising. Self confessed rockabilly meets folk, it's quite unique for contemporary British music. But I'm not sure "unique" is really a complimentary adjective.
Nonetheless, the tracks I was sent exhibit some promise. 'Bad Man' is the standout by far, and shows there is radio friendliness in the scope of Bambi Get Over It. Admittedly, that'd probably be BBC Radio 2. Dare I compare to early Razorlight but with a folk twist? Anyway, it is very poppy. And I like poppy. The bassline of 'That Girl' is reminiscent of 'Young Love' by the Mystery Jets, which apparently completely rips off a song from Hugh Grant film 'Music & Lyrics' (yet another an example of the best/worst thing ever). It descends into French halfway through, which is always a nice touch. However, it leaves me even more confused as to whether they are the best or worst thing ever! I guess it's fair to say Bambi Get Over It invoke a sense of nervous excitement, for better or for worse.
Dark Meat are new signings on VICE records, and they're literally a bunch of hippies. Seriously, "several members live in Orange Twin, a 100-acre sustainable-living eco-village, where members farm, do bio-diesel conversion and host shows at their amphitheater".
But considering their line up has consisted of members of Gnarls Barkley, Elf Power and Of Montreal amongst others, there must be some kind of musical pedigree there. Still, I'm not sure if they're the best or the worst thing I've ever heard. The fact that 'Freedom Ritual' has been designated their most accessible song (hence mass blog coverage of the track) and is over 7 minutes long should prove my point.
Having listened to the album, I'm almost lost for words. The only thing I could think of saying is that they are clearly completely mental. But that's probably not much good to you. I suppose Dark Meat are a bit like psychedelic devil RAWK. Admittedly, that's a pretty abject description and you really need to hear this band for yourself to decide whether they truly are the worst thing ever, or in fact, the best. I honestly can't tell.
The 17-piece collective are re-releasing their last album 'Universal Indians' on Vice Records today (presumably only in the States), with some additional tracks. They're also on a 66 show tour around America, check MySpace for dates [link].
I'll be back tomorrow with more of the same but this time from Times New Viking and King Khan & The Shrines. Goody.
Ignoring the hilarity of LOST, I think you know what I mean. Think: trashy b-movies (Arnie and Stallone), fast food (tasty yet hideously unhealthy) etc.
Bambi Get Over It are probably the defining example of this concept. Firstly, looking at their name, which I don't think I really like but other people love (judging from MySpace comments). It really reminds me of the Guillemots single! Then, and more importantly, their music is probably equally as polarising. Self confessed rockabilly meets folk, it's quite unique for contemporary British music. But I'm not sure "unique" is really a complimentary adjective.
Nonetheless, the tracks I was sent exhibit some promise. 'Bad Man' is the standout by far, and shows there is radio friendliness in the scope of Bambi Get Over It. Admittedly, that'd probably be BBC Radio 2. Dare I compare to early Razorlight but with a folk twist? Anyway, it is very poppy. And I like poppy. The bassline of 'That Girl' is reminiscent of 'Young Love' by the Mystery Jets, which apparently completely rips off a song from Hugh Grant film 'Music & Lyrics' (yet another an example of the best/worst thing ever). It descends into French halfway through, which is always a nice touch. However, it leaves me even more confused as to whether they are the best or worst thing ever! I guess it's fair to say Bambi Get Over It invoke a sense of nervous excitement, for better or for worse.
Dark Meat are new signings on VICE records, and they're literally a bunch of hippies. Seriously, "several members live in Orange Twin, a 100-acre sustainable-living eco-village, where members farm, do bio-diesel conversion and host shows at their amphitheater".
But considering their line up has consisted of members of Gnarls Barkley, Elf Power and Of Montreal amongst others, there must be some kind of musical pedigree there. Still, I'm not sure if they're the best or the worst thing I've ever heard. The fact that 'Freedom Ritual' has been designated their most accessible song (hence mass blog coverage of the track) and is over 7 minutes long should prove my point.
Having listened to the album, I'm almost lost for words. The only thing I could think of saying is that they are clearly completely mental. But that's probably not much good to you. I suppose Dark Meat are a bit like psychedelic devil RAWK. Admittedly, that's a pretty abject description and you really need to hear this band for yourself to decide whether they truly are the worst thing ever, or in fact, the best. I honestly can't tell.
Dark Meat - Freedom Ritual [right click, save as]
Dark Meat - Three Eyes Open [Yourfilehost]
Dark Meat - No One Was There (Warren Zevon Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Dark Meat - Three Eyes Open [Yourfilehost]
Dark Meat - No One Was There (Warren Zevon Cover) [Yourfilehost]
The 17-piece collective are re-releasing their last album 'Universal Indians' on Vice Records today (presumably only in the States), with some additional tracks. They're also on a 66 show tour around America, check MySpace for dates [link].
-----
I'll be back tomorrow with more of the same but this time from Times New Viking and King Khan & The Shrines. Goody.
on Monday, April 07, 2008
As promised in my latest podcast [link], here's a post about everyone's favourite Turin-meets-Londoner Banjo Or Freakout. I featured his ace track 'Mr No' in my March podcast, calling it "tabla infused dream pop". The good people over at No Pain In Pop appear to be releasing it on a 7" this July. Good call.
Banjo Or Freakout is the alias of Alessio Natalizia, from the mean streets of Italy's Turin and now living with his girlfriend in London. He seems to arisen from nowhere, having played only a handful of live shows and dripfeeding his tracks via his very own blog [link]. Saying that, Alessio managed to attract the attention of DFA records co-founder Jon Galkin earlier this year and has also been profiled at DrownedInSound.com. Luckily for me, he added me on MySpace a few weeks ago and I was instantly impressed.
Not only had Alessio been making engaging, progressive music but he had been kind enough to share the mp3s with anyone and everyone using a blog. This was my kind of artist. As for the tracks themselves, Alessio notes that they're not always the most accessible and he often goes down the ¡Forward, Russia! route of naming them after numbers. Except his are pretty much completely random numbers. I'm posting some of his more "poppy" stuff below as well as a couple of covers that he's done lately.
While 'Mr No' is a more uptempo song (at least musically), some of the Banjo Or Freakout material is dark and almost disturbing, like 'I Will Not Kill You Now'. I think the title pretty much gives that one away, although hearing Alessio's vocal at the very end has every hint of deranged psychopath to it. I'm sure he's lovely though.
Alessio has another couple of ace covers over (as well as all the above tracks and more) at his blog, which I suggest you check out at banjoorfreakout.blogspot.com and seeing as it's unlikely I'm going to post about this band anytime soon, here's Battles with a live version of 'Atlas'.
I still don't really "get" Battles.
Banjo Or Freakout is the alias of Alessio Natalizia, from the mean streets of Italy's Turin and now living with his girlfriend in London. He seems to arisen from nowhere, having played only a handful of live shows and dripfeeding his tracks via his very own blog [link]. Saying that, Alessio managed to attract the attention of DFA records co-founder Jon Galkin earlier this year and has also been profiled at DrownedInSound.com. Luckily for me, he added me on MySpace a few weeks ago and I was instantly impressed.
Not only had Alessio been making engaging, progressive music but he had been kind enough to share the mp3s with anyone and everyone using a blog. This was my kind of artist. As for the tracks themselves, Alessio notes that they're not always the most accessible and he often goes down the ¡Forward, Russia! route of naming them after numbers. Except his are pretty much completely random numbers. I'm posting some of his more "poppy" stuff below as well as a couple of covers that he's done lately.
While 'Mr No' is a more uptempo song (at least musically), some of the Banjo Or Freakout material is dark and almost disturbing, like 'I Will Not Kill You Now'. I think the title pretty much gives that one away, although hearing Alessio's vocal at the very end has every hint of deranged psychopath to it. I'm sure he's lovely though.
Banjo Or Freakout - I Will Not Kill You Now [Yourfilehost download link]
Banjo Or Freakout - People And Their Belongings [Yourfilehost]
Banjo Or Freakout - Foundations (Kate Nash Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Banjo Or Freakout - Atlas (Battles Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Banjo Or Freakout - People And Their Belongings [Yourfilehost]
Banjo Or Freakout - Foundations (Kate Nash Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Banjo Or Freakout - Atlas (Battles Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Alessio has another couple of ace covers over (as well as all the above tracks and more) at his blog, which I suggest you check out at banjoorfreakout.blogspot.com and seeing as it's unlikely I'm going to post about this band anytime soon, here's Battles with a live version of 'Atlas'.
Battles - Atlas (BBC Electric Proms 2007 Live) [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace mirror]
I still don't really "get" Battles.
on Friday, April 04, 2008
2008 has proved fruitful for Spanish "one man carnival" el Guincho, starting off with a nice write up over at Gorilla vs Bear, an 8.3 Pitchfork album review and debut shows in North America and the UK. Unfortunately, I missed his trip over last week, which included what I've heard was a rather good show with Fanfarlo and Munch Munch (both featured on Keep Hope Inside in the past) at London clubnight, White Heat. I believe he's even been signed to XL offshoot Young Turks to release the LP 'Alegranza' over here in the UK.
If you keep your eye on the music blogosphere, you'll be more than aware of Pablo Diaz-Reix, as he's known his mum and dad, by now. His mix of world music puts the likes of Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer to shame, combining bhangra/tabla, tropicalia, tribal beats and just about anything else that he sees fit.
So while I love his joyful mish mash of about 37 different genres, you can go read about all that elsewhere. Or simply have a listen. Instead, I'd like to bring his recent Bjork cover for Stereogum to your attention - 'Cover Me'. So he did. It's very different to the haunting, minimalist original and probably not to many Bjork fans' tastes. Here's what Pablo had to say about creating his version of 'Cover Me'.
Originally available from Stereogum [link]. If you fancy free (legal) el Guincho mp3s of his own stuff, make your way to his MySpace, where you can download 'Palmitos Park' por nada [link] and 'Fata Morgana' from RCRD LBL [link].
If you keep your eye on the music blogosphere, you'll be more than aware of Pablo Diaz-Reix, as he's known his mum and dad, by now. His mix of world music puts the likes of Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer to shame, combining bhangra/tabla, tropicalia, tribal beats and just about anything else that he sees fit.
So while I love his joyful mish mash of about 37 different genres, you can go read about all that elsewhere. Or simply have a listen. Instead, I'd like to bring his recent Bjork cover for Stereogum to your attention - 'Cover Me'. So he did. It's very different to the haunting, minimalist original and probably not to many Bjork fans' tastes. Here's what Pablo had to say about creating his version of 'Cover Me'.
"At first, I asked my ex-girlfriend to record some voice tracks for the song and tried to figure out how to fit it with another idea that I had: Like a 6-8 minute trip inspired by the remix Walter Gibbons did for Indian Ocean's 'Treehouse/Schoolbell.' But I ended up discarding the Indian Ocean idea and went a little bit old school UK garage! The other track I was working on sounded kinda similar to the original, like I was looping some all the original parts of the song and using a female voice, too, so I thought it was interesting to try a simple 2-step beat under the same universe, keeping the structure but changing the vocals and the vibe, kinda like dressing Björk in dirty clothes and taking her to the place she's trying to avoid in the lyrics. I am super excited to be a part of this."That was stolen from Stereogum.com by the way, a site which I'm sure you're familiar with anyway. In case you're not, it is basically the king of all music blogs and occasionally gathers some exciting artists to compile tribute albums. This one features No Age, Liars, Xiu Xiu and some other bands that you've doubt heard great things about recently. I strongly suggest you head to Stereogum to check out the tribute albums and everything else they have going on over there [link].
el Guincho - Cover Me (Bjork Cover) - [Yourfilehost download]
Originally available from Stereogum [link]. If you fancy free (legal) el Guincho mp3s of his own stuff, make your way to his MySpace, where you can download 'Palmitos Park' por nada [link] and 'Fata Morgana' from RCRD LBL [link].
Edith Bowman is a fan. Gareth Los Campesinos! is a fan. Dan 4 or 5 Magicians is a fan. And I think I'm now a fan of Yorkshire quartet ultCult.
Joining fellow Northerners Wild Beasts on a quest for mutated pop brilliance, ultCult (ultimateculture?) are a bizarre proposition. Their lo-fi Patrick Wolf meets Bjork stylings have an oddly hypnotic effect. Although probably what weirds me out most is that I checked out their MySpace then had a look in my inbox, where I discovered an email regarding the band. Co-incidence? Maybe. I had been driven to action by Dan from Brighton's popular beat combo 4 Or 5 Magicians mentioning the band on DrownedInSound.com - this is what he had to say:
I love traditional pop songs but there is a mysticism and unpredictability to ultCult that I haven't heard in a band since Late Of The Pier in 2006. And look how far they've come. Like Late Of The Pier, I haven't a bloody clue what ultCult's lyrics are about. I doubt that will hinder them.
In fact, a song like 'Tickitaboo' with its haunting (Patrick Wolf) Lycanthropy vibe would probably be eaten up by blogs if an established artist, such as Mr Wolf, put it out as a demo. As it is, it's probably my favourite from a capitivating bunch of songs, although I suspect many will look at 'Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges' (being touted as a possible single) and 'Sapphire Memories' as their most enjoyable sprinkles of ultCult magic. Others will look at them in disgust - ultCult are certainly an acquired taste.
In summary, take one glockenspiel, violin, keyboard, organ, accordian and guitar, add some unhinged vocals and you have one of the most original, dynamic, and fascinating bands to have emerged in the last few months.
They are playing a handful of live dates soon in Barnsley, London and Bradford. For those details and an opportunity to feast your ears on some more tracks, head over to their MySpace [link]
Joining fellow Northerners Wild Beasts on a quest for mutated pop brilliance, ultCult (ultimateculture?) are a bizarre proposition. Their lo-fi Patrick Wolf meets Bjork stylings have an oddly hypnotic effect. Although probably what weirds me out most is that I checked out their MySpace then had a look in my inbox, where I discovered an email regarding the band. Co-incidence? Maybe. I had been driven to action by Dan from Brighton's popular beat combo 4 Or 5 Magicians mentioning the band on DrownedInSound.com - this is what he had to say:
"I'm sure it's some kind of conspiracy, 16 year olds can't be this good!My band when I was 16 was pretty good, but we basically just sounded like Mansun. This is actually really really clever, original stuff. Vaguely Stereolab / Electrelane-esque."He has a point and mainly makes me think that I wasted my youth. But following a little digging (i.e a google search), I discovered that a certain Gareth from popular beat combo Los Campesinos! was also a fan and here's him gushing over ultCult on DrownedInSound back in January:
"UltCult are simply the best new band (new as in teenagers forming a band and recording songs) i've heard in ages. They sound like Linda Steelyard or Sue Tompkins fronting something like Stereolab. Sometimes the singers delivery reminds me of BARR, though they don't sound like BARR. They're amazing, I love them."In fact, Gareth loved them so much, he asked them to support LC! on the Sheffield date of their tour in February. That was ultCult's fourth gig, and they'll be supporting Gareth et al in a couple of weeks in Bradford too. Alright for some eh?
I love traditional pop songs but there is a mysticism and unpredictability to ultCult that I haven't heard in a band since Late Of The Pier in 2006. And look how far they've come. Like Late Of The Pier, I haven't a bloody clue what ultCult's lyrics are about. I doubt that will hinder them.
In fact, a song like 'Tickitaboo' with its haunting (Patrick Wolf) Lycanthropy vibe would probably be eaten up by blogs if an established artist, such as Mr Wolf, put it out as a demo. As it is, it's probably my favourite from a capitivating bunch of songs, although I suspect many will look at 'Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges' (being touted as a possible single) and 'Sapphire Memories' as their most enjoyable sprinkles of ultCult magic. Others will look at them in disgust - ultCult are certainly an acquired taste.
In summary, take one glockenspiel, violin, keyboard, organ, accordian and guitar, add some unhinged vocals and you have one of the most original, dynamic, and fascinating bands to have emerged in the last few months.
ultCult - Tickitaboo [Yourfilehost download]//[Sendspace mirror]
ultCult - Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
ultCult - Five Bedrooms And Two Lounges [Yourfilehost]//[Sendspace]
They are playing a handful of live dates soon in Barnsley, London and Bradford. For those details and an opportunity to feast your ears on some more tracks, head over to their MySpace [link]
on Thursday, April 03, 2008
For some reason or another, the BBC have been having a recent lovefest with Radiohead. Likewise, this post will signify possibly their first appearance on my blog. I don't think I've ever even mentioned them in passing - I thought the whole 'In Rainbows' download then pay what you want was clever but covered by just about every music site going. More recently, a lot of bloggers have been getting excited about the Holy Fuck remix of 'Nude' from the aforementioned album. For more info about remixing Radiohead yourself, head [here].
I suppose I've never felt the need to talk about such an acclaimed and successful band. The ethos of this blog has always been one of championing the underrated and unknown and I'm certain I can't offer anything new in terms of opinion regarding Radiohead! In fact, I never even downloaded 'In Rainbows'. I think Radiohead are fantastic but I guess I was expecting to listen to it via diffusion. Or osmosis. But certainly not active transport. Luckily, waiting for the album to come to me has worked out rather well.
On April 1st, Radiohead played two sets comprising almost entirely of material from the 'In Rainbows' album for BBC Radio 1 and 6Music. This followed the playing of the 'OK Computer' album from 1997 in its entirety, as part of the BBC's "Masterpieces" radio feature. The BBC have even dedicated a whole minisite to Radiohead [link].
BBC 6Music presenter Marc Riley has offered his views of the two sets over at DrownedInSound.com [link]. Here's a live video of 'Faust Arp' from the day:
The BBC in their wisdom and benevolence, have made an mp3 available to download for free from the Radiohead live performances [link], which I've uploaded below.
And while I'm here, I might as well put up an absorbing cover of 'Airbag', the opener to 'OK Computer'. This is by Northern Irish band The Jane Bradfords, who've appeared a couple of times on my blog in the past. Their debut LP is out on April 7th, available on iTunes etc as well as physically [here]. The song is also up for download at their MySpace [link], where I recommend you listen to 'Hide From The Cold', formerly #1 in the Qatar alternative radio charts.
Listen to the Radiohead two performances at the BBC Radio Theatre (April 1st 2008), 'OK Computer' in full and their first BBC session (June 1992) at bbc.co.uk [link].
Buy 'In Rainbows' from play.com for £7.99 [link].
Also, I recently did my seventh podcast, so pop along for a listen if you like [link]. It features the new Esser single, 65daysofstatic, Frightened Rabbit and many more.
I suppose I've never felt the need to talk about such an acclaimed and successful band. The ethos of this blog has always been one of championing the underrated and unknown and I'm certain I can't offer anything new in terms of opinion regarding Radiohead! In fact, I never even downloaded 'In Rainbows'. I think Radiohead are fantastic but I guess I was expecting to listen to it via diffusion. Or osmosis. But certainly not active transport. Luckily, waiting for the album to come to me has worked out rather well.
On April 1st, Radiohead played two sets comprising almost entirely of material from the 'In Rainbows' album for BBC Radio 1 and 6Music. This followed the playing of the 'OK Computer' album from 1997 in its entirety, as part of the BBC's "Masterpieces" radio feature. The BBC have even dedicated a whole minisite to Radiohead [link].
BBC 6Music presenter Marc Riley has offered his views of the two sets over at DrownedInSound.com [link]. Here's a live video of 'Faust Arp' from the day:
The BBC in their wisdom and benevolence, have made an mp3 available to download for free from the Radiohead live performances [link], which I've uploaded below.
Radiohead - Videotape (Live At The BBC Radio Theatre, 01.04.08) [Yourfilehost download]
And while I'm here, I might as well put up an absorbing cover of 'Airbag', the opener to 'OK Computer'. This is by Northern Irish band The Jane Bradfords, who've appeared a couple of times on my blog in the past. Their debut LP is out on April 7th, available on iTunes etc as well as physically [here]. The song is also up for download at their MySpace [link], where I recommend you listen to 'Hide From The Cold', formerly #1 in the Qatar alternative radio charts.
The Jane Bradfords - Airbag (Radiohead Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Listen to the Radiohead two performances at the BBC Radio Theatre (April 1st 2008), 'OK Computer' in full and their first BBC session (June 1992) at bbc.co.uk [link].
Buy 'In Rainbows' from play.com for £7.99 [link].
-----
Also, I recently did my seventh podcast, so pop along for a listen if you like [link]. It features the new Esser single, 65daysofstatic, Frightened Rabbit and many more.
on Wednesday, April 02, 2008
You also have to beware stuff that appears on April Fool's day. I received an email earlier from a certain Tom Henley, in the guise of a press release for a certain Thos Henley. 2+2=5? Anyway, it included a Leona Lewis cover and no mention of a website or in fact, very much information at all. So I was obviously wary.
Thomas, or Thos, obviously knew what he was doing though. I was compelled to have a little dig about on the interweb for information. Turns out he is the former frontman of cult Southampton(?) band Rival Joustas, contemporaries of the Mystery Jets (who were/are fans of the band). Their sound can be easily compared to that of early Mystery Jets, with a bit of added electronica for good measure.
Thos left the band to go solo and is now doing a very different thing. The man himself likes to call it "folk-psych-pop music on eastern european instruments". Seeing as I don't even know what a balalaika or a bouzouki is, I can go along with that.
Forthcoming single 'Summer On The Thames' is a lovely slice of breezy folk pop, in much the same vein as Noah & The Whale. The real revelation, however, is his cover of 'Bleeding Love', the song with which Leona Lewis is now conquering America. The double tracking of his vocals with the stripped down setup gives the song a poignancy perhaps dampened by the manufactured nature of the original, before breaking in some beats to add texture.
While I'm not sure what's happening with the Joustas (although the implication is that they are continuing), Thos has a promising career ahead of him. If you're missing Jeremy Warmsley, I suggest you divert your attention to Thos for the time being, at least.
Both tracks available to download on the RJ MySpace also [link].
'Bleeding Love' can be downloaded from Thos' MySpace [link], along with some other demos. 'Summer On The Thames' will be disappearing from this page very soon.
Thomas, or Thos, obviously knew what he was doing though. I was compelled to have a little dig about on the interweb for information. Turns out he is the former frontman of cult Southampton(?) band Rival Joustas, contemporaries of the Mystery Jets (who were/are fans of the band). Their sound can be easily compared to that of early Mystery Jets, with a bit of added electronica for good measure.
Thos left the band to go solo and is now doing a very different thing. The man himself likes to call it "folk-psych-pop music on eastern european instruments". Seeing as I don't even know what a balalaika or a bouzouki is, I can go along with that.
Forthcoming single 'Summer On The Thames' is a lovely slice of breezy folk pop, in much the same vein as Noah & The Whale. The real revelation, however, is his cover of 'Bleeding Love', the song with which Leona Lewis is now conquering America. The double tracking of his vocals with the stripped down setup gives the song a poignancy perhaps dampened by the manufactured nature of the original, before breaking in some beats to add texture.
While I'm not sure what's happening with the Joustas (although the implication is that they are continuing), Thos has a promising career ahead of him. If you're missing Jeremy Warmsley, I suggest you divert your attention to Thos for the time being, at least.
Rival Joustas - The Countess Of Hong Kong (Demo) [Yourfilehost download]
Rival Joustas - Clarity (Blamma! Blamma! Clear As Mud Remix) [Yourfilehost]
Rival Joustas - Clarity (Blamma! Blamma! Clear As Mud Remix) [Yourfilehost]
Both tracks available to download on the RJ MySpace also [link].
Thos Henley - Summer On The Thames [Yourfilehost]
Thos Henley - Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis Cover) [Yourfilehost]
Thos Henley - Bleeding Love (Leona Lewis Cover) [Yourfilehost]
'Bleeding Love' can be downloaded from Thos' MySpace [link], along with some other demos. 'Summer On The Thames' will be disappearing from this page very soon.
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