Taking a quick break from my neverending second birthday guest blogging celebrations ('The Two Year Itch'), I decided to rustle up a quick podcast. Although I really hesitate to use the word podcast here. There is no speakyspeaky here. Which a lot of bloggers still consider as perfectly acceptable as a podcast but I think it's probably more accurately, a mixtape. But with the popularity of [Muxtape], this may be a turn for the better? It's meant to be about the music and not me, anyway.
Keep Hope Inside Podcast#8 (30mb, 32.49mins)
Intro (created with samples by Michael Oster)
1) Super Tennis - Super Tennis Theme Song
A bizzarely thrilling concotion of screamo, math and indie pop.
[mp3]//[MySpace]
2) Eugene Francis Jr - Beginners
Hypnotic Beck-like pop.
Buy his debut album 'The Golden Beatle' from his [MySpace]
3) Skyhorse - Don't Open Up
Joining fellow London teenagers White Lies in reflecting a dynamically moody eighties sound but with a more pleasing, anthemic vibe.
[MySpace]
4) The Winchell Riots - Histories
An intense track signalling their triumphant rise from the ashes of Fell City Girl.
Order the 'Histories EP' from their [MySpace]
5) The Satin Peaches - Wash It Away
Like Billy Corgan fronted Tokyo Police Club; this brings back joyful memories of Zwan.
[MySpace]
6) Sportsday Megaphone - Young Lust
A modern day love song from Hugh 'laptoptronica' Frost.
[MySpace]
7) Fear Of Music - Ropes Out Of Sheets
Epic, sweeping soundscapes a la Muse.
[MySpace]
8) The xx - Teardrops
A captivatingly Womack & Womack cover from these hotly tipped Londoners. Smooth.
[mp3]//[MySpace]
9) Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Look For The Woman (Zane Lowe Mix)
Zane Lowe adds his dreamy take to DLSvsSP's poppiest song
[MySpace]//The debut album 'Angles' is out now.
10) Rose Kemp - Nanny's World
If Regina Spektor woke up thinking she was Bjork and Portishead. At the same time.
[mp3]//[MySpace]
Tracks used with permission or made freely available on the internet by the artist at the time.
DIRECT DOWNLOAD [right click, save target as]
Subscribe to podcast feed - http://feeds.feedburner.com/keephopeinsidepodcast
Subscribe in iTunes [link]
Subscribing to the feed means you'll be notified when I do more podcasts in the future. You can do that with podcatchers or through iTunes, as above. You can also do a DIY add to iTunes by going to "Subscribe To Podcast" under the "Advanced" menu and pasting the podcast feed (the podcast feed link above) there.
You can subscribe to my all-in-one blog and podcast feed too instead if you wish -
http://feeds.feedburner.com/keephopeinside
Thanks and hope people aren't too disappointed by lack of talking but let me know if you think it's actually better this way!
on Friday, May 30, 2008
Part six sees the debut Mystery Jets offering tackled by Tara of [The Music Journal], a blog full of youthful exuberance, if a little light on posts. While their second album seems to have garnered the band a new fanbase, people like myself and Tara have a great affinity with their earlier material. Here's what she had to say about her favourite British album from the past two years:
Mystery Jets burst onto the scene two years ago (speaking of two years, happy second birthday Keep Hope Inside). They made their arrival amidst gallons of hype and promise, not failing to impress with their fantastical mix of progressive and pop. At the time they were being hailed as the purveyors of the short-lived "Thames-beat" scene, and while this label disappeared fairly quickly, the good music did not. No matter how many times you listen to the eccentric beauty of their debut album, 'Making Dens', it never stops pleasing, with its whimsical yet somehow quirky tales of love.
I think it was Damon Albarn who once said that a good album is like a good story (or something to that effect), and this album fits that description rather well.
Opening track 'Overture', conforms to its namesake, reminiscent of being sat at a show listening to an unclear, indecipherable medley of the songs you are about to hear; a quivering anticipation as the curtains begin to rise. And then it starts, the bold authority of 'You Can't Fool Me Dennis', with the band almost mockingly chanting "you can do anything you want, as long as it makes sense". And to a large extent that is what the band did with 'Making Dens' – they did what they wanted, they went for meandering over mainstream, and with many bands it wouldn't have worked. But when you listen to this album, it really, really makes sense.
The bouncy yet nostalgic homage to Woody Allen comes next, in 'Purple Prose', chockfull of playful yet poignant lyrics, followed by the delicate elegance of 'Soluble in Air'. Suddenly you find yourself catapulted into the rollicking upbeat tale of 'The Boy Who Ran Away', bursting at the seams with catchy hooks.
After this, the listener is given a break, as a reader would come to the end of a chapter, or an audience would come to the interval. This break comes in the form of the hazy, mellow instrumentals of 'Summertime Den'. Then the listener is soothed back into the second half with the wistful beauty of 'Horse-Drawn Cart', with dramatic yet sincere vocals from singer Blaine Harrison. "If you don't trust me, I'll fall", he utters over and over, like a mantra, almost as though he is begging. Twinkling glockenspiels lead us out of this reverie into the frantic schizophrenia of 'Zootime'. An aggressive, manic track, the stark lyricism (mainly tribal chanting of "Zootime") adds to its sensational sound.
Next is the stripped-down, stunning melancholia of 'Little Bag of Hair', an eerie recounting of life in a hospital. "At my fingertips enough morphine to put me in a death" is one of the many vivid, terrifying yet wonderful images brought forth in the lyrics. It's the sort of song that makes you shiver in awe.
And just when you're ready to wallow in misery, you're greeted by two utterly fantastic pieces of pop music. 'Diamonds in the Dark' is as shimmering as the title might suggest; an impossibly catchy story about first love. Then the joyous, upbeat insanity that is 'Alas Agnes', reminiscing with adoration an artistic ex who "dumped [him] for a prettier muse". Calm is then restored in the closing credits, in the not quite lullaby, not quite march of title track 'Making Dens.'
It's an album not like any other, full of wondrous twists and turns, joviality, but most importantly its sheer sincerity. Throughout the album, when Blaine sings you are immediately enraptured, because everything he sings is heartfelt and unfeigned. I'm not kidding myself; it might never go down as one of the best British albums in anyone else's books, but to me it's already a classic. If other bands had tried a similar concept it would have been somewhat sheepishly, delivered half-heartedly, and they would have failed. It is the vigour, the youth, the passion, and the boisterous energy that makes this one of my favourite albums of the past two years.
Mystery Jets - 'Making Dens' (released March 6th 2006)
[Mystery Jets MySpace]
MYSTERY JETS - DIAMONDS IN THE DARK
Buy the ltd ed digipack version of 'Making Dens' from [HMV].
Mystery Jets burst onto the scene two years ago (speaking of two years, happy second birthday Keep Hope Inside). They made their arrival amidst gallons of hype and promise, not failing to impress with their fantastical mix of progressive and pop. At the time they were being hailed as the purveyors of the short-lived "Thames-beat" scene, and while this label disappeared fairly quickly, the good music did not. No matter how many times you listen to the eccentric beauty of their debut album, 'Making Dens', it never stops pleasing, with its whimsical yet somehow quirky tales of love.
I think it was Damon Albarn who once said that a good album is like a good story (or something to that effect), and this album fits that description rather well.
Opening track 'Overture', conforms to its namesake, reminiscent of being sat at a show listening to an unclear, indecipherable medley of the songs you are about to hear; a quivering anticipation as the curtains begin to rise. And then it starts, the bold authority of 'You Can't Fool Me Dennis', with the band almost mockingly chanting "you can do anything you want, as long as it makes sense". And to a large extent that is what the band did with 'Making Dens' – they did what they wanted, they went for meandering over mainstream, and with many bands it wouldn't have worked. But when you listen to this album, it really, really makes sense.
The bouncy yet nostalgic homage to Woody Allen comes next, in 'Purple Prose', chockfull of playful yet poignant lyrics, followed by the delicate elegance of 'Soluble in Air'. Suddenly you find yourself catapulted into the rollicking upbeat tale of 'The Boy Who Ran Away', bursting at the seams with catchy hooks.
After this, the listener is given a break, as a reader would come to the end of a chapter, or an audience would come to the interval. This break comes in the form of the hazy, mellow instrumentals of 'Summertime Den'. Then the listener is soothed back into the second half with the wistful beauty of 'Horse-Drawn Cart', with dramatic yet sincere vocals from singer Blaine Harrison. "If you don't trust me, I'll fall", he utters over and over, like a mantra, almost as though he is begging. Twinkling glockenspiels lead us out of this reverie into the frantic schizophrenia of 'Zootime'. An aggressive, manic track, the stark lyricism (mainly tribal chanting of "Zootime") adds to its sensational sound.
Next is the stripped-down, stunning melancholia of 'Little Bag of Hair', an eerie recounting of life in a hospital. "At my fingertips enough morphine to put me in a death" is one of the many vivid, terrifying yet wonderful images brought forth in the lyrics. It's the sort of song that makes you shiver in awe.
And just when you're ready to wallow in misery, you're greeted by two utterly fantastic pieces of pop music. 'Diamonds in the Dark' is as shimmering as the title might suggest; an impossibly catchy story about first love. Then the joyous, upbeat insanity that is 'Alas Agnes', reminiscing with adoration an artistic ex who "dumped [him] for a prettier muse". Calm is then restored in the closing credits, in the not quite lullaby, not quite march of title track 'Making Dens.'
It's an album not like any other, full of wondrous twists and turns, joviality, but most importantly its sheer sincerity. Throughout the album, when Blaine sings you are immediately enraptured, because everything he sings is heartfelt and unfeigned. I'm not kidding myself; it might never go down as one of the best British albums in anyone else's books, but to me it's already a classic. If other bands had tried a similar concept it would have been somewhat sheepishly, delivered half-heartedly, and they would have failed. It is the vigour, the youth, the passion, and the boisterous energy that makes this one of my favourite albums of the past two years.
Mystery Jets - 'Making Dens' (released March 6th 2006)
[Mystery Jets MySpace]
MYSTERY JETS - DIAMONDS IN THE DARK
Buy the ltd ed digipack version of 'Making Dens' from [HMV].
on Thursday, May 29, 2008
Part five of my blogging birthday celebrations goes to the team over at [100b.com]. For some crazy reason, they once put me on a pedestal with Music For Robots and You Ain't No Picasso, which was probably the biggest compliment anyone's ever paid to me blog-wise. Which makes me all the more sad that their blog is so criminally underrated - go there now! They decided to each talk about their favourite British album of the last two years so now we have 3x the fun:
In a very special edition of 100best, Hangin’ Out In 100b dedicates our picks for the best British album of the past two years to Saam, and wishes Keep Hope Inside a very happy birthday indeed and many more years of great music to discover.
aDawgg
When in doubt go with the album that lived the most dangerous liaison with your music delivery system. The one that shook my bah-dompah-domp? 'Fantastic Playroom' from Mercury short-listers New Young Pony Club. Though similar to the better-known and mega-hyped CSS, New Young Pony Club are cut from a starker cloth. The result is tight nu rave and NYPC more than hold their own in a world governed by the music fashionistas. 'Ice Cream' represents the London-based band well and reached #40 in the UK charts last summer.
New Young Pony Club - 'Fantastic Playroom' (released 9th July 2007)
[New Young Pony Club MySpace]
NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - ICE CREAM
Buy 'Fantastic Playroom' from [Piccadilly Records]
Bean
Here’s the simple truth: 'The Life Pursuit' is perfect. A little indie, a little pop, and a little glam with vivid stories about kooky characters in songs that will suit any occasion and every mood. Belle & Sebastian’s remarkable ability to combine a joyous sound and bubbling sense of humor with an underlying sense of longing gives 'The Life Pursuit' a unique depth. These songs somehow seem to change over time, and I hear something different in them each time I play them. This is the kind of album most bands will only dream about making one day.
Belle & Sebastian - 'The Life Pursuit' (released 6th Febuary 2006)
[Belle & Sebastian MySpace]
BELLE & SEBASTIAN - SUKIE IN THE GRAVEYARD
Buy 'The Life Pursuit' at [Roughtrade.com]
Tamboosh
This was tough but I "kept hope inside" - snort, my wit is sharper than a Hanzo sword - and at the end it came down to Brakes' last album and Lightspeed Champion's and Hot Club De Paris' debuts. My final choice shouldn't come as a surprise to 100b regulars. In my last post, I already celebrated their first record abundantly. Apparently, I'm a loyal fangirl; given the choice, I choose Brakes. Their second album's still thrilling and refreshing, but a bit more political and grown up, and is so bold to pose that age old question: Porcupine or pineapple?
Brakes - 'The Beatific Visions' (released 6th November 2006)
[Brakes MySpace]
BRAKES - PORCUPINE OR PINEAPPLE?
Buy 'The Beatific Visions' for under a fiver at [Play.com]
In a very special edition of 100best, Hangin’ Out In 100b dedicates our picks for the best British album of the past two years to Saam, and wishes Keep Hope Inside a very happy birthday indeed and many more years of great music to discover.
aDawgg
When in doubt go with the album that lived the most dangerous liaison with your music delivery system. The one that shook my bah-dompah-domp? 'Fantastic Playroom' from Mercury short-listers New Young Pony Club. Though similar to the better-known and mega-hyped CSS, New Young Pony Club are cut from a starker cloth. The result is tight nu rave and NYPC more than hold their own in a world governed by the music fashionistas. 'Ice Cream' represents the London-based band well and reached #40 in the UK charts last summer.
New Young Pony Club - 'Fantastic Playroom' (released 9th July 2007)
[New Young Pony Club MySpace]
NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB - ICE CREAM
Buy 'Fantastic Playroom' from [Piccadilly Records]
Bean
Here’s the simple truth: 'The Life Pursuit' is perfect. A little indie, a little pop, and a little glam with vivid stories about kooky characters in songs that will suit any occasion and every mood. Belle & Sebastian’s remarkable ability to combine a joyous sound and bubbling sense of humor with an underlying sense of longing gives 'The Life Pursuit' a unique depth. These songs somehow seem to change over time, and I hear something different in them each time I play them. This is the kind of album most bands will only dream about making one day.
Belle & Sebastian - 'The Life Pursuit' (released 6th Febuary 2006)
[Belle & Sebastian MySpace]
BELLE & SEBASTIAN - SUKIE IN THE GRAVEYARD
Buy 'The Life Pursuit' at [Roughtrade.com]
Tamboosh
This was tough but I "kept hope inside" - snort, my wit is sharper than a Hanzo sword - and at the end it came down to Brakes' last album and Lightspeed Champion's and Hot Club De Paris' debuts. My final choice shouldn't come as a surprise to 100b regulars. In my last post, I already celebrated their first record abundantly. Apparently, I'm a loyal fangirl; given the choice, I choose Brakes. Their second album's still thrilling and refreshing, but a bit more political and grown up, and is so bold to pose that age old question: Porcupine or pineapple?
Brakes - 'The Beatific Visions' (released 6th November 2006)
[Brakes MySpace]
BRAKES - PORCUPINE OR PINEAPPLE?
Buy 'The Beatific Visions' for under a fiver at [Play.com]
on Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sid of [Music Liberation] contributed to my last guest blog feature, You! Me! Blogging! and returns today to enthuse about the debut Blood Red Shoes LP. We're about halfway through The Two Year Itch (celebrating the second anniversary of my blog with bloggers' favourite British albums of the past two years), so keep coming back if you're interested. Here's Sid's words on 'Box Of Secrets':
Released earlier this year on V2 Records, 'Box Of Secrets' is the debut album from Brighton based duo, Blood Red Shoes. BRS are made up of Steven Ansell (Drums/Vocals) and Laura-Mary Carter (Guitar/Vocals). Since forming in 2005, the band have been busy recording an E.P, released several singles, and extensively toured throughout the UK and Europe. One of these singles 'It’s Getting Boring By The Sea' released in June of 2007, was received to critical acclaim and achieved somewhat of a cult hit among fans. Since then the band have toured more (and more!), and received significant support from the likes of Mr Zane Lowe on Radio 1, all of which built up to the highly anticipated release of their debut album.
The album kicks off with opener 'Doesn’t Matter Much', a slow, powerful and confident track that immediately demonstrates not just the belief the band have in themselves and their music, but also is a great display of what they’ll all about. You’re immediately confronted with Steven's incredibly commanding drumming, that drives the bands songs throughout. Alongside that is the guitar of Laura-Mary, which is full bodied and totally rocking with big riffs that perfectly compliment the drums. Thrown into the mix are the duo’s joint vocals, which help to keep things varied. If you hadn’t heard of the band before, I’d doubt very much you would think that such a powerful sound can come from just two people.
My favourite track on the record is 'I Wish I Was Someone Better'. It’s faster than their other songs, and I feel that Steven is really given a great opportunity to demonstrate his clear talent for singing. The vocals are catchy, but the music has a dark, heavy, almost edgy feel to it. You get the impression the band really enjoyed putting the album together, and revel in playing up to their strengths.
You sense the album was made with the right intent, to put together a collection of songs that scream honesty and integrity, over anything that might imply the band selling out (mmmm Ting Tings anyone?). It is no surprise BRS consider themselves to be a punk band, not so much the sound, but more the general ethos and direction the band have taken. Lazy journo’s always mention The White Stripes with any Boy/Girl combination, but to be honest they cannot be further from BRS, not just in sound but attitude too.
Box Of Secrets is an honest, full-on assault, that is full of energy, passion, and intent. It is only eclipsed by seeing the band play live. Many aspiring musicians should check the album out, but be prepared that it might make you go back to the drawing board and practise that extra bit more, cos these guys aren’t gonna be moved easily!
Blood Red Shoes - 'Box Of Secrets' (released 14th April 2008)
Blood Red Shoes MySpace
BLOOD RED SHOES - I WISH I WAS SOMEONE BETTER
Buy 'Box Of Secrets' at [Puregroove]
Released earlier this year on V2 Records, 'Box Of Secrets' is the debut album from Brighton based duo, Blood Red Shoes. BRS are made up of Steven Ansell (Drums/Vocals) and Laura-Mary Carter (Guitar/Vocals). Since forming in 2005, the band have been busy recording an E.P, released several singles, and extensively toured throughout the UK and Europe. One of these singles 'It’s Getting Boring By The Sea' released in June of 2007, was received to critical acclaim and achieved somewhat of a cult hit among fans. Since then the band have toured more (and more!), and received significant support from the likes of Mr Zane Lowe on Radio 1, all of which built up to the highly anticipated release of their debut album.
The album kicks off with opener 'Doesn’t Matter Much', a slow, powerful and confident track that immediately demonstrates not just the belief the band have in themselves and their music, but also is a great display of what they’ll all about. You’re immediately confronted with Steven's incredibly commanding drumming, that drives the bands songs throughout. Alongside that is the guitar of Laura-Mary, which is full bodied and totally rocking with big riffs that perfectly compliment the drums. Thrown into the mix are the duo’s joint vocals, which help to keep things varied. If you hadn’t heard of the band before, I’d doubt very much you would think that such a powerful sound can come from just two people.
My favourite track on the record is 'I Wish I Was Someone Better'. It’s faster than their other songs, and I feel that Steven is really given a great opportunity to demonstrate his clear talent for singing. The vocals are catchy, but the music has a dark, heavy, almost edgy feel to it. You get the impression the band really enjoyed putting the album together, and revel in playing up to their strengths.
You sense the album was made with the right intent, to put together a collection of songs that scream honesty and integrity, over anything that might imply the band selling out (mmmm Ting Tings anyone?). It is no surprise BRS consider themselves to be a punk band, not so much the sound, but more the general ethos and direction the band have taken. Lazy journo’s always mention The White Stripes with any Boy/Girl combination, but to be honest they cannot be further from BRS, not just in sound but attitude too.
Box Of Secrets is an honest, full-on assault, that is full of energy, passion, and intent. It is only eclipsed by seeing the band play live. Many aspiring musicians should check the album out, but be prepared that it might make you go back to the drawing board and practise that extra bit more, cos these guys aren’t gonna be moved easily!
Blood Red Shoes - 'Box Of Secrets' (released 14th April 2008)
Blood Red Shoes MySpace
BLOOD RED SHOES - I WISH I WAS SOMEONE BETTER
Buy 'Box Of Secrets' at [Puregroove]
on Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Continuing with my run of guest blogs, discussing their favourite British albums of the last two years, we have Tim of [funfunfun]. I've always seen funfunfun as pretty much my closest contemporary, starting around the same time (Tim's being a few months older) and putting out similar output. This is reflected in Tim's choice, a band which we have both written in the past before their sudden disbanding. That band is Meet Me In St Louis with their sole album, 'Variations On Swing':
'Variations On Swing' is an album for a close-knit community. Its intricate layers of morphing instruments and its fractured time signatures may put off, or even frighten, some listeners but those that “get it” will join the ranks amongst some of the most passionate and faithful of fans. This album, Meet Me In St. Louis' début, and only, full length release wouldn't have been possible without that legions of followers, who they won over during the untold number of shows in their unduly short, three year career. Their trusting fans helped finance the production of the album through generous donations and MMISL responded with equal passion and commitment.
The ideas displayed on 'Variations...' are big and uncompromising. Standard song structures are completely abandoned as each member pushes their instrument, and themselves, past boundaries and into new creative terrain. Opener 'The Torso Has Been Severed In Mid-Thorax' explodes with feedback and distortion and its instantly clear that the band were determined to deliver on the trust of their loyal supporters. The intent in singer Toby's vocals is demanding. It's as if you were face to face with him as he repeats the line “And ones and zeros”, which you quite possibly could have been if you ever saw them live. That's the thing about 'Variations...'; with the help of acclaimed producer Alex Newport, Meet Me In St Louis managed to capture the intensity and kineticism of their live shows on tape and it makes the album truly enthralling to behold.
Drum rhythms skip and stutter constantly on 'All We Need Is A Little Energon And A Lot Of Luck' leaving the dual guitar attack to weave their way through the minefield left in its wake. While the rest of the band are battling against each other, its Lewis' bass that keeps the tracks on track. Equally steady and chaotic, it helps you navigate through the twists and turns of tracks like 'Right This Way, You Maverick Renegade' and 'Eins Zwei Drei Hasselhoff!' and drags the rest of the band, kicking and screaming, to each unpredictable and exhausting climax.
The surprisingly acoustic track 'I Beat Up The Bathroom' shows a compelling and beautifully emotive side to the band, with Toby's vocals and the twang of the guitar being backed up by sweeping violin strokes and strange electronic knocks. It's a sign of MMISL's maturity that this slow-down in tempo feels congruous with the other nine tracks. 'Variations...' is a more coherent, focused and concise collection of songs than their two previously released Eps, it has the feel of a band tittering on the edge of greatness. Maybe without the sudden departure of vocalist Toby, two months after the album's release in September 07, leading to the band's subsequent demise that this promise would have been fulfilled for the band and their loyal fans. But as it stands 'Variations On Swing' is Meet Me In St Louis' grandiose parting gift to those faithful few who gave more than just time to the band. They “got” it and you can too.
Meet Me In St Louis - 'Variations On Swing' (released 24th September 2007)
[Meet Me In St Louis Myspace]
MEET ME IN ST LOUIS - EINS ZWEI DREI HASSELHOFF
Buy 'Variations On Swing' from the [BSM shop].
'Variations On Swing' is an album for a close-knit community. Its intricate layers of morphing instruments and its fractured time signatures may put off, or even frighten, some listeners but those that “get it” will join the ranks amongst some of the most passionate and faithful of fans. This album, Meet Me In St. Louis' début, and only, full length release wouldn't have been possible without that legions of followers, who they won over during the untold number of shows in their unduly short, three year career. Their trusting fans helped finance the production of the album through generous donations and MMISL responded with equal passion and commitment.
The ideas displayed on 'Variations...' are big and uncompromising. Standard song structures are completely abandoned as each member pushes their instrument, and themselves, past boundaries and into new creative terrain. Opener 'The Torso Has Been Severed In Mid-Thorax' explodes with feedback and distortion and its instantly clear that the band were determined to deliver on the trust of their loyal supporters. The intent in singer Toby's vocals is demanding. It's as if you were face to face with him as he repeats the line “And ones and zeros”, which you quite possibly could have been if you ever saw them live. That's the thing about 'Variations...'; with the help of acclaimed producer Alex Newport, Meet Me In St Louis managed to capture the intensity and kineticism of their live shows on tape and it makes the album truly enthralling to behold.
Drum rhythms skip and stutter constantly on 'All We Need Is A Little Energon And A Lot Of Luck' leaving the dual guitar attack to weave their way through the minefield left in its wake. While the rest of the band are battling against each other, its Lewis' bass that keeps the tracks on track. Equally steady and chaotic, it helps you navigate through the twists and turns of tracks like 'Right This Way, You Maverick Renegade' and 'Eins Zwei Drei Hasselhoff!' and drags the rest of the band, kicking and screaming, to each unpredictable and exhausting climax.
The surprisingly acoustic track 'I Beat Up The Bathroom' shows a compelling and beautifully emotive side to the band, with Toby's vocals and the twang of the guitar being backed up by sweeping violin strokes and strange electronic knocks. It's a sign of MMISL's maturity that this slow-down in tempo feels congruous with the other nine tracks. 'Variations...' is a more coherent, focused and concise collection of songs than their two previously released Eps, it has the feel of a band tittering on the edge of greatness. Maybe without the sudden departure of vocalist Toby, two months after the album's release in September 07, leading to the band's subsequent demise that this promise would have been fulfilled for the band and their loyal fans. But as it stands 'Variations On Swing' is Meet Me In St Louis' grandiose parting gift to those faithful few who gave more than just time to the band. They “got” it and you can too.
Meet Me In St Louis - 'Variations On Swing' (released 24th September 2007)
[Meet Me In St Louis Myspace]
MEET ME IN ST LOUIS - EINS ZWEI DREI HASSELHOFF
Buy 'Variations On Swing' from the [BSM shop].
on Monday, May 26, 2008
This is the second part of my guest blog series showcasing bloggers' favourite British albums of the past two years, under the guise of a celebration for the second anniversary of Keep Hope Inside.
Part Two sees Massachusetts' finest blogger, Jay of [clicky clicky], aka America's biggest Johnny Foreigner supporter and self-confessed fanboy, take on '7 From The Village' by Fields:
To help Saam mark two years of service to the blogosphere we'd like to tell you about our favorite British release of the last 720-some days. Truth is, it may be our second favorite. But our unchecked cheerleading over the last 14 months or so for Birmingham's Johnny Foreigner makes the trio's excellent EP Arcs Across The City too obvious a choice. A band that seems to have gotten somewhat lost in the shuffle is now London-based (at least last we checked) Fields. The act has undergone some changes during the lead-up to its planned sophomore full-length, which was being polished up in New York by fronter Nick Peill and drummer Henry Spenner in March, and truth be told we weren't blown away by all of Fields' major label full-length 'Everything Last Winter'.
We were, however, strongly taken with the band's '7 From The Village' EP, so much so that we named it one of our favorite releases of 2006. It's a charming blend of '70s pastoral psych-folk and contemporary indie rock centered around the undeniable pop gem 'Brittlesticks'. Time was, especially for those of us in the States investigating the band, there was no small mystery about the band. The hand-cranked black-and-white video clip for 'Brittlesticks', as well as several other contemporaneous -- and no less mysterious -- creepy black-and-white video "teasers" (see embed) on YouTube cast the band in a sort of eerie, "Blair Witch Project"-type visual context. For many of us passionate about music, penetrating the enigma of a new band is a large thrill, and Fields presented such a challenge, at least at first.
While 'Brittlesticks' is so strong a track we could dwell (and have dwelled) on it at length (particularly the lovely guy/girl vocal interplay in the chorus), we'll let an MP3 speak for itself and then devote the rest of this paragraph to other high points on '7 From The Village'. The band does itself a great service with the sequencing of the set, which opens with the urgent acoustic strumming and persistent declamations of 'Song For The Fields', and progresses into the uptempo cascade of 'Isabel', before hitting the emotional high of 'Brittlesticks'. 'Sisters' returns to the dark folk sound of the album opener before working itself into a frenzied dirge; the elegiac 'Roll Down The Hill' offers calm over a comfortable electronic beat; 'Heretic' cranks up the noise and the hypnotic swirl one last time before 'A Slow Crawling Hand' closes the short set out with a cinematic shuffle adorned with church bells, murmured vocals and what sounds like someone moving boxes around a cavernous and damp cellar.
It's quite a journey for an EP, and one we hope Fields in its latest iteration can recapture. In our opinion 'Everything Last Winter' reached too eagerly and openly for commercial success, so here's hoping the sophomore set will show the band embracing the mysterious once again.
Fields - '7 From The Village EP' (released September 12th 2006)
[Fields' MySpace]
FIELDS - BRITTLESTICKS
'7 From The Village' is a US EP but is available from [Amazon.co.uk]
Part Two sees Massachusetts' finest blogger, Jay of [clicky clicky], aka America's biggest Johnny Foreigner supporter and self-confessed fanboy, take on '7 From The Village' by Fields:
To help Saam mark two years of service to the blogosphere we'd like to tell you about our favorite British release of the last 720-some days. Truth is, it may be our second favorite. But our unchecked cheerleading over the last 14 months or so for Birmingham's Johnny Foreigner makes the trio's excellent EP Arcs Across The City too obvious a choice. A band that seems to have gotten somewhat lost in the shuffle is now London-based (at least last we checked) Fields. The act has undergone some changes during the lead-up to its planned sophomore full-length, which was being polished up in New York by fronter Nick Peill and drummer Henry Spenner in March, and truth be told we weren't blown away by all of Fields' major label full-length 'Everything Last Winter'.
We were, however, strongly taken with the band's '7 From The Village' EP, so much so that we named it one of our favorite releases of 2006. It's a charming blend of '70s pastoral psych-folk and contemporary indie rock centered around the undeniable pop gem 'Brittlesticks'. Time was, especially for those of us in the States investigating the band, there was no small mystery about the band. The hand-cranked black-and-white video clip for 'Brittlesticks', as well as several other contemporaneous -- and no less mysterious -- creepy black-and-white video "teasers" (see embed) on YouTube cast the band in a sort of eerie, "Blair Witch Project"-type visual context. For many of us passionate about music, penetrating the enigma of a new band is a large thrill, and Fields presented such a challenge, at least at first.
While 'Brittlesticks' is so strong a track we could dwell (and have dwelled) on it at length (particularly the lovely guy/girl vocal interplay in the chorus), we'll let an MP3 speak for itself and then devote the rest of this paragraph to other high points on '7 From The Village'. The band does itself a great service with the sequencing of the set, which opens with the urgent acoustic strumming and persistent declamations of 'Song For The Fields', and progresses into the uptempo cascade of 'Isabel', before hitting the emotional high of 'Brittlesticks'. 'Sisters' returns to the dark folk sound of the album opener before working itself into a frenzied dirge; the elegiac 'Roll Down The Hill' offers calm over a comfortable electronic beat; 'Heretic' cranks up the noise and the hypnotic swirl one last time before 'A Slow Crawling Hand' closes the short set out with a cinematic shuffle adorned with church bells, murmured vocals and what sounds like someone moving boxes around a cavernous and damp cellar.
It's quite a journey for an EP, and one we hope Fields in its latest iteration can recapture. In our opinion 'Everything Last Winter' reached too eagerly and openly for commercial success, so here's hoping the sophomore set will show the band embracing the mysterious once again.
Fields - '7 From The Village EP' (released September 12th 2006)
[Fields' MySpace]
FIELDS - BRITTLESTICKS
'7 From The Village' is a US EP but is available from [Amazon.co.uk]
on Sunday, May 25, 2008
As part of my second birthday celebrations here at Keep Hope Inside, I invited a selection of my favourite music bloggers to offer their opinions on their favourite British album of the last couple of years. We'll be having a couple of pieces everyday for the next few days, under the slightly rubbish feature title of 'The Two Year Itch'. A big thank you to every blogger who wrote something!
First up is Simon of [Sweeping The Nation], probably my favourite British music blog. I guess it could be seen as the British version of Largehearted Boy. But better. Simon addressed the debut Los Campesinos! album, 'Hold On Now, Youngster...', read below:
The internet age has allowed us to theoretically get closer to our musical favourites, sending them Myspace comments of lust that only their management will ever really notice. Such is the speed of online movement that it feels far longer ago than it actually is that it wasn't all at the user's fingertips. Once upon a time, when 56kbps seemed like luxury, information was disseminated by a process of online Chinese whispers. Certain records were like religious icons, available from certain places perhaps only when the moon was in a certain part of the sky and with the aid of a magic word. The famed Belle & Sebastian mailing list Sinister once set out to track down all 1,000 original vinyl copies of 'Tigermilk' as if they were lost parts of some little known dinosaur or mythological document. Now, you can download such records in digitally transferred mp3 quality for a smaller outlay and have them sitting there disposably on your desktop My Music folder to do as you see fit with them. The whole process has been altered irrevocably.
The best thing about Los Campesinos!, the thing that for a slowly ageing pale indie boy like myself who was there with the Teen-C glitter kids in 1997, is that not only are they one of those bands, but the people in it are far more than likely seven of those people, taking in and discussing Broken Social Scene and Pavement but also Kenickie and Ballboy. There's a song on 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' called 'Knee Deep At ATP' which namechecks not only the selective holiday camp festival but also K Records and sums up a person as "you're the B-side", yet it's still a delicately poetic of the moment Gareth realised "so long as I value people according to what bands they like I am making myself expendable. Because there will always be somebody who likes the same bands as me, but is vastly more attractive or can drive or is a less fussy eater." And that's how Los Campesinos! won, through undermining expectations - loose enough to fulfil the falling apart pop criteria but tight enough to create a wall of melodic noise. The lyrics quote high and low culture, cynical but also hopeful, touching a nerve in a certain person who "spent the last seven years perched on the edge of my bed scratching 'I am incredibly sincere' into my forearms". They found initial attention through demos on Myspace, but they feel to their hardcore that this is their band, just for them.
Los Campesinos! - 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' (released February 25th 2008)
LOS CAMPESINOS! - KNEE DEEP AT ATP
First up is Simon of [Sweeping The Nation], probably my favourite British music blog. I guess it could be seen as the British version of Largehearted Boy. But better. Simon addressed the debut Los Campesinos! album, 'Hold On Now, Youngster...', read below:
The internet age has allowed us to theoretically get closer to our musical favourites, sending them Myspace comments of lust that only their management will ever really notice. Such is the speed of online movement that it feels far longer ago than it actually is that it wasn't all at the user's fingertips. Once upon a time, when 56kbps seemed like luxury, information was disseminated by a process of online Chinese whispers. Certain records were like religious icons, available from certain places perhaps only when the moon was in a certain part of the sky and with the aid of a magic word. The famed Belle & Sebastian mailing list Sinister once set out to track down all 1,000 original vinyl copies of 'Tigermilk' as if they were lost parts of some little known dinosaur or mythological document. Now, you can download such records in digitally transferred mp3 quality for a smaller outlay and have them sitting there disposably on your desktop My Music folder to do as you see fit with them. The whole process has been altered irrevocably.
The best thing about Los Campesinos!, the thing that for a slowly ageing pale indie boy like myself who was there with the Teen-C glitter kids in 1997, is that not only are they one of those bands, but the people in it are far more than likely seven of those people, taking in and discussing Broken Social Scene and Pavement but also Kenickie and Ballboy. There's a song on 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' called 'Knee Deep At ATP' which namechecks not only the selective holiday camp festival but also K Records and sums up a person as "you're the B-side", yet it's still a delicately poetic of the moment Gareth realised "so long as I value people according to what bands they like I am making myself expendable. Because there will always be somebody who likes the same bands as me, but is vastly more attractive or can drive or is a less fussy eater." And that's how Los Campesinos! won, through undermining expectations - loose enough to fulfil the falling apart pop criteria but tight enough to create a wall of melodic noise. The lyrics quote high and low culture, cynical but also hopeful, touching a nerve in a certain person who "spent the last seven years perched on the edge of my bed scratching 'I am incredibly sincere' into my forearms". They found initial attention through demos on Myspace, but they feel to their hardcore that this is their band, just for them.
Los Campesinos! - 'Hold On Now, Youngster...' (released February 25th 2008)
LOS CAMPESINOS! - KNEE DEEP AT ATP
on Saturday, May 24, 2008
Wow, two years of Keep Hope Inside. It's been a bit of journey. In fact, to celebrate the winding path I've led over the last two years, I'm having a selection of guest bloggers over the next week or so talk about their favourite British album of the last two years or so. I'll be kicking it off tomorrow. As for the time being, let us reminisce:
June 2007 [Archived Posts]
June was one of many sparse months on this blog, with only Jade McNelis and Ra Ra Riot being featured. RIP John Pike, the late Ra Ra Riot drummer.
July 2007 [Archived Posts]
Quality over quantity once again. But I did manage to sort out podcast #4, which had some quite frankly ace artists on such as 4 Or 5 Magicians and Elle S'Appelle. And a couple of posts focusing around summer smash hit Umbrella and the return of the Spice Girls. Good times.
August 2007 [Archived Posts]
This month saw me undertake a crazy indepth analysis of a 2006 tiplist for no apparent reason. In other news, I tipped Bat For Lashes to win the Mercury Music Prize (but Klaxons did) and gave Meet Me In St Louis a feature.
September 2007 [Archived Posts]
The beginning of my return to regular blogging, the main things that happened this month were a new podcast (ft. Jonquil, Make Model, Lo-Fi Culture Scene and a 12 minute These New Puritans track) and my You! Me! Blogging! feature. Unfortunately, many of those blogs are looking sadly comatose.
October 2007 [Archived Posts]
A blip in my so-called regular blogging, I only got around to posting the new Bloc Party track ('Flux') and the Lou Reed collab with The Killers.
November 2007 [Archived Posts]
Okay, okay, a double blip. But with posts on Los Campesinos! and frYars, it was high on quality at least.
December 2007 [Archived Posts]
December saw me point you toward plentiful song giveaways and assess the Christmas #1 single situation. I also gave the Johnny Foreigner EP a review of sorts, but with slighly less enthusiasm than the Drownedinsound.com reviewer who awarded it an outrageous 10/10. Oh and I turned 21, yay?
January 2008 [Archived Posts]
January saw me wilt under a mass of university coursework so all that was on offer was a small review of some of the features I did in 2007, including my tiplist. Jack Penate remains the only real success of that, although Foals, Laura Marling and Hadouken! haven't done badly in the 18 months or so since the original post.
February 2008 [Archived Posts]
The real beginning of the blog renaissance which has seen me complete as many posts in 4 months as I did in the whole of 2007. A really quality month of posting, from my Futuresounds tips column, a Brit Awards post to one of my best podcasts.
March 2008 [Archived Posts]
Another podcast dropped, with Frightened Rabbit producing possibly my favourite track to ever open one of my podcasts (even upending the previous month's amazing opening from The Joy Formidable). I amusingly talked about urban music and the new Feeder track, which evoked some expectedly difficult responses! Oh and I began my George Lamb Versus Music feature, which is still ongoing.
April 2008 [Archived Posts]
April saw unprecedented activity on Keep Hope Inside, largely as I was putting off revising for my uni exams all month. I guess the big posts were my White Lies interview, previewing a couple of new Weezer tracks and my Indie Idle analysis. But there were plenty of other highlights including ultCult, Banjo Or Freakout etc.
May 2008 [Archived Posts]
And now for this month, which has seen a fair bit of activity seeing as I had exams until the 22nd. The biggie was my post on a couple of new Weezer tracks, particularly 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived'. But there's been other interesting stuff like the return of Longwave and an apparent Timbaland produced demo of Ebony Bones.
So yeah, my most successful year in blogging. Long may it continue. The new blog design seems to liked by most and I still have quite a few subscribers. Cheers for sticking with me and here's some mp3s from artists that I've featured over the last year as a thank you gift:
KOTKI DWA - LE BEAU CHARCUTIER
BLOC PARTY - FLUX (BBC ELECTRIC PROMS 2007)
4 OR 5 MAGICIANS - YOUR FICTITIOUS CHARACTER
June 2007 [Archived Posts]
June was one of many sparse months on this blog, with only Jade McNelis and Ra Ra Riot being featured. RIP John Pike, the late Ra Ra Riot drummer.
July 2007 [Archived Posts]
Quality over quantity once again. But I did manage to sort out podcast #4, which had some quite frankly ace artists on such as 4 Or 5 Magicians and Elle S'Appelle. And a couple of posts focusing around summer smash hit Umbrella and the return of the Spice Girls. Good times.
August 2007 [Archived Posts]
This month saw me undertake a crazy indepth analysis of a 2006 tiplist for no apparent reason. In other news, I tipped Bat For Lashes to win the Mercury Music Prize (but Klaxons did) and gave Meet Me In St Louis a feature.
September 2007 [Archived Posts]
The beginning of my return to regular blogging, the main things that happened this month were a new podcast (ft. Jonquil, Make Model, Lo-Fi Culture Scene and a 12 minute These New Puritans track) and my You! Me! Blogging! feature. Unfortunately, many of those blogs are looking sadly comatose.
October 2007 [Archived Posts]
A blip in my so-called regular blogging, I only got around to posting the new Bloc Party track ('Flux') and the Lou Reed collab with The Killers.
November 2007 [Archived Posts]
Okay, okay, a double blip. But with posts on Los Campesinos! and frYars, it was high on quality at least.
December 2007 [Archived Posts]
December saw me point you toward plentiful song giveaways and assess the Christmas #1 single situation. I also gave the Johnny Foreigner EP a review of sorts, but with slighly less enthusiasm than the Drownedinsound.com reviewer who awarded it an outrageous 10/10. Oh and I turned 21, yay?
January 2008 [Archived Posts]
January saw me wilt under a mass of university coursework so all that was on offer was a small review of some of the features I did in 2007, including my tiplist. Jack Penate remains the only real success of that, although Foals, Laura Marling and Hadouken! haven't done badly in the 18 months or so since the original post.
February 2008 [Archived Posts]
The real beginning of the blog renaissance which has seen me complete as many posts in 4 months as I did in the whole of 2007. A really quality month of posting, from my Futuresounds tips column, a Brit Awards post to one of my best podcasts.
March 2008 [Archived Posts]
Another podcast dropped, with Frightened Rabbit producing possibly my favourite track to ever open one of my podcasts (even upending the previous month's amazing opening from The Joy Formidable). I amusingly talked about urban music and the new Feeder track, which evoked some expectedly difficult responses! Oh and I began my George Lamb Versus Music feature, which is still ongoing.
April 2008 [Archived Posts]
April saw unprecedented activity on Keep Hope Inside, largely as I was putting off revising for my uni exams all month. I guess the big posts were my White Lies interview, previewing a couple of new Weezer tracks and my Indie Idle analysis. But there were plenty of other highlights including ultCult, Banjo Or Freakout etc.
May 2008 [Archived Posts]
And now for this month, which has seen a fair bit of activity seeing as I had exams until the 22nd. The biggie was my post on a couple of new Weezer tracks, particularly 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived'. But there's been other interesting stuff like the return of Longwave and an apparent Timbaland produced demo of Ebony Bones.
So yeah, my most successful year in blogging. Long may it continue. The new blog design seems to liked by most and I still have quite a few subscribers. Cheers for sticking with me and here's some mp3s from artists that I've featured over the last year as a thank you gift:
KOTKI DWA - LE BEAU CHARCUTIER
BLOC PARTY - FLUX (BBC ELECTRIC PROMS 2007)
4 OR 5 MAGICIANS - YOUR FICTITIOUS CHARACTER
on Friday, May 23, 2008
Leeds based outfit Grammatics are one of the most exciting bands I've heard in the last year or so. First coming to my attention via the Dance To The Radio record compilation, 'Something I Learned Today', they reaffirmed their early promise with outstanding recent single 'D.I.L.E.M.M.A'.
Taking "Melodramatic Popular Song" to an obscenely amazing level, they are characteristered by Owen Brinley's majestically operatic vocals. But that would mean little without the captivating backdrop of Grammatics' beguiling instrumentation. Particularly Emilia's cello work. Although that may just be because there are too few cellos for the discerning popular music consumer these days. Plus, she contributes heavily to the Grammatics-do-pop song that is 'D.I.L.E.M.M.A', aka 'T.H.I.S.I.S.A.C.E'. Not that they're too afraid of treading a pop line, with 'The Vague Archive' sounding wonderfully bouncy. Their versality can be exhibited by the main tour support slots they have held in the last few months - The Futureheads, These New Puritans and Forward, Russia! - a reasonably eclectic bunch in my eyes. And ears.
And you know the palava surrounding Amy Winehouse and her faffing around regarding the new Bond theme. Banish all thoughts of her and get Grammatics on the job. They could never be accused of understatement. There are few bands today that show the spellbinding brilliance of Grammatics. Check out their recent BBC Radio 1 Session below:
Grammatics are playing a few festivals this year, most notably Latitude (which is looking progressively awesome). They're also headlining DrownedInSound.com's DiScover showcase tomorrow in London, for more details, see [here]. Unfortunately, one of the bands on that line up Dinosaur Pile-Up have pulled out but I recommend having a listen to their songs on MySpace. They have my seal of approval. But for the time being, it's all about Grammatics.
Taking "Melodramatic Popular Song" to an obscenely amazing level, they are characteristered by Owen Brinley's majestically operatic vocals. But that would mean little without the captivating backdrop of Grammatics' beguiling instrumentation. Particularly Emilia's cello work. Although that may just be because there are too few cellos for the discerning popular music consumer these days. Plus, she contributes heavily to the Grammatics-do-pop song that is 'D.I.L.E.M.M.A', aka 'T.H.I.S.I.S.A.C.E'. Not that they're too afraid of treading a pop line, with 'The Vague Archive' sounding wonderfully bouncy. Their versality can be exhibited by the main tour support slots they have held in the last few months - The Futureheads, These New Puritans and Forward, Russia! - a reasonably eclectic bunch in my eyes. And ears.
And you know the palava surrounding Amy Winehouse and her faffing around regarding the new Bond theme. Banish all thoughts of her and get Grammatics on the job. They could never be accused of understatement. There are few bands today that show the spellbinding brilliance of Grammatics. Check out their recent BBC Radio 1 Session below:
GRAMMATICS - BROKEN WING (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
GRAMMATICS - D.I.L.E.M.M.A (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
GRAMMATICS - SHADOW COMMITTEE (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
GRAMMATICS - THE VAGUE ARCHIVE (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
GRAMMATICS - D.I.L.E.M.M.A (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
GRAMMATICS - SHADOW COMMITTEE (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
GRAMMATICS - THE VAGUE ARCHIVE (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
Grammatics are playing a few festivals this year, most notably Latitude (which is looking progressively awesome). They're also headlining DrownedInSound.com's DiScover showcase tomorrow in London, for more details, see [here]. Unfortunately, one of the bands on that line up Dinosaur Pile-Up have pulled out but I recommend having a listen to their songs on MySpace. They have my seal of approval. But for the time being, it's all about Grammatics.
on Wednesday, May 21, 2008
If you're in any way a football fan, then you probably know who the winner of the 2008 UEFA Champions League is by now. I, on the other hand, will be locked in my room desperately trying to cram for my final exam. A mood possibly summed up best by Calvin & Hobbes:
This post is actually more about the birth of my new blog, [Armchair Sports Fan], which is somewhat obviously sport related. It continues my track record for crappy blog names - I wanted to call it Smells Like Team Spirit but that was taken. Curses. Anyway, it will be debuting on the 24th, also the second anniversary of Keep Hope Inside (heralded by "exciting" celebratory posts). And they say men can't multi-task. Pfft.
Over at Armchair Sports Fan, I'll be discussing topical sporting issues (stuff like EURO2008, the Beijing Olympics, F1 and England generally being rubbish at every sport going) as well as some other entertaining stuff I don't mention on here. It'll be good. Hopefully. Don't worry, this blog remains numero uno in my blog priorities.
Back to the football, I am incredibly thankful that Zenit St Petersburg foiled Rangers attempt at the "unprecedented" quadruple. You don't expect to see anti-football throughout a tournament and class prevailed in the end. Likewise, Chelsea hopefully haven't won the Champions League. Although Avram Grant deserves one title this season. But he's probably getting sacked anyway....
Northern band DARTZ showed their support for the Russians (no, not Chelski) by making their ace single 'St Petersburg' a free download on their MySpace. Read what I had to say about DARTZ (back when they still had an exclaimation mark) in October 2006 [here].
Last chance reminder to download my third podcast, featuring Johnny Foreigner, a Joy Division cover and all sorts of fun. Listen/download [here] before it disappears tomorrow. A new podcast may appear in the next few days too if there's a lull in post-exam celebrations.
This post is actually more about the birth of my new blog, [Armchair Sports Fan], which is somewhat obviously sport related. It continues my track record for crappy blog names - I wanted to call it Smells Like Team Spirit but that was taken. Curses. Anyway, it will be debuting on the 24th, also the second anniversary of Keep Hope Inside (heralded by "exciting" celebratory posts). And they say men can't multi-task. Pfft.
Over at Armchair Sports Fan, I'll be discussing topical sporting issues (stuff like EURO2008, the Beijing Olympics, F1 and England generally being rubbish at every sport going) as well as some other entertaining stuff I don't mention on here. It'll be good. Hopefully. Don't worry, this blog remains numero uno in my blog priorities.
Back to the football, I am incredibly thankful that Zenit St Petersburg foiled Rangers attempt at the "unprecedented" quadruple. You don't expect to see anti-football throughout a tournament and class prevailed in the end. Likewise, Chelsea hopefully haven't won the Champions League. Although Avram Grant deserves one title this season. But he's probably getting sacked anyway....
Northern band DARTZ showed their support for the Russians (no, not Chelski) by making their ace single 'St Petersburg' a free download on their MySpace. Read what I had to say about DARTZ (back when they still had an exclaimation mark) in October 2006 [here].
Last chance reminder to download my third podcast, featuring Johnny Foreigner, a Joy Division cover and all sorts of fun. Listen/download [here] before it disappears tomorrow. A new podcast may appear in the next few days too if there's a lull in post-exam celebrations.
on Sunday, May 18, 2008
Hotly tipped London trio (or quartet, when performing live) White Lies recently entered the famed BBC Maida Vale Studio for a live BBC Radio 1 session, complete with banter avec Zane "The Human Microphone" Lowe.
Having completed their NME New Noise Tour with Crystal Castles, Friendly Fires and Team Waterpolo, they now head into festival season. As their previous incarnation Fear Of Flying never played any particularly big festivals (to my knowledge), it's quite amazing that within the first year of White Lies, they will be playing at the likes of Lollapalooza and Fuji Rock Festival. But I guess listening to the music reverses that thought, with their eighties influenced MASSIVE sound almost geared towards headlining arenas.
To be honest, this post is more a vehicle for a recent interview I did with Jack from White Lies, discussing their hype and a possible backlash, their debut record and signing to a major label. Read the interview [here] for all the goss.
WHITE LIES - UNFINISHED BUSINESS (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
WHITE LIES - DEATH (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
WHITE LIES - FROM THE STARS (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
White Lies recently released their debut release, 'Unfinished Business' on 7". If you're lucky, you might find one. But anyway, you can pick up a digital copy of the title track for free [here].
Having completed their NME New Noise Tour with Crystal Castles, Friendly Fires and Team Waterpolo, they now head into festival season. As their previous incarnation Fear Of Flying never played any particularly big festivals (to my knowledge), it's quite amazing that within the first year of White Lies, they will be playing at the likes of Lollapalooza and Fuji Rock Festival. But I guess listening to the music reverses that thought, with their eighties influenced MASSIVE sound almost geared towards headlining arenas.
To be honest, this post is more a vehicle for a recent interview I did with Jack from White Lies, discussing their hype and a possible backlash, their debut record and signing to a major label. Read the interview [here] for all the goss.
WHITE LIES - UNFINISHED BUSINESS (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
WHITE LIES - DEATH (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
WHITE LIES - FROM THE STARS (BBC RADIO 1 SESSION)
White Lies recently released their debut release, 'Unfinished Business' on 7". If you're lucky, you might find one. But anyway, you can pick up a digital copy of the title track for free [here].
on Friday, May 16, 2008
This morning, a little nugget dropped in my inbox purporting to be a new collaboration between Ebony Bones and Timbaland. By the time I actually woke up (lie-ins are compulsory post-exam), I was surprised to see the internet hasn't caught on to it. Which is a suspicious sign. Then again, the last anon tip I received about Estelle being somewhat of a musical thief came through [Read here]. Timbaland's appreciation of Miss Bones is well known but....
I'm sure everyone knows who Timbaland is by now but Ebony Bones may have passed you by. She's a former soap star, combining a distinctive sense of style (almost like she superglued herself then dived into the nearest charity shop) with an assorted range of sounds. For a more indepth look, read my recent KHI feature [here]
As for the track, entitled 'When It Rains', can I call bullshit right here? No. I am a massive cynic/sceptic (science is my area of study after all) but it seems pretty authentic. It certainly has the characteristic Ebony Bones-and-her-gang vocals, so at least one box is ticked. I can't be so sure production-wise but it's more than feasible that these beats are Timbaland's. 'When It Rains' has a funky brass-esque vibe throughout, countered by spooky backing vocals. For some reason, it feels almost like Ebony Bones meets Outkast. There's killer hit single potential here but I'm not convinced. File under "good, not great".
However, I am relatively convinced it is a legit Timbaland demo. And even if it isn't, thanks for sending the track to me Mr/Mrs Run Exhibition. I will be pretty taken aback if it emerges that this isn't even an Ebony Bones track but I guess stranger things have happened. Have a listen and decide for yourselves.
TIMBALAND & EBONY BONES - WHEN IT RAINS
I will update the post if I find out it's not a Timbaland produced track so maybe check back in a few days. Or maybe one of you has the actual info? I should be so lucky. In the meantime, check out my third podcast which is 51 weeks old now and about to expire. Featuring Johnny Foreigner, Miracle Fortress, Lavender Diamond etc [here].
I'm sure everyone knows who Timbaland is by now but Ebony Bones may have passed you by. She's a former soap star, combining a distinctive sense of style (almost like she superglued herself then dived into the nearest charity shop) with an assorted range of sounds. For a more indepth look, read my recent KHI feature [here]
As for the track, entitled 'When It Rains', can I call bullshit right here? No. I am a massive cynic/sceptic (science is my area of study after all) but it seems pretty authentic. It certainly has the characteristic Ebony Bones-and-her-gang vocals, so at least one box is ticked. I can't be so sure production-wise but it's more than feasible that these beats are Timbaland's. 'When It Rains' has a funky brass-esque vibe throughout, countered by spooky backing vocals. For some reason, it feels almost like Ebony Bones meets Outkast. There's killer hit single potential here but I'm not convinced. File under "good, not great".
However, I am relatively convinced it is a legit Timbaland demo. And even if it isn't, thanks for sending the track to me Mr/Mrs Run Exhibition. I will be pretty taken aback if it emerges that this isn't even an Ebony Bones track but I guess stranger things have happened. Have a listen and decide for yourselves.
TIMBALAND & EBONY BONES - WHEN IT RAINS
I will update the post if I find out it's not a Timbaland produced track so maybe check back in a few days. Or maybe one of you has the actual info? I should be so lucky. In the meantime, check out my third podcast which is 51 weeks old now and about to expire. Featuring Johnny Foreigner, Miracle Fortress, Lavender Diamond etc [here].
on Monday, May 12, 2008
Castle Donington's Late Of The Pier are giving debut single 'Space & The Woods' a proper release now they're on Parlophone, as a double A-side with 'Focker'. Watch the respective vids for each track in the embeds below. In "celebration" of the new single, they are also giving away a snazzy Patrick Plastix remix for free. Paddy appears to be a member of Doncaster's finest (almost by default) Neon Plastix.
While Late Of The Pier are a well trodden path here on Keep Hope Inside (my first post on them was in September 2006 [read here] - the first mp3 blog on their case), I haven't mentioned Neon Plastix. But just a quick word about Late Of The Pier, having their album produced by Erol Alkan has benefited them in one sense (his name attracts attention, much like Paul Epworth did a couple of years ago) but now some are attributing the LOTP sound to Mr Alkan. Going back to the demos from 2006, I think we can safely say that isn't the case.
Neon Plastix suffer no such worries but they do bear an obvious comparison to Late Of The Pier. Admittedly that could be preceded by "poor man's", possibly unfairly. I'd prefer to compare them to The Blood Arm but more electro-fied.
They've been outrageously awesome and made quite a few of their tracks available for download (albeit some in .m4a) on their MySpace. Of those, I'm particularly enthralled by 'Indecisions', which is when stadium rock fathered a child by electro. It sounds a bit like The Killers or more closely, the hotly tipped White Lies (who are appearing on Later With Jools next week apparently. [KHI interview here]). But with spazzy special effects. As for Patrick's remix of 'Space & The Woods', it's a grungey take on europop. Not half bad.
The Late Of The Pier single is out next week, preorder from their own Zarcorp site [here]. LOTP (and associates) also run their own blog of the same name, [here].
While Late Of The Pier are a well trodden path here on Keep Hope Inside (my first post on them was in September 2006 [read here] - the first mp3 blog on their case), I haven't mentioned Neon Plastix. But just a quick word about Late Of The Pier, having their album produced by Erol Alkan has benefited them in one sense (his name attracts attention, much like Paul Epworth did a couple of years ago) but now some are attributing the LOTP sound to Mr Alkan. Going back to the demos from 2006, I think we can safely say that isn't the case.
Neon Plastix suffer no such worries but they do bear an obvious comparison to Late Of The Pier. Admittedly that could be preceded by "poor man's", possibly unfairly. I'd prefer to compare them to The Blood Arm but more electro-fied.
They've been outrageously awesome and made quite a few of their tracks available for download (albeit some in .m4a) on their MySpace. Of those, I'm particularly enthralled by 'Indecisions', which is when stadium rock fathered a child by electro. It sounds a bit like The Killers or more closely, the hotly tipped White Lies (who are appearing on Later With Jools next week apparently. [KHI interview here]). But with spazzy special effects. As for Patrick's remix of 'Space & The Woods', it's a grungey take on europop. Not half bad.
The Late Of The Pier single is out next week, preorder from their own Zarcorp site [here]. LOTP (and associates) also run their own blog of the same name, [here].
on Thursday, May 08, 2008
Seven Weezer songs from their upcoming album leaked this week. Courtesy of Drownedinsound.com user 'abp114', you can listen to them all on Muxtape [link]. I've got a couple of the mp3s here for you, and lead single 'Pork And Beans' can be streamed in full on weezer.com
This post has undergone numerous updates but finally I give you my "low down" on a couple of the Weezer tracks to emerge. Firstly, 'Everybody Get Dangerous' appeared in my other Weezer post about new material but in crappy preview form, from its appearance in not-so-hit film '21'. A probable future single, albeit in need of a radio edit with the last thirty seconds being the musical equivalent of talking, but not saying anything. It starts off sounding like the Top Gear theme tune. Its catchy chorus and jokey lyrics will undoubtedly annoy a lot of listeners. If you persevere however, you arrive at a magical dreamy interlude that makes it all worth it. Before that chorus smacks you in the face again with a frying pan or any other unsubtle smacking object of your choosing.
Now for the headliner of this post, 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn)', metamorphosing famous Shaker hymn 'Simple Gifts' into the surf-pop 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. This a 6 minute epic that has been compared to American Idiot-era Green Day, MCR's 'Welcome To The Black Parade' and even Weird Al Yankovic. All those comparisons are valid and that means people either think it's the most amazing Weezer track in years or think it is utterly abysmal. Either way, I thought I might as well offer my indepth thoughts. You can listen along at [The Hype Machine] or download the song below.
0.01 - The anticipation of a live crowd...
0.06 - ...obviously a receptive one, as they're already applauding
0.10 - err twinkly piano?
0.33 - police sirens?! Possibly consider this a warning about imminent nerdy rapping.
0.35 - Rivers 'Fred Durst' Cuomo starts rapping.
0.40 - Rivers 'sex talk' Cuomo. "Soon I'll be playing in your underwear" is topped by "You come like a dog when I ring your bell". Phwoar.
0.58 - "EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY". The Fonz was never this pervy.
1.00 - Crunching riffs. Still sounds more like Limp Bizkit than Weezer.
1.26 - I don't think I'll ever be more pleased to hear Rivers' whiny vocals and a bit of acoustic guitar.
1.51 - Fuck yes, more songs need a marching band meets shaker hymn vibe.
1.57 - "No more words will critics have to speak". Unfortunately, false.
2.17 - Rivers 'Stevie Wonder' Cuomo. Go go gadget falsetto.
2.43 - Tempo change, nice. Beginning to sound like a mish mash of Pink Triangle and Hash Pipe.
3.08 - Wait, this is starting to sound like Maroon 5?!
3.16 - On second thoughts, it is actually 'Shine' by Take That [Youtube]. Oh dear?
3.33 - Thankfully, a tempo change and futuristic synth pop rescues the day. "I am the greatest man that ever lived". Steady on, Rivers.
3.58 - RADIOACTIVE. The greatest radioactive man that ever lived - Dr Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk.
4.07 - Rivers 'spoken word' Cuomo. "Somebody said all the world's a stage". William Shakespeare/Elvis Presley reference.
4.30 - "If you don't like it, you can shove it. But you don't like it, you love it". Rivers = badass.
4.36 - The vocal effect on "stage" is stuff Rivers has been using on his "let's write a sawng" project [YouTube]. Well worth a quick look to see how it's going.
4.37 - Choral bliss.
4.54 - Turbo boost on those harmonies.
5.10 - These drums, guitar, melody etc = a perfect Weezer chorus
5.42 - Enough with the false endings already!
5.43 - Yeah, I'm screaming with frustration too.
5.45 - A nice gospel burst to finish us off.
So that was my run through of the track, which despite the odd hiccup is easily my favourite Weezer track to emerge in the last five years. In fact, possibly my favourite post-Pinkerton track but that's getting a little ahead of myself. The other tracks that have appeared from the Red album range from mediocre to good but listen to them yourselves on that Muxtape link and let me know what you think. The future's bright, the future's..............red?
WEEZER - THE GREATEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED (VARIATIONS ON A SHAKER HYMN)
WEEZER - EVERYBODY GET DANGEROUS
This post has undergone numerous updates but finally I give you my "low down" on a couple of the Weezer tracks to emerge. Firstly, 'Everybody Get Dangerous' appeared in my other Weezer post about new material but in crappy preview form, from its appearance in not-so-hit film '21'. A probable future single, albeit in need of a radio edit with the last thirty seconds being the musical equivalent of talking, but not saying anything. It starts off sounding like the Top Gear theme tune. Its catchy chorus and jokey lyrics will undoubtedly annoy a lot of listeners. If you persevere however, you arrive at a magical dreamy interlude that makes it all worth it. Before that chorus smacks you in the face again with a frying pan or any other unsubtle smacking object of your choosing.
Now for the headliner of this post, 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn)', metamorphosing famous Shaker hymn 'Simple Gifts' into the surf-pop 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. This a 6 minute epic that has been compared to American Idiot-era Green Day, MCR's 'Welcome To The Black Parade' and even Weird Al Yankovic. All those comparisons are valid and that means people either think it's the most amazing Weezer track in years or think it is utterly abysmal. Either way, I thought I might as well offer my indepth thoughts. You can listen along at [The Hype Machine] or download the song below.
0.01 - The anticipation of a live crowd...
0.06 - ...obviously a receptive one, as they're already applauding
0.10 - err twinkly piano?
0.33 - police sirens?! Possibly consider this a warning about imminent nerdy rapping.
0.35 - Rivers 'Fred Durst' Cuomo starts rapping.
0.40 - Rivers 'sex talk' Cuomo. "Soon I'll be playing in your underwear" is topped by "You come like a dog when I ring your bell". Phwoar.
0.58 - "EEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY". The Fonz was never this pervy.
1.00 - Crunching riffs. Still sounds more like Limp Bizkit than Weezer.
1.26 - I don't think I'll ever be more pleased to hear Rivers' whiny vocals and a bit of acoustic guitar.
1.51 - Fuck yes, more songs need a marching band meets shaker hymn vibe.
1.57 - "No more words will critics have to speak". Unfortunately, false.
2.17 - Rivers 'Stevie Wonder' Cuomo. Go go gadget falsetto.
2.43 - Tempo change, nice. Beginning to sound like a mish mash of Pink Triangle and Hash Pipe.
3.08 - Wait, this is starting to sound like Maroon 5?!
3.16 - On second thoughts, it is actually 'Shine' by Take That [Youtube]. Oh dear?
3.33 - Thankfully, a tempo change and futuristic synth pop rescues the day. "I am the greatest man that ever lived". Steady on, Rivers.
3.58 - RADIOACTIVE. The greatest radioactive man that ever lived - Dr Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk.
4.07 - Rivers 'spoken word' Cuomo. "Somebody said all the world's a stage". William Shakespeare/Elvis Presley reference.
4.30 - "If you don't like it, you can shove it. But you don't like it, you love it". Rivers = badass.
4.36 - The vocal effect on "stage" is stuff Rivers has been using on his "let's write a sawng" project [YouTube]. Well worth a quick look to see how it's going.
4.37 - Choral bliss.
4.54 - Turbo boost on those harmonies.
5.10 - These drums, guitar, melody etc = a perfect Weezer chorus
5.42 - Enough with the false endings already!
5.43 - Yeah, I'm screaming with frustration too.
5.45 - A nice gospel burst to finish us off.
So that was my run through of the track, which despite the odd hiccup is easily my favourite Weezer track to emerge in the last five years. In fact, possibly my favourite post-Pinkerton track but that's getting a little ahead of myself. The other tracks that have appeared from the Red album range from mediocre to good but listen to them yourselves on that Muxtape link and let me know what you think. The future's bright, the future's..............red?
WEEZER - THE GREATEST MAN THAT EVER LIVED (VARIATIONS ON A SHAKER HYMN)
WEEZER - EVERYBODY GET DANGEROUS
on Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Following yesterday's post on Brooklyn's Yeasayer, we stay in the same geographic area for a little post on Santi White, aka Santogold. Miss Gold has been receiving mega hype of late, a result of her debut eponymous album leaking on the internet. That album is out on May 12th in the UK (and she's touring too), by the by.
Not that she's a particularly new sensation, with internet fandom late last year and an appearance on Mark Ronson's 'Versions' album covering The Jam. She's even written and produced hit US R&B singles. But she's moved away from R&B really and comparisons to MIA are inevitable. A simple conclusion would be that she's the electro pop MIA. But it's difficult to pigeon hole Santogold with her tracks displaying an array of influences, admittedly largely from the 80s. I guess it's this diversity that will allow Santogold to emerge from MIA's shadow, as an artist in her own right. But maybe that's being a bit presumptive, what do you think? Listen to recent single 'L.E.S Artistes' as performed on BBC TV show, Later With Jools Holland yesterday. It's out this week in the UK as a single.
Seeing as I didn't manage to get a podcast out for April, if you're looking for a bit of podcast action, you could do no worse than to catch KHI podcast#3. It expires in a couple of weeks time or so, and features Johnny Foreigner, Miracle Fortress and other randomly put together tracks that were pretty good to these ears. Listen then download [here].
A May 2008 podcast but the best way to keep abreast of such things is to subscribe to my RSS feed/s - look in the sidebar on the right hand side of your screen for my podcast only feed or my feed for podcast and blog posts. Otherwise, feel free to check back every so often!
Not that she's a particularly new sensation, with internet fandom late last year and an appearance on Mark Ronson's 'Versions' album covering The Jam. She's even written and produced hit US R&B singles. But she's moved away from R&B really and comparisons to MIA are inevitable. A simple conclusion would be that she's the electro pop MIA. But it's difficult to pigeon hole Santogold with her tracks displaying an array of influences, admittedly largely from the 80s. I guess it's this diversity that will allow Santogold to emerge from MIA's shadow, as an artist in her own right. But maybe that's being a bit presumptive, what do you think? Listen to recent single 'L.E.S Artistes' as performed on BBC TV show, Later With Jools Holland yesterday. It's out this week in the UK as a single.
Seeing as I didn't manage to get a podcast out for April, if you're looking for a bit of podcast action, you could do no worse than to catch KHI podcast#3. It expires in a couple of weeks time or so, and features Johnny Foreigner, Miracle Fortress and other randomly put together tracks that were pretty good to these ears. Listen then download [here].
A May 2008 podcast but the best way to keep abreast of such things is to subscribe to my RSS feed/s - look in the sidebar on the right hand side of your screen for my podcast only feed or my feed for podcast and blog posts. Otherwise, feel free to check back every so often!
on Tuesday, May 06, 2008
George Lamb continues to reign supreme over the morning to afternoon slot at BBC 6 Music (that's a radio station, if you haven't heard of it) and as far as I know, people still hate him. I'm still indifferent. Following his sessions with Mystery Jets [KHI post] and Ebony Bones [KHI post], I bring you 'George Lamb versus Music' Part Three, with Brooklyn's Yeasayer.
Now all of you must be familiar with Yeasayer by now. They were part of the buzz brigade of yesteryear comprising of Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Black Kids. From where I'm sitting Yeasayer appear to be the least successful of that bunch. We can probably put that down to their music being a tad too "out there" for the masses. Psych-pop mixing in Middle Eastern and African influences was hardly screaming commerical hit though.
'2080' however, was something of a pop classic - a hypnotic tale of their future, complete with bewitching falsetto and freaky children's choir backing vocals. Thankfully, they played this track (as well as 'Wait For The Summer') for the radio session. In between songs, they engaged in banter with Mr Lamb, where I seem to remember them jokingly calling out fellow Brooklynites Vampire Weekend for fisticuffs and denying that '2080' was proclaiming the end of the world. My memory is a bit shady though so hopefully I haven't made all that up.
For a more authentic African influence, I would suggest looking to Canadian band The Acorn, two of whom actually grew up in Africa. Unfortunatly no mp3s for you but they're like more palatable, less psychedlic Yeasayer. They're quite folky and a UK record deal can't be too far off. It would be well deserved anyway.
Staying on the African front, but at another end of the spectrum, we have WSD, a London band mixing punk rock and the music of their homeland, Zimbabwe. They even occasionally sing in native Zimbabwean language (Shona?). Show offs. Check out 'Bata Mwana Tsike Banana' for such japery. It's their pop anthem, finding its place somewhere between Paul Simon and surf pop yet still managing to sound a bit angry. But a bit ace too.
Now all of you must be familiar with Yeasayer by now. They were part of the buzz brigade of yesteryear comprising of Vampire Weekend, MGMT and Black Kids. From where I'm sitting Yeasayer appear to be the least successful of that bunch. We can probably put that down to their music being a tad too "out there" for the masses. Psych-pop mixing in Middle Eastern and African influences was hardly screaming commerical hit though.
'2080' however, was something of a pop classic - a hypnotic tale of their future, complete with bewitching falsetto and freaky children's choir backing vocals. Thankfully, they played this track (as well as 'Wait For The Summer') for the radio session. In between songs, they engaged in banter with Mr Lamb, where I seem to remember them jokingly calling out fellow Brooklynites Vampire Weekend for fisticuffs and denying that '2080' was proclaiming the end of the world. My memory is a bit shady though so hopefully I haven't made all that up.
YEASAYER - 2080 (BBC 6MUSIC SESSION)//MIRROR
YEASAYER - WAIT FOR THE SUMMER (BBC 6MUSIC SESSION)//MIRROR
YEASAYER - WAIT FOR THE SUMMER (BBC 6MUSIC SESSION)//MIRROR
For a more authentic African influence, I would suggest looking to Canadian band The Acorn, two of whom actually grew up in Africa. Unfortunatly no mp3s for you but they're like more palatable, less psychedlic Yeasayer. They're quite folky and a UK record deal can't be too far off. It would be well deserved anyway.
Staying on the African front, but at another end of the spectrum, we have WSD, a London band mixing punk rock and the music of their homeland, Zimbabwe. They even occasionally sing in native Zimbabwean language (Shona?). Show offs. Check out 'Bata Mwana Tsike Banana' for such japery. It's their pop anthem, finding its place somewhere between Paul Simon and surf pop yet still managing to sound a bit angry. But a bit ace too.
on Monday, May 05, 2008
Like the black sheep of the family, New Yorkers Longwave were pushed aside by their contemporaries The Strokes and The Walkmen. I'm not sure the impression they made over in the States but in the UK, they barely scratched the surface. Having accompanied The Strokes on tour around Britain at the height of that "garage rock" scene in the early part of this decade, they didn't really capitalise on that opportunity. To be honest, the only song of theirs I even know is 'Everywhere You Turn'. But it is an excellent song. Watch the vid on [Youtube].
An album or two down the line and with band member Steve making appearances in Albert Hammond Jr's band, Longwave are returning with a new album. They've kindly made one of the tracks appearing on the new record available for download on their MySpace, as well as a handful of new tracks being available to listen. The downloadable song 'Sirens In The Deep Sea' is sounding pretty epic and more dream pop than garage rock or post-punk or whatever they're supposed to sound like. The other new tracks are more faithful to past Longwave material yet at times, they veer toward stadium rock. Hopefully, they haven't succombed to the temptation of a more commerically sounding record, like British band Editors did following their debut LP.
LONGWAVE - SIRENS IN THE DEEP SEA
'Sirens In The Deep Sea' is also available on their MySpace, along with other new tracks from the new album. Longwave are also making a few appearances in the UK later this week, so head to their [MySpace] for all the details.
An album or two down the line and with band member Steve making appearances in Albert Hammond Jr's band, Longwave are returning with a new album. They've kindly made one of the tracks appearing on the new record available for download on their MySpace, as well as a handful of new tracks being available to listen. The downloadable song 'Sirens In The Deep Sea' is sounding pretty epic and more dream pop than garage rock or post-punk or whatever they're supposed to sound like. The other new tracks are more faithful to past Longwave material yet at times, they veer toward stadium rock. Hopefully, they haven't succombed to the temptation of a more commerically sounding record, like British band Editors did following their debut LP.
LONGWAVE - SIRENS IN THE DEEP SEA
'Sirens In The Deep Sea' is also available on their MySpace, along with other new tracks from the new album. Longwave are also making a few appearances in the UK later this week, so head to their [MySpace] for all the details.
on Sunday, May 04, 2008
I came across West Yorkshire/East Anglian band Heartbeeps via their mp3 blog, 'be safe, be scene' [link]. Where was my credit for that Gossamer Albatross mp3 ("from the blogosphere")?! Read my Gossamer Albatross post [here]. Poor form, Heartbeeps, poor form.
But I forgave them (him? Craig Nunn?) after hearing their stuff on MySpace and with impeccable timing, their 'Canton EP' appeared in my inbox. It's a bit of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it affair, with the lengthiest track weighing it at a hearty 140 seconds (2.20). Sweeping The Nation noted their Times New Viking-esque attitude toward production, 'Glacial Valleys' and 'Light have a particularly lo-fi sound.
For me, Heartbeeps' laptoptronica veers from abrasive Pavement-esque riffs to Beirut-inspired ukelele pop. There is an element of dream pop to Heartbeeps too, especially on the enchanting 'Hats & Gloves & Scarf'. The comparison here to recent Keep Hope Inside favourites Banjo Or Freakout is unavoidable. But that's a favourable comparison and these are two acts that deserve to have made a bigger impression than they already have done.
Download the EP [here] and grab the Beirut cover from Craig's MySpace [here].
Iron Man is yet another solid comic book adaptation, apparently the best reviewed film of the year according to rottentomatoes.com. I highly recommend you see it if you enjoy explosions. Downey Jr is an excellent anti-hero and Paltrow's new hair is a winner. Also, watch this awesome 'sweded' spoof trailer on [YouTube], which I found on [/Film], the brilliant film blog. "I am Iron Man, made a pair of knickers from an old tin can". It's probably worrying that I enjoyed that trailer more than the actual film.
But I forgave them (him? Craig Nunn?) after hearing their stuff on MySpace and with impeccable timing, their 'Canton EP' appeared in my inbox. It's a bit of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it affair, with the lengthiest track weighing it at a hearty 140 seconds (2.20). Sweeping The Nation noted their Times New Viking-esque attitude toward production, 'Glacial Valleys' and 'Light have a particularly lo-fi sound.
For me, Heartbeeps' laptoptronica veers from abrasive Pavement-esque riffs to Beirut-inspired ukelele pop. There is an element of dream pop to Heartbeeps too, especially on the enchanting 'Hats & Gloves & Scarf'. The comparison here to recent Keep Hope Inside favourites Banjo Or Freakout is unavoidable. But that's a favourable comparison and these are two acts that deserve to have made a bigger impression than they already have done.
Download the EP [here] and grab the Beirut cover from Craig's MySpace [here].
-----
Iron Man is yet another solid comic book adaptation, apparently the best reviewed film of the year according to rottentomatoes.com. I highly recommend you see it if you enjoy explosions. Downey Jr is an excellent anti-hero and Paltrow's new hair is a winner. Also, watch this awesome 'sweded' spoof trailer on [YouTube], which I found on [/Film], the brilliant film blog. "I am Iron Man, made a pair of knickers from an old tin can". It's probably worrying that I enjoyed that trailer more than the actual film.
on Friday, May 02, 2008
'Stress' is the new single from French electropop duo Justice and its video, directed by Romain Gavras, has sparked a lot of internet discussion today. I'm sure the large majority of those reading this are familiar with Justice but perhaps only a handful know the works of Gavras. Well, he directed the recent video for The Last Shadow Puppets and has done videos for the likes of Simian Mobile Disco and DJ Mehdi. Check them out on his [MySpace].
As for the vid (see embed above), it's difficult to say whether Justice are glamourising violence or providing a cutting social commentary. Or perhaps the video was the director's idea? Either way, as music videos from mainstream artists go, this is disturbing. And a bold move. Maybe even a clever one. The video is provocative and people are definitely going to be talking about this for a while.
Justice are well known for excellent promotional videos but this is distinct and will evoke horror in some and excitement in others. The track itself isn't particularly special but I guess the video emphasises the idea of stress. Referencing films like La Haine, we see the public 'stressed' by the gang of youths, who themselves may be lashing out due to some sort of 'stress'. I'm sure someone will come up with a fascinating indepth analysis of the video eventually. In fact, it would be most interesting to hear what Justice/Romain Garvas have to say about it. As I said previously, it's difficult to understand the underlying motive (glamorisation of violence, social commentary etc).
The band put the video version of the song (different from the album version and presumably different from the single version) up for download on their MySpace so I'm making that available here. I'm also uploading Webbafied's take on 'Stress', who I did a post on a few weeks back [read here]. He's done a rap version of the Justice album 'Cross', basically sampling the whole album. It's good and read the other post for more details.
JUSTICE - STRESS (EXTENDED VIDEO VERSION)
WEBBAFIED VS JUSTICE - STRESS
As for the vid (see embed above), it's difficult to say whether Justice are glamourising violence or providing a cutting social commentary. Or perhaps the video was the director's idea? Either way, as music videos from mainstream artists go, this is disturbing. And a bold move. Maybe even a clever one. The video is provocative and people are definitely going to be talking about this for a while.
Justice are well known for excellent promotional videos but this is distinct and will evoke horror in some and excitement in others. The track itself isn't particularly special but I guess the video emphasises the idea of stress. Referencing films like La Haine, we see the public 'stressed' by the gang of youths, who themselves may be lashing out due to some sort of 'stress'. I'm sure someone will come up with a fascinating indepth analysis of the video eventually. In fact, it would be most interesting to hear what Justice/Romain Garvas have to say about it. As I said previously, it's difficult to understand the underlying motive (glamorisation of violence, social commentary etc).
The band put the video version of the song (different from the album version and presumably different from the single version) up for download on their MySpace so I'm making that available here. I'm also uploading Webbafied's take on 'Stress', who I did a post on a few weeks back [read here]. He's done a rap version of the Justice album 'Cross', basically sampling the whole album. It's good and read the other post for more details.
JUSTICE - STRESS (EXTENDED VIDEO VERSION)
WEBBAFIED VS JUSTICE - STRESS
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