The drumbeat that we, as a species, are reaching the closing credits keeps getting louder and whether we are or not is anyone's guess. I am now able to face such a dire proposition with a new-found sense of contentment and a plan for success in a brave new world. I have seen The Postman . I had seen a bit of Kevin Costner's magnum opus years ago and had no intention of ever seeing more, but it was late and the pickings were slim. "I know that Tom [...]
The Fools From: Brooklyn, New York, United States It's 1st April and tonight's featured band are the appropriately named The Fools? Although if you're expecting tricks and japes and larks of all kinds then you're going to be very disappointed as these Fools are rather earnest, serious young coves who deal in poetic, acoustic folk that sound like Roddy Frame on a downer. On April 1st [...]
Of all Scotland's New Towns, East Kilbride arguably managed to prove the one that provided the most cultural interest. Cumbernauld had the kudos of being the home of Gregory's Girl, but that was greatness thrust upon it. East Kilbride, at least for a while, provided art and attitude that was all its own. The Jesus and [...]
International Waters From: Austin, Texas, United States International Waters are a jangly indie-pop outfit from Austin, Texas led by Voxtrot's Mitch Calvert. They're old school indie, like a faded postcard from another era that reminds you of an old friend that you've lost touch with. Well it's time to get reacquainted with their recently completed 10" EP, the Felt like 'It [...]
A completely solo affair with a surplus of indelible melodies, Surf features only the acoustic guitar and wounded tenor of the once precocious, teenaged linchpin of Aztec Camera, who burst on the scene in 1983 with the brilliant High Land, Hard Rain . These are late night, love gone wrong songs, and often the pain is self-inflicted. This particular refrain crystallizes the album's lovelorn mood: "When I was young the radio played just for me. It saved me, And now I don't want anyone who wants me, baby Tuning out the darkness, Turning on the [...]
Music is one of the few ways we can revisit the past through our senses. Listeners tend to eternally place themselves in a particular emotional or social location after hearing a song, and this consequently creates a memory or impression of sorts that is often indescribable in words. It can only be accurately relayed as [...]
Uncut Magazine and I had a pretty amazing relationship between the turn of the millennium and about 2004 or 2005. Basically, I would buy it every month and turn straight to the reviews section and the cover mount CD of what they considered to be the best of new music released that month, and devour both simultaneously, taking notes about what I wanted to spend that monthís meagre wages on. Those cover mount CDs were amazing, at the time, and almost invariably related to that monthís new releases, but in the last few years they have become way, [...]
Roddy Frame: Your Smile Stops The Hands Of Time [purchase] Roddy Frame was signed by David Bowie when he was only 16 years old. Since then, he has produced a long string of hit albums in the UK and has had some limited success in the US. As much as I loved Aztec Camera when I was in high school, it is Roddy's solo work that has stood the test of time. The all acoustic album, Surf, is his best work. [...]
Tim promised a surprise on the contrast podcast this week and he certainly delivered! It's part one of the third annual CD Swap extravaganza. I'm listening to it as I write this and it's pretty awesome. I love being a part of the contrast nation and the CD Swap makes me feel even closer to everyone who participates. Check it out here . The way it works is that each person is assigned someone to make a mixtape for and also [...]
This is a cover of one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite artists. Winner gets a choice of a Teenage Kicks shirt, a specially crafted cd mix of said artist or an attaboy. Contest ends this Saturday, 3/7. Send contest replies to tkidsean@aol.com . Mystery Song # 2 by Mystery Artist # 2
RODDY FRAME performing WE COULD SEND LETTERSThis is a hard one to call. This gig came hard on the heels of a truly memorable night spent watching the 74 year old Leonard Cohen spend more than two and a half hours on stage playing just about everything you could have wished for during the set (there's a full review in the pipeline....). It was always going to be a near impossible task for anyone
The other week I ran a competition for one lucky reader to win a date with The Vinyl Villain at the forthcoming Roddy Frame gig at Oran Mor, Glasgow on Monday 11th November. The lucky name drawn out of the hat was Richard Bull. Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter. Another contest with concert tickets as the prize is coming your way next weekend.... mp3 : Roddy Frame - Good Morning
Sorry to be so in your face and unabashed by it all.... But the thing is, I have two tickets to go see Roddy Frame at the Oran Mor, Glasgow on Monday 10th November, and no-one to go with. Mrs Villain is now required to be in London on business, and my old mate Jacques the Kipper is required to do a bit of babysitting that night as Mrs JtK is also away working. So.....if you do fancy blagging
What's Acceptable by Molly Lambert Double Denim is only acceptable on 1) Gay Guys 2) Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer 3) Timothy Bottoms in The Last Picture Show , and by that token all Texans, including John Gruen. 4) Mexican Skater Kids who generally combine many kinds of black denim and favor long Sabbath hair and love Morrissey. Items 2, 3, and sometimes 4 potentially [...]
...through the medium of popular song! It wasn't intentional, but as my relationship with an ex-girlfriend was coming to a rather long drawn-out and bitter end there were a couple of songs, all from Uncut compilations, that just kept popping up on the stereo. She took them as a message and, as much as it [...]
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! Personally I love V-day, but I know I'm the only one... So I figured I'd do something out of the ordinary and rather than one song/one subject like I always do, today one subject: Love. That's right, Love... Makes the world go round... Speaking of which, did you see Cristina Aguilera sing "It's a Man's World" on the Grammys? Which was an astounding snoozerific mid-life wallow, but this was ASTOUNDING! [...]
Here are the songs (or maybe that should be 'tracks') then. I've laboured (intermittently) long and hard over these, because it's pretty impossible to choose 20 songs from so many great ones this year. I've restricted myself to tunes that have been given an official UK release inthis year. The thing is, these probably aren't even my best tracks of the year, but they have meant something to me over the past 12 months. I'm sure that if you ask me next month, I'll have a slightly different list, but for now, here's my song-record of 2006. [...]
The weather in London's been so temperate lately that I've not really though of it as being autumn. None of that classic seasonal morning chill in the air yet. So it came as a bit of a surprise to me to look out of my window on Saturday and see the tree outside was well on the way to losing its leaves. My first real sign of autumn. Then it got me thinking. Autumn songs. Here are some songs for autumn. Or at least songs with autumn in the title. A lazy post maybe, but the tunes are good at [...]
Barely Awake In Frog Pajamas
The Devil Has The Best Tuna
Dear Scotland
Teenage Kicks
Obscure Sound
Song, by Toad
Star Maker Machine
lost in your inbox
THE VINYL VILLAIN
This Recording
BKLYN Song of the Day
The Daily Growl
Diplo - "Climax" (MP3 Stream)
Out This Week 2/14
Jackback Feat. David Guetta & Nicky Romero – Wild One Two
Tony Williams: “Another You” ft. Kanye West
Skrillex Uses Satanic and Homosexual Influence to Win Grammys
