Every so often I'll do a mammoth vinyl session. This involves going through each and every album and single, fondling the covers, ogling the artwork, sniffing the insides and scrutinising the sleevenotes. It's an event, I tell you. And quietly amazing. How much work did people put into these packages? Partly inspired by XO's post on the brilliant Music On Vinyl , here are a few from my collection. 4000 Annees d'Horreur - Etienne Daho (zShare) 1986 [...]
I'm not the first, and I won't be the last (and always) to compare White Lies, here with their brilliant new single, To Lose My Life , with the grandaddies of goth, The Sisters of Mercy. The synth-driven, pomp pop of the 80s has been given a dust down and brush up by the London trio who have created something new and different. Watch them guide the BBC around their favourite haunts , including, fittingly, a graveyard. They're still just as doomy and gloomy as their forebears: wear black, don't smile and talk about death and [...]
BBC Three have just shown both series of Pulling back-to-back. So if you're in the UK, head over to BBC iPlayer NOW. It's the antithesis to Gavin and Stacey : whereas the (equally funny) G&S is light and heartwarming, Pulling is dark and relentless, like a permanent cringe hangover. Donna, Louise and Karen, single, living together and falling apart are the funniest thing on TV. The BBC, in their infinite wisdom, didn't pick up a third series. Writer, Sharon Horgan (who plays Donna), is fuming: [...]
Back in November, I reported on the ITV show resurrecting a load of 80s acts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first ever Now That's What I Call Music compilation albums. It was a fine old cheese-fest, shocking for two reasons 1) how much Nik Kershaw looked like Gary Glitter and 2) how Paul Young had the sheer nerve to mime to his recorded voice from 25 years ago. Well, finally, the first in the series has been reissued as a double CD, a format it never even had a sniff of - Now [...]
For us poor lot in the northern hemisphere, it's cold. Bloody freezing in fact. So here's something to warm yer cockles. The Swedish label Labrador sent me (Blogger please NOTE!) these two tracks from their roster, just for you... First up is Pallers . Picture the scene: there's a light breeze, hot and dry, as you look out over an azure blue Mediterranean sea, with the sound of Humdrum drifting from the villa behind you. This is what assailed the senses of the duo above as they wrote it. Bastards. [...]
Nâdiya & Kelly Rowland - No Future in the past Here's French superstar, Nâdiya - her mammoth hit Roc is still a big fave of mine - duetting with Kelly Rowland on brand new R&B dance track No Future in the Past. It's derivative, hackneyed and formulaic. They've thrown everything in there, including, what sounds like, the kitchen sink. Kelly even does un petit francais at 1.40. And I loves it. Here's Kelly (vid below) talking about how they bumped into each other in a hotel (yeah, right) where Nadiya [...]
Bless Neil and Chris for still placing b-side tracks in high regard. And they've had this attitude towards the forgotten track from day one ensuring theirs are never forgotten. Songs like In the Night , Paninaro (an A-Side in Italy), The Truck Driver and His Mate and Your Funny Uncle are just as popular as any a-side. On their website yesterday, as an almost prophetic statement, they announced the completion of the b-side to upcoming single Love Etc. . Called We're All Criminals Now it comes just as the [...]
So, in the first (and most full of itself) list of the year, the Sound of 2009 has student of the 80s, Elly Jackson and her band, well, duo, La Roux , at numero 5. Whether this translates into sales and mass recognition is irrelevant. For me anyway. Their material is more than promising. Elly's only 20 - like Adele was when she was crowned 2008's number 1 - and bursting with wide-eyed enthusiasm and passion. Watch this interview here with BBC News for her eloquent plea for a return to creative pop songs. [...]
For the first great tune for 2009, watch this. It's Robbie William's vocals from his PSB cover, We're the Pet Shop Boys , fed through a trance mincer by Dutch DJ Sander van Doorn and, having been around for a couple of months, gets an official digital release on iTunes tomorrow. Close My Eyes appears on Cream's mammoth Future Trance compilation and is majestic. It highlights how suited Robbie's vocals are to dance tracks. I've always thought his more mournful stuff would make great techno. In fact, a friend [...]
Before everyone goes back to work on Monday (boo), here's one last Christmas treat. Put off the festive detox for just a few minutes. Last Christmas , the website dedicated to Wham!'s song from 1984, has now featured up to 390 covers of the song. And this year, to save you from tears, they have a special visual cover version. The acapella band Bliss have recreated the video in Saas-Fee, the original Swiss location, and despite the ropey barnets, have done it brilliantly.
In a year which has seen more firework artists than ever before - bang, they explode onto the scene and in a flash they're gone - there was some great music but no substance because as soon as the acts try to take root we're onto something else: something newer and shinier. It's unfortunately a byproduct of an industry which has yet to mix the right cocktail of time, finance, product and its consumers. Blogs like this pounce on new music because there never seems to be anything but. Forget all that crap about fan power and the power of [...]
And to everyone who has followed my humble ol' music blog, I'll take you under the mistletoe and give you some of my steamin' Plum Duff. Have a gorgeous day. Eat, drink and be as merry as you like. Bona!
As much as I listen to and tout other people's music, I do make some myself, dontcha know. And a resolution for 2009, instead of keeping most of it under wraps, I'm going to start putting some out there. Think of it as a music notebook. It may have no vocal or it may have a guide vocal (gawd help me). You may like or you may detest but either way I think by using my own blog to put out my own music is one in the eye for the Internet Police. Viva DIY! Anyhoo, here y'are. [...]
Many moons ago I first wrote about Daggers, and then again I posted missives in the vain hope that something would happen and we would see some product. 2008 doesn't seem to have been the year, but at least this new song Better Than Love , on TheirSpace bodes well for 2009. It's guaranteed to thaw any wintry soul with it's bright and shiny tones. Having worked with pop supremo producer, Richard 'Biff' Stannard at the beginning of the year, it's only a matter of time before this band eurupt. Hurry up though!
How. G. A. Y. Where do you start? From the Christmas jumpers - hand-knitted by momma Wainwright, if you please - to Rufus and his camp ineptitude in front of Martha Stewart. This is grand television. Cut to 8.15 for the double entendre by Rufus that goes straight over Martha's head... or does it? More likely, she squishes that train of thought because she ain't having no homo filth on her show! And is it just me, but does she have that alcoholic rasp in her speech, you know, all breathy as if the vodka fumes are still too overpowering [...]
Much better than Kylie's ITV cheesefest last year, The Girls Aloud Party last night also seemed a bit more, well, human. Here's a cute little sketch featuring Kimberley and Cheryl as Old Ladies Aloud.
Here's the tomboyish Ladyhawke goofily doing a rendition of Jingle Bells for de fanz. I've really taken to the kiwi lass, very late in the day I know, but all good things come to those who wait, etc. I can't stop playing the current single (in the UK) My Delerium . Here's Pip being interviewed by Sara Cox on Radio 1's Live Lounge and performing a blistering performance of said single, (3.34 in for the song). Luckily, despite the one song by one artist rule, for my year end Top 20 tracks, I [...]
This arrived in the post this morning.
THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS PAST Here's a few old timers who've been out and about this week: Not bad for his Wikipedia age of 68. And according to his own website Cliff Richard's 50th - yes 50th! - Anniversary Tour with his original band The Shadows will be "for the very last time". If I was Hank Marvin I'd be worried; just try to avoid being in a room, alone, with Dame Cliff... This is 62 year old trouper, [...]
Like a chocolate box full of Girls Aloud, The Loving Kind video premiered half an hour ago on Channel 4. As with every GA track, you're never quite sure who's singing which line until the visuals arrive. Nadine normally does all the guide vocals for their producers and gets to keep most of the lines afterwards. This one, with it's sultry groaning vocals; ie, not shouty, is the Sarah/Cheryl show. But then this Pet Shop Boys-penned track suits them best. I bet Kimberley's sick of waiting for the track that's 'written for her'. Talking [...]
Worrapolava
Bison - Quill
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
