Blog: Shout and Twist

Look, we already know that Benjamin Gibbard is a lyrical genius. A bona fide poet. The best songwriter since Robby Z. Or something. And while I was running my ears over the ol' DCfC discog the other day, I came across one number I hadn't heard in some time. 'This Temporary Life' to be unambiguous, taken from 2004 benefit compilation 'Future Soundtrack for America'. Musically, it's fucking brilliant. And lyrically? Even better. Just imagine you've moved to a whole new city all on your own, without a single soul to swear by. "You [...]

Arcade Fire, The Arcade Fire. It's Arcade Fire. This we know. Arcade Fire are a very, very good band. This we also know. But are Arcade Fire, this very, very good band, still to make a great album? This I say so... UPDATE : This I do not say so. 'Funeral', their debut album, is in fact a great album. See, what I originally began prepping as a post about the overestimation attached to Arcade Fire, has now shifted into an unmitigated love-in re 'Funeral'. While I was researching the record in order to back up my [...]

So there's this splendid series on HBO (obviously) which is called In Treatment and is about a therapist (Gabriel Byrne) who, well, treats his patients. And at the close of every ep, these startling and bewitching sounds roll in, all tempestuous and stuff. The show's music composer is called Richard Marvin, who also worked on Six Feet Under and, more puzzling, that God-awful Bruce Willis movie Surrogates. However, unless I'm willing to cough up £7.99 of my iTunes vouchers on some high-strung action burble, it appears that you and, more importantly, I am not gonna get to hear these beautiful [...]

So I've now watched and inspected pretty much all the movies that are 'rumoured' to be in line for Oscar noms come February, such is my excitement for the damn thing. And I've gotta say, only Jason Reitman's 'Up in the Air' really dazzled me. 'Precious', 'The Lovely Bones', 'Nine'? Don't swallow the hype. But more on all that in a later post... This entry marks the charming wonderment of Sad Brad Smith, whose 'Help Yourself' almost stole the thunder of George Clooney's showing in 'Air'. A Chicagoan singer songwriter with an ear for drop-dead chord [...]

So, three Southamptonites form a band at college, make their debut LP in Radiohead's Oxford studio and head out on a US jaunt opening for Passion Pit. Yet all such went down under the radar, so to speak. Good thing 'Twilight' helmer Chris Weitz knew of 'em, enough to stick their semi-rock rampant 'Friends' on the 'New Moon' OST - where I chanced upon them. What with presently the globe's hottest film franchise ticked off and all, more will surely see them now. Best Track – [...]

Plainly more affable than the 'Prince' edition, west London's King Charles is for all one knows next in line to the folk-pop sovereignty already scooped by the likes of Laura Marling, Noah And The Whale and Mumford & Sons. Why do I surmise this? 'Cause he's BFF with all of 'em and his ditty 'Time Of Eternity' is misfittingly sheer radiance. Jeez, this King needs crowning. Best Track – 'Time Of Eternity'

As a matter of course, To My Boy are not by any means a 'new' band. This Scouse-based twosome (and their MacBook) set free a first 'lectro-pop endeavour all the way back in 2007 via XL spinoff Abeano. And a mighty fine shot it was, although not according to the kindly hype engine. But if the fresh 'Us + The Wind' is anything to go by, 2010 could well mutate 'em from boys to men. Best Track – 'Us + The Wind'

Already a noted favourite of Shout And Twist, Internet Forever are hastily fashioning themselves a nice hunk of hype. Of course with choons 'Break Bones' and 'Cover The Wall' pelting down sugary guitar nuggets and dulcet, skipping strains, it'd be dead fallacious any other way. Want instant happiness? Befriend these. Best Track – 'Cover The Walls'

Not just the literal centrepiece of religious activism and vanloads of crude oil, but Down Under's rosiest disciples since Hugh Jackman in the first X-Men. From what I can tell, there's six of The Middle East and Wikipedia reckons they've split up once already. A messy band divorce sorta makes sense given the sweet, docile acoustic spells of sensitivity gushing out of their songs 'Blood' and 'The Darkest Side'. Let's hope they keep it together, though. We could do with one of these. Best Track – [...]

5. The Maccabees 'Wall Of Arms' (Fiction) - You've still the squally guitars and Orlando warbling like he's about to cry (in a good way), but this sophomore endeavour also puffs a whole lot more than (albeit rather absorbing) tales of a Clapham swimming pool. Now they're slicker, there're pensive touches on the deceased, and it picks itself up and drops itself down just when it feels right. Whereas 'Colour...' felt in some ways like a band in discovery, throwing together all they had, this is an album. An album that really, in a time of never-ending electro posses [...]

15. Julian Casablancas 'Phrazes For The Young' (Rough Trade) - Double-edged sword - Astounding yet now I miss his Strokes even more. 14. Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'It's Blitz!' (Interscope) - One dance-laden synth-flooded choon after the other. 13. Sam Isaac 'Bears' (Hear You Me) - Tasteful, inoffensive, unswerving acoustic nourishment. [...]

28. Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band 'Outer South' (Merge) - Nice Conor, now bring back Bright Eyes. 27. My Sad Captains 'Here And Elsewhere' (Stolen) - As lilting as a pack of Aero Bubbles. 26. Jamie T 'Kings & Queens' (Virgin) - In view of overestimated debut, this is bang-up. Mate. [...]

43. The xx 'xx' (Young Turks) - Spellbindingly pivotal to life's progression. 42. Calvin Harris 'Ready For The Weekend' (Sony) - Yeah, alright. Just stop shoving your face in the videos. 41. Miike Snow 'Miike Snow' (Downtown) - A sweet 'n' nice supplement to a dark day. [...]

Welcome to the end of music. The mercenary extremities of Jedward just performed on the very same flooring as the guitarist from the most significant band of all time. The bottom line of The X Factor is not about its music, but the entertaining scrapping and ludicrousness of it all. The Beatles, however, built an example for pop as we know it. Tonight, regrettably, those worlds collided. Sir Paul McCartney, I'm miffed. It was unnecessary. Heck, I love The X Factor for all its farcical and materialistic spectacle, but certainly not for the songs - I leave that [...]

56. Maxïmo Park 'Quicken The Heart' (Warp) - Better than the last but not as good as the first. 55. Twisted Wheel 'Twisted Wheel' (Columbia) - Unnecessary, nevertheless decent. 54. The Flaming Lips 'Embryonic' (Warner) - Just about worth the tiresome excursion of 18 tracks. [...]

71. Golden Silvers 'True Romance' (XL) - Uninspiring for something via XL. 70. Editors 'In This Light And On This Evening' (Kitchenware) - What the fuck were they even trying here? 69. The Temper Trap 'Conditions' (Infectious) - THAT song nonetheless, an okay effort. [...]

84. The Rakes 'Klang!' (V2) - Rightfully bumped them off for good. 83. Peter Doherty 'Grace/Wastelands' (EMI) - Just another meatless hint of what could be. 82. Little Boots 'Hands' (Sixsevenine) - Alright, but the weakest of all the year's lass pop. 81. [...]

... And so it commences. The beginning of the end of the first decade of the 21st century. I was way ahead of the times naming my albums of the decade way back in June (Coldplay's 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' won if it's an inconvenience to click). 2009 itself has been a seemly year for records, perhaps not as inventive as 08's NY ascendancy or 01's, erm, NY ascendancy, but a decorous annum still and all. So, without extra ado, here are my albums of the last twelve months in order (sprinkled over the next [...]

Biffy Clyro 'Only Revolutions' (14th Floor) The time was 2003. Lauren Laverne was hitting it up on Xfm's drivetime, Travis couldn't strum a G major wrong and Adam Lambert was only one-hundreth as gay as he is now. I, for the first time in life, plummeted Athlete-first into a volley of indie goodness - heck, I've got a Virgin Megastores pass for an in-store Thrills session to prove it. And during my daily intake of MTV2 wholesomeness, came along a band called Biffy Clyro. Their 'Questions and Answers' (taken from 'The Vertigo of Bliss') was [...]

Mumford & Sons 'Sigh No More' (Island) Folk, Wikipedia will have you known, was devised circa the mid-19th century as somewhat of a pastime for the working classes. Ironic then, that south-west London's reawakening of the breed some years back is about as working-class as Lady GaGa is plausible. Not that social stratum has a thing to do with Mumford & Son's long-expected debut record. Well, sure The Enemy wouldn't name their next shipment of Undertones covers 'Sigh No More', but it skilfully embraces the sorta wholehearted schmaltz and despair each and every one of us [...]