A roundup of the finest music, freshly stumbled across in the last seven days. PALACE - Facebook / Twitter Thanks must go to Beatnik online for tipping us the wink on Brighton based four piece, Palace. All three demos on their soundcloud page are worth a listen but the wistful bluesy " Veins " is the standout. They state their main influences as "White Denim, Kraftwerk, Wu Lyf, Jeff Buckley, Foals, Wu Tang Clan and Nigerian Blues" [...]
For the last 20 years, music has primarily entered my lugholes via tinny computers,"i" prefixed devices and a pair of speakers salvaged from a £200 Aiwa midi hi-fi system that was already 10 years old when the Tricky stickers that adorn them were put on. This week Richer Sounds seduced me into a new decent-ish pair of speakers and my god, it's like I grew a new pair of ears! The only trouble is, everything sounds so good, if you put Morris Minor & The Majors "Stutter Rap" on right now, the [...]
After a brief siesta the weekly roundup returns with a dozen or so musical diamonds, albeit not particularly brand spanking new. I'm not sure if long posts like this are the best way to highlight acts or if those lower down the post miss out on listens and loves? As ever check Spotify for an ever-growing playlist (of tracks available through Spotify) or Why'd.com for the full-fat playlist of all the tunes. You can also listen to all the selections with Whyd's fancy new widget below. JUNIOR KIMBROUGH (DAFT [...]
Benin City's Josh (Rhymes) & Faye (Trombone) Last week saw the long overdue return of the Music Like Dirt sessions with all six members of Benin City proving the music business isn't all glamour by cramming into the smallest, sweatiest rehearsal room in Walthamstow. Thankfully they were as charming as they are talented, running through a sneak preview of single number three " Crush " which superbly combines Star Wars Sith references with deft trombone and sax lines. The session will hopefully be on the site in the next month or [...]
Does it have to end? The Olympic and Paralympic flame is currently buying duty free at Terminal 5 on its way to Rio, leaving a nation searching for a new reason to smile at each other. Even the slightly odd decision to end it all with a four day long Coldplay concert featuring an American rapping about money and bitches cant take the shine off. Newsagentprovocateur tweeted a picture of himself enjoying the concert although I have to declare that if you play me " Everything's Not Lost [...]
Before my brother abandoned music and confined his musings to film alone ( Take Me To Your Cinema blog ) every week he would pick out 10 tracks for Music Like Dirt. He was a good musical foil, enlightening me to countless sounds I would otherwise never have noticed, but perhaps its time for another crack at more regular roundups again. So here are 10-ish current-ish tunes rocking my world, all handily wrapped in a playlist from the new music sharing site whyd.com or a truncated (not all available) Spotify list . There may be another [...]
Ryan(StopMe): I'm still buzzing from seeing Kick-Ass at the cinema and went on a Mark Millar Comics spree as soon as I got out of the theatre. First I read the twisted humour of 'Wanted' (So much better than the lame film adaptation), then on to the fascinating 'Red-Son' which is about what the world would be like if Superman was a Soviet instead of a blue-eyed American son, and now I'm halfway into 'Kick-Ass' itself. It hasn't all been Superheroes and Supervillians this week as I've found another ten delightful tunes: [...]
Ryan (StopMe): I've been on a serious Talking Heads binge this week after finally watching what is often described as the finest Concert-Film ever produced, in the shape of 1984's 'Stop Making Sense' (Can't wait for a UK Blu-Ray release!). I've also found another ten wonderful tunes for your ears to enjoy: Andrew W.K.'s High-Energy/Metal 'I Get Wet' album is possibly one of my all time top 10 LPs. Since then he's done Power-Ballads, Eighties-Rock, produced Lee "Scratch" Perry and even released an instrumental Piano music album. [...]
Ryan (StopMe): As promised, TEN4SE7EN is back for good (I hope!). This is post number 50, so that's 500 tracks I've recommended so far over the past year and a half, here's to the next 500. This week, in-between listening to AC/DC's 'Back In Black' LP on a loop, I've brought together ten more exquisite musical treats: Broadcast 2000's 'That Sinking Feeling' is wonderfully melodic Folk with some quirky production flourishes. The string section is at once powerfully punchy and also sweetly graceful. [...]
Ryan (StopMe): My God it's been a long time since I did a TEN4SE7EN (Work commitments being the excuse). I've missed it and hopefully this post will be the first of many: On a trip to HMV I found they were selling last year's über-deluxe Chris Rea triple-cd/double-vinyl/book 'The Return Of The Fabulous Hofner Bluenotes' for the insane price of £8 English pounds. I'm never really listened to the guy before but at that price it was worth a punt. It's chock full of classy Blues numbers and clever Shadows tributes. The smouldering [...]
Ryan: I've been damn busy with starting a new Job and relocating to the capital since the last TEN4SE7EN and I've missed doing these posts but this week I managed to scrape together enough time to find ten new songs that are currently blowing my tiny mind: Black Noise's 'Knock You Out' holds nothing back, incorporating a neck-cracking Dance-beat, scratching, sampling and several genius rap breaks. You'll love it. The Boy From Space's new EP features a delightful song called 'Come Home' . [...]
Ryan(StopMe): This might be the last TEN4SE7EN for a few weeks because I'm gonna be busy with work, so I've found ten extra-specially great tunes: While MCA is being treated for cancer the new Beastie Boys album is on hold. While we are all wishing him the best, the boys have just dropped a hot new 123 to tide us over called 'Too Many Rappers (Feat. Nas)' . Camera Obscura's 'French Navy' is the kind of perfect Pop song that within one listen has you [...]
Ryan(StopMe): I've just got back from a week of record shopping in the finest music emporiums our nation's capital provides (Time well spent I think you'll agree!). About half of this weeks tracks are courtesy of those fine endangered institutions: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears' new album is magic Soul/Funk/Blues from start to finish and I'd urge you to pick up a copy. 'Sugarfoot' is my favourite track, capturing all the energy of a live Soul band in full swing. Black Joe Lewis & The [...]
I found all the best tracks this week at the last minute before posting. Sometimes it just happens that way: Brazilian duo Sabo & Zeb's 'Sangueboom' is a favela-funk-fusion of frenetic Drums and sweet Latin vocals from Andrea Monteiro. The Organ solo halfway through is on fire. Stacy Epps reminds me of a female Lupe Fiasco with rhymes that hit just as hard. The production on 'Cold Times' is a subtle mix of Jazz, Funk and Dancehall flavours. [...]
Ryan(StopMe): It's another of those weeks when there are so many great records out, that I may as well hand over my bank account to a record shop: Gatto Fritto's 'Invisible College' is an epic 12 minute Spanish-Guitar-South-American- Folk-Electronica-Prog-Disco masterpiece. You'll be clapping your hands, clicking your fingers and generally feelin' the groove. The searing emotion of Mumford & Sons' 'The Cave' will carry you away. Towards the end it takes flight to heights that most other Folk-Rock songs just can't reach. [...]
Ryan(StopMe): I've spent most of this week listening to MJ spurred on by the surprisingly good Memorial Concert that served to remind me how truly magic his songs were (It was only spoiled by talent show reject Shaheen Jafargholi's average and cheesy version of 'Who's Lovin' You'). It hasn't all been nostalgia though, I've still come up with ten fresh tunes for this week's post: Chambers twang out atmospheric Guitar sounds on the slow building epic 'Sea Mistress' . It's the powerful conclusion to their new 'A Slow Decay' [...]
Ryan (StopMe): Still recovering from the heatwave? Still reeling from Murray's defeat? Well no matter, because here are ten more tunes to soothe those summertime blues: Apostle Of Hustle has to be one of the best band names ever and luckily they've got the music to back it up. 'Eazy Speaks' is frenetic catchy Indie with plenty of sharp lyrics like "Keep your friends close, enemy closer, kiss on the cheek from a punk ass poser" . Chicks On Speed are [...]
Ryan (StopMe): I've spent every minute I could spare this weekend either watching Wimbledon, watching Glastonbury or indulging in the odd glass of ice-cold Pimms. From my armchair, the highlights of the festival seemed to be every second of Florence & The Machine's set , Springsteen's surprise appearance with The Gaslight Anthem , Lady Gaga's smashed-mirror-dress-Glam-Pop- extravaganza and Dizzee Rascal sending the crowd literally 'Bonkers' . There probably aren't many bands that would think of writing a delightful Pop-Folk song touching on the subject of cum (Except maybe The Hidden [...]
Ryan(StopMe): I seem to have gone mad this week and bought nine or ten albums (And a few singles). Dammit, there is just too much great music out there. Here is yet more evidence: Alela Diane's voice is like Joni Mitchell singing a lament from a porch on the prairie in the chill of the moonlight. The powerful strings on 'White As Diamonds' underline the graceful clarity of the vocals. 'Time I Was Gone' is as intimate and warm as [...]
Ryan (StopMe): After a months break I feel refreshed and ready to bring you another TEN4SE7EN. By the way, if you're a Simon & Garfunkel fan, HMV are currently selling a boxed set featuring their entire recorded output (That's 71 tracks across 5 albums) in Deluxe-Vinyl-Replicas plus a live DVD for just £8!!! Truly music has no value anymore, I'm trying not to think too hard (It makes my head hurt) about whether I'm contributing to that situation or helping to promote artists. As usual you'll find links at the bottom to buy music from this [...]
music like dirt
Big Wave - GW Bridge free MP3
おしえて- Avec Avec
Yuksek feat. Oh Land: “Last Of Our Kinds” Video
Ecology of Eden
Old Portraits of Anna May Wong – The First Chinese American Movie Star
