After 50 years of producing great music, do Island Records still have what it takes?
Find out by reading my review of their 50th Birthday Party at the Camden Crawl here.
As usual, all opinions, comments, criticisms, praise and general banter is very welcome!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
More new single reviews!
They're spewing forth like untold mayhem at the moment.
Neither of the songs blew my socks off entirely but they weren't awful either. Check out my reviews and then make up your own mind by listening on their mypace pages.
Son Of Dave - Ain't Going To Niketown (single)
Buck Brothers - When I Look At You All I Think About Is Sex (single)
There's a newly submitted review of Island Records' 50th Birthday Party that should be published soon so keep checking the blog for updates.
Neither of the songs blew my socks off entirely but they weren't awful either. Check out my reviews and then make up your own mind by listening on their mypace pages.
Son Of Dave - Ain't Going To Niketown (single)
Buck Brothers - When I Look At You All I Think About Is Sex (single)
There's a newly submitted review of Island Records' 50th Birthday Party that should be published soon so keep checking the blog for updates.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Ice Cream Man and such
Tom Waits and I have an odd kind of relationship. He seems to flit in and out of my life at times of great joy and depression (and on occasion when I least expect him to). Our first encounter, of sorts, was via my best friend Oscar squealing and grunting at me in the street "The piaaaaaaaano has beenn dah-rinkin not meeeeeeeee" no doubt breathing beer scented air in my face and perhaps belching. So where did we go from here? Well right now we're up to feeling melancholic and listening to 'I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You' from Closing Time but there was stuff that happened in between too.
From drunken, intoxicated teenage nights in Oscar's attic bedroom taking my first steps down the road of both Waits and Jeff Buckley (because they make an indisputably excellent team) me and Tom had some down time. We chilled out, did our things and enjoyed each other's presence sporadically until University. Not that we ignored one another but it was like that great friend you hardly ever see but when you do you have the greatest adventures imaginable and always mean to hang out more. The Beautiful South song 'Liar's Bar' always reminded me of Waits and it made me smile to see the odd drunken moment that reminded me of his influence stretching across drinking holes throughout the world.
Spending far too much time around disgruntled cantankerous men at University is a good way to really get into Waits. My friend George was one such and drinking triple dark rum from a pint glass lends itself well to growling at each other and discussing Real Gone's merits and downfalls whilst unable to stand. There's nothing like Theatre students discussing the influence of dadaism on the work of Waits and feeling far too profound for their own good.
On a balmy night in Glasgow with a madman on the roof and tinsle in your hair, drinking dead russians, you can do worse than listening to Ice Cream Man. When the madman quits the roof and hollars that song at you from his slumped position on the floor with a toy gun, you can't tell that he won't use his voodoo magic to twist your mind worse than a bullet. But you need to trust the sound, howl along, chug booze out of a chalice and engage in sword fights.
It's just a shame there's none of his songs on the jukebox...
From drunken, intoxicated teenage nights in Oscar's attic bedroom taking my first steps down the road of both Waits and Jeff Buckley (because they make an indisputably excellent team) me and Tom had some down time. We chilled out, did our things and enjoyed each other's presence sporadically until University. Not that we ignored one another but it was like that great friend you hardly ever see but when you do you have the greatest adventures imaginable and always mean to hang out more. The Beautiful South song 'Liar's Bar' always reminded me of Waits and it made me smile to see the odd drunken moment that reminded me of his influence stretching across drinking holes throughout the world.
Spending far too much time around disgruntled cantankerous men at University is a good way to really get into Waits. My friend George was one such and drinking triple dark rum from a pint glass lends itself well to growling at each other and discussing Real Gone's merits and downfalls whilst unable to stand. There's nothing like Theatre students discussing the influence of dadaism on the work of Waits and feeling far too profound for their own good.
On a balmy night in Glasgow with a madman on the roof and tinsle in your hair, drinking dead russians, you can do worse than listening to Ice Cream Man. When the madman quits the roof and hollars that song at you from his slumped position on the floor with a toy gun, you can't tell that he won't use his voodoo magic to twist your mind worse than a bullet. But you need to trust the sound, howl along, chug booze out of a chalice and engage in sword fights.
It's just a shame there's none of his songs on the jukebox...
Friday, April 17, 2009
New reviews!
Here, as promised are my 2 new single reviews
Poppy & the Jezebels - Rhubarb & Custard (single)
Sparrow and the Workshop - Devil Song (single)
Find out which one I loved and which one I hated and, as always, all comments are very welcome!
Poppy & the Jezebels - Rhubarb & Custard (single)
Sparrow and the Workshop - Devil Song (single)
Find out which one I loved and which one I hated and, as always, all comments are very welcome!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The joys of submission
Before you ask, no I'm not declaring my BDSM tendencies to the world, but instead glorying in the fact that I've just submitted my latest 2 reviews to my editor. As soon as they get published I'll post the links but in the meantime you can check out the songs for yourself on Myspace.
Poppy & the Jezebels - Rhubarb & Custard
Sparrow and the Workshop - Devil Song
And don't forget the Rougher Sounds Myspace whilst you're at it!
Poppy & the Jezebels - Rhubarb & Custard
Sparrow and the Workshop - Devil Song
And don't forget the Rougher Sounds Myspace whilst you're at it!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Listening to...
2pac at the moment on Spotify. I forgot how much I loved 2pac and biggie until I bought Best Of Notorious BIG recently. I remember the first time I heard 'Hypnotize' in year 6 at school. One of the guys in my class had brought it into school on tape and I'd never heard anything quite like it.
I was 10 and had more or less relied on my parents' taste to guide my music choices so far in life. Now, my dad was always into Grandmaster Flash and Sugarhill Gang, plus my French family all listened to MCSolaar religiously but this was something different. Something outside of my barriers coming into my mind and changing my whole approach to music.
The year before the 2 big tunes of the year as far as I was concerned had been 'Missing You' by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans and 'Breathe' by Prodigy. Fat of the Land was an album that had a similar effect to 'Hypnotize' on me. I'd always been into punk from a very young age but 70s classic punk and the line that Prodigy walked between industrialized dance music and punk took it to a new level.
That is what changed at that pre-teen age of discovery. There was a distinct break away from the parentally accepted forms of music and a conscious seeking out of music that challenged those safe boundaries. Anything that might shock or disturb my parents' sensibilities was decadent, forbidden, indulgent and I was irresistably drawn to. Heavy Metal and Ganster Rap offended my family's ears immeasurably and yet this is still some of the music I come back to again and again because it formed an integeral part of not just my musical but adolescent development.
Metallica's 'One' remains my favourite song of all time because it tapped into an anguish that I could neither realise nor express that was building up inside my body as I began the transition into adulthood. It meant nothing that I could in no way relate to the experience of the mutilated Vietnam soldier. The first time I heard the song I didn't even know the subject matter but the force of the music made me cry like a baby in my best friend's bedroom.
Music transforms and changes who we are as well as expressing everything that we can't find the words to say. Language has so many limits that music manages to overcome. At that integral coming of age moment when we develop and sculpt our own musical pallets for the first time we take on influences that will stay with us throughout our lives because they form the bedrock of everything we will ever love and care about listening to. Or at least, that's my view of the thing. Your opinion?
I was 10 and had more or less relied on my parents' taste to guide my music choices so far in life. Now, my dad was always into Grandmaster Flash and Sugarhill Gang, plus my French family all listened to MCSolaar religiously but this was something different. Something outside of my barriers coming into my mind and changing my whole approach to music.
The year before the 2 big tunes of the year as far as I was concerned had been 'Missing You' by Puff Daddy and Faith Evans and 'Breathe' by Prodigy. Fat of the Land was an album that had a similar effect to 'Hypnotize' on me. I'd always been into punk from a very young age but 70s classic punk and the line that Prodigy walked between industrialized dance music and punk took it to a new level.
That is what changed at that pre-teen age of discovery. There was a distinct break away from the parentally accepted forms of music and a conscious seeking out of music that challenged those safe boundaries. Anything that might shock or disturb my parents' sensibilities was decadent, forbidden, indulgent and I was irresistably drawn to. Heavy Metal and Ganster Rap offended my family's ears immeasurably and yet this is still some of the music I come back to again and again because it formed an integeral part of not just my musical but adolescent development.
Metallica's 'One' remains my favourite song of all time because it tapped into an anguish that I could neither realise nor express that was building up inside my body as I began the transition into adulthood. It meant nothing that I could in no way relate to the experience of the mutilated Vietnam soldier. The first time I heard the song I didn't even know the subject matter but the force of the music made me cry like a baby in my best friend's bedroom.
Music transforms and changes who we are as well as expressing everything that we can't find the words to say. Language has so many limits that music manages to overcome. At that integral coming of age moment when we develop and sculpt our own musical pallets for the first time we take on influences that will stay with us throughout our lives because they form the bedrock of everything we will ever love and care about listening to. Or at least, that's my view of the thing. Your opinion?
Mr. Oizo - Pourriture (Ed Banger) EP on DMG
After many struggles, blood, sweat and tears, my review of Mr. Oizo's new EP 'Pourriture' has been published.
As usual check it out here and let me know your thoughts.
It's not my best work but I think the 2 single reviews that I'm working on now are going to be corkers so keep your eyes peeled over the next week. One of the singles I love, one of the singles I hate, stay tuned to find out which is which.
As usual check it out here and let me know your thoughts.
It's not my best work but I think the 2 single reviews that I'm working on now are going to be corkers so keep your eyes peeled over the next week. One of the singles I love, one of the singles I hate, stay tuned to find out which is which.
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