Congratulations to everyone who ran the Race For Life today in aid of Cancer Research UK - including my Mum, who never thought she'd run, let alone run 5K in 37 minutes!
I sense my "must-buy" list getting longer as I speak. Oh well. Psychedelic Furs, Run And Run
Now, I'm not sure if this was written by Warren Zevon as Werewolves Of London but with totally different lyrics, or whether Doves took the music and put their lyrics to it. Doves, Hit The Ground Running
And here - a double whammy! The obligatory running song - both the Kate Bush original (which is ace) and the Placebo version (which is well worth hearing, although not a patch on the original).
Mollx
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Saturday, 7 May 2011
Song Of The Week
An energetic bunch, these boys. I hear a teeny bit of Stornoway in the verses myself, but I think my ears are probably broken. Young The Giant, My Body
Album Of The Second: Plague Park, Handsome Furs. Awesome album. Apparently they've got a new one out soon, which I'm really looking forward to (but maybe I should get Face Control first, I mean, it's got Radio Kaliningrad on it for god's sake).
Mollx
Album Of The Second: Plague Park, Handsome Furs. Awesome album. Apparently they've got a new one out soon, which I'm really looking forward to (but maybe I should get Face Control first, I mean, it's got Radio Kaliningrad on it for god's sake).
Mollx
Friday, 6 May 2011
In The Spotlight: Weirdcore
Yes, the series that never was has made a reappearance (if you haven't seen the first one yet, click here)!
As far as I understand it, weirdcore is an underground branch of hardcore punk, that is characterised by a certain - you guessed it - weirdness!
A Finnish band here, with a Latin-infused racket that is actually pretty darn good! Deep Turtle, Revolver
Mentioned them a couple of times now, so I might be cheating a little bit (with regard, that is, to the fact that In The Spotlight's recommendations should be new to me). But I like them. ORBS, Lost At Sea
Sorry about the lack of a third song, but the thing is that weirdcore is conspicuous by its absence on YouTube.
Mollx
As far as I understand it, weirdcore is an underground branch of hardcore punk, that is characterised by a certain - you guessed it - weirdness!
A Finnish band here, with a Latin-infused racket that is actually pretty darn good! Deep Turtle, Revolver
Mentioned them a couple of times now, so I might be cheating a little bit (with regard, that is, to the fact that In The Spotlight's recommendations should be new to me). But I like them. ORBS, Lost At Sea
Sorry about the lack of a third song, but the thing is that weirdcore is conspicuous by its absence on YouTube.
Mollx
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Difficult Second Album Syndrome?
I'm very cynical about the idea of DSAS.
I think it's more that people (people here means "music journalists") expect immediacy - the prospect of listening to an album more than once is reprehensible, no?
Anyway, in the interests of knowing what I'm talking about, I'm only going to mention two albums:
I doubt any followers of this blog will be surprised at this one:
Letting Off The Happiness, Bright Eyes. To be brutally honest, it didn't have a lot to live up to - A Collection... wasn't exactly brilliant - but it takes the lo-fi, four-track-in-the-basement approach and runs with it. Everything from the rough panicky chords of If Winter Ends to the off-kilter, out of time harmonies of Contrast And Compare (recorded, according to the intro, at seven p.m. on 31st of December 1997) is charming in its own ramshackle way. And how could anyone forget June On The West Coast, arguably one of the best songs of their career? LOTH isn't the greatest album by any measure, but it takes A Collection...'s best moments and makes a whole album of them.
Recommendations: If Winter Ends (complete with "cumbersome introduction") , June On The West Coast
Recovering The Satellites, Counting Crows.
The "problem" with CC is that Mr Jones eclipsed everything. August And Everything After is widely regarded as their best album - but what of its follow up? More of a rock album than its predecessor, and more consistent to boot, it comes as a bit of a shock after the laid-back melancholia of AAEA, an album based on understated grace. RTS clubs you around the back of the head with its sharpness, its outraged yelping, and your first instinct is to recoil. After a while, though, you find delicacy under the riotous guitars of Have You Seen Me Lately, realise that the lyrics are as stronger than ever, and catch onto the idea that a band can change their sound and still be the same band. There's pretty much no filler - although Miller's Angels does go on a little too long, and yes, a few of the songs do need more than a few minutes spent on them, but by the time you've recovered from the majestic blast of misery that is A Long December, you're already reaching for replay.
Recommendations: A Long December, Recovering The Satellites
Mollxx
I think it's more that people (people here means "music journalists") expect immediacy - the prospect of listening to an album more than once is reprehensible, no?
Anyway, in the interests of knowing what I'm talking about, I'm only going to mention two albums:
I doubt any followers of this blog will be surprised at this one:
Letting Off The Happiness, Bright Eyes. To be brutally honest, it didn't have a lot to live up to - A Collection... wasn't exactly brilliant - but it takes the lo-fi, four-track-in-the-basement approach and runs with it. Everything from the rough panicky chords of If Winter Ends to the off-kilter, out of time harmonies of Contrast And Compare (recorded, according to the intro, at seven p.m. on 31st of December 1997) is charming in its own ramshackle way. And how could anyone forget June On The West Coast, arguably one of the best songs of their career? LOTH isn't the greatest album by any measure, but it takes A Collection...'s best moments and makes a whole album of them.
Recommendations: If Winter Ends (complete with "cumbersome introduction") , June On The West Coast
Recovering The Satellites, Counting Crows.
The "problem" with CC is that Mr Jones eclipsed everything. August And Everything After is widely regarded as their best album - but what of its follow up? More of a rock album than its predecessor, and more consistent to boot, it comes as a bit of a shock after the laid-back melancholia of AAEA, an album based on understated grace. RTS clubs you around the back of the head with its sharpness, its outraged yelping, and your first instinct is to recoil. After a while, though, you find delicacy under the riotous guitars of Have You Seen Me Lately, realise that the lyrics are as stronger than ever, and catch onto the idea that a band can change their sound and still be the same band. There's pretty much no filler - although Miller's Angels does go on a little too long, and yes, a few of the songs do need more than a few minutes spent on them, but by the time you've recovered from the majestic blast of misery that is A Long December, you're already reaching for replay.
Recommendations: A Long December, Recovering The Satellites
Mollxx
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Formulaic Band Names Pt 1 - ____ and the _____
Don't worry, I'm only joking about the 'Part One'. Unless, that is, I can think of another band name formulae.
I really, really love this. I love every single that NatW release, but somehow the notion of 'buying one of their albums' never crosses my mind. I really should do. Wait there. I'll go put it on my list before I forget again. Noah and the Whale, Tonight's The Kind Of Night
Thanks Mum. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken
Kate Bush-esque new underground stuff. Mind, they were in NME, so really they might be on the edge of breaking. Niki and the Dove, Mother Protect
Mollx
I really, really love this. I love every single that NatW release, but somehow the notion of 'buying one of their albums' never crosses my mind. I really should do. Wait there. I'll go put it on my list before I forget again. Noah and the Whale, Tonight's The Kind Of Night
Thanks Mum. Lloyd Cole and the Commotions, Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken
Kate Bush-esque new underground stuff. Mind, they were in NME, so really they might be on the edge of breaking. Niki and the Dove, Mother Protect
Mollx
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Label Day: Cherry Red Records
HUGE roster, this one.
Will you tell me why there are other bands that do this kind of catchy indie rock-pop and get famous, when bands like this fall by the wayside? One of life's unavoidable tragedies I suppose. Sixtyfivemiles, Mary.
Many people on YT have said this already, but that makes it no less true. This song could have come out yesterday. Marine Girls, A Place In The Sun
This has a strange video. A very, very strange video. Cineplexx, Mejor.
Mollx
Will you tell me why there are other bands that do this kind of catchy indie rock-pop and get famous, when bands like this fall by the wayside? One of life's unavoidable tragedies I suppose. Sixtyfivemiles, Mary.
Many people on YT have said this already, but that makes it no less true. This song could have come out yesterday. Marine Girls, A Place In The Sun
This has a strange video. A very, very strange video. Cineplexx, Mejor.
Mollx
Monday, 2 May 2011
(____) Music Monday
No, that's not a typing error in the title.
Anyway, we start with The Replacements, Can't Hardly Wait. Rather a good song, don'cha think?
A NEW song here. (Isn't that...strange?) Lykke Li, Silent My Song
And today's obscure-ish indie wildcard choice is Longpigs, She Said
Mollx
Anyway, we start with The Replacements, Can't Hardly Wait. Rather a good song, don'cha think?
A NEW song here. (Isn't that...strange?) Lykke Li, Silent My Song
And today's obscure-ish indie wildcard choice is Longpigs, She Said
Mollx
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