Music to drink tea by
Archive for June, 2009
Johnny Foreigner unveil new video containing both robots and zombies
22 years ago
in Videos
Feels Like Summer is the latest single by Johnny Foreigner, that I already covered here, so I’m not going to repeat myself. As a video, it doesn’t quite live up to the brilliance of the Salt, Peppa and Spinderella one last year, but on the upside, this one probably won’t give you seizures. All in all, it’s a pleasant enough taster for the band’s upcoming second album, which will be called Grace and the Bigger Picture according to Johnny Foreigner authority Clicky Clicky.
Feels Like Summer was supposed to be released on June 22, but it seems to have fallen off the ends of the earth.
Spiral Stairs gets a dog; prepares solo album
22 years ago
in MP3s
Poor Scott Kannberg. He’ll forever be “the other one” when it comes to any discussions of Pavement, which is a little unfair given his vital contribution to that band. Malkmus may be the one everybody knows, but it was largely the combination of the two of them that made it work. He’s dabbled around a bit in the ten years since Pavement split, releasing a couple of Preston School of Industry albums. Both were decent, neither were spectacular. Like Malkmus, it seems to be a constant battle to differentiate oneself away from the Pavement connection that seems doomed to failure.
The Real Feel will be Kannberg’s first solo album as Spiral Stairs. It’s an odd decision when you notice the twenty or so people that worked on it listed on his website. But a name is just a name, and perhaps a shift away from the Preston name would be beneficial. The only problem is that musically it still sounds just like the previous band. It’s by no means bad, but Maltese Terrier would feel right at home on either Preston album. Perhaps the full album will open up a range of new delights. But odds are, it’s still not going to be Pavement.
The Real Feel will be out on October 20 (little early for the promo track, no?) via Matador Records.
Conor Oberst in product placement shocker
02 years ago
in MP3s
I have a lot of time for Conor Oberst. I was a little late to jump on the Bright Eyes bus, and if I’m honest, I got off a stop or two early too. I haven’t particularly loved his dabbling with the more country orientated sound, but even the last album, helpfully titled Conor Oberst still had an air of quality about it. For each misstep, there would be a lovely slice of Americana. I know it’s a romantic image to us foreigners, but few records have adopted the feel of the American road trip so well as that record.
Now it’s time for round two of the “really, it’s not Bright Eyes” saga, and based on Nikorette, I fear we’re in the exact same territory again. It certainly sounds nice, if a little predictable. It’s not the sound that wins one over on an Oberst record though. It’s all about the words. Words which seem to be getting a little lazy. There’s nothing wrong with any of this, and maybe it’s unfair of me to expect more than this. If this were another band, I’d probably love it.
It doesn’t really matter though as I’ll still go through the whole album. As well as the next one. And the one after that. For even though the results may not always be perfect, eventually Oberst will write a great album. Everything he’s done so far has shown signs of it. It’s just a matter of making it all come together.
Outer South is out now on Wichita Recordings.
Big Session 2009
22 years ago
in Live Reports
I was up in Leicester over the weekend for the Big Session Festival. If I’m honest, it wasn’t my musical cup of tea on the most part. I can appreciate the folk and all, but it’s not really my thing. That said, a couple of acts did stand out. Babel were a rather pleasant discovery, and Billy Bragg was highly entertaining. I’ve never been a particularly big fan of Bragg, but the man puts on one hell of a show.
A small gallery of photos can be found below. Not many from inside the festival itself largely because I hadn’t worked out how to take pictures in the dark on my new camera. So a handful from the festival and a few pictures from around Leicester in general.
Rose Elinor Dougall starts, stops and synchronises in black and white
12 years ago
in Indietracks, Videos
I’ve written previously about how I’m not entirely convinced by Rose Elinor Dougall’s solo material away from The Pipettes. My reservations are somewhat relieved at this point, if only because of Start/Stop/Synchro and how much better it seems to become with each repeated listen. I have no idea whether future songs will be able to live up to this, but I’m a little more optimistic about it at this point.
I usually avoid posts that only contain video too, but I really like this one. The stark black and white photography is a thing of beauty and seems to fit the mood of the song perfectly. It all feels a little art school film project at times, which I suppose fits the desired purpose of being the exact opposite of a Pipettes video.
Start/Stop/Synchro is out now on 7″ and download via Elefant Records. The label is jointly organising the Indietracks Festival next month, where Dougall will be playing on the opening night.
Elaine Greer has the key to beautiful folk songs
02 years ago
in MP3s
Elaine Greer is a singer-songwriter from Houston. She sings songs that could be described as folk, perhaps with a twinge of country thrown in for good measure. But more importantly, she sings songs that are good. They aren’t showy in the least, gently meandering along at their own pace, but they manage to make one hell of an impression.
Most of that impression is down to Greer’s voice. Fitting the style of the songs, it’s constantly bold, but constantly restrained. Sure, this is material from an EP. But it could just as easily be from someone sitting alone in their bedroom. Every now and again a slight musical flourish from a piano or a vocal harmony pops in that reminds us this is a properly produced song. But it doesn’t really need it.
Making Plans and Going Places is available now for purchase directly from her website.
Flashguns don’t not make good music
0Flashguns are a London band that actually sound like a London band. Given it’s hard to define exactly what a London band sounds like, that’s no easy achievement. They evoke the feel of London though. Loud, dirty and yet somehow wonderful. Everything seems to be working against everything else, but like the city, that clash is what makes it something special.
I have to admit that I don’t know very much about Flashguns, and my brief search didn’t turn up very much outside of the basics either. If a slightly dated press release is to be believed, they are incredibly young. Not too young to be making music of course, but too young to be this damn good at it.
Word on the street is that Radio 1 are actually playing this too. Which is probably the first time Radio 1 and this blog have had any crossover, but I’m not sure if that says more about them or me. Regardless, I Don’t Not Love You, despite it’s flawed grammar deserves to be something of a breakout hit. The best thing about Flashguns though? That you know their best songs are still ahead of them.
The Matching Hearts/Similar Parts will be out on July 17 via Blue Flowers Records.
Fanfarlo literally give you more bang for your buck
02 years ago
in MP3s
I’ve held off of getting involved in this whole digital music trend. Perhaps that is an odd statement for an mp3 blogger. Yet I still haven’t purchased a single track on a digital format, let alone an entire album. I still buy CDs when I can, although this is becoming more difficult given the number of releases are going down the digital only route. Fanfarlo are releasing their album on mp3, CD and vinyl. Yet they will likely be the band that finally gets me to buy mp3s.
The main problem I have with mp3s is the perception of value. I find it very difficult to reconcile the idea that a 5MB computer file can be worth the best part of £1, or whatever it is iTunes and their ilk are charging these days. I know that logically it’s flawed, given I’d pay £10 for a ten track CD, but the lack of physical product in my hands makes a difference. So if I’m going to purchase mp3s, it’s going to be because I think they are good value. Amazon’s recent £3 for an album strategy has been a step in the right direction. Fanfarlo are going even further, releasing their entire debut album Reservoir for the tiny sum of $1.
Musically, the lazy comparison would be to point out that the band the closest thing the UK has to an Arcade Fire. These are bold, beautifully arranged songs that soar, swirl and all of that other fancy stuff. It’s a joyous, rousing affair that doesn’t really sound like anything else London is putting out at the moment.
The catch is that the $1 price only lasts until July 4, then it returns to “normal” levels. Which is fine. I doubt you can make much money selling your album for so little forever.
MP3 Fanfarlo – Luna
Reservoir is available now for download directly from their website.
Favours for Sailors unleash unwieldy song titles
02 years ago
in MP3s
Favours for Sailors are a band that I’ve liked from afar from sometime. I’ve always heard their songs through other bands they know, or as support to another band live. Their song Erode My Empire is one that I’ve known on and off for three years now, and it’s still doing the rounds. In other bands this could be a sign of a worrying lack of creativity, but it seems Favours for Sailors are going to keep pushing it for as long as it sounds fresh. And if these radio session tracks are any indication, it still has breakout indie hit written all over it.
Until you listen to I Dreamt That You Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams. Then you start to think that everything else has just been a practice run. I Dreamt.. is fast, furious, fun, and completing the alliteration, fucking awesome. In one song, the band manage to shrug off the lazy Pavement comparisons and prove they can put out something completely different, and certainly better. This is a song that you can hear crossing over to mainstream radio. The song that breaks a band. The song that becomes an anthem.
Whether it will actually do any of those things, I have no idea. But if there is any justice left in this world, then it really should.
MP3 Favours for Sailors – Erode My Empire (radio session)
MP3 Favours for Sailors – I Dreamt That You Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams (radio session)
MP3 Favours for Sailors – I Dreamt That You Dreamt That You Loved Me In Your Dreams (radio session)
Furious Sons is out now on Tough Love Records.
Website / Myspace / Twitter
The Lovely Eggs like birds; other animals too
02 years ago
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It’s been a while since we covered any of the bands that will be playing at this year’s Indietracks, and so today we have The Lovely Eggs. They were one of the bands on the lineup that I wasn’t familiar with, but diving in I knew very quickly that my ears are going to get along with them very well.
The Lovely Eggs consist of a boy and a girl, and they manage to make a hell of a lot of noise for only two people. The guitars are almost lost in a sea of distortion, a xylophone seems to make the odd appearance and the drums hold it all together. All of this is backdrop for the vocals of Holly Ross, who seems to have found the magical spot on the “sweet-but-not-too-sweet” scale.
I haven’t heard very many of their songs yet, but I’m looking forward to exploring them if they are half as good as I Like Birds... The only problem this presents is that it’s yet another band added to my list of Indietracks “must sees”. So much awesomeness, so little time.
The Lovely Eggs’ split EP with The Sexual Hot Bitches is out now on the consistently brilliant Filthy Little Angels.
Website / Myspace / Twitter
