Song of the Day Part 26

This banger from Norwegian band Kvelertak is not for the faint of heart. Those opposed to metal should not continue either.

Song of the Day Part 25

Song of the Day Part 24

Song of the Day Part 23

Song of the Day Part 22

New Mogwai

The album's due out next February and this is the first preview I've heard as of yet. After hearing this I'm quite excited:

Song of the Day Part 21

Song of the Day Part 20

Bert Jansch

As per a request, I've compiled a list of some memorable Bert Jansch tunes. His musical career is extensive and I've only just discovered him and as a result this compilation is definitely not as comprehensive as it could be. Nevertheless the following songs are a good starting point and if you want to hear more just search him on YouTube and you'll find a lot more.

Anji
Originally this piece was written by Davey Graham (also worth checking out) and it's been played by many a folk guitarist. I quite like Jansch's rendition.


Needle of Death
Darker territory for Jansch but probably one of his more memorable songs.


One for Jo
A Jansch original piece and my personal favorite of the bunch; voice and guitar matched perfectly.


Crimson Moon
A newer song and more upbeat than the rest. Nice collaboration in the video too.


High Days


The Wagoner's Lad
Jimmy Page used a sample of this tune in Led Zepplin's "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", Jansch wasn't too pleased.

Song of the Day Part 19

Song of the Day Part 18

Song of the Day Part 17

Song of the Day Part 16

Yet Another YouTube Discovery (Again!)

Months back I posted a video for a smooth jazz version of Metallica's Enter Sandman. Turns out the same guy who made that video has made several others along the same lines as that one. These are my favorites, enjoy.

Conway Twitty - I See the Want to in Your Eyes (Death Metal Version)


Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me (Metal Version)


Jonas Brothers - Paranoid (Death Metal Version)


Lady Gaga - Polka Face


Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (Smooth Jazz Version)


Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Reggae Version)

Song of the Day Part 15

Song of the Day Part 14

Song of the Day Part 13

Song(s) of the Day

Underworld - Barking

It's been 3 years since the fabulous Oblivion With Bells and Underworld are back with Barking, an album of completely different sound to this listener. This is probably due to the fact that eight out of nine tracks on the album are collaborations with other artists. Karl Hyde and Rick Smith wrote the tracks and then sent them to various dubstep, drum/bass and house producers to add extra elements to the songs. The results are hit and miss; opening number "Bird 1" is probably the closest thing in sound to everything else the group have ever made. It's vintage Underworld in it's simple bass, beat and almost whispered vocals that gradually build until a lovely piece of Karl Hyde affected vocal electronic music emerges. Not once during this opener do you remember that there is some foreign influence but by track two it becomes very apparent. "Always Loved a Film" begins and you immediately feel like you're listening to a completely different album. It's not necessarily a bad song, it just doesn't feel like Underworld; it's over-produced and the repeated chorus "heaven..." is a bit cheesy. Song three, "Scribble", suffers similarly but still manages to retain an overall Underworld feel.

Track number four "Hamburg Hotel" is a welcome change of pace after the frantic and disappointing previous two songs. A constant synth line provides the backbone of an eerie instrumental piece that could've fit right in on Underworld's '96 album Second Toughest in the Infants. The similarities to older albums continues in "Grace" which sounds like the offspring of Dubnobasswithmyheadman's "Dark and Long". This likeness in sound to older material is problematic because nothing can ever live up to what they achieved back then. It may be a result of running out of ideas on Underworld's part or that the collaborators are too much under the influence of those older tunes. Track seven has proved to be the most difficult for me to digest so far because upon first hearing it one thing popped into mind: The Black Eyed Pea's "I Gotta Feeling". I can't quite put my finger on why it reminds me so much of that horrendous song, all I know is that I don't like it. The final two songs "Moon in Water" and "Louisiana" are equally pointless and cap off an overall very disappointing album.

In short, Barking achieves only as much as it could have when it was conceived. It's a mish-mash of collaborations that for the most part fall short of memorable and as an album lacks the one thing that has made Underworld so long-lasting: personality.

Guitar Master in a Cosby Sweater!

Song of the Day Part 11

Song of the Day Part 10

Song of the Day Part 9

Song of the Day Part 8

Essential Ween

Ween will always have a special place in my music collection simply because they were the first band to get me off of crap like this:

Amusing as it is, I'm quite glad that I don't subject my ears to such nonsense anymore. Awhile back I posted a video for Ween's "Buckingham Green", one of my all-time favorites; that very live DVD performance being the first ever Boognish experience for me as well. It's been many Chocolate & Cheese and White Pepper filled years since that viewing and I've become quite familiar with the New Hope based band. Casual and intensive listeners alike have made their essential Ween playlists, choosing personal favorites from records or live performances. I've tried many a time to make my own but have always ended up with a twenty plus song playlist struggling to remove songs because there are so many greats. Now, this may not be the be all and end all of Ween essential lists for me, but, I can confidently say that it is supremely difficult to dispute any of the selections on the following ten song compilation. If you have a strong argument, please, leave it in the comments section and we'll have a little discussion about it. Here we go:

1. Don't Laugh (I Love You) from God Ween Satan: The Oneness
Ween's first two albums are not for the faint of heart. Dark and disturbed but filled with short gems, these are my least listened to of their albums. Most Ween fanatics would use that statement as fodder for an argument against my expertise on the Ween discography, but the simple fact is that I'm partial to the band's later work on albums like Chocolate and Cheese and The Mollusk.


2. Demon Sweat from The Pod


3. Don't Get 2 Close (2 My Fantasy) from Pure Guava


4. Buenas Tardes Amigo from Chocolate and Cheese


5. I'm Holding You from 12 Golden Country Greats


6. Buckingham Green from The Mollusk


7. Exactly Where I'm At from White Pepper


8. Transdermal Celebration from Quebec


9. Gabrielle from Shinola Volume 1


10. Your Party from La Cucaracha

The Ageless DJ

Not many DJs can galvanize a room like this guy. The music may be crap but he's having a hell of a time and you can't help but smile. Then again it could also be drug related...

Song of the Day Part 7

Song of the Day Part 6

New Music That Matters 2010: Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma

Flying Lotus (FlyLo) is an LA based electronic musician whose sound is almost categorically impossible to define. Bits and pieces of inspiration from legendary electronic producers are evident in FlyLo's music. Complex beat structures and hazy ambience reminiscent of Aphex Twin and Amon Tobin along with acid-jazz and good old fashioned hip-hop make up this inventive artist's sound. Multiple shorter songs flowing seamlessly into each other is once again the preferred structure for FlyLo; eighteen songs made to sound like one fifty-minute wonder. Starting with "Clock Catcher" and ending with "Velvet Cake" the album sounds original and futuristic throughout and enlists the help of some talented people along the way; the most well-known being Thom Yorke, who lends his voice to the apocalyptic "...And the World Laughs With You". Tracks nine and ten are the highlight of the album for me, the lovely "MmmHmm" transitions perfectly into the bass-blasting wonderment of "Do the Astral Plane". Never a dull moment to be had in those two gems or in the whole of "Cosmogramma" for that matter.
MmmHmm

Do the Astral Plane

Song of the Day Part 5

One of my all time favorite songs.

New Song From The Walkmen

Their next album,"Lisbon", is set for release in September but we get a taste of it right now with this new song "Stranded". The band once again utilizes horns to perfection in this ballad. If they haven't already reached classic status among fans and critics (they have with me) surely this song indicates that they will once "Lisbon" is released later this year.

Song of the Day Part 4

They sounded so promising with this, what happened?

New DJ Shadow

As of yet untitled album is due out in 2011. "Def Surrounds Us" can be heard right now and it's a bit of a return to form for the Shadow. It takes a couple minutes to get going but once that beat kicks in you'll be hooked.

Song of the Day Part 3

From the woefully underrated album "It Still Moves".

Song of the Day Part 2

Song of the Day Part 1

I've got to keep the posts coming and this seems like the best way to do so.

New Music That Matters 2010: The Chemical Brothers - Further

The Chemical Brothers have returned to form with this album. Big beats are back and hitting hard, reverberating synths once again bring about feelings of nostalgia and at eight tracks the duo don't overstay their welcome. The opening track kicks off "Further" just right with lyrics of 'lifting me higher' setting the table nicely for the next fifty minutes of ethereal electronic bliss. The highlight of the album is "Another World", a song of much inspiration to me as an artist in it's emotional capacity. It has rekindled my interest and reminded me of why I love the genre.

Golden Oldie

Live Music Matters - Part 3

What do you get when you combine three guitars, Jeff Tweedy and some shredding solos? The answer: one of my favorite Wilco songs "Impossible Germany", from their 2007 album "Sky Blue Sky". Lame Volkswagen advertisements aside, "Sky Blue Sky" contains some of Wilco's finest music to date. Performed live, the aforementioned track is a prime example with newest Wilco member Nils Cline bringing a new dimension to the band's sound. Great footage of a legendary band at work:

RIP Ronnie James Dio

Ronnie James Dio passed away earlier today from stomach cancer at the age of 67. This news saddens me terribly, Dio was and will forever be one of the most influential heavy metal artists to ever live. Perhaps the best way we can remember him is by listening to his music:

Television

Ricky Gervais is a comedian from the UK that some of you may or may not have heard of. Before making it 'big' in Hollywood, Gervais co-wrote a great sitcom called "Extras" with him in the starring role of a 40-something year old background actor trying to break through into major TV and movie roles. Each episode guest stars one or two different celebrities (Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Ian McKellan to name a few) who play major parts in the maturation of Gervais' character. If you're not into British humor you might want to avoid watching it but I highly recommend it to those of you that do. Every episode of both series is available for viewing on YouTube and each episode has it's hilarious moments (wait until you get to the Patrick Stewart episode). Here's the first episode:




As a bonus, here is what Gervais was doing before acting and writing:

Galactic Empire State of Mind

This is a parody of Jay-Z's ode to New York "Empire State of Mind". It encompasses all of the Star Wars movies that matter.
'Keep fencing mister, 'cause now I sense a sister...'

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Update: I'm Still Here!

Dear readers,

Activity has been lacking of late on the blog and I apologize. Looking for some insight into what 'matters' you've been coming here for answers and have been hugely let down. Truth be told I'm not finding much in the way of inspiration in a lot of the music I've been listening to lately and haven't had much reason to post. I've thought about it and have narrowed it down to three possible explanations:
1. Shortage of time.
2. Not being completely truthful with myself about what I want to/think I should be bothering to listen to.
3. Music sucks.
Option one is just an excuse and option three is just plain insanity so I therefore can only think that my only relief in this period of frustration is to remedy option two. I pledge to fix the problem and bring some excitement and intrigue back into DMAT Matters. Hopefully sooner rather than later... Let's begin now!

New Music that Matters

Bonobo - Black Sands
I listened to this album three times today and although it hasn't completely sunk in I'm already quite enamored with it. Much of it reminds me of Thievery Corporation, heavy on the horns and latin vibes but with an Asian twist and some great synth touches. Three tracks have vocals, "The Keeper" in particular standing out with it's memorable guitars and cool flow. My favorite moment on the album is the finale title track which plucks along perfectly before flourishing into a medley of clarinets, horns and strings.

Awesome Dubs Part 2

Rolling Stones (Passing Stones):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8CtWUY7nvg

Queen - "The Behemothian Potpourri"


Kiss

Without You

I'm a bit obsessed with this song at the moment and it's not because of any heartbreak/schmaltzy hopeless romanticism. Originally written by Badfinger in 1970, "Without You" has gone on to be covered by many artists but arguably the best cover is by Harry Nilsson. Contrary to what some people think, the lyrics are actually "can't live" and not "Ken Lee".

Original Version

Harry Nilsson Cover

"Ken Lee" Version

Chewing Chewing Gum

One of my favorite songs ever and it's about falling asleep whilst chewing gum. Complete with an awesome organ blast at the 2 minute and 35 second mark.

"Fancy lad, fancy lad..."

This song from New York band Extra Life is the strangest I've heard in quite some time. I find it weirdly addictive.

Joker - Tron

Everyone else in the music universe has posted about this guy and this track, so why can't I? Dubstep is becoming increasingly popular and most of it I don't like, with the exception of this song. The first few hi-hat hits made me laugh at first, maybe you will too.

Decade Look: Part 15 - Muse's Absolution

For me, this trio from Britain have proven difficult to get into despite critical acclaim in their home country and beyond. Since I first discovered them about two years ago I've had stretches where I go from being absolutely enamored and then disregarding. Admittedly, up until the other day, I had never sat through an entire Muse album; I had always found Matt Bellamy's singing a bit superfluous. After putting on this 2003 album a couple days ago and sitting through the whole thing (and thoroughly enjoying it) I realized that Muse's sound is as Bellamy sings: over the top. While this is normally a contemptible trait and most 'mainstream' artists are as such, in Muse's case, it's what makes them so alluring. The first heavily struck piano chords of second track "Apocalypse Please" are a prime example: excessive yet intriguing. Before you know it you're caught up in the infectious bass-line of the following track "Time is Running Out" and the catchy chorus of "Sing for Absolution". The breathless pace continues with the shredding guitar licks and thrash of "Stockholm Syndrome" before a reprieve is finally found in "Falling Away With You". A few more hyper tracks follow including the immense "Butterflies and Hurricanes" that has to do with the butterfly effect of chaos theory, blah blah blah, who cares, it's a good song. Nearing the end of the album comes one of my favorite tracks on it, "Endlessly", a ballad of sorts that has stuck with me more than any other song. Soft electronic piano is accompanied by brushed drums, a perfect synth line in the chorus and Matt Bellamy's pining lyrics. I'm inclined to think my difficulties with Muse are a thing of the past and my interest in their music is just beginning.



Standout tracks: Time is Running Out, Stockholm Syndrome, Blackout, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Endlessly

New Music That Matters 2010: Caribou - Swim

"Odessa" is the opening track to Caribou's third album and it gets the album off to a roaring start. A bubbling, stabbing bass bit is center-stage throughout the song along with squealing synths and industrial metal clanking noises. Caribou's soft lyrics round out what is one of the best songs of the year so far. The rest of the album follows the same liquid electronic sound especially in second and third tracks "Sun" and "Kaili", the former using a repeated filtered uttering of 'sun' to go along with a jazzy drum-line. Another highlight is fifth track "Bowls", an instrumental minimal techno number that brings master of the genre Pantha Du Prince to mind upon hearing it. The following track "Leave House" is a funk/pop song and it's use of pan flutes and other woodwinds makes it the closest thing in sound to Caribou's previous album "Andorra". The weakest track on the album is the finale "Jamelia" which features guest vocals from some nerdy, nasally sounding guy and on the whole is a little bit over the top. Nevertheless, "Swim" is one of the year's finest so far.

Awesome Dubs

Creed Shreds


Metallica Smooth Jazz

Radiohead Live on Later... with Jools Holland

Later... with Jools Holland is a show that airs in the UK in which multiple different bands will perform every show. It's been running non-stop since 1992 and Radiohead have been one of the bands to play quite often over the years. The performances are of top notch quality as always and it's interesting to see the progression of the look of the band in the videos. They've performed songs from every album except "Pablo Honey" and I've posted them below for you to see.

"High and Dry" from "The Bends" 1995


"Airbag" from "OK Computer" 1997


"Idioteque" from "Kid A" 2000


"Life in a Glasshouse" from "Amnesiac" 2001 (As far as I know a very rare performance)


"Where I End and You Begin" from "Hail to the Thief" 2003


"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" from "In Rainbows" 2007

Worst Album Covers Ever

Please post contributions in the comments section

New Music That Matters 2010: Errors - Come Down With Me

Errors are a Glaswegian band that I recently discovered and after hearing one song on their Myspace I decided to give their newest album a listen. Obvious comparisons to Mogwai arose after only a few minutes time as their sound is along the same post-rock/instrumental vein. They utilize synthesizers a bit more and therefore have been labeled as 'post-electro'. "Come Down With Me" is catchy as a whole and hooks are found in abundance, never needing vocals to be had. First track "Bridge or Cloud?" builds with layers of synths before crashing into a drum line full of cowbell segueing into the delicate end of a perfect opener. Following track "A Rumor in Africa" is insanely catchy and is one of the album's best songs. Metronomy (see earlier post) came to mind when I first heard third track "Supertribe"; it focuses less on the guitars and more on the synths and is yet again catchy as hell. The finale "Beards" is more of a Krautrock offering and is perhaps the only song on the whole album that is a little bit different than all the rest. It's the longest song on the album clocking in at just shy of six minutes and is an epic (behemoth) end to (I hate to say it again) catchy as hell album.

Live Music Matters - Part 2

Iron Maiden: Children of the Damned (Live in Chile 2009)

Iron Maiden is a band I've always wanted to see live, especially after watching this footage of their classic song "Children of the Damned". For a bunch of old dudes they can still compete with the best of them and the energy they bring is almost palpable. This isn't a song they normally play live (as Bruce Dickinson tells us at the beginning of the video) but it still kicks some major ass and the guitar solo on the double-neck at around 5 minutes is amazing.

BONUS

Decade Look: Part 14 - RJD2's Since We Last Spoke

Released in 2004 "Since We Last Spoke" is still my favorite RJD2 album. His debut "Deadringer" had a couple classic tunes ("Ghostwriter" and "Smoke and Mirrors" in particular) but I've never been album to sit through the entire album; it's way too long. "Since We Last Spoke" on the other hand clocks in at a reasonable 47 minutes and is nicely paced and cohesive. The stop-start title track is a perfect beginning; it sees RJD2 going more rock oriented and gives the listener a good idea of what to expect from the rest of the album. "1976" is almost a dead-ringer (ha!) of "Ghostwriter" and I defy you to not start whistling along halfway through. "Making Days Longer" is an acoustic ballad sung by Ramble John himself and is a cover of "Bless the Telephone" by Labi Siffre. The smooth hip-hop track "To All Of You" is what "Deadringer" fans might've expected/wanted the album to sound like. "Iced Lightning" is an instrumental song that could easily be mistaken for something from the catalogue of DJ Shadow and is one of the album's best moments. Second last track "Through the Walls" comes slightly from left-field with it's 80's sounds but is nevertheless an enjoyable late addition. The outro of "One Day" feigns grandiosity (in a good way) and makes for a perfect album closer.

Standout tracks: Since We Last Spoke, 1976, Making Days Longer, Iced Lightning, Through the Walls

New Music That Matters 2010: Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

"Plastic Beach" was my first highly anticipated release of 2010 and after a couple full plays of it I can confidently say it's going to be on my year end best of list. I'm inclined to think that Damon Albarn can do no wrong; every project he has ever had any involvement with has been a success, from The Good, The Bad & The Queen to Blur. This time around with Gorillaz Albarn has crafted a sprawling album that sees the band evolving from four animated characters to 'an organisation of people doing new projects.' Along with the original band members the enlisted help this time around includes Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De La Soul, Gruff Rhys, and Lou Reed. In addition to that a couple tracks have some orchestral help from the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music.

The album begins with a short "Orchestral Intro" before going into "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" which features Snoop Dogg and is a laid-back, smooth yet tentative second track. Third track "White Flag" is a classic Gorillaz cut that echoes "Dirty Harry" from "Demon Days" in it's fusion of rap and orchestral sounds. Fourth track "Rhinestone Eyes" features no guest appearance and is a synth-pop precursor to the album's gargantuan next few tracks, beginning with lead single "Stylo" and ending with the instrumental "Glitter Freeze". "Stylo" features Bobby Womack and Mos Def but it's Womack's soulful singing that rounds off an infectious, stabbing bass-line driven pop number. "Superfast Jellyfish" has lyrical content that mocks TV adverts and features De La Soul and Gruff Rhys, the latter providing one of the album's most memorable choruses. "Empire Ants" starts off with Albarn singing in his yearning manner before bursting into atmospheric, melancholic pop drenched in synths and female vocals provided by Swedish band Little Dragon.

Then there's "Glitter Freeze"; my favorite track and arguably the album's finest moment. As I mentioned, it's an instrumental track and it never at any point feels like it needs vocals; it has plenty of hooks and I can almost guarantee you that you'll be reaching for the repeat button. Unfortunately the album drops off a bit at this point, especially with twelfth track "Sweepstakes", which features Mos Def and is completely forgettable.

Sixteen tracks does seem a bit long to me; who knows, maybe I'll whittle it down to fourteen for my own satisfaction, I can do that right?



Official "Stylo" video featuring Bruce Willis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9vAOzYz-Qs&feature=fvst

Live Music Matters - Part 1

Live music is extremely important for a number of reasons and therefore needs to be written about. A band you may like on an album can either be awesome at a show, or shit. You may come away from a live performance with a greater appreciation for the artist's music, or, a bitter taste in your mouth, resulting from shit music ruining the taste of your precious ten dollar beer. An evening tainted by an atrocious act does not go away, it leaves a burn-mark in your brain that inflames every time you go to listen to that artist again. An evening graced by an awesome act does not go away either, it leaves a similar mark that instead scorches pure awesomeness upon future listens. The topic of live music will be a continuous segment on this blog and with each successive post I will provide a short video from YouTube containing some great live performances from some great bands.

The topic of this inaugural Live Music Matters update is the beast from Germany known as Rammstein. Their live shows are generally reputed as one of the best around and one can see why in this video. Lead singer Till Lindemann is a madman on the stage, he'll bludgeon himself with the microphone, light himself on fire, anything to provide entertainment. The other band members are equally strange, especially the guitarists who are statuesque in this performance of "Ohne Dich". You also get a sense of the enormity of the performance in the video, European crowds are some of the vastest in the world when it comes to live shows. Check out some of the other songs from the show in the info section of the video, "Du Hast" is a good one too.

New Music From Thom Yorke

Thom Yorke played some new songs at a recent concert in Cambridge and is set to do a short tour with his band "Atoms For Peace" in the coming weeks. The video below is of "Give Up the Ghost" in which a solo Thom makes a short backing loop to compliment a very stripped down performance. The last couple minutes are gorgeous and are perhaps indicative of a great record to come.
Beware of the shrieking crowd at the end of the video, I almost lost my hearing.


Two other new ones for your consideration:

Decade Look: Part 13 - Aesop Rock's Labor Days

There has been a noticeable lack of hip-hop on this list (mostly because I don't listen to a whole lot) so I figured I'd write about some today. Aesop Rock is an alternative rapper and producer who has released five albums and in his own words has made 'not the most accessible music in the world'. His lyrics are complex and abstract, jam-packed into songs and rapped at an incredible rate. His albums require close attention to decipher song meanings and quite often you will be left scratching your head, but all that aside, it's a marvel to hear. "Labor Days" is a bit top-heavy and also a tad long so sit down and be prepared to spend a good spell listening to it. Second track "Daylight" is my favorite from the album as it contains the best backing production from Blockhead and the catchiest chorus of all the songs. It also has this oft-quoted line "Life's not a bitch/Life is a beautiful woman/You only call her a bitch 'cause she won't let you get that pussy." Another highlight is "No Regrets" which chronicles the life of a woman from age seven to eighty-seven and the struggle that comes with being an artist. More great production and a catchy chorus round out the song. This album is not for everyone, some find it difficult to digest and some just dislike Aesop's voice, but those that do like it, like it a lot.

Standout tracks: Daylight, Flashflood, No Regrets, 9-5ers Anthem

Decade Look: Part 12 - The Beta Band's Heroes to Zeros

I've been rediscovering a lot of great music doing these posts, stuff that I loved when I first heard it and some that has grown on me. I remember first hearing this third and final album from The Beta Band and not appreciating it, but like all growers it has become bigger and better with age. It's been just short of six years since "Heroes to Zeros" release and it sounds just as good if not better after all this time. The album gets off to a raging start with "Assessment" a song that accomplishes more in four minutes than most songs can in six or seven. The guitar bridge three minutes in sets up for one of the album's best outros. In "Wonderful" Steve Mason's sleepy singing of 'she's so wonderful' is offset by the chorus in which he belts that 'it's all for you, I do'. "Out-Side" is a classic cut; the guitars, dog barks and high pitched voices near the end are all very 'British'. It's in the final three tracks that you can hear each component of the band's sound; a Beta Band holy trinity of sorts. The experimental, rock/folk and electronic sides of the band are demonstrated respectively in "Liquid Bird", "Simple", and "Pure For". It's with that last song that we have The Beta Band's swan-song and it's the perfect end for a tremendous band: "I'm so glad you found me" indeed.

Standout tracks: Assessment, Wonderful, Out-Side, Simple, Pure For

Decade Look: Part 11 - British Sea Power's Do You Like Rock Music?

I was going to use an extremely clever line to open this post but will instead start by saying that this album is a behemoth. It comes as no surprise that the album is immense as it is, BSP's first two efforts were just as big. The band is a four-piece from Brighton, England with brothers Yan (Scott Wilkinson) and Hamilton (Neil Hamilton Wilkinson) taking turns on vocals. Their sound is heavily guitar based with flourishes of orchestral instruments which can in particular be heard on "Do You Like Rock Music?". "No Lucifer" is a good example of said sound, opening with acoustic guitars and a viola before erupting into energetic shouts of "Easy! Easy! Easy!" that linger throughout making for one of the album's finest tracks. "No Lucifer" is one part of the album's amazing first few songs, the others being "Lights Out For Darker Skies", "Waving Flags" and "Canvey Island". The subject matter of these songs is in part what makes them so good, such as in "Canvey Island" which is about a massive flood that destroyed an entire island (Canvey Island is located off the mainland of south Essex in England) and "the records of a football team". In addition to all the great vocal tracks there is one instrumental track, "The Great Skua" (a large seabird). I've heard that BSP will have a new album at some point in 2010 and that they are recording at the moment and are 95% finished.

Standout tracks: Lights Out For Darker Skies, No Lucifer, Waving Flags, Canvey Island, The Great Skua

Ween - DC Won't Do You No Good

New Ween is always a good thing, especially when it's as good as this. They released this track for "The Right to Track" a series of musical contributions from various artists to help raise funds for rare and underfunded cancers. "DC Won't Do You No Good" is a fantastic song and is definitely up there with the best works of the band. Shades of Neil Young:



If this is any indication, there is great reason to be excited for the next Ween album.

New Music That Matters 2010

We are about a month and a half into 2010 and I have already heard some good new (and old) music. Here we go:

Pantha Du Prince's New Album "Black Noise"

This is the best album I have heard to date in this young year. More of the same minimal techno bliss just as on 2007's "This Bliss". This time around the German producer enlisted the help of Animal Collective's (!) Panda Bear for vocal duties on one track. The result is a song that is not only one of the best from the album but the first offering from an Animal Collective member that I have found listenable.


Sophomore album from English band These New Puritans

I just found out about this group the other day and have only had one full listen of the album but so far it sounds pretty good. It's an interesting mix of orchestral instruments and hard beats.


Massive Attack's First Album in Seven Years: Heligoland

Easily has some of the group's best work since "Mezzanine" but nothing comes close to matching anything they did on that album or anything before it. "Paradise Circus" is one of the best tracks with a guest performance from Hope Sandoval and the Horace Andy collaboration on "Girl I Love You" echoes "Angel". Time will only tell how this album resonates with me a few months from now.


Older Songs That Matter

Harry Nilsson - Without Her


Al Green - Strong As Death (Sweet As Love)

New Culprit 1

May I be the first to say, welcome back, we (or at least I) have missed you.



From his new album "Theme 2" (I believe this is accurate) to be released June of this year.

Decade Look: Part 10 - Gorillaz's Demon Days

Gorillaz are a virtual band created by Damon Albarn and animator Jamie Hewlett and in 2005 they released one of the Noughties' best albums, "Demon Days". As on their debut, the group once again genre-splice to perfection; hip-hop, rock and pop all rolled into one and to top it off, a Dennis Hopper spoken word number. The genre-splicing is best demonstrated in "Feel Good Inc.", arguably the album's best song. Funky/infectious bassline opening --> String-laden "poppy" chorus --> De La Soul guest appearance --> Flamenco guitar + "poppy" chorus --> More hip-hop --> Laughing. Well, something to that effect. I still remember when I first heard that song, it's one of those tunes that doesn't get old or annoying (a trait that applies to the album as well). Clint Eastwood is a topic that is carried over from the debut, this time appearing as "Dirty Harry". Another highlight is the bluesy "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" that has multiple amazing keyboard solos and showcases the positive effect Danger Mouse can have as a producer.

Another great aspect of Gorillaz is Jamie Hewlett's animated characters: 2D (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc (bass guitar), Russell (drums), Noodle (guitar, vocals).

Standout tracks: Kids With Guns, Dirty Harry, Feel Good Inc., Every Planet We Reach is Dead, DARE

Decade Look: Part 9 - Air's Talkie Walkie

I mentioned in my best of 2009 list that Air could make the same music for the next 10 years and I'd still be interested. I think part of the reason I said that is because I am still hopeful that they will release something as classic as 2004's "Talkie Walkie". To be quite frank it's because of this album that I still listen to Air at all, nothing else they have done comes close to it. The album's acoustic guitar and piano driven songs are perfectly mixed with soft pad synths and vocals. There is also something about the music that stirs up nostalgic feelings from around that time; nothing particularly memorable or noteworthy but nevertheless there (if that makes sense). "Talkie Walkie" starts off nicely but it isn't until third and fourth tracks "Run" and "Universal Traveler" that the album really starts to take off. "Run" is perhaps the best song Air have ever made with it's almost hypnotic chorus and little squelching synth hits. I can almost guarantee you that you will be whistling along to "Alpha Beta Gaga" by the second or third playing; it's beyond infectious. Many people will probably recognize final track "Alone in Kyoto" from the movie "Lost in Translation". It's up there with "Run" in terms of quality; the chorus consists of a looped backing of "boops" and a "do" followed by a single xylophone note. Minimal but effective.

On a side note, that album cover has to be one of the worst ever. Agreed?



Standout tracks: Run, Universal Traveler, Surfing on a Rocket, Alpha Beta Gaga, Alone in Kyoto