Filed under: Blogs, Rants and banter | Tags: album sales, death, Downloads, Flight of the Conchords, Interview, Michael Jackson, publishing, Raygun, royalties, Sony BMG, Spinal Tap, The Darkness
I’m sure you’ve seen this already but for those that haven’t…
It’s certainly causing quite a storm. Cliched answer after cliched answer with a ridiculous arrogance that becomes almost genius in it’s comic timing! Surely they’re not that obnoxious and up their own arse… I mean, it’s not really arrogance either – certainly not in the way that people deem Oasis to be arrogant. This is just dillusion.
As somebody who wants to work in A&R and/or marketing within the music industry, it makes me sick that the people doing my dream job sign and promote bands like this. In this day and age, record labels don’t have the power they used to have and the reaction that this little promotional video has received says it all about how behind the times the music industry is.
A lot of people are saying that this is a joke and it’s not real. Could it be a lame attempt by Sony to create a buzz – because NOBODY will take them seriously right? Perhaps the term ‘no such thing as bad publicity’ came up in the marketing meeting – but let’s face it, it blew up in their face if so didn’t it?
Maybe they were thinking of using the joke band idea as a gimmick. Better to be a joke band than just another bad one right? Well done. Now a whole bunch of people know how bad Raygun are. A lot of people really believe that it’s all a joke. Hmmm.
Firstly, joke bands are usually funny and obviously mocking themselves and the industry they’re in. Spinal Tap,The Darkness and Flight of the Conchords make no attempt to make serious statements – all are actually funny and light relief from all the arrogant self important fools that we read about in the music press on a regular basis. These guys aren’t funny – they are deluded middle class boys with nothing to say but are trying ever so hard to be important. You can practically smell the desperation for them to give meaning to their uninspired attempt at making music. Being self important comes with the job when you’re a musician (take me for example) but there’s a very fine between self belief and dillusion.
Secondly, joke bands actually put thought into their music to make it fun. There’s no attempt to dress it up as something it’s not. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and that’s why people like it so much because they are so many people in the music industry (look at this interview) that see themselves as Christ like figures just because somebody at a major label thinks he can make a quick buck off them. Raygun, somebody has signed you so they can make money. You are not special. Have you even heard yourselves?
Thirdly, if this is a huge viral marketing plan (a method so important in the digital age) then why on earth would Sony BMG remove the video? They would’ve seen the video before it was shown on TV let alone uploaded to YouTube. It is a bit suspicious for them to suddenly want to remove all traces of it after the (rather brilliant) reaction it has created.
That said, it could be a marketing plan by Sony that has just gone horribly wrong with the Web 2.0 generation refusing to buy into what the major labels throw at us anymore.
Real or fake – good or bad publicity, I have one question – who’s going to buy their records anyway? They’re awful. “Amusing” video and internet buzz means nothing. You can’t polish a turd. I wouldn’t even download their music for free. I’d rather download an STI. Us all talking about the band isn’t going to give them any money is it? Unless of course they plan to sell more of these “fake” interviews and sell them on to magazines – but given the reaction of the YouTube video, what editor would be stupid enough to pay them?
Four more applications for Jobseekers Direct to process next week? Back to the admin roles Ray…
I’ll leave you with a random YouTube comment that I think ends this article rather nicely:
“Talentless haircut bimbos making forgettable twat-witted landfill indie.
I hate this world. This fucking dreadful, appalling, foetid, shit-stinking, ghastly world.
My God, the lead singer is a complete bell tower.”
Indeed.
Filed under: Blogs, Downloads, Rants and banter, Reviews | Tags: Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, Goldfrapp, Kasabian, Knebworth, Lady Gaga, Muse, Oasis, The Resistance, Uprising, Wembley Stadium
‘Uprising’ is the first single off the highly anticipated fifth album ‘The Resistance’ released on September 14th by the one and only Muse.
Fans were treated to a free download of ‘United States of Eurasia’ a few weeks back but ’Uprising’ will be the first official single which is to be released on September 7th. A week before the album. Click here to listen to the single on the official Muse site.
My first impression? I am hoping it’ll grow on me. Of the two new tunes I’ve heard, I’ve not been blown away or excited in the same way that I felt excited the first time I heard the opening riff to ‘Plug In Baby’ or ‘Knights of Cydonia’ – the monster that opened up a lot of their live shows in 2006. It sounds…. dare I say it? A bit uninspired. It doesn’t really go anywhere.
Didn’t we hear Kasabian do the Gary Glitter homage better with ‘Shoot The Runner’ three years ago? Or Goldfrapp with ‘Strict Machine’? Whilst I disliked Muse in the early stages because I felt they were trying too hard to be like Radiohead, I fell in love with them when they started to make original forward thinking music. They created their own unique sound and did it amazingly well. But now… these two new songs, well, they sound less original than ever before. Like Matt Bellamy’s popped into a karaoke bar near his home in Italy.
I do like the groove but great Muse tunes over the years have always built up into a colossal bone shattering riff or chorus – they doesn’t really seem to be a massive chorus to this and at five minutes long, the rhythm section starts to resemble a very slooooow train to Huddersfield on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Muse have always been an album band though so maybe in the grand scheme of things, these tunes will sit well in context with the rest of the songs on the record. The titles fill me with confidence and they command your attention simply as words on a page – I hope the music is epic enough to back it up because the first two tunes I’ve heard are somewhat lacklustre. By Muse standards anyway, give me this ahead of Franz Ferdinand and The Kooks. It’s slightly concerning that these are the first two songs to be put out there for everyone – usually a band will release their best stuff first to hype up the album…
I was just hoping for something a lot more mindblowing as opposed to something that at the moment feels somewhat disappointing, uninspired and by numbers – like a wet sandwich…
It’s always difficult when a band hits their peak to know where to go next. Where do you go after headlining Wembley Stadium? Oasis had the same trouble after Knebworth – they recorded an album of by numbers rock (Be Here Now) too quickly and the buzz for the band was over. That said, I love Be Here Now but in comparison to Morning Glory and the hype that was generated for it, it was destined to be a flop. Some might say (wahey!) that Oasis have never really got back that excitement.
Foo Fighters said after headlining Wembley Stadium last summer that they were going to take a break with Dave Grohl saying: “Where do you go from here? We need take some time out and come back when people miss us….”. I’m thinking that this is what all good bands should do when they hit their peak. With all that in mind, maybe this album has just come too soon?
It seems I’m not the only one that feels this way either. The majority of people commenting on the NME blog are disappointed with comments along the lines of “naff”, “complacent”, “unserious” and ”lazy”.
I sure hope that Muse haven’t lost it because when they are on form they are pretty close to being untouchable. Only time will tell. I’ll be honest though, when a band’s intro reminds you of Lady Gaga it can’t be good….
Filed under: Blogs, New Bands & Artists, Rants and banter | Tags: Kings of Leon, new bands, 2009, Led Zeppelin, Foo Fighters, The Big Pink, Glastonbury, BBC Introducing, unsigned, festival, The Social, Pearl Jam, Titus Andronicus, Music Sounds Better With Huw, Huw Stephens, Doves, The Joy Formidable, Rage Against The Machine, Muse, Radiohead, A Plastic Rose, Bear Driver, Boney Black, British Intelligence, Chickenhawk, Ellen and the Escapades, Everything Everything, Frontiers, Horse Guards Parade, Kinch, Kutosis, Lovvers, Milk Milk White Teeth, Minnaars, Punch & The Apostles, Screaming Lights, Sixty Watt Bayonets, Soft Toy Emergency, Surprise...Fire, The Living Daylights, The NEAT, The Old Romantic Killer Band, The Teeth, To The Bones, What Makes You Beautiful, Wonderswan, Reading, Leeds, Festival Republic, tent, stage, Detroit Social Club, Middleman, Middle Class Rut, FFers, Wembley Stadium, Hall Or Nothing, Ting Tings, 2007
Blimey! I’ve not blogged in over a week. That’s quite strange for me! Been a bit of a hectic week – job interviews to be done, applications to fill in, eating, breathing, winks to be winked… you know how it is.
As a Reading Festival veteran (this year will be my tenth or eleventh!) it is always something that I keep clear on my calender and it’s always one of the highlights of my year.
I am never too fussed about the headliners because festivals for me are all about discovering new music. The way bands work these days – the festival line ups are generally the same year in year out give or take a few that aren’t touring that summer. I’ve probably seen all the headliners before at the exact same festival so I don’t really care about the headliners. That’s not why I go.
The reason I go (especially now that I am a new music obsessive) is for the new bands. The bands that play early on the second stages. The bands that play on the new bands stage. The bands that I won’t know all of their songs. The bands that offer me something first hand.
Whilst I agree the internet is a great tool for discovering music, I find it a bit frustrating that all the bands on the main stages play at all the festivals and are covered by all the same media companies and even the bands I really can’t stand have a set list worth of songs that I know. Gone are the days where you can go and see a band on a main stage and be surprised. Which is why the new stages and tents are what keeps me going back to festivals. That and the beer and the girls and the happiness one gets from receiving a free hug from a drunken Scottish man wearing a wedding dress and a silly hat…
Don’t get me wrong, I have seen great main stage headliners at Reading over the years – Rage Against The Machine, Pearl Jam, Muse, Foos, etc but those performances kind of blend into one. The new bands that I see at festivals are always the performances that I remember. Doves at Glastonbury 1999 was one of the best things I’ve ever seen and I’d not heard a single song at the time. Ignorance is bliss to coin a phrase.
So whilst everyone else is getting excited about seeing Radiohead and Kings of Leon this year – I am looking for to seeing the likes of Marmaduke Duke, 
Detroit Social Club, the poptastic Leeds quartet Middleman (bloody brilliant), shoegazers The Big Pink, Titus Andronicus, the breathtaking Joy Formidable (pictured left), the face melting Middle Class Rut and the like on the Festival Republic Stage. In fact, the whole line up in that tent over the weekend loads mega and I will spend a lot of my time there fo’ sho.
As well as this stage, the BBC brought their Introducing stage to the festival for the first time last year and this year, the line up looks very very impressive and right up my street once again. It will satisfy my ear for new music – which as I say is the reason I love going to music festivals so much.
So who’s playing on the BBC Introducing stage this year? Not the Foo Fighters. I remember the chaos that occured last year when FFers turned up to play only to get bottles of second hand beer (if you know what I mean) thrown at them. It wasn’t that they were bad but they just weren’t the Foo Fighters – who had recently headlined Wembley Stadium with members of Led Zeppelin joining them… no band can compete with that!
I am a massive fan of the BBC Introducing radio shows – it was a huge inspiration for my radio show at university which has now evolved into this blog. It’s great to have my passion for new music shared by the producers and presenters of the shows across the nation. Huw Stephens’ compilation ‘Music Sounds Better With Huw’ is a fantastic record from start to finish – with most of the bands on the album having played either on a BBC Introducing stage at a festival or at one of Huw’s monthly club nights at the Social in London.
So for a lot of you, I’m sure looking at the line up for the Introducing stage involves a lot of head scratching. But let me tell you that a lot of the bands playing on the stage are AMAZING and they will go on to bigger and better things. After all, the Ting Tings played on the Introducing stage at Glastonbury in 2007 to no more than 70 people and look where they are now.
Here’s the full line up. Do you homework and check some of them out. You will not be disappointed!
I have written about some of the bands before (links are highlighted below) and I will be whacking some interviews and reviews up after the festival weekend – subject to me getting a press pass from the lovely people at Hall or Nothing of course! 
I encourage any of you going to Reading or Leeds to go and check out as many of these bands as you can:
A Plastic Rose
Bear Driver
Boney Black
British Intelligence
Chickenhawk
Frontiers
Kinch
Kutosis
Punch & The Apostles
Screaming Lights
Sixty Watt Bayonets
Surprise…Fire
The Living Daylights
The NEAT
The Old Romantic Killer Band
The Teeth
What Makes You Beautiful
Wonderswan
Filed under: Blogs, Rants and banter | Tags: 2009, The Invisible, Elbow, Friendly Fires, Joy Division, Florence and the Machine, Doves, Mercury Prize, Bat For Lashes, Glasvegas, The Horrors, La Roux, Led Bib, Lisa Hannigan, Kasabian, Speech Debelle, Sweet Billy Pilgrim, Late of the Pier, PJ Harvey, Graham Coxon, Little Boots, Micachu, Patrick Wolf, White Lies, Slow Club, Grammatics, Bombay Bicycle Club, Camera Obscura, Future of the Left, Damien Rice, Klaxons, The Pretty Things, 13th Floor Elevators, Portishead, Roni Size, Primal Scream
So the nominations for the Mercury Prize 2009 were announced today. Here’s the 12 albums that have made the cut:
Bat For Lashes – ‘Two Suns’
Florence And The Machine – ‘Lungs’
Friendly Fires – ‘Friendly Fires’
Glasvegas – ‘Glasvegas’
The Horrors – ‘Primary Colours’
La Roux – ‘La Roux’
Led Bib – ‘Sensible Shoes’
The Invisible – ‘The Invisible’
Lisa Hannigan – ‘Sea Sew’
Kasabian – ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’
Speech Debelle – ‘Speech Therapy’
Sweet Billy Pilgrim – ‘Twice Born Men’
There’s some good albums on the list but there’s a lot of albums that didn’t get nominated that I am quite surprised about – Doves, Late of the Pier, PJ Harvey, Little Boots, Graham Coxon, Micachu, Patrick Wolf, White Lies, Slow Club, Grammatics, Bombay Bicycle Club, Camera Obscura, Future of the Left…. arguments will go on and on I am sure.
There’s no point moaning about the ones that didn’t make the final 12. Of the ones that did, I like most of them.
I have a pretty strong feeling that the winner will be female this year. Florence, La Roux, Bat For Lashes, Speech Labelle and Lisa Hannigan have all made really good albums.
You will know of Lisa Hannigan from her work on both Damien Rice albums. Her solo stuff is even better and I think she’s a good outsider to win.
Bat For Lashes was everyone’s favourite a few years ago before she lost out to Klaxons and could be given this award in the same way that Elbow got it last year. I’m not denying that they didn’t deserve it for ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’ but it kind of had a “now or never vibe” to it and it was almost done to get rid of Elbow and make room for someone else to make the list. Maybe that’s why Doves aren’t on it this year… it’s highly unlikely that the judges would give them the award this year for the same reasons as Elbow. Crazy I know because I think ‘Kingdom of Rust’ is ace but like Eurovision, it’s all about politics.
Speech Debelle could well become one of the biggest hip hop artists for future years if her debut album is anything to go by. The delivery and emotion in her music is overwhelming at times. Whilst it’s what you might call a hip-hop album, there’s amazing musicianship to back up the delivery – gone are the rather cliched Akai samples and processed beats and in comes a wide range of jazz and classic soul vibes. The Mercury Prize has launched a lot of artists in the past by honouring their debut albums with the prize (Gomez, Talvin Singh, Roni Size, Badly Drawn Boy, Franz, Arctic Monkeys, Dizzee Rascal…) and I can see this doing the same. She’s not the most obvious choice of winners but I certainly think she’s interesting and unique enough to claim victory. Also, as a bit of a bonus, Micachu appears on the record – small consolation after missing out herself.
I was glad to see Florence and the Machine and La Roux on the list because I tipped them both for big things this year all the way back in January. Both albums are really unique and both probably kept Little Boots out of the final 12.
Of the other albums on the list, I think Friendly Fires are in with a good shout. I absolutely adore their debut album (it was in my top albums on 2008) and it would be deserved if they were to walk away with the prize. It’s a fresh and original sounding album that I never get bored of listening to from start to finish.
A lot of hype has been generated by Glasvegas and I do like their album a lot but I don’t think it has much variety. It does have some beautifully epic songs on it however so it could be worth a bet. It just depends on what the judges are looking for this year. It seems to change every year and judging by the strong omissions this year, it shows they’re looking for something very very specific.
Would it be too predictable and obvious for Kasabian to win the Mercury Prize? I do think ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ is great but mainly because it reminds me of the great concept albums from the 1960s. Compared to their previous efforts it is a step up and to all the little kids that got into them via Club Foot and Empire will see this as a bold change of direction. However, for those of us who grew up listening to The Pretty Things, Can, 13th Floor Elevators – it’s more of a nostalgic trip than a journey into new territory. That’s not to say it’s a bad album – far from it, it’s amazing but I am not sure if albums influenced heavily from the past are what the judges are looking for. It’s usually been about forward thinking albums – (Portishead, Roni Size, Primal Scream and even Klaxons spring to mind).
Much like Kasabian’s nostalgic record, the same can be said of The Horrors’ ‘Primary Colours’. It’s a breathtaking record that is a hundred times better than their first album. The band really raised the bar with it and it’s a worthy addition to the list but again, it reminds me of Joy Division a bit too much. It’s not a bad thing to be like great bands from yesteryear but it’s kind of like buying chocolate on holiday. It does the job but you know in your heart of hearts it’s not what you can get at home. But you make do for the love of chocolate. But given the choice, you’d want the best chocolate. OK, that’s a pretty bad analogy but you get what I mean. Don’t you? Don’t you?!
Of the other albums on the list, I think The Invisible are god awful and wish that both them and the idiots they have for fans truly were like the name suggests. I’m not really that familiar with the Sweet Billy Pilgrim album as of yet, I shall have to give it a few listens. What I’ve heard so far hasn’t really given me an opinion as of yet.
Oh and as for Led Bib, I am trying to avoid it like swine flu because as most of you know, I fucking hate jazz. I ignored the critics who labelled them the ‘future of jazz’ as all that says to me is it’s the ‘future of shit’. That said, it might be an amazing ’schmorgosboard of stunning musicianship and innovative time signatures’ but for me, that’s like putting a bow on a box of aids. I should give it a listen before judging them really but I really don’t want to. Fuck off jazz, let me eat my pizza in peace.
Filed under: Rants and banter | Tags: Alessi's Ark, Andy Parfitt, BBC, Cascada, Chris Moyles, daytime, Downloads, Edith Bowman, Fearne Cotton, Flo Rida, Gilles Peterson, Huw Stephens, Jo Whiley, John Peel, Lady Gaga, Mike Davies, new schedule, playlist, Podcasts, Radio 1, Reggie Yates, Rob Da Bank, Sara Cox, Spotify, Zane Lowe
Jo Whiley is moving to weekend slots. Fearne Cotton is moving from a weekend slot to a weekday slot. Yadda yadda yadda. But, hey, guess what? The daytime playlist will remain the same. So from September, we’ll get to hear different voices at different times introducing and talking over the same old shite. Joy.
I think Andy Parfitt should look at Radio 1’s playlist policy first and foremost. Then maybe I’d be interested in listening to daytime Radio 1. The presenters make no difference when the music is utter tripe if you ask me. You can put make up on a pig but it’s still a pig.
If God was on Radio 1 as a guest to explain the meaning of life we’d still have to listen to Flo Rida and Cascada in between. Evacuate the Dancefloor? With pleasure…
Radio 1’s playlist policy is an absolute joke. Everything seems to be so focused on their daytime schedule and everything else gets pushed to one side. In a world where podcasts, downloads, internet radio stations and Spotify users are increasing, Radio 1 is fighting desperately to cling onto it’s audience. The focus is obviously on the younger generation and maybe that is a sign that I am getting old BUT when the music on a daytime show is so unbelievably bad and repetitive, people will seek out music elsewhere. As I say, there are plenty of other options for people these days.
Clearly, Andy Parfitt’s idea on how to get around this is to offer wonderfully talented and entertaining presenters to get people to listen to the shows. A nice idea in theory but for me personally, music should ALWAYS come first. The playlist at Radio 1 reads like the worst jukebox of all time on a regular basis. But it’s OK, we have Reggie Yates to entertain us… if I wanted entertainment, I’d go to the zoo. Music is more important and the only music I discover on daytime Radio 1 is music that makes me want to cut my ears off. Fortunately, we still have the likes of Huw Stephens, Zane Lowe, Rob Da Bank and Gilles Peterson for musical discovery, but how long before they are pushed aside like John Peel was?
Reggie and Edith RUINED the Glastonbury coverage with their ignorance and ridiculous attempts to be witty in between links. I could cope with missing the mud based fun at Glastonbury if I didn’t have to put up with them uttering things like “Neil Young? I don’t really know who he is. He’s old though right? How ironic!”
I get the impression that these guys know NOTHING about music whatsoever. Again, the biggest radio station in the land should focus on the music and get presenters in who know their stuff. Obviously, the specialist shows are a different story – the playlist goes out out the window and the presenters KNOW what they are talking about and aren’t just there to express their “personality”.
I am a lover of music and I can’t stand Radio 1. The biggest station in the country. What does that tell you? Andy Parfitt should take a long hard look at the playlist in between counting his money because if music lovers turn their back on the station then what will the ripple effect of that do for the music industry in this country?
Radio 1 has a lot of power and it shapes the way mainstream music is the way it is. Sadly, with specialist shows getting completely pushed to one side and the focus on using clowns to attract young people to the station, the playlist policy will have a knock on effect meaning that GOOD bands will have to fight to get onto the playlist. The ones that do, will become bloated mainstream rock bands (Coldplay) and other credible bands that don’t will be stuck on Zane Lowe’s show forever. The gap is widening as well. New bands really don’t have a chance anymore with the playlist the way it is. Only shite seems to get through. Which then becomes popular. Which then inspires kids to make shite music. And so on and so on.
I worry for the future of music when the most powerful people in promoting it are a gobby fat twat from Leeds, an annoying Bolton ladette with tits, an ex kids TV presenter with an IQ lower than a rudeboy’s tracksuit bottoms and an ex MTV presenter who spends her entire life sleeping with frontmen of bland indie bands to appear cool. These people know nothing and they are the ones that are going to make and break bands? Fearne is fit yes but what good is that to me on radio?!
At the end of the day, bands and artists want to get recognised for their work. When Radio 1 has a policy of playing Lady Gaga ten times a day whilst Alessi’s Ark plays to twenty people in a Brixton pub, you start to worry. Sooner or later, talented artists will die out. I am not blaming Radio 1 for the collapse of the music industry but I don’t think they are helping.
Downloading may have brought death to the album but is mainstream radio going to bring death to talented artists whilst the plastic and grotesque idiots from TV talent shows prevail?
Filed under: Blogs, New Bands & Artists, Rants and banter, Reviews | Tags: electro, indie, Mat Horne, new band, New Islands, Northampton, pop, Roadmender
Ladies and gentlemen, for the next few minutes, imagine that I’m your tour guide. Today - I shall be telling you all about Northampton. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, what’s cool about Northampton?
Well, did you know that Northampton has the biggest market square in England? Did you know that it is only twenty miles away from where my hometown is – giving me the ability to get home between the time Hollyoaks starts and Hollyoaks ends? And did you know that kids TV legend Toby Anstis was born here? No? Well you do now. Remember these facts in case they come up at a future pub quiz. Speaking of pubs, if you are underage – I recommend the Racehorse.
Oh and the town used to be home to the ace venue Soundhaus (sadly no longer with us) and is still home to the Roadmender – a regular stop off point for bands on the circuit.
Anyway, I’m waffling. The main reason for this post is to inform you all of a sweet band from Northampton that I think are ace. The band in question is NewIslands – an 80s synth driven indie quartet that you can shake your ass too. But I wouldn’t advise that, the RSPCA don’t take to kindly to donkey abuse. Instead, just dance like any normal person that understands that animals have feelings too.
It’s early days for the Northampton four piece but their songs have an amazingly uplifting quality with massive commercial potential. The songs sound both retro and fresh at the same time. I wish I could describe bands better in text form. I am no music journalist but I can safely say that the band are ace and you should go and check them out at your first available opportunity. They are living proof that pop music doesn’t have to be shit.
Mat Horne (his last name is quite appropriate if the stories I’ve heard are true) is a huge fan already and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the world jumps on board.
Check them out. Your life will be all the better for it. Oh and ladies, it’s not my cup of gin, but they are all such handsome young men also. The bastards! Just what I need… competition.
For gig listings and eargasms, check out their MySpace page: www.myspace.com/newislands
Filed under: Blogs, Rants and banter | Tags: Adolf Hitler, Albert Einsten, beard, Borat, Charlie Chaplin, Dave Grohl, Doves, facial hair, Freddie Mercury, genius, genocide, Hulk Hogan, Ian Rush, Jimi Goodwin, John Virgo, Kingdom of Rust, music, razor blades, Richard Pryor, Rolf Harris, Tom Selleck, Wilkinson Sword
I had a conversation with a mate at work a few months back regarding Doves and it naturally progressed into singer Jimi Goodwin’s spectacular beard.
The previous Doves record ‘Some Cities’ has been labelled by critics and fans to be less important than their previous efforts and new record ‘Kingdom of Rust’ has seen the band return to the amazing form that their first two records delivered.
Why is this? Well, I do recall in 2005, Jimi Goodwin was a clean shaven Mancunian. Despite the fact the band supported Oasis, Coldplay and U2 that year, the record the band made wasn’t up to the standard set by ‘Lost Souls’ and ‘The Last Broadcast’. When he popped into the office we were working in to perform a few acoustic tunes outside in the courtyard of Fly TV, he had his beard back and the new record is absolutely fantastic. So, I am of the opinion that the regrowth of his beard gave him the ability to create amazing music once again. ”Is it maybe just a coincidence?” I hear you cry, well perhaps… but let’s look at some other facial haired celebrities and see shall we?
Albert Einsten, Tom Selleck, Freddie Mercury, Dave Grohl, Borat, Ian Rush, Hulk Hogan, Rolf Harris, Santa Claus John Virgo, Charlie Chaplin, Richard Pryor… I think you get the jist. Perhaps there is some mystical power within facial hair that the razor blade companies are trying to control.
DON’T LET WILKINSON SWORD CONTROL YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Mind you, Adolf Hitler had facial hair too and his genocidal ways were frowned upon so maybe facial hair isn’t such a good thing. Not really sure where I’m going with this to be honest…
Do any of you have any bearded heroes?!
Filed under: Blogs, Music Videos, New Bands & Artists, Rants and banter, Reviews | Tags: Alison Mosshart, blues, Dean Fertita, drumming, drums, Glastonbury, guitar, Horehound, indie, Jack Lawrence, Jack White, John Bonham, Led Zeppelin, Meg White, new band, NME, Queens of the Stone Age, rock, rock n roll, scuzzy, side project, supergroup, The Dead Weather, The Kills, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, Treat Me Like Your Mother
What is it with that man Jack White? Everything he touches seems to turn to gold. Except of course for Meg White’s drum sticks – that’s a different story. Talking of drumming, Jack White has shown his skills as a sticks man are equally as spectacular as his guitar playing ability.
I am of course talking about the hot new band called The Dead Weather. A dirty rock and roll supergroup featuring a smorgosbord of amazing musicians such as Alison Mosshart from The Kills, Jack Lawrence from the Raconteurs and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age.
On paper, well, OK… a screen, that looks pretty fucking sweet doesn’t it? It sure does. And it should come as no surprise that in audio form it’s as mindblowing as you would expect.
The only worry about the power of this band however is the fact that it could signal the end of the White Stripes… with Jack having two stunning side projects on the go and the White Stripes being limited by their stripped down sound, it’s pretty clear which one would be the first to go. That said, this is Jack White we are talking about – a man who could take a shit in a recording studio and make it sound spectacular.
For now though, just enjoy The Dead Weather. Their album ‘Horehound’ is out in a couple of weeks and I for one can’t wait. It’s scuzzy and sleezy rock n roll delivered with ferocious blood and sweat that is sure to scare away the skinny indie runts.
Filed under: Blogs, Music Videos, New Bands & Artists, Rants and banter, Reviews | Tags: Aphex Twin, ATP, Battles, BBC Introducing, Black Sabbath, Bonzo, Copy Haho, Crutches, dance, Death In Vegas, Dinosaur Pile Up, electro, electronic, Foals, Forward Russia, Gallops, Gentle Friendly, Gold Panda, Huw Stephens, indie, John Bonham, Kling Klang, Kyuss, Led Zeppelin, Lemar, like, math rock, Mogwai, Music Sounds Better With Huw, new artist, new artists, new band, new bands, NME, One Big Weekend, Pivot, post rock, Queens of the Stone Age, Radio 1, Sonic Youth, Swanton Bombs, Swindon, The Music, The Rapture, The Social, Tortoise, unsigned, Wales, Warp Records, Wax Fang, Wichita Recordings, Wrexham, ZX Spectrum Orchestra
I know that I rave about a lot of new bands and I always write like an hyperactive child using words like “amazing” and “best thing I’ve ever heard”.
Well, in the case of Wrexham’s Gallops! the adjectives are all true. They ARE amazing and they ARE one of the best bands I’ve ever heard. Obvious comparisions can be made to the likes of Battles and Foals but their brand of electronic post/math rock has a darker psychedelic side to it. A melting pot of dark synthesis, room rumbling bass, walls of guitar noise and Sabbath esqe riffing is all backed up by ferocious locked in Bonzo tinged drum grooves, which are so good it makes you want to smash up the room you’re sitting in.
When I first saw them, I was overcome by the sort of excitement I’d not felt since first seeing Kling Klang - which says a lot. If you find yourself of public transport while listening to Gallops, you’ll suddenly look and feel much cooler with a burning rage to spit in the faces of all of those who are wearing a suit and reading a book.
To quote Lemar - if there’s any justice in the world, they will take the world by storm. Their music is fresh, atmospheric, passionate and like all great music, fucking LOUD! Turn it up to eleven and don’t be surprised to be saying “Mogwai who?” after listening to them. Plus as an added bonus, they’re all sound geezers. Expect the NME to be in love with them before the year is out.
Here’s a video of the boys playing ‘Crutches’ for BBC Introducing.
Huw Stephens has already taken a shine to them by whacking them on his first compilation album, with a witty title of ‘Music Sounds Better With Huw’ – an album on Wichita with a whole host of superb new up and coming acts such as Gentle Friendly, Wax Fang, Gold Panda, Swanton Bombs, Copy Haho and Dinosaur Pile Up to name but a few.
The compilation is available exclusively from iTunes at a measly £4.49 – click here to buy it directly.
To hear all the tracks and see more information about the bands, including a Q + A with Huw, point your internet this way: www.musicsoundsbetterwithhuw.com.
www.myspace.com/thegallopsband
One last thing – GO AND SEE THEM LIVE!
For fans of: Battles, Foals, Pivot, Sonic Youth, Kyuss, Tortoise, Forward Russia, The Music, Queens of the Stone Age, Mogwai, Death In Vegas, Kling Klang, Aphex Twin, ZX Spectrum Orchestra, Warp Records and ATP
Filed under: Blogs, Music Videos, New Bands & Artists, Rants and banter | Tags: 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong, 2009, atmosphere, Closer, Family Guy, Joy Division, life, lyrics, Mogwai, music, new music, NME, No Future Part 1, Peter Griffin, Rock Action, soundtrack, The Big Pink, Titus Andronicus, Velvet
Remember that episode of Family Guy where Peter wishes for his own theme music? I was thinking of that today and started thinking of what the end credit music would be if a film was ever made about me.
For years and years it has always been between Joy Division’s ‘Atmosphere’ and Mogwai’s ‘2 Rights Make 1 Wrong’ but with me now having a new music obsession, I have two more songs for consideration.
THE BIG PINK – VELVET
Such a beautiful sounding record. One that totally lifts you away from where you are. Which is what all music should do. It’s escapism and it’s why I love it so much. Life is hard enough as it is right?
TITUS ANDRONICUS – NO FUTURE PART 1
The lyrics to this song are absolutely amazing. I am not normally one to pay attention to lyrics but when I first heard this I nearly cried. It summed up exactly how I was feeling at the time. It’s not often that lyrics can grab me as I say so I see that as a sign of it’s genius. Titus Andronicus are ace. Check out their album. You will not be disappointed.
