Music

 

A Quick Intro

Basically I spend far too much of my wages on CDs/downloads each month. Especially nearer to the end of term, when escapism becomes of utmost importance!

 

There's loads to write about people, so I thought I'd just list some of my favourite bands and albums that I've bought recently.

 

Stuff I've done:

Coming soon

 

 

Top Tips (26.10.09)

There's some good stuff coming out at the moment:

Editors - In This Light and On This Evening (new album from the miserablists but they've  discovered that keyboards make nice noises too!)

Hockey - Mind Chaos (Good ole guitar pop - reminds me a little of Mansun although not quite as depressing)

Muse - The Resistance (The usual fayre from our West Country cousins - great if you were a Tears For Fears fan in the 80s and can only listen to anthems)

Ian Brown - My Way (A slightly lame title to this album but it's typical stuff from Manchester's finest. He may be running out of ideas a little but this will keep the fans happy.)

DeadMau5 - For Lack Of A Better Name (Synth-y and bleepy but pretty good on the whole - has got rave [no pun intended] reviews all over the shop.)

 

Top Tips (13.7.09)

  • The Duckworth Lewis Method - The Duckworth Lewis Method (an album about cricket, but don't let that put you off as it's full of superb tunes.)

  • Little Boots - Hands (good old electro 80s sounding stuff.)

  • La Roux - La Roux (see above, clearly the 80s sounds are back in fashion.)

  • Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (excellent album by Leicester's finest, although it does tail off a bit towards the end.)

  • Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate (The Nutty Boys are back and have rediscovered their form.)

 

Stuff I've liked recently (29.10.08)

  • Rex The Dog - The Rex The Dog Show (if you like early Depeche Mode or electronica in general then you'll love this!)

  • MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (slightly odd but very listenable electronic stuff, with "Kids" being a stand-out track, although the whole album is good.)

  • Ladyhawke - Ladyhawke (fantastic pop album with an 80s sound - truly brilliant!)

  • Teddy Thompson - A Piece Of What You Need (country pop with some excellent tunes. "In My Arms" is a classic, but the whole thing is excellent.)

  • Coldplay - Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (I don't really need to say anything here.)

  • The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing (a little bit patchy but some brilliant tunes on including "That's Not My Name", "Great DJ" and "Shut Up And Let Me Go".)

  • The Charlatans - You Cross My Path (back on form with a New Order-y sound.)

  • Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs (I can't understand why this band aren't huge - "I Will Possess Your Heart" is a superb tune.)

 

Stuff I'd recommend (31.5.07):

  • Maps - We Can Create (a bit like Massive Attack with more guitars, but the best tune is "It Will Find You", it's super!)

  • Willy Mason - If The Ocean Gets Rough (singer/songwriter with a husky voice, particularly "Save Myself" and "We Can Be Strong" which is getting a lot of airplay on certain stations)

  • Rufus Wainwright - Release The Stars (another singer/songwriter with great tunes)

  • Am into Nine Inch Nails at the moment, listen to the new album (Year Zero), but the previous one (With Teeth) is fantastic, in an electro-metal way!

  • Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Boat Even Sank (Johnny Marr of Smiths/Electronic/The The fame has joined, so it must be good!)

 

Albums to get:

  • Joyzipper - The Heartlight Set

  • Death Cab For Cutie - Plans

  • Anything by The Sounds

  • Anything by Rex The Dog

  • The Shins - Wincing The Night Away

  • Anything by Seth Lakeman

  • Anything by Teddy Thompson

  • Mates of State - Bring It Back

  • M Craft - Silver and Fire

  • The Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

  • The Hours - Narcissus Road

That'll do for now! All fantastic, by the way.

 

Green Day – American Idiot

 

Now I know what you’re thinking but I really liked the song “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”, the new single I kept hearing the radio, so I bought the album. I just didn’t realise what a good band they really were! OK, so I’ve heard the odd good tune by them, for example “Time of Your Life (Good Riddence)”, but I just thought they did “po(o)pular pop” like Sum 41 et al. This album, although it’s not technically brilliant by having lots of impressive guitar solos and the like, is rammed full of great tunes. What a pleasant surprise it was when I stuck it in my CD player. Even the single “American Idiot” single is actually quite good – partly because it takes the “Michael” out of America, which is rare for anAmerican outside of The Simpsons. Genuinely good – get it if you have a spare 10 quid or 2!

 

Unkle – Never Never Land

 

No, this is not a tribute to J.M. Barrie, the author of the popular children’s book/film(s)/pantomime. Unkle are a band that do moody keyboard-y music. They often have Ian Brown (of Stone Roses fame) guesting on vocals on most, if not all of their albums. I got a previous album called “Psyence Fiction” and wasn’t overly impressed, but it was OK. This new album (apparently it was first released ages ago, but not many people noticed) is cracking. It is moody keyboards with the odd bit of guitar (it may be sampled but I was fooled) and some great vocals and grooves. I do realise that I sound very late 60s/early 70s when I say that, but it’s true, it just makes your head bob up and down like something that is in a sad person’s car. The Ian Brown track is called “Reign” and is superb – the stand-out track, if you will. Buy it, it’s great!

 

December 2004:

 

Kings of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak

 

Now this is a recent addition to my CD collection, and what an addition! “Choc-ful” of great tunes, and unbelievably better than the first album, “Youth and Young Manhood”. I must admit that when I first put the CD into my machine and pressed play, I did get a shock. the vocals on track 1 (Slow Night, So Long) are very odd sounding indeed – but don’t let this put you off. If you liked the first (I presume that it was the first) single taken from the album – “The Bucket” – then you’ll love the rest of it. Support the music industry and do your ears a favour. Go and buy it! It does have the odd naughty word on there (not that I understood those of course) – you’ve been warned.

 

Kasabian – Kasabian

 

I’ve decided to review 2 albums this month because I always buy more CDs when I’m annoyed with work, so I have plenty to choose from at the moment. I stumbled across this quartet from Leicester one Sunday morning on T4, and heard them sing “Processed Beats” through a hangover, and so I went and bought the album. And what a great album! I know that this album has been out for a while, but it really is rammed full of quality “phat” bass-lines and tunes you can’t help but nod your head to – and I don’t think there’s a bad word in sight/earshot. Aside from the aforementioned “Processed Beats”, there are other classics such as “L.S.F. (Lost Souls Forever)” and, well the rest of the album really.

 

Don’t let it put you off that they have been described as the next Oasis – this is just a reference to the fact they have also produced a superb first album. The Leicester thing, the dodgy “Barnets” and the Oasis comparison can be lived with if they keep producing this sort of stuff! Trés Oui!

 

Also

I’ve just thought That I ought to mention that I also have done a bit of music in my time. Not all of it has been great, but there you go. Eventually I will put another page on the site and give you some snippets, but I’ve got to figure out how the technology works first! Anyway, I was in a band with a “fella” called Jake (really nice bloke, by the way) who now has had a number of chart hits under the name JX (Son of a Gun, There’s Nothing I Won’t Do among others). We were called Lethal Combination, Unit 731, and Transatlantic as far as I remember, and our albums included “Modulation” and “Andy’s Landy” (a different Andy, I hasten to add). He now is writing under the name “Rex The Dog”. He was on Radio 1 the other day you know. Check out the links page.

 

I was also in a band with a “fella” called Simon. We made various albums including “Spot The Dog”, “Alan The Cat” and “The Pope Has Abdominal Swelling” (a headline from The Independent). We even did a “Best Of…” called “A Choicest Assortment” where we re-recorded our favourite tracks. He’s now a “professional musician” and lecturer in music, as well as being married to “the lovely” Becky and is a very proud father! Rock and Roll Is Still Alive and Kicking (to quote Simple Minds and specifically Jim Kerr, who I assume wrote the lyrics).

 

I was in a band at university called Vladimir’s Road To Conversion. We did one album called “A23 via Coulsden” and a video in which I was tied to a wheelchair for much of the shoot. Nice! Having played Lewisham Labour Club, supporting the Scrotum Clamps, who were dressed as Maggie Thatcher’s cabinet, we folded due to us all going our separate ways. Ho hum.

 

I am working on some new stuff at the moment – not to say that it’s any good – and will put some on the site when I can work all the digital equipment! All this technology – ffff! Bet you can’t wait.

 

 

November 2004:

 

Depeche Mode – Remixes 81-04

 

Now I must warn you that I own plenty of the back catalogue on both CD and vinyl, so there is little danger of me giving an unbiased view of this album, but I’ll give it a go.

 

I have the Triple CD, with a lot of the new remixes of old DM tracks on the third, limited edition CD – including one by my friend (“Photographic” under the name Rex the Dog).

 

If I’m going to be honest there are a few tracks on there that are for the die-hard fans only, but there are some absolute classics like Kruder and Dorfmeister’s “Useless” and William Orbit’s “Walking In My Shoes” that are absolute classics – and these are in the majority.

 

Without the new remixes this would be distinctly uninspired, but a worthy addition to a fan’s collection, and as some respected journalists have said, it goes to show that DM were pioneers in more than just their sounds and songs, but in their remixes as well.