So this is a new thing. A mix tape for everyone.
The RGBs - The Day.mp3
[ myspace // last.fm ]
Razorlight - The House.mp3
[ myspace // last.fm // amazon ]
Klaus Says Buy The Record - My Daily Attire.mp3
[ myspace // last.fm ]
The Dodos - winter.mp3
[ myspace // last.fm // amazon ]
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Here’s a button that can help you upgrade your Internet browsing experience:
Razorlight - Slipway Fires (Album)
Mercury Nov 3rd 2008
‘Los Angeles Waltz’, the closing track from their last album, summed up the last LP. Everything about it was produced with finite detail. It’s flawless production ensured that any emotion expressed in the lyrics, or the skill demonstrated by its musicians, was simply buried away from ear shot. ‘Slipway Fires’ is the complete opposite.
‘Wire to Wire’ opens the LP with a calm piano loop, gently ushering in an new sound to Johnny Borrell’s voice. Gone is the Dylanish gruff that we heard in previous recordings. In comes a discernible, more honest tone to his voice that was lost amid the overblown recordings of the past.
‘You and the Rest’ evokes memories of past Razorlight noise and succeeds in linking Borrell back to his days kicking chords and riffs around with Barat & Doherty. ‘Burberry Blue Eyes’ sees him berate a former public schoolgirl for pretending to be something she isn’t. “I get the daddy-never-noticed-story again” which, coming from a Highgate educated singer who moans elsewhere on this LP about middle class kids, seems hypocritical.
Tuneful ‘60 Thompson’ is veneration towards Simon and Garfunkel while ‘Hostage of Love’ and perhaps future single ‘Burberry Blue Eyes’ are catchy and melodic.
This LP is better than ‘Razorlight’ but impresses less that ‘Up All Night’. Whilst others around them have released another album of boring samey songs (Kaiser Chiefs, Oasis) Razorlight have embarked upon something different. It’s a triumph and ‘Slipway Fires’ shows a progression from a band that have grown up a lot.
Buy ‘Slipway Fires’ from Amazon from November 3rd
Listen To:
Razorlight - 60 Thompson.mp3
Razorlight - North London Trash.mp3
Razorlight - Burberry Blue Eyes.mp3
Make a date with Radio One tonight at 9pm (UK) and I promise you will not be disappointed.
Tonight is the night that we will finally hear the Maida Vale session recorded by Tom Williams And The Boat last month. This comes on the same day that the band release new single ‘Doing My Best’ as a free download.
This band NEVER fail to impress me, ‘Doing My Best’ is yet another brilliant song and shows further progression from them. It comes from their forthcoming ‘concept’ EP due out in January 09. According to Tom ‘this song is the climax of the narrative, where everything kicks off’.
We’ll have more on the EP in the coming months.
You can listen to ‘Doing My Best’ as well as ‘Train Station Car Park’, ‘Wouldn’t Women Be Sweet’ and ‘Got Fuel’ tonight on Huw Stephens show at 9pm on Radio One.
If you’ve miss it, you can get it for up to seven days on the iPlayer.
Get More: myspace.com/williamstommusic
Holy Fuck are currently supporting Foals on their UK tour and in celebration of this meet each band have covered one of the other’s songs.
Foals have covered ‘Super Inuit’ and Holy Fuck have covered ‘Balloons’.
If you caught them on tour you could have snapped one of these bad boy 12″ along the way or you can buy one buy clicking here for a fiver.
Foals seem to have played just about every festival going this summer but iIf you haven’t seen them live then try and blag yourself a ticket for the last few days of their UK tour.
Listen To:
Holy Fuck - Balloons (Foals Cover).mp3
Foals - Super Unuit (Holy Fuck Cover).mp3
Foals On: Myspace // last.fm
Holy Fuck On: Myspace // last.fm
JLP
Ok, as a relatively new music fan, I have not had a lot of experience of truly outstanding bands blowing me away. But now, thanks to NME and likesounds.com, my taste in music has completely changed and drastically widened from my favourite band of two years ago (fall out boy – no laughing please) to my many favourite bands of today. I think the best of these bands need talking about, so I’ve listed my five favourite for you here so enjoy!
The Maccabees – This quintet have been around for ages, but I only really listened to them about two months ago. They write genuinely uplifting, catchy indie songs that are capable of turning that frown upside down!
Best Track – Lego [mp3] [myspace] [Colour It In - amazon.co.uk]
Foals – These oxford dropouts have been making waves on the indie scene in 2008 and have played almost every major festival this year. They make danceable indie songs that are perfect for relaxing to after a crap day at school/work/life in general.
Best Track – Cassius [mp3] [myspace] [Antidotes - amazon.co.uk]
You Me At Six – These pop punker’s have been around for a while and are still going strong, and have recently released their debut full length LP – Take Off Your Colours – (available on slam dunk records) and are touring the country as we speak.
Best Track – The Rumour [myspace] [Take Off Your Clothes - amazon.co.uk]
Kate Nash – This very talented singer songwriter, with a very unique and confident style to her singing. Currently residing with Ryan Jarman of The Cribs (definitely not making the list) and luckily, Mr Jarman’s distinct lack of vocal ability has not rubbed off on his squeeze.
Best Track – Mariella [mp3] [myspace] [Made Of Bricks - amazon.co.uk]
The Gaslight Anthem – a very talented rock and roll/punk band from America, with influences ranging from Bruce Springsteen to 1980’s Punk. Probably the only band I have ever heard of that has received 9/10 in NME and 5/5 in Kerrang! Either they have a lot of money for journalists, or are they are very, very good. I believe it’s the latter as they really are very, very good.
Best Track – Great Expectations [mp3] [myspace] [The '59 Sound - amazon.co.uk]
If you have any opinions, or bands you think should be on this list, please leave me a comment. See You Soon!
A compilation of the drummers’ favourite ever tracks varying from rock n roll to hip hop, it also includes a spoken word piece from Arctic Monkeys band mate Al turner and Matt’s own cover of the club hit ‘Dreamer’.
Helders was Dj-ing long before he picked up his drumsticks and has recently been performing at Ibiza rocks and Field Day whilst also creating remixes for artists Roots Manuva, Duran Duran & We Are Scientists.
You can buy a really cool limited 7″ vinyl of the single ‘Dreamer’ with Alex Turner’s spoken word story ‘A Choice Of Three’ on the flip side for £4.99 inc P&P from Late Night Tales. You can also buy the full series of cd’s from amazon.co.uk
Over in the US, the Copyright Board Of America decided that the amount publishers and writers get from each download is to stay at 9cents. The board discussed raising the royalties rate to 15c per download, a move that forced Apple to state they would scrap their market leading iTunes store if it stopped making a profit. iTunes serves 85% of the market making it doubtful that any increase to their 99c rate would damage their business.
London Record Store To Remain Open
Meanwhile, my favourite CD shop in the west end has been sold. Sister Ray went into administration back in July but has now been rescued by an unnamed independent individual who has “music retail experience”. The W1 premises will apparently stay put and all staff will keep their jobs. The new owner has a lot to do to keep this business floating amid strong competition for the last remaining hard-copy music buyers.
Dirty Pretty Split
Dirty Pretty Things have announced their split, after completing their tour this month.
I’m always eager to hear new material from bands be it covers or their own stuff.
This month I was lucky enough to come across one of each from one of my favourite bands Vampire Weekend, Fleetwood Mac cover ‘Everywhere’ & new track ‘Ottoman’.
Ottoman features the same line from latest single ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ “Feels so unnatural, Peter Gabriel too” although this is rumoured to of been a line from Ottoman before CCKK…
Not being a big Fleetwood Mac fan myself I had nothing to compare this version to the original with; however whilst on a roadtrip to Portsmouth ‘Everywhere’ came onto the playlist, my friend (a BIG Fleetwood Mac fan) told me that Vampire Weekend’s cover definately did the song justice, so smiles all round!
Listen To:
Vampire Weekend - Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac Cover).mp3
Vampire Weekend - Ottoman.mp3
Vampire Weekend On: Myspace // last.fm
JLP
2 albums in one year and after not having much to say about their debut ‘Hold On Now, Youngster’ i wasn’t holding out much hope for their second release. However, it’s catchy, it’s full of energy, it’s witty and i really like it!The sound is easier on the ears and feels like they’ve taken their time on producing the final copy.
‘We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’ shows definite progression from Los Campesinos! and if this is the way the band are heading then i’l definately be on the look out for future releases.
Los Campesinos! kick off their latest tour in Brighton on the 14th October hitting Liverpool, Leeds, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Bristol & Manchester along the way.If you weren’t a fan of ‘Hold On Now, Youngster’ then don’t let that be enough to put you off these guys, download ‘We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’ from October 13th 2008.
Listen To:
Los Campesinos! - All Your Keyfabe Friends.mp3
Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed.mp3
Los Campesinos! on:Myspace // last.fm
Pre-Order Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed at Amazon for £9.99
JLP