tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15378423550164717162024-03-14T05:56:43.952+00:00Is there anything else i can help you with?Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-34629334777517579752009-10-25T10:45:00.002+00:002009-10-25T10:46:09.494+00:00ALMIGHTY DEFENDERSThat's what you mean isn't it? The Almighty Defenders...Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-4495543446826394812009-09-29T17:18:00.001+01:002009-09-29T17:19:46.056+01:00Release dateWhat's the deal with US and UK album release dates?<br /><br />Why can't I get my next favourite record the same time as everybody else?Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-87813423726496503252009-08-21T17:31:00.006+01:002009-08-21T18:05:43.509+01:00Off the beaten TracksFriday is a good day.<br /><br />It's a day to dream of shenanigans that lye ahead over the coming weekend. It's a day to switch between doing work you get paid for and the various tabs you've opened on your desktop...Facebook anyone? And it's just the best day to take advantage of said slackness and discover the brand spanking new music that sit's unexplored across the vast vastness of the blogosphere.<br /><br />Here's a few i've inadvertedly stumbled across today:<br /><a href="http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/new-very-best-feat-ezra-koenig-warm-heart-of-africa_074692.html"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxpdQOLuVbHLDm0SBCnN9JlTTkDBssl2jByzCLE6XQLh8jP_aiQv93InTf4gGWeCRxzYLHAbGsigOhhYptbnGvrXEMy6FqjznpZ5_nJvM-O_jtx4yjffsFc9mouQNs6xZEy-Ag5GT0gG4/s1600-h/blog1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxpdQOLuVbHLDm0SBCnN9JlTTkDBssl2jByzCLE6XQLh8jP_aiQv93InTf4gGWeCRxzYLHAbGsigOhhYptbnGvrXEMy6FqjznpZ5_nJvM-O_jtx4yjffsFc9mouQNs6xZEy-Ag5GT0gG4/s400/blog1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372462738113450466" border="0" /></a><a href="http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/new-very-best-feat-ezra-koenig-warm-heart-of-africa_074692.html">Warm Heart of Africa-(Feat Ezra Koenig</a>):-Just when you thought Ezzy couldn't be more like Paul Simon...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtJ_824RsYyTauADcAUuacPz3SflIz8CQC8hyphenhyphen5mQg8rwLj5UsLzL4s1-ZQml5T39xn9fbVntytCSDvdGocG6wppdOm7GPLabcA7EkuG2KrcJ_XgKD-6OHH5kzF1x6y0F3wHxMB7B1Y9t5/s1600-h/blog3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtJ_824RsYyTauADcAUuacPz3SflIz8CQC8hyphenhyphen5mQg8rwLj5UsLzL4s1-ZQml5T39xn9fbVntytCSDvdGocG6wppdOm7GPLabcA7EkuG2KrcJ_XgKD-6OHH5kzF1x6y0F3wHxMB7B1Y9t5/s400/blog3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372462902501578834" border="0" /></a><a href="http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/13286-we-are-water/">We Ar</a><a href="http://pitchfork.com/forkcast/13286-we-are-water/">e Water-Health</a>: Taken from 'Get Color', their forthcoming second full length. It duly makes light of '2nd album issues' in just over 4mins of pure, unhinged glory.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MNiq0cfDvlahqjdh4VIvcpBSj1vgKJMVTQk8OVDdm1n_6RhhNji-hEulJqNchvVw1TqAhwF4pGpfVPMwcvq6uq1L7vncKyOoFeLERVDCM78CXnbZs7RW5-wGba954YiHexf9NJ1Zefdh/s1600-h/blog4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0MNiq0cfDvlahqjdh4VIvcpBSj1vgKJMVTQk8OVDdm1n_6RhhNji-hEulJqNchvVw1TqAhwF4pGpfVPMwcvq6uq1L7vncKyOoFeLERVDCM78CXnbZs7RW5-wGba954YiHexf9NJ1Zefdh/s400/blog4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372463889045195698" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.20jazzfunkgreats.co.uk/wordpress/">T</a><a href="http://www.20jazzfunkgreats.co.uk/wordpress/">o The Dregs-Wavves</a>: Nang, sick, ill, heavy, deadly, dope.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdu9S8o8XzYgMp78DQmFl-rXA0u2H1XgFN6K78QMAgOAQvtvrKSuyvxk95kA9Fqu4EL4PyEzOmgZw1Q1fndCWjQgbdzSG6zUBztlLgbadfrlZhJVsdy4W6o8sJeTqlzRsHFcJnQShuz9W/s1600-h/blog2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdu9S8o8XzYgMp78DQmFl-rXA0u2H1XgFN6K78QMAgOAQvtvrKSuyvxk95kA9Fqu4EL4PyEzOmgZw1Q1fndCWjQgbdzSG6zUBztlLgbadfrlZhJVsdy4W6o8sJeTqlzRsHFcJnQShuz9W/s400/blog2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372463012893725570" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.myspace.com/musicfromthebigpink">Dominos-The Big Pink</a>: Undoubtedly my favourite new British band. One listen of this and you'll be humming the shit out of it for weeks.Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-66425588967561541102009-08-10T23:29:00.005+01:002009-08-11T00:10:32.695+01:00DEFINATELY YACHT<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9K2c_Ec7wcuDficX9IhGZmZyQLtNENOvgQSDMh_Cqgojhyphenhyphen67DN4pWY-0eYXf0wj2Ze8yWP-Znya5ZYkpiK8fC445QQdTGlrzpO2ASpgDWk7FxeOR7CNXJUL5P0eRczkqRMuHfgGE3j1s/s1600-h/yachts.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9K2c_Ec7wcuDficX9IhGZmZyQLtNENOvgQSDMh_Cqgojhyphenhyphen67DN4pWY-0eYXf0wj2Ze8yWP-Znya5ZYkpiK8fC445QQdTGlrzpO2ASpgDWk7FxeOR7CNXJUL5P0eRczkqRMuHfgGE3j1s/s400/yachts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368475465453800098" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRachelD%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRachelD%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRachelD%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">YACHT are a Portland band I'm sure I'll be sticking with for much longer than a summer.
<br />
<br />Signed to James Murphy's DFA records, home to LCD soundsystem, Prinzhorn Dance School, Hercules and Love Affair and Holy Ghost!, the embarrassingly talented duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L Evans make the dreamiest most trippingly positive music around. And every single person in the entire music industry that actually matter, adores what the duo are putting out.
<br />
<br />Like a new age healer, Bechtolt produces triangular stimuli that incorporate a collection of ever changing elements. Live music, PowerPoint visuals, immersive audio and shamanistic video's. It's an experience that goes way beyond any thing produced on stage today and it's a forage into a brave new world that looks nailed on to succeed.
<br />
<br />New Mystery Lights, their debut album, marries the pure hedonism of Animal Collective and the forward thinking drive and funk of Eno and ESG. It's a masterpiece in physical form and it's out now to own. Released 4th August.</p>
<br />Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-21888673747028612442009-08-10T20:45:00.003+01:002009-08-10T23:29:07.527+01:00A DUMP AND CHASE. WARM UP THE BUS HOCKEY. OR SHOULD THAT BE YACHT?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfGSSMQaSkxHvt6esu5KQ3TWxB1x7DRr9jeX8ANfIE1fskAcWtu5TbGRb-GCnr-SrH9qT2nTWhswfo1IOdlwDl0hGhWbcLHE7Bn_NoP6CieKLcm7itH_f2i1LyDGdCOk7ptfqGkwN-fkU/s1600-h/hockey.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsfGSSMQaSkxHvt6esu5KQ3TWxB1x7DRr9jeX8ANfIE1fskAcWtu5TbGRb-GCnr-SrH9qT2nTWhswfo1IOdlwDl0hGhWbcLHE7Bn_NoP6CieKLcm7itH_f2i1LyDGdCOk7ptfqGkwN-fkU/s400/hockey.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368465020594368178" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Since May I've seen Portland 4 piece, Hockey not once, not twice, not thrice but four times. It's been a blast. Mind Chaos, their brilliant debut record, is due out August 24th and it really is very very good. I wont be getting it though. If truth be told, I'm bored of the band. Our relationship is as stale as that 3 day old slice of Hawaiian beside your desktop.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Bare in mind I've only known the band all of 4 months max and have invested time, effort and dollar into them. Just when the fruits of their labour should be budding an overwhelming sense of overkill has dampened any excitement i might have for perhaps the most important month of their time as a band.<br /><br />It's sad and i fell kinda bummed but in the 4 months together I've not paid for a single gig, all were free, and I've heard every single track off the LP more times than perhaps any record I physically own.<br /><br />The problem for as far i can see, you may think otherwise, is that Hockey have been way too accessible. Their first London gig was in December 2008 and they've since moved to the capital for what can only be described as a full on UK, record label, chart assault. Of course, it's worked a treat. They've played not only IOW, Glastonbury, Great Escape, Camden Crawl, Levi's sponsored shows and worst of all T FUCKING 4 ON THE FUCKING BEACH. I guess that shows the width of audience they're aiming at and why not. They'll chart well and sell truck loads of records but I, and i guess a fair few others too, wont be sticking around to dangle the teet.Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-4963553394946914482009-08-10T18:51:00.004+01:002009-08-10T20:17:12.662+01:00RETURN OF THE (ball)SACK<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRachelD%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRachelD%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CRachelD%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> <w:dontvertaligncellwithsp/> <w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> <w:word11kerningpairs/> <w:cachedcolbalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathpr> <m:mathfont val="Cambria Math"> <m:brkbin val="before"> <m:brkbinsub val="--"> <m:smallfrac val="off"> <m:dispdef/> <m:lmargin val="0"> <m:rmargin val="0"> <m:defjc val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent val="1440"> <m:intlim val="subSup"> <m:narylim val="undOvr"> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" defunhidewhenused="true" defsemihidden="true" defqformat="false" defpriority="99" latentstylecount="267"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="0" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Normal"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="heading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="9" qformat="true" name="heading 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 7"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 8"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" name="toc 9"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="35" qformat="true" name="caption"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="10" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" name="Default Paragraph Font"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="11" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtitle"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="22" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Strong"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="20" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="59" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Table Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Placeholder Text"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="1" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="No Spacing"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Revision"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="34" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="List Paragraph"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="29" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="30" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Quote"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="60" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="61" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="62" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Light Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="63" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="64" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="65" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="66" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="67" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="68" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="69" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="70" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Dark List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="71" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="72" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful List Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="73" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="19" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="21" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Emphasis"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="31" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:1; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} @font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0cm; margin-right:0cm; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page Section1 {size:595.3pt 841.9pt; margin:72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt 72.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: georgia;" class="MsoNormal">I could just write an article on my favourite new band and let the fact that I've not posted anything on this blog since May slip by the wayside, just like our much-mangled, almost non-existent summer has. That would, however, be very rude and I do like to think/hope/pray that out there somewhere is a dedicated follower of our inconsistent scribbings.
<br />
<br />For me personally this sunless summer has been heavy busy. It started with three sick days in Brighton for the Great Escape festival and finished with a week long gig-fest that saw me take in and review five shows in five days, all of which were sprayed across the musical blogosphere like the territorial piss of an alley cat. You can find them all <a href="http://eu.levi.com/en_GB/theGreatEscape/index.html">here</a> and <a href="http://eu.levi.com/en_GB/lotwv2.html#introduction">here</a> on Levi.com so have a butchers and let me know what you think.
<br />
<br />It's not all been work though. I managed to survive the violent brain-cell hammering of Glastonbury which, it has to be said, was my favourite of all time. The Big Pink, Bon Iver, Fucked Up. Crosby, Stills and Nash, We Have Band, Man Like Me, Alberta Cross, Kap Bambino, Florence and the Machine, Animal Collective and Blur were all bands I'd, for one reason or another, had never got to see until one glorious weekend in Somerset. RAD.
<br />
<br />And that has pretty much been that. Same old really. We caught some other live shows over the past couple of months, most noticeably the Black Lips and Mika Miko in Camden, Crocodiles nang show at Bardens and Wavves at the Old Blue before his lame ass breakdown at Primavera. Pussy.
<br />
<br />You'll get to read about those and a whole host of other crap that I've got lined up over the next few days so hang tough and keep tuned.</p> Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-37459578437101645322009-06-18T21:16:00.005+01:002009-06-18T21:56:58.792+01:00Stop Fucking Ruining Music You Talentless Fucks In Suits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.terrierderby.com/images/pedigree-smudge.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 306px;" src="http://www.terrierderby.com/images/pedigree-smudge.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">"Speakeasy / at the link it's easy" is probably the benchmark of favourite records becoming the property of the snarling, soul less, gack hoofing ad execs. One day Joe intern comes in to work whistling a tune and Farquad McSuityprick goes, "You know what the tune really summarises for me? That's right... the sweet sensation of chemically induced alpine freshness" and bam, The White Stripes are advertising toilet bleach.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The White Stripes were lucky though. They got away with an imitation, royalties avoiding, tribute to 'Hotel Yorba'. Shed Seven on the other hand were gripped by the afformentioned ad exec douchebag, and whilst noshing on his coke shrivelled dick Rick Witter uttered the immortal words at the head of this post. That has to be the tipping point for selling out. Shed Seven re-recording one of their few really good songs for a mobile phone shop staffed by a tricked out Nova's worth of garage and RnB loving wankers hopefully pursuaded any bands who could smell the greenbacks that you could go too far. It hasn't stopped it happening though, and it's understood. For every Shed Seven there might be a Jose Gonzalez forging success from oblique and inventive commercials.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The only execptions to the rule - doing an advert = loss of all credibility, respect and rock n roll heritage - were Levi's and maybe now Sony. Do a Levi's / Sony ad and not only were you garunteed a number 1 single (when that counted for something) but also a place in rock n roll legend. Give me a man on the street who doesn't know the wolf whistle on the Steve Miller Band's 'Joker' or knows </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Handel’s ‘Sarabande’ without actually knowing that's what it's called.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Recently Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers ended up advertising Weetabix with 'Egyptian Reggae', The Sonics started hocking something along the lines of sanitary towels with 'Have Love Will Travel' and now just to really fuck the world inside-out Langhorne Slim is selling Pedigree Chum. Pedigree 'Dog Feeding' Chum? It's no Levi's Launderette that's for sure. So Langhorne may not have actually said 'Woof' himself but someone's made that call and he's pocketed the fee. Does it air in the USA, or is it specifically for the UK so he'll never have to face it? I'm sure it's not going to stop his following turning out but they'll remember it, some will definitely lose sleep over it and others will be set off on an unsatiable dialogue that followed a sleepless night wrought with emotion and a loss of faith in things they held dear.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 15px;font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">When will Levi's start doing TV ad campaigns again?</span></span></div>Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-36644488888571719782009-06-02T17:30:00.007+01:002009-06-05T17:19:29.625+01:00Mika Miko 'We Be Xuxa'<a href="http://nogoodforme.filmstills.org/images/webexuxa.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 315px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 317px" alt="" src="http://nogoodforme.filmstills.org/images/webexuxa.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was right. Mika Miko and No Age sitting in a tree, et cetera. Proof is two Randy Randall produced tracks on the latest and most polished from Mika Miko. To say they were the strongest tracks on the album, 'We Be Xuxa', would be a) unfair and b) untrue. 'Sex Jazz' and 'Keep On Calling' carries No Age, New York no-wave, new-wave out the end of an album that has many strengths.<br /><br />I hoped not to mention the Ramones or post-punk in this review, but quite blatantly have. Thing is they do sound that way and are honest about it. Throwing Ramones covers into live sets and reaching deep into the post-punk bassline sack for tracks 'Totion' and 'I Got A Lot (New New New)' is a pretty obvious call out. 'We Be Xuxa' is, in actual fact, a great gateway album to old bands - The Gun Club, James Chance and the Contortions, The Ramones, The Au-Pairs, The Bloods and numerous other bands you can find on Rough Trade's Post Punk Volume 1.<br /><br />The barking between the two distinct vocalists is alluring, Jennifer sometimes sounding like she has a singer trapped inside a hardcore punk while Jenna keeps her cold shouldered vocal chipping away. Musically the guitar throughout invokes jealousy in the same way as The Slits claiming they had no musical ability (the only mention of them by the way) with naive riffs and scales. Jennifer and Michelle chop and change guitar responsiblity live and the same occurs on the album. Massive credit has to go to Seth and Jessica, drums and bass respectively, who lavish the album with popping basslines and frenetic rhythms that lock the chaotic mix of styles into something somewhat danceable and the reason post-punk will continue to crop up, whenever they are brought up.<br /><br />I'm toying with a simile to sum up the album, but it's gross. Something around the notion that this is a quickly executed album that doesn't necessarily look pretty (in an visualization of the sound kind of a way, because actually, the album photography is splendid and the typography, while confusing, is entirely beautiful), but in the moment is so completely satisfying that you might feel guilty after listening and with consideration know it was somewhat degrading but hope the opportunity will definitely arise to do it again, and soon.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-85857574378171363062009-05-21T16:42:00.004+01:002009-05-21T17:27:04.192+01:00Adventures in iPod: The Best Songs With Blue In The TitleBefore the slew of Great Escape related reviews and hedistic nostalgia I wanted to get an update on the iPod A-Z.<br /><br />It's taking longer than I'd anticipated and currently has stalled at Bu. But (haha) Bl. passed a while ago and made me realise that there are a fuckload of songs with 'Blue' in the title and it would be rude not to compile a 'Top 3 Songs With Blue In The Title'.<br /><br />Naturally this top 3 will be definitive so no arguements.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V9VYzNUXGDA&hl=" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" fs="1" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br /><br />Number 3 - 'Blue Flowers' by Dr. Octagon<br />Back in the 80s Kool Keith was pure skill. Leader of the Ultramagnetic MCs who originated samples that later flicked the switches of the Prodigy (Kool Keith owned 'Smack My Bitch Up' long before the not so cool Keith and Liam adopted it). Dr. Octagon was one of many alter egos KK took on in the late 90s and the story goes that Dr. Doom (another ego) brutally murdered Octagon. Produced by Dan The Automator and released on Mo' Wax, the album this track comes from is stuff of conceptual legend. The Doc, a gyneacologist / surgeon, travels through time and space, WTF?<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bok75BD_HX4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Bok75BD_HX4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />2. - 'Blue Boy' by Vincent Vincent and the Villains<br />I concede that there could be hundreds of tunes that would better fit in the number 2 position. 3 and 1 are so definitive that they can't be moved but 2 is a toughie. It's come down to the fact that VV&TV are defunkt now. I believe V is going it alone. We used to go crazy to this ditty, despite none of us could harmonise anything like the boys do.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/63WRxC3T3s4&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br /><br />1. - 'Blue Moon' by Elvis Presley<br />You've heard of him right? This song, so bizarre. I can't really get my head round the idea of this song first being released. It's so haunting yet such a standard country ballad. My idea is confused by it's appearance in the movie 'Mystery Train' (named after another Elvis classic) by Jim Jarmusch, where the song provides the red thread of four intertwining stories in Memphis occuring one night.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-72143441743652093302009-05-14T10:28:00.004+01:002009-05-14T10:57:54.270+01:00DAY ONE, THE GREAT ESCAPE<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuI-IIeIV7DTRrntVTtTAxpd6_bBM7scJ4QZTu8FXZDTdv3FPu05v1kwZMdURViU_BvA91frxuzSe__S1Jv0xi14ZyW7fNz3ANi3yTHNo7MstkS28jYVT6DpUZ76yqZUUIj-JPdLqMM0yy/s1600-h/pc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 229px; height: 165px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuI-IIeIV7DTRrntVTtTAxpd6_bBM7scJ4QZTu8FXZDTdv3FPu05v1kwZMdURViU_BvA91frxuzSe__S1Jv0xi14ZyW7fNz3ANi3yTHNo7MstkS28jYVT6DpUZ76yqZUUIj-JPdLqMM0yy/s400/pc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335616678783335874" border="0" /></a><br />Well clamp my nipples and call me Susan. Today is the day Isthereanything... say bye bye to the heaving, smog filled skies of London and hello to the sunny seaside backdrop of Brighton (err, have you seen the forecast-Rich). That's right, day one of the Great Escape Festival and I'm about as steady as John Terry on wet Moscow evening.<br /><br />It seems like only yesterday I was hyperventilating about the Great Escape Festival on this very blog. The promise of meeting the Black Lips, catching up with Mika Miko and blog favourites KASMS and generally running wild along pebbled shores of the south coast was almost too much for me to take. But, as they say, good things come to those that wait and right now I'm reaping the benefits of not kidnapping Peggy Sue and getting them to perform in a pebbled filled basement. Er, Police please.<br /><br />So this is post one. In just a few hours we'll be bouncing on our hotel beds, raiding the mini-bar and updating the blog on every opportunity we get. Expect photo's, reviews, stories and some good ol banter as we go balls deep into the single most exciting end of the week/weekend of the year.Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-90365673185771572832009-05-07T20:41:00.009+01:002009-05-08T10:20:00.601+01:00A Certain Reformatio...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNKBZXMKr9l9f7qVTUYFc0s4c5W8CUoX3fYY-TRzYrBU84cXLOIBfjHnJbU8VlJ2-f8ZUq5mUS6g_QV9KVg3_NM-2jrxeoPBhqevwWMaN-rIYtQjnBjrWsjOxiEA3w0idhtoxRVABYaWN/s1600-h/399px-Devo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333169702573619026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNKBZXMKr9l9f7qVTUYFc0s4c5W8CUoX3fYY-TRzYrBU84cXLOIBfjHnJbU8VlJ2-f8ZUq5mUS6g_QV9KVg3_NM-2jrxeoPBhqevwWMaN-rIYtQjnBjrWsjOxiEA3w0idhtoxRVABYaWN/s400/399px-Devo.jpg" border="0" /></a> The tangible excitement whipped up by Devo after last nights show at the Forum (See post below) meant their surrealist-cum-mad scientist-evolutionary-escapism fell bang in line with a band of post-punk brothers that have returned to stages of late.<br /><br />With as much guise, poise and essentiality as their younger legs yielded, Devo's Triumphal execution of 'Are we not men...' draws heartening comparisons to the recent <a href="http://http:/www.southbankcentre.co.uk/festivals-series/ether">Ether</a> theatrics of Byrne and Eno, the brute recrudesce of <a href="http://http:/www.southbankcentre.co.uk/festivals-series/ether">Wire</a> and <a href="http://http:/entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/live_reviews/article5726533.ece">Magazines</a> cyclopean resurrection.<br /><br />In comparison, the stagnant and bloated cash-cow comebacks of the Sex Pistols, Led Zeppelin and The Who make the live re-emergence of Devo and Co look like the second coming. Whether it's their art school upbringing or DIY ethics it's evident Mark Mothersbaugh, Brian Eno, David Byrne, Howard Deveto and Colin Newman have lost not a smidgen of integrity or significance. John Lydon however promotes butter.<br /><br />Next week we have the promise of <a href="http://www.escapegreat.com/festival/artists/default.rails?l=G">Gang of Four's </a>seaside soiree to look forward too as well as scheduled shows for <a href="http://http:/www.subba-cultcha.com/article_news.php?id=3879">The Slits </a>and <a href="http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_news.php?id=3879">A Certain Ratio</a> this summer. Keep your peepers peeled to Isthereanything for all the latest updates.Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-51708429396822229312009-05-07T09:01:00.003+01:002009-06-22T20:14:40.244+01:00Devo at The Forum, London, 6/5/09<a href="http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/D/devo_devob.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/D/devo_devob.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The premise for tonight's gig - 5 overweight, middle-aged, big-in-the-eighties men in yellow boiler suits playing their debut album in its entirety, to an audience of overweight, middle-aged, were-young-once men in yellow boiler suits - is absurd.<br /><br />Until, after the exhibition of Devo's original 'The Complete Truth About De-evolution' (which can't be found on Youtube), Devo take the stage and own it from there in.<br /><br />If you're not familiar with Devo I'm disappointed. They carried the flag of surrealist humour, charting the de-volution of man in regression to their ape-like roots. Back in the day as a the first American signing to the British label Stiff records - home to Elvis Costello and the legendary Ian Dury to name but two - and forerunners of the post-punk slew of eighties bands, making bizarre music videos as the MTV generation developed.<br /><br />It was all there tonight, the stage show - tearing away the yellow signature Devo boiler suit to reveal the signature Devo black shorts and t-shirt - just like they used to. The music - you can't fault those guys as great musicians, especially when you take into account Mark Mothersbaugh's continued success as writer of film scores and mastery of the stage - was perfect, heavier than on record but delivered without pretension.<br /><br />It was calmly reassuring on the trip home to overhear discussions between fathers and sons about how great they were and how the record (vinyl no less) was going to wake the neighbours when they got home.<br /><br />The truth about de-volution is that Devo can play out a fantastic gig to long term fans reliving it through a new generation of fans without ever appearing tired or dated.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-68202259585000271592009-04-24T15:23:00.005+01:002009-04-27T13:53:40.012+01:00A Bout De Souffle to Zurich Is StainedFor some reason I can't now recall, I decided to listen to my iPod by 'songs' without shuffle. In other words, A-Z through the 6034 songs on my iPod. I understand the time involved and can't commit myself to that one task alone (I do have to listen to the weekly podcast for instance) but I am prepared to see it through.<br /><br />There is - I can assure you so far - nothing to be learned from this adventure. In acknowledgment of this here is my top-ten 'songs on my iPod beginning with A(in no particular order)':<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xbIM4bdOL_U&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />1. Absolutely Sweet Marie - Bob Dylan: the hotch-potch cachofany of Dylan going electric from 'Blonde On Blonde(1966)', great hammond organ and flirtatious lyrics.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/btaEkk5iECY&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />2. Adventures Close to Home - The Slits: couldn't find Slits version on YT so this is The Raincoats (which I have to admit to starting to enjoy a little more).<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y0cPsEzjAG8&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />3. Age of Consent - New Order: they're just fucking brilliant on 'Power, Corruption and Lies(1983)'. Kraftwerk via Manchester. n/b about the video, some people have too much time on their hands.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qY5AVBSjTAQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qY5AVBSjTAQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />4. Air Travel - Jerry Seinfeld: Seinfeld basically leaves no leftovers for comedians in his wake. n/b - in the video 4:15 before "air travel" section.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wOgQv9NWlds&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />5. All Tomorrow's Parties - Velvet Underground and Nico: New York. Art rock. The Beginning.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5ZUye9iwbns&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />6. Always Late With Your Kisses - Lefty Frizzell: it's the little steel pedal intro that gets me and the way the end of each verse segways beautifully into the chorus.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kYqUjbooLeI&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />7. Amalgam - The Dudley Moore Trio: yes Dudley Moore. I love in Derek & Clive the story where he got blown straight up Joan Crawford's...<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jvJhyJ-OXsU&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />8. Anthrax - Gang of Four: sends shivers done my spine... "I feel like a beetle on it's back / and there's no way for me to get up".<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xDtYFVXYXNo&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />9. Archive From 1959 - The Buff Medways: Chatham's finest, Billy Childish, with a song that sounds a little bit like smashing through Billy's loft without a torch.<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VvzkVKhUVL0&hl=" fs="1" width="425" height="344" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed><br />10. Atlantis to Interzone - Klaxons: it's about the first time we heard it. So completely new yet familiar. Despite awards, atrocious live performances and general middle class intellectual twattery, still sounds completely mental.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-70902401235562284432009-04-03T12:18:00.009+01:002009-04-06T20:51:11.948+01:00Predictable? Maybe...but I'm Starting Over<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7btMW76JyfjWoI0wIiRpCP-gEqduADkTDZvZs0YcYxC20SxBQlVV8AyAtJ5oQsgG_qgese7_7JwjpPhTPxNgmUoaunDuleWM0exZgCKWIwvsBwI-PP_Z-hkMDtu_tqbpwQh3zuhQ7G9iv/s1600-h/black+lips.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320433260246334562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7btMW76JyfjWoI0wIiRpCP-gEqduADkTDZvZs0YcYxC20SxBQlVV8AyAtJ5oQsgG_qgese7_7JwjpPhTPxNgmUoaunDuleWM0exZgCKWIwvsBwI-PP_Z-hkMDtu_tqbpwQh3zuhQ7G9iv/s400/black+lips.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>If there's one thing you can expect to see on 'Is There Anything...' its the obligatory Black Lips post.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I know it, you know it, everyone knows it, we champion the Black Lips and I can be as sure as hell that those boys, those lovely bloody boys appreciate every single miss-spelt, factually <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">inaccurate</span> word we cast <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">upon</span> this very blog.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So, in what I'm desperate to call 'Black Lips Watch' but will refrain in an attempt to keep at least a handful of followers, I'm gonna post every ounce of news-worthy or not so news-worthy news on the Black Lips in the lead up to the Great Escape festival. A festival in which we will meet the band. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">That's</span> right, MEET THE BAND. I've got wet.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As a dynamic blogging force, the Great Escape will be our first festival together so expect plenty of shenanigans being recorded for your reading-the-blog-while-you-should-be-filling-in-Health-and-Safety-inspection-sheets-or-something-along-those-lines pleasure. We'll upload news, photo's, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">anecdotes</span> and maybe the odd interview as we indulge in three days of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">satirical</span> seaside <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">silliness</span>.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So, to get us started, below is a link to the festival plus the excellent video to 'I'll Be With You' the second single to be released from 200 Million Thousand, Black Lips second UK album. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.escapegreat.com/festival/artists/default.rails">Great Escape line up.</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://black-lips.com/items/view/292/black-lips-quotill-be-with-youquot-video">I'll Be With You.</a></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I already know what my next Black Lips post will be so keep tuned and I'll be back in a jiffy. Peace out homes.</div>Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-20060055188271566082009-03-24T21:34:00.016+00:002009-04-06T21:01:32.673+01:00VG 4 SL-When we say we're in love, you best believe we're in love, L.U.V<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZOWXamagjqqrjzieC9VJougxKc-rqh5z6oPe8tgIw1aNNOkyIypGMNIX1g0pYqNmnFbeTPA6mNFhdBWmd9nDx1HxYhqksfaIIiF3pk3rrPwNVKXX2birNnt4siGY1trx_hP8PZqkDi6G/s1600-h/shangri+la.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319427449546368594" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 315px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZOWXamagjqqrjzieC9VJougxKc-rqh5z6oPe8tgIw1aNNOkyIypGMNIX1g0pYqNmnFbeTPA6mNFhdBWmd9nDx1HxYhqksfaIIiF3pk3rrPwNVKXX2birNnt4siGY1trx_hP8PZqkDi6G/s320/shangri+la.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MUr9bsjdG4lTyNepPaesWEkHGqkAuzpQmc6dLiEXz4afsg0tjzE3hhD75WfQfs_-_t8quRXwmidktW1TIGJOOHZ9dN8NRa3i9dr7TFke8rWn497HdEjf6bRQh0HgFW_aRmHsNE2lg_IR/s1600-h/Vivian01_lores.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319427294576171154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MUr9bsjdG4lTyNepPaesWEkHGqkAuzpQmc6dLiEXz4afsg0tjzE3hhD75WfQfs_-_t8quRXwmidktW1TIGJOOHZ9dN8NRa3i9dr7TFke8rWn497HdEjf6bRQh0HgFW_aRmHsNE2lg_IR/s320/Vivian01_lores.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabEiqHoq8SHJtkXfFAW1VI3qOSuZyGYugzwc8PBtCtYBCBeIom8ynlvmjC6CTqKVBjP1Pno6DBQJiJ8BqxAKvrDSweodK71LIPgA2pJPx6pwOQl3GVR22I6lhxqT5cDap0Z3aygZo3Pw9/s1600-h/shangri+la.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0IYtZfbibSGsh27s4k1Q2v4LuAUeuPH6B75lomwbL5jlX4JXX83takK1pAzLDkvF14MsuykodvPprIvfypdkGNGz-zCeeuV3J-Usk11laNNM-GTQA06EGt5Yro3c3dDw8GHhBCHH5gLrd/s1600-h/Vivian01_lores.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>When you spend enough time with someone who, like Cher, would rather ‘Turn Back Time’ than let's say, ‘Push Things Forward‘, like Mike the Brummie your gonna start investing your ear time in music that’s old. Of course, when your passionate about music the origins of your favourite new bands influences are just as important as their own releases.</div><div><br />Which is why, when the Vivian Girls hit up our record shops, stages and blogs in late 2008 the influences behind their Surf Rock, harmony led Girl-Group vocals were an intriguing insight into what shaped their self titled debut LP. </div><div><br />Now Vivian Girls, it must be said, have had ‘Is There Anything…’ in a bit of a pickle of late. On record, in interviews and in pose form, we love em'. Live however, we were turned to cheddar and our big, yellowy, dairy filled heads were grated right off our considerably chipped shoulders.<br /></div><div></div><div>When they supported the Black Lips back in February we did our homework. As each day passed their Brooklyn-baked output only served to heighten our excitement. 'Tell The World' had us transfixed as if we were driving down a pitch black, deserted road 10 hours into a mammoth road trip, while the sweet, honey-glazed 'Second Date' made for a perfect swoon. All was gearing up for a perfect night, until, that is, they plundered the stage, pins in hand, bubbles in sight.</div><div><br />The performance came and went with much monotony. Barely a pulse was raised, hardly a swoon in sight and neither knees nor hearts were swayed. Vivian Girls clarity and sun-soaked cooings never pierced the fuzz and drone of reverberating guitars and stark, bare and bruising beats. AND as for the banter, stopping the start of a song to ask someone to show a 1000 strong crowd a Japanese handkerchief the size of a...well, HANKERCHIEF did and still does makes my teeth do a grind of nails-on-chalkboard severity.</div><div><br />In other words, we were bitterly disappointed. But in all reality, the worlds fatality is in no way threatened because Vivian Girls had an off night on stage. And lets be fair, it could have just been an off night. There is, as in most cases, a silver lining. They still sound great on record and more importantly we've been re-introduced to one of a our favourite bands of all time thanks to the girls influences. </div><div><br />The Shangri-Las. The portrayers of teen drama induced pop of an all-girl variety. Formed in the 60's the Shangri-Las sound tracked millions of teenage lives and broke hearts the world over with 'Walking On The Sand' and ‘Leader Of The Pack'. The influence they had on a generation of adolescents was obvious, the influence on today’s bands however, not so.</div><div><br />The most obvious is the Vivian Girls. The harmonies and tambourine glistened drums are a direct connection to Shangri-Las, in particular 'Tell The World'. Perhaps not so obvious is the sway the band has on the likes of the Black Lips, The Horrors and a whole host of punk bands dating back to the 70's. </div><div><br />'Good Bad, Not Evil', the 4th LP released by the Black Lips takes it's title direct from 'Give Him A Great Big Kiss', a song which includes the line 'When I say I'm In Love, you best believe I'm In Love, L.U.V', the same line used in 'Looking For A Kiss' New York Dolls 1971 recording. </div><div><br />With regards to musical output, the Black Lips have used '200 Million Thousand' to showcase their influence further. 'I'll Be With You' is more than just a nod in their direction, as is the continual use of a Shangri-La-like drum beat, so beloved of everyone, throughout the record. </div><div><br />As for Blondie, they twice covered 'Out In The Street'. And most surprisingly of all is the pull the Shangri-Las have on The Horrors. Sited as an influence even before 'Strange House', the promise from the band and hacks alike, that the new record is peppered in Shangri-La kissed tambourine and spoken vocals is in equal parts bewildering and brilliant.</div><div><br />So beg, borrow or steal a copy of 'Leader Of The Pack' and it's quality and legend will hit you in the smacker. The class and panache that glistens throughout will leave you in no doubt that the Shangri-Las are a class apart. Hell, if this post and it's ramblings of quality bands don’t, nothing ever will.</div></div></div></div>Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-38567305588189054032009-03-24T20:21:00.008+00:002009-03-24T21:31:57.454+00:00Don your Canadian Tuxedo, Mika Miko are coming to town.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMahr6mg0-5KyRrYDZhY8_mqEhSUXGAgqjhiRa4ld-oQ3BbbN7NhJvQVziKErasoLMPL6-oKdlRjM3DmV1OU3XCf78s03IJNbrSL3C_I7C052PoZsoPlrpHa3_j_XS0hl5NCcONQ9vfwb/s1600-h/mikaaaaaa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316869379814766498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWMahr6mg0-5KyRrYDZhY8_mqEhSUXGAgqjhiRa4ld-oQ3BbbN7NhJvQVziKErasoLMPL6-oKdlRjM3DmV1OU3XCf78s03IJNbrSL3C_I7C052PoZsoPlrpHa3_j_XS0hl5NCcONQ9vfwb/s200/mikaaaaaa.jpg" border="0" /></a> Followers of our blog will know we kinda dig Mika Miko. We've got History. It started when I wrote an article on The Smell, continued when 'C.Y.S.L.A.B.F' and '666' blew our socks off and stepped up a notch when shows at The Dome and Bardens Boudouir saw us take to the stage and divulge in a two hour long cock-block of a conversation that left both of us steaming if not for very different reasons. <div><div></div><div>So you can imagine the excitement when we heard the news yesterday that not only is a new record on the horizon but so too are UK dates. And when we then found out those UK dates will be in support of the BLACK LIPS we vomited, pissed, shat, orgasamed, hyperventilated, died and was born all at the same time.</div><div></div><div>The tour kicks off at the Luminaire, London on May13th and comes to an end at the Electric Ballroom, London on May26th. You can also see the girls take to the stage in Glasgow, Brighton and all thats in between throughout the month.</div><br /><div>The album, We Be Xuxa, released on Post Present Medium, will hit the UK on May 4th and the US on May 4th. </div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-size:0;"></span></div></div>Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-58092446467623257562009-03-24T12:33:00.009+00:002009-04-02T11:21:25.766+01:00KASMS, here to Bone You. PT1<div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi8dCobbphyphenhyphenfzatoS9HWDsAGt8L6O2ebGdwWEx6A0p3oBZGEDq4eVxgo-fbS0unbQI4d5exF4ec7GFHjDvFdzaSzWm5T-cRj2Ug-Y0XyKcMu59wy1ar3hDh96sltUBlMjR0yNhvBcVHo5/s1600-h/3104012424_be4ee98fa5_b.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320035546158493426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCi8dCobbphyphenhyphenfzatoS9HWDsAGt8L6O2ebGdwWEx6A0p3oBZGEDq4eVxgo-fbS0unbQI4d5exF4ec7GFHjDvFdzaSzWm5T-cRj2Ug-Y0XyKcMu59wy1ar3hDh96sltUBlMjR0yNhvBcVHo5/s400/3104012424_be4ee98fa5_b.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Back in the heady days of 2008 this very blog predicted big things for a scene of the very darkest nature. A scene we brilliantly called Dark Wave. Basking in the cast of it's gloomy shadow, we marvelled at the brilliance of Televised <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Crimewave</span>, S.C.U.M, Lord <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Auch</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">et</span> all. One Dark Wave band however were and are firm favourites of 'Is There Anything...' and that band is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Kasms</span>. As spell-binding as they are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">scintillating</span> and as seedy as they are sultry, from day One,<br />Rachel Mary Callaghan (Vocals), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Gemma</span> Fleet (Bass), Scott R Walker (Guitar and Drums) and Ex-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Testicicles</span> Rory <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Brattwell</span> (Drums and Guitar) captured our hearts, made love to our ears and made us <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">weak</span> at the knees.<br />Dabbling in the dark arts, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Kasms</span> have emerged from the scene as the main pretenders. Cross breading post-punk with sharp and sensual <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">shriekbeat</span> the London 4-piece are stealing a march into the spring of 2009.<br />With their already finished and as of yet untitled debut album due for release before the summer <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Kasms</span> are preparing themselves for a busy year of ‘ones to watch’ proportions. Already headlining gigs across Europe, including Paris and Milan the band are playing gigs throughout the months of April and May and are taking in two festivals in that time, Camden Crawl and The Great Escape.<br />We caught up with the band in the new year at a deserted gig in North London to talk albums, ex-bands and Echo and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Bunnymen</span>.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320035635851535554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX1l6Qdit5Mqwug8ng_2S5ysdRtuGpS4J01Iu4lqYNL0Yeb92CFIqzo1U4yzLoH-oVOdLylFvNh3zq60y5ncu8tvfRN_iN3oYpOzD6qNI-ccdkUolQC9Q9r9ftoHPqOWMFXrSrUWPQvOM/s400/3104015848_3651207b46_b.jpg" border="0" />It must of been <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">weird</span> tonight, sparse crowd?</span></strong><br />(Scott) Yeah it was a little bit quite. I feel like we <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">didn'</span>t do much to publicise tonight so its our own fault really.<br />(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Gemma</span>) It's a full moon so its a very strange night.<br />(Rory) All our friends were down the road watching a band called Vivian girls. They’re really good you see and way more important than us. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Everyone</span> else was watching <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Coldplay</span> at the O2 arena.<br />(Scott) Actually <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Shakin</span> Stevens was playing the O2 I checked earlier, not that I wanted to go(Laughs) So all our fans were down there. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Shakin</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">stevens</span> at indigo. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Kasms</span> 0 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">shakin</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">stevens</span> 1. Or 2000 really.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Tonight must have been a perfect opportunity to try new stuff out and experiment a bit?</span></strong><br />(Rory) Yeah it was. I enjoyed tonight as it goes. We got the chance to play a new track, we haven't named it yet but it was good to give it an airing. We kind of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">umed</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">ared</span> about it anyway and we said we’d see on the night. So it all came good.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Was it a track off the new album?</span><br /></strong>(Scott) Yeah its the last track on the album and the last we recorded.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320035832582945314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6j764jC1KkiFIr8pENMv1ewD_2imGbZr2YXgV0XfZzbVpFOIXKLKwYnzeAZCYAQoJVtBzFKcz8zec86fU7aATKJXQoCvAG5FAIxDSw3nBr5luaSOzZjLbMFv4gme4oUtrZAMobKRvSeY/s400/3104030914_3d3656c587_b.jpg" border="0" />It must be harder to play in front of a crowd like tonight than a packed venue in a way?</strong><br /></span>(Scott) It was horrible. We all said it was a bit nerve racking before we went on and that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">doesn</span>’t normally happen to us. I used to get nervous but now <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">I'm</span> just eager to start but tonight i felt nervous. Which is strange because your more nervous when there’s less people. I suppose its that impending feeling you get when there’s a lack of sound after each song. You just go oh god <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">I'm</span> gonna tune my guitar in total silence. When we first started we played some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">really</span> small, quite gigs and everyone seemed to really hate us. They were the worst ones, nothing like tonight though.<br />(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Gemma</span>) Your making us come across really well in this interview!<br />(Scott) Its a day of honesty. And i suppose <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">that's</span> what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">kasms</span> are all about. Its true we've played some brilliant gigs and some big gigs but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">there's</span> also been times when we could have walked of and no one would have cared. At least tonight we <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">weren</span>’t shit.<br />(Rachel) Yeah we’re not completely shit anymore.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">So do you feel like you’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">ve</span> improved as a band then? It's been over a year now since your first gig.</span><br /></strong>(Rory) Yeah when we first started we were all quite novice. Rachel <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">hadn</span>’t sang in a band for 4 years, I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">hadn</span>’t drummed in a band before. Scott <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">hadn</span>’t played guitar for about 40 years(Laughs) and G<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">emma</span> had never played bass before. So we were a little bit shambolic but shambolic in a good way.<br />(Rachel) We’re never going to be a really tight band.<br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Is that a conscious decision?</strong><br /></span>(Rachel) Yeah it is. When we get to a point when we feel we’re getting tight we mix it up a bit and try something a bit different (For half the gig Rory and Scott played each others instruments).<br />(Scott) I think if one of us makes a little mistake or if we decide to deviate from the original path we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">ve</span> got to the stage as a band were we can carry on or pull it off. Before, it would be more obvious and we’d have to start again because we <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">couldn</span>’t finish the song. We all definitely feel more confident playing these songs and being members of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Kasms</span>.<br />(Rory) Absolutely. Because of the album we’re much more confident and its made us better as a band especially live. I think we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">ve</span> improved a great deal in a year.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320035729682605234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAa__NmS8QNUyEu2sdUoo3DxrnK5zDb1qMHlHV5LU9SpNjbwJHttJT_Cy-0P31yrpWuTHxhzGUKXOgB08_fcRTt2mu159Dff404OperXbh6viT6w8V1xVFQNr61uYuqxHUJaZdep8hW49d/s400/3104021846_182220b9de_b.jpg" border="0" />And how has your first year together been?</span><br /></strong>(Scott) Yeah its been good fun. I was saying its definitely just something we do that’s fun and that’s how it started. Just something to do and enjoy.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">So <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">Kasms</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">isn</span>’t a career?<br /></span></strong>(All) No.<br />(Rory) In the sense that it has gone quite well and very quickly we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">ve</span> been lucky really because very quickly we got a label, we played New York, Milan, Paris and everything sold out, including our first singles and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">EP</span>. We all started the band not really knowing how to play instruments and we instantly sounded good. Even with the new record everything was really quick. During the recording of the album we wrote two songs.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Do you have a process of writing? Do you all have a go at it?<br /></span></strong>(Rory) Yeah we do. In older bands there was a process but not in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Kasms</span>. We kinda just turn up and someone will play something then we’ll repeat it, add to it and we’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">ve</span> got a song.<br />(Scott) It all feels a bit too easy at the moment. We have rehearsals and when we need to write a song we always do.<br /><br /><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Maybe that’s a testament to how good you are as a band. How close you are.</span> </strong>(Scott) Yeah maybe we don’t want to admit how close we are but yeah I guess it does. We all live together, we’re like a family.<br /><br /><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">How did you meet?<br /></span></strong>(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_50">Gemma</span>) Dancing! I met Rory on the night I met my boyfriend dancing at a New Years party. I met Rachel dancing and I met <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_51">Scott</span> at a party.<br />(Rory) And I met Scott at a gig. We got banned, injuring people, wind milling at the front, bring back those days!<br />(Rory) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_52">Gemma</span>, tell him how you met your boyfriend?<br />(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_53">Gemma</span>) Oh I was at this New Years party, all my mates we're off with there boyfriends and I was bored so I saw this boy and just asked him if he liked Echo and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_54">Bunnymen</span> (giggles all round). As soon as he said yes I just jumped on him. We've been together ever since.<br /><br /><strong></strong><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Echo and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_55">Bunnymen</span> are one of your influences <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_56">are'nt</span> they?</span><br /></strong>(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_57">Gemma</span>) Yeah I guess so. They’re a bit noisy but we definitely take influences from them.<br />(Scott) It’s funny when you say influences because I don’t really think we sound like them and we don’t go out of our way too. We just take inspiration from them.<br />(Rory) I like more heavy punk bands, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_58">American</span> post hardcore stuff, not really heavy but a bit darker and soggier.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;">Obviously tonight was hard to gage, whats a normal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_59">kasms</span> gig? And is there a typical <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_60">kasms</span> crowd?</span></strong><br />(Scott) Well we usually have more people, honest (Laughs). We really haven’t had a quite night like this for a while. I don’t know what our normal audience is but all these trendy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_61">Shoreditch</span> kids that are supposed to like us just stand arms folded looking a bit bored. But when we play to men with suits on they go mental.<br />(<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_62">Gemma</span>) Yeah business men. I don’t want all these trendy cunts <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_63">dissin</span> us i want bald business men saying we make them feel like they’re 17 again and are having the time of their lives.<br />(Rory) At 93 feet east we had business men going nuts and these 3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_64">dreadlocked</span> French dudes telling us they were our biggest fans. Its normally the gigs we think are going to be great when we fall flat on our faces and the gigs we think will be rubbish that end up being mental.<br /><br />Keep checking the blog for part two were I discuss with Rory his former band, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_65">Testicicles</span>...</div><div></div><div>Oh, one last thing. The photo's were taken by fellow blogee Richard Anderson. We all think they're ace which is why we made em large. Just look how friggin good they are... </div></div></div>Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-60867042118561080692009-03-24T09:50:00.003+00:002009-03-24T10:32:07.715+00:00Oh the Horror...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN4VsFIoffv_a9jYgoVzq8BzmFnhCHpJGzeaFcMEmF4H6P28guu-Pr9e3V6l-lxVFcb66wWsItFWfvix55wV1Lvx8efKhbe74q6PwbXszkHT9GlCIyouxBMoakSB82ck54kynTAlega10/s1600-h/the_horrors.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316700031031355394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTN4VsFIoffv_a9jYgoVzq8BzmFnhCHpJGzeaFcMEmF4H6P28guu-Pr9e3V6l-lxVFcb66wWsItFWfvix55wV1Lvx8efKhbe74q6PwbXszkHT9GlCIyouxBMoakSB82ck54kynTAlega10/s200/the_horrors.jpg" border="0" /></a>is what I'm guessing your reaction to me posting about the Horrors was. Fair enough I guess. Unless your a 14 year old <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Topshop</span>-goth with a penchant for hairspray and eye-liner the thought of wrapping your lugs around Rotter and the Gangs <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">congealed</span> goth-tinged garage mutant might send you running to the soft embrace of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">podgy</span> one out of the Wombats.<br />BUT, dear followers ,if you've actually clicked on the link you'll know something of a change is in the air.<br />Sea Within a Sea is by all means a departure of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">gargantuan</span> proportions. I mean, it's all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Shoegaze</span> and that innit. And it's all, mature and stuff.<br />Now I know it's just one song from their immanent follow up to Strange House but as word goes, it's a fair taster of whats to come from Primary Colours.<br />Vice have already given the album a 10 out of 10, The Fly had <a href="http://www.the-fly.co.uk/words/blogs/4396/shock-horror!">this</a> to say in their blog and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">NME</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">perhaps</span> giving the more detailed analysis said this...<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=10&title=new_horrors_album_primary_colours_the_fi&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">New Horrors Album 'Primary Colours' - The First Listen</a><br />By Emily <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mackay</span><br />Posted on 13/03/09 at 05:01:20 pm<br /><br />Not much shocks us here at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">NME</span> Towers. We’re all cool and cynical, you know? Slap us in the face with an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">echidna</span>, we won’t even flinch. So the moment this album first hit our stereo like a blizzard in the summer, the dropped jaws and cries of "Shut up, this is NOT The Horrors… it can’t be!" were something to behold.<br />Here’s our first impressions of this year’s biggest surprise (due for release in May)…<br />continued...<br /><br />Mirror's Image<br />Beginning with a low, ambient, throb that’ll make you check you haven’t stuck ‘Music For Airports’ on by accident, after a minute of gentle pulsing it kicks in with an impossibly sultry Mary Chain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">bassline</span>, big Cult drums and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Faris</span>’ declamatory, goth vocal booming "walk on into the night" before a ‘Killing Moon’-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">ish</span> guitar solo (really) shoots for the heavens. We are definitely not in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Shoreditch</span> anymore, Toto.<br /><br />Three Decades<br />Ominous, doom-laden bass and clattering drums are swept up by a banshee wail of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">synth</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">swoony</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">MBV</span>-style guitars. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Gothgaze</span>? <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Shoekraut</span>? Who knows, but it’s amazing.<br /><br />Who Can Say<br />Geoff Barrow’s cavernous production is amazing, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Faris</span>' clean, shriek-free vocal cutting through rumbling, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">droney</span> bass over a steadily driving beat as a high, sweet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">synth</span> line like the ghost of lost love coos miles above, with the only trace of the band they used to be in a tambourine-kissed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Shangri</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">Las</span> spoken word mid-section.<br /><br />Do You Remember<br />This one is again more <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">shoegazey</span>, with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">gothy</span> groove like very early Stone Roses, or Echo And The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Bunnymen</span> at their slinkiest. The romanticism of the lyrics is another surprise, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Faris</span> earnestly crying "I will cross the ocean, I will be with you soon".<br /><br />New Ice Age<br />Probably the scariest of all the tracks, this dark psychedelic dirge recalls Bauhaus via the rabid aggression of Killing Joke, ending in a wash of funereal organ.<br />Scarlet <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">FieldsWith</span> a throbbing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">bassline</span> oddly reminiscent of U2’s ‘With Or Without You’, this is romantic and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">shoegazey</span>, with screes of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">MBV</span>/Sonic Youth guitar textures, as sweet as they are scouring.<br /><br />I Only Think Of You<br />With that BOOM-boom-boom-chick ‘Be My Baby’ beat so beloved of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">shoegazers</span> the world over, this is a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">doomy</span> ballad from the edge of obsession, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Faris</span> booming "you know if I lose you I’ll go mad" like a young Ian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">McCulloch</span>.<br /><br />I Can't Control Myself<br />An unstable <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">psychobillyish</span> cousin of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Spiritualized</span>’s 'Come Together', as sexy as it is psychotic.<br /><br />Primary Colours<br />The most upbeat and traditional of the tracks, this has something of Interpol-via-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Asobi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Seksu</span> about it, but much, much cleverer than that.<br /><br />Sea Within A Sea<br />An eight-minute Spacemen 3-meets-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_40">Neu</span>! odyssey of ominous <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_41">motorik</span> rhythms, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_42">Faris</span>’ mournful incantations and an expanding <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_43">starfield</span> of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_44">synths</span>.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316699484438795330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9zfecbvwn6o8CAakLo4Hc1ZonFqQnExFgVMN7wybeK55Wx_hKhrFYUlbXlTN6-N5peZRLBSS4lwCVgTHbgS6Zt7Bd310HYaKnhdjbgvjbAK5mNTM2b2BcxOb_h-fkhrYY1iy5KVELx6Vr/s200/the+horrors.jpg" border="0" />So, as we click our <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_45">Cuban</span> heels into spring it looks like The Horrors have sprung the biggest surprise of 2009. Primary Colours is released on May 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_46">th</span> and with it <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_47">I'm</span> sure will be a whole host of opinions clinging to it's coat-tails. I'm fairly sure, judging by Sea Within a Sea it's gonna be full of bangers but as we're dealing with the most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_48">Marmityish</span> of bands It will never to far away from it's haters, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_49">aint</span> that right Richard?Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-64537647908713263042009-03-23T20:32:00.005+00:002009-03-25T10:46:55.735+00:00Just a couple of things...This...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhmKNBBp3OU&feature=player_embedded">The Maccabees-No Kind Words</a><br /><br />and this...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thehorrors.co.uk/">The Horrors-Sea Within a Sea</a><br /><br />Yeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh booooiiiiii!Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-13676469424996028732009-03-23T20:13:00.007+00:002009-03-25T10:45:16.198+00:00USA-The Underground State of AmericaThere was a time last summer when you couldn't throw a half-eaten pretzel in Brooklyn without hitting a check-shirted Indie-boy square in the smacker.<br />Likewise, in LA you couldn't lob a diamante collared Chihuahua without flattening a Z-listed heiress.<br />From the outside world the parallels between the two cities seemed vastly different if not non-existent.<br />Brooklyn was rife with individuality and soon, musically, it became a hub of creativity. Band after band emerged from an underground scene laced with talent and broke into the consciousness of not just the industry but fans alike.<br />In the space of a few months Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer and MGMT all released critically acclaimed albums, played festivals worldwide and took American alternative music by the scrotum and gave it a lease of life not seen since the emergence of The Strokes circa 2000.<br />It was an extraordinary time for music and in-particular Brooklyn. Not for decades has a city reveled in such a rich vein of form when creating a vast array of music and bands of startling quality.<br />If the same was being said of LA however, it was being done by those in the know. On the surface the Plastics, Arnie's Army and those still clinging on to the hope 'Chinese Democracy' was on the cusp of brilliance were still polluting the Hollywood air.<br />Scratch below the surface though and it was evident something special was simmering. A community was forming; a creative community that was light years apart from the celebrity culture that filled the gossip columns and stunk up uptown.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316481566314385698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxYZGYUCjWHealXm16399d_nLXwAGtTLx6vy1t01WwzJLJJtLQ4eImLZ-S_D_wIXSYyjSRb-uPH8w_QlLDkJ3XDOkkaWCFc_WpRChRn4CK6dLMtN7exOrI4SSDQJeBTCDUT4p9sARBIXu/s200/the+smell.jpg" border="0" />At the forefront of the movement was The Smell, a community orientated art and music centre. Open to all ages and devoid of all alcohol, The Smell conformed to only its own rules and in doing so became a venue as vital as any in America.<br />Its sole purpose, to create an environment of creativity and artistic innovation and freedom meant it became a hot bed for raw talent to grow as artists and a place to hang for those disillusioned with a town teetering on the edge of tedium.<br />Founded in 1998 by Jim Smith, a union organizer, and two partners, The Smell took the occupancy of an old Mexican grocery store and dedicated its principles to the ethics of D.I.Y. Those ethics are still as much alive today as they were 10 years ago. Completely non-profitable, the venue is run by volunteers who have a hand in everything from working on the vegan stall to doing sound for gigs. This freedom, one that allows anyone to try their hand at anything, is inevitably why there's such a wave of creativity and diversity that submerges The Smell. And this creativity and diversity is no more evident than in the musical output it creates.<br />When classing The Smell as a community centre, which it is, the one thing you do have to consider is it’s like no other on the planet. In no other city in the US and in no town in Britain will you find a band better than No Age emerge from a youth club/community centre.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316480949489664434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEXU4ZCB4koisYyFLMf6eYDzXXhZnXMy-BuiCzr3G9xiCGY0fjqfZuDrDlGjO2DSAM2eomlL5Ud2gfQJC96xK3wNjJLfr-f5Xa5Umwv67dCUN3Sj3-Eg4YZnIyMFFMc98WhIAhr_mZjNY/s200/no+age.bmp" border="0" />No Age are The Smell's darlings. Formed six years ago as Wives, a hardcore punk band inspired by LA's 80s hardcore scene, Randy Randall (Guitar) and Dean Spunt (Drums) played their first proper gig at The Smell as No Age in April 2006 and from there they grew from strength to strength as did their relationship with The Smell. Randall told music journo, Drew Tewksbury "The Smell is where we got to experiment and find what kind of a band we wanted to be. It pushed the boundaries of whatever ideas we had about music and we had the community to try these new ideas".<br />And these new ideas were unashamedly linked to The Smell in every which way. On March 26th 2007, No Age recorded five different limited edition vinyl singles and EP's releasing them on five different record labels. As well as being a different colour, the back of each sleeve portrayed a different letter that, when you collected them all, spelt out No Age. Within three months of releasing the singles and EPs the band released their debut album Weirdo Rippers, a collections of songs taken from the EPs and freshly recorded tracks. Released on Fat Cat Records, the cover of the album featured the exterior of The Smell, re-painted and re-designed to spell out No Age and Weirdo Rippers. Although never officially done as a gesture of thanks to the band, the act showed how tight the community and No Age were and still are. The exterior to this day still bares their name and with more and more exposure coming the venue's way Randall recently helped mine trenches in the venues concrete floor so that a second bathroom could be built to accommodate an ever expanding crowd.<br />Weirdo Rippers received rave reviews and it wasn't long before a battle to sign the band materialised. Emerging from the scrap victorious was Sub Pop. Famous throughout the 90's for being home to Nirvana and the heavyweights of the grunge scene. From there No Ages popularity and abilities grew from strength to strength.<br />A 23-date tour with New York band Liars saw them play venues bigger than they've ever played and to crowds as far removed from LA underground scene as imaginable. And a return to their spiritual home saw the band showcase the scintillating shoegaze-punk sounds of Nouns, the bands eagerly awaited second album, with a gig at The Smell that will go down in LA music’s folklore.<br />In the crowd that night were The Smells new breed and a collection of bands that have grown with No Age amongst the confines of the venues graffiti strewn walls.<br />Mika Miko, Abe Vigoda, Health, BARR and The Mae Shi have all shared stages, record labels, tours and the success of being under the most prolific radar this side of the 21st century. While The Mae Shi have previously slipped under said radar, the growing success and emerging recognition of the venue means they could be on the verge of penetrating the underground, even though they're already 6 years and 4 albums into their career.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316482242137010114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucNyThRV-n-I6dEha2DnVUKjYXBEVXhwm5mMueJqW92ch71CfVS9w15D1qnhf240GoSfKOEVQWKqc0_zVRUiEWICbbO9P-YsPly_9IkZstTka5v9z8bwUi6izswfecyTl4Q_CCYIJbA8i/s200/mikamiko.jpg" border="0" />Abe Vigoda and Mika Miko on the other hand are, along with No Age, the scenes rawest talents.<br />Deeply ingrained in the fabric of what makes the LA music scene tick, Abe Vigoda and Mika Miko are the best punk bands coming out of the US let alone LA. And it's a brand of punk that could only ever be contrived from the reaches of the freedom and accessibility LA affords its young musicians and artists.<br />Abe Vigoda have been spreading their tropicalyptic punk nuggets to the deepest darkest parts of LA, taking in the un-traditional venues but always keeping the community allegiance with Mika Miko and No Age. A week rarely went by without all three bands sharing the same bill and even taking to the stage together. The sheer volume of videos on You Tube will pay testament to that.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316482801374403026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 133px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcaTRgL-ekhcKBB4ffHovk6oNXtpUbQnwNIcUpADP0Wa1GKVd4LUxtsIxq8_st17GeN27XnN4DBNOjyTlFRyY0yOYYjVFHKW5owxCE7VjcDduE8LZvKrXQHTGS9pMwXCQBdQlhH5LdCmu/s200/abe_vigoda.jpg" border="0" />Coming on like the demented alta-ego of Vampire Weekend, Abe Vigoda have ridden The Smell’s waft to Europe and beyond on the back of Skeleton, their third LP offering. Dense with atmospheric percussion, chilling ambience and a steel drum afro-pop layer, Skeleton has been Abe Vigoda’s golden ticket.<br />Opening for Vampire Weekend for their autumn tour, December now see’s them taking to the streets of London, Paris, Berlin and beyond for a much anticipated winter tour.<br />And following in their footsteps will be Mika Miko a bunch of girls as equally beautiful, brash and brutal as any you’re likely to see on the streets of LA. While No Age, Mika Miko’s self professed band of brothers, are the most accomplished band to come out of The Smell, Mika Miko are undeniably the most exhilarating live. Rarely comprehensible yet always mesmerizing. Their concoction of The Slits-cum-Germs scatter-punk leaves you on the verge of a panic attack but drags you back with its slick rhythm and driving raw power.<br />Formed in 2003, the band has gone through a number of line-up changes but has recently settled on group as tight as Beth Ditto in a sub-merged spandex g-string. Jessie Clavin, Jenna Thornhill, Jennifer Clavin, Kate Hall and Michelle Suar now make up the 5 piece band who, with Abe Vigoda, will be hitting up Europe this winter in the lead up to what looks to be an exhausting year of tour the world and releasing their third full-length LP.<br />So, move over Brooklyn. It seems there is life beyond Brooklyn Bridge after all.<br />When thinking of musical movements you’d be hard pressed not to reminisce. With alternative music now being so accessible thanks to the internet and the ever growing popularity of Indie music. It seemed impossible for another movement to ever capture the excitement and buzz the LA underground scene has today. In recent years we’ve had to contend with the bland schmindie of the Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks and all those other dour lifeless bands that fill the supermarket shelves and blast out the Topman stereo. Now, thanks to the incredible spirit, work ethic and values of bands, promoters, venues and record labels we finally have a culture to be proud of and a movement we can relate to and submerge ourselves in.<br />If you ever thought anything cool could ever come out again? Or if you’ve prayed for a scene you can believe. The City of Angels have, in the most spectacular way possible, answered those prayers.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Daniel WadeDaniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-55856594468873857432009-02-25T10:41:00.002+00:002009-02-25T14:46:34.780+00:00Richard Swift, The Borderline, London 24th Feb 2009Where did all the Americans come from tonight? After bemoaning the fact no one danced and that he'd have to tell 'the folks back home' Swift asked how many Americans were in the audience and as turned out nearly everyone was. It might have only been the few locals in the crowd who understood the irony.<br /><br />Swift's support came from First Aid Kit who delivered a duet of sweet Joanna Newsom vocals, tributed the ubiquitous Fleet Foxes and 187'd Dylan. Also supporting were the polished and stripped down Leisure Society looking like credit-crunched-banker-folkers and professionally surging through some of the worst titled songs ever opening with Pancake Day But seriously, Leisure Society did put in a great effort as support, lilting rhythms flecked with flute and an array of stringed instruments.<br /><br />Swift himself was clearly carried on a wave of self-confidence. Every step and line calmly assured and flanked by his band with a similar sense of confident stagecraft. As the current catalogue of Richard Swift crosses musical genres the set swayed from the slower jumpy numbers saturated with LA smog into coarse swamp rock leaving the crowd with no particular pace to follow. Perhaps the boldest move on Swift's part was to leave us on a down tempo one song encore which unexpectedly pulled the gig back from a dissappointing sub-Al Green end.<br /><br />I'll post some pics when I find them.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-30670584740346015752009-02-12T22:56:00.019+00:002009-02-17T18:31:42.142+00:00The musical revolution will be blogafied...if we can be bothered that is.<div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">If there was any proof 2008 was a year replete with fantastical and grandiose music our top five list was it. </span></div><div align="left"><br /><span style="color:#000000;">The sheer range of exciting and diverse albums picked by you, the readers, told a story of a thousand words and indicated that as we venture further into a nanny state where we are constantly told what to wear, eat, listen to and watch.. Your taste in music is utterly dependent on no one but yourself and that is, in no uncertain terms, a marvellous thing.<br />Maybe it’s because music is so accessible now but the success of some albums by bands rarely given the light of day by the most cloth-eared of publications shows that we’re constantly striving for that something new, untested and forward thinking. </span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><em></em></span></div><div align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span></div><p align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">‘Saint Dymphna’ by Gang Gang Dance coming in at number two is a prime example as is the emergence of Abe Vigoda’s ‘Skeleton’ at number three. The fact Abe Vigoda have only emerged in the past 6 months due to the success of a community centre in LA shows how far and wide we’re searching for good music.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="color:#000000;">Of course the likes of Kings Of Leon, Elbow, TV On The Radio and Radiohead frequenting our list is obvious but they are, in their own right, good solid albums and fully deserve to grace any list published in the past month or so. </span></p><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#000000;"></span></em></div><span style="color:#000000;"></span><p align="center"><span style="color:#000000;"></span></p><span style="color:#000000;">One trend that was evident throughout 2008 was that all the best music was made by our friends over the pond. Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Santogold and White Denim were just a few of many that not only made our list but lists of publications on both sides of the Atlantic.<br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Just as pant wetting though was the goings on in a local community centre situated in downtown LA. ‘The Smell’ unequivocally produced the most exciting, hip and awe-inspiring scene this side of the Twentieth century.<br />Existing on a foundation of volunteers of all ages and a spirit of innovation and creativity up-held by everyone from the bands to the doormen via the vegan stall venders to the sound engineers. The Smell sprang to prominence in 2008 as a hub of magnificence and excellence showcasing a rosta of bands so good it made the Old Blue Last look like a breeding ground for the next Wombats.<br />Of the bands hitting up Hollywood three emerged as the main pretenders. Abe Vigoda, No Age and Mika Miko all made music fresher than any released before them. Check out the blog this weekend for an article that I wrote for Seven over the festive period dedicated to the The Smell and all it’s wonder.</span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">As for 2009? Well if a chat with a A&R man for Rough Trade records was anything to go by then all the right noises will once again come from the US.<br />While some publications cling to the tailcoats of doom mongers White Lies and the shoulder pads of 80’s obsessed La Roux. Those with just an ounce of class will realise the DIY ethics of Micachu and The Shapes, let’s Wrestle and Televised Crimewave are where it’s at. Although, the fact it took me 20 minutes to even come up with those says it all.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><div align="center"><em><span style="color:#000000;"></span></em></div><br /><span style="color:#000000;">The States however have Women, Wetdog, Telepathe and King Khan and the BBQ Show to name but a fucking Trillion to make your knees go all wibbaly wobbly. It’s not fair is it? But you shouldn’t give a shit. You’ll still get to hear em and I’ll put my hat on them smashing up our shores throughout the year. </span><br /><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000000;">So what you need to do is keep checking the blog for our definitive guide to the best British and American bands to make sexy noises in your ear ‘oles this year. HIGH FIVES YA'LL!!</span>Daniel Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307189978779506673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-55581308995495964852009-02-10T19:52:00.003+00:002009-02-10T22:20:18.506+00:00Soundtrack to the WinterErr... where did January go?<br /><br />I spent mine mostly holed up indoors. Log fire, Sailor Jerry's, Articulate, crossword, Playstation and (to get to the point) DVD player.<br /><br />Usual form is to watch a movie then get obsessed with it's genre for a week and scour eBay for others of it's kind. Most recently the post-apocalyptic-last-man-on-earth-is-not-alone genre has become the focus - it started with 'The Omega Man (1971)' with Charlton Heston and hasn't finished yet. For the best part of January - and with credit to an enthusiasts... enthusiasm (...er?) - it was John Carpenter.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ouZkkIsLiNg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ouZkkIsLiNg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />You've seen so many John Carpenter movies even if you missed the clue in the title of nearly all of them - 'John Carpenter's... (197*)' - and the more you see the greater the bond between them. The hook for me was (getting to the point again) the soundtrack. Every one, including the ones he didn't compose the music for, has a distinct sound that becomes something of a signifier for his work as an auteur - incidentally the music for 'The Thing (1982)' is composed by soundtrack legend Ennio Morricone.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rkZYTg5iM18&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rkZYTg5iM18&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />For the most part you find sustained analogue synths accompanied by seventies style guitar licks, eschewing the gratuitous porn style for something far more atmospheric. Considering the mystical, supernatural vein of Carpenter's work the soundtrack conveys the message. It's akin to other classic horror scores - notably Italian band Goblin who were commisioned for Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead (1978)' - in that as standalone music it plays beautifully against the Krautrock sound so prevailent in that era but lacks a commercial tone.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VpAAQrJ93w8&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VpAAQrJ93w8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Having said that John Carpenter does stray into camp eighties Giorgio Moroder territory. Even releasing a bit of it for the infamous Kurt Russell-fest 'Big Trouble in Little China (1986).<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D03E9kUTTtQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D03E9kUTTtQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Now, as the seventies comes back around as a forecasted trend this summer, the sound is filtering into new music. Zombie Zombie have a krautrock style well appropriated to a Paris-Shoreditch movement - their post-modern G.I.Joe/The Thing video kick-started a lot of this post. A proper slow burning disc for me has been Principles of Geometry's album 'Lazare (2008)' (French too), it has all the hallmarks of a John Carpenter score but with the introduction of polite MC-ing and collaboration from Eurovision's own Sebastien Tellier. Further, the guy from MVE (who has begun putting aside the random Italian bootleg Goblin CDs for me) put me onto Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom 'The Days of Mars (2005)' from DFA. They have clearly squirrelled themselves away for a few years, and aren't exactly shop music, with a 4 track album of 12 minute songs using multiple samples of live keyboards.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rT7AH4JyuNs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rT7AH4JyuNs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Hopefully amongst the new albums out this year they'll be a bit more from these retroactive-progressive artists and it'll be interesting if us Brits have anything too. It would mean a lot more to sink teeth into and an opportunity to broaden the adventure.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-6354430204429643832008-12-22T21:00:00.002+00:002008-12-23T16:04:23.432+00:00So long Astoria<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep2Un9BhUVZKaNQmOldfSD20bYfSyQULiyR724blc10EZCc_3bG9fT27GDkeXmJBHXZxk9dnG5REinDY2vzEKTLTjcRnpmGFU0ISdcHCF1KFC7BdN0mW9npPdK5eCOpMLcV4ioypmDYs/s1600-h/_39228814_astoria_pa_story203.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiep2Un9BhUVZKaNQmOldfSD20bYfSyQULiyR724blc10EZCc_3bG9fT27GDkeXmJBHXZxk9dnG5REinDY2vzEKTLTjcRnpmGFU0ISdcHCF1KFC7BdN0mW9npPdK5eCOpMLcV4ioypmDYs/s400/_39228814_astoria_pa_story203.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5282618567630559154" border="0" /></a>Well, this is it folks. London's Astoria, a live performance venue since 1976, is to <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/nme/41793">close its doors for good on Thursday 15th January</a>.<br /><br />In March this year, then mayor Ken Livingstone <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/mar/13/news">confirmed rumours</a> that the theatre was to be bulldozed to make way for the <a href="http://www.westminster.gov.uk/environment/planning/ldf/spds/planning-briefs/crossrail/tcr-east.cfm">Crossrail underground line</a>, despite loud protests and a <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/savethea/">petition</a> of more than 35,000 signatures. Livingstone alleged at the time that a new live music venue would be built in the area to replace the Astoria, but will Boris Johnson honour that promise.... don't hold your breath.<br /><br />In a double blow, nearby flea pit the Metro is also to close. Organizer of their infamous Blow Up night, Paul Tunkin, <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/41359">told NME</a>, "At present we are looking for new premises to relocate the venue to but have yet to find one suitable. Ultimately it is another nail in the coffin for central London's live music and club scene."<br /><br />You'd been hard pushed to find a music fan in greater London who has never been to the Astoria, first built as pickle factory and <a href="http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/AstoriaTheatreCharingCrossRoad.htm">converted into a cinema in 1927</a>. The legendary venue has <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/mar/13/news">hosted early gigs</a> by the likes of Nirvana and Radiohead and is first choice for big names such as the Rolling Stones who are looking for a more intimate spot than their usual stadiums and cattle sheds.<br /><br />Barry Hyde, the lead singer of the Futureheads, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/mar/13/news">spoke thus</a> of the venue: "Venues should be dirty, they should be a bit smelly because smelly things happen in venues. Sweaty people had fun and the Astoria was always something you’d look forward to."<br /><br />***UPDATE***<br /><br />And the <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/41825">last ever party at the Astoria</a> is going to be hosted by..... <a href="http://manumission.com/ibiza-club-live-performance-party-clubbing-world-best-amnesia-summer-sexy-girls-2008/">Manumission</a>?!? You mean infamous Ibiza party night Manumission? Really?!? Apparently there's going to be "a fusion of rock and dance acts" (for "dance" read "90s era rave") and "a carnival of cabaret", presumably with their standard "<a href="http://www.fantazia.org.uk/Scene/orgs/manumission.htm">bleeding edge sexuality</a>". See you there... or not.<!--#include file="m63-article-related-attachements.html"-->Helen Jaqueshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00100245108392252512noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1537842355016471716.post-74766647453763639122008-12-18T20:20:00.005+00:002008-12-29T07:20:45.217+00:00What Is The Best Album of 2008?I really wanted to do a top 5 albums of 2008. Every magazine / website / blog has done one to at least 50. All I wanted was 5. I asked 68 people for their top 5 in order to get some balance – the NME did so with their writers and metacritic did it with every review available – and no one would commit to an order of preference. I completely understood when Dan and I were pushed provide our own submissions.<br /><br />The problem with, and beauty of, this method was that the selection was pretty broad including artists I’d never heard of, records I’d decided I just wouldn’t like, some obvious inclusions, drum and bass, releases from 2007(?), and John Legend. I certainly didn’t predict the results.<br /><br />I’ll cut to the chase. The list.<br /><br />The Album of the Year!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/tv_on_the_radio-dear_science-cover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/tv_on_the_radio-dear_science-cover.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />TV On The Radio ‘Dear Science’<br /><br />Second Best Album of the Year!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://betterpropaganda.com/images/artwork/Saint_Dymphna-Gang_Gang_Dance_480.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 292px;" src="http://betterpropaganda.com/images/artwork/Saint_Dymphna-Gang_Gang_Dance_480.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Gang Gang Dance ‘Saint Dymphna’<br /><br />Third Best Album of the Year!!<br /><br />Abe Vigoda ‘Skeleton’<br />Fleet Foxes ‘S/T’<br />Lil’ Wayne ‘Tha Carter III’<br />Metronomy ‘Nights Out’<br />MGMT ‘Oracular Spectacular’<br />Santogold ‘S/T’<br />Vampire Weekend ‘S/T’<br />Zombie Zombie ‘A Land For Renegades’<br /><br />Fourth Best Album of the Year!!<br /><br />Benga ‘Diary of an Afro Warrior’, Born Ruffians ‘Red, Yellow, Blue’, Danny Byrd ‘Supersize’, Death Cab For Cutie ‘Narrow Stairs’, Deerhunter ‘Microcastles’, Elbow ‘The Seldom Seen Kid’, Empire of the Sun ‘S/T’, Flight of the Concourds ‘S/T’, Goldfrapp ‘7th Tree’, Grace Jones ‘Hurricane’, Harvey Milk ‘Life… The Best Game In Town’, The Hold Steady ‘Stay Positive’, John Legend ‘Evolver’, Jose James ‘Dreamer’, Justice ‘The Cross’, Kanye West ‘808s & Heartbreak’, Kings of Leon ‘Only By The Night’, Langhorne Slim ‘S/T’, London Elektricity ‘Syncopated City’, Marnie Stern ‘This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That’, Neon Neon ‘Stainless Style’, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ‘Dig Lazarus, Dig!’, Radiohead ‘In Rainbows’, Rosin Murphy ‘Overpowered’, These New Puritans ‘Beat Pyramid’, Veronica Maggio ‘Och vinnaren är’, Vetiver ‘Thing of the Past’, White Denim ‘Workout Holiday’, Why? ‘Alopecia’<br /><br />That's right, 29 albums drawn for 4th place.<br /><br />What is clear is that 'Best of...' lists are a good example of bad journalism, wasting ten pages in an issue of The Word or NME just to rehash reviews from earlier in the year. You never agree with their No. 1, often it's tough to agree with anything in their top 5 depending on the publication, even when it's unbiased - metacritic summarised Coldplay as the best album in 2008 and it's not even in our list neither is Bon Iver.<br /><br />Hopefully what our list will do is remind some of us of those albums we never got round to getting - I finally bought Neon Neon after weeks of drifting in and out of Sister Ray Records - and convince us to give some time to those we cast aside - I will give Fleet Foxes a chance, I promise.<br /><br />Thank you so much to everyone who dedicated 5 minutes of their time.Richard Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16946675057008981778noreply@blogger.com2