Tuesday 29 September 2009

Scary Mansion- Make me cry (2009)



Scary Mansion- Make me cry (2009)

01. No Law
02. Over the Weekend
03. Yer Grief
04. Fatal Flaw
05. 1%
06. Mighty
07. Scum Inside
08. On My Mind
09. Look Through Your Eyes [bonus track]


IRP favourite scary mansion's fragile, catpoweresque vocals return. I haven't heard it but the first album was incredible, I doubt this is any different

Monday 28 September 2009

Radiohead and the hollow earth theory

This might on the surface seem like an insane, abstract, loosely linked and perhaps pointless post but man it's been coming!















Feeling pulled apart by horses/Hollow earth

I like reading about crackpot theories but my favourite thing is to read about stories that have some supposedly credible "high up in the military guy who has since been fired and sworn to secrec" accounts whether this be the dark side of the moon theory, the city in the sky or gateways in tibet. The reason I dig them is I view them as fiction and it gives you a bit of escapism thinking man if all this is going on then this bullshit world is actually kind of irrelevant :)

This theory comes about when a guy ventured to the centre of the earth a few hundred years ago, came back, went crazy, told a guy about it on his death bed who then wrote a book about it. This book is available on the net, it's called the smokey god and is a really pleasant read about a eutopia within our own world. Also supposed Nasa proof. Wikipedia.

I haven't listened to the songs by the way which is why I said at the start this blog might seem a little pointless. ha.

Saturday 26 September 2009

NME Radar Tour Starter Pack Pt. II
















Yes Giantess

I've gotten to know these guys a little better as they're on twitter, as is marina of the diamonds. They're from Boston, MA, have toured with little boots and are twitter pals with ellie goulding. Once again there's quite a lot of keyboards and rhythm. They, at times sound a little like the flight of the conchords doing a michael jackson impression singing indie, whether that's a bad thing or not is up to you but that's actually quite a good combination. It's sexy stuff and catchy but with lyrics like "slip through my hand like soft ice cream" they're not going for the introspective they're just here for the good times, probably best to join them.

Tuff N Stuff
You were young
















Local Natives

One thing I must mention is Local Natives have a HUGE following in L.A and after listening to airplanes for the first time since my first time the other day, I realised I still remembered it after all that time it's that relentless. They have a great style about their percussion and using the wind and strings to elevate it to new heights, along with the lead guys versatile voice and effective delivery. In that way they can probably be grouped with vampire weekend, the inventive vocalisation adding another element to the cerebral effect that the group create. Other reviews i've read echo these sentiments as well as lavishing praise on their professionalism which I always love to hear about for one reason or another.

Airplanes
Sun Hands

_________________________________________________

So in conclusion i'm excited about all four of these bands equally and for different reasons! It's going to be an amazing tour so enjoy it all guys it's unique in the way that you get four acts all together for the whole time. I'll see you in oxford and maybe warwick uni depending on how perilous my situation becomes ;)

Friday 25 September 2009

The NME Radar Tour Starter Pack Pt. I


















The radar tour (formerly new noise and new music) is my favourite nme event. It kicks off tomorrow night in my native Oxford. Now I've never gone to an awards tour or the one that had arctic monkeys, franz ferdinand and this year glasvegas, entirely through choice as the they sell out really quickly and it all seems a little too organised and above all, commercialised.

The radar tour on the other hand tends not to be so much the bands that are going to be winning brit awards and that johnathon ross is going to say is the "best band i've heard this year" but more bands that you'll fall in love with that one night and have as your little secret for the next few years, seeing them many times for around £8. The epitome of this for me is young knives, the long blondes and rumble strips all of whom have nice healthy, devoted fanbases but if you talk to a lager drinker or a rnb enjoyer, they'll have no idea and will probably call you out about something knowing them.

You may have noticed that there was already a radar tour this year and it had popstar la roux on it. Well yes i suppose that did kind of happen but the autumn season is kicking off with four great artists, no clear headliner, all with some glorious tunes to get you in the winter mood and by that I don't mean cold and depressed..
















Marina and the diamonds

I've blogged about her 3 times already so if you follow this blog you should really be quite well acquainted with her by now. I said it quite well in my original post-

"I haven't written about this girl before because I wasn't sure if I was being swayed by just how stunningly beautiful she is. She's getting comparisons to kate nash because like she says, "I've got a keyboard and I've got a vagina". She has a deeper range which I personally dig and darker themes which are a huge plus. Some of her stuff is quite theatrical which I can only imagine will make for a great stage show, Kate Nash seemed to have very few places to go with her stuff but I can Imagine MATD will make for a killer time."

I've listened to her a little bit since then and really dig new single Mowgli's road. Seventeen gets stuck in your head easily and i am not a robot is great plus there's a couple of other nice tracks so it makes for a pretty sweet set that will definately win over a few people who pretended not to like kate nash.

Mowgli's road
Obsessions
I am not a robot
Seventeen















Golden Silvers

Yeah kinda just using the pics with the poorest lighting up in hurr. I'm pretty sure these guys will be the "headliners" as they've had an album out for a few months and there was a lot of hype about it. Describing what to expect at this gig to someone I said it would be very 80's and this is exactly where golden silvers are, a lot of keyboards and singing where there might be guitars and shouting on another day, this is of course not a criticism. We forget bands pretty quickly and the one i'm trying to remember now... Umm oh yeah- the wombats! This is so reminiscent of them and if they were to spawn with the mystery jets this is what you would get. It's all quite nice and good times, maybe not a whole lot of substance but not everything has to be dark to be morbid. "Wouldn't it be sweet if you could die from a broken heart". Besides, I'm absolutely in love with "another universe" right now, I'm pretty sure it'll be closing the night and that'll live long in the memory.

Another Universe

True Romance
Magic Touch

Thursday 24 September 2009

Monsters of folk

You know the super group that's as good as it sounds.


















Monsters of Folk (2009)


Upon first listen, it didn't blow my brains out. I mean do you reeeaaaally want that from an alt.folk album anyway right? I was ready to receive this as my album of the year to be honest, I was ready to listen to it on loop, buy it on cd, all that 20th century jazz. Unfortunately it didn't grab me. That is to say it hasn't, yet. I still hold out hope. One thing though- map of the world by conor oberst is incredible, it's up there with his best (by that I mean theme from pinata, rainy days and weather reports).

Think they've got the right balance here in terms of artists, they all have always been in it for the creative outlet and just wanted to make music together. In a fantasy, unicorn, night rainbow, planet of the nymphomaniacs dreamworld this would be conor oberst, ben gibbard, john vanderslice and rob crow but the fact of the matter is you know that wouldn't go down well and ben gibbard's voice is starting to annoy me now. There I said it. *is genuinely devastated by this revelation*

In me news: I've sneezed a lot of times today and i'm also pumped for finding a new job.

Monday 21 September 2009

Bosque Brown- baby (2009)

I quit my job in sensational fashion yesterday so shall be updating this blog a bit more lol





















Bosque Brown- Baby

This chick's voice? Dominates this album.

Yh.

Saturday 19 September 2009

No net for a couple of weeks

Every now and then you don't have the net, that's life... well that's modern life anyway. Each time I don't have it I feel like I'm behind as heck with music. This post will be short as I feel the names I'm about to drop outline just how much I'm looking forward to get back on track. All of these have been released or leaked in the past week-

Jay Z- The blue print 3
Isalnds- Vapours
Stardeath and white dwarfs- The Birth
Monsters of folk- Monsters of Folk
Sufjan Stevens- BQE
Paramore- Brand New Eyes

Also I'm torn on whether to post links as I keep getting stuff taken down and would like some feedback on whether you think this blog is still worth it without them? Thankyou for reading.

Tuesday 15 September 2009

Get back guinozzi- Carpet Madness (2009)

I've mentioned how regualrly I have favourite band's of the week and I've got to tell you, get back guinozzi are my band of the WEEK!!!













Get back Guinozzi!- Carpet Madness (2009)

GBG are sound like the spawn of metric and css. Catchy bass-lines and relatively inventive keyboard with overlaying french accented female vocals. They were brought to attention with their cover of junior murvin's track police and thieves. The french femme in question is Eglantine Gouzy a former fat cat solo artist who formed this band with pal Fred Landini and are releasing this album with fat cat records in october. The link however is above, in september, what a world we live in. It's the perfect summery record to soundtrack the fall and eventual winter.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

My toys like me- Where we are (2009)


















My toys like me- Where we are (Last.fm)

01. Superpowers
02. Sick Couple
03. Sweetheart
04. Barnaby
05. All Over My Face
06. Grin & Wriggle
07. Making Fire
08. Skylights
09. Quiet Please
10. Bats
11. Young Lovers

Monday 7 September 2009

Reading/Leeds reviews

This blog has been in my drafts for almost a week it's time I got it out there-

I've read a few reviews of this moneycow-milking excuse for a festival weekend and most of them have been omg radiohead. omg arctic monkeys. omg kings of leon. etc. And then been- oh I went to see this band I've never heard of and they were shit so I went to watch florence and the machine who was really pretty.

Kinda soul destroying but then that's what these corporate festivals are for, just putting big names on a stage having them play their greatest hits and charging people with less musical knowledge than your grandma £250 to stand a mile away from them so they can say they saw whoever happens to be being rimmed by radio one at the time.

Anyway I have a few people I trust on the inside and these bands have been highlighted to me-




















The old romantic killer band

One guy on last.fm-

"Intense live. Sang till he puked, was impressive stuff "

Quite the testomonial right? And I don't doubt it for a second, the guy (Harry Johns) sounds like he puts everything he's got into his performance even on the acoustic recordings on the album, the link i've provided... HERE!

It's very easy to write a review of a band by saying the sound like or are reminscent of or would sound like the spawn of etc and I don't know kings of leon that well but that's who these guys remind me of they seem to be the right side (in my opinion) of metal not that I endorse kings of leon but I do endorse this kind of well written, well rocked... rock.




















Punch and the apostles

Reccomended by the girl I went to truck with, I ripped these tracks myself so they're pretty hard to find non-streaming wise. They are a seven piece and with that all manner of instruments and energies join together to create a cacophony of musical styles blended together to make a deliberately contradictory sound that is in a way, unique but also reminiscent of the album "destroyer's rubies" by destroyer I would say these guys heard it, and thank fuck they did!

Asylum
Neuf Janvier
Tie me to the mast












Sweethead (album)

Something that bothers me a little tiny bit is every now and then I'll come across a band and think they're awesome and go to check them out and realise I already did like 8 months ago. This confuses me for many many reasons- do the band not have the staying power? is my memory that bad? Is someone else using my last.fm? All these questions rage, but only one thing rages more and that is sweethead! I'm also going to see them next month supporting eagles of death metal there'll be a review up because EODM confuse me and I really dig sweethead.

Saturday 5 September 2009

Frank Turner- Poetry of the deed (2009)


















Frank Turner- Poetry of the deed

I haven't reeeeally written about frank turner yet but here it is, all this pent up frank turner related opinions are about to be vented.

Me and mr turner have a complex relationship. I was first introduced to him at truck last year when he critisised fighting with wire during his performance calling them "a bunch of cunts" before getting booed and having stuff thrown at him by fans and the band themselves. I left figuring you had to be a pretty huge bastard to get booed at truck.

Roll on a year later and I hear a rumour frank turner is going to play a secret gig at truck under a different name, I vent my views to people and they say it probably wasn't meant that way and I should give him another chance. Anyway now I love frank turner, I'm pretty much taking a cue from him in terms of how i'm recording and what gigs i'm looking to play.

Basically The Funk Tanker is from Oxford, he's a brilliant poet and represents a certain part of our generation, you should probably embrace that.

  1. Live Fast Die Old
  2. Try This At Home
  3. Dan's Song
  4. Poetry Of The Deed
  5. Isabel
  6. The Fastest Way Back Home
  7. Sons Of Liberty
  8. The Road
  9. Faithful Son
  10. Richard Divine
  11. Sunday Nights
  12. Our Lady Of The Campfire
  13. Journey Of The Magi

Thursday 3 September 2009

The asteroids galaxy tour- Fruit (2009)


















The asteroids galaxy tour- Fruit

Been waiting on an album from these guys for almost a year now. Quite bravely titled "fruit" after their breakthrough track was featured on an ipod commercial and therefore played to death. It was a brilliant track though and definately made you want more, well this is it; 10 tracks of glorious as ever swedish pop, one of two things you can rely on those guys for. The other thing (hot blondes) is also a staple of the band.

I've just listened to the album and it's brilliant. Everything that was great about that track is spread salubriously over the other 9 tracks. This album is perfect future pop but manages to sound like the B52s comeback album of 2072, I cannot speak any higher of this album it is magnificent and fun and an absolute pleasure to listen to caressing a multitude of senses. De yourself a favour.

1. Lady Jesus 3:44
2. The Sun Ain't Shining No More 3:37
3. Push The Envelope 4:02
4. Satellite 3:37
5. Crazy 3:55
6. The Golden Age 3:50
7. Around The Bend 3:47
8. Sunshine Coolin' 3:07
9. Hero 4:11
10. Bad Fever 4:30

Tuesday 1 September 2009

Mountain Goats - The Life Of The World To Come (2009)

I worked 50 hours last week, went to the gym every day, went to some killer gigs AND also took care of business and yet I still updated the blog regularly. Well things are slowing down now and some great albums have been leaked, first up-


















The Mountain Goats – The Life Of The World To Come

  1. “1 Samuel 15:23″
  2. “Psalms 40:2″
  3. “Genesis 3:23″
  4. “Philippians 3:20-21″
  5. “Hebrews 11:40″
  6. “Genesis 30:3″
  7. “Romans 10:9″
  8. “1 John 4:16″
  9. “Matthew 25:21″
  10. “Deuteronomy 2:10″
  11. “Isaiah 45:23″
  12. “Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace”
Kiiiiinda biblical track names eh?