Album of the year: Fanfarlo- Reservoir

Big surprise right?! When I think about 2009 I'll think of them. Here are some of outroversion's testemonial's from the past year-

"Dreampop, it's one of those abstract nondescript genres that still seems to fit some bands perfectly, this is one. Great for the summer, they're a mixture between the floatysunshinecatchiness of empire of the sun and the rhythmic intrumentation consciousness of an arcade fire. I really like these guys, they are probably the band that i've been most excited to discover in this blog, they really make stunning music. In the trunk is when it really struck me. Unbelievably endorphene inducing" ~ Outroversion, 25th March 2009

"YEEAAAHH!!! I know i've gone on and on about fanfarlo but I think they're going to be massive. I'm seeing them in a couple of weeks, the night before I leave for france. This track emphasises all they're great for; haunting backing, deep bass, high strings, introspective lyrics, hopeful sounding vocals with intense lyrics. So glad I found this band. "If you look at the horizon there is always something ducking out of sight" I wrote fucking the first time I wrote that :)" ~ Outroversion, 15th May 2009



Fanfarlo- Reservoir (2009)

The review

Before listening to this album the first thing I noticed was that standout track from the demo cd "you are one of the few outsiders that understand us" isn't included but then neither is "in the trunk**" which were the first two tracks I heard by them and what hooked me in. Well it's 9 months later and every single track from the album has 4 stars or higher on my ipod so that pretty much speaks for itself...

"I am a pilot" is a heavenly track, starts the album off perfectly, and purposefully. The strings are magnificent and add a haunting atmosphere to the dark lyrics which are masked by an upbeat tempo and clapped beats which underly the piano perfectly. Part of what sounds like percussion is actually a lot of people playing the same part on guitars.

I didn't really notice until I saw them live but Cathy underscores alot of Simon Balthazar's vocals on the album and once you listen out for her you'll fall in love with her-



The similarities and indeed comparison musically to arcade fire are both obvious and unignorable. The strings and brass heavy tunes, where the flowing vocals and harmonies maybe owe a little more to Beirut but in my opinion they do both better than either band can because it really seems like the entire band has a common goal as each track builds and support each other well. Like sometimes you don't care about the other members of the band but each member of Fanfarlo is integral to the scenes they create.

After the first 6 listens to the album I considered it a consistant and not overly ambitious debut, which was by no means a bad thing, they just know what they're good at and what they can pull off live and have aimed at hitting those highs first.

For the generation that can't listen to an entire album you simply have to hear the walls are coming down, finish line and fire escape. For those that can you've probably already got this and made it your album of the year, if not, do yourself a huge favour and invest your time in this band. They tour relentlessly and will no doubt be playing within your vacinity in 2010.

**If anyone has an mp3 of this I would be eternally greatful if you could send it my way

Happy Holidays.

Happy Christmas from the outroversion blog.

I've made a little cartoon to make some people remember that there are people worse off than them in the world and to remind other people that they are not alone.
(Right click, view image to see full version)

Thankyou for visiting in 2009.

Controversial Decision

Recently while writing notes for my blog I mused over doing a post about pop music that's on my ipod because believe it or not, there is some. I dig some pop music but I confess that I can't really tell whether rihanna's music is actually good or whether I just like it because she's mind-blowingly hot.

Fact of the matter is, pre 2003 when I started to listen to good music I listened to alot of mainstream stuff, I was into rap and therefore have N*sync's track they did with nelly on there, I have justin timberlake's justified which I even recorded onto cassette at the time oh god... Yeah time's change but I don't think my radar would be quite so refined if I hadn't gone through that stage.

Bottom line is, I'm syncing my ipod later on and this rihanna track is going on there as well as robbie williams' new album. I haven't heard either but that's why pop music is so successful because you don't have to, you just get told what to think by everyone else.

Download...

Rihanna- Russian Roulette Link 1 Back up link
Rihanna- Wait Your Turn Link 1 Back up link
Rihanna- Bubble Pop Link 1 Back up link

Robbie Williams- Reality killed the video star

1. Morning Sun 4:07
2. Bodies 4:03
3. You Know Me 4:21
4. Blasphemy 4:19
5. Do You Mind? 4:06
6. Last Days Of Disco 4:50
7. Somewhere 1:02
8. Deceptacon 5:01
9. Starstruck 5:21
10.Difficult For Weirdos 4:29
11.Superblind 4:46
12.Won’t Do That 3:38
13.Morning Sun (Reprise) 1:24

Best of October 2009

What a month! I've found some new personal favourite bands of all time (Jupiter one, Espionage of the Loc, Jeffrey Lewis). The twilight saga highlighted Thom Yorke, Death Cab, Muse and others as willing to sell their souls for franchising... Weird thing is all the music is pretty good!.. That is all. I also saw fanfarlo live again. Oh and greenday :D

It was loads of fun doing the Halloween mixtape, I'll definately do one for christmas too. I've put a few tracks by the same artist on here so there will be plenty that aren't on the Indie Rock Playlist but obviously download that also, too, aswell, in addition to :)

Part I

Espionage of the loc- Another fine sunny day
Yes giantess- Tuff N Stuff
Ex Lovers- Just a silhouette
Golden Silvers- True Romance
Marina and the diamonds- Mowgli's road
Parts and Labour- Nowhere's night
Editors- Papilion
Katherine Williams- Come with me
Espionage of the loc- Start again
Frankie and the heartstrings- Fragile
Doctors and dealers- Snow child
Margot and Ugga- Goodbye July
Cath Le bon- Hollow Trees house hounds
Girls- Hellhole Ratrace
Scary Mansion- Scum inside (2009 version)
Jeffrey Lewis- When I was 4
Leopold and his fiction- Come back now i'm here
MC Lars- Signing emo
Upside down- Number twenty nine
Lixian Hantover- Rachel's new apartment
Nicole Reynolds- When we meet again
Local natives- airplanes
Grace potter and the nocturnals- Oh mary/Mr Columbus
Joy Formidable- Greyhound in the slips
Old canes- Little bird courage
Peter Yorn and Scarlett Johannsen- Relator
Vampire Weekend- Horchata

Part II

Ben Gibbard- California Zephyr
Young Galaxy- Long live the fallen world
Lovely feathers- Lowiza
Foo Fighters- Wheels
A broken robot- All here
Butch walker- Going home
Brand New- Bed
Band of skulls- Friends
Jupiter one- Flaming arrow
This machine is dying- 1
Atlas Sound- Sheila
Muse- I belong to you (twilight new moon mix)
Bosque Brown- So loud
Bowerbirds- Beneath your tree
Sea wolf- the violet hour
The submarines- You me and the bourgeousie
Gentleman caller- Jamie all my days
Kindercastle- Postmaster general
Pet ghost project- Wires from the ceiling
Sound of guns- Alcatraz/Architects
Ellie Goulding- Under the sheets
Boy of girl- Hot chocolate boy
Drums- I felt stupid
When I was 12- Make believe hearts

Part III

Music Go Music- I walk Alone
Julian Casablancas- Out of the blue
Pocketbook- Cross the line
Slow Club- Because we're dead
O. Children- Dead disco dancer
Paramore- All I wanted
Tegan & Sara- Someday
Caroline Smith and the goodnight sleeps- Where has sally gone
Dead man's bones- Pa pa power
The soft pack- Answer to yourself
NNeka- Heartbeat
Ravons and chimes- Hearts of palm
Enola Fall- I don't drive
Charlotte Gainsbourg- IRM
Platicines- Barcelona

Dead Man's Bones- Dead Man's Bones (2009)

I will remember them forever for soundtracking my halloween 2009! What an awesome and creepy album.

Dead man's Bones

1. Intro

2. Dead Hearts

3. In The Room Where You Sleep

4. Buried in Water

5. My Body's a Zombie for You

6. Pa Pa Power

7. Young & Tragic

8. Paper Ships

9. Lose Your Soul

10. Werewolf Heart

11. Dead Man's Bones

12. Flowers Grow Out of My Grave

Editors.

The page you are looking for is not here. Try:

http://outroversion.wordpress.com

If you are not redirected automatically within a few
seconds then please click on the link above.

A few days ago I was on twitter and got yelled at for not liking the editors that much before the latest album and indeed, for my inclusion of the definate article in their name.

I was persuaded to check out more of their old stuff. My main problem with "editors" was their first album came out post summer 2005 along with maximo park, hard-fi, ordinary boys- all of these bands that were orchestrated to english yobs and glastonbury goers, bloke rock. I should probably include the arctic monkey's in that list too.

Maximo park have matured into a fine enigmatic band in it for the long haul with a great live set up. I'm hearing the same sort of things about editors. I'm not sure what happened to the other bands I think I heard something about one of them growing their hair long?

Editors latest offering of 3 is the sound of a band having found their groove. Criticisms I've heard are "it sounds like the lead singer's been replaced by vic reeve's pub singer" and that "you don't know love" sounds like it would fit right in on Megaman II on the N.E.S. The latter I agree with but personally I think that's awesome!

So as I was saying, they've taken what worked on album one (Munich, Sparks and I suppose bullets) and dismissed what didn't click on album two and come up with a something distinctive which has put them on a par with some of the best around. I mean they're still in the same sort of genre as maximo park and arctic monkeys but it's not the worst place to be and it's not the same place they were 4 years ago.

Band of the day- 6 day riot

When you come back from a festival after you don't listen to any music for a few hours you'll find you tend to listen to a few artists more than any other from the festival, and sometimes it's the ones you didn't really expect. First for me, it was Fanfarlo, they were majestic, I listened to their album about 8 times the second day back but since then...


































Band of the Day- 6 Day riot

The biography on 6 day riot's website is lengthy but worth a read, it tells of members leaving on the eve of their biggest tour, broken dreams, breakthrough songs written in planes on the way to canadian festivals, it pretty much has everything and it looks like it's going to have a happy ending.

I don't really do folk music so don't be put off by 6 day riot's folkier-than-fuck tag because watching them they're like actually living in a wild west movie and drinking in a saloon while they play catchier than hell songs at you while you fall in love with former gymnast Tamara Schlesinger. You'll see what I mean...

Run for your life
O those kids
Go! Canada

The Long Blondes (2003-2008)

The Long Blondes (2003-2008)

I stumbled upon the long blondes when I was off to see flash in the pan band "the automatic", as well as two hopeless ne'erdowells who dressed well but played shit music (!forwardrussia!/boykillboy). This was at the student union in oxford brookes about a week after seeing death cab there. And man am I ever glad I did.

I've only been fortunate to see them live twice but they have been two of the most FUN gigs i've been to. I know you're probably thinking, hey buddy isn't this all a little... affeminate? And i'd say nice diction dude but Kate Jackson is THE sex. At any given moment she has the ability to realise a sexual potency that would be crazy to even have prophecised. This was most notable live during "too clever by half" where I was so close to making out with a fat chick I was that caught up in the moment.

The first track I heard by them was "once and never again" catchy as hell and was on my road trip tape for 2005. I've posted the easiest songs to get into down the bottom of this post but you should pretty much get everything. Everything about them is cool, kate's geek-chic look to playing gigs in libraries.

Unfortunately they split pretty soon after I saw them live last after dorian had a stroke, pretty intense stuff but they've said they hope to do one tour eventualyl as a thankyou to all the fans and if they do I highly reccomend you go. KJ apparently is going to be doing some solo stuff to so it's by no means the end

Once and never again
Seperated by motorways
Giddy Strataspheres
Too clever by half
The Couples

Greenday 21st century breakdown leaked

You can stream the leaked tracks from greenday's new album here

lol i'm up at 5am writing this blog!















Green Day- 21st century breakdown (2009)

I've never been a fan of greenday, barely even in passing. I mean I liked basketcase and... well that's pretty much it. I ignored all the hype around the last album because hey, i'm not american so wasn't particularly resonate (the usual (/e) vowel sound in that word in accordance with the IPA is (/U).

But let me tell you, I've got great things to say about this album, I've labelled it the most culturally relevant of this decade and what's more the most ambitious and potential realising of the past 20 years. As well as the 3 cd package rumour has it they're looking to play the entire album back to back, live. I mean that's unprecedented. I've already got my tickets.

So yeah, yesterday 6 tracks from the new album leaked. I'm downloading them right now and will let you know what I think of THEM. But what I think of the leak- intentional. You either leak it all or none at all, and I think leaking 6 tracks at a time is a genius idea, it lets the fans get used to a few tracks at a time so they'll know them all backwards by the time the tour hits and with the uniqueness and importance of this album most people will buy it anyway as if you just have the mp3s you're going to be missing out.

Classic Band/Ablum #4- Nick Cave Dig Lazarus Dig

This is a tricky time of the week as I kinda want to do pink floyd, led zeppelin, Dylan, the clash, mott the hoople etc but I figure everyone knows more than I could ever begin to say, I'm pretty sure I'm going to dedicate it to awesome albums instead. I'd call them classic but I really wanted to do a post on this album from last year-













Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds- Dig Lazarus Dig

This album came out at the same time as MGMT's Oracular Spectacular and this album is the exact reason I didn't get that into MGMT right away because I was blown away by this. I assumed it would be topping all the album lists but even the most generous ones put at number two to MGMT.

The first track I heard from this album was life changing. "more news from nowhere". A track based completely on mythology, taking themes that were written centuries ago and turning it into a masterpiece. My description at the time was "this is what i'd expect if Mars sent us the best track from their version of the rolling stone's from 2070" it sounds absolutely out of this world, like he isn't bound by the restrictions of time, space and lyrical themes. A layer of amazing music with such incredible and profound lyrics strewn over the top in a knowing yet haphazard way. I listened to this 9 minute track 20 times in a row that first day.

I pretty much bought a ticket to a gig in hammersmith on the stregnth of that one track, turns out the rest of the album is just as incredible. Nick Cave's labido infused lyrical grinding and backed by a group of hiiiiiighly talented instrumentalists. Creative, innovative, genius.

They came out to night of the lotus eaters a clanky, ambient track which set the tone for the performance. As Nick said of, we call upon the author, "this song is worth the entrance fee" I hadn't given the song that much attention due to it's mammoth elder sibling of news from nowhere. Well this track was just as incredible and unique, there's one part in particular,

"well my friend doug's tapping on the window *taptaptap* Nick: Well hey Guys: Hey doug Nick: He brings me a book of holocaust poetry and tells me to get ready for the rain, and again I called upon the author to explain"

Like how can you write this kind of stuff? It's incredible, it's profound and deep, at the same time as being nonchalent, off the cuff and uncaring. I could go on and on and on about the lyrical themes in this album but they are incredible, his best work in my opinion.

Dig Lazarus Dig
Night of the lotus eaters
Call upon the author
Jesus of the moon
More news from nowhere

Moar new musik #?!

I'm gonna stop doing numbers next to things as I've already lost count and I'm only on like 3, I think this is why I failed math so many times :) Don't worry, I excel in other areas... Areas like- a) being cool b) not being a maths nerd :)

It's easter sunday, It's also my day off from exercise as I've done around 13 days in a row, results are smexeh ;) but none the less we're having a huge sunday lunch as well so probably gonna be a fairly glutenous day! Plus movies in the afternoon- groundhog day, darjeeling ltd and rounders. There is alcohol in the fridge but I would prefer not to drink it as Friday was so heavy and work yesterday was a bit of a slog dehydration wise..














Oh also Red Dwarf was back this weekend, I am not making any comments til i've seen it many many more times (i used to be a huge nerd about it... turns out I still am) But none the less here are the links if you don't have Dave (which I don't, I went over someone's house to watch it... what a 'kin geek!)

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

I was looking through the stats for this blog and maaaaan does it get a lot of hits! I used to get all demoralised having no comments but have got some great ones recently on different sites saying you dig the stuff, the download numbers from some of the tracks are amazing. Any feedback is so very welcome. I'm glad people are enjoying it and I'm gonna do everything I can to keep the quality high. And more pretty pictures to give it an air of faux-professionalism.

Today it's time for more new music from new bands...













Black Box Revelation- Love, Love is on my mind

One of the heavier bands I'll feature today, I forget how I found about them especially considering they're from belgium. They're a two piece who remind me of supergrass in their darkest times, think Richard III. Pretty catchy chorus, lyrics are clear for the style, the album "set your head on fire" gained them a certain amount of notoriaty and rightly so, definately worth a check out.










Delphic- Counterpoint

From the same scene that touted twisted wheel as the next big band out of manchester, a 3/10 review in NME a bit of a dash to that claim, Delphic, formally known by the quite awesome name "Snowfight In The City Centre" are a four piece indie-rave band in cut from the same cloth as the cure and new order. One of the reasons their hyped to be big is the stadium potential for tracks like this, reminiscent of klaxons circa golden skans with a major plus that the tone of lead singer James Cook's voice is so much more clear and with actual resonant lyrics rather than sounds that just go with the music, I think these guys are gonna be pretty big later this year.




















Wave Pictures- If you leave it alone

These guys are maybe a bit twee, they've been around over 10 years other than that obvious comparisons due to the style of the vocals and supporting brass are te rumble strips, this track only serves to back up the similarities due to the meandering storyline of this song. The vocals of david tattersall are quite reminscent of the mountain goats and with the light dreamy possibly brushed drum track and delayed lightly picked guitars on this particular effort it could easily be mistaken.



















PJ Harvey- Black hearted Love / 16.15.14

Her tenth album, a woman a man walked by, has been getting amazing reviews already, labelling it the album of this year already. Plus she's a bit sexy. Oh and also a killer sound. An eclectic musician and despite being in the game so long has a fresh approach to music. 16/15/14 is quite a dark number quite like blonde redhead's "melody". Black Hearted Love on the other hand has been getting a load of attention from people like zane lowe and nme radio, a mix of the aformentioned blonde redhead, cat power and howling bells, can't go wrong.














Fanfarlo- I'm a pilot

You know I love these guys, they're my new favourite band and their album leaked last week and I still can't get enough of them, they're playing oxford in a month or so and i'm ever so there.

New Album #?!- Conor Oberst- Outer South

Conor Oberst & the mystic valley band- Outer South

Track Listing

1. Slowly (Oh So Slowly)
2. To All The Lights In The Windows
3. Big Black Nothing
4. Air Mattress
5. Cabbage Town
6. Ten Women
7. Difference Is Time
8. Nikorette
9. White Shoes
10. Bloodline
11. Spoiled
12. Worldwide
13. Roosevelt Room
14. Eagle On A Pole
15. I Got The Reason #2
16. Snake Hill

Was pretty excited when I found out that this had leaked, so excited in fact that I'm posting the album without listening to it! I will be though, all day, just you watch me. Except I'm also re-reading on the road.. I would expect these two events not to coincide.

I read a funny review of this album where the guy said something like "I've been listening to conor oberst's new album with the mystic valley band and it's great except that he let's some of the other guys sing on it which is kind of like winning a three some with johnny depp and him insisting that johnny vegas joins in." I was confused that the guy saw winning sex with a man in some sort of celebrity sex lottery as a good thing but the alliterative nature and pure oxymoron of his comparison was brilliant.

Oh and- DISCLAIMER!!!: For god's sake don't download this album from that link just wait and go and buy it when it comes out, have you no will power?! Come on support the artist and buy the cds so you can be down with the grandads...

And to think I try and make money from music lol

Ipod Shuffle #3

It's that time of the week! Spin that wheel!

Justin Timberlake/50 cent/Timothy Baland- Ayo Technology
Slightly Stoopid- Righteous Man
Muse- Take A Bow
M.I.A- Come around
Amy Winehouse- You know i'm no good (Live)
Rothko- Give
Crystal Castles- Courtship Dating
Paramore- Pressure (Live)

O.K once again there's always one that I feel I need to explain myself for! I thought Ayo Technology was a pretty original name for a track and the videos pretty cool, I downloaded it and it's actually alright. "your hips your thighs you got me hypnotised" It's just something that happens to be on there...

At least that shows I do these things honestly! No skipping!

Secondly there's the frat band slightly stoopid, I downloaded their library on the stregnth of the name of the album name "slightly not stoned enough to eat breakfast yet kinda stoopid" I figured, here's a band that can make up for the lack of blink 182 and the bloodhound gang inspired college rock in my life!

Muse, one of those 21st century bands that everyone else in england seems to love but I just don't get their cultural relevance. They join a list with numaries such as radiohead, coldplay and kings of leon. Apparently their live shows have lasers and stuff which make it worth £60 a ticket. I'd only pay that much if they invented a machine to bring people, not only back from the dead but make them and their bandmates younger and could take them back to a certain time and did it to the beatles and they went on a sgt. peppers/white album tour and I'd still privately curse the economy.

One Thing I was amazed by MIA about is that she releases a song that blows up like nobody's ubsiness and has a kid while the money's rolling in, she like planned exactly the coolest time to do it because she wasn't all over the stupid tv shows and festivals as a one hit wonder and instead gets to release another album next year and actually think about grinding it out as a career artist. Pretty cool. She's also hot and looks like konnie huq. Oh yeah- there's a pornstar called "Connie Fuq".

Ah what can I say about Adubs, I got into her around 2002 and was well pumped for her debut album Frank and absolutely loved it, told everyone to get into her and she was gonna be huge, the album was nominated for the mercury prize and rightly so I thought it was awesome. Anyway I forgot about her, went to canada and saw her cd on the shelf while at uni and I was like... That's weird... I come back and she's like the female Jesus over here and then she blew up over there with the grammys to, it was pretty insane. The second album was very professional and well thought out.

Rothko have apparently been on the grind since 1997, this is the first i've heard of them, and my first impression is a bass driven rhythmic yet at the same time avante garde instrumental band. I don't like instrumental bands but if you like that kind of thing then I would say listen to this in a room that lets in little light but enough for it to be depressing.

Ah crystal castles, marmite, peanut butter and jelly, I got into them with crimewave and because for whatever reason and I have no idea what it is, I find alice glass supremely hot! The video for courtship dating sold this track to me and I really dig it. I'd love to see them Live, I missed out at the nme awards and as expected not everyone got what it was about.

Paramore, the girl's hot has a cool voice, writes catchy songs, the guitarist and bassist are good the drums are effective, they're a really good band I think they'd be fun to see live but I don't care if I don't.

I'm not too impressed with how mainstream this shuffle was, muse, paramore, justin timberlake, amy winehouse, MIA. But that's the way of the shuffle, last week it turned up some great tracks... It's still on shuffle and oh man I don't wanna say what just came on! Ha, I think it's doing this on purpose. But anyway, if you just take away from this that's a result right?

Bands you should know I

So as the blogs becoming more popular and there's more interest and directions for it to go I mentioned yesterday I'm going to try and get some consistancy with it, I'm thinking it'll look like

Mon- A restrospective on a classic band or album
Tues- Ipod Shuffle
Weds- Modern bands/artists you need to know
Thur- New Music
Fri- New bands
Sat- New bands
Sun- more of a wildcard like if i've found a band that's been around ages that I think should have attention etc just whatever I feel like.

Should be pretty sweet deals.

Bands you should know I- Pinback

Pinback of San Diego, California are Rob Crow (foreground... has a big orange beard these days) and Armistead Burwell Smith IV. I've been a fan of them for as long as I have death cab, their album Summer in Abaddon is, in my opinion, the epitomy of the music of the sun.

Like Death cab they were featured in the o.c but didn't garner the same attention as death cab or modest mouse recieved on the back of it. This probably the reason I was able to see them at a 60 person venue in london last year and meet rob crow so it's not so bad. Smith's bass lines are as intelligent and creative as you'll find in indie rock, Crow is criticised for his lyrics lacking meaning at times, this is debatable either way, but they make fantastic tunes aimed at the spring/summer audience.

Penelope- Fans favourite, the track that got them onto the airwaves and on the radar

Fortress- The track that was on the O.C, I feel it's not representative of Pinback's sound which may be why they didn't get as much attention. Still good though.

Loro- My favourite track. The bassline is bliss, the lyrics nonsensically beutiful. The perfect chillout track.

Barnes- This track shows how much they can do with so few instruments, such an effective track musically with some fantastically visual lyrics.

Wasted- A black flag cover, chilled down about 8 notches, pretty great. Reminds me of uni.

Tune in this time next week for Modest Mouse.

Shuffle II

I'm probably going to do this once a week, It's terribly exciting really, nearly 18000 tracks on my ipod, all meticulously selected, put it on shuffle and away it goes, gold is upon us!

As the blogs getting more attention i'll try and do the same thing each day each week like today shuffle, friday and saturday new bands. Thursday great up and coming tracks. That sort of stuff, thanks everyone (&@seattledreamer) for your support, makes it worth the effort!

RaRaRiot- Ghost under rocks
Band Aid- Do they know it's christmas
Neil Young- The old laughing lady
Razorlight- Hostage of love
AC/DC- Love hungry Man
SemiSonic- Closing Time

This is the great thing about the shuffle post is that you get such a great mix, you've got moden stuff with RaRaRiot and razorlight, a random christmas track a bit of a wtf?! inclusion with band aid! Old school with neil young, classic rock with AC/DC and one of those fantastic blasts from the late nineties- closing time by semisonic.

Great hope you enjoyed, this is probably my favourite time of the week!

Thanks for reading, listening and comment on what you like and don't like on this and other posts so I can fine tune the blog to make it as good as it can be.

I've had shuffle on while i've been writing the rest of this blog, I wish I could put them all up to be honest! Just got life to do unfortunately..

We're promised gold, we get myrrh

Death cab bring out a new ep, the indie world breaths in as if the world will come to a stop, breathes out as the world keeps turning.

There was a time that any new music from death cab was a gift from heaven to anyone remotely interested in the band, they were compelling. A live recording of broken yoke, ben covering avril lavigne. The e.p's were legendary, forbidden love, stability, even the john byrd ep which had no new music on was met with reverence, so-

Death cab are bringing out a new ep, this one called "open door" which is a line from both a track off narrow stairs and a song no this one, just like directions and plans were utterances from songs. I kinda don't want to write this blog but i've been a fan of these guys for 7 years, seen them a dozen times, bought many a girlfriend transatlanticsm. This is to say- I feel obliged.

Which is the same reason I checked stereogum every day as the tracks seeped through onto their blog and is the same reason why every day I fall out of love a little bit more.

Little Bribes

A new track?! A NEW TRACK FROM DEATH CAB?!... No, it's an old track which ben's decided to call something else, once again a line from the song. Certainly the worst titled song in their catalogue and when he played this (casino blues) on his solo tour and people were worried he was going to put it on the album (because it was so shit) it was labelled their worst song, until he left it off the album and there was hope. But remember death cab are on a major label now, they are going to have every song sucked out of them, examples being a studio version of broken yoke in western sky, that duet with leslie feist oh and this e.p.

A Diamond And A Tether

First time I heard this i got so bored I didn't bother listening to the whole track, I forgot i was listening to death cab and just closed the tab because it was so benale and jejune. The rhythm of this song is soooo dull and you remember when ben used to write amazing lyrics? Well fuck that they've got records to sell. Yummy cliches in this song "i know you can't..." "waiting for..." "just to..." "waits for it to..." "... again". I wish I hated death cab so I would enjoy writing this review. I can't believe this but I don't want this song on my ipod :(

My Mirror Speaks

This track IS better. Apparently co-written by nick harmer and probably owes that to it's driving rhythm. The lyrics are less sparse and as far as ben gibbard is concerned that's awesome and they're of a better quality here too. A testament to this track is that I played it 5 times in a row... But then I played soul meets body about a 100 times when that was leaked from that radio station before plans ha

I Was Once A Loyal Lover Just as good as the previous track, probably better, this could actually be played live, I really wouldn't mind them opening up a show with this. It's quite crystalline and cutting musically, the lyrics are still a bit "narrow stairs" in that they don't really get you thinking, they just are what they are. "my friends are so forward thinking, getting married and quitting drinking" yeah that's just the way things go plus i HATE that he forced the thinking/drinking rhyme. Makes me sick. Otherwise this is a good track, I think this E.P- is what it is!

Talking Bird (Demo)

When Narrow stairs was being hyped we got these legendary rumours of tracks that ben wrote on basic instruments with just vocals and took them to the guys and blew their minds... We realised when the "no sunlight" demo was released that these were apocryphal tales but with the promise of talking bird (without a doubt the worst death cab song ever) on a ukelele, hope?! The answer, is no. The lyrics are as vomit inducing as ever and whoever didn't tell paul mccartney the ukelele is an annoying instrument has also failed here.

So i conclusion i give the EP 3/5, I can't give it 4 because that means it's good and I just can't bring myself to give it 2 :(

I thought once around the time of transatlantiscm that if Death cab kept writing albums as great as this and all the previous ones they're going to be one of the most important bands in modern history. Naive maybe, but either way it didn't happen. I might have to do a post on why death cab 1998-2005 were amazing.

Beatles- Revolution 1 (Take 20)

Of course, it's no carnival of light but it is a brilliant insight into the white album sessions and also into the relationship between #1 and the avante-garde #9. From what I understand take 20 is a live take with layers of takes 18 and 19 upon it, apparently the white album is to be remastered and re-released next year and this is from that. There were only two copies of this and due to one of them being in Yoko Ono's possesion it's been suggested she released it to overshadow paul's carnival of light which is generally considered the holy grail of lost beatles tracks and, although this has been true for a decade, appears as imminent as ever.

Here's the track- Revolution- Take 20

Also this is supposedly part of carnival of light, might be, might not be.

shuffle.

Every now and then I'll be holding in my hand my gigantic, throbbing, insatiable ipod and feel like i don't know what I want to listen to, this is where the shuffle function comes in handy and is also always the moment when i'm like fuck me i have good taste in music. I have over 17000 tracks on there and to be able to trust in it randomly pouring out awesomeness definately makes all the work worthwhile, as indeed, life.

So i'm just going to post whatever is playing through the speakers! I'll even go to the effort of uploading things that aren't on the net. Also this'll mean this blog won't just be all death cab, pinback, babyshambles etc!

Aqueduct- Hardcore Days/Softcore Nights
The cranberries- I can't be with you
Blue October- Calling you
Gregory & The Hawk- Blame Qui
Nirvana- Swap Meet
Motorhead- Bite the bullet
Daphne loves Derby- Stranger you & I
Andrew Bird- Fake Palindromes
We Start Fires- Wicked Spell

This was a lot of fun! Got to listen to great music and share it. This should be all my blog is then I wouldn't have to think, just put Simon D4 (that's it's name, the 4 is because it's had to be replaced 3 times. I think this ones... actually i won't jinx it!) on shuffle and just write down what happens! Great tracks for real.

But bottom line, library wise, everyone's gonna have some stuff they'd probably be a little embarassed about if they put it on shuffle at a party and it came on. When I was sort of 16 I went through a bit of a "listening to female artists who i think are hot" phase artists like delta goodrem, avril lavigne, bic runga, in a way these chicks were still cool and good lyricists so you can indeed nibble on my nuts. And if you're thinking of bagging on avril lavigne, may I present her defence-

I'm with you
Tomorrow
How does it feel
Losing Grip
Keep holding on

Yeah so please do suck on my sack. She also triggered my post-adolescant enamouré with canadian accents and girls. So excuuuuse meee if i get defensive!

The best advice I can give anyone who has a hard time finding new music and I'm aware that it happens but i'm like how the fuck there's so much. If I was to give a 22 step program it'd go-

1. Get a 120gb ipod classic
2. Don't get obsessed with putting your cds on it'll happen eventually
3. Think of the artists you like and download their libraries
4. Download last.fm
5. Go to the reccomendations page and download those libraries
6. Look on your neighbours pages and download their libraries
7. Download every indie/rock playlist that was made by chriznittle
8. Subscribe to blalock's playlist
9. Research the support acts when you go to gigs
10. Listen to what music people like rather than telling them what they should (yeah fucking hard!)
11. Put your ipod on shuffle and download the libraries of anyone you like and don't know
12. Rate you music intelligently and use genius to find what you'll like on there
13. Download those libraries
14. Read NME the magazine and website
15. Use NME as your bible
16. Read blogs
17. Use the hype machine
18. Be aware at the very least of under the radar
19. Go to as many gigs as possible
20. Talk to as many people as possible
21. Be open minded
22. Have your life become a constant quest to find new music to the point of obsession

= Killer itunes library!

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I've also fallen in love with this track a bit recently-

The Killers- Romeo and Juliet

Canada.

I talked about canada quite a bit the other day in real life. So there- an excuse to blog about their music scene. I'm also going to put pictures in this to make it look prettier.

The weakerthans- One great city
Alright so the weakerthans are actually from the city I went to university, winnipeg, manitoba. They write songs about how much they hate winnipeg, they write songs about how much they love winnipeg, this is how everyone in the town feels, it's a great place for some reasons but damn is it ever cold...

The picture is of a bison, I saw a couple at the zoo, they're huge. I've also eaten a few at the tavern on south pembina, they taste amazing...

The guess who- American woman
Apparently the most famous band out of winnipeg, my ex served the lead singer at a salisbury house once, he also has a theatre named after him. This song is much covered and pretty cool, I also wrote a rap about salisbury house once-

Salisbury house fucking fucks shit up
I asked for tea they gave me coke in a cup
I went in for pancakes one day called the guy in the hairnet a big fucking gay

I didn't wanna be rude but i was in a grumpy mood
Kicked the door on some dude taking a crap?
"please excuse me if i intrude I'mowna sit on your lap!"

Salisbury fucking rips shit down
I went in one morning and was served by a clown
Busted some moves outside on the grass
Busted a cap in the waitresses ass!

Salisbury house burns shit sideways
I swear their milkshakes could turn will smith gay
Waitress wants a tip but, when I pay?
I give her 3.50 and 19cents on layaway

Salisbury house puts shit under
All of my efforts to resist go asunder
The waiter leaves me gazing, agasp in wonder
As to why I keep rolling over there just like thunder

Salisbury house takes the piss
I go in there get asked if I want two for one nips
I declare yeeeaaaahhh cos that's how i roll
But cos I rock so much I make 'em put them both in a bowl

The way I chow down you'd think I was in china town
But fuck chopsticks I eat it up with a spoon cos it's round
Go in there on a tuesday with dan, kyle or cory
Like when I was locked in the closet, in my full naked glory

If it's morning i get pancakes if it's evening i get pie
I clean my plate and leave but before that i say bye
Salisbury house only in manitoba
I even head over there in my friend's range rover
The way they serve it up make the rest move over Makes me feel like Spanish military leader G.F.D Cordoba

That picture is from the 24 hour salisbury house on pembina HWY in the peg, many great milkshakes and nips have been had there after a night out, indeed the second best nights end there...

Metric- Dead Disco
Anyway I'll try and stop waxing lyrical about winnipeg, and also about metric as i've mentioned them alot already in this blog but no introspective on the canadian scene without giving them "blowing them up" as tim westwood will idiocise. Picture wise I thought, I should put a picture of Emily Haines looking sexy then realised that there are no existing pictures of her where she doesnt..

Tokyo Police Club- Be Good

Risen from the ashes of suburbia and highly backed by nme they're from new market, ontario these guy are big advocates of what would probably be the ontarian equivelant of our rough trade label, paper bag records. They've already toured over here and are doing pretty good, i'd definately reccomend checking them out if one hasn't already

Best au le rest-

Midway state- A million fireflys

Get over the led zep thing and they're good. blow me.

The paperbacks- I haven't listened to these guys but they're from the peg, I trust the person who reccomended them and you can stream the whole album there, i'll be doing it later i reccomend doing the same.

Papermoon- O.k so it's a myspace link bite my fuckin balls for fuck sake.

The bonaduces- That's enough of your lip!
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O.K So it's also St. Patrick's day today, my local pub, well not my local, the nearest pub to me that isn't a shit hole, is having a whole thing all day.

Umm I guess check out the dropkick murphys for such an occasion

Solo Careers

So some people leave bands or just do stuff on the side, either way whenever they do it people say it's not as good, here are a bunch of examples where they've gone on to rock it just as good or better than in their day job.

Paul Mccartney (of the uh... beatles)- Uncle/Albert Admiral Halsey

Postal Service (Ben gibbard of death cab)- Such great heights

Conor Oberst (of bright eyes) and the Mystic Valley Band- Gone gone from new york city

Jenny Lewis (of rilo kiley) and the watson twins- Rise up with Fists

Rob Crow (of pinback)- I hate you rob crow

The last shadow puppets (Alex turner of arctic monkeys)... (and i guess miles kane from... knowing alex turner i guess)- My mistakes were made for you