In a week filled with such tragedy the world needs a band that will cheer you up. I got my first chance to see them this month whilst they supported the Flaming Lips, Chicago's OK Go are probably best known for their often elaborate and quirky music videos many often forget how much of a brilliant band they actually are! Their 2002 debut, self titled album features the brilliant 'C C Cinnamon Lips', 'Don't ask me' and their breakthru single 'Get over it' which was followed by the awesome 2004 2nd album 'Oh No' that features the awesome 'A million ways', 'Do what you want' and the award winning 'Here it goes again' (yes, thats the one with the treadmill video!). My favourite album however has to be their 3rd album 'Of the Blue Colour of the Sky' released last year that includes the genius 'This Too Shall Pass', yet another genius (this time dog orientated) video for the track 'White Knuckles' and the absolutely musically beautiful 'End Love', enjoy...
Something New...
You'll probably know this track from the Kopparberg ad or from the trailer for Skins USA but you might not have heard of the band. Sleigh Bells are Broklyn based noise pop duo, songwriter/guitarist Derek Miller and vocalist Alexis Krauss. After releasing their self titled EP in 2008 they were signed to M.I.A's label before the release of their debut album 'Treats' last year. The album is packed with brilliant tracks 'Tell 'Em', 'Infinity Guitars' and the genius 'Rill Rill' alongside the infamous 'Kids'...
Something Borrowed...
This weeks cover is inspired by the death of a great vocalist. British soul singer Alice Russel (who is still very much alive and touring)provides absolutely stunning vocals on Nostalgia 77's 2007 lo-fi / soul/funk cover of the White Stripes 'Seven Nation Army', turn your bass up LOUD!!!
Something Blue...
This week has been filled with a huge amount of sad news fitting for Something Blue. With the insane nurse seemingly killing innocent patients at random at a Stockport hospital, the Oslo psycho with his bomb and mass shootings all capped off by the death of a troubled popstar. Amy Winehouse yesterday joined the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and the Rolling Stones' Brian Jones in the infamous Club 27, leaving behind her some brilliant music before her untimely end in her Camden home caused by an E OD after a 3 day drug bender with her ex husband Blake Fielder-Civil.
Her eclectic mix of R&B, soul and Jazz powered by her brilliantly powerful voice shot her to fame in 2003 with her, critically acclaimed, Mercury nominated debut album 'Frank' that includes the brilliant 'Stronger than Me'. This was followed by the 2006, multi Grammy award winning 'Back to black', the most in fact of a female solo artist has ever won in a single ceremony, of which included, album of the year, best new artist AND song of the year. With a life troubled by so many drug, alcohol and court related problems its hard to focus on the music, but this is why, in my opinion she should be remembered. For me, as many others it would could be many a track from her brilliant 2nd album produced by the genius that is Mark Ronson such as 'Rehab', 'Back to Black', 'Love is a losing game' or the fitting 'Tears dry on their own'.
However, the track I'm going to choose is chosen, not only because its my favorite song by her but because it always cheers me up and I never seem to tire of it like her other singles such and the massively overplayed Winehouse/Ronson Zutons cover 'Valerie'. Featuring Wu Tangs' Ghostface Killah and the immortal line "I told you that I was trouble" - 'You Know I'm No good'...
Soooooo, in case you missed it the prestigious Mercury Prize nominees were announced today and the list is somewhat eclectic to say the least, even by usual standards:
Adele -21
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock - Good Days at Schloss Elmau
James Blake - James Blake
Katy B - On a Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Metronomy - The English Riviera
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy
The obvious front runners to take the title from last year's winners the XX are the hugely successful UK 'urban' artists Katy B and Tinie Tempah who both had a brilliant year alongside
Adele with her HUGE voice from her second album '21' that has helped her break the US.
However, the Mercury's are famously unpredictable and I fancy a few of the dark horses for the £20,000 prize that's announced on September 6th; here is a pick of my top 3:
PJ Harvey: Let England Shake
Never has the same artist won the prize twice but much like the other established artist and serial nominees Elbow who won in 2008 for the brilliant 'Seldom Seen kid'; Polly Jayne, better known as PJ Harvey won the Mercury in 2001 for the genius album that is 'Stories from the city, Stories from the sea' and makes her the insiders tip. 'Let England Shake', is her 8th studio album and although written over a two and half year period wasn't released until February, charting in the UK top 10. The most moving track on the album has to be the title track, inspired by 'The West's asleep', a beautiful poem by Irish Poet Thomas Davis. The singles to be spawned from the album are the hauntingly gorgeous 'The words that Maketh murder' and utterly fantastic 'The Glorius Land', enjoy...
Everything, Everything: Man Alive!
The Manchester based alt rock quartet Everything, Everything rose to fame as part of the BBC Sound of 2010 and I've loved them ever since I was told to check them out a few months back by a good mate of mine. 'Man Alive' is their debut album, released in August 2010 to rave reviews from both the Fly, NME and an Ivor Novello nomination for Best Album. The album is definitely my favorite in the list, however, for this fact alone, I doubt it will win. Spawning 5 brilliant singles, 2008's 'Suffragette Suffragette', 2009 'Schoolin' and the latest single 'Final Form'. The musically brilliant 'MY KZ, UR BF' (otherwise known as 'My Keys, Your boyfriend') which was first released in 2009, then rerecorded and re-released this year similarly to my favorite track by them, the lyrically genius 'Photoshop Handsome' turn it up!
Ghostpoet: Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
Easily this years biggest outsider hes my tip to scoop the price, even if he doesn't you should definately check out him out. English lad, Obara Ejimiwe, better known as Ghostpoet is only a year older than me but has achieved so much already. After releasing his 1st EP 'Sound of strangers; last year his debut album, 'Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam' should win an award for its genius title alone! Hes had a very busy year getting great prize from the likes of the Guardian and playing at the likes of Glastonbury, Sonar and Latitude. Music that reminds of a mix between Maxi Jazz's solo work and a super chilled Roots Manuva, his brilliant debut single 'Cash & Carry Me Home', which has since been remixed and now features Kano, i personally prefer the origional...
After a standout set at T in the park last weekend following a cracking Glasto performance earlier this monthalt rock legends Jimmy Eat World are in the form of there lives ready for Reading and Leeds later at the end of August.
Formed in 93 as a punk band by front man Jim Adkins and his school friends, they released an EP and then their self titled debut in 94, followed by ‘Static Prevails’ in 96 which features there 1st single ‘Rockstar’.
The crittically acclaimed ‘Clairty’ followed in 99 which features the cult smash ‘Lucky Denver Mint’ and built them a large fanbase before the breakthru 4th album ‘Bleed American’ in 2001. Bleed American contains many an anthem including the singles ‘Salt, Sweat, Sugar’, ‘Sweetness’, ‘Get it Faster’ and the bands first No.1 hit ‘the Middle’ . In 2004 they followed up with ‘Futures’ that was produced by Pixies and Foo Fighters producer Gill Norton and then the fantatsic ‘Chase the Light’ in 2007 which contains the brilliant ‘Big Casino’, ‘Electable (give it up)’ and ‘Always Be’ and is there highest charting album to date, bringing us full circle to the bands last album ‘Invented’ from 2010.
To choose a track from any of these albums is pretty tough, but I couldn’t ignore mine and the mrs’ favourite sing-a-long in the car tune, taken from ‘Bleed American’, the awesome ‘Authority song’...
*Random fact of the week*
Contrary to popular belief, the acronym ‘JEW’ is not a reference to religious beliefs its based on a revenge drawing by Jim’s brother referencing his weight were he is, in fact eating the earth, bearing the capturing ‘Jimmy Eat World’.
Something New...
This year has seen many established bands such as Beastie Boys, Arctic Monkeys and the Strokes release, not classic, but nonetheless great albums. This week saw my favorite band of the modern era release there seventh album ‘If not now, when?’. My love for Incubus is never in any doubt, I pretty much word for word know every lyric, own every album and bootleg, have seen them live numerous time and even have a similar tat to front man Brandon Boyd - to read my bromance with the band you can find it here: are you in(cubus).
However, having looked forward to this new album so much, its...well...a MASSIVE disappointment to say the least! I get the band have been changing and evolving their style as they get older and I love the riff driven ‘Crow...’ and experimental ‘Light Grenades’ as much as I love the hard hitting funk metal of ‘Fungus’ and ‘SCIENCE’, the classically chilled ‘Morning view’ and probably my favourite album of all time ‘Make Yourself’.
‘If not now,When?’ however...its just REALLY poor, 5 listens in, I’ve tried my best to find any positives in it as I have and always will love the band. Its like someone sucked the passion from them and they went dad rock (obvs not my dad cos he’s cool and listens to blues and soul!). Replacing hard riffs and tight bass lines for some kind of coldplay-esque melodic nothingness and worst of all for me the lyrics seem not only meaningless but also unhumourous on the whole.
The lead single, ‘Adolescents’ which is a throw back to the Morning View era had me so overjoyed for the album and the next single ‘Promises, Promises’ to a lesser extent with its 80’s throwback...but the rest of the album simply merges into pointlessness! To pick my favourite track from the album is pretty simple, the only tracks that stands out to me with any passion are the melodic 'Company of Wolves' and the upbeat ‘Switchblade’ as it doesnt take itself too seriously, please try to enjoy...
Something Borrowed...
After that disappointment of the above review; I hope this cover brings a smile to your face, a clever but witty take on Nelly's 'Hot in herre' by Jenny Owen Young's from her 2007 EP which name is inspired by the chorus 'Take off all your clothes EP'...
Something Blue...
Now were over half way in, this year may have produced some cracking albums by established artits as mentioned above (Something New...) but 2011 has also brought with it casualties. New York based electro genius’ LCD Soundsystem have officially played there last beat and announced a split back in April this year.... This will leave a hole in the soul of many a true music fan so in homage a very brief selection of some of there epicly brilliant work from there 3 critically acclaimed albums, much like Faulty Towers and Jeff Buckley they left in there wake nothing but perfection.
The multi-intrumental genius that is James Murphy performs live with his band Nancy Wang, Dave Stone, Tyler Pope and Pat Mahoney aswell as occasionally Hot Chip’s Al Doyle. From the very first work back in 2002 ‘Losing my edge’, ‘Give it up’ and ‘Yeah’ theys et the bar high with a blend of effortlessly cool vocals delivered on a on a dirty beat before the release of 2005’s self-titled breakthru album, containing the smash ‘Daft Punk...’.
LCD’s second album, the epic ‘Sound of Silver’ was then released in 2007, containing the brilliant singles ‘Someone Great’, ‘Time to get away’, ‘Get Innocuous!’, ‘North American Scum’ and the genius ‘All my friends’, the later being a repetition of the same instrumental lick blended with lyrics about a life without regret, utter brilliance.
Their final masterpiece ‘This Is Happening’ came in 2010, with the first single ‘Drunk Girls’ that has awesome co-produced vid by Murphy and the legendry Spike Jonze. The next single was ‘Pow Pow’ released as hard copy only for record store day, followed by the next single ‘Can Change’. The album also contains, not only my favourite LCD track but possibly my favorite electronic song of all time, up there with New Order's 'Blue Monday', the awesomely epic ‘Dance yourself Clean’. Its so good you even split the song in half, the former being as laid back euphoria and the later being a hard heating electronic anthem *WARNING* the video, filmed in Brighton, may contain Muppets!...
