And some more...

TV On The Radio – Dear Science

Dave Sitek may have built himself a reputation as producer du jour for the likes of Foals and Scarlett Johansson; with TV On The Radio’s third long player he showed that he’s been holding back the best ideas for the day job. An album of staggering proportions that proves their position as the mostly likely band to take over Radiohead’s crown. 

Kings Of Leon – Only By The Night

2008 was the year when Kings Of Leon upped their game. A career defining Glastonbury headline performance was followed by the release of their forth album. Still maintaining the perfect balance between indie cool and mainstream acceptability 

Kanye West – 808’s & Heartbreak

When used by hip hop retards, such as T-Pain, the AutoTune effect can be as annoying as being stuck in a lift with Timmy Mallet. But when coupled with Kane’s lyrics concerning the death of his mother and the end of his relationship, it adds a haunting stark quality. His previous albums have always lacked consistency but with this Mr. West delivered what his ego always promised. 

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

If you’d told me last year that one of the best albums of the year would sound like The Strokes covering Paul Simon, I probably would have laughed harder than when I saw that guy throwing shoes at Dubya. An instant classic.

MGMT – Oracular Spectacular

Unless you were in hibernation this year you couldn’t have missed MGMT. Arguably the album didn’t reach the standards that Time To Pretend set, but for that song alone they deserve some (more) praise. 

Deerhunter – Microcastle / Weird Era Continued.

Bradford Cox returns to his day job after the subdued, but still impressive, Atlas Sound album. This may just have established Cox as US Indie’s brightest star. 

 

Lightspeed Champion – Falling Off The Lavender Bridge 

When word got out that Dev Hynes, the former Test-Icicle, had decamped to Nebraska to make an album of acoustic folk, few believed he would deliver anything to this standard. A perfect account of a young mans descent into the pitfalls of becoming a young adult. 

Some Other Albums I've Enjoyed...

Mystery Jets – Twenty-One

Erol Alkan again cements his genius by producing the Eel Pie Island resident’s second album. While their debut had its moments, it was a cluttered affair; it was clear that these upstarts were different, but they didn’t have the songs to match the hype. Twenty-One still shows that the band still have their eccentricities but this time, more importantly, they’ve learned how to write a pop song. 

Santogold – Santogold

Santi White’s former job as an A&R for Epic Records clearly gave her a head start in music. Her debut album is a great collection of songs. While Switch and Diplo’s involvement hinted at a MIA clone, her eclectic style shone through.  

Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair

While a disco revival has been bubbling under for a while, H&LA propelled the sound firmly into the mainstream. While much has been said about Anthony Heggarty’s haunting vocals, the real attraction here is Andy Butler & Tim Goldsworthy’s glittering production. 

Disjokke – Staying In

Hailing from the same ‘Oslo disco’ scene that gave us Prins Thomas and LindstrÆm, Disjokke’s album was always going to embrace the calmer side of dance music. This album shows that dance music can be listened to on a night in, without it being your over used copy of Moon Safari. 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

Album Of The Year...

While I generally loathe list's, thanks mostly to magazines and their constant reliance on them for content, I always think it's good to take stock of what music has been released throughout the year. So with this my friends I have decided to choose my favorite album of the year. This year it was pretty easy; while there have been several albums I've loved this year, the above one in particular sticks out.

In the wake of the Klaxons success last year, A&R men desperately searched for new indie bands who played keyboards whilst decked in neon outfits. When Bathroom Gurgle appeared on Moshi Moshi, back in late 2007, it was clear that the Castle Donington four piece weren’t going to be another Trash Fashion.  But with Fantasy Black Channel, Late Of The Pier exceeded expectations.

Under the guide of producer Erol Alkan, Late Of The Pier have crafted a thrilling debut: a schizophrenic behemoth that shows what happens when four young men with ADD fuel themselves with MDMA.   

The influence’s shine through clearly; Sam Eastgate’s vocal delivery dips between Gary Numan & David Byrne and Focker sounds like Muse if they were stuck in a lift with Boys Noize. These are just a few examples of a wealth of music that’s been digested and re-imagined by this band and that’s what makes them so exciting. In a day and age where we still have idiots like The Enemy aping The Jam, this year Late Of The Pier showed us music can and will continue to be exciting. A fact that’s clearly not lost on the band; the title The Enemy Are The Future originated when the band, who were supporting the Coventry hobbits, found a flyer displaying said manifesto.

Fantasy Black Channel is musical Play Doh; taking techno, rock and pop and blending them seamlessly. Like the Klaxons, Late Of The Pier have shaken off the shackles of “Nu Rave” and proven themselves to be a exciting and intelligent modern pop band.

Great email

Had this in work today after a pretty bizzare phone call... I've blocked out my companies name as I don't want the marketing team coming across my blog. I work at a popular "music recognition service" for mobile phones. People often try to pitch ways to improve our service, mostly to try and make themslelves money. This has to be my favourite so far:

Hello Jonathan, following our phone conversation this morning, here is what id like to do. My name is Ovidiu Deer , im from Romania, i live in london since 97, im a DJ, ive worked in the music business all my life, hence using s****m services very often. id like it if we could do something, work together to bring s****m over to Romania too, and i know its gonna work, as Romania , has become HUGE , in music and clubbing business in the past 10 years, i can easily say its better in clubbing then the UK, WAY BETTER, and people, are a lot into music, and because most music over there its foreign, (american+engish and others) they dont know names and stuff, and when i went back there for holidays and told them about this service, they were so surpised but sad they couldnt use it over there, i was thinkin to open myself a simillar service, but have no idea how to do it, thats been troubleing me for years now, i can guarantee its gonna work more over in romania than here in uk. , especially the romanians always RUN after something new, IT WILL WORK. I have loads of contacts in the music businees over there, radios, tv ( music channels) i got my sister, shes a layer, in bucharest (capital city), and she knows loads of people high up in high places, actors, musicians, sports people, from football to K1, i could say, so we got good contacts . i was thinkin like a franchise or something, but we can do anyway ud like . and/or, id like to work (aswell) for S****m in all, as i got a very good knowledge of PC , and music of course, and have loads of time , free time that is, i only work like 2 nights a week, so im free most of the time, and spend my time in front of the computer anyway, so i was thinking ,i could use this time to make some extra money, there are loads more to say, hard to think right now, BUT ONE THING IS FOR SURE, WORKING WITH OR FOR S****M, I CAN BRING POSITIVE BENEFITS FOR THE COMPANY. I even run my own transylvanian night in london, where i have around 150 to 200 people every saturday, where i play romanian and usual chart music plus some underground too, im into ALL sorts of music styles, from film music, opera to drum n bass , house garage...etc, u name it .I used to work on radio here in the uk, ive been offered to do it again, and thats another plus for s****m if i do it again,so let me know if we could work together, i guarantee and i wanna take s****m to different "LANDS" DIFFERENT AREAS, AND IT CAN ONLY BE GOOD FOR YOU. Thank you for taking the time to listen and to read this, hope to hear from you soon.Have a lovely day. Ovidiu Deer ( aka Dj Freddy D) PS. here is my website, with what i do for the romanian and eastern european comunity here in the uk.

I for one am pretty intrigued by the transylvanian night....

Automatic Lovers Tour @ ICA

Automatic Lovers Tour with Heartbreak & Little Boots
ICA
21st November

Tonight the ICA showcases two of the most promising electro pop acts of this year. First up are the Argentinean/Anglo outfit Heartbreak. There music has been described as “Metalo” which could possibly be the worst genre name since “shroomidelica”. But for their sake please ignore that title. By taking the sheen of Italian disco and mixing it with darker elements, Heartbreak have created a sound that is currently getting certain secions dance scene hot under the collar. Heartbreak’s intense music is complimented perfectly by frontman Sebastian Muravchik. His dominating stage presence gives the band a hypnotic quality, perfectly combined constant flash of strobes. While certain sections of the audience may have found this jarring, you get the impression that’s exactly the kind of response Heartbreak wish to inspire. Experimental without being pretentious, Heartbreak certainly remaining intriguing.

Next up was Little Boots. It’s fair to say that things are going pretty well for the diminutive star at the moment. Currently finding her self the pop star du jour of several blogs and working with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard. With such a monumental amount of hype to deliver you’d be forgiven in presuming the former Death Disco singer may fall flat. However Little Boots take’s all this in her, predictably small, stride. At this point the now rammed ICA was enraptured by Little Boots and her set of irresistible electro pop gems didn’t fail to live up to the hype. Recent single ‘Stuck On Repeat’ is a definite highlight, the Moroder-esque melody seems to still be engrained in my ears.
The sounds of Italo Disco seem to have sprung up in a number of London clubs recently and tonight’s artists hint that the sound may just be about to explode in a big way. If the music can keep to this standard, that’ll be fine with me.

TV On The Radio @ Shepards Bush

TV On The Radio / The Big Pink
Shepards Bush Empire
19th November.

The Big Pink shuffle on to the stage nervously, they needn’t have. While sharing a stage with TVOTR must be daunting for a band still very much in their infancy, they clearly have the gusto to pull it off. Spearheaded by Merok records Milo Cordell and former Alec Empire protégé Robbie Furse they tear through their short set. Evoking Spacemen 3 & Animal Collective, The Big Pink are currently creating quite the buzz in London. If they continue to develop at their current pace they may well deliver one of the key debut’s of 2009.

TV On The Radio have the audience in the palm of their hands from the opening chords of Young Liars. Lead singer Tunde Adebimpe’s impeccable delivery causes bouts of hypnotic rapture throughout the audience. Tonight we get a set comprising of the bulk of Dear Science. In a live environment the songs take on a far more visceral quality, the raw bassline in Dancing Choose particularly is extenuated and reverberates the Empires aged walls. A punky run through of Wolf Like Me receives a particularly ecstatic response. While he maybe one of the most envied and in demand producers on the planet at the moment, Dave Sitek seems quite content to take a back seat in TVOTR’s live show, manically shaking the wind chimes that sit on the neck of his Telecaster.

Concluding the set with a sped up Staring At The Sun proves to be a popular choice. Could TV On The Radio take on the unthinkable? A critic’s favourite who know exactly how to work a crowd??

Yo? Anyone???

You know when you’re just in the mood to do something and nothing will put you off? Last night I went to see Yo Majesty! at Bar Rumba. I was originally meant to catch them at Barfly, but the guest list was too full for the likes of me. Since it was a late start I decided to head home to my new place in Homerton, while I will miss Dalston the constant smell of Dixy Chicken emanating in my hall was becoming too much to bear. Plus have you ever tried walking up Kingsland Road on a Saturday? Fuck that. So after preparing some pork stir fry with broccoli and pak choi, a couple glasses of wine and an episode of the office I was starting to enter an extremely tempting comfort zone. But no! My mission for the day was to review Yo Majesty and my god was I going to achieve it. I picked up my copy of Everything by Simon Price (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-about-Manic-Street-Preachers/dp/0753501392) and a precious can of Duff energy drink and headed for the door.

Despite my housemate’s fair well statement of “I’d rather be doing anything else than leaving the house at 11pm”, I remained positive. I have a fairly high constitution for these kind of challenges, I once got a coach to London at 6 in the morning after having no sleep and went straight to filming a music video that didn’t end till 8pm. Granted I felt like turd afterwards, but I still did it. My view is if your mind is fully prepared, you can easily complete tasks like this.

So I started my route to the train station. My plan was:

· Get the overground from Homerton to Highbury & Islington.
· Jump on the Central Line to Tottenham Court Road.
· Walk to Bar Rumba in time for gig, watch gig, leave.
· Catch 242/38/whatever came along first, walk home.


I braved the slight rain and walked to the train station. No trains, urrrrgh. It was here I hit the wall of hesitation. Should I bother? What if it rains? What if I get mugged? But I knew what had to be done. I pulled my hood tighter and headed to Mare St. After a brief walk and one desperate chase, I made it on to a bus.

Bus rides are generally boring so I won’t go into great detail. Although there was a bunch of Goths at the back arguing whether or not Manowar are a joke band, I’m gonna go with yes. Right so after a brief walk I make it to Bar Rumba, guestlist is fine. The girl asks if I have a plus one, I look down and give an ashamed negative nod. The venue itself is a dimly lit basement that’s half full, I glance for clock check and it’s nearly midnight. I get a glass of water from the bar and try and pull off the ‘alone but not a sex pest look’. I spot Hervé amongst the crowd but couldn’t really think of a worthy conversation starter, I knew something like “Hey, I know you” wouldn’t cut it in this kind of venue.

It was at this moment I became slightly worried. It was 00:15 and I hadn’t seen any member of Yo Majesty, I’d also exhausted the fun potential of the solitaire game on my phone. At half past I threw in the towel and left. This may seem like a hugely pointless evening to you, but at least I made myself proud. Kind of.

Unduhground

A valid point.

But, correct me if I'm wrong Mr. British Airways, I don't believe you can smell it from a plane either.

Well done America...

S.A.D.

So winter is here. Darkness greets me when I wake and is also there to give me a wave when I leave work. Why is winter so depressing? It's a season that contains both Christmas and New Years Eve, yet it never fails in making me feel like I've suddenly been transformed into an episode of Eastenders. It's not just me either; everyone turns into sour faced troll around this time of year. So what can we do to stop it? Obviously moving abroad is an idea but that would eventually get annoying. While the presence of perky Americans may lift your spirits for a two-week jaunt to Florida, would you really want to be surrounded by them all the time? Surely there's something we can buy to help us shake the winter blues?? A quick Google of 'Winter Blues Cures?' reveals this:

The 'Britebox'. Apparently it happily dishes out "10,000 Lux of Light at 18 inches and utilises daylight tubes so not to cut out any of the spectrum". Firstly, what the fuck is a "Lux". Also I believe I've seen something like this before, its called a umm, begins with an L… That's it a LAMP and last time I checked most lamps didn't cost £149. I'm not trying to poke fun at anyone who may actually suffer from S.A.D, otherwise know as SEASONAL AFFECTED DISORDER. But let's be honest, some of the symptoms do seem applicable most peoples state of mind this time of year. So what are the symptoms according to the light therapy shop?


Typical Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder include

Depression - feelings of gloom and despondency

Lethargy - lack of energy, unable to carry out a normal routine

Anxiety - inability to cope

Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods leading to weight gain during the winter

Social problems - eg not wanting to see people

Sleep problems - finding it hard to stay awake during the day but having disturbed nights

Loss of libido - not interested in sex or physical contact

Irregular menstrual cycle

Straight away lets cross off the bottom one, that's out of my remit. We can also get rid of the one above it, I can't ever right about something that has never affected me, eh ladies? But some of the others do seem a little, shall we say, general? I challenge anyone to say they haven't suffered from any of the above feelings during winter. Also a lot of these symptoms can be related to other things. Lets take a closer look:


Depression - feelings of gloom and despondency
Right, it's fucking pissing it down, it's cold and everywhere is busy because it's Christmas. It's pretty natural to feel like this.

Lethargy - lack of energy, unable to carry out a normal routine
Roughly translated as: You've been sat on your arse all year but now its approaching a new one you think you should really drop a few pounds. You drank and are loads on holiday but hey, it was a holiday! Obviously you can't be arsed with the gym and in this state of econmic peril you can't really justify surgery. But what can you blame it on? Ah I know, how about the fact that its' all dark and depressing outside? Sweet.

Anxiety - inability to cope
This is something that isn't due to the fact it's winter at all. it's because you realise you spunked all your money over the summer and will
shortly have to live up to the embarrassing fate of presenting your loved one with a Kit-Kat for Christmas.

Craving for carbohydrates and sweet foods leading to weight gain during the winter
Yes it's definitely the cold that's to blame for your weight gain. Not that it's buy one get one free on Quality Street in Asda and you haven't ate a sausage that hasn't been wrapped in bacon since late September.

Social problems - eg not wanting to see people
Well this doesn't mention what kind of people? I'm not sure about you but there's a healthy cross-section of the population I'd happily never see for the rest of my life, be it Winter or Summer

Sleep problems - finding it hard to stay awake during the day but having disturbed nights.
The reason why you can't stay awake during the day is because your view from the office is now tarnished with rain and miserable looking people. Plus Tracey from Accounts has replaced her collection of low-necked summer tops with winter proof polar neck jumpers.

In conclusion? Winter is shit, deal with it.

The System - You Are In My System

A.May.Zing

Mmmm remmmmix....

Various
Rmxxologyy
Delicious Vinyl All-stars

I read an article recently about musicians making bad cameos in TV shows. Boy George hooking up with the A-Team was definite highlight. The point I’m trying to make is when you try to combine different genres, it generally produces laugh-inducing results.
Rmxxology though seemed a tempting prospect on paper, letting a variety of remixer’s (Diplo, Hot Chip & Peaches) loose on a number of old skool hip-hop tracks. But then again I can just picture that studio executive saying, “Don’t worry Mr. T, Boy George is too credible to dent your street image”. Thankfully ‘Rmxxology ‘is a move that doesn’t fall flat. Don Rimini transforms Young MC’s “Bust-A-Move” into a fidget house monster while Pink Enemy even manages to make The Brand New Heavies sound current. It’s not all dancefloor fodder mind, Philippians remix of the Pharcyde’s “Runnin” is a great update of the lax classic.

I Want That.....

Little Boots does MGMT on some strange keyboard lamp. The stylophone has been usurped.

My Gypsy Kings CD has arrived....

I just recieved an email with that as a title. I'm waiting for the equally pointless follow up titled "I just ate my Pot Noodle".

Barf.

Bestival

Thought

Funny overheard quote of the day;

"People who say 'bijou' are cunts".

Pugalistic wrath

Last Friday I did something that I never have successfully before, I punched someone in the face. I'm not using this as a platform to brag but merely as a way of documenting the event. My memory of the incident is slightly hampered as, like most Friday night punchers, I'd had a few. In my defense the receiver of said punch totally, 100 per cent, definitely deserved it. I was waiting at the bus stop with my friends while my girlfriend went to Tesco to get fags or chewing gum, maybe crisps. I can’t remember. Indecently the draw on the cash machine outside Tesco had been ripped off; a subtle precursor to the shocking violence that would ensue? I think so.

As my girlfriend came walking over I could see a stumbling character looming behind her. I also noticed she had her “argument face” on. As much as I love her my lady does have the tendency to get into a word war. You know when people get the rage in supermarket queues? The ones who scream “It’s 10 items or less here!” to replies of “Yeah fuck off!” She can get a bit like that. I suspected something like this had gone down but thought it may fizzle out. But this guy just wouldn’t leave. In my hazy state I’d hesitated to react, my eyes followed a passing car then I focused on this guy screaming in my girlfriends face. Then it came. BAM, right in the face. I delivered a perfectly executed right hook, as I mentioned before I’d never done this before. I once tried to punch David Jones in school, a possible reaction to a mum fuck joke, but my poorly aimed jab only slightly brushed his ear. I swear to god I had dreams about that slight miss for years, every time I went to punch things went in slow motion and I could never land it. But tonight I got it spot on.

First reaction? Well I was glad several of my friends were there. Surprisingly my killer blow failed to knock the guy out and I suddenly thought about what I may have created. Sure my surprise attack would be enough to honor my maiden and maintain the respect of my peers. But a full blown fist fight? That could end in actual facial pain, something I’d managed to happily avoid for most of my life. So my friends became the blockade between myself and the punched. Phew. Things seemed to be calming down. The guy, I’ll call him Bob, had been escorted to a safe distance. I was smoking a calming fag and I was nodding or possibly bouncing my shoulders, the general post fight adrenaline buzz reaction.

The situation had calmed and I could see a police van was on the horizon. What if was going to be arrested for fightery and hate crimes? Then something clicked in Bob. I would have thought the sight of the Police would have calmed him. Oh no. At this moment he broke free from my friends guiding arm and threw two bags of shopping to the floor. He then let out a scream that reminded me of the battle scene in Braveheart. Oh balls. He ran at me but got pulled back; his right hand gripped the neck of my t-shirt and tore the neck so it reached my left shoulder. It was my Death Row t-shirt as well, rinsed. Luckily the passing Police car got sight of Bobs stampede and pulled over. They took him in their van and diffused the bomb that was about to explode all over my face. I couldn’t help but internally laugh at the irony; I’d just punched Bob in the face and there he was in the back of the van.

Looking back I’m not sorry for what I did, (adopts cockney voice) you just don’t talk to girls like that do ya. Bob should have chilled out and carried on with his evening. If I haven’t been drunk there’s no way I would’ve had the balls to do something so reckless….I blame being raised in Binge Britain. Or my childhood love of Rocky films.

Yo Yo

Yo Majesty

Futuristically Speaking... Never Be Afraid

Yo Majesty gained a wave of hype after the release of 2006 "Yo EP" and some bolshy live performances. It's easy to understand when you hear the addictive booty bass of "Club Action" & "Don't Let Go", tracks that demands your attention and need to be heard in a club. While Yo Majesty may be able to win a crowd over, their songs don't translate that well on record. A lot of the hype relating to the band focuses on how the band comprise of three gay females, challenging hip hops traditional chauvinistic view. This notion seems somewhat less credible when you hear lines such as "Fuck a bitch… Leave a bitch, then don't give a shit" uttered on "Blame It On The Change". The inclusion of sickly ballad "Buy Love" also leaves a bad taste in ones mouth, there's no other way to say it, the song sounds like Pink.

Futuristically Speaking is a fractured debut, that at points it touches on brilliance. However at it's weakest it becomes a pale Imation of the stereotypes the band were supposed to be against. Maybe I'm missing something, but I'd sooner listen to Missy.

Days in....

Metronomy

Nights Out

Metronomy's debut album was a glorious collection of electronic mini masterpieces. Would Joseph Mount be able to improve on it? Or would Metronomy fade out quicker than an old glo stick? Naysayers will be sufficiently silenced after hearing Nights Out. The brooding instrumentals have now given way to fully-fledged, lyrically enhanced, pop songs. The most important thing is that this doesn't feel forced, Nights Out feels like a natural progression. While Mount's lyrics may not win an Ivor Novello, the songs now have an added depth. This coupled with sounds robbed from manga soundtracks and a new found love of the disco bass line make this one of 2008's most pleasing follow ups.

Thomas Tantrum

After listening to Thomas Tantrum's debut album I find myself in a frustrating place, I've never encountered a band that can change my mood so quickly. At points I'm overcome with pop induced joy - then seconds later ferment rage. The main factor in this bipolar listening experience stems largely from lead singer Megan Thomas' delivery. Her sickly sweet vocals in the verse of "Shake It, Shake It!" are perfect, but when she starts to repeat the line "I wanna talk, no I wanna talk" my head is magnetically drawn to the nearest wall, I can't take it. I'd rather be stuck in a lift with Anne Widdicombe than hear than line again, but no there it is planted in my brain forever. Maybe it's just me; perhaps someone in their mid twenties is far too jaded for this type of thing but then the jangly guitars of "Swan Lake" kick. Then it hits me "no this is great, I can still enjoy happy indie pop" then, like an over exuberant drunk being dragged out his local, I'm pulled from my joy by the Kate Nash evoking "Mum's The Word. Arrrrrrrrrrgh.

Guaranteed to be musical marmite, Thomas Tantrum's eponymous debut will be cherished by some and spat out by others. I however remain firmly on the fence, like the confused teen torn between trekking the familiar route of heterosexuality or taking unknown path to the land of gay.

Oooooooooh

I saw this graffiti the other day, I was first struck by its immediate charms. Not only is it a perfect depiction of Flash but having the foresight and patience to complete a piece of art of this scale is mind blowing. I have trouble trying to do a sketch of Homer Simpson on a post it note so to see something like this always impresses.

Neon Neon @ Rough Trade

You can generally expect to see a few sights down Brick Lane. One thing you don't see everyday however is a Delorean parked up outside Rough Trade East. Neon Neon, the pairing of SFA's Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip, aren't deliberately trying to mess with the heads of East London. As you may well know their recent, now Mercury Prize nominated, long player Stainless Style revolved around the life of one John Delorean.  After a slight delay Neon Neon take to the stage introduced by Gruff in a David Bowie, circa Aladdin Sane, mask. The sound of 80's synth's accompanied by Gruff's hushed vocals translate perfectly well in a live setting. Gruff is generally a fairly casual and relaxed frontman, the Neon Neon live experience truly hits 88mph when Har Mar Superstar joins onstage. You've got to applaud a man who's built a career around being fat, spouting fairly bad rhymes and break dancing. Even Boom Bip can't stop a smile when Har Mar pulls off his now standard head stand.  Whether Neon Neon develops into more than a one-album side project is yet to be seen, there must be more 80's fallen icons lives to soundtrack? Sir Clive Sinclair perhaps? If it inspires a set of songs to the standard of those played tonight, you may yet see a C5 parked in Brick Lane.

Some Single Reviews.....

Neon Neon
I Told Her On Alderaan / Trick For Treat
I’ve often thought I’d like to transport myself back to the eighties, hook up with Corey Feldman and Haim then cruise around in a pink convertible Cadillac. The only variable that could improve that situation would be “I Told Her…” on repeat. The flip side, “Trick Or Treat” has yet to soundtrack any of my bizarre fantasies. However it’s just as irresistible .

Psychedelic Horseshit
New Wave Hippies
Half Machine

After listening to this EP I’m tempted to think that this band was started as a joke. It’s not the name that puts me off; it’s not the use of feedback either. It’s the fact their songs are, quite frankly, shit. If you want to listen to shoegaze-influenced punk, listen to Times New Viking.

Pop Levi
Dita Dimone
Counter Records

Pop Levi returns with three and half minute pop gem. While Calvin Harris continues to pollute our ears at every conceivable chance, Pop Levi proves that synth led pop can be appealing. This tune will vastly increase the chance you’ll use your steering wheel as an imaginary drum. If you get the bus, make sure the seat in front is empty…

Tokyo Police Club
In A Cave
Memphis Industries

During The Strokes extended sabbatical there’s a gap for purveyors of accessible, spiky indie. Tokyo Police Club are clearly eager to fill this void, as shown by their latest offering “In A Cave”. While early EP’s showed some promise this seems like TPC are heading straight down Editors path of MOR indie. It’s not offensive, but will anyone care in a decade? Doubt it.

Crystal Castles
Vanished
Lies Records

The “second wave of punk” tag that has been thrown at the Canadian duo is currently doing them no favours. However if they keep producing nihilistic pop gems like this they’ll deserve the accolades. This is what happens if you lock yourself in your room watch David Lynch films, smoke too much and listen to Kraftwerk.

The Teenagers
Make It Happen
Merok

While far from being the best thing off The Teenagers debut album “Make It Happen” cements the trio’s position of purveyors of blissful synth driven pop. I’m aware that the track is pretty cheesy and crap; but there’s something about this band I can’t resist. Just like I find myself drawn to YouTube videos of “Hungry Eye’s”. I know its wrong, but it feels so right!

I've been busy...

Which is why blog entries have been a bit light of late...

My band made a video though, check it out

New NERD tune

I kinda like the new N*E*R*D track but it does remind me of this...





Pretty good video though...

June? WTF??

No gigs this week. Well I played with my band a couple of times, but I 'm not so self indulgent that I feel the need to review them.


Some other not so fun stuff has been going down recently. Don't really wanna bring the vibe down: these things tend to sort themselves out eventually though...

Currently listening to the re-issue of Hefner's The Fidelity War's. The Hymn For The Cigarettes is such a tune.

Oh Yeah

All these reviews I've done here are for the lovely guys at Kruger Magazine. Please check out their website http://www.krugerjunior.com/ and keep an eye out for the magazine in various independent shops.

BIG LOVE xx

Animal Collective

Animal Collective / Atlas Sound
Koko, London
Thursday 22nd May

Atlas Sound wants to clear something up. "You know when I said Animal Collective were the shit, you knew what I meant right?" Worried that his statement may have a different meaning across the Atlantic, he looks relieved when the crowd nods in agreement. It's not only his enthusiasm that translates well tonight; his blissful songs were the perfect warm up for tonight's show. Accompanied a guitar and laptop he gently prepared the crowd with his spectral set.

While no one could ever accuse Animal Collective as being conventional, the continuing absence of guitarist Deakin from their shows has seen the ditch a 'traditional' live set up. Panda Bear and Geologist take their place on opposite sides of the stage; their heads constantly huddled over various samplers and electronics. From centre stage Avey Tare plays guitar, sings and manipulates sounds through a variety of effects units. Even Panda Bear's drumming duties have been reduced to the occasional use of a reduced kit. As strange as it sounds it seems more feasible to class Animal Collective as an electronic act these days, as a three piece they've shed their sound folk sound. Samples and drumbeats provide the spine of the music and when Panda Bear and Tare's vocals combine, the harmonies they create cause an outbreak of tingling necks amongst the crowd. It's a sound that resonates well not only in Koko's theatrical like walls, but also within the audience themselves. The Animal Collective live experience has taken on a shamanic like quality. I'd literally rather kill myself than use the expression "musical journey" but the feeling I had after tonight's gig was one I haven't had for a while.

White Denim- Workout Holiday

When I first heard the name White Denim, I couldn’t help but find them slightly unappealing. Images of Johnny Borrell saving the world, while doubling his record sales, at Live Earth clouded my mind. I was also forced to deal with a long repressed memory of an afternoon spent in Primark with my Sister. These horrendous thoughts soon cleared from my mind when their debut single Let’s Talk About It jumped in my ears. It’s a ridiculously catchy, ballsy garage tune that grabs your attention immediately.

However after listening to Workout Holiday you cant help feel that the record has been rush released to capitalise on the bands, post SXSW, wave of hype. While I’m not suggesting the band should have given us eleven carbon copies of Let’s Talk About It the album suffers from a lack of focus. While their schizophrenic energy creates some flashes of brilliance, such as the frantic Darksided Computer Mouth, it also goes against them. WDA sounds like three guys jamming Sonic Youth riffs rather than an album track. Workout Holiday is by no means a bad album, just one that could have benefited with some more stringent quality control.

Oh yes!

Mega Mix

Last night saw another installment in the, seemingly, never ending ‘Don’t Look Back’ gigs. Where artists present their most critically praised work live and in full. Personally I feel that gigs might have had their day, the public’s currently unquenchable hunger for looking to the past is starting to leave a nasty taste in my mouth. The notion that we need to look back is slightly worrying. Have we past the time where artists will create new and timeless pieces of work? Or do simply people long to recall their youth and cling to a “cool” past that seems to have gone forever?

However before I take permanent root on the Highlands of Moral, I have to say I couldn’t help be tempted by Raekwon performing “Only Built 4 Cuban Links”. Plus when I found Ghostface would also be playing I hastily shut my mouth. Maybe nostalgia could be a good thing?? I’m not going to be wearing a Beavis & Butthead t-shirt and quoting Kevin Smith films anytime soon mind.

Although it seemed Raekwon shared my original opinion. While playing a set that borrowed heavily from Cuban Links it was far from a case of “turn up, play the tracks in order, piss off”. With Ghostface in tow it seemed only right that they should cover a fair portion of the Wu’s back catalogue. I never thought I’d see the day when I witnessed an actually WU TANG MEGA MIX. Urrgh Mega Mix. The words bring instant repressed memories of bad weddings and stupidly crap parties. Like the time I went to a Engagement Party and the happy couple did a dance to lady in red. Obviously the bride to be was sporting a lovely rouge tinted number. Bad lady dancing reared its uncomfortable head tonight when several “honeys” were invited (pulled) on stage. The awkward moves on show here made me embarrassed to be British. If this was America I guarantee at least four of those girls would have been pole dancers, well maybe not four… But I bet they wouldn’t have wriggled around looking like they poo’d themselves before being ushered off stage.

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Ladytron? Non

There would have been a Ladytron review here if the stupid Astoria door women hadn’t been so blind. I was down to review the gig but apparently my name was absent from the list.

If you put twitchy stress-heads in charge of checking through a list of names, surely the speed addled brain will gloss over one or two names. I believe I fell foul to this heinous crime. However the imbalance in karma was restored when Ladytron’s collection of synths and fluorescent tube lighting (probably) overloaded the crumbling Astoria’s power supply. The gig was cancelled and re-scheduled for July (citation needed). Ha-ha I haven’t felt this superior since I bumped into Sarah Oliver in Boots when I was nineteen. Track back a few years and in my deluded thirteen year old mind, Sarah was the unreachable Goddess of perfection. While she was only two years older than me, the closest I ever got to her was a patronizing hug. Since at the time I had the unfortunate disposition, for the majority of my early teens actually, of being stuck in the body of a twelve year old boy. This meant that no girl my own age would be seen with me, never mind a potential Mrs. Robinson.


A few years later and while I was torn between the usual dilemma of Chicken & Stuffing or Chicken & Bacon sandwiches, I caught the glance of a slightly overweight girl in a hideously un-flattering tracksuit. I went back to choosing the contents of my Meal Deal when I had a tap on the shoulder. A shrill, Bensons dented voice asked “Jon? It’s me Sarah from school?”. Arrrrgh! I managed to stifle the wave of sick I was about to expel and held a slightly forced conversation. “Ha-ha” I thought “You’re all fat and minging now and I’ve finally managed to break the elusive five foot two barrier” (I’m at least 5’8 now, honest). I walked away from Boots 20 Advantage Points better off and with an acute belief that karma did and always will work out in one’s favour. Fuck you Astoria, fuck you.

grr

I realise the spacing is all fucked on the below post. I've tried to sort it out about 15 times now. It's very annoying.

Sunday Funday

I was in Camberwell this weekend and whilst a friend went into a newsagent I amused myself by looking at the little adverts in the window. Amongst the usual flats for rent and heart wrenching missing cat ads I couldn't help notice that this newsagent’s window was a massive advertiser of masseurs. A PVC pimp if you will. Now this isn't really a massive shock, this is London after all. What I found amusing was the extreme difference in the quality of the cards. Due to a dying battery I only managed to capture a few photos.

I've decided to grade the adverts in the following categories;

Attraction - With the wealth of competition that is in the shop window you need something to catch the punters eye. In the bustling metropolis that is South East London, what lengths would these professionals go to?

Subtlety - How do you get the message across without actually stating "YOU CAN PAY TO SHAG ME". Meddling Old ladies maybe checking the window. How can you make the advert look as innocent as possible?

Temptation - Ultimately you’re going to want as many pervs to call you as possible. Without having a picture of a buxom lady (this isn’t a phone box after all), how are you going to do it?


Step up candidate one;

Attraction - This is a pretty well crafted card. The bright background and bold text ensure that you'll catch a few glances. I like the fact that the person(s?) who made this card weren't afraid to go for the glossy finish. This shows an appluadable level of confidence; they clearly know this baby will be paying for itself in a matter of days. 7

Subtlety - Ladybirds and illicit sex don’t usually go hand in hand. People may look at the picture and think the advert is for something innocent. But if they look one centimeter to the left, they will see the words "Mature Massage" in bright red. Still little kids can't read that can they. 6

Temptation - Well this is a tricky one. Personally I'm not one for the Mrs Robinsons myself but as my Mum use to say "one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure". By targeting a particular niche Ladybirds may just edge it on some of the competition. A lot of filthy old men are going to head straight for this one. 7

Bring on number two;

Attraction - A lot of time and effort has gone into this card. Not only has "Madonna" got lovely handwriting, she's also varied the colour of her pens. As you'll have to agree this has made the card pretty eye catching. They've put a lot of effort into this; look at the symmetry on the sides! Plus the hearts give it a more innocent touch; this'll make the pervs less guilty about paying for it. Good move. 8


Subtlety - They've gone for the classic trick on this one, posing as an actual masseuse. They're going to have to lose points for including the hearts. Love and massage are two concepts that can only end in one thing. SEX GAMES. 5

Temptation - The key factors in this category are the horizontal puller quotes. "Fun and Friendly" is a good one. These people must get a lot of calls from men who aren’t that great at small talk with women, putting their mind at ease will improve their hit rate. Also the words "No Rush" will elude to punters false notions of grandeur. These women are safe in the knowledge that only a small percentage of their clients will pass the two minute mark. 8

Time for number three:

Attraction – Well this is disappointing. The cheap marker on plain white card screams lack of effort. Plus what about that crossed out mark? If she puts this much effort into writing her “massaging” skills can’t be worth spending money on. 1

Subtlety - Well this advert does look so unappealing it is going to avoid the attention of 99% of shop window paroosers. Maybe Kelly is a genius after all? Although being “busty” isn’t necessarily a requirement for a legal masseuse, I dread to think what she crossed off. 4

Temptation - Mmm. I’m a bit lost on this one. The mind of a pervert isn’t one I have general access too. Maybe they’ll like the fact that she can’t write and is a little bit scruffy? She also states she offers “T.S.” which I’ve translated as meaning TOTAL SEX. Could reel a few punters in. 6

Put your palms together for the winner with a whopping 23 points.....

MADONNA!!!! I was going to call to tell her she'd won, although I'm not sure she'd appreciate it.

N.B. I'd like to use this moment to say that I think prostitution is VERY BAD and shouldn’t be condoned. Also if you have a bad back I'd look in the Yellow Pages, not your local Spar. Especially if you live in Camberwell.

Neon Sweat Box.

Neon Noise Project -MSTRKRFT / Autokratz / Jerry Bouthier / Bloggers Delight
Unit 7, 566 Cable Street, London - 26/04/08

With a lineup that boasted such stellar members of the electro scene such as MSTKRFT, Kitsune's Autokratz and former Boombox resident Jerry Bouthier, I had high expectations for tonight. These feelings were soon thwarted when the arid heat of the venue engulfed me on arrival. You know that sudden blast of heat you get when you jump off the plane? Well that's how it felt walking into the, oh so niche, warehouse setting of Unit 7. But when you're on holiday you're safe in the knowledge you'll be on a beach shortly, tonight all I had to look forward to is the fact that my shirt was soon to be dripping with sweat. You had to feel for the people rocking a look with two layers, well almost sorry. I know that in venues need to try and outdo each other by recreating illegal raves in legal warehouses, but surely they can afford air conditioning?

My other bone of contention with the night was the fact the Autokratz couldn't play for more than four minutes without the power cutting out. Intermittent gaps do not bode well with dance music. Visibly annoyed the band limped through before eventually leaving. With the oven like temperature and patchy sound, I wasn't relishing the prospect of an all nighter. To be fair MSTRKRFT smashed it. When you heard the opening notes of “Easy Love” the crowd, by this point a steaming heap of sweaty bodies, delivered a collective yell.

By the time they dropped “Bounce” condensation was pouring from the ceiling. At this point my shirt had formed a bond to my back and my eyes stung from the hair wax waterfall that had formed from my fringe. I fared slightly better than my friend; who spent the evening trying to see through the permanent layer of steam on her glasses. Even the flawless Jerry Bouthier couldn't keep me there any longer. Neon Noise take note; the lineup was fine but if you don't want the majority of the crowd to leave at 1am, then sort the air con out.

Part Of The Weekend Never Dies.... Well maybe on Monday morning.

Soulwax / 2 Many DJ’s / Tiga / Riton
Royal Festival Hall, London – 24/04/2008

As part of the Ether Festival took over The Royal Festival Hall with an all out assault of the senses. First was the premier of Part Of The Weekend Never Dies, a documentary that captures the Dewale brothers life on the road. The constant cycle of planes, nightclubs and dilated pupils give a compelling window into the world of a touring musician. After his video work with Klaxons, Simian Mobile Disco & Janet Jackson young director Saam Farahmand proves that he is more than capable to make the jump to the big screen.

Watching footage of thousands of people insanely dancing seemed to stir something in the crowd. After Riton’s set had warmed up the crowd the Gehnt residents came on to feverish anticipation. The crowd are on their backs, legs spread and Soulwax are about to deliver an almighty pounding. Their set consists of full band interpretations of their remixes. We get Justice’s ‘Phantom Pt2’, Daft Punk’s ‘Robot Rock’ and The Gossips ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’ re tweaked and edited in the inimitable Soulwax way. Their niche has always been presenting other peoples work in a fresh way. This was yet another example in a set that is clearly the highlight of the night.

Tiga had the unenviable task of following them but kept the crowd entertained before the arrival of 2 Many DJ’s. While many may criticise 2 Many DJ’s for their use of obvious tracks, but no one here seemed to mind. Its far more enjoyable being in a crowd of people genuinely enjoying themselves, than to be in one full of people looking round to see if they should be.

It's A Mystery

Here's the new Mystery Jet's video. It makes me want to sip Malibu, eat Turkish Delights and watch Highway.

Music reaches a new low...

Check out the hilarious video for Riskay Feat. Aviance & Real "Smell Yo Dick". Surely this has to be the roughest song of all time???

I think my favourite part has to be the conviction and emotion that Riskay (or is it Aviance) expels when uttering the immortal line "Why you coming home five in the morning, something's going on can I smell your diiiick"

But what if she drops, whips his piece out and sniffs to find no foreign scent? How would a relationship recover from such a blatant lack of trust? How could she look him in the eye after sniffing his cock? Also is she unaware of the concept of washing ones member? Dick sniffing is by no means the most fool proof way of proving fidelity. Hire a private detective or get one of your mates to come on to him. You’ll save yourself some serious embarrassment and still know whether he’s playing away from home.

WOW

It's sunny at last. Actual proper sun with radiating warmth and everything. I've been fooled a couple of times this year with sun, you know the sort that fools you into thinking it’s warm when its actually freezing?

This is my first summer in London, not that it's a huge deal but I'm really not looking forward to experiencing the tube in July. Especially when I have to get on the Central Line at around six pm. I think I'll be alright in the mornings, Right Guard and various other pong deplenishers will still be keeping its hold on the body odour of the many London commuters. It's the evenings I'm worried about. Fat business men who've gone for all you can eat Pizza Hut at lunch and then sweat out oily pepperoni stink in to my face on the way home.Still there's lots of parks to go to eh?

Kase Interview

Here's an interview I did with Hackney based MC and Producer Kase for http://www.mindie.co.uk/

Meeting people for the first time can always be tricky. Will you have much in common? What about awkward gaps in the conversation? I had a slightly apprehensive feeling when I arranged to meet Hackney based MC & Producer Kase. His team of choice Arsenal had just lost to Man Utd. With the latter being my team. He was running late and I’d just received a text saying “lgt kl bro” (??). This could be awkward.

My fears soon disappeared when we meet face to face. The first thing you’ll notice about Kase is that he stands out. We jump into the nearest pub for a chat and the first question I needed to ask would be what could someone expect from his music? “My music is live and loud. Like I’m live and loud!”. Ah yes purple, pink and bright green aren’t the colours you’d normally associate with the grime crowd. But after chatting with Kase you’ll realise he isn’t one to follow others. So hasn’t he faced any animosity for dressing different? "Not yet. First mates were like 'why your clothes so bright?’ But now they're catching up!”.

I decided to find out how he got into making tunes. After getting into the grime scene in his early teens, running home and taping pirate radio shows was clearly stirring something. So what artists wanted to make him start writing? "My biggest influence in the beginning was Michael Jackson. But then I took it deeper. I don't know where and how but I got into different genres". Anyone whose received a mix tape from him will agree, if you were to flick through his iPod you’d see some expected faces such as Timbaland, Neptune’s & Outkast sitting next to Chromeo, Hot Chip as well a wealth of 80’s electronica. The eighties clearly had a big influence on him, "I’m obviously 80's influenced but we're not in the 80's no more. I've taken it and recreated it". Years of honing his craft on his PC and keyboard Kase has taken his wide range of influences and has developed a sound which sets him apart from his peers. With his bright clothes and upbeat songs Kase has more in common with American acts such as Cool Kids. Is this something he’s done to distance himself from the scene? "You know what. People here are scared to be different, especially where I'm from. But I'm not like that. The concept of my tunes is different. A lot of the time grime sends out a bad message and I try to stay away from that. Like "Stay Fresh" is about trainers”. “Stay Fresh” is the perfect introduction to his sound. Moroder tinged synths with a M.I.A. beat soundtrack his lament to his essential accessory. His is a welcome voice in a scene that’s pre occupied with attitude.

Setting himself apart from the crowd is an important ideal for Kase. I ask he compares himself with in the current UK hip hop scene. "You know what? I'm not the first person to MC, but I'm trying to do something different. I want people to compare themselves to me, take it in a new direction. This is my motto. New words and a fresh sound. That's what I'm about".

Holy Fuck

Holy Fuck – 100 Club, London. 08/04/2008

When you're a band and you decide on the name Holy Fuck, you're not really doing yourself any favours. Media exposure is going to be pretty tricky, you can't imagine the Jo Whiley's of the world uttering that moniker in between playing the latest Kooks single. You also run the risk of entering into "look at us with our shocking name" territory (e.g. Selfish Cunt) and let's face it; no band wants to go there. These factors plus the constant disapproving glares from respective Mothers means you have to agree that Holy Fuck are a pretty brave band. Brave? Yes. Stupid? Well a rammed 100 Club audience certainly doesn't think so.

Stupidity however has not escaped the doorman. His insistence that the "guestlist is full" followed by the inevitable fifteen minute argument means I miss the first few numbers. This is made even more irritating when I eventually get in and see the reaction they're getting from the crowd. Holy Fuck create a chaotic sound that's hard to pigeon hole. Imagine Chemical Brother's "Star Guitar" being covered by Death From Above 1979 and your not a million miles away from tonight's set closer "Super Inuit". However not all the songs sound like they could soundtrack a speed addled Scalectrix session, "Lovely Allen" recalls My Bloody Valentine at their most blissful.

Don't be fooled by the name. Holy Fuck are far more endearing than they'd let you believe.

The Worst Album Title Of The Year.

Look out world. Joe Satriani and his magnum opus Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock have arrived. Entering the lol inducing elite of artists who simply can’t have any honest mates. It's up there with other luminaries such has John Frucsiante's To Record Water for Ten Days, who can forget Limp Bizkit's Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavored Water and Supergrass have given us laughter fuel by calling their latest album Diamond Hoo Haa.

I'm struggling to think of one that is worse than "The Satch" though. Why you ask? Well several reasons. Firstly the ridiculous name he's given himself. Does he expect that to transfer to everyday life? "Can I book a table for tonight? Name? It’s Professor Satchafunkilus. That's P-R-O.....” Another bone of contention is his use of the word "Musterion". After a quick bit of Google action I found the literal translation of Musterion refers to that "cannot be known unless it is revealed" (http://isv.org/musings/musing12.htm). This kind of implies that he alone has the secret of rock music. As you might agree this is a pretty bold statement, one that annoyed me a bit.

Although not as annoying waking up in a bed covered in shite from a Chihuahua. Oh yes, I experienced such shock just last Sunday. I don't think you ever experienced terror unless you've woken up to the site of liquid dog crap on your pillow. The fact that I jumped out of bed straight into another pile of it, only adds insult to injury. Take your worst Monday morning and times it by ten, still worse.