Twitter Killed Blog Star

FACT.

My Goodness

Maaaan alive am I looking forward to Glastonbury.

In regards to my below post.

I can't tell you how angry I am after (half) watching the below trailer. I couldn't even sit through three minutes of that bullshit. I haven't experienced such levels of rage since I was forced to listen to Mika's album in work. I'm gonna have to run at least 2 miles at lunch to secrete the venomous bile through my pores.

Why God, why??? Why do you let these travesties occur?? Donnie Darko is one of the great movies of our decade, why feel the need to squirt luminous green diarrhea in our faces by releasing a crappy cash in sequel?

Whats next? Blue Velvet...In Space?

Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh

Mystery Jets Interview

Here's the interview I did for the lovely Kruger (www.krugerlabs.com) magazine with Blaine from Mystery Jets

If I was able to see into the future, I wouldn’t believe some of the things I saw. My fifteen-year-old self would never have considered buying a pair of pink high tops, however my twenty three-yearold self thought it was fine; thankfully my recent self saw fit to throw them away. If you could have jumped forward from the early eighties to check on Michael Jackson, your friends would never believe you when you reported back. “Honest man, he’s white and he hangs out with Liz Taylor”. Hmmm.

You certainly wouldn’t expect to see a popular band release one of the best albums of 2008 then receive their marching orders from their label. This was, however, the case for Mystery Jets. While Twenty One was released to a fanfare of positive reviews and spawned some fantastic pop songs - I challenge you not to dance when you hear Two Doors Down at your nearest indie disco – their label 679 Recordings decided that the boys' services were no longer required.
Fans of the band and industry observers were shocked, but surely the band had some notice? Right? Lead singer Blaine Harrison tells me that unfortunately this wasn’t the case.

“Well it was shocking for us as we had just renegotiated the deal for our third album. We’d even started writing it and everyone on the English side of the label was really excited to get on with it. But what it came down to was someone in America who never even met the band, never listened to us, saying ‘who are these dudes?’”.

So it seems that Mystery Jets became victims of the recession then. “That’s right. Looking at it in terms of a pie chart, I guess things didn’t match up. But then we never really saw ourselves as the kind of band that belonged on a pie chart. It basically came down to the American side of the label not feeling that they were profiting from us. Unfortunately, when you’re working in that sphere with major labels, that’s what it comes down to. If your profit margins aren’t matching up, then they have no interest in keeping you”.

The band found themselves in a similar situation to former 679 employees The Futureheads. But where the harmony-fond Sunderland punks had released a second album that failed to match their debut, Twenty One was the work of a band vastly developed from the one that produced 2006’s Making Dens. At this moment the band may have predicted a somewhat rocky 2009, but they didn’t have to worry for long as Rough Trade head honcho Geoff Travis was quick to pounce.

Rough Trade were one of the labels vying for the Mystery Jets’ signature when they decided to go with 679, and it’s safe to assume that the Eel Pie Islanders were slightly chuffed to see they were still keen.

“Rough Trade are probably the best indie label in the world, we were so happy that they were still there for us. Geoff Travis always said to us “I will be there”, but for them to come forward at that point.... There’s often a thinking when a band leaves a label that they’re damaged goods. I think in today’s world it’s completely different; people have a different understanding. You only need to look at The Futureheads. They proved you don’t need all this money behind you. You can make a video with an up-and-coming director and match up against these supposed ‘big guns’ really easily if you just put a bit of brains behind it. The problem with a lot of major labels is that they don’t think ahead of the game, they follow trends, analyse the market, then look around and say ‘right this is what we need to do.’”

With 679 recently signing the hugely hyped Little Boots, you don’t have to look too far to back up Blake’s point. 679’s history is littered with bands that have travelled through the machine on the major label conveyer belt; ironically including Little Boots previous all-female synth rock outfit, Dead Disco. So have the band found things a lot different in their short time working with Rough Trade?

“They work a lot more instinctively. They sign acts that they love and believe in, then give the band the freedom to do whatever they want, which is what’s going to bring the best out of them anyway.” Surely there must be pangs of regret at not signing with Rough Trade in the first place? “Yeah I guess there probably is. But I never felt particularly compromised during our time at 679. It was only towards the end when the label had completely disintegrated. Our label was essentially a filing cabinet on the 3rd floor on the Atlantic offices; that was never the label we signed to and unfortunately it went that way. The label suffers because of the industry suffering. I don’t have any regrets as we had a really good time there while it lasted, and we worked with some wicked people. I’m just excited about moving on, really.”

Ah yes, looking forward. Secure again on a label that loves them, what next for a band full of sparkling originality and gut-busting pop sensibility? Just compare the leap from the ramshackle indie of The Boy Who Ran Away to the saccharine synths heard in Half In Love With Elizabeth. What should we expect from album number three?

“We’ve always set out to do something as radically different as possible with each record. At the moment I’m feeling really pretty widescreen, I just got the idea of making a driving record. Like back in the day, you’d make a tape of your favourite CD and it would be the only tape you’d keep in your car. I want it to be the kind of record that you’d put in your car and never take out until your car gets sold for scrap metal.” So what’s been leading you down this route? “I’ve been listening to a lot of Bruce Springsteen, late Police records, The Cars; stuff like that”.

So in a bizarre twist of events the band could be working on a record that could have more mass appeal than anything they’ve previously done? That they might be about to record their own Born To Run? “I want it to be a bold record. We’ve always gone for things that are interesting rather than big. So for us to make something big... that would be a new thing.”

Jon Davies

The Mystery Jets photographed in NYC by Christopher McClallen
http://www.christophermclallen.com/

Who's watching The Watchmen?

Well, me.

Popped my Imax cherry and went to see The Watchmen the other night. Verdict? Epic. Although I'd read the book before you see it.

Trying To Be Jacko Tickets....

And it's proving pretty damn painfu, let's just enjoy this moment from the King of Pop and a clearly "HIGHASAMOTHERFUCKINGKITE" Eddie Murphy.

Friendly Jack

Friendly Fires – Skeleton Boy

Currently travelling up and down the country as part of this year’s NME tour, 2009 looks set to be another busy year for the St. Albans trio. Instantly catching you with its groove, the track will send you catapulting to the nearest dance floor. In the wake of ‘New Rave’ we had a flurry of indie bands grabbing the nearest synth and, let’s be honest, it was starting to get just a little contrived. However Friendly Fires mix of disco, post punk and Balearic influences shows how effortlessly they separate themselves from their peers. Skeleton Boy is four minutes of pop perfection that will inspire life into even the most insipid indie disco. 

Jack Peñate – Tonight’s Today

London troubadour Peñate returns with a new single that is a rapid departure from his previous work. It seems the singer songwriter has ditched his frantic punk sound, as well as that stupid hat, and has discovered world music. Wait no come back! As strange as it sounds, the result is a pleasant surprise. While his debut album could have easily been confused with a number of London bands, Tonight’s Today sets Peñate apart from the pack. Produced by Paul Epworth the track fuses soul, Graceland era Paul Simon and even the more blissful end of house. With a release date cannily timed with the clock change, this could be the first defining summer song of 2009.

Morrissey On The One Show

This is amazing. I love the point at 3:48 where, with one raise of the eyebrows, Morrisey manages to say "F**k off Chiles you arse biscuit". Incidentally how did Chilo manage to bed that co-presenter woman?? This shows that the credit crunch has even effected King Miserable himself, going on the One show to promote his album! That is a turn up...

Hold The Phone

This game looks beyond dope. It's not out ill June though.... This may just save me from my post Glasto pit of depression.

Twit

Like many people I have recently set up a Twitter account. I was ignoring this particular Internet phenomena for a while but then I realised, why fight it? Plus Stephen Fry talked about it at lengths with Jonathan Ross, so it must be a valuable tool. As Mr. Fry put it the purpose of Twitter is "microblogging", you update this site with little bits of information about yourself and what you're doing etc. In fact it's exactly like the status updates on Facebook. However unlike Facebook you tend to not got sidelined by photos of people who aren't really your friend. What is it that's so addictive about looking through wedding photos of complete strangers?

So here's the link to my Twitter

If you like this blog as much as I think you do, you're gonna STB over this.

WTF??

Am I wrong in thinking this is going to be amazing?

Sleeve of the Day

Figure this one out.

Blue Monday??

Apparently today is the most depressing day of the year... In light of this I suggest you watch this clip of Vic And Bob on Going Live.

Handsome Furs - Can't Get Started

I Got One On & One Off

What do you do if you're Mick Jagger and you fancy a holiday? Well head to Jamaica, get wired and hang out with Peter Tosh. Check out Jagger's lame attempt at banter at the end.

New Jamie T Tune

mmm...

Buy This Album