Say Anything Syndrome

In Excelsis Deo

2009-12-04T07:32:00.005Z

(source: Calum Macnab)

There Will Be Fireworks - In Excelsis Deo

Well i can't wait for Christmas
Been buckle-knee'd and listless. And you say
That you've been wishing weeks away

We hung the lights out in the street
Twisted round the bows of trees
The choir sung it's holiest refrains

Like gloria
Hosanna in the highest
Heaven knows
This years been black and blue
But we're alright
And this Christmas could be white for me and you

I still can't sleep on Christmas Eve

And we'll never miss a beat
Scarlet faced from whiskey neat. In the cold
Singing dancing in the dark

Oh i hope these words will do
I've had my doubts but not about you. I'm drunk
And hearing voices in car-parks

And this year
Oh, i've got love in me, i swear
I hope you know

Gloria in excelsis deo

If i should fall from grace
If i should leave this dear green place
And if Christmas fades without a trace

But still when you're around
There's magic in this old grey town
You know you should chat among the flames

Keep singing all the songs
Who cares if all the words are wrong
Who cares if it barely ever snows

But still the choir smiles
The carol of the bells goes...

A truly wonderful song. With non-ironic, honest, heart-warming lyrics.

(Self-transcribed lyrics; accurate except for "You know you should chat among the flames". It's definitely "you know you should [something]". If anyone knows, let me know and I'll alter.)

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME FRIENDS / WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S AHEAD 'TIL THE END

2009-05-19T00:43:00.004+01:00

I don’t get Twitter. Some people post too much, some people post too little, and who should I really be following? Any good suggestions? If so, drop me a line at the contact email in the sidebar.

I recommend following Mike Skinner. He subtly dropped three new tracks, and very few people mentioned it (NME did, but...) Maybe it’s because one (He’s Behind You, He’s Got Swine Flu) is primarily a joke, like Lesbian Vampire Killers was. But another (Infamy) is a fairly good tune, with a propulsive beat that goes nowhere. However...

The Streets - Where My Heart Has Been

This song is absolutely quality. The sample reminds me of old school disco’s. I mean, like, Rugby Club disco’s, cheesy nights with people throwing up in bushes outside, and not drinking inside because of the no-alcohol policy. When I dyed my hair red, in a rush, and went ‘out’ out with strawberry red ears. Feeling smart and cool and right, and falling in and out of love four times a month. It reminds me of the end of the last decade, it reminds me of David Gray’s ‘This Year’s Love’ coming out, it reminds me of lying in bed worrying about silly things that meant the world to me. A beautiful kind of nostalgia, a hark back to simpler times, featuring some truly great lyrics.

We all happen to hang our hat’s here / I lost sight of that fact in fear / Don’t underestimate me friends / We don’t know who’s ahead ‘til the end / I might spend all day with it / And then pen the night away / And make nil and null and then / So Jill and John and Jen / Can kill and con with Ken / For their fill of fun with friends.

You should also check out Mike Skinner’s mixes... I’m a particular fan of number 11. The Eric Prydz tune (Melo) is brill-chill, as are many others.

Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers (Doorly Remix) [Buy]

Another tune I’m absolutely loving at the minute is this one (I really mean the original, though obviously I can't throw that up here) but then I’m sure everyone’s loving it. It is going to be mass-eeeeeeeeve. Fair play. Mr Rascal and Arman Van Helden have made a song that’s destined for hip-happening house parties, and club nights alike. A heavy bass line is my kind of silence.

Don Diablo & Example - Hooligans (Extended Mix)

And finally, I don’t know much about these people, but it’s got a similar sort of schtick as ‘Bonkers’ only not half as good. But it’s still good. Definitely.

Thom: get these bangers on in your banger and we'll go cross-country. Major buzz, Fosters love..x

NEXT THING WE'RE TOUCHING / YOU LOOK AT ME AND IT'S LIKE YOU HIT ME WITH LIGHTNING

2009-05-14T02:33:00.003+01:00

I don’t know really what to say... I’ve been gone a long, long time. Hopefully, I’m back. Because it’s summer. And although my last exam still hovers over my like a storm cloud, it feels like I should be productive in my misery, in my sadness, in my anticipation. So first... would you like £2000 to look after your moat?

But, enough.

Enough.

Have you heard Ellie Goulding yet? Her music is magical. It’s soft, it’s soothing... it’s little bleeps, it’s gentle stop-starts on an empty country road. She’s taking breaths in all the right moments, she’s being paused and played, she’s flying high and low with vocal soars. And she’s collaborating with Frankmusik who’s fantastic. I don’t know if it’s right to share so many songs with you, but.... well, as far as I can tell it’s GOODWEATHERFORAIRSTRIKES (I mean, Neon Gold) who have a handle on her, and they’re the most sharing of people. So, hear it is: Two Covers, Two Originals.

(image source: crazy bobbles)

Ellie Goulding - Black + Gold (Sam Sparro cover)

I hate this Sam Sparro song, when Sam Sparro does it, but it suddenly becomes more listenable, and less headache-inducingly annoying once it gets the female touch. Quite excellent work, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Ellie Goulding - The Wolves (Bon Iver cover)

This Bon Iver cover is impressive. The original itself isn’t exactly interesting until the “what might have been lost”, and whilst this version isn’t as tear-inducingly sad once we reach that point, it’s still lovingly crafted. And it’s beautiful to hear that a few multi-tracked voices can make a song. Sure, there’s guitar-squeaks, there’s minor chords. But this song, is all about the vocals, the harmonies, the soaring, all the high’s and all the lows.

Ellie Goulding - Wish I Stayed
Ellie Goulding - Starry Eyed

Finally, two rather different songs, both lovingly techno-pop. Listen up, and hear the newest sensation. Absolutely brilliant.

I thought this would be a nice way to re-introduce myself. She’s by turns sad, danceable, reminiscent, quirky, soothing, stop-start electro-popping. Just like my little mental museum.

I'M PICKING UP TIPS FROM HOT CHORDS

2009-04-07T20:43:00.004+01:00

Still Flyin’ - The Hottchord is Struck

Hand-claps. It starts with the jingle-jangle of Simon & Garfunkel, falsetto vocals, some sax (is it sax?). And then it segues suddenly into a cheerleader chant, alphabet spelling, playgrounds and ballparks, ice cream cones. At times it feels like the instruments are tumbling over the drums, just about staying on their feet. But it’s meant to be ramshackle, it’s meant to be bursting with life. It’s an all-inclusive Thompson Holiday package with the family - it’s a little bit cheap, it’s a little bit tacky, and it’s absolutely brilliant. [Buy]

SOON.

2009-03-29T03:04:00.000+01:00

I’ll blog soon ‘cause Kleerup’s album is amazing, the new My Latest Novel single is very different, and sad and beautiful, The Lowly Knights are apparently like Arcade Fire meets The Polyphonic Spree (they’re not), but what they are is joyful, triumphant, and full of LOVE. Furthermore, old Manchester Orchestra sounds like Jimmy Eat World, Juno by Tokyo Police club is full of beautiful misery, Frankmusik + Ellie Goulding = FANTASTIC, Santogold is like Jamaican pop heaven, The Joy Formidable is cheesy shouty pop angst gold, Marina and the Diamonds = a weirdo, brilliant, Kate Bush for the modern age, and Fosters is my new favourite beer. Chat soon.

Kisses.

I'M NOT DEAD, HONEST

2009-02-21T22:12:00.006Z

Hi, I’m alive, and I shall blog soon. Just wanted to say, there’s an interesting, amazing, brilliant, exciting gig coming up. It’s all these people:

My Latest Novel (www.myspace.com/mylatestnovel)

Zoey Van Goey (www.myspace.com/zoeyvangoey)

Ben Butler and Mousepad (www.myspace.com/benbutlerandmousepad)

Dolby-Anol (www.myspace.com/dolbyanol)

Holy Mountain (www.myspace.com/mountainholy)

And they’ll all be soundtracking a piece of film in a room in The Arches, and turning it into a 1920’s film theatre. So, I’ll be there, sitting on a nice comfortable seat, and watching My Latest Novel, and buzzing.

My Latest Novel - The Reputation of Ross Francis

Be there or be square, I reckon. I shall blog about songs soon... starting with Emmy the Great, Kyte, Frightened Rabbit, Fast Emperors, Bon Iver and M83. Good times.

UPDATE: I only saw two bands, (My Latest Novel, and Zooey Van Gooey, plus the recap of all five band's videos...), but, it was FAN-tastic. Anyone else there? No? Just me? Well, give us a shout if you were. Let me know what you thought of the soundtracking!

I GOT HOLES IN MY NEW JEANS FOR YOU

2009-01-30T04:26:00.001Z

Chairlift - Bruises

A flickering neon sign in a dilapidated fairground town. Close to the waves, lapping against the beach. Bare feet touching soft sand. A gust of Atlantic air flittering through the dunes and rustling the grass. Beautiful sadness encapsulated in song. [Buy]

P.S. Yea, this is the song that was in the Apple ad. They have good taste: First Feist, then this!

YOUR LIFE IS A SONG BUT NOT THIS ONE

2009-01-27T16:56:00.007Z

Johnny Foreigner - Eyes Wide Terrified

How have I not talked about this band before? Amazing. If you check out my Last.fm profile you’ll see I listen to them far too much. The perfect blend of humour and intelligence to the lyrics, a beautifully youthful blend of fast-slow, nice harmonies and chaotic guitar playing. You can’t really ask for much more. And this, this is just beautiful:

talk about confidence
I’d give it a month if i’m lucky
and i’m not that lucky
and these t-shirts don’t fold themselves
but he falls asleep on her shoulder every shift they spend together
which is most nights

I’d also recommend Champagne Girls I Have Known (fast, funny, smart), and DJ’s Get Doubts (slow, sad, smart) just to grasp the scope of this bands potential. I’m not saying they’re perfect, but what they do, they do well, and hopefully they’ll broaden their horizons for album number two (but not in a Bloc Party-make the third album more inaccessible than Kid A-kinda way [/tongue in cheek]). Incidentally, Bloc Party remixed Salt, Pepper and Spinderella. [Buy]

P.S. I am shattered and starving.

Tour Diary for DiS:

March, April, May, June, July

I WAS JUST ABOUT TO WALK FIVE MILES IN A DAZE

2009-01-21T14:58:00.002Z

Throw Me The Statue - About To Walk (Daytrotter Session)
Throw Me The Statue - Groundswell

All the best melodies on this album feel stolen - like he got out his old vinyl collection of Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, maybe even Genesis and then a week later recorded the melodies as he remembered them. So in a way it's all his own - it's how he recalls it. But in a way it's not even nearly his own - he's singing someone else’s songs. And it's this familiarity that makes it instantly likable.

Lyrically he’s kind of like Jacob Borshard, but less romantically self-involved. Throw Me The Statue is more like the court-jester than the miserable kid with a passion for sarcasm. Music concerned less with being serious, and more to do with the joyful things in life - like lollipops & toffee-apples. But it's not sugar coated, it's just naturally sweet. It's a small (more-or-less one-man) band imitation of a big band - handclaps, finger-clicks, harmonies - everything multi-tracked.

It's the kind of music you make when you sit in your bedroom with a laptop, some memories, and old instruments that used to belong to the school band. During the breaks, you probably play your GameBoy. And it shows. It's fun, and it's sincere. Just because it's dressed up in smiles doesn't mean it's any less moving. [Buy]

Words: June 24th, 2007

THIS SONG IS ALMOST PERFECT, I SWEAR

2009-01-20T16:35:00.011Z

(image source)

Seabear - I Sing, I Swim

I don't want to play this song on repeat endlessly in an attempt to discover a hidden melody, a message, a sentiment, a feeling, a truth. I don't want to ruin this song for the sake of precise prose. This song is more about feeling anyway, and although feelings within or about songs can be described in words; it’s hard to pinpoint their exact nature. They were meant to be heard, or felt; not read about.

There’s a sadness in the song. It’s not frivolous, or throwaway, despite the way the music plays out. It’s rooted in the past, but it defines the present. (“I miss you / Even when you’re around.”) It is a weight that can't be lifted, a feeling that's always there - even when it's not being felt. Like the sun, or the moon, or the stars. Just because they can’t be seen, doesn’t mean they aren’t there, constantly.

It’s like the feeling of being alone, able to watch as the leaves fall from the trees, as the ocean nestles into the rocks, as the young pretty girl carries the old ladies bags across the street. The beautiful scenes play out in front of you, and instead of joy, you’re filled with sadness that you’re not a part of them. Like a smile without enthusiasm. This song sounds like tears you’re keen to shrug off. It’s not nothing, but it’s easier to pretend, isn’t it?

I’m not particularly prone to written hyperbole, so take this sincerely: this song is full of life, and it’s almost perfect. It’s daydreamy, sad, beautiful, miserable, wistful, and truthful. It’s a passing notion – a way to make something right, that’s quickly forgotten. It’s a romantic idea that never blossoms into a romantic gesture. It’s a confession, a love-letter, a postcard where the words aren’t quite right, no matter how hard you try. (The words of this song though, are pretty much perfect - enviably so.) [Buy]

Words: July 29th, 2007

WHO DIDN'T HEAR THE NEWS?

2007-10-09T23:49:00.000+01:00

Hi. Radiohead have an album out tomorrow. Tomorrow is, technically, only five minutes away now. As soon as the second goes past midnight everyone who's bought the album will be waiting for their activation codes. Exciting, huh? Join the club: order it. Quickly.

Be a part of the digital revolution or whatever this is.

Personally, I just want to hear "Nude" recorded, properly, for the first time. I'm excited. Why? Because, live it's enough to bring tears to your eyes.

TEACHING THE INDIE KIDS TO DANCE AGAIN (ELECTRO-STYLE)

2007-07-09T20:27:00.000+01:00

These are more appropriate for drunken Friday night revelry, than rainy Monday evenings, but I'm sorry - it's all I've got for you.

Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Patrick Alavi Rerox Edit) [Info]

The typical student anthem remade so that it's still relevant at a time when it's become cool for indie-kids to branch out and listen to electro. A time when it's ok to go to an indie-disco where it's like, you know, an actual disco. Arty girls looking beautiful but going crazy on the dancefloor; the cardigan-wearing hipsters, notoriously known for shoe-gazing, joining in.

Rage Against The Machine - Killing In The Name (Mr Oizo Remix) [Info]
Rage Against The Machine / Mr Oizo - Killing In The Name (DJ Clumsy Remix) [Info]

The original still goes down a storm at indie-discos (or, specifically, the indie-disco that used to take place in Sandinos and shall soon be reinstated - if the rumours are true). Boy and girl both going crazy to the same tune, some jumping up and down, some moshing, some head-banging. Every time the electro version (neither of these, but similar) comes on in ABC2 (in Glasgow) there's a similar effect, but it's slightly more civilised. Perhaps odd, that last statement. Not really, though, when you consider the fact that we all just want to dance and hug each other.

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I'm currently in the process of finding something that excites me, that I like, that I can write about, that's not electro. These criteria are actually surprisingly hard to fulfil, lately.

BYRES ROAD IS MISSING A STORE

2007-07-06T12:12:00.000+01:00

Fuck me, Fopp's gone?! Where will I get my cheap books from now?! And DVD's?! I guess I still have Avalanche for CD's - but Fopp was well cheaper...

Gutted.

(Yes, this did happen like two weeks ago. But how would I have known? I've left Glasgow for summer!)

I ACTUALLY WAS A CUB SCOUT

2007-06-28T23:06:00.000+01:00

I Was A Cub Scout - Pink Squares (Lull Mix Radio Edit) [Info*]

I expected something akin to their Bloc Party remix. When those dissonant and slightly nauseating keys came in (0:33), I thought my worst fears were confirmed. Happily, however, those notes fade out around the one-minute mark. After that, the song changes. A subtle build-up (1:19) followed by a short-lived drop-off in tension (1:53), that develops, relentlessly, into an exciting, continuous, intense, stress-inducing build-up. This reaches its peak at the four-minute mark with the entrance of the vocal line, "my shoes! are left! behind!" After that, all that's left is the gradual fall back to reality. Sometimes I'm amazed at the effect music can have not only emotionally, or psychologically, but also physiologically (I'm sure I started to half-sweat, and I know my heart-rate sped up).

Jack Penate - My Yvonne

I can't call myself a fan. In fact, every other song I've heard (by dear Jack) seems far too manufactured; ready-made happy-as-larry, sparky-got-lucky pop. But this song is delicious, and the formula works (just listen to those delectably Feist-y cooes beginning at 1:43) - this isn't just music, this is M & S music*.

*(Yes, this reference to the recent (successful) Marks & Spencers ad-campaign truly is the best way I can think of to describe this song.)

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If you like Christopher O'Reilly's covers of Radiohead and Elliott Smith, then you will probably also like this. It's simple - but as easy, laid-back piano-pop for the dinner-table it works quite well.

I Was A Cub Scout - Pink Squares (Luke Trav1s Remix) [Info]

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*If anyone knows the website for Lull I'll link to it - I just don't know it.

A VAGUE DISCUSSION OF CITY-LIFE LYRICS AND ANTI-WAR SENTIMENT IN MUSIC

2007-06-25T00:29:00.000+01:00

Jamie T - Fox News

Your favourite sea-side holiday get-away was purchased yesterday by a company where even the lowliest press-officer is never seen wearing anything less than an Armani suit, fresh from the dry-cleaner. City life wears you out and though you love it (and in truth, it's all you've ever been truly used to) you've always craved the odd weekend away. And now that escape is gone.

To think of it another way, just think about an adorable Cavalier King Charles named Oscar. His coat is golden brown and only last week he was groomed - he looks beautiful. He had a stroke a few days ago and now he's either damaged his sight or his balance. Maybe even both. Whereas before he would tug on the leash, he now walks unsteadily beside you, like a drunk-driver pulled over by the police and asked to walk in a straight line. And he strays left and then right and the whole time he looks confused. Where once everything seemed exciting and new, now even the simplest things (like a shell on the beach, for instance) are baffling. His eager puppy-dog enthusiasm for life has seemingly, for the past few days, at least, changed into bored confusion and vague anger (with a hint of miserable indifference). And he's so thirsty! When walking along the concrete-streets he laps up dirty puddle water, and his owner feels awful for having to drag him away (it's one of the few times recently he's looked slightly happy).

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Maybe city-life isn't all it's cracked up to be. The endless entertainment, the lack of moral substance - a place "where boys fuck girls that they never will marry". So many acquaintances and so few real friends. And when you're out for the night "you must lust touch, 'cause you want so much". And despite the fact that you "smell love-struck", really you just "feel alone". It's not sexual physical contact that you want, just a reassuring hug from either sex. At least in a shitty village you recognise every face, and you probably go out of your way to acknowledge every other one.

The reason the line, "Do you ever feel like you want to go home?" resonates, is because of the implication that home has disappeared* - swallowed up by the capitalists and the corporate suits, catering to your every consumerist desire, and the media reducing night-life to a choice selection of stereotypes, each of which it now seems necessary to fulfil - all this resulting in your life being filled with vacuity where once there was substance (as opposed to substances).

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I watched Oscar walk along the narrow corridor of the caravan just there now. He banged his head against wall. Maybe it was frustration, or maybe he really can't see straight anymore, but at least, like Jamie T, he's trying to move forward.

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Side-notes: Notice that amidst the lyrical disillusionment with city-life, there is also evidence of Jamie T's anti-war beliefs - coupled with his frustration regarding the falseness of the "it's bullshit" media, ("well pigs fucking fly and it ain't about oil and fox news has always been fair and balanced"), and also, seemingly, a wandering diatribe against the fact that communication with others (via the telephone) is expensive.

(image source: The Guardian)

Lo-Fi-Fnk - The City (The Teenagers Remix) [Info]

In parallel with the aforementioned then, is this song. It starts out with proclamations of love for the city and its homeliness ("Boy it's great to be back home - the city - that's where we belong") but then the excitement matures into a mild frustration ("beginning feels like oh-so-great but soon it turns to just-ok"), which is tempered by an obvious affection for the city. It's worth noting that the song still ends with the recurring motif, "still it's great to back home / the city, that's where we belong". If you took the remixers name as being a deliberate part of the title, then perhaps the endless optimism can be explained. This is the perspective of teenagers, so despite all its faults, the city caters to their every need, and thus, is still home.

Interpol - NYC (Live - Black Sessions)

One of Interpol's main draws is their subtlety; their vague ambiguity that while not completely understandable, rarely fails to create a gloomy (though not over-bearing [like Editors]) grey-scale atmosphere. To try to explain or over-analyse the wandering lyrics (this time, appropriately, about city-life), would be to dismantle the charm. Download Interpol's 2004 Black Sessions here.

Hot Club de Paris - Everyeveryeverything

And if you need some light-hearted (but appropriate) relief after the moody misery, then who else to turn to but Hot Club de Paris? With a song that details the fast-paced Friday night frenzy, the frivolous tale of excess not only in lyrical form ("in the shadows of a Friday night, I walked into a brand new streetlight"), but also through the relentless, hectic musicality. The title, seemingly, sums up the constant desire that comes from city-dwelling, the insatiableness of our spirits (never enough alcohol, or friends, or dancing, or drugs - we want Every-Every-Everything!) Every night is a new beginning; a chance to shine just as bright as the nearest streetlight, the furthest star. A chance to drink up and meet new people ("I commanded those neon lights to... / To spell the new names that I learn").

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(image source: Britannica)

Jamie T - Here's Ya Getaway

Writing out the lyrics of one of the verses of this song seems like it would be more useful that redundant analysis, so that's what we'll do. Needless to say, the lyrics display more disillusionment with the city, anger at (presumably) Iraq, and perhaps even a vague nod in the direction of the homeless and poverty-stricken ("while you're asleep they're on the street"):

"In these cities, hard to see the stars overhead;
Can see the moon though - the streetlight turns it blood red .
The star symbolises the cuts we bled,
The mouth got fed, the winding alleys that we tread.
The moon, much bigger, representing the dead,
Who lie in the sewers under soldiers feet.
They stir as you march, while you're asleep they're on the street
Put your ears to the drain, you can hear them weep"

Los Campesinos! - We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives

Los Campesinos! reinforce the idea that frustration with city-life (and all that that entails) and anti-war sentiment go hand-in-hand. Although the detrimental effect of sexual promiscuity, ("when you play pass the parcel with human body parts / someone might get head, but someone will get hurt"), and the detrimental effect of smoking on the taste buds - and perhaps implicit criticism of showmanship - ("yeah, it's great that you can blow smoke-rings but you won't taste her lips if you do get to kiss her") are just a few of the other topics discussed in this whimsical anti-war song. Typically student-y, the song (so perhaps ironically - since irony is the buzzword of all student-types) thinks about war but is frivolous in its convictions - seemingly saying, "yeah, let's just party and forget about it". The title itself suggests a defense of this attitude, however, ultimately saying "ok, so maybe we like to be silly, but at least when we're silly we're harmless".

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Why are city songs so appealing? Maybe it's the constant conflict between the idealist and the realist - the power-struggle that always seems to take place in an urban-vs-suburban environment. A city-wide struggle which holds sway over so much. The desire for choice without the malignant-capitalist karma; A pro-drug view that wants no casualties (be it the downfall of morality, or the actual deaths of users).

Cities are notoriously diverse and contain people from all walks of life; people of different beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. So maybe it's the fact that despite wishing that we lived in a world where everyone was entitled to their own beliefs, (you read the Qur'an, and I read the Bible, but we're both human and it's important that we both have our faiths), we have to realise that, as right-wing as it seems, our different faiths put us at war with each other. And maybe if Blair didn't side with his fellow Christian, George Bush, then Britain would lose a friend, and in twenty years, China - likely, or definitely, the dominant power - would become America's ally, and Britain's empire would be further diminished**.

Aside from this, there's the fact that though most of us are pro-choice, support equal rights, same-sex marriages and adoption rights of gay couples, we're still, when it comes down to it, seemingly right-wing in our beliefs. People criticise Mike Skinner, and Jamie T for trying to speak to (and about) 'the youth of today' when really they're just a couple of well-brought up middle-class kids, but I say, and what? But then, I'm middle class too, so I would say that. This constant conflict (left/right, Daily Mail/Guardian, socialist/capitalist, anti-/war, etc) - and the realisation of the blindingly obvious fact that not every-fucking-thing in life is black-and-white, - is summed up aptly by Jamie T with the lyric, "peeps call us right-wing but we're pretty fucking liberal / I shit you not, 'cause we're all about the equal".

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Klaxons - Atlantis to Interzone (Hadouken! Remix) [Info]

Oh, and if you didn't know already, cities are full of drugs.

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Hot Club de Paris - Shipwreck (Jamie T & Ben Bones' Stormy Weather Mix) [Info]
Hot Club de Paris - Your Face Looks All Wrong (Lo-Fi-Fnk's Scouse House Mix) [Info]
Interpol - Untitled (Datassette Remix) [Info]

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*Similar to these titular lines by Bloc Party and Bright Eyes, respectively: "Where Is Home?", "We Are Nowhere And It's Now".
**This is Tony Blair's view anyway, and one of his justifications for the war. I learn a lot from newspaper supplements.
#Uncredited photos in this post are my own.
##A person with a pro-drug stance is not necessarily a drug-user.
###Oscar seems ok now. Not perfect, but getting there (I hope).
####My favourite sea-side holiday get-away has not really been taken over by a corporation. Thank goodness.

ALTERNATE VERSIONS: #1

2007-06-17T19:12:00.000+01:00

Necessary Note Before We Begin:

If you download only one song: make it Jon Solo's cover of Blue Light.

Alternate Versions:

I have remixes and covers of songs I've never even heard. That is to say: the original is a foreign island. I (most of the time) have heard of it, so I know it exists, but I've never been there. Never tasted the air there, or the food, never felt the warmth or the humidity, never looked up at the skyline and felt content, never taken a dip in the water and thought, "God, it's even colder than it is at home!" But through these remixes and covers (or even alternate versions by the band themselves), I've heard of the elements that are in place - so I kind of think I know that the Mexican food there is great, Italian's not really their kind of thing, the valley's act as sun-traps and on Sundays they go there and relax, but during the week the heat is unbearable, it hardly ever rains but when it does the villages flood, they aren't skyscraper people and because of this I like them - they like to be able to see real mountains as opposed to build buildings that block out the sun, their horizon's are broader than ours, they like to skinny dip past midnight but only in the Great Georgian Lake - never in the East of Eleanor one. Are you following?

It's so hard these days to keep track of who wrote what and who fucked what up and who improved upon what. Case in point: That Kissy Sell Out song I featured - I now know that Ali Love did the talking/rapping bit, thus it was a sample, but did I know that before? No. And I found out accidentally! (by listening to some Modular Dance CD). With the ongoing increase in digitalisation, there are less liner notes accompanying the music - mp3 blogs are mp3 blogs; not sources to find out the producer, writer, remixer, trumpet, tube, flute, piccolo players, and 'miscellaneous tasks' credits.

But alas, I've strayed from the point. The point being, that there are far more (or definitely seem to be far more) remixes and covers of songs nowadays than there ever were before, and so here in these posts I will offer up two versions of each song (and the first won't always be the original) and you can decide which you like more. Or maybe they both have merit! Or maybe you might find that (remarkably) they are two different (aurally) songs despite being cut from the exact-same cloth. Say wha? Whatever. Enjoy.

Elliott Smith - Needle In The Hay
Elliott Smith - Needle In The Hay (Live Full Band Rendition)

Apparently this full-band rendition is remarkable. Unfortunately I can't enjoy it properly, because I'm a stickler for sound-quality, and as far as that goes, live recordings don't really do it for me, unless they're done professionally (e.g. download resource). But perhaps you can see the diamond in the dirt and love it more than the original (which, oddly, I've never really loved as much as everyone else seems to, despite often loving Elliott Smith more than they do. Go figure.)

Midlake - Roscoe
Midlake - Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve remix) [Info]

Talk about blog-hype. This band did the rounds for so long I was ready to abandon hope on the whole discovery-of-great-bands-via-blogs thing. Y'see, I didn't get them at all at first (or even at second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth). I don't know when I finally let this song change my mind about them (or if it ever did - this is the only Midlake song I listen to with anything even approaching regularity). Imagine some sort of durr A-Team theme-tune done by a lazy psuedo-country&western band who constantly smoke and you've got this song. I know, I agree, it sounds like it's gonna be so shit, but somehow it isn't. BTWS provide extra room and softness, so if that's your thing you'll like the remix, and if that's not your thing, you won't, and if you're like me, you'll find that the changes are so inoffensive they're barely noticeable. But then, 'dance' music is all about subtlety, isn't it? [When I say 'dance' I don't mean 'dance', literally. Obviously. If you know what I do mean, you get a pat on the back from me.]

Kate Nash - Foundations
Kate Nash - Foundations (Metronomy remix) [Info]

Kate Nash got very hyped up. I didn't understand why. At all. Now I do. Kind of. You should too. I've liked Metronomy ever since that Infadel's remix ("L-O-V-E-L-I-K-E-S-E-M-T-E-X!"), but I can't tell if this remix is truly enjoyable, or just interesting. Maybe you can.

Metric - Monster Hospital (Acoustic)
Metric - Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix) [Info]

I didn't even realise that Metric actually mentioned Bobby Fuller in this song! When MSTRKRFT make the song so danceable, I'm not sure I even care.

Athlete - God Only Knows (Live on BBC Radio 2) (Beach Boys Cover)
Petra Hayden - God Only Knows (Beach Boys Cover)

I really like the singer from Athlete's voice - but you can't really tell why in this close-cover of a classic. Petra Hayden's cover sticks even closer to the original Beach Boys version - forever embedded in my mind now as a seasonal song (blame Love Actually); a song for log-fire Christmases and present-wrapper-covered floors.

(image credit: matthew snowden)

Bloc Party - Blue Light
Jon Solo - Blue Light (Bloc Party Cover)

I liked the fact that on the relentless first Bloc Party album this song was a chance to breathe, to sit down, to think, to relax. It's just such a good song. And the cover - it feels completely different; not less of a sigh, just a different kind. The original was hot air on a cold neck; the cover is wet lips on a warm cheek. And it feels happier too. Bloc Party are resigned, but Jon Solo sounds content. The cover has a bounce but it's so laid-back-Sunday-morning that it's almost unnoticeable - you don't so much hear the cheeriness as feel it. If I walked out of the house right now listening to this song there would be a spring in my step, accompanied by a calm sort of happiness - more three-pints-in-two-hours excited than the usual one-after-the-other-after-the-other vodka-and-lemonade buzz.

As if you couldn't tell, this wasn't mulled over for hours, therefore complaints are probably deserved. I hope I haven't offended anyone - if you could see the way I smile as I write you'd know that all jesting was really a form of love. Also, if any of the descriptions seem way off, maybe they are, but they made sense at the time. Perception is a funny funny thing.

I SHOULD HAVE KISSED YOU BY THE WATER

2007-06-11T15:10:00.001+01:00

Bloc Party - I Still Remember (SebastiAn Remix) [Info]
Bloc Party - I Still Remember (Lull's Music Box & Tears Mix)
Bloc Party - I Still Remember (OrtzRoka Dub Remix) [Info]

Unlike SebastiAn's remix - which in the beginning has hues of Queen and Mika (and thus is on the brink of being almost too silly to be enjoyable*), - or Lull's 'Music Box & Tears' mix - which is so simplistically happy that its cheesiness is slightly off-putting, - OrtzRoka's dub remix is so mildly euphoric that it seems designer-made for late-night chill-out sessions. Preferably with a few close friends, resting upon hilltops, looking across the ocean at a golden sunset. The scenery itself would complement the floating, casual contentment of the tune. This song is perfect for those nights (you know, the one's where you're tired but happy - the one's that come after a few days of relentless partying) when you're so exhausted that the original version's unashamed happiness would be too much - but where the sentiment of gleeful remembrance (with a tinge of regret) is perfectly apt.

None of the remixes however, (with the possible exception of the OrtzRoka Dub - which, taken on its own terms, is fantastic), manage to conjure up the original glory of the original - if you want to hear that, go buy the album (it is well worth your hard-earned / student-loan-loaned cash). If you want to hear Bloc Party remixed SUPERBLY look no further than this tune:

Bloc Party - Helicopter (Allan Breakneck Mix)

*Don't get me wrong, I like Queen and used to be a massive fan when I was younger, but mixing Bloc Party with Queen over-/under- (?) tones just doesn't really work for me, personally. I will concede however, that whenever the beat kicks in the remix begins to get a lot better.

Y'ALL READY FOR THIS?!

2007-06-04T15:35:00.000+01:00

(image credit)

Kissy Sell Out - Get Ready For The K Hole!

You'll recognise the music instantly. Maybe you don't know how or why but you won't (read: shouldn't) care. And you might (but shouldn't) be put off - because it seems a bit, well, louty, doesn't it? But what's social class and every-day facades got to do with the enjoyment of music*? Nothing, really. Or they shouldn't, in any case. Music should transcend all social boundaries (real or self-imposed). So I offer you this, and I hope you smile and you enjoy it. It's euphoric, and it's ridiculous. It's dance music for the Mike Skinner generation - self-conscious, tongue-in-cheek, intelligent, fun-loving, socially-aware, silly. And maybe you're thinking that this description seems a bit flattering - (perhaps it is) - but if you have experienced, or seen others experience, even some of the events detailed in the lyrics, then this song will mean so much more to you. Quite simply put, it's hilarious.

Beyonce - Irreplaceable (Sta Remix) [Info]

Similarly, if you think you're too cool for pop music... trust me, you're not.

*Note: If it seems contradictory that I say social class should have nothing to do with the enjoyment of music, but then continue on to insist that 'Get Ready For The K Hole!' is more enjoyable if you understand the spot-on-ness of the lyrics - well, I'm sorry, but I'm sure you understand what I mean.

YOU'RE THE LAST THING THAT I'D EVER WANT TO LOSE

2007-06-01T18:11:00.000+01:00

We'll keep this brief since I still have more stuff to pack.

Reed KD - Seventeen

This is the song I think of when I think about the fact that everything I own has to be moved: "I was packed away in boxes". But I don't want to get lost - oh no, I'm coming home. But the line, "we'll never be seventeen", is so simple and so heartbreaking. Time doesn't stand still for anyone - everyone has to grow up at some stage. Thankfully, my time is not now. So while this song is small, short, simple, and sad, my heart is bursting with life.

Reed KD - Please Forgive Me

Mistakes are made, relationships fall apart and the world keeps on spinning.

A. A. Wallace - I Can Break Your Heart
A. A. Wallace - Godspeed You Black...

If I was looking for a replacement for the late Elliott Smith, I would probably pester this guy to continue making such sad anthems. The truthfulness of each song is gutting. You might say it's uncalled for, and maybe it is, but sometimes people beg for your opinion so much that eventually you forget your social grace, and you tell them, straight out, "It's not that I was reckless, I just didn't care".

These artists present two sides of the same coin - one is apologetic, romantic, and (tries to be) hopeful, whilst the other is honest, romantic, and miserable. I'm sure you can work out which is which. They are both honest in their own ways. And both have songs that deal with moving, packing, dreaming.

Don't think that these songs are any less amazing just because nothing much happens. It's the subtle details in life that change people, that change hearts. Like buying that Mickey Mouse notepad for your best (female) friend. She might not even say thanks, but in her heart she is smiling. If you ask her six months later when she knew she might be falling in love with you, it's that simple gesture that she'll recall. And when you're separated, and in a different country, it will be the train journeys you take alone, past valleys, greenery and beaches, that leave you sobbing uncontrollably. Our hearts are touched by the smallest things.

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How is your heart? I think mine is falling apart.

OUR SLEEP IS LIKE A MIX-TAPE: #4

2007-05-31T12:13:00.000+01:00

They were given note-pads and Bic biros. They were given spray-paint and public transport. They were given voices. They were given laptops and imagination. They were given face-paint and glow sticks. They were given voices. They were given a beat and feet to dance with. They were given sofas in night-clubs upon which they could sit, sleep or kiss. They were given hearts bursting with joy and life and love and wonder. They were given everything.

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If you want to dance, then dance. Just because it's still daylight and the streetlights haven't come on yet -- it doesn't matter. Soon, the sun will go down and the kids will come up. It doesn't matter if your face is sparkling with sweat, glitter or a smile. Maybe you're covered in Day-Glo colours, or maybe you're still half-asleep from the night before. The point is... it's time to kick-start your little heart. And remember: there's plenty of time for hugging afterwards.

Electro-Graffiti At Bus Shelters

Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles Vs Klaxons
Kavinsky - Testarossa (SebastiAn Remix) [Info]
Solomun & Stimming - Feuervogel
Parts & Labor - Fractured Skies
Pantha Du Prince - Steiner im Flug
Justice - Waters of Nazareth

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Click to download all tracks as a ZIP file.

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[Info] = website of the remixer.
Listen in the order shown. Or don't.

A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO: JEFF BUCKLEY

2007-05-29T12:10:00.001+01:00

If, somehow, you are unaware of the brilliance of Jeff Buckley (one of few artists who truly hold a special place in my heart), then these songs below, are the ones that I urge you to find, and listen to. In parenthesis you will see where they can be found -- after you find them, it's up to you to let them into your heart, and to change your life.

FIVE ESSENTIAL TRACKS

Last Goodbye (Grace)
Lover, You Should've Come Over (Live A L'Olympia)
Hallelujah/I Know It's Over (Mystery White Boy)
What Will You Say (Mystery White Boy)
Morning Theft (Sketches)

Although, the new compilation album, So Real, is also a good start.

CELEBRATING A LIFE: JEFF BUCKLEY

2007-05-29T07:42:00.000+01:00

Jeff Buckley

I Know We Could Be So Happy Baby (If We Wanted To Be) (Demo)
Lover, You Should Have Come Over (Live Acoustic In Japan)
All Flowers In Time (with Elizabeth Fraser)
Forget Her (alternate version)
Grace (acoustic)
Untitled

The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (The Smiths Cover)
When The Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin Cover)
Be Your Husband (Nina Simone Cover)
Ulalume (Edgar Allen Poe Reading)

He was already dead when I first learned about his music -- about his adoring fans who can breathlessly recite his lyrics and song-titles, and hum his melodies as if they'd written them themselves. But Jeff Buckley isn't the music-geek's personal soul-mate -- even the casual music-listener has heard or heard of him. His cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah", recorded in 1994, emulated John Cale's and - later - the song became omnipresent, used in the sound-tracks of TV sitcoms and dramas, such as Scrubs, The West Wing, and The OC.

But this isn't about the prevalence of "Hallelujah" in TV and Cinema (to read about that, and the song's evolution, read this article). This isn't even really about the fact that 10 years ago today, Jeff Buckley went for a swim in the Wolf River Marina (Memphis, TN) from which he never returned alive. Because, tragic as that is, it doesn't say much about him, or his music. We can't ascertain how someone lived, or what they created in their lifetime, merely by knowing the circumstances of their death. (Although you can read a tribute detailing said circumstances here.) Really, this is just a celebration of the fact that Jeff Buckley lived long enough to record some unbelievable music.

Before he was signed, Jeff Buckley performed in the Sin-é (at that time, a café-style venue in New York's infamous Lower East Side), where he would play mostly covers, and improvise in a whimsical nature -- always encouraging audience participation. The Live at Sin-é EP got released to promote Columbia's new artist to the public before Grace came out, which was then posthumously expanded to a sprawling 2CD and bonus DVD package that truly emphasised the almost flippant nature of Jeff Buckley's talent -- he could step up to a microphone with just a guitar and his voice and wow an audience into silence. Even after his death his music continues to hush, touch, change.

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It was through the release of Live A L'Olympia in 2001 that I first came into contact with his music: his guitar skills, his voice, his lyrics. My brother asked for the album as a Christmas present from our parents, and then he invited me into his room to hear it. And I was just... stunned. And when I read the liner-notes I was gutted -- why wasn't this amazing musician still alive? Why?! For a live album to be so emotional and playful and perfect -- it was and still is just incredible. [Buy]

But Grace, the album proper that I subsequently discovered, didn't have the same impact upon me -- the studio setting for me, appears to render some of the emotion sterile. Live, Jeff Buckley could be cathartic, amazing, overwhelming, but - to my ears at least - the studio setting removed some of these desirable elements and almost, in a sense, made the songs too pitch-perfect. In comparison to the studio albums of other artists though? It's still nothing short of incredible, and critics and fans agree (in 2006 Mojo named it the #1 Modern Rock Classic of all Time; in 2005 readers of Q magazine placed the album as #13 on their list of The Greatest Albums Of All Time.) [Buy]

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Brief Words On:

Sketches For My Sweetheart The Drunk: This release left the songs as they were, in their unfinished states, as 'sketches'. Remarkably, this album, so clearly unfinished, is incredibly enjoyable. [Buy]

Jeff Buckley's influence: Admired by Radiohead, Damien Rice, and Martin Grech... enough said.

Radiohead with regards to Jeff Buckley: The vocal for Fake Plastic Trees, perhaps my favourite Radiohead song, was recorded by Thom Yorke in two takes after seeing Jeff Buckley perform. After the vocals were laid down, Thom Yorke apparently broke down into tears.

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A gushing summary: Music bloggers in general are stereotyped as being obsessed with the new new NEW! with only the briefest backward glance at what's come before, but few new artists can hold a candle to Jeff Buckley in my eyes. An example of someone adept in all fields of musicianship -- his remarkable voice spanning four octaves (read more at the official Jeff Buckley FAQ), his guitar skills (which, unlike many, he only ever showed off if it was beneficial to the song -- few realise how incredibly skillful he was at guitar because of this), his interpreter's ability to transform the songs of others into his own (see the Sin-é sessions for proof), his lyrics ("My kingdom for a kiss upon her shoulder... all my riches for her smiles when I slept so soft against her") -- his whole craft was impeccable. Thus, despite today being the 10th anniversary of Jeff Buckley's death, his music continues to live on and touch the hearts and minds of others.

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Links:

Jeff Buckley Official Website / Jeff Buckley Official Store / Jeff Buckley Discography / Jeff Buckley Guitar Tabs / Jeff Buckley on Wikipedia / Grace on Wikipedia / A Beginners Guide To Jeff Buckley

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If you want to download more rarities, live versions, and songs written in tribute to Jeff Buckley, then go to I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS. There are a lot of great posts (all conveniently linked at the bottom).

THE QUIET MOMENTS MEANT MORE TO ME, SECRETLY

2007-05-26T19:22:00.000+01:00

Prerequisite: Understand that any incoherence is (hopefully) to do with sleep-deprivation.

Johnny Boy

You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve

Every time I hear the new Editors' single, Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors, my mind drifts and this is the song I think of. That drumbeat is so familiar. It's not the exact same - but when recalled through hazy memories and backward glances, it seems to be.
It almost feels wrong to feature this song as we step warily into Summer, when the song feels like its stuck in a permanent Winter - instruments played by frost-bitten hands, all exuberance and frustration, in front of kids with rosy-cheeks. A song of star-sparkles, countdowns and sleigh-rides; (seemingly) playful banter mixed with sincere sentiments.
But, in a way, it also feels right to feature this song. A reminder of Christmas* - a time of believing in something, be it Jesus or fairies or human kindness or the healing power of nature, etc. In these crazy, summer days filled with barbecues and drunken after-parties it's good to remember that sobriety can be just as pleasant. Just fill your living room with friends and watch ancient sit-com reruns on TV - perhaps after a nice Sunday dinner, or a swim in the lake. It's not that cold this time of year you know. [Info]

(image)

The National

Fake Empire

It's almost as if the spirit of Leonard Cohen is hanging from the chandelier, smoking a Regal Filter and breathing hot and heavy in your ear. But it's a tired, resigned Leonard Cohen - all romantic longing and nostalgic regret. And try as his band might to lift the tune - blowing upon embers to rekindle a fire - they're actually the ones making the song sadder; bitter reminders dressed up in jubilant brass and lively percussion. Once upon a time things were so precious - life was exciting, everything was beautiful. Now its only the memories of easier times that remain; but recalling those bygone moments almost keeps them alive. [Info/Buy]

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Said The Gramophone featured Fake Empire** just-the-other-day, and unwittingly nailed my opinion on The Twilight Sad's debut: it's perceptibly flawed - and I won't deny it - but it feels right that it's flawed. All truly beautiful things are flawed (we would probably be too suspicious of them otherwise) - yet it's the fact that they carry their flaws in such a way that we shrug them off, dismiss them, (eventually we might not even notice them). They wouldn't be the same without these minor imperfections - and we love (when we truly love) people, places, albums, et cetera, for what they are, not for what we want them to be. And my obsession with this song feels like more than just a casual fling.

*Even the clever title seems like a barbed rebellion against the consumerist nature that plagues Christmas. Sometimes it's ok to sit in and enjoy yourself; relaxed in a room full of casual smiles and easy conversation. At least that way the rent gets paid.
**I have no doubts about posting this song: it is a summer song, lilting and catching sunlight, smoke rings, sadness and the dearest of memories. Surprisingly, I'm not a fan - per se - of The National, but they do have their moments.

I SAW YOU WITH YOUR MAKE-UP RUNNING DOWN

2007-05-09T18:59:00.000+01:00

Elliott Smith

All Cleaned Out

There is no beginning. You (the listener) are thrown face forward into the frame. Straight in with the melody and the there-before-you-realise chorus. The misery of (maybe) a mother, who goes through new-boyfriends like she goes through old Biro's and cheap-beer, curled up in a sheet of note-pad paper and thrown from a window; gliding as it catches the air and reflecting sunlight in the same way that a mirror reflects eye-wrinkles and fake-tan-streaks. [Info / Buy]

(image credit: Ann Ranlett)

Patrick Wolf

The Libertine

It could be the creaky instrumentation that starts an episode of Poirot; melodramatic, curious, hackneyed, adored. The gallop of hooves and the troubadour lyrics; despair in a light-of-calm. "The circus girl fell off her horse - now she's paralysed." Cold and unforgiving, yet passionate and inspired - so altogether unjust, unhappy, unsatisfied and so altogether alive. "I'm going to run the risk of being free." Evocative of the type of controversial wisdom that be gleaned from aging leather-bound books - mere pontification on the fact that "the shackles that bind us are those that keep our lives unified." And (perhaps) unfulfilled. [Buy]

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Patrick Wolf had some convinced he was retiring. But really he's just taking a break. And this is good news.

OUR SLEEP IS LIKE A MIX-TAPE: #3

2007-05-06T22:08:00.000+01:00

A mix for patio-parties underneath shimmering sunshine. Electro, house, pop, etc - the kids in skinny jeans and skin-tight t-shirts (cap-sleeves! yeooo!) are listening to this music while they eat their lunch. A few guys with cardigans and scarves on are sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette, and listening to this music. Some guys playing basketball - behind a school / beside a play-park - have got their sneakers on and when they rest they absorb the sunshine and the music. They love the beats. They love their dancing feet. They love to shimmy, sway, sashay across the court. The house-beats follow their footprints across the gravel.

Dancing Feet Need To Feel The Beat

Van She - Sex City (Nightmoves Remix) [Info]
Test-Icicles - What's Your Damage (Alan Braxe & Fred Falke Remix)
Superpitcher - Happiness (Lawrence Mix) [Info]
The Streets - It's Too Late (High Contrast Remix) [Info]
Radiohead - Street Spirit (Funkagenda Remix) [Info]
Professor Murder - Free Stress Test (Harkin & Wolf Remix)
New Order - Temptation (Secret Machines Remix) [Info]
Moby - Lift Me Up (Mylo Mix) [Info]
Midlake - Roscoe (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Remix) [Info]
The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex The Dog Remix) [Info]
José Gonzalez - Crosses (Stanton Warriors Remix) [Info]
Junior Boys - In The Morning (Hot Chip Remix) [Info]

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Click to download all tracks as a ZIP file.

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love, xo

TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME MORE

2007-04-29T14:41:00.000+01:00

Feist

One Two Three Four

It starts off simple, slow and sweet with Girl-Scout guitar and Feist's trademark scratchy vocals. But soon enough, everyone around the campfire who can play an instrument decides to join in - even those who can only finger-click and hand-clap - to create this ebullient atmosphere; this reckless abandonment. It's so joyous - a song (penned by New Buffalo) filled with wonder and adolescent innocence. [Buy]

Soko

I'll Kill Her

I meant to feature this song around the same time as everyone else did, but somehow I never got around to it. Pleasing enunciation with a French accent; almost-but-not-quite spoken-word. Old-school guitar riffs which carry - and create their own - melodies, and simple one-note solos hovering just above. Chirpy, crisp, but oh-so-sad in its own way. Bitterness and obsession dressed up in quirky, playful clothes. [Info]

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You can find an eighty-three minute long radio-show for which Pharrell, Ratatat and Soko picked songs - and played some of their own - here.

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There's a bouncy castle and a chip-van - offering free food - outside. The sun is out and it's sidling up to the clouds and smiling. There's a speaker-system throwing old-school tunes across the grass. And if I was DJ-ing that Feist track would be played every hour. Somehow this feels worth mentioning.

YOUR RED SKY AT NIGHT WON'T FOLLOW ME NOW

2007-04-28T01:17:00.000+01:00

The Twilight Sad [Buy / Info]

Cold Days From The Birdhouse

I woke up last night at 11:38PM. I haven't been to sleep since. A phone-call shook me out of my sleepy reverie. The phone-call ended, the words spoken were forgotten. But before that phone-call I had a dream. An ex-best friend was getting a piggy-back from a best friend. We were at the beach, right beside the ocean. I felt the sand curl around my toes, the warmth sinking into my skin. She was up on his shoulders; they were running. Everytime I caught up with them I tried to reach out to her, to feel the touch of skin on skin, hand on hand. And every time, they ran faster, further. She remained out of reach. When I went to rest my arm on her shoulder it was shrugged off.

I thought I didn't understand the opening motif of this song. I heard the words but they meant nothing to me. But the voice - intimate and warm, crackling like logs upon a campfire - the voice that sang them nearly broke my heart.

I realise now that I understand what those words mean. To me, at least. "You make it your own / But this is where your arm can't go." Everytime I try to rest my arm on her shoulder it will be shrugged off. I will never comfort her the way I did, once.

At the time, I thought I was making no difference. I knew that I couldn't possibly know how she felt. I'd never experienced the physical death of a loved one. I still haven't. But I did things that I knew how to do. Writing notes, sending supportive texts, sharing emotional songs. Often there was no reply. I didn't know what she was thinking; how she was coping. I didn't know if her brave face was all smoke and mirrors; if she was actually breaking inside. Afterwards though, she wrote a short card. A thank-you. It's under my bed, in a shoe-box stuffed haphazardly with memories. The magic from my life that's been captured, like lightning in a bottle.

"Your red sky at night won't follow me now / I won't wear your shoes" Friendships can develop out of mutual respect, trust, love. Friendships can develop out of shared experiences, walking in each other's shoes, empathising.

Friendships can develop out of similar likes/dislikes, loves/hates. But I only remember the things she used to like: bands, places, books. Any new interests she develops I won't be able to discuss with her. Anything new in her life I won't know about. When there's beautiful weather in her part of the world, it won't be something we share in common; it won't be something we discuss when there's nothing left to say. Never again will we sit together on steps and find shapes in the sky - in the clouds. I won't receive post-cards from her when she's in far-away places. No more magic will be conjured or captured.

Splinters of sentences rise up in the air like smoke that won't lift. Reminders of a scar that never heals. ("another hotel", "a romantic gesture", "another phone-call.") And can you hear that steady staccato-tap of a piano key that remains constant throughout? Like the second-hand's tick on a Grandfather-clock. It's the sound of time moving steadily on. The decay of memories.

What will happen when the memories run out? When I can no longer taste her in the air, or remember the way she walked when I hear battered Converse crunch along dusty gravel. When I can no longer look out upon a village, or a lake, or a meandering road along a cliff-side; when I can no longer look upon a thatched cottage, or a delicate painting, or the flowers - the roses, and the tulips, and the daisies - in a city-park and think, "This is beautiful. She would have loved this." What happens then? Is it as if she never existed? Except for some elegant hand-writing on an old-fashioned thank-you card? Will several words of hers, regarding a time I don't remember, be all that I have left? Will I just have a scar on each of my hands - a cigarette burn; knuckles dragged along a pebble-dashed wall - from long nights wrestling with impossible choices. Will I even remember those long nights?

"I won't clip your wings." Cowardly choices dressed up as good intentions. It is only in my dreams that I reach out to her, try to pull her close again. Even if things changed, circumstances and situations, I wouldn't even know the words to say to her. I could smile. I could hold a conversation for a few seconds. But after that I'd be lost. I'd chain-smoke; I'd drink myself silly. I'd stutter; I'd trip over my words. It's hard to understand how people once so close can be so distant.

"Will you come back?" She was up on his shoulders and they were running. Everytime I caught up with them I tried to reach out to her, to feel the touch of skin on skin, hand on hand. And every time, they ran faster, further. She remained out of reach. When I went to rest my arm on her shoulder it was shrugged off. I think I'm grateful for this.

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This song is a perfectly constructed collage of thoughts and feelings. Invigorated, emotional, achingly beautiful. The sadness of life. The difficult decisions, the failed friendships, the silent betrayals. The need to keep moving on. The steady piano key... Even the slide-guitar that opens the song signals change. "You won't follow me now." [Buy / Info]

I WANT YOU TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND HUM THE DIAL-TONE

2007-04-27T07:45:00.000+01:00

New Buffalo

Cheer Me Up Thank You

The vocal quirks - the deep sighs, the panned harmonies - remind me of Imogen Heap, but maybe slower, simpler. And is Sally Seltman really happier, or as she puts it, cheered up? Or is she still melancholic over the loss of a friend or a lover or a sibling yet trying to put on a brave face. It's no mistake that on its second outing the tail-end of the clichéd mothers-little-helper line, "and look at what we've got", is drowned out by wash-away coo's. Yet, when the song is this lovely I'm not sure that the pervading sentiment (whether truth or façade) even matters. But I do sometimes wonder. And why is it so lovely? The same words, looped, the music a constant, why do x + y = pleasing? Once again, maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe the song should be gratefully soaked up, absorbed and accepted without any real thought - like the words of loved ones sitting at the bedside of their comatose belovéd. The sentiments drift through the air and then wash away. [Info / Buy]

Tegan and Sara

Where Does The Good Go?

Not to turn this into a RIYL session, but: RIYL if you like The Weepies (mp3: Rocks & Water). Or recommended if you like pop music that is catchy, defiant, but inherently miserable. The dual harmonies are to die for; the sentiment is heart-breaking. [Info / Buy]

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The entirety of Somewhere, Anywhere by New Buffalo is exquisite.

Triptych Festival: 25th - 29th April

2007-04-25T08:27:00.000+01:00

So, Triptych starts today and carries through 'til Sunday (gigs strewn throughout Aberdeen, Glasgow, and Edinburgh). As a Glasgow resident, here are the local one's that I'm interested in:

Triptych Festival

Cat Power (mp3: Wonderwall) performing on the Renfrew Ferry with Tom Brosseau (today/tomorrow)

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CSS (mp3: Music Is My Hot Hot Sex), Prinzhorn Dance School, Ratatat (mp3: Seventeen Years) at Barrowlands (tomorrow)

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65daysofstatic (mp3: Retreat! Retreat!), Kling Klang, Stuart Braithwaite (of Mogwai) DJ Set at Subclub (Friday)

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Etienne de Crecy, Loose Joints, Stevie Elements, Andrew Divine at Art School (Saturday)

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Ballads of the Book: Idlewild, King Creosote, Sons & Daughters, James Yorkston, Emma Pollock, Lord Cut-Glass, Alasdair Roberts, Aidan Moffat, Mike Heron, Karine Polwart (mp3: The Good Years), Norman Blake, Trashcan Sinatras, Foxface, Hal Duncan, Rodge Glass, John Burnside, Bill Duncan, Alan Bissett (mp3: The Rebel On His Own Tonight), Robin Robertson, Laura Hird at Tramway (Sunday)

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Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve: Erol Alkan & Richard Norris (mp3: Roscoe) at Admiral's Bar (Sunday)

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Unfortunately due to lack of funds, I probably won't make it to that many of the gigs. Perhaps I'll go to David Kitt at ABC (not a Triptych gig) tonight though.

OUR SLEEP IS LIKE A MIX-TAPE: #2

2007-04-25T07:08:00.000+01:00

The internet is an odd thing. When it's gone you instantly want it back so you can Google that festival, find out what gigs are happening later on in the week, check your e-mails, use Dictionary.com to define that word, find out an album release date, check out the cinema listings for your area, research whitening toothpastes in order to find out which of the commercially available one's is the least abrasive, find out what the weather looks like for tomorrow ('cause you're praying it's a nice day so you can go to the park and take pictures, but you don't know yet if you should even bother waking up), tell the world about that one New Buffalo song that's been on repeat all week, etc, etc.

But when you get it back, you wonder why you were so desperate in the first place. Anyway, for now it's back. It will be gone in an hour. While it lasts, I'm taking the opportunity to share with you some songs. Been working too hard? Been staying up too late? Been raining all day? Rest your feet on the chair next to you, drink some alcohol, and quietly buzz. You deserve a rest. You deserve a party. Shout-outs to Kiss Atlanta and Palms Out Sounds for bringing many of these to my attention. You want this mix described to you? Chilled out electro that indie kids can enjoy, party songs that never really become anthemic, pop songs for lovers of abstract paintings in art-galleries, music for the single man to put on while he's in the garden, sipping at his alcoholic drink.

Indie Kids Don't Dance

Editors - Munich (Pase Rock Bip Remix) [Info]
Daft Punk - Around The World (Killdahype Remix) [Info]
Lo-Fi-Fnk - Wake Up
Hot Chip - Colours (DFA Remix)
Chromeo - Needy Girl (Bloc Party's High School Prom Remix) [Info]
Van She - Kelly (Cut Copy Remix) [Info]
Vampire Weekend - Walcott (Insane Mix #2)
Bloc Party - Blue Light (Engineers Anti-Gravity Remix)
Peter, Bjorn & John - Young Folks (Punks Jump Up Special Disco Mix) [Info]
Dead Disco - The Treatment (Metronomy Mix) [Info]
Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (original)
Teki Latex - Les Matins de Paris (Surkin Remix) [Info]
Snowden - Anti-Anti (Treasure Fingers Remix) [Info]
Simian Mobile Disco - It's The Beat (The Teenagers Remix) [Info]
The Secret Handshake - Too Young (The Toxic Avenger Remix) [Info]

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Click to download all tracks as a ZIP file.

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[Info] = website of the remixer.
Listen in the order shown. Or don't.

SHE WAS OUT OF CIGARETTES, SO I WALKED HER TO THE STORE

2007-04-04T17:47:00.000+01:00

!!!

Must Be The Moon

This song is a slut. It doesn't make a big deal about it. It swaggers like it would swagger if we didn't know it was a slut. It is what it is. It's as infectiously catchy as STD's. If you smile at it, it'll take you a walk. All of a sudden you're in its arms in your own bedroom. And as it gets redressed later on, it'll be casual about its nakedness, and if you point it out, it'll look at you and be like, "yea, I know, I'm getting dressed now". I can't stop listening to this song every time I put the CD in. I'm charmed; and if asked would I ever go for a one-night stand again with this song, I'd probably say no, but in my heart the answer would be yes, yes, yes! Oh, please! [Buy]

!!!

Intensify

Highly regarded by !!!'s fans, (their best song yet, apparently), this makes me dizzy. I only heard it the other day. It sounds like a live session to me. Like they were in the middle of Soho one day, drinking, and they said to the bar-staff, "Hey guys, is it alright if we just set up here? Maybe, play a song or two?". And normally the response would be "No, of course not", but the sun was out, and these kids were charming. So they shrugged, nodded "yes". And it's like they recorded the whole thing, there on the spot, with the band just sort of glancing at each other with half-smiles and happy-smirks, jamming it up, instruments coming in and out of songs like restless guests at house parties ("hey the kitchen is where it's at man! - actually, no, I think I want to sit down in the living room for a minute"). Can you feel it intensify?! Can you feel it? Put your hands up! C'mon!

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These songs are for everyone who celebrated the weekend and the start of the week with alcohol and friends.

WE ALL HAVE HAD SUCH A BEAUTIFUL START

2007-03-30T03:12:00.000+01:00

(image: Worth 1000)

The Voom Blooms - Politics & Cigarettes

A little flash-back to a recent yesteryear (I believe this was recorded in 2005?), which is still relevant today. Insistent, marching drums, interwoven dual-guitar riffs, and passionate vocals struggling to be heard, all leading to the mildly dramatic chorus: "you and I, we're coming home". All done with just a slight nod to Interpol.

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I first heard this track on the sadly departed blog, The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday.

BONO - POP STAR, POLITICAL CAMPAIGNER AND DEMI-GOD

2007-03-29T23:11:00.000+01:00

U2 Songs - Live, Covered, Remixed

Scala & Kolacny Brothers - With or Without You
Rogue Wave - Seconds
J-Lo vs. U2 - I'm Real A Little While (Mash-up)
RX - Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Edge - Sunday Bloody Sunday (live) (incorrectly labeled)
Benjamin Costello - Sunday Bloody Sunday

Today, Bono (lead singer of U2; real name: Paul Hewson) was awarded an honorary knighthood. Due to being Irish, he will not be able to use the title 'Sir', though he did suggest some alternatives: "Lord of lords, your demi-godness," he quipped. His new title, is in fact, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) and he believes he will be able to put it to good use in the never-ending fight against world poverty - "An award like this actually really helps me get through a few doors I wouldn't get through", he remarked. Last year MTV named him the most influential pop star of the past 25 years. Ends.

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I finally updated my blog-roll. It took ages. That will be all.

ON BUSES THAT MOVE THROUGH THE NIGHT WE SLEEP

2007-03-29T19:06:00.000+01:00

Montag - Sorry We Are Closed
M83 - Teen Angst (Montag Remix)

I'll confess: I know little about Montag. But what I have heard (the songs above and a variety of other things) is enough to get me interested. I love the Teen Angst remix - the first time I heard it my breath caught. Well, he has a new album, entitled Going Places, coming out on May 29th and a quick run-through of the contributors is enough to get the pulse racing. Here's the ones that excite me the most: Owen Pallett of Final Fantasy, Anthony Gonzalez of M83, Amy Millan of Stars, Au Revoir Simone. I will be awaiting the album with eagerness and anticipation. Will you? [Tracklist]

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Au Revoir Simone

Sad Song

A little maracas from the bench beside the park. A few fingers tapping on the picnic table, just inches away from a couple of friends with their heads laid down. An effort to remain cheerful even though you can see the clouds taking shape overhead, the sky slowly darkening. You can see the lake through the trees. There's a sailboat on it doing it's daily trip back and forth. And there's people with trumpets in it! They're giggling and laughing, smiling at you. You try to return the gesture; to suppress the fear of loss. You remember that it's only when you have something beautiful that you are able to fear its loss. And you have that; so you smile back, and count yourself lucky. [Buy / Info]

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Final Fantasy cover versions of songs by Mariah Carey, Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Joanna Newsom, and more, are still available here.

EVERYONE IS KIND OF LAZY WHEN IT'S TIME TO KISS THE LADY

2007-03-29T03:59:00.001+01:00

The stunningly beautiful Lisa Lobsinger's profile rose, quite noticeably, when she started touring with indie-rock legends (nay, GENIUSES) Broken Social Scene. She became another member in their ever changing roster of female vocalists (Feist, Emily Haines, Amy Millan). She likes to sing barefoot. When she sang "Anthem For A Seventeen Year Old Girl" my eyes welled up with tears. When she moved, my eyes followed her. I had to force myself to stop staring, so I could concentrate on the other members of the band. Broken Social Scene at Mandela Hall, Belfast = best live gig I have ever attended? Damn right.

Reverie Sound Revue

An Anniversary Away (demo)

Anyway, she's also the lead singer in a little known band called Reverie Sound Revue who make dreamy ("Reverie" coming from the French word, "Rever", meaning "to dream") lullabies, full of soothing syllables, and easy going ambiance. I thought that after her Broken Social Scene recruitment they had broken up, but no... it appears they are now working on their debut album some five years after their formation. And above you'll see the first available track (a rough demo) from it. Pretty sweet, huh? It's a bit more eerie and ethereal than previous songs, and I like it. I am EXCITED. Although, I think it's also the thought of getting a physical disc with sleeve-notes featuring her beautiful face. And people call me shallow.

Reverie Sound Revue

Walking Around, Waiting Downtown
This City Belongs To Us
Rip The Universe
One Marathon
Passes and Passports

Enjoy catching up on what the band sound like, and learning what you should (maybe) expect from their forthcoming album (which as yet has no release date, and (I think) no record label).

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Broken Social Scene

Anthem For A Seventeen Year Old Girl
It's All Gonna Break (live)

By the way, if you've never experienced Broken Social Scene live, you've never lived. If you haven't discovered their music yet, now is the time. Actually. One of my favourite bands, despite only finding out about them with the advent of mp3 blogs (and my subsequent discovery of said blogs), and the release of their FANTASTIC, yes, FANTASTIC, chaotic, beautiful, swirling, production-wise absolutely-spot-on, self-titled album. I really love this band. [Buy]

WE MIGHT KISS WHEN WE ARE ALONE

2007-03-28T17:47:00.000+01:00

Damien Rice released his debut album, O, in Ireland in 2001. I doubt you knew about him then unless you were an Irish resident at the time. My brother was just getting over his first big break-up, and brought the album home from Dublin one weekend, and I was instantly won over. The songs meant a lot to him, mainly for the bitter, caustic lyrics which he could relate to: "God may forgive me, but I, I whip myself with scorn" / "Cheers darlin', here's to you and your lover-boy...", etc.

Time went on, Damien Rice released a radio-friendly version of the song "Cannonball", the public went mad (long-time fans got mad) for the good-kid-done-heart-broken shtick. And consequently, Damien Rice became a household name. It took him close to six years to finally release his second album 9, much to the dismay of his fans. Irish animated piss-takers Eyebrowy made a sketch wherein an excited Damien Rice talks with his secretary on the phone. The conversation topic? The possibility of once again re-releasing O, this time in America: "What's the title they're thinking of? 'Cannonball Plus Nine Other Songs'?! That's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?! Yea, tell them to go ahead with it!" Slightly scathing, perhaps, but definitely not without a grain of truth. In between the release of the O and the eventual release of 9 came a plethora of singles, re-releases, and of course the B-Sides album (which is, in itself, fantastic).

Many fans rejoiced when 9 was finally released. Some just replied, "Damien Rice? Who's he again?" No matter. It's a quality album with some brilliant tracks; some critics say it surpasses O, but for me that's definitely not the case - perhaps due to my emotional connections with the album, or perhaps due to O actually being the stronger album. [Buy]

Damien Rice - Radio 3FM

9 Crimes (live on Radio 3FM)
Rootless Tree (live on Radio 3FM)

Anyway I thought it was time to share some Damien Rice with you all. You'll notice that the piano that characterised lead single, "9 Crimes", is absent - replaced by guitar. Lisa Hannigan's vocal contribution is fantastic, as always. Piano takes main-place on "Rootless Tree", softening a song that before was an angry mess of fucked-off vocals and reckless guitar playing - Damien Rice creates an emotional ballad out of a song that was originally titled "Fuck You"; impressive. [Buy]

Damien Rice - KCRW

Delicate (live on KCRW)
Volcano (live on KCRW)
The Blower's Daughter (live on KCRW)

Perhaps the greatest strength of O's construction was the plentiful use of strings to add drama and emotion; thus it's interesting to see how the songs fare without any tricks - songs rendered as songs; simply guitar and voice; a father telling a story to a child and then seeing how well "the story of O" holds up when not seen in a cinema with SFX-galore. And the songs, like good stories, fare very well indeed.

Damien Rice - Extras

I Remember (live on Letterman)
Creep (Radiohead cover live on Today FM)

"I Remember" was one of my favourite tracks off O, for various reasons: the lyrics, including the line "I remember December"; the way it starts like a ballad and then veers off-course into a chaotic emotional frenzy. If you compare and contrast Radiohead's acoustic version of "Creep" (to be heard on the My Iron Lung EP), to Damien Rice's, then the latter is thoroughly underwhelming. Still grand though.

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Benjamin Costello

Volcano (Damien Rice cover)
Older Chests (Damien Rice cover)

Nothing to say about these other than: they're enjoyable covers. Benjamin Costello is currently working on recording his first album.

WHEN YOU FEEL SO LONELY IN YOUR HEART

2007-03-28T14:24:00.000+01:00

I'm going to tell you something now, that I obviously don't need to: There are a lot of pleasures in listening to music. Like, yea Frank, I know! One of them though, is when you get stuck on a single track off an album (for instance, on !!!'s newest LP it's "Must Be The Moon"). Slightly strange however, when you're stuck on Track One Side One, as they say. It's not that the CD player's broken, but your fingers are. It's an uncontrollable urge to sacrifice hearing any other song and contentedly settle on the first song instead.

(image: Euro Disco)

Sally Shapiro

I'll Be By Your Side

Well, that's how it is with Sally Shapiro's Disco Romance, anyway, (the track in question called "I'll Be By Your Side"). It's almost shameful how much I like it; it feels like a guilty pleasure. It's a throwback to eighties Euro-Disco, full of melodramatic flourishes and pretty vocals (with the occasional one awash in synths). I can't shake the feeling that I'm listening to an indie version of "Final Countdown" (yea, that one, by Europe). In the end though, I'm not too fussed. I'll stick to my guilty pleasure, my hairbrush hit (as Radio 1's detest-worthy Sarah Cox would say), 'cause my fingers move and all of a sudden it's on repeat; so what's a guy to do but give in?

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Sally Shapiro's Disco Romance got a glowing review in Pitchfork. I don't know whether it was merited, because, as you know, you can't judge a book by its cover (incidentally, that's how I decide which books to consider buying), and you can't judge a CD by its first song (I have the CD is its glorious entirety, but I'm not feeling inclined to turn off "repeat" just yet). Pitchfork probably had a similar problem: "I'll Be By Your Side" came in at #27 on their Top 100 Tracks of 2006. [Buy]

YOUR HEART FELT GOOD

2007-03-28T01:12:00.000+01:00

I've never been one of the hardcore fanatics. I discovered The Moon & Antarctica (Modest Mouse) the same time I discovered Perfect From Now On (Built to Spill), Emergency & I (The Dismemberment Plan), Either/Or (Elliott Smith), Finally We Are No One (Múm), Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (Godspeed You! Black Emperor!) and a couple of other gems. It was near Christmas and I'd just read a post on a message board listing a user's ten favourite albums. I respected his taste and so I went with it, straight onto Amazon, and about four weeks later straight into my CD player. The wonder of it all is that this was back (must be about six years ago now? I lived in a different house then!) in the time of Napster (which I rarely/never used) and dial-up. A time before blogs and the Hype Machine. A time when there were far fewer ways to sample an album. I bought all of those albums on good faith, and good faith alone - I knew nothing about, and had heard nothing by, any of the artists.

But wow. Yes, WOW. A word that succinctly indicates jaws-dropping; a short word suggestive of awe. Its use is just: a lot of those albums are gemstones, precious things I hold close to my heart. Albums I listen to either frequently or every now and then that still hold a magic sparkle. Albums that made me, very seriously, truly appreciate music for probably the first time ever.

However, as I said, I'm not a fanatic. I've always appreciated Modest Mouse, but at times they're too raw, or difficult, or inaccessible, and I don't have the patience. The Moon & Antarctica however, is a great album. But, in my opinion, so is their new one. As an avid fan of The Smiths, obviously I'm likely to be swayed by the inclusion of their guitarist, Johnny Marr. And he does lend a touch of accessibility.

Many bloggers/critics/etc either hate (yea, hate) or merely dislike We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, some find it mediocre, but few like it. I am one of the few. I guess I've never really been ecstatically delighted by the Modest Mouse sound, and thus I have no problem with their slight diversion from it. Perhaps surprisingly, the album is likely to end up one of my favourites of the year. Therefore, you should get the album (no, but actually: do it) and see for yourself what all the fuss (positive-and-negative) is about. There are too many aspects to discuss here (the fragility of "Little Motel", the clear-cut pop-single "Dashboard", the constantly brilliant vocal-deliveries, the guitar-work of Marr, etc, etc).

Modest Mouse

3rd Planet (album version)
3rd Planet (live at KVRX)
3rd Planet (live)

One of the first times I ever listened to The Moon & Antarctica was in an ex-girlfriend's (the term is for clarity - in reality it's too cold; too dismissive of everything that's been & gone, everything that still is) house. It was the first time I ever stayed the night there. The first track on the album, "3rd Planet", is, in retrospect (I don't know if it was actually during this song, but that's how I remember it) the song that sound-tracked the first kiss since we had separated, and consequently the sound-track to the entire rekindling of the relationship. Unfortunately, that line that everyone remembers, "I've got this thing that I consider my only art of fucking people over" is applicable. Nevertheless, the song is magical, personal, beautiful. [Buy]

Modest Mouse

We've Got Everything

"We've Got Everything" should be played in house-parties, in kitchens of University Residences, in bedrooms of young lovers. It's an exclamation of joy, of delight; a proclamation of a fierce and burning love for life. Maybe it's sarcasm, a piss-take of people who do think they know and have everything. Maybe not. I like to think of it as a semi-serious (the chuckle at 1:09) celebration - but of what? - of EVERYTHING. Of life, love, knowledge, science, literature, the world. Fuck it, it's all out there and it's ours for the taking. Coming from a mature* Isaac Brock it just sounds like a reminder to University kids, youngsters, hipsters : you have the potential to be anything / everything! ; so do it: aspire to it and achieve it. And it makes perfect sense coming from an underground indie band done good. [Buy]

Some other music for you to get your fanatical teeth into:

Modest Mouse Covers

Josh Ritter - Blame It On The Tetons
Goldspot - Float On
Sun Kil Moon - Tiny Cities Made of Ashes

*Incidentally, the message on "3rd Planet" was the exact same: "My boss just quit the job, says he's going out to find blind spots, and he'll do it" [i.e. Do whatever the fuck you want. You might as well. You can. And once you realise that, the possibilities are endless].

ADDENDUM: HEARTBEATS

2007-03-26T18:02:00.000+01:00

Previously on Say Anything Syndrome: "Heartbeats is a great song, and by using the foundations of it, it's pretty hard to go wrong."

Heartbeats

The Knife - Heartbeats (Leitworks Rework)[Info]

This cover concurs and reaffirms the previous statement. Leitworks keep it simple and turn Heartbeats into a slow-burning electro lullaby; if that wasn't what it was to begin with.

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[Seven Versions of Heartbeats]

I DREAMED OF ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS

2007-03-26T16:22:00.000+01:00

David E. Sugar

Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover)

I was predisposed to like this cover, (I've always liked the song), thus, I'm bound to fall for a restless electronic rendition with earnest, excited vocals. The sense of frantic motion, the urgency and immediacy. The desperation to run, run, run, and tell her, tell her, tell her, that you love her! The pauses between the vocals feel forced - caused by a pair of out-of-breath lungs, a need to think, or something else entirely; the sense of never wanting to stop, to stand still, not even for a second - always wanting to stay in motion. Like lovers in a park, prior to their picnic - walking, running, skipping, laughing, for hours.

Taking Back Sunday

Just Like Heaven (The Cure cover) (56kbps)

Maybe you dislike Taking Back Sunday, but this isn't a full-band playing. It's a guitar and a voice - the way the song feels like it should have been recorded - real, true, cough intact, vocal cracks remaining. A pillow-soft serenade, a kiss with sleep-soft lips - yet not as smooth as the metaphors suggest, still slightly coarse; dreaminess kept in check by reality.

The Cure

Just Like Heaven (.m4a)

So, bearing that in mind, maybe the original is too crowded? Maybe it should be stripped down, with all those drum beats, piano keys, and fiddly bits removed? Or maybe it's perfect?

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Say hello to a weekly installment of covers, each and every Monday, until I run out.

WE ARE A CALENDAR ENTRY: WORLD WATER DAY MIX

2007-03-22T23:29:00.001Z

Not to turn this site into a collage of world causes, or anything, but the Guardian informs me that today is World Water Day. I remember in Cubs we were told to think about water, and how we take it for granted, followed by the mandatory slide-show presentation. I think we were told that baths are better than showers, if you like to have a long wash. But worse, if you prefer a short wash? I think that's how it went. Well, today's the day we think about these things, with the topic being "Coping with water scarcity"... and then there's the debate about water-tax... and so it seems there's no better time for a post involving songs and water. And some of these are really really good!

World Water Day 2007

Colour Revolt - Mattresses Underwater
Damien Rice - Cold Water (live)
Sorta - Water Music
Justice - Waters of Nazareth (Erol Alkan's Dur Dur Durrr re-edit)
Richard Hawley - You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til The River Runs Dry)
Leah Abramson - Waterworks
Fionn Regan - Blackwater Child
Rachel's - Water From The Same Source
The Weepies - Rocks & Water (live)
Griffin House - Waterfall

Fionn Regan makes catchy down-tempo folk music, and his live performances are captivating - just as you're about to drift off into your own reverie, he draws you in with poetic one-liners like "pull a diamond from your sleeve", or playful introductions like "this one's for anyone who has been dumped by fax machine, or fountain pen, or been pick-pocketed, or met that guy who steals your eyelashes and then comes back for your eyebrows.... "

To this day I have never seen Damien Rice live, despite being a fan ever since O came out in Ireland. I want to see Justice live. I know little to nothing about the other bands featured on this mix, other than the fact that they have pleasing songs. Smile.

Another thing Fionn Regan said that night:

"this song is for anyone who has been in a kebab shop at 3am and starting drumming their fingers on the counter like it's a grand piano and your friends say "we've had a good evening... but i think we should get a taxi"

--- I well know the feeling.

Normal service shall continue shortly.

I'M ON YOUR SIDE WITH THIS

2007-03-20T01:41:00.001Z

So, who enjoyed St. Patrick's day? Ireland didn't win the Six Nations (no!), which was a bit gutting. But, much later on, I ended up in a club full of Scottish people, wearing Guinness hats, dancing to "She is handsome, she is pretty / she is the girl from Belfast city!" So you know, pretty fun, from what I can remember.

Berkeley

Colour Me In

The Redneck Manifesto

The Dillon Family Dancers

Fittingly, these songs are by Irish bands (huni, i'm home! - Glasgow, you are a lot better for live music, but Ireland, you have just as many bands to fall in love with!) These songs loiter, shyly, about the room before they fully get to know everyone. And there's an edge to them. As if, at some moment (The Redneck Manifesto slip out from under the gentle funk dress and into something more aggressive and sexual at 2:10; Berkeley break in with the angst-ridden drums at 3:54), they're just going to throw themselves out a window ("haha, bet you didn't see that coming!"), or else they're waiting for the ideal moment to run around the room dancing, making everyone laugh. Because they're charmers, through and through. Even if they won't admit it at first.

SEVEN VERSIONS OF THE PERFECT TUNE

2007-03-16T23:05:00.001Z

So it's RED NOSE DAY. Which means Comic Relief. Which means comedy, a lazy night in, appeals to the heart and donations of money. So what do I have? Uhm, music. Specifically, music about having a heart. Donate.

Heartbeats

The Knife - Heartbeats (Live OneMusic)
José Gonzalez - Heartbeats (Live KEXP)
The Knife & José Gonzalez - Heartbeats (Remix)
Scala Choir & Kolacny Brothers - Heartbeats (The Knife Cover)
The Knife - Heartbeats (Rex The Dog Remix) [Info]
The Knife - Heartbeats (Rocketboy Remix) [Info]
The Knife - Heartbeats (rndnmbrs remix) [Info]

My particular favourite is the anonymous remix. In fact, that's probably my favourite version of the song when taking into consideration the original, the covers and the many remixes. Just so you know. Who knew that by combining the music of both and the vocals of both you could create such a brilliant, call-and-response style, track? Well, they did obviously. And so did many of the other remixers. I also like the choir rendition, and not just in an ironic fashion. I like all things which hint at innocence, and it doesn't get much more innocent than roughly sixty teenage girls singing "ten days of perfect tunes / the colours red and blue / we had a promise made / we were in love". Of course, like a lot of people, José Gonzalez's cover is how I first heard the song - with the minimal guitar playing and the subtle voice reminiscent of Elliott Smith. Yet the original is equally fantastic. Simply put, this is a great song, and by using the foundations of it, it's pretty hard to go wrong, hence the many remixes.

Donate to Comic Relief: here.

Or ring: 08457 910 910

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Coincidentally, who saw The Apprentice (Comic Relief Special)? Hands down, the best piece of television programming this year so far. I even want to go out and buy an Alastair Campbell book or something ("Need not fear, in the future he plans to release a two-million-word book" - Ed). He just seems crafty, and likable. If this really is his two-years old blog, sweet. It's a fucking laugh-and-a-half. Every time you laugh, laugh heartily, and maybe donate. To Comic Relief you understand. Not a former spin-doctor. As likable as he is.

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Over £34M now. Impressive. But don't let it put you off.

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In the end, just over £40M was raised.

Celebration: Heartbeats (Leitworks Remix) / Post: Addendum

MY BABY'S UP, YEAH! HE'S STEALING STARS

2007-03-16T17:09:00.001Z

Be Your Own Pet

Adventure

The Grates

19 - 20 - 20
Inside Outside

Pop music with a pleasing bite - like the burn you feel after smoking a well-made self-rolled cigarette with cheap tobacco. Kind of dizzying, and it burns, but it feels nice. For fans of Cansei de Ser Sexy and any girl-fronted punk group reliant on melody. Dance music for the kids who still make rock-signs with their hands and hold their hearts with their fists. The guitar's are jarring as if they just learned to play them recently, hammering down on chords in their bedrooms, watching MTV and saying "that should be me on that screen".

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Be Your Own Pet will be touring with the Arctic Monkey's through the month of May. Dates: here. Buy CD's and so on and so forth: here.
Buy stuff from The Grates: here.

UNLESS SOME CLOSE FRIENDS FROM FAR AWAY ARE PLAYING NEXT

2007-03-16T12:41:00.000Z

First impressions of BARR/Brendan Fowler: This is different! Kind of crazy, and sometimes it seems too silly to be palette-able, but enjoyable none-the-less. Reminds me a wee bit of Bradley Hathaway.

It's nice that this guy's out there doing his own thing, for his own enjoyment - fuck the boundaries. The album title, Beyond Reinforced Jewel Case, is apt - relishing in the fact that musical foundations are there to be built upon, and trying to push his art as far as it will go. Basically he's doing provocative and aggressive spoken-word tracks over improvisational drumming - and the odd piano. Kind of like Arab Strap on ecstasy, coming up and coming down all at once.

When I listen to the mellower tracks off the album, I'm reminded of JD (Dr Cox: Newbie) in Scrubs. The way the show breaks down twice an episode so that JD can come to terms with what's been happening, transforming the mundane into seemingly profound life-lessons. BARR is a more aggressive JD, basically. But underneath all the posturing he's just confused and trying to make sense of this crazy world; looking for affection and appreciation along the way. He creates a sense of bafflement and befuddledness through the ad-libbed way that the song's come across - the way he will begin a sentence and then go back on it, correcting himself.

BARR

Is All For Updated
Us
My List of Demands

"Is All For Updated" discusses fanzines, people who dislike his music, fashion, aesthetics, destruction of televisions, toning down affection. It also displays his blatant disregard for boundaries, his silly sense of humour: "R is for "They help us", and R is for "No they don't!"

"Us" explores the idea of art as catharsis; does an experience become less intense if you sing about it constantly? Of course, it's well-known that talking helps (British Telecom: "it's good to talk"), yet because of the sincerity, and perhaps the uncertainty, of the spoken-word, the simple discussion of reality does take on a constructive shine of pseudo-philosophy. However, the song also explores the idea of incorrectness: is it right to parade the scars of your life in front of the whole world? To shed your skin in front of an audience? "I saw you play and I liked it 'til I heard what you were saying; your words, about God and your mother dying from cancer. I was so offended. How can he throw that at people?"

Although "My List of Demands" is dark and brooding - at times almost a chore to listen to - it's lightened by the vocal inflections, the careless words "You said a fucked up mean thing to someone and ruined it all everything forever, FOREVER, and that's cool. I mean, you did it, whatever", along with the subtle, bitter, humour, "at your cost! you are being charged twice!" The song explores the topic of performance, audience appreciation, the feeling you get when you defend yourself, your family, your friends, the beauty of righteous indignation. Ideas are thrown up in the air and then a back is turned on them, people are at once bastards and friends, tangents are created and then followed. [Buy]

MAKING ART FROM MARIO KART

2007-03-15T13:19:00.001Z

Sabrepulse

Famicom Connection
Storm Raid Battle

Call it what you will, Nintendo-Core, Str8-Bit, IDM, that-Annoying-Game-Boy-Music... I certainly won't insist upon any genre names. If you want to know what these songs sounds like, think a game of Tetris where instead of rearranging the blocks with your thumbs you do it with your feet, like on those Karaoke-Style Choreography-Dance Machines that you get down at your nearest arcade. Then add in a few samples that wouldn't be out of place of Streetfighter or Mario (think: the Princess scenes), and you've pretty much got it. Stupid, fun, and addictive. Harking back to a more innocent age where the biggest problem in your life was completing that fucking difficult level on Zelda, unlocking all the extra tracks in Diddy Kong Racing, winning the world cup in International Superstar Soccer, or getting beat every! single!! time!!! you played multiplayer Goldeneye with your brother.

Colonopenbracket

Twin Chevron Action Flash
-->->-@ (Cute)

Colonopenbracket or :( take this electronic whiz-kid music and use it to their own ends. Using their own voices instead of samples, they create their own songs full of adolescent worries and a pervading sense of fun. Emo-core? If core means using those bleeps that old computers used to emit when you pressed a key for too long, then yes! because it contains sounds like - and inspired by - those silly noises, and the vocals are so often emo in their nature, yet irresistable. "You're not the cutest guy in here!"

Sabrepulse + Colonopenbracket

Colonopenbracket - Twin Chevron Action Flash (Sabrepulse Remix)

This one seems to have been arranged by a child, fascinated by incomprehensible language, and so instead choosing to rearrange and play with vowel sounds to get the meaning across. And yet, some of it seems so genuinely sincere - too young to know how to lie! The track consists of electronic beeps inspired by too much time playing arcade machines and the sense of wonder reminiscent of spending many a long night down at the bowling alley trying to win a quid on the two-pence machine and then... finally!... just at the end of the night, hitting the jackpot! A whole two pounds and thirty-four pence! Life was so simple once (for the fortunate, anyway), and we should always be reminded of this.

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Colonopenbracket are currently touring the UK, check out dates here.
Sabrepulse will apparently be moving away from 8 bit in the near future.
To buy things, go to their websites.

OUR SLEEP IS LIKE A MIX-TAPE: #1

2007-03-14T22:27:00.000Z

I love making Mix-Tapes, or more appropriately, Mix-CD's. I made quite a few last year, and feel they are a good way of recapping last year's goings on in the blogs, (since that's how most of the tracks came to my attention). Below you'll see 12 out of the 20 tracks that were on the first one I made. It starts with the voice of Colin Roberts, former editor of Drowned in Sound. The mix-tape is fairly subdued and peaceful, although No Scrubs is great for novelty's sake, and each track stands up on its own two feet.

All The Little Things (You Have The Sweetest Eyes)

Carmichael - Treadmill
Monkey Swallows The Universe - Sheffield Shanty
Minus Story - Open Your Eyes
Au Revoir Simone - Hurricanes
The Rosebuds - Hold Hands And Fight (Live KEXP)
Rocky Volotato - The Light And The Sound
Antje Duvekot - Dandelion
Beat Radio - A Million Miles
Matt Pond PA - Grave's Disease
Architecture In Helsinki - Like A Call
Bravo Silva - I Can't Say Goodbye
TLC - No Scrubs (DJ Copy Remix) [Info]

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Click to download all tracks as a ZIP file.

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Beat Radio's debut album, The Great Big Sea, can be downloaded here.

["Our sleep is like a tape: when it runs out we just turn over"]

Butcher Boy - Profit In Your Poetry (Album Review)

2007-03-14T01:11:00.000Z

It's that time of the year again when the seasons are confused. There is rain for seconds, minutes, that absolutely drenches you, covers you head to toe in water, so that all you want to do is get inside the nearest grocery store and browse the shelves for products with nice packaging that you know you won't buy. But it stops, almost as quick as it started and there's you, left soaking wet, underneath a bus shelter, taking cover. And as the sun comes out, the clouds evaporate, but you're too wet to fully appreciate it.

I'm in Glasgow, and that's just how the weather is at the minute. Butcher Boy are also in Glasgow and they understand the seasons, the way they are so nonsensical, the way all this talk of seasons may just be a metaphor for life - how the good times and the bad times happen all at once, with no rest. Maybe that's why their music is a collage of musical touch-stones: the stripped back nature of early-day Belle & Sebastian, the shimmer and shine of Camera Obscura, the melodious harmonies of Voxtrot, and the oft miserable wordy foreplay of Morrissey.

Butcher Boy - I Know Who You Could Be

If the sweeping introduction of this song continued for a lot longer than it's mere forty-five seconds... I would be content. It could never outstay its welcome for me. The way it seems designed to soundtrack a camera sweeping in and out of valleys, plains of green grass, mundane villages with Post Offices, Telephone Boxes and Bus Shelters, before once again sweeping across and out away from the suburban sprawl, up the mountainside, before looking up to the sky just in time to follow a flock of seagulls on an outward journey.

Yet the introduction is short, never daring to even tread the line of repetition. Butcher Boy's music is one of economy, (ten tracks coming in at a mere thirty minutes), packed full of emotional strokes, charming melodies and pop sensibilities. Little is explicit in the lyrics, intentionally vague so that so much more is said than that which is explicitly stated. This is a glorious album that the listener is meant to embrace, hold tight against their chest like a pillow, like a lover, and make it their own. By causing listeners to read between the languorous lines, it can be at once universal and personal.

Butcher Boy - Keep Your Powder Dry

This song almost makes my cry. The delight, the delight! the delight! oh you don't understand, how could you? - you weren't there. As soon as it starts in with the shuffling, insistent percussion, and then breaks away into that melody! the melody! oh dear, it's lovely! The song shimmies and sways along a fine line between sadness and happiness, full of memories, oh those memories! Maybe the song is about a lover who never loved as fully as he/she was loved, or maybe its something else entirely. The story isn’t important though! It’s the style behind the content: throughout the lyrics, the sense of colour; Kodak images crystal clear upon the iris even in recollection! oh, the wonder! the shimmering of the clouds as the silver lining almost - yes it does, it does! - catches the Sun's light and, oh, how it shines! The melody carries this song - every instrument is at its beck and call, just waiting for the next twist and turn, the next stop sign, the next green-light, "it's ok! go! yea go! smile, darling, smile!" Even from the deepest valley you can see the Sun’s light if you look hard enough.

I've always appreciated music that could, perhaps, be described as twee, and enjoyed it for what it was. But it's never meant more to me than a pleasant soundtrack to a Spring Day. I think it was always the sense of faux-sincerity that, for me, it revolved around - these kids are delightfully rolling gorgeous melodies off the tip of the tongue - how unhappy could they really be? Yet with this album there's such a sense of wonder, and sadness, and a thousand other simple - yet so complex! - human emotions, that I think I begin to understand how a deliciously happy pop song can cause a listener to let a stray tear roll down their cheek. Profit In Your Poetry wears its influences on its sleeve - it's not revolutionary, yet, for me, it is. Maybe now when I look at a shelf with Belle and Sebastian CD's I'll give them a second look, instead of shrugging and thinking I've heard it all before. Maybe I finally understand this folk/pop/twee shtick after all: Even in sadness there will be memories of happier times and the hope for more.

John Blain Hunt, the leader of the band, says that Butcher Boy's music revolves around memories, an appreciation of the little details in life that make it worth living, especially the vivid sense of wonder! experienced as a child... but more than that; the idea that those moments are gone forever: they can't be brought back. For instance, when I was younger I would always ask my dad to make me tea and toast, despite being capable myself. And he always would, without complaint. But as soon as I decided to start making my own supper, the shared moment, the kind gesture, was gone forever. Today, there are only memories of that time when... Rain falls across the window. The sun will be out soon enough. [Buy]

TO ALL MY FORGOTTEN FRIENDS, MY FADED PHOTOGRAPHS

2007-03-13T22:09:00.000Z

Ryan Adams

The Bar Is A Beautiful Place

World-weary, tired, compassionate. Heart-broken, earnest, misunderstood. Playful despite it all. There's something delicate about this song: the laugh at 2:35, the oh-so-tired "sha-na-na-na... na" throughout. Ryan Adams has offered up some great songs through the years, even great albums (Gold and Heartbreaker, for me), and you couldn't expect any less from someone who releases two to three a year. His music is something I appreciate, sometimes love, but have few words for. So go get yourself your supper, your Kleenex, and your memories, then curl up in your duvet and I'll (mostly) let the songs speak for themselves. [Buy]

Cry On Demand

I remember the exact moment I first heard this song. I was in a friends kitchen, this song silently caressing us from a battered CD player, kept quiet so his parents didn't hear. There was tea and toast, and each of us in our respective seats. We were too young to get into bars, but too cool not to try. He was tired and teary-eyed but sincere and friendly. I tried to be the same, but mostly Ryan Adams took my part in the conversation. I just sat there eating my toast, watching someone fall in love with a song for probably the fiftieth time - "Nobody cries, they just smoke and stare at their shoes." I swoon at an earnest vocal delivery. I close my eyes and let it hold me. There's one of those moments in this song three minutes in: "Why would you want to?" [Buy]

Wonderwall (Oasis cover)

The voice cracks, the music echoes into the ether. [Buy]

Call Me On Your Way Back Home

"Oh baby why did I treat you like I did?
Huni, I was just a kid.
Bubblegum on my shoe, but...
you loved me. and I loved...
you... Call me on your way back home, dear, 'cause I miss you.
Oh I just wanna die without you.
Huni, that ain't nothing new." [Buy]

La Cienega Just Smiled

This song bathes in a bath of tears, and it means the world to me. It's an acceptance of all that's been, not knowing what the future holds, but knowing that although looking back feels lovely - comfort in memories - damn, it hurts. Sometimes it feels like I miss you more everyday.

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With songs like these, memories tip-toe out from their hiding places, like tears falling out of seen-it-all eyes. Evocative of the kind of understated beauty that should be understood through gestures, and caresses, warm bodies on cool beds, memories, regrets and silent shouts. Lowercase letters just don't do them justice. [Buy]

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Ryan Adams will be releasing his new album, Easy Tiger, on June 4th through Lost Highway. It will feature a reworked version of this song:

Ryan Adams

Off Broadway

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[Buy]

FLASHLIGHTS AND EXPLOSIONS

2007-03-13T00:20:00.000Z

Royksopp

What Else Is There? (Thin White Duke Remix)

Last year, I listened to "What Else Is There?" a lot. I first heard it on Zane Lowe's show, and he would always, always play it and never say the name, so it took me a while to find. But it was worth it. So, completely, worth it. I rarely listen to it: I save it for special occasions, keep it tucked away like a precious postcard. I don't think a dance track has ever moved me so much. Being that it's not my primary field, I know little of it, and I'm not the biggest fan in the first place, maybe (probably) it's my fault that I've never been properly moved before, or since. I mean, this song has brought tears to my eyes that can't be explained. While at work, putting the milk out, and forcing me to turn away, turn back, and smile. There's just something so innocent about it, I guess. The song is repetitive and simple and long. But every note seems so perfectly placed! It's repeated so much so you can grasp this! It's better than having to manually repeat the thing yourself. And you would.

Gui Boratto

Beautiful Life

This Gui Boratto song seems to fulfill a similar purpose for me this year. It's simple, repetitive, and long. But enjoyable! It's a driving song, for those long days when you turned left instead of right, and just kept going. It's a song for sitting outside with your best mate cooking the barbecue while you sit there drinking cider and soaking up the sun. The quiet days before the big nights. Oh it's a beautiful life, it's a beautiful life. [Buy]

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Thin White Duke also goes by the name of Jacques Lu Cont. And a few other monikers. His real name's Stuart Price. He produced Madonna's latest effort. He does other stuff. I think he's great. The new Gui Boratto album is pretty good with the occasional stroke of rare beauty.

THAT KID'S GOT TALENT!

2007-03-12T21:39:00.000Z

Owen Pallett is a violinist, pianist, singer, and lyric writer going under the moniker of Final Fantasy - referencing "The games [which] are ridiculously overwrought and convoluted emotionally," which he believes his music shares a similarity with. With two solo albums under his belt, Has A Good Home, and He Poos Clouds (a tentative concept album based around the spells within Dungeons and Dragons), he has established himself as an interesting and varied songwriter. He also co-wrote the string arrangements on both Arcade Fire albums, subsequently raising his profile among the indie crowd. His live performance also displays his adept skill at creating intelligent compositions, showcasing his talent for the creation and layering of textures. Live, he uses a sampler controlled by foot pedals in order to loop layers over layers, replicating the broad and ambitious strokes of his albums.

Another thing which his live shows are infamous for, are his superb renditions of songs not his own. Many of these are fantastic and show the playful, and admittedly gay, side of his personality, (evidenced by the Mariah Carey cover), and his appreciation of other musical acts, often making the songs more gentle and precious, (see: the Bloc Party and Arcade Fire covers). Some of the songs below have shoddy sound quality, stripped from YouTube videos - marked with an asterisk - but are still worth a listen. Also included is the album version of his Joanna Newsom cover, "Peach, Plum, Pear", featured on ...Has A Good Home.

Final Fantasy

Sweet Fantasy (live Mariah Carey cover)
No Cars Go (live Arcade Fire cover)
This Modern Love (live Bloc Party cover)
Paris 1919 (live John Cale cover)*
An Actor's Revenge (live Destroyer cover)*
Interview (live Simon Bookish cover)*
ABC (live Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark cover)*
Peach, Plum, Pear (Joanna Newsom cover)

Other songs he's known to have covered:

Joni Mitchell - Sex Kills
Xiu Xiu - Fabulous Muscles
...and a variety of songs off Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark album Dazzle Ships, including the aforementioned ABC.

Being a former student of composition at the University of Toronto, as well as understanding intrinsically what makes a song great, are two things which lend themselves well to his remixing skills - a talent that he has in abundance, and which will be further showcased on the forthcoming Stars remix album, Do You Trust Your Friends, on which he will be remixing "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead". His remix of Grizzly Bear's "Don't Ask" remains one of my favourite songs. The "Black History Month" remix features on the fantastic Death From Above 1979 remix album, Romance Bloody Romance. On the song he adds an orchestral emotional knife, stripping away some of the immediate dance-ability.

Final Fantasy Remixes

Death From Above 1979 - Black History Month (Girl On Girl Featuring Final Fantasy Revision)
Grizzly Bear - Don't Ask (Final Fantasy Remix)

All this talk of Final Fantasy makes me want to go out, today!, and buy a violin!, and learn to play!, and then sing 'til my little heart's content. It also makes me think of how I saw him at ABC in Glasgow and thought the OMD cover was especially for us. He played his Theme Song for the first time ever also - that was special. Memories are great, aren't they?

Final Fantasy

What Do You Think Will Happen Next? (live WFMU)

This song is one of my favourite recorded live performances. As soon as he starts insisting, "YES I CAN! YES I CAN! YES I CAN!", I was sold. But to then go on and go crazy, ad-lib the whole vocal, draw for breath, mimic a child or a bird or the highest person in the whole world looking down from his plateau and just smiling - there's a smile! in the vocals! and a laugh! - and then to finish off with "it's going to be a bright, bright, sunshiny day" !!!... simply put, it's beautiful.

[Buy]

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With regards to Arcade Fire's new album: I'm still unsure. It's obviously good... but how good?

Arcade Fire

No Cars Go

...for comparative and evaluation purposes. [Buy]

GIVE ME A VILLAGE THE SIZE OF A TEACUP

2007-03-12T09:53:00.000Z

Luke Temple

Someone, Somewhere

This song is a caravan song. Remember? We were there and I'd just made us pizza - this song is the shy-shrug as a piece fell from your fork. After we finished, and before we settled down with a blanket to watch an old comedy on TV, we were washing up - this song is the mischievous grin on your face as you lifted your hand and pressed it against my cheek, soft and warm, leaving a trail of soapy-suds in its wake. This song giggles and charms, holds the door and peeks its head round, just before saying its farewells: "Enjoy your week kids. Hope the film's great! Anyway, see ya later alligators!" [Buy]

James Yorkston

Woozy With Cider

The imagery of the words remains the most evocative element of this song. The reflective voice, and the ambient music add to it all, but it's the words that conjure images, that make it such a pleasing spoken-word lullaby. My ears and my heart are well-acquianted with this song; with its self-deprecation and affection. I've just closed my eyes, rested my head upon the pillow, and my memories all come flooding back to me, passing across my eyes like faded photographs. That time we lay in the park and I gave you my apple; That night we stayed up late talking 'til five a.m.; The only time we ever stayed in a hotel together, and I was restless and couldn't sleep, convinced I was in love with you; When we were in the bar - I'd just come back from getting drinks for the two of us - and all my friends were looking nervous; avoiding eye-contact. Afterwards you told me that they'd let you in on my little secret: I think you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. This song is all of those memories and more: a life-story condensed into a few words; set to the calming sound of electronic bleeps. [Buy]

Mistakes In Animation

Walking Along Seafronts At Night

This song could also be a caravan song, though not quite as giggly, and a lot more starry-eyed. Imagine: It had been a long day - we were both tired and restless from sitting about, drinking tea and watching ancient repeats of Rising Damp. Neither of us could drive so we walked to the shop, then down to the beach. You took your shoes and socks off and sighed; I zipped my coat and pulled my hood up over my head. We walked along the pier, your voice going against the wind, finding its way into my heart. I stopped at the edge of the pier, and sat down; You worried that I might fall in. I pulled my sleeves down over my hands, turned around and embraced you.

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James Yorkston is set to release a new album, entitled Roaring the Gospel, comprised of rarities on May 14th. Mistakes In Animation is currently touring the UK: for a full list of dates, see here. I recommend you see him on tour; he deletes the line between performer and audience, and it's fun to watch. For more photos, see here. More from Luke Temple:

Luke Temple

Serious
Saturday People
Private Shipwreck

YOUR EYELASHES TICKLED MY NECK

2007-03-10T22:17:00.000Z

N.B. If the main download links don't work, the alternative one's (all titled "Alt") most likely will. Thanks.

If a song is covered enough, what happens? Does it lose its shine and its sheen? Does it lose an extra bit of sparkle each time? Like an old VHS tape, recorded over and over again, worn down, until the picture isn't crystal clear anymore - where there are intermittent interruptions of static.

Or does a song gain from being covered so much? Does the adding, and stripping away of elements, help to illuminate what you truly loved about the song in the first place?

Or does it not matter in the slightest?

Dntel - "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan"

Dntel - "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan" - Alt
James - "Sick Dream (of Evan and Chan) (Dntel cover)" - Alt
Dntel - "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan (Superpitcher Compakt Remix)" - Alt
Dntel - "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan (Barbara Morgens Remix)" - Alt
Dntel - "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan (Lali Puna Remix)" - Alt

Today, we take a look at Dntel's "(This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan", and you can decide the answers for yourself. The original Dntel version of this song (featuring Ben Gibbard - who then became Jimmy Tamborello's songwriting partner in The Postal Service) has a lot of static to begin with - intentional, but, some might say, undesirable.
+ The James cover strips away all the static, all the fuzziness, even the drum-beat, and replaces everything with a soft, gentle voice, and smoothly played guitar lines - consequently, more emphasis is placed on the admittedly excellent lyrics.
- The Superpitcher Compakt remix removes the immediacy of the track, extends it by a minute and a half, and creates a fragile atmosphere full of ideas of loss and love.
+ Barbara Morgen's remix lifts the telephone sound and amplifies it, fills it out, makes it a focal point to come back to - emphasising the cyclical nature of the song ("and the telephone was ringing, ringing, ringing off"). The addition of a female vocal to complement Ben Gibbard's melodies also works extremely well.
- Lali Puna's remix removes all vocals entirely - the effect of which is that it becomes a come-down track. There's a definite tinge of sadness but you can make it personal. There are no words to dispute your own.

Figurine

Bonus

A tiny song. It barely starts before it ends. You could hold it in the palm of your hand. You could lift up it and press it against your chest. You could set it on the dashboard of your car, right beside that Post-It note, ("don't cry, we'll be there soon"). This track is also the work of Dntel's Jimmy Tamborello. The new Dntel album, Dumb Luck, is set to be released on April 24th. [Buy]

Sorry for the slow updates - my internet has been having fits for the past few days and completely refusing to work. On a brighter note, we now have hosting! Cue celebratory extra mp3:

Lali Puna

Faking The Books (Dntel/Postal Service Remix)

THE MUSIC WAS OK BUT THE FRESH AIR WAS BETTER

2007-03-08T20:09:00.000Z

So there's a few songs that are well-worth sharing for your listening pleasure, which I probably should have got around to earlier. First let's start once again with Los Campesinos! I can't get enough of them. I've come to the conclusion that it's not just the melodies that I've in love with, nor is it the relentlessly catchy instrumentation - the whistles! the reckless guitar! the xylophone bashing! the violin! No, what brings me back to the music perhaps more than anything are the observational lyrics - they're so effortlessly clever! witty! funny! silly! surreal! joyous! ridiculous! I'll throw out some samples from their double A side single and you can decide for yourselves:

"When you play pass the parcel with human body parts, somebody might get head, but someone will get hurt"

"Yea, it's great that you can blow smoke rings, but you won't taste her lips if you do get to kiss her"

"Team Campesinos trick or treating on your driveway in the middle of August, one of us dressed as a zombie, one of us dressed as a pirate, one of us dressed as a ninja, four of us dressed as school girls" [of course, the knowledge that the band contains only three female members adds to the silly, surreal yet true humour]

"So now we're gonna smash this place up, deck it out in fairy-lights until we are content"

"I'm stitching up each one of your pockets so when we are together maybe you'll look a little less bored / I'm sticking your fingers into sockets to kick-start your little heart and maybe stick your tongue in a bit more"

Los Campesinos!

We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives
Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)

Love it. Sincerely do. More info for the curious: We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives is "a whimsical anti-war song". Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s) contains the lyric "if only you could give your life to literature just DON'T READ JANE EYRE!" This lyric was explained by Gareth Campesinos! at the gig where I saw them previously: "this song is actually about my favourite book, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, and if you've read the book you'll understand that this lyric isn't actually about hating Jane Eyre. We hold nothing against that book. *laughs* Though I do think all the Bronte sisters were slags!" If that interests you, then read about how the BronteBlog took offense to the lyric, and Gareth's subsequent explanation, here. [Buy]

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Also on the note of Los Campesinos! : their support band for the five-date tour of the UK, Sky Larkin, are probably worth a listen, as they were highly enjoyable at the time. Quirky, poppy, and sometimes punky, featuring keyboards, as well as the usual guitar, bass and drums.

Sky Larkin

One of Two
Keepsakes
Somesault (notes!)

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Anyway, moving on. As we all know Bloc Party have about ten to fifteen (I'm not sure of the exact number, as I haven't counted) assorted B-Sides from their new album. Depending on what form you bought the album in, and where in the world you bought it, you're likely to get a different B-Side. Some of them are really impressive too. Like this one:

Bloc Party

England

Atmospheric and tragic - but real, honest and sincere. [Buy]

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As far as the Bright Eyes EP, Four Winds, is concerned, I think I agree with the majority in saying that the title track is indeed the best. Enjoy it:

Bright Eyes

Four Winds

Britt Daniel and Conor Oberst

You Get Yours

Of course, as we all wait in hope that the new Bright Eyes album, Cassadaga, will be nothing short of spectacular, Conor Oberst has been collaborating with Jimmy Tamborello for one track off the forthcoming Dntel record. Although, since I don't really like posting leaks, I've given you the slightly older collaboration done with Britt Daniel of Spoon. I love Conor Oberst's voice. Actually. [Buy / Buy]

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Sorry about the lack of anything close to insightful commentary, but I've been awake since four a.m., completed a comparative essay for English Literature, gone grocery shopping, had dinner and now I'm about to relax and watch TV. Je suis fatigué. However, all the songs posted can speak for themselves. Whether it be the sad reality of Bloc Party's vision of England, the surreal and ecstatic songs by Los Campesinos!, the similarly quirky songs of Sky Larkin or the miserable, doomed viewpoint of Conor Oberst, I'm sure you'll enjoy them all. All Los Campesinos! and Sky Larkin photos taken by myself, more here and here.

No One Would Riot For Less

2007-03-08T05:51:00.000Z

Bright Eyes

No One Would Riot For Less

Due to the slightly annoying fact that on my University network I can't download MP3's, I can tell you nothing about this song other than: Yes, this is off the forthcoming Cassadaga (which half the world and me are thrilled about). Anyway, it's probably a good thing I can say nothing about this, since I have an essay due for 3 hours time, and I've done 72 words. Enjoy your morning. Maybe you'll let me know if this song's good. Cheers.

Tour

Conor Oberst and (now full-time) crew are also playing two UK dates:

Saturday 16/03 Koko, London
Monday 18/03 Brookes University Student Union, Oxford

Hope you have your tickets sitting on top of your bedside table. Otherwise, I doubt you'll find any.

YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE

2007-03-07T18:51:00.000Z

So, the new Idlewild album, Make Another World, came out on Monday and... well, it's a bit of a pick-and-mix to be honest. Obviously the band are trying to get back to the sonic-texture of their earlier, more youthful albums. And I can't fault them for trying to make another 100 Broken Windows - that album means the world to me. I have three copies!

But, but, but: Roddy Woomble has clearly moved on - the folk album, My Secret Is My Silence - co-written with Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones - was an attempt to get the calmer stuff out of their systems so that the band could present a unified front and become a melody-based rock band again. And songs like "Everything As It Moves" and "If It Takes You Home" do make a fair attempt at regaining much of the old sound, but there's a mildly irritating inconsistency throughout the entire album - most likely caused by the band's desire to revert back to their old ways.

To me, it sounds a bit like a minor mid-life crisis. This is a fantastic band who no longer know what they want to do. As uncool as it is to say so, I liked their last album. And the one before that. Sure, they didn't make me as deliriously happy, or ridiculously ready to go out dancing, as 100 Broken Windows, but I hold nothing against sonic-evolution, and I appreciated the incredible melodies that Roddy Woomble could deliver. This album leaves the impression that their desire to once again be what they once were is stifling their creativity: yes, the album's enjoyable, but they're capable of so much more.

Idlewild

Finished It Remains

Strange then, perhaps, that my favourite song off the new Idlewild record is the final track. If we were to play the genres game - which is old-school and NME-esque - then how could this song be pigeonholed? It doesn't know whether it wants to be a straightforward pop song (the opening "da-da-dun! da-da-dun!" guitar riff; the roll-of-the-tongue delivery of the line, "the three of us, are sittin' up...), soundtrack a film (1:31 - 2:01 where it flirts with all things epic and/or post-rock-esque), be an uptempo folk-lullaby (2:04 - 2:08: those harmonies) or be a reckless rock and roll song (2:07 - 3:20 : those guitar histrionics!). Perhaps the best part of the whole song though, is when it simultaneously side-steps and incorporates all these elements (2:52 - 2:56) and Roddy Woomble delivers such a fragile yet self-assured vocal for the line, "Leave... me... gone...". [Buy]

Roddy Woomble featuring Karine Polwart

If I Could Name Any Name

The aforementioned departure by Roddy Woomble and Rod Jones, is ever-so-slightly more than just a folk record. It incorporates elements of folk, indie, and rock, to make a by turns calm and exuberant album. It isn't groundbreaking or entirely innovative; it isn't going to appear on any "Greatest Albums Of All Time" list's like those that Q is so fond of. Yet, it's one of those albums that I'll always go back to - enduring and charming because of, and not in spite of, its old-new-borrowed-blue nature. [Buy]

Karine Polwart and Edwin Morgan

The Good Years

The previous song featured Karine Polwart, and this one is a collaboration between her and the author Edwin Morgan, once again taken from the Ballads of the Book compilation. An easy-listening folk song, with none of the fiddles or over-the-top bagpipes you might associate with Scottish folk. Focused, succinct, and so soft - like silk - both musically and lyrically. Everything in this song - the arpeggios, the strummed chords, the harmonies - lead up to that final line: "these the good years". It's such a nice, pleasant song, such a simple, idyllic idea, that it's hard not to feel content; warm; happy - soothed by such a swooning lullaby. [Buy]

TAKE IT SLOW, TAKE IT EASY ON ME

2007-03-06T12:13:00.000Z

Feist

My Moon, My Man

This song practically skips along the pavement before throwing itself into your arms. Each line is sang so close to the microphone that with each word's passing, a stray breath is left in its wake; the occasional sigh. The words seem entirely unimportant; the melody could be a string of "la's" and it would still sound the same to me. Like a lazy afternoon; a sigh; a smile with arched eyebrows. [Buy previous albums]

Feist

One Evening (live)
Intuition (live)
Lover's Spit (live Broken Social Scene cover)
Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix)

These live tracks are interesting and lovely: relatively stripped back renditions ensuring that the vocals are the centrepiece. Vocally, Feist comes across like a shy, gifted child. The Postal Service remix is delicate and delightful. Both "My Moon, My Man", and "Intuition" will be on Feist's new album, The Reminder, out 23rd April. Here's the only UK dates of her upcoming tour:

16 April 2007 Komedia, Brighton
17 April 2007 Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Bright Eyes

Mushaboom (Feist cover)

YESTERDAY'S DRESS IN A COMPLETE MESS

2007-03-06T01:30:00.000Z

Firefox AK

City To City

I wish the first seven seconds of this song would continue into infinity. My feet tap, my head spins. I saw Firefox AK live supporting Junior Boys, and found her to be beguiling. Live, the electro-pop backing tracks and the hammering's of the drum machine are overwhelming; overpowering. I couldn't even begin to construct thoughts in my head because every time coherent fragments were formed, they were silenced by the sheer volume of the electronics. Thoughts would hover, just out of reach; then disintegrate. Perhaps this was the best way. A smile appeared on my face, and it stayed. On record the laptop-handiwork isn't quite as overwhelming or glorious, but it's still there, and often it's very impressive.

Firefox AK

The Draft

The majority of the album is concerned with shamelessly resurrecting 90's electro-pop, taking pride in its grinning femininity. However, the final track on the album brings the male vocal of her husband into the equation and softens the approach. Each and every piece of instrumentation is subtle, yet effective. This is quiet, and contemplative. The dynamics are just right. Shhhh, quiet, then slightly more emphatic... but still hushed. The lyrics as a whole I don't understand, but I relate to the line: "Keep the attack short and fast". It means let the pain sting, then wash over me. Don't make this fight last longer than it has be. I give up the war. I give up. [Buy]

Hello Saferide

The Quiz

Annika Norlin, aka Hello Saferide, only deals in honesty; it's all she knows. She is charming, quirky and curious. The questions asked within this song range from the silly yet sweet: "Can you at all times wear socks 'cause I'm still scared of feet?", to the serious and pivotal: "If I fall would you pick me up?" She asks the every-day questions we all want to know ("Do you still keep pictures from girlfriends? Are they prettier than me?"), yet are often too scared to ask. The honest answers to these questions may not be the pleasing ones, but it's important to ask; it's important to know, because we/she needs "proof or a beer to open this heart". The truth is important.

Hello Saferide

2006

A song for sunny days/winter nights. The heart-warming lyrics are hidden behind a wall of happy pop music; behind quirky instrumentation and an ever-smiling voice. Annika has a talent for constructing sentences that contain dazzling yet simple, true-to-life imagery: "40 flavours on the floor and a half-drunk bottle with popcorn in it / Yesterday's dress in a complete mess and a bruise on my arm / I don't know where I got it".

For the most part the lyrics are alluring, sensitive and sweet, but sometimes her heart is laid bare in its misery. Revolving around her thoughts on a New Year ("it's gonna be another shitty year"), and her unrequited love ("I haven't told you yet, but I'm gonna be with you"), it's easy to forget that amidst the waves of dazzling pop instrumentation, and aesthetically pleasing vocal melodies, the lyrics within this song are an effort to translate genuine sadness into words. Perhaps the cleverest, and most emotive lyric amidst it all is this: "I will learn a new word each day; Today's word is 'dejected'". [Buy]

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Both artists are on the Swedish label Razzia Records. The name "Firefox AK" was derived from an inscription on a fire-extinguisher, and not from the web-browser that we all know and love. The photo which opens this post was taken by myself at the aforementioned Junior Boys performance; see more here.

SO FAR, SO GOOD, SOBER

2007-03-05T08:35:00.000Z

Malcolm Middleton

Cheer Down

I first heard this song in Avalanche Records in Glasgow, and as soon as I heard it, I knew I wanted the CD it appeared on. Featuring the unmistakable voice of Malcolm Middleton, it's a song of hope. It's a realisation that everything's fucked, and you've lost your lover. It's a New Year's Resolution to change. It's the first sip of water since you've quit drinking. It's phoning up your ex-girlfriend and only getting her answering machine. It's sitting in silence with only a dial-tone to keep you company while you flick through old photo albums. It's knowing you have to change, and trying, but not knowing how, or to what extent. It's walking through Buchanan Galleries all alone, with nothing but your sadness to keep you company. It's hoping for the best, no matter what. The lyrics are almost too open and honest. Like watching an acquaintance burst into tears underneath the stairwell. Pretending to walk by without noticing, but then - a head on your shoulder, a tear-streaked voice, the words, "I've got no one".

Malcolm Middleton

Four Cigarettes

There's something about this track. Maybe it's the thought of a lover keeping you awake at night - missing the imprint of their head upon your pillow, their body upon your sheets. Maybe it's when he breaks in with "I'm four cigarettes away from having to leave the house", and the knowing - the shared experiences, laid down in song. Or maybe it's the melancholic piano melody after the chorus, the sadness that pervades throughout. Maybe it's the desire to be unique, the desire to make each and every life worthwhile. Or maybe it's the slightest hint of optimism despite "failure after failure".

Malcolm Middleton & Alan Bissett

The Rebel On His Own Tonight

This song genuinely excites me. As soon as I saw that the lyrics were by Alan Bissett I was intrigued, because I've read various pages from his novels and they're filled to the brim with contemporary cultural references and urban Scottish street-speak. The fact that the song has a speaking part by the man himself only adds to the excitement. I love spoken-word passages in songs. Malcolm Middleton is responsible for the singing and the music, and his expert craftsmanship produces an ominous electronic sound-scape which underpins the song, the singing, the deprecating lyrics. This track is simply put, fantastic. As soon as it breaks into the spoken-word, with those amazing lyrics, "Pure as vodka, pure as snow / She kisses like it's a terrorist act", you realise that the track, somehow, got more note-worthy; more remarkable. It's impossible, when listening to this track, not to feel sympathy, to feel sadness, to empathise - the lyrics are concerned with the subtle every-day tragedies of real-life.

Imagine an ex-best friend who you've known since childhood, and you've seen "the classroom page [where he] scribbled all [his] rage / Syd Barrett chord changes, Tyra McKenzie's name", and you've heard every-single-one of his ridiculous ideas and ambitions for the future, and you know he spends half his time "dreaming [he] is Stephen King", and you've been there every time he's been "steaming" and "taken a drubbing from somebody's fucking boyfriend". But you moved on with your life, and he never did, so "the rebel's on his own tonight".

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"Cheer Down" is one of the "Extra Songs", "Four Cigarettes" is track seven, off the special edition of Malcolm Middleton's newest album, A Brighter Beat, which is exceptional. So Scottish, and forlorn, yet so uplifted and triumphant. The remarkable thing about his music is the self-deprecating lyrics set over the top of the smile-on-your-face -as-you-spot-the-ice-cream-van music. Of course, I picked up on the more depressing songs, full of keep-the-curtains-closed misery and oh-lord-let-me-change optimism. [Buy]

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"The Rebel On His Own Tonight" comes from the Ballads of the Book compilation, out today, which brings together Scottish musicians and Scottish writers, in a project supported by the Scottish Arts Council. The packaging is gorgeous, with every page of the lyric booklet having its own appropriate illustration. For this reason alone, it is worth buying.

The Frames - LIVE REVIEW - 24th February 2007

2007-03-05T03:52:00.001Z

The Frames

Fitzcarraldo (live)
Seven Day Mile (live)
Love Will Tear Us Apart (live Joy Division cover)

The Frames are an Irish band who have been around for, well, ages. Their singer and guitarist, Glen Hansard, busked on Dublin’s Grafton Street when he was only 14. He presented Other Voices: Songs from a Room back when it was actually good, and had his own band appear on it, once or twice if I remember right. He recently completed a solo album with Marketa Irglova (called The Swell Season), and a movie with her, entitled Once, which won an Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The band themselves have been around since 1990, and now seems to be the time when they are finally achieving the recognition they deserve.

It’s worth considering why thus far this recognition hasn’t been forthcoming. Primarily, in the past, their recorded output has always had a kind of sonic inconsistency about it, with albums rarely flowing easily. Add to that the fact that their take on indie folk-rock is either revered and adored, or simply discarded as dull and lacklustre, and you get a feel for why although dearly loved in Ireland, they haven’t been making quite so many ripples across the Atlantic. In my humble opinion, this is soon to change however.

Recently, I had the chance to once again see The Frames live (after seeing them three times previously), and this time it was at the Oran Mor. It was a dreary cold February evening in Glasgow, but everyone knew from the moment the band got on-stage, that this gig was going to be interesting at the very-least, and spectacular at the very-best. As I queued at the bar for my two Vodka - Lemonade - and - Blackcurrant's, like the woman that I am, everyone else was ordering pints of Guinness. As I took my place in the crowd, and the band appeared on-stage, members of the audience started singing “Ireland forever” and waving Irish scarves about with vigour. Worth noting, of course, that the venue was in Scotland - a whole sea of water away from Ireland.

The Frames

People Get Ready (live)
Lay Me Down (live)
God Bless Mom (live)
Rent Day Blues

The gig kicked off with “People Get Ready” in all its bounteous glory. The song coincidentally, which perhaps best defines The Frames, and their dedication to their sonic evolution – “we have all the time in the world to get it right”. Indeed, the band have continually improved their sound over more than a decade, continually synthesising their violent emotion with quiet sadness.

The endearing cheekiness of Glen was fully on display as he told a few of the trademark stories which he's renowned for; prior to playing “Lay Me Down”, he offered forth a story behind the song: that it was about when he was 16 and “had a girlfriend – she was a Goth, [he] was a Rocker, so obviously [they] couldn’t go out in public. At Christmas [he] bought her this plot of land in a cemetery and [they] lay down in the hole and had a bloody good time”. However, fewer stories were told than usual, as for the majority of the gig he let the songs speak for themselves.

He also wore his beliefs on his sleeve: “God Bless Mom” was dedicated to the British Queen; the crowd were asked to “sing like little Catholics, sing!” whilst Glen clasped his hands in prayer. During one of the heavier parts of the song Glen screamed “You will never be like us! You should never have married a monarchy!”; “Rent Day Blues” was dedicated to “the landlords, the ruling classes, who have taken money off the Irish for over 800 years”, and was met with rapturous applause. On record, perhaps, some of this energy isn’t felt, but live the crowd laps it up. And it’s not a negative energy by any means – this sense of entitlement, this anguish and bitterness. It’s one that as a band they manipulate and channel into an inspiring creative force.

The Frames

When Your Mind's Made Up
Sad Songs
Star Star (live)

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

Leave

The Frames had the crowd in the palm of their hands for the duration, willing to go along with every whim – for instance, Glen insisting that the crowd raise their palms in the air and mimic the vocal melody whilst singing it; making the crowd hold the note for over twenty seconds while he sang over the top of them. Even the extended song titles got a laugh from the awestruck crowd: “this one’s called ‘When Your Mind’s Made Up There’s No Point Talking To You So I Won’t’”; “this is ‘Too Many Sad Words Make For Sad Sad Songs’”.

It wasn’t a flawless gig by any means; gigs rarely are. The performance of Leave wasn't quite as eye-watering, heart-breaking and fragile as I've seen it previously; the guitar and bass notes were clashing with each other on “Pavement Tune”, making it slightly more raucous than usual. However, Glen went along with it and merely repeated “fuck it, fuck it, fuck it” to reassure Joe that it was fine. And it was fine – it was more than fine – if only all fuckup’s at gigs could be this insignificant; the band held tight regardless and the song was dizzyingly excellent right up until the final lines which Glen sang in “a slightly German accent” to the hushed, appreciative audience: “I vont my life to make more sense. I vont my life to make amends.”

Prior to the penultimate song, "Star Star", (requested several times by the audience), a story was told of a young kid – Glen – lying down in the middle of a field, in the middle of the night, and writing this song, while staring up at the stars and wondering about “the big questions, the one’s that really matter, like ‘Will I ever get my own lightsaber? So I can… turn the losers into winners and smash the liars – no, smash the greedy… fuckheads’… you know what I mean. This one is for all aspiring Jedi Knights”. The band performed the song, tacking on the expected Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ending, and when Glen sang about keeping the dream alive, and “if it comes down to this, I will”, I believed him; everyone did.

The Frames

Fighting On The Stairs
Finally
Fake

The Frames have struggled financially in the past, but their spirit has never wavered and now they seem to be coming into their own. Adverts bearing their name are plastered all over the internet recently, including the top banner on Pitchfork last week and the bottom banner on the Hype Machine at the moment, all advertising their most consistent record to date, The Cost. More than that however - because good PR can only go so far - they have just recently given an outstanding live performance – slotting in alongside Broken Social Scene, Radiohead, and Sigur Ros as one of the best live gigs ever witnessed by these eyes and ears.

If ever there was a band that could start a revolution, an uprising, its The Frames. An unexpected observation to make, it may seem, if you’ve only experienced the subdued tracks on their albums and not the emotional violence of their live show. Once you experience the energy and witness the adulation that is poured onto them in abundance by their fans, you realise that you truly are in the presence of a formidable force. U2 have pretty-much become a stadium band, The Pogues have become a money-spinning caricature of themselves, but The Frames are truly a band of the people destined for imminent world-wide recognition. They are as comfortable playing a sold-out Marlay Park gig in Dublin to thirty-thousand odd people, as they are playing in a small packed room like The Venue at the Oran Mor. It certainly looks like the future will be bright.

+ All photos taken by myself on the 24th of February, 2007, at the Oran Mor. To see more from the same gig, click here.
- To read the longer version of this which briefly recounts the previous times I've seen The Frames, then you can download it as a Word Document here.
+ To buy albums by The Frames, click here.
- To read Glen's tragic article on the death of his best friend, Mic Christopher, click here.

Mic Christopher's album "Skylarkin'" holds a special place in my heart, as it has helped me through a rough Christmas period in the past. "Heyday" is the song post-posthumously used in the Guiness advert where one brother swims across to America, and says... "Sorry".

Mic Christopher

Heyday

I Was A Cub Scout Tour And Offer Mixtapes

2007-03-04T08:32:00.001Z

Have you heard I Was A Cub Scout? I like them, alot. I saw them live at Club NME a while ago, and thought they had catchy tunes, but couldn't really make out much due to the muddled sound. However, one listen to Pink Squares is enough to convince you of their talent for crafting catchy, electronically-aided indie-pop. I'll be going to see them again on the 15th of March [the sound will be better too! since it's King Tuts!] and since they're touring all over the place, they've uploaded a mixtape. This includes one song from them, and six other songs by bands that shall be supporting them, at various stages, throughout the tour.

I Was A Cub Scout PRESENTS

The Tour Mixtape

Here's the tracklisting for all interested:

Data.select.party – 'Can’t They Tell We’re Joking'
Rolo Tomassi – 'Seagull'
Linda’s Nephew – 'Get Back Attack'
I Was A Cub Scout – 'Part II'
Decay Ends A Decade – 'Notes'
Sky Days Off – 'This Idea Is Suicide'
Tonight Is Goodbye – 'Snap Snap'

For a chance to win a physical copy of the mix, (of which there are five to be given away), go here. Slightly emo, chirpy pop songs make up the majority of it. Particular favourites are:

Tonight Is Goodbye

Snap Snap [recommended for fans of The Spill Canvas]

data.select.party

Can't They Tell We're Joking? [recommended for fans of Hot Club de Paris].

I Was A Cub Scout

Pink Squares
Teenage Skin

The odd thing for me, about I Was A Cub Scout is the sense of darkness within their music. It's at the edges of it. Imagine their music as a loose sheet of newspaper. There's the colour and vibrancy of the pictures, there's a few eye-catching headlines, but then, down in the bottom corner, tucked away, there's the obituary section. The catchy electronic pop of I Was A Cub Scout, for me at least, is tinged with this pervading sense of sadness, beauty, fragility, darkness. And it's through this that their music gains a longevity... immediate, instantly accessible, yet enduring.

WE'RE STUPID BUT WE'RE HAPPY

2007-03-04T01:49:00.000Z

N.B. All links should now work again for the OXEGEN posts.

I upgraded my fileden account, so they should work for a little while at least. Let's celebrate:

I don't know how you plan to celebrate, but I've already done so. I saw Los Campesinos! tonight at Capitol, in Glasgow and they were fantastic. Their support, Sky Larkin, all came onstage during You! Me! Dancing! to play drums and hit mic stands and basically make a racket. Everyone up the front was disco dancing for the duration of the set, and that can only be a good thing. It's exciting, scratchy, beautiful guitar music with violins and keyboards thrown in to join the party. In short, it's great. If you have a chance to see Los Campesinos! then you definitely should.

Here's the last gigs of the tour, and two others they've planned:

4 March 2007 Late Rooms, Manchester (with Sky Larkin)
5 March 2007 Spitz, London (with Sky Larkin) - SOLD OUT!!
4 June 2007 The Point (14+), Cardiff
5 June 2007 The Scala (16+), London

Los Campesinos!

Death To Los Campesinos!
You! Me! Dancing!
Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks

To be perfectly honest: after seeing tonight's performance I am not at all surprised that Los Campesinos! supported the amazing Broken Social Scene. A well-deserved honour that just goes to show how evolved and glorious their sound is, despite being new kids on the block.

Hope you enjoy all the photos. There are a lot more here. I nearly broke my camera tonight trying to take pictures and dance at the same time. I can never resist a good old disco dance to amazing indietastic pop tunes.

Stars Trust Stars

2007-03-03T20:05:00.000Z

Prior to their next proper release (scheduled for a Fall release date), Stars are set to release a pretty exciting remix album, cleverly entitled "Do You Trust Your Friends?" on the 22nd of May. This album definitely looks like it'll be well-worth buying, as the album being remixed, Set Yourself on Fire, was fantastic. Additionally, one look at the acts doing the reinterpretations should be enough to set your heart on fire with excitement.

Stars - Do You Trust Your Friends?

1. Your Ex-Lover Is Dead - Final Fantasy
2. Set Yourself On Fire - Montag
3. Ageless Beauty - The Most Serene Republic
4. Reunion - Jason Collett
5. The Big Fight - Minotaur Shock
6. What I’m Trying To Say Pt. 1 - The Dears
7. What I’m Trying To Say Pt. 2 - The Dears
8. One More Night - Apostle of Hustle
9. Sleep Tonight - Junior Boys
10. The First Five Times - The Russian Futurists
11. He Lied About Death - Metric
12. Celebration Guns - Camouflage Nights with Kevin Drew
13. Soft Revolution - The Stills
14. Calendar Girl - Young Galaxy

I can't wait to hear half these songs. I adore Final Fantasy (coincidentally, his Grizzly Bear remix is one of my favourite songs - so regretful, so honest, so calm - a song sang in retrospect with tear stained cheeks), the one Montag remix I have (of M83) is breath-taking (the moment beginning at 1:17 is just beautiful - "how fast we die"), Junior Boys were fantastic live, and well... every other band on here is pretty much great. Anyway, the tracks below may give a rough indication of what to expect [though the MSTRKRFT remix is primarily for your own enjoyment. It's Saturday after all, and you need a top-quality tune to get you in the mood for a party].

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED REMIXES

The Most Serene Republic

Stars - Ageless Beauty (Most Serene Mix)

Final Fantasy

Grizzly Bear - Don't Ask (Final Fantasy Remix)

Montag

M83 - Teen Angst (Montag Remix)

Metric

Monster Hospital (MSTRKRFT Remix)

OXEGEN 2007 - Sunday 8th July

2007-03-02T21:37:00.000Z

As promised, here's the lineup (thus far) for Sunday. It looks well-good. Once again in order with artists I actually like at the front of the queue, and artists I've never heard of/dislike at the back of the line, here's the acts that have been announced so far.

N.B. If the main download links don't work, the alternative one's (all titled "Alt") most likely will. Thanks.

Sunday 8th July

Arcade Fire

Rebellion (Lies) - Alt

Considered by many to be the best live act in the world, there's pleasure to be derived from seeing so many band members going mental on-stage. Neon Bible is one of the most hotly anticipated releases of the year, and while I'm not entirely sure of the album from my brief listens, I'm sure many will fall in love all over again. At the festival, I'm sure they will take the time to remind you that "sleeping is giving in". Because really, who goes to a festival to sleep? Take enough coffee, Pro Plus, or whatever other chemicals it is that'll keep you awake.

Bloc Party

The Once and Future King - Alt
Secrets - Alt
Selfish Son

With the release of A Weekend in the City, Bloc Party may have lost some of their fanbase, and brought in new listeners. Not quite the angular rock of their debut, it's a more electronic, swirling affair full of insightful social commentary. Also renowned as a fantastic live act, so well-worth seeing. Enjoy the assorted B-Sides where the sound is very much similar to their first album of "dance-rock" songs.

Daft Punk

Digital Love
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
Human After All (Justice Remix)

The indie-man's dance band. Critical acclaim, commercial success, adoration from their fans, and their tunes playing in both ice-rinks and clubs all across the country.

Klaxons

Gravity's Rainbow (Van She Remix) - Alt
Magick (Simian's Mobile Disco Remix) - Alt
Atlantis to Interzone (Metronomy Remix) - Alt

Nu-wave. Say what? Anyway, have you listened to the radio recently? Ok, then you probably know everything you need to know about The Klaxons. Dancey tunes, art-school attitudes, literary references. I haven't properly listened to the album yet, but the majority of it seems decent enough, though not quite surpassing the brilliance of the singles. Or, some of the remixes for that matter.

CSS

Music Is My Hot Hot Sex
Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above

I've never really quite got the hype about this band; but then, I've never seen them live. Above are two songs of theirs that I do rather enjoy.

The Killers

Mr. Brightside (Jacque Lu Cont's Thin White Duke Remix) - Alt
Somebody Told Me (Mylo Remix) - Alt

Songs equally at home in clubs and indie-disco's, everyone knows this band. You either like them, don't mind them, dislike them, or love them. I for one, am not overly fussed, but I do love a good dance to some of the songs.

The Kooks

Crazy (Gnarls Barkley cover at Radio 1's Live Lounge)

"Naive" is a cracker tune. It truly is. Have you heard it? I'd imagine so. The rest of the songs are decent enough - pleasant, made-for-radio rock.

Razorlight

Golden Touch (at Radio 1's Live Lounge)

Never been a fan of the skintight costumes, the performance at Live 8, or much of their music, but damn... I love "America". Once again, sorry I couldn't upload it for your delight.

My Chemical Romance

Song 2 (Blur cover at Radio 1's Live Lounge)

You know, back when I used to be on IRC all the time talking about song-lyrics, music, and guitar-playing, I used to really enjoy this band. This was around the time of their first release, which had some truly great songs. They progressed from that to become a commercial success and wholly adopt the Gothic style. I don't like 'em much now, but they do have talent.

Deep Dish

Dreams featuring Stevie Nicks (Axwell Mix)

A dance band I know very little about. They did have one tune that I loved, but I can't remember what it is now.

James Morrison

I saw him on Richard & Judy and he seemed like quite a pleasant chap. His music isn't quite as absolutely fucking annoying as James Blunt's, and that must count for something.

Babyshambles

Frankie Knuckles

Data Rock

Cagedbaby

P.S. At the time of writing, it looks like tickets for the festival are sold out, although more will probably appear for sale at a later date, once again from here. However, if you're now desperate for one, as you should be, then there's always everyone's favourite standby: Ebay.

DISMEMBER, then REGROUP.

2007-03-02T11:35:00.000Z

Today I interrupt your morning coffee and viewing of This Morning to tell you something which excites me as much as Pitchfork. Of course, I don't live in America, nor do I have any money, so I shan't be going... But it's still pretty damn exciting. The Dismemberment Plan are reuniting for a one-off benefit for J. Robbins and Janet Morgan's son who was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

Tickets are on sale today through Black Cat and Ticketmaster. Get buying if you live anywhere near there. I would love to go. And consequently, you should too. All proceeds from the gig will be used to pay the medical bills which currently can't be afforded. Even if you don't heart The Dismemberment Plan, maybe you'd like to donate.

The Dismemberment Plan

The Other Side

I've been meaning to write about the band for some time, and couldn't waste this excellent opportunity. But still, the words aren't forthcoming. Here's my best attempt to sum up this song, and much of their recorded material. It is the sound of university life in a foreign country. The displacement, the emotion, the closeness, the tenderness, the sadness of modern life. The intricacies of a relationship broken down and spoken quickly, rapidfire, missing out some points but getting the main ones seemingly into the same sentence which makes up for its lack of punctuation with the insightful pronunciation. So many of the lines ring true so much of the time, all placed hovering just above the ever erratic, intense drumming.

OXEGEN 2007 - Saturday 7th July

2007-03-01T19:49:00.000Z

So it's decision time. Today, the 1st of March 2007, is an Eve. Maybe not as special as Christmas Eve, or New Year's Eve, but even so, it's an Eve none-the-less. Tomorrow, tickets go on sale for OXEGEN 2007. Quote: "OXEGEN 2006 was the fastest selling event in the Irish music calendar and tickets for 2007 are certain to sell out fast" : Unquote.

So how much money is in your bank account right now? If you're a student, like myself, the answer is: fuck all. Thus, I doubt I'll be going. However, if you're undecided, take a look at the line up, and decide, because : I repeat : It's decision time. If you have an overdraft, I would advise you to use it. If someone owes you money, call in the debt. Sunday's line-up is shit-hot, if you're actually sober enough to make your way across the various stages. I'll post it later on tonight or tomorrow. Anyway, here we go:

In order with artists I actually like at the front of the queue, and artists I've never heard of/dislike at the back of the line, here's the acts that have been announced so far.

Saturday 7th July

Interpol

Obstacle 1 (Arthur Baker's Return To New York Remix)

First album was amazing - you could play it on repeat for hours sitting having dinner with the family, or you could dance dance dance to any one of the tunes off it at an indie-disco pissed out of your head. Second album was a grower - but still a bit of a disappointment.

Erol Alkan

Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights (Erol Alkan's Love From Below Re-Edit)
Justice - Waters of Nazareth (Erol Alkan Dur Dur Durrr re-edit)

You've heard the hype. I've heard it's true. He is the ultimate party-starter - that's the word on the street.

Justice

Soulwax - NY Excuse (Justice Remix)
Death From Above 1979 - Blood On Our Hands (Justice Remix)

Indie-disco anyone? Electronic remixes and bloody amazing one's at that. Yes please. "Never Be Alone" was playing everywhere at all times all over the country. It brings back happy memories of sweaty nights dancing with friends. You have to have heard it. Seriously. Thus, instead of that, I give you these fine remixes. All have been involved in alcoholic dance-sessions that I've taken part in. You probably have too. These are C-H-O's... chooooons.

Gossip

Standing In The Way Of Control (Soulwax Remix)

Seen the advert for Skins? Me too. I love that ad. Damn good tune, damn fine show - not sure about the rest of the bands output [i.e. I haven't heard it.] But this one song remixed by - everyone's favourite - Soulwax, is relentlessly catchy.

Snow Patrol

Run (Live at KEXP)
Chasing Cars (Hey Team! Remix)
You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will. (live Bright Eyes cover)
An Olive Grove Facing The Sea (live at SXSW)

With Eyes Open they crafted an album that went on to be number one in the UK for sales for the whole of 2006. Impressive. They used to be less stadium-rock [i.e. Less like Coldplay]. But still, everyone has a lot of hate for them, and I don't. I like them. The songs above are brilliant. Although I saw them perform on the Brits and it was one of the most soulless performances I've ever seen. Maybe sometimes they're actually good though? You decide.

Muse

Muse vs The Spinto Band - Supermassive Mandy

I heart Showbiz. Everything after that album was a bit hit-and-miss for me. And I don't get all this wanting to be Britney Spears craic. But you know... voted Best Live Act at the Brits must count for something. Right? Enjoy a mash-up that actually works for once.

Kings of Leon

I've heard Four Kicks covered about ten times live, always well. It's a great song. Aha Shake Heartbreak is an album I listened to in a car, the morning after, very hung over, and it is a great album. Youth and Young Manhood is an album I've listened to in the store-room of my then-workplace Longs while climbing up shelves and pretending to be working. It was pretty decent too. I'm sure they'd be great live.

Tori Amos

Famous Blue Raincoat (Leonard Cohen cover)
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana cover)

Concept albums, and pretty piano songs. With as little familiarity as I have with her work, it's hard to say more. A nice quiet one for the crowd of hangover-kids.

Amy Winehouse

She's a sesh-head. She's bound to be good fun.

The Fratellis

They like IRN-BRU. I saw him carrying a bottle on the Brits. FACT! Sticking with the old Scottish heritage. Chelsea Dagger is equal parts catchy-as-hell and annoying-as-hell. It's a good singalong though.

Goo Goo Dolls

Iris (acoustic)
Slide (acoustic)

Say it with me now: Old. School. That said though, Iris is just one of those songs. One of the amazing one's that everyone has their own little memory for. It reappears on mix-tapes all over the place. It's on at house-party's. It's legendary. Slide, less so, but a decent tune, with a decent melody.

Scissor Sisters

Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand cover)

Never really catered to my tastes unless I was insanely drunk at the time. So yea, a good festival band I guess. Sorry about the dire 56kbps, but it's a good enough cover, so what the hell.

Mika

"Hi my name's Mika, and I'm a combination of Queen, the Scissor Sisters, and the Darkness. Enjoy my live screeching performance."

M.A.N.D.Y.

DR. LEKTROLUV

Booka Shade

Wu-tang Klan

No thanks.

Support recorded music: Buy CD's from Amazon.
Support live music: Buy an Oxegen ticket.

if it's not you then do it for the sake of fashion

2007-02-28T00:37:00.001Z

Everyone would like 15 minutes of fame. Half the world is currently writing a blog post about themselves, about a band, about how they just featured in a 3 minute documentary which is currently #4876 on http://www.youtube.com/. Everyone wants someone to take notice. It's like what they used to - and still say - about novelists. Everyone and their dog is a closet novelist, waiting for the final page to that masterpiece. Now it's not so much about being a novelist... it's just about going against the trends, becoming an actor, an artist, a singer, a band-member. Not getting a simple day-to-day office job, or being a construction worker. We all aspire to fame. Kele is your grandfather, telling you that you had the chance to be anything you ever wanted, and your choices have been self-serving and that you'll live to regret them. Was it worth it? For those few beautiful starlit nights when you passed out in a field, drunk? Probably.

Bloc Party

Rhododendron

You know, I've listened to this song on repeat 22 times already today. It's not that it's particularly good. I think it's more to do with the passing, soothing nature of the song. It's certainly nothing special... but it does possess a lot of indie charm, and it's a relaxing song to sit with and contemplate. In short, it tides you over like a nice cup of tea. [Buy]

Pedro the Lion

When They Really Get To Know You They Will Run

Another one in the same vein. I know next to nothing about Pedro the Lion - ok, so I know he (David Bazan) is adored by his fans. Anyway, to my ears this song seems to be about the frivolity of school/university. The pretenses and fronts that all of us put on and put up with to make ourselves more likable. The fact that we can convince ourselves, and crucially: others, of anything. "Her tiara digging deep in her head"... I don't know about you, but since I seem to remember that David Bazan is religious, this line - for whatever reason - conjures up the image of a crown of thorns. High-school kids simultaneously blessed and mocked - liked and envied. But at the end of the day, this song is a summer song. One song off a mix-tape soundtracking kick-abouts on the beach. Image is everything. [Buy]

P.S. For the record: I think A Weekend in the City is well-worth buying. It's struggling to be a soundtrack to our generation, and almost succeeds. I adore it. You should too.

Old News

2007-02-25T23:38:00.000Z

So my fileden account got suspended, I suspect because I put up that Johnathan Rice track. So I now have a new account, but consequently a lot of old links won't work. Sorry. Fresh starts and all that, though.

Hot Chip

Look After Me

Hot Chip can, at times, be the essence of electro-beauty. Like poetry read in silence. Synths played with eager hearts. A postal service for the new romantics. The sounds of a letter being delivered through the letter-box. The letter is from a old lover. Your romance was painted in many colours. A full palette was used to describe the two of you and it ended sad but hopeful. There is still fondness in the memory. There is still beauty in the retelling. And if ever the two of you were to meet again you'd be best friends, old lovers with no history other than a history of hugs and more hugs. Affection.

Words can't describe the beauty sometimes. Sometimes a photograph truly is worth a thousand words. And sometimes music is worthy of no words at all. Imagine sign language to those with perfect hearing. Offer your friend a bed in your room and let him lie down... put on Hot Chip and provide him with tea and a biscuit, even if he's not sick, he'll feel better after listening. Listen. Listen. Listen. [Buy]

Text written 14th August 2006

Scala Choir & Kolacny Brothers

Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover)

It's the quirky piano line. It's the staccato. It's the fact that a five-year old could play it with ease. It's the fact that it's youthful voices, full of purity, singing, in unity, about the youthful hassles of growing up. It's quirky, eccentric, popular, and pure. In its essence is happiness. Right beside the happiness lies silliness. It's novel. The novelty may wear out. But for now, it will do. [Buy]

Text written 12th September 2006

She's Nothing Like November

2007-02-16T03:18:00.000Z

Johnathan Rice

I Wouldn't Miss It For The World

Like a more confident Elliott Smith. Like a wordsmith who hasn't quite found his own imagery for the first verse so borrows others. This song could perhaps be considered cliché, but when delivered with such honesty, reminiscent of Between The Bars, well, I'm not complaining. Are you? Ambiguous and delicate, softly strummed, lovingly whispered, it ends with a promise - the motif throughout the song - "when you die I will come looking for you... I wouldn't miss it for the world". Because the world changes us, makes us harder, makes us stronger, makes us bitter... if we retain even a little of our souls, we'll have something to celebrate. [Buy]

Tobias Froberg

Grace

A wedding song. The ceremony's over; the church service, the meal, the drink, the speeches: everything's over and everything's run out. And you're slightly sad, because oh how you laughed at Jeff's speech; and the gifts - the gifts! - they're so beautiful, and you don't think you'll ever be able to let everyone know how much it means - oh it means so much! Everything's over and everything's run out. It's the last dance of the evening, the true reality starts here. The meaning of cold feet. The meaning of true love. [Buy]

---------

I've been meaning to write about both songs since the 10th of July, 2006. I'm sorry it took so long. Two love songs in one day. It's almost like Valentine's day, a day too late. Welcome back.

in words once beautiful!

2007-01-25T04:47:00.000Z

It's hard to be miserable, after going out for a sesh. A sesh, for those not in the know = a night, of partying, of drinking, of having a laugh with friends. Harder than that though, is constructing coherent sentences whilst inebriated... but we'll give it a go.

Jeniferever. What is there to say? They're signed to Drowned In Sound Records - an off-shoot of the music-news-reviews-information website Drowned In Sound. The main thing with the band, EVEN THOUGH they're a post-rock band, is that their main focus - the thing which will BREAK... YOUR... HEART... about this band - is the vocals. Odd, I know. Generally, post-rock relies upon the music as the main heart-tugger [see: Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai - who use a few voice samples, Godspeed You! Black Emperor - ditto, Sigur Rós - who use melody, but not so much lyrics, etc].

But Jeniferever have beautiful lyrics. One's that will tug and tug and tug and not relent until finally you say, "ok, I get it, I'm crying, my heart is breaking, what more do you need?" This song starts pseudo-triumphantly. It's almost like we're all - the whole world and I! we're pretending! yes, yes we are! - pretending that we're fine, it's ok, we'll go on! But you know, by the end I'm weeping - we're all... yes, the whole world and I! we're weeping! yes! we are... I'm sorry, but we are! - sorry, the whole world is weeping, at the thought of things that are broken, that can never - NEVER - be fixed, and I don't know why; and nor do they.

But you know, I dream. I dream, every single night. Yes, every! single! night! That "your eyes would... burn as bright as they once did! burn as if you were seventeen!" Because I loved you then. I did. And the end of this song - the quiet words, the quiet instruments; the broken-heart spilling out into song - that's how I'll always feel. Even though I still have my dreams, and those lyrics, all about you - six at last count; even though I have all of this, I will still miss you.

Jeniferever

The Sound Of Beating Wings

Imagine the loss of a friend. Someone who you've been with for say, six months, a year? - No! more than that! - someone who you've had a relationship with since... since seven years ago. Someone you've always loved but they've never known, truly. Someone, let's say, you became friendly with, properly, sincerely, for about a year and a half. And something happened, you don't know what, but things drifted apart, someone/something severely broke the bond, but in your heart it's still there - the bond - it will always be there. You'll always love them even if they will never - NEVER - know it. This song is about them.

"the loss of you left the scars that will always be a part of me"

That's the truth. Even if you never know it.

[and what are the words? the words once beautiful? what are they?

I loved you.]

THERE ARE ANGELS SINGING! THE BELLS! THE BELLS!

2006-12-13T13:15:00.000Z

So, it's nearly Christmas. Seen the news stories about global warming? - there will no longer be snow, etc, etc? Well, I'm still hoping for snow. Why? This song:

Swimming

In Dulci Jubilo

Trivia: It uses a technique called binaural recording. It makes the song lovely. The kids talking and laughing at the start, and all you can think of is an ice-rink in the middle of a snow-covered piece of land surrounded by the whole community.

The guitar comes sliding through the ice, skating along - no fear - just nice, and casual, and simple, and perfect. All the instruments arrive - they heard maybe Santa was coming? And if not, it's just nice to be outside in their duffel coats with their hoods up and the air cutting through them. Each breath an effort but a lush, refreshingly invigorating one: so, this is what it feels like to be alive?!

This is the type of song they play at outdoor ceremonies - you know the type: a religious message and freshly made tea served in polystyrene cups and mince pies and the Angels come along to dance. To keep it brief: this song is triumphant, it's laughing, it's complex but seems simple, it sounds like anyone could've arranged this - but, could they? no! of course not! - it's like stepping outside, and slipping and falling onto the concrete - oh, but of course! there's ice all around! ice and snow! - and looking up and seeing an Angel laughing at you.

The Late Greats

Sleigh Ride

Frivolous like a fairytale, Christmas is the time of snow, and cards written in a loving hand, with a carefully thought-out message inside, something cliché and earnest. Writing about music is pretty much the same - somehow the words aren't quite right, the sentences aren't as honest as intended. But still, here's another song, and there's really not much to say about it other than:

It's building a snowman in the freezing cold; it's waking up in the morning and your little brother picking up your new Christmas present and throwing it out the window - but it's Christmas, it's funny, you're not mad; it's ice-skating but falling so many times that - oh my, my back, my back! i think i've broken it! ah, help me up, oh please! plea - and pulling that person down with you; it's dancing with someone exceedingly attractive; it's learning to laugh; it's being happy again.

Buy this album! I beg you! All proceeds go to Shelter! The songs are beautiful, and silly, and classic! Stream more of the festivity! It's Christmas!

When your heart takes over

2006-12-06T05:53:00.000Z

Let's state the obvious first, as a sort of pre-requisite: there's lots of music. Lots and lots. More than you can imagine actually. About everything. Ever.

Songs about strangers on trains that we are immediately drawn to; trees and bushfires; politics and religion; glaciers and hurricanes and tragedies; tears and sadness and deaths in the family; parents that left before birth, promises that were never fulfilled; the 'what if's and 'but's and everything that could've been done differently, and everything that might never have happened, and everything that despite our prayers and wishes never did; the money lost on the bus; the gambling debts that ruined a marriage. Songs about distance and time and space and the big fuck-off "WHY?!... Why are we here? What's our purpose? Who is my God and what of my life and when was I most pure and where is hell?"

And there are a lot of songs about love. But this one. It's summed up in the words that emerge through the laughter at the end: "Oh God". It is one of the most elegant, sad, delightful little songs I have ever heard. It's poorly recorded, and it's casually performed, and it's so so unbelievably fucking heartbreakingly beautiful.

Elizabeth Frazer and Jeff Buckley

All Flowers In Time

Reunion! Union!

2006-12-06T05:11:00.000Z

Stars

Reunion

Striking down on that first chord like some sort of smiling tribute to The Smiths, dancing and twinkling with the musical equivalent of controlled chaos. Conjuring images with the fantastic frivolousness:

driving to school, and home again, with the wind in your hair and tears in your eyes from the gush of air, and the freedom, the beauty of the scenery - it's not much to look at, actually - but right now, in this, precise moment, it's beautiful. Palm trees instead of Palmpilots. Staying up during the night dreaming awake and then eventually nodding off.

(You couldn't slip into slumber like that these days when you're doing an all-nighter 'cause you know you have to have that essay in by noon, or else.)

But before you left the waking world, all you could see in your thoughts was the girl you kissed on the cheek; the girl who's hand you held and afterwards convinced yourself you were in love! - the one you said you cared for, sort of. 'Cause even though you were by parts shy and by parts confident - your own little enigma - you could never tell that girl, all the things that you probably should've told her. I'll let this song be your story. It's smiling, it's nostalgic, it's sad. It harks back to innocent days of drinking yourself silly - as much with happiness as with alcohol. It recalls a time when you were too scared to tell a girl, well... that... you...

truly truly loved her.

Don't Write Tired

2006-10-03T02:55:00.000+01:00

Tiredness filled the page. The young artist watched as the canvas filled itself with ink, almost by magic. When he awoke in the morning he didn't know who'd been in his drawing room. He remembered a rough sketch, a simple idea, and a palette full of colours which he didn't know what to do with. When he awoke his ideas had been realised, his palette emptied, he almost felt betrayed. His subconscience came out and it filled the canvas and something about it made him sad, hopeless. Somehow it felt like he didn't own the beauty because he didn't remember creating it.

Who knows where thoughts come from. They just appear. That's right Lucas. That's right.

I have a blog? I have a blog. I'm at uni... versity. Glasgow, since you ask. Updates will begin again. Sometimes you get so lonely in this place all you can do is write. Especially when you can't download. Then you upload.

FOR THE TINIEST MOMENT IT'S ALL NOT TRUE

2006-09-03T15:21:00.000+01:00

It's light and floating. Children's toys strike a chord. They sparkle with innocence. The voice is matter-of-fact. There is blind hope in this song. There are tears and there are memories. There is joy and glitter. Imagine colouring books lying open on a hall table. Imagine a telephone lying beside it. Imagine the chance of a fresh start, a beautiful dream, one final pleasant sleep next to a pillow smelling of her perfume.

Snow Patrol

You Could Be Happy

There are heart-felt tears. There are regrets. There are mistakes. There is a dream of forgiveness. There is real-life.

YOU SAY NOTHING'S WORTH A FIGHT NO MORE

2006-09-02T17:44:00.000+01:00

You say... every day's the same,
But I will never close my eyes again.

Difficulties. Stupidity. Loss of innocence. You will be judged. Everyone knows.

Why is there suffering?
Without suffering there would be no compassion.
Tell that to those who suffer.

That's from some film. Maybe "A Walk To Remember". Anyway. The End. [I hope not]

Disco Ensemble

Mantra

If it's something to die for;
if it's something to cry your heart out for;
when the times are hard, don't walk away,
don't walk away from me

Sadness Echoes

2006-09-02T01:12:00.000+01:00

Sadness is something that some people are born with. Sometimes it is immovable. I believe I was born with sadness. Certain events trigger it. Self-loathing is occurent everynow and then. Words are made up to describe feelings emotion. Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis. Ralph Waldo Emerson. I could type shflkjldksghkjh and it would make as much sense as a fully coherent sentence right now. Elliott Smith is playing through the speakers. Sometimes people do stupid things and cover them up with words, lines, sentences. Not expressing the whole truth is the same as a lie. The truth should always come easy, there should never be mistakes made, the world should be an idyllic place. Sadness is expressed with words, with tears, with sighs. Sadness is expressed with silence, with trembling, with body language. Stand slumped over a shelf. Lie down on a bed and not want to get up. We all have the potential to be horrible, horrible people. We all have the potential to be monsters. We all have the potential to do something great. Dreams keep us alive. I had one today. It was beautiful at the time, but afterwards - two to three hours, or five minutes, I can't remember - I realised that it was too ideal, too pleasant, too simple. Too impossible. Everything is always fucked up, sometimes. Faith.

Find your own song.

Fiction Becomes Fact. Mistakes Are Made.

2006-09-01T13:57:00.000+01:00

Sometimes you create a song about what you've become. What you will become. What you might become. Unwittingly, the subconscience within you will become an outward thing. The text comes from 'The Contortionist's Handbook', by Craig Clevenger. The last line is from the Biffy Clyro song 'Justboy'. Fiction... will become fact. My voice, tells me the truth almost as a mistake. Sad but definitely hopeful. I should keep listening. I should keep listening. I should keep listening. Sometimes silence is the most awful thing.

The white, twenty-five to thirty year old, American male, drinks twelve to fourteen beers a week, or five to seven glasses of wine a week. The average legal limit in most states is .08 BAC which is about two beers. So two beers gets you legally drunk. The implicit question is not, How much do you drink? but, How often do you get legally drunk? or, How often do you have more than two beers within a given hour during the course of a week. I'm legally drunk seven days a week, but no one needs to know that... From the dark clouds a light will break through.

We Came In A Coma

From The Dark Clouds A Light Will Break Through (Chapter 1)

As Elliott Smith wrote, "I'm not half what I wish I was."

Stop Repeating Yourself

2006-08-10T13:48:00.000+01:00

Drugscene

Coronation

A skyscraper stands proudly in the middle of Los Angeles. There are angels in the architecture, dancing around the double-glazed windows. Curtains have been pulled across the sun. There's commotion, like there's always commotion. Laughter but very little. Hustle and bustle and chatter and nerves and tension. Second chances and dreams being shattered. Lights flicker into focus and out again. Reflections are there to be stared at. By the time of the chorus your surroundings have changed, but you don't realise. So distracted by your own indie-chic-ness. You're in a club with lights on off disco glitter lights flicker. Pounding pounding disco music. Lights flash cameras flash girls flash so much music so much noise just get lost in the music now now now.

Drugscene are typically stylised, typically cool, I haven't seen the press photo's but in my mind's eye it would make sense if they're wearing tattered suits and flippant red ties with long-short hair and beautiful smiles like moviestars. Imagine The Killers and Hot Hot Heat and We Are Scientists and The Bravery and the million and one other bands that those names conjure up. Imagine a catchy indie-rock beat beat beat. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it's like watching a waterfall with the water running out. The focus is on creating a song based around a melody and sometimes the melody isn't there. They do succeed, however, on Coronation. Listen, count the influences on two hands, and dance, simultaneously. Bonus points for realising that it sounds like they hired in Conor Oberst for the vocals and gave him an extra dose of indie-dance-ability in his morning cup of coffee. [Discover]

dance dance drink sleep drink dance write poetry

2006-07-28T13:16:00.000+01:00

I'm tired. In fact, I'm in bed. I was out last night. I saw Oppenheimer. Hang on... Oppenheimer? Yes, Oppenheimer. They are FANTASTIC live. Absolutely. I'm going out tonight as well, after work. First, I must go to town to see Oppenheimer. Hang on... Oppenheimer? Yes, Oppenheimer. For free. In Cool Discs. An intimate gig? An intimate gig. Can't beat that with a big stick. But like I said. I'm tired. Too tired. I'm not going to write anything. Here's a poem, and some songs. Maybe they're linked? Or maybe I wrote the poem ages ago and found it and thought well I'm too tired to post but would like to post so fuck it. Maybe.

Untitled

for every little thing a name.
a new label
a description
making it seem amazing, new, trendy, fashionable,
marketable
love prepackaged
phone the number
written in black
on the barcode
i wonder if you can afford it
if not just join the lines
make them all the same thickness
for no reason
other than.
it. fucks. with. the system.
so why not?

You Say Party! We Say Die!

The Gap (Between The Rich And The Poor)
Cold Hands! Hot Bodies!
Love In The New Millenium

you won't disappoint me; i can do that myself

2006-07-22T18:05:00.000+01:00

I was in London for a week. Before that I was in the North Coast of Ireland... soaking up the rain. Yet... London was hot; sweltering; beautiful. So much to be absorbed in so little time. So much to do but so little money. Just the will, the determination. You can learn a lot, and feel a lot, just by walking around a city slowly. Well, I've been away, so this hasn't been updated. Here's a post / a draft / a rough attempt at putting feelings into words, which I've had kicking about since before London.. Since that time when I was walking beaches in the North Coast getting wet, getting cold, enjoying the view, being enlightened by the darkness.

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglov

When Your Mind's Made Up

Running through a foreign city in the middle of their summer. Or is it their summer? Maybe it's winter? Do they have a winter? You can't tell, everything is new to you. These market stalls filled with kitchen utensils and throwaway junk, all these walls made of dust. The only water you've seen since you've been here was on your windscreen when that kid, he ran out, and he shouted, he waved, you nodded - obsequious - and he showed you his hands - a filthy t-shirt, and some dirty dish water, and he washed your windscreen.

It's two weeks later, and you suddenly realise she's never loved you. She just walked out the door fifty-seven minutes ago - you know, because you've been counting the seconds; said she was away for the groceries, even though the make-shift cupboard is full. You're running through this foreign city and you realise all these things about yourself - things that hurt you, things that confuse you. You're a desperate man. You don't even know if you love her, but you'd do anything for her, anything in the entire world, and you tell her time and again. She laughs. You laugh. It's a running joke between the two of you; only with you, it's the truth. You make it trivial as if you'd do it for anyone... You tell yourself you're a considerate, caring, compassionate person. You tell yourself you love everyone equally. You would do it for everyone. You would. You would. Would you?

You know you wouldn't... and that's why you're out the door in a flash, running the streets trying to find her, the only thing that holds you together; the only person that makes you feel whole, like a real human - like a nice person. With her you are at least half of what you wish you were. We never learn, do we?

Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglov

Leave

But maybe, just maybe, you learnt something about yourself. It's doubtful but it's possible. And maybe, just maybe, it was something essential. Something necessary. Something undeniable. It doesn't matter how it was learnt - through alcohol abuse, or running screaming through the darkness, or with your head on a pillow soaking in your own tears and praying for sleep. And maybe, just maybe, this song is the essence of that realisation. The guitar and the words and the voice, when experienced live, are overwhelming. This studio version is only a let-down in so much as my eyes don't well up with emotion I never knew I still felt, the way they did when I heard it, live, for the first time - performed by Glen, on his own, as an encore, with just an acoustic guitar and that voice.

[Buy / Discover]

the DJ was asleep

2006-07-08T01:54:00.000+01:00

True. False. Which is it? Don't know. I have been sleeping a lot but I've been keeping late hours recently, so it evens out. I was awake for 21 hours yesterday, so why didn't I post on the blog? Bit of a break that's all. Well, to make up for it I'm going to update you with what's been breaking into the mainstream recently and getting well-deserved radio coverage. First, the title of this post is from a Regina Spektor song called "On the Radio", which she played on BBC Radio 3 quite recently, and the recording is taken from it. As with most excellent / rare / brilliant / beautiful / raw things, I found the recording on Kwaya Na Kisser. Read the blog, find hidden gems, download, listen for days, sleep eventually. Repeat. Before that though, download the rest of the tracks from the session... sorry, yea, they would be here. Yea cool. Enjoy.

---

Anyway, what an appropriate song to begin this post with, eh? So let's continue. Jamie T. I've said alot about him before. I've been enthusiastic to the point of hyperbole, excited like his music is a sugar rush. Fair play. I don't take it back. He's amazing. And now everytime I listen to BBC Radio 1 at night, I hear "Sheila", and I smile to myself. And some nights he does live session tracks. And some nights he just does a phone interview. In other words, his rare breed of music is breaking through in a big big way, and even the NME have decided to lavish him with their ridiculously 'hip' and hyperbolic praise. Amazingly however, he deserves it. Here's what they had to say:

An all-singing, all-swaggering West London rude boy specialising in tales of booze, birds and being broke. They don't call him the one-man Arctic Monkey for nothing.
They're right, y'know. No one calls him the one-man Arctic Monkey at all, mind you. Jamie T has 22 demos online, that can be found rather easily, and a few of them are simply fantastic. I've always liked "So Lonely Was The Ballad" for it's perfect portrayal of laddish friends - "always take the piss but they're loyal in the end, but watch out, 'cause they'll steal your girlfriend". I've also been a fan of "Ike & Tina" since those days sitting trying to study/revise/waste time in the library at school when the sun was out from its hiding place behind the clouds. Perfect song for that exam period before summer - "kids don't study / they cram, Goddamn!". It's clearly a very adolescent song, but don't let that put you off - it has enough wit and beat to keep everyone interested. Plus, I've always been endeared to the song for the way out from this low-quality and sometimes jarring recording, the words "off of my face, need a hug" appear like a rainbow through the drizzle. It's such a perfect and acute observation that's sang so lazily - I've lost count of the nights I've been drunk and just dying for a hug from anyone. I'd never heard "A New England (Another Girl)" but I'm glad I now have. A very low volume recording with only a bass backing him up as he proclaims, "well I don't want to change the world / I'm not looking for a new England / I'm just looking for another girl". By turns self-deprecating, ironic, bitter, humorous, and sincere, it's a lovely simple song that shows another side of this clearly multi-dimensional talent. There's no album yet, but when there is, expect to hear a lot more about him.

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On Across The Line (I can't quite remember if it's still called that or not, but let's assume it is) - another show on BBC Radio 1 - they played "When the Night Turns Cold", a song by the Swedish artist Tobias Froberg who's friends include José González and Ane Brun. It's a classic pop tune harking back to a time seemingly long since past. However, I'm still more partial to Froberg's other efforts. No matter, here's what he had to say about this song:

It’s actually two songs that I compressed into one. We wanted the middle section, or the bridge, to sound completely different from the rest of the song, like the odd part in Simon and Garfunkel’s ”You don’t know where your interest lies,” from the Bookends-sessions.

---

MTV's often superb 120 Minutes program and Pete Tong (of BBC Radio 1) have played Lazy B's new single, "Underwear Goes Inside The Pants". It is absolutely breath-taking. The chill-out vibe fades the song in and then fades out, and a newer, intenser vibe falls into its place - it's a brilliant backdrop for the words, and the words themselves stop you in your tracks. I believe there is a very strong element of Bill Hicks in the lyrics to the song - his bitterness, and his acute tongue which was able to portray reality in such a way that mere facts have the ability to deem reality absurd. The similarity is especially apparent in the lines, "that is the greatest disease ever! How do you get that? That disease comes with a hot chick and a puppy", as well as other lines towards the end of the song. Lots of satire, and lots of irony. Listen to it. It's like a modern-day "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" - the Romeo & Juliet director, Baz Luhrmann's song - only instead of advice, it focuses on offering insight and perhaps raising a smile - "I can't watch TV for four minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases".

---

Related to that brilliant song is this fascinating discovery (it appears I'm slow; You Ain't No Picasso wrote a post on him around this time last year): Rx. Think The Avalanches. He samples George W. Bush's speeches and makes songs. You know the way when you type "failure" into Google and hit "I'm Feeling Lucky", the official biography of The President appears on your screen? Like this: look! First result! Well, these songs are like that. Different words taken out of context and then shuffled to make statements - political, social. I can't force the right words into the right sentences to describe it. Not coherently. I'll offer a few stand-alone words though.

Political ### Heart-felt ### Sincere ### Beautiful ### Sad ### Funny ### Important ### Protest ### Ironic ### Satirical ### Generation defining ###

You should explore for yourself. "HIV AIDS" is heartbreaking. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is one of the most accomplished efforts - mastering not only the samples, but also the beat behind it, and the humour. It's a wry humour. A not-amused humour. Laughing with bitterness. But fuck it, "My Generation Rx" just kick-started the party. Were you there? Were you listening? Were you drunk, coughing in the bathroom? Or were you with me in the kitchen pissed off your face, hugging people and laughing and laughing and laughing. At my dancing. At the music. At life. With joy we poke fun at the lives we lead and the world we live in. We only feel redemption when we're talking about it, revelling in it. "My Name Is Rx" joins in on the party vibe, fabulously falling over it's shyness and grooving out onto the dance-floor. This is freedom. It's in the words. Or should that be samples? "I don't give a fuck!"

I would guess that My Generation is a pseudo-cover of The Who, and My Name Is is a pseudo-cover of Enimem, but Sunday Bloody Sunday is definitely a relatively straight-forward cover of the U2 song. Never heard it? Okay, here: "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2. Anyway, Radiohead are also anti-government and always up for making a fuss - something you'll realise if you read Dead Air Space - so I think they'd probably appreciate Rx's take on the song, which they have also covered live. Yea I know, check it out: "Sunday Bloody Sunday (live)". For some reason I really like the cover. So, listen.

---

And how about this for linking? The LA band Sunday's Best sound slightly slightly like Radiohead in the opening lines of "The Salt Mines of Santa Monica". I would class the music as driving indie rock with emo-tendencies and probably leave it at that. Well, textually I would leave it at that. But if you were beside me, I would visually point you in the direction of my speakers, whilst sticking on "Love My Friends Hate My Life" for your aural pleasure. After that I'd send you out of my room, unplug my laptop, unplug my speakers, and fall asleep. Right... about... now. Goodbye.

---

Downloads:

Regina Spektor - On the Radio
Jamie T - Sheila (demo)
Jamie T - So Lonely Was The Ballad
Jamie T - Ike & Tina (demo)
Jamie T - A New England (Another Girl) (Billy Bragg cover)
Tobias Froberg - When the Night Turns Cold
Lazy B - Underwear Goes Inside The Pants
Baz Luhrmann - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Rx - HIV AIDS
Rx - My Generation Rx
Rx - My Name Is Rx
Rx - Sunday Bloody Sunday - (video)
U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
Radiohead - Sunday Bloody Sunday (live)
Sunday's Best - The Salt Mines of Santa Monica
Sunday's Best - Love My Friends Hate My Life

A shoebox stuffed with memories

2006-06-28T15:34:00.000+01:00

I've been living in other people's houses, staying away from the internet and over-dosing on alcohol - hence the lack of writing. It'll calm down at some stage.

Bran Van 3000

Speed

James DiSalvio is a conjurer. He is a magician who folds different coloured handkerchiefs up his sleeve and lets them unravel at will. He wears long sleeves at all times. They hold an abundance of tricks which fall out into his songs with subtlety. This song is a shoebox stuffed with post-cards from friends you've forgotten, pictures bursting with sunlight, letters written with joy and read with sadness. I first heard this on a compilation CD that came free with Uncut magazine. It is the essence of my childhood - as far as soundtracks go. It's filled to the brim with Bruce Springsteen references. They're there, they're obvious, will you pick up on them? It wasn't these references that sent the shivers down my spine when I rediscovered this gem. It was the sheer exuberance of the composition - yet it was also the extreme sadness that folded out and scoured my soul, looking for my heart... It found its target.

Bran Van 3000

Drinking in L.A.

Is this other song - by the same band - last years summer? I remember one extreme session - "just me and a friend... working on a movie" - sipping on vodka and orange diluting juice until around six am, sunlight coming over the hill. You've probably heard this one before. I hadn't until about a month ago. I got my hands on a digital copy straight away. I think it was the video that persuaded me. Visually it's someone waking up sleepy-eyed in the morning. Not quite hungover, yet not quite right. Tired and happy, bemused and smiling. You don't really care that you wasted the day before - there's a whole summer to do something constructive. But you know, deep down, that maybe some other people are mad at you about your laissez-faire attitude. But hey, fuck it. The sun is out and shining. The clouds are lazy as they sway from one side of the sky to the other. A dazzling blue. A brilliant gold. A lazy summer.

Mini Saturday Mix

2006-06-24T17:38:00.000+01:00

I posted a mix-tape I had made, as one of the very first posts on this blog. That can be found here. It's Saturday, I'm tired, I'm going out soon, so I figured instead of not posting anything, I should post the tracks from that which are still online, so that maybe you can investigate some new music. Sounds good to me. Some of them have appeared here before, but... Here they are:

Songs from my very first online mixtape

Dispatch - The General
Voxtrot - The Start Of Something
The Spill Canvas - All Hail The Heartbreaker
Robin Allender - We, Emmanuel Light, Love Ocean
Great Lake Swimmers - Moving Pictures, Silent Films
Reverie Sound Revue - Walking Around, Waiting Downtown
The Silent Type - Ink and Blood
Say Hi To Your Mom - Hooplas Involving Circus Tricks

Watching The Fire Burning

2006-06-24T00:29:00.000+01:00

Astronautalis

Ocean Walk (Highly Recommended!)

The self-proclaimed "Van Morrison of rap" actually sounds like Bruce Springsteen sitting around a garden full of midges, rapping over a loose lazy piano line - played by the head of Bella Union (Simon Raymonde). This song is a breeze of fresh air; the spinning of your head as you fall from a long day's hassle and sweat into your bed - still dirty but relaxed. The constant talk of 'steps til' is reminiscent of an Army Sergeant preparing his men for the march ahead. The fields of life they'll have to walk through. The beaches they'll fall apart on. Words don't quite describe this song. It's more of a feeling you experience. Like walking through the city across seasons - past the homeless freezing outside in Winter; past the youth's breaking into cars during Summer. Like a barbeque with friends that gets rowdy. But you know it will all work out ok. This song is the sound of summer - sad, reluctant, lazy, hopeful, triumphant.

Astronautalis

Somethin' For The Kids
Gaston Ave.

#1: Slow, silly, summer. Once again, hopeful. Opportunities sprawl in front of us and lie down like sleeping dogs. We have to know what to do with them when the time comes. Similarities can be found with Shawn Mullans' Lullaby.
#2: Do I hear 'A Wolf At The Door'? A nice female vocal is tethered onto the mix. Chill out for the chilled out. But neither of these two songs quite match up to the brilliance that is Ocean Walk, it seems - they're mere sketches in comparison to the fully realised potential.

Simon Raymonde's first impressions: 'A very young kid from Florida. This guy was so... so articulate, so intelligent. A really beautiful kid. Looks like a beach, sort of, surfer, sort of, dude.'

Bonus:

Radiohead - A Wolf At The Door

[Listen / Closely / Buy]

Something about those bright colours would always make you feel better

2006-06-19T23:51:00.000+01:00

Bright Eyes

Haligh, Haligh, a lie, Haligh

Where did my love affair with Bright Eyes start? Was it on that balcony in Spain through the cheap broken headphones connected to a now broken mini-disc player? Or was it all those nights I stayed up 'til 7am on the internet? It was dial-up then. Every song had to be worth it. And how many Bright Eyes songs did I download that were woeful (no pun intended) - constructed with the most heartbreaking lyrics yet delivered with the most unlistenable voice?

Too few, it seems. Since that time three or four years ago, Conor Oberst has changed his sound a bit. He's become more versatile, able to deliver electronic renditions with a heart, and traditional country singer-songwriter tales with real emotion - not just the faux, take-it-or-leave-it pop kind associated with the style. And obviously, his vocals have become much more... mainstream? Less raw in any case.

But back then... A dog barks. A kid whines. Still young, still growing up, still melodramatic. Let your guard down and you'll feel the emotion. You won't write it off, as another piece of hipster chic. It's not another angsty anthem. It's genuine emotion; innocent, broken-hearted, strummed solemnly.

But now we speak with ruined tongues
And the words we say aren’t meant for anyone.
It’s just a mumbled sentence to
A passing acquaintance,
But there was once you.

Even if you hate his voice - and many do - you have to admit that his lyrics are breath-taking. I relate to that little excerpt quite a lot. It's a smile, a nod, and a turn away. Find a distraction quickly. Speak quietly and hope she doesn't hear you. You understand the way things are now; you were her best friend, now you're not. Are you unclear? Do you not understand how things ended up this way? Go on, let the guard down. Break it down through tears and alcohol. Let yourself be free of all your lies, just for this minute.

He says the choices were given
And now, you must live them
Or just not live,
But do you want that?

Fuck.

Me.

---

Bonus:

Bright Eyes - Padraic My Prince
* [this song is the definition of lo-fi intensity]

Elsewhere: Daytrotter has some excellent session songs by Casey Dienel. Not only is the writing on the site constantly excellent, but they also feature fabulous artists, and host exclusive tracks. Do you need reasons to like Casey Dienel? Ok. She's got a lovely voice. She's been compared to Regina Spektor. She covers Pavement as one of her session songs [...And now we see the flock follow the hyperlinks]. She sounds like this:

Casey Dienel

The La La Song

Intrigued? Discover her Daytrotter session.

World Cup Round-up

2006-06-16T22:11:00.000+01:00

Maybe your team didn't get into the World Cup [thank you Ireland]. So? There's 32 countries in it... Surely you'll find one, no? Well, due to a work thing where teams were drawn out of a hat, I'm now Spanish for a month. Call me Amadeo. So without further ado:

Most Impressive So Far:

Spain (amazing football.)
Croatia (Can't think what to say other than: you know it's true.)
Argentina (who else was over-awed by today's performance? Seriously... 24 passes, 9 players involved... all for one goal. Top stuff.)

Biggest Disappointment:

Brazil (What age is Ronaldo anyway? I remember watching him in like 1994 and he was a superstar. Is he like 90 now? However, they do have Kaka... and Kaka is a LEGEND.)

Least Deserving of ANY Hype:

England (Trinidad and Tobago? And you struggled? 'nuff said.)

Out But Should Be In:

Poland (can't believe Germany beat you in the most boring match of the century... that was unfortunate)

Who do I think will be in the final?

Spain and Brazil with Argentina getting to the semi's at least.

Anything else?

One word left. Two syllables. Have you guessed what it is yet?

Bouncing Souls

Ole

Jesus, Etc

2006-06-15T23:48:00.000+01:00

Wilco

Jesus, Etc.

This song by Wilco is beautiful and sombre; it's uplifted and innocent. Like a kinder-garden kid who painted a picture, and then placed it on the fridge with his favourite Ben & Jerry's fridge-magnet. The picture was surrealist; cheap paint on thick paper - dispersed unevenly, dispersed joyfully. The picture was of a baby; no, not a baby. The picture was nothing more than a crescent; highly visible - luminous even - in the flourescent pink and green he'd chose. You might say it looked like the moon but it didn't. What it did look like was a frown. And the boy turned it upside down to make a smile. And he smiled at what he'd done.

But this song isn't childish: like I said, it's beautiful. It's chirping from the start. You turn to your lover and you tell her you love her. You make these rhymes that sound silly on paper, but charming and alluring wrapped up in melodies. And who can't relate to the line, "last cigarettes are all you can get, turning your orbit around", apart from non-smokers? [yes, I realise the silliness of my point. but a fact is still a fact.]

I guess I don't have a point other than this: I can relate to it. I think it's beautiful. I've said beautiful lots and lots of times, and that's because it's true. It's got a country twang, an indie intelligence, a lyrical flawlessness and a strong focus on melody. It hasn't been on that many blogs, and it's a shame. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was lauded, and I mean, lauded by Pitchfork - it was one of those rarities: the album that managed to get all 10.0 points... It's why I bought it in the first place. And it seemed a bit weird, at the time, considering I was thirteen.

I ripped open the packaging and put the album in the CD player, waiting to be blown away instantly. But I wasn't. There was lots of seemingly useless noise scattered around the mix. I know now I was missing the point - I think I knew then - because albums - the truly touching/amazing/intriguing ones - take their time to grow. And what I also realised straight away - upon the first notes of this song - was that when they did away with the pretension and the experimentation, Wilco still managed to come out with an absolutely amazing song. And the song is neither complex nor exceedingly simple - just perfect in its innocent execution, like the kid who paints a frown and turns it upside down. The two states are interchangeable, he thinks, when he looks back on it now.

Silly, silly, silly!

2006-06-14T23:50:00.000+01:00

First things first: Let's hope I don't resort to doing this tomorrow.

So, let's fill in the odd detail here and there. I love Radiohead. I liked Thom Yorke's solo album, The Eraser, and will obviously be buying it when it comes out. Yet others criticised it; got frustrated with it. They thought it was a lack-lustre performance. Like a dull and average all-star Brazilian team; notable only for the big name involved, and not the actual quality of the album.

Listening to early early Radiohead demo's [from the days when they were called On A Friday] is a bit like that photo. Big names involved; lots of happiness. Silly glee. Stupid bliss. Before anti-anti-anti-everything kicked in. When youthful and still dreaming. Shouting about random stuff. Happily, sillily, stupidly. Grinning wildly. Oh, sweet innocence.

I apologise for the writing in this post; it's abbreviated, it's shortened, it's forgetful, it's leaving out details, it's neglectful: it's average. That's what On A Friday are. Like that band that played in your local pub that you can't remember the name of. You know they provided you with a few laughs - but why? Was it happiness or was it a scornful laugh? Could you do better? Whatever. Just lap it up and smile.

Radiohead (formerly On A Friday or Shindig)

How Can You Be Sure?
Upside Down
Life With The Big F
Sinking Ship

#1: I recommend 'How can you be sure?' Lazy in execution; Thom Yorke smiling through half-hearted tears. These demo's were recorded in the summer of 1990; a summer-break from University for the band. Unsurprisingly then, the lyrics seem to describe University life: the alcohol, the poverty, the uncertainty, the relationships, the occasional downer. The recording quality is poor - sounds like it's been recorded in his Halls - but the song overall is still endearing and lovely to listen to.

#2: 'Sinking Ship' is endlessly fascinating: there's saxophone - cheerful saxophone; Thom's 'the captain of the boat'. It brings a smile to the face of a weatherbeaten sailor.
#3: 'Upside Down' - nothing much to say - 'can't stop loving you', dear Radiohead?
#4: 'Life With The Big F': what's going on? Why's he happy? What's he la-la-la-ing about? Is he slaggin' off the French? Fuck it, I don't care anymore.

For more information, and the other 14 tracks feel free to go here and here - that's where I got the tracks from in the first place. Excellent discoveries are excellent. Say thank you to Pierre.

Heylo sunshine

2006-06-14T02:24:00.000+01:00

I was going to write something spectacular and flowing; imagetic and hectic. Well, I think I'll save that for tomorrow, since right now my head is still floating around in cyber-space somewhere and when I listen to music with any drums what-so-ever everything goes fuzzy and something inside my skull cracks and splits and then aches. So, for now, make do with sunshine and lollipops, in the form of Lily Allen's two mixtapes. And yes Lily, your shadow does look like 'Peter Pan in a pixie hat':

Lily Allen

My First Mixtape
Mixtape #2

I haven't found the time to listen to these in their entirety yet, but all of her songs are rather good. Charming with lots of potential. And if you must make the comparisons: yes, she does sound like a female version of Jamie T; yes, there is a distinct link between her music and that of Mike Skinner; yes, there are many more that will undoubtedly be made... but not by me; not right now.

The first mixtape starts with 'LDN', the song that everyone has been fawning over. The song of course being a sort of 'i love you London' endorsement that is never overly flattering, and always honest, whilst being, yes, charming. It's like a badge to stick on your blouse; except you stick it on your iPod instead and play it in the background as you lie down on a sunbed and read your favourite novel. That's it... after song numero uno you're on your own. Enjoy the discovery. Think Disney. Be happy.

[Read a review of 'My First Mixtape' - click]

this X is a surrender

2006-06-12T00:52:00.000+01:00

Study too much. Study too little. Learn nothing. Learn exasperation.

Chad VanGaalen

Clinically Dead

Feeling: dead - broken heart, broken spirit, crushed demeanour. When I walk my arms hang by my sides. My knees bent - ready when the time comes to roll over, fall on my back, sleep forever. I'm dreaming. They saw my youth and they stole it from me. Replaced my free-will, my vigour, with emotions too complex for me to understand. Placed textbooks in front of me and insisted, "These are a distraction! These are essential!" I tried to absorb every word from those books. I tried to glean sense, knowledge, sort it through in my head, compartmentalise everything into different theories, thoughts, transitions; different feelings isolated, then placed into darkness - took away all lightbulbs. I convinced myself I would perform perfectly, like a well-oiled machine in these exams. Dream on.

Why don't you put up a fight? Dream on.

This X is a surrender. A kiss goodbye. My white flag - I would hold it higher, but...

x : all my love, always and forever - even if you never know; especially if you never know. We never learn, do we? [Learn...]

Bright Eyes

No Lies, Just Love

When I am reborn I will be pure, like snow... like gold! When I am reborn I will decide my own future, my own emotional leanings, where and when my intellect is birthed, which words I will use, I will be king of the Dictionary. I will be in love and out of love, at my choosing, I will be happy, I will be happy - God knows I've waited long enough. Dream on.

When I am reborn I will be the same; but wiser. Hardened by experience, aged by emotion, drowned in a sea of well-meant yet ill-devised intentions. The critics they will call me naive; they will do as they do; they will never cease with their criticisms; they will ask, "well how can you be so sure?" And I will never answer their question. [Discover...]

I am dreaming of a summer day or a winter-sky; an oil-painting burnt to unrecognisable pieces. I am dreaming of a second chance.

house-beats

2006-06-10T19:16:00.000+01:00

Superpitcher

Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan (Superpitcher Kompakt Remix)

Four thirty-seven AM. The party should've ended a long time ago. In truth, it has ended already. It's just the stragglers now. The hardcore drinkers. The clinger-on's who know that when they wake in the morning, it's a sore-head, and a day-job they despise that they're waking up to. You try to keep the party alive. The last light-bulb went out - filament snapped - just like your enthusiasm. Still you sway, drinking and smoking, lolling your head from side to side, trying to get a drunken glimpse of that beautiful girl across the room...

Why's she still here?
Why hasn't she left yet?
Does she love me?
Well, does she?
Perfect real-love?
Or faux-love?

And that girl you were with earlier...

...where is she now?
Did she really rest her head against your neck?

And...

...is this what love feels like? The pulsating beat of a hang-over strolling towards you? A thousand questions and few answers? Nervous melancholy; insistent sadness; the end of a party; a miserable farewell; a downpour of rain as you stand watching the skyline; a sinking boat? A bundle of descriptions - gift-wrapped - that - like that new dress you bought (one of) your dearly beloved - don't quite fit? [pause] Sober up, kid. You've got a long day ahead of you. [Discover / Art]

sound-tracks

2006-06-08T15:17:00.000+01:00

Two years ago, I watched one of my best friends smash a pint glass over his forehead, by accident. It remains one of my favourite memories. One day later and he was still alive, uninjured, unhurt, ready for another drinking session: but there would be no White Lightning this time. Nah, this called for pizza, and vodka. A lovely combination. Then the vodka ran out. What did we do? We drank snake wine: that is, alcohol which has been flavoured by having a real-life (but thankfully, dead) snake in the bottle. Needless to say, I was violently sick. So was my brother. That didn't matter: we still ate lots of pizza and sang along to Hot Hot Heat's fantastic Make Up The Breakdown.

One day later, it was Euro 2004, it was the final, lots of friends and myself and my brother, all drinking, all watching TV... We never saw the second half. Left the house and went to the bar. It's all still very blurred to be honest. I remember shouting along to these songs with everyone else; I remember going and nearly getting our heads kicked in for our religion; I remember my brother getting called a skater and throwing a pint glass at the ground near to where the guys were standing. I remember Jack getting on his moped which we'd promised we wouldn't let him do. I remember him coming back and shouting, "you's bastards! that was a test! and ye's fucking failed!"

I also remember Philson standing on my glasses the next morning; me labouring over them until they were fixed. Walking down to the bakery and feeling like we were about to die; laughing at Niall as he went to his gardening job. Going into town to meet Lauren; our heads still very much up in the clouds - walking into the wall, getting a milkshake, trying to stay upright.

---

Hot Hot Heat

Get In or Get Out
Bandages

It was a crazy weekend, and Hot Hot Heat provided the soundtrack to it. The whole weekend is as vivid now as it's always been; it was brilliant, stupid, silly, drunk fun. Make Up The Breakdown will always hold a special place in my heart for that reason: because I remember going on the internet and finding the lyrics so that we could sing along. The World Cup starts tomorrow - so it may well be another crazy summer - and therefore, Hot Hot Heat are the perfect band to be listening to. After this summer I hope to be going to Uni, but I'll still love my friends and my memories, and let's face it, I'll always love Derry: "ugly or pretty, it's still my city".

erase you : ignore you

2006-06-06T21:45:00.000+01:00

Sara Culler

At Least Like Melissa

Maybe...

I picked out a page, as blank as I could find. Found a couple more. An old textbook served me well for paper. The blank pages at the end. Over 100 novels resting on my bookshelf all with three or four blank pages near the end, near the front. Stories I'd read already, sometimes twice. I turned off the lights, closed the curtains, flicked a match off a matchbook, heard the clllick, saw the spark, lit a candle. Dragged a reluctant pen from its case and began to write. Wrote my whole life story, got it all down on paper in fourteen hours - couldn't sleep that night.

I blew the candle out; forwarded the makeshift book to a publisher. It wasn't marketable, it wasn't intriguing enough. Their editors said my life story was just the same as everyone elses - "But look at the grace and honesty with which its written!" I protested - it doesn't matter, they said, none of this does: who's your target audience? What type of genre are you going for? They took my story, and years later they cut it up into millions of little pieces. Tore me straight from the page - lifted my beating heart and found one that beat faster - replaced me with someone more beautiful. Changed the setting to somewhere more exotic - we were thinking of Thailand, Hawaii, Tokyo, Rome.

They took all those pages that I poured my soul into and they turned my memoirs into a novel full of high-octane thrills. The press loved it. The readers loved it. They loved the truth of it all. They loved the intrigue, the mystery. They loved the way it seemed so real, so genuine. Now I'm a wounded, stray dog, who's laugh is a nicotine coated bark.

I'm whispering, so my words can't be heard and taken apart and replaced. I'm a beating heart, I'm a bruised body, I am real, and I "spit out my smile" for all to see. Back then, I decided that my art from that point on was my life. In life I would be a readable book - but first you'd have to meet me, stare me down, watch me "shiver down the left" and "bleed down the right".

When my life story was drifting towards its conclusion, I didn't know how the last page should be read... I picked out my favourite book from that shelf - fittingly, it was a memoir - and cut out its last page, and then left it blank. No one knows what ever happened. But the critics and the readers alike, they tore the meaning apart, said I was too beaten down to carry on, got myself into such a mess I couldn't continue, so sad I couldn't get out of bed. My father died when I was only twelve, so the story goes, and I'd been hiding the sadness until I finally couldn't bear it and broke down. The ones who knew me, they whispered to each other, words coming out as breaths so as no one could hear, "I think he escaped".

---

This song took me by surprise. The instrumentation sparing and quiet, allowing way for the voice to float in with venom disguised as a platitude; a whisper in your lover's ear. Escape and freedom resonate from the ending chapter of the song where words are ditched in favour of ad-libbed vocals cascading along tributaries. It's the voice of a fallen Angel; still angelic and beautiful, but further from Heaven than any of us could ever know. And at the end of the song, as a deep breath is taken and then coughed back out, you accept your sadness. Because it's your sadness; no one elses. You embrace it with open arms; you look at yourself in the mirror and see it staring back at you - your one, true, reliable friend.

Wake up! Everything is ok!

2006-06-05T21:05:00.000+01:00

The Cooper Temple Clause

Waiting Game (live)

Deep breaths. Inhale. Hold it. Exhale. Count from one to ten. You're standing still as you neck a full bottle of red wine. Oh how you hate wine. But it's a crap party - something has to be done. It's five minutes later: you're feeling slightly nauseous as the party gets into full flow and you're swept over to the side. You're ok. You're ok. Steady, steady. Feel the wall, it's still there, it's not spinning. Calm down. It's ok.

Deep breaths. Count down from ten. It's ok, you did it two hours ago, you can do it now. Talk to the person next to you. Talk talk talk. Ah, this feels good. Still alive. And yea, it is, it really is: it's two hours later and you're on top of the world, if you're even on the world. Seems like you're so high you're not even touching anything; the sphere looks so small from where you are. You can't feel your feet; maybe you're floating. Full of love. The alcohol has had the desired affect, it's just past two am, and you rule the Earth. The world hasn't ended. There was no Millennium Bug. It was all talk.

All the computers in the world haven't automatically shut down, the economy hasn't collapsed; you'll wake up in the morning and your head will hurt but you'll be alive. This was a good night - the fear led to an extraordinary amount of alcohol being drunk, and every guest at this party - like every party everywhere else - was in the mood for laughter - nervous laughter - and glad of the company they had around them. At least if the world was going to end, your last breath would've been in the company of friends. You turn to your friend, spilling his drink in the process: I really fucking love you.

Next morning: wake up, phone a friend.

"That was the best New Year's Eve ever, wasn't it mate? ... You remember that anthem they kept playing over and over? I mean, which bloody joker put the CD player on repeat, just so he could sing exuberantly, "And 'is this the end?' is all I can say". Was it Eamonn? He's got the best music taste... Bloody good tune, that was an'all... He's still a wanker like but now that it's over I can only laugh... Still; you don't know how relieved I was that they had no R-E-M. If them people in that house had started laughing and singing "It's the end of the world as we know it", I swear I would've just found the nearest balcony and jumped... Haha, aye, I figured you felt the same... But seriously mate, I had a great night. We gotta see each other more, yea? ... Yea I know man. Sure, I'll text you or whatever... Yea you too."

You find the CD, and you put it on repeat - just so as you remember that hook, how'd it go again? The twinkling keys and steady shock of the guitar chords make you feel higher than Heaven - or maybe that's the alcohol; hasn't quite left your system yet. Beep Beep. Text comes through on your cellphone: "How much did you drink, in the end up? ... Bloody great night all the same yea? ... You were really something else... Daft eejit"

Malcolm Middleton

A Happy Medium

Occasionally you hear a song, and it's like hearing the essence of happiness. It's a sunny day, and it's the feeling of being outside walking along the street, or cycling by the river. Deft leg movements, the feeling of fitness. Passing by the alcoholics in the carpark, and then you've gone further than you meant to - actually on the cycle path now; looking to your right you see the Toucan II - the Derry boat that'll take you along the river and back again.

It's beautiful looking to your right, all this potential, all this greenery far in the distance; mountains, when you look further still. The water's filthy - travel further, you're nearing Sainsbury's and before-you-know-it you're looking over the edge: there's a shopping trolley ditched and thrown over the railing. But, like I say, the sun's out, the water's sparkling - clear and true - and you're smiling, and you don't really know why. Maybe it's the season, maybe it's the feeling of forgetting everything else going on in your life.

This song is a wonder, in that it conveys the very brilliance of being alive. Maybe you're generally not a happy person, but there are pure moments of absolute joy that you experience, just like the rest of the world, and you're glad the world's not over, that you still are alive, that everything - for the moment - is A-ok. "Woke up again today, woke up again today, woke up again today". Hear the twinkling, the pleasing calm guitar notes, the ecstatic drum notes, the chirping of the birds. It's the same birds you heard this morning when you were out walking, getting the paper and a croissant. And to be honest, it's quite amusing, the lyrical honesty of it all. "Realised I hate myself". It's one of those songs that you hear and you actually realise everything's ok.

It's a song of hope. Realising the error of your ways, some things need to change, some part of your life needs to change, you're in it for the long-haul but by the end of it you're going to be a better person; you'll feel brilliant. This isn't the sound of silence, it's the sound of the sun coming out, illuminating all the dark spots you've been too scared to look at. It's not the end of the fight, it's not a white flag; it's the start of a summer full of golden opportunities - they're staring you right in the face, laughter trickling down from the sky, eyes twinkling in the mid-day sun, and you're staring right back, beaming the most genuine smile you've shared in a while. Every song's an anthem. Every smile's a blessing. Every day's an opportunity. "Everything's ok / I'm obviously unhappy".