Of Late

Here are some links to some songs I've been listening to and think are good. And yes I know I'm really behind, but was only shown yesterday how to actually make song links so expect loads to be posted over the next few weeks. Anyway, here you go.

The Young Knives - Weekends & Bleak Days (Hot Summer)
The Moldy Peaches - Steak for Chicken (yes yes yes we all know everyone in the world knows about them now because of that crappy Juno flick)
M.I.A - Paper Planes (DFA Remix)
Smashing Pumpkins - Perfect

Hot Chip

Hot Chip

Date: 28.02.08
Venue: Corn Exchange, Brighton



After only seeing Hot Chip performing an in store at (the now sadly defunct) Fopp in Brighton just under two years ago, I was mega excited to finally see them play their electronic music in a proper venue. Opening with Shake A Fist off their recently released Made In The Dark album, and playing maybe a slightly too shorter set of just an hour they played a mix of old and new, and not surprisingly it was Over and Over off The Warning LP that got the crowd dancing.

Alexis Taylor's high pitched melodic vocals swept across the Corn Exchange to the sound of the rest of the bands Casio based bleeps. It was refreshing to see music being played so intelligently and passionately as the boys did last night. Rumoured to be playing Summercase in Spain this year, I really fucking hope they do as would love to see them again.

Nouvelle Vague

Nouvelle Vague + Phoebe Killdeer and The Short Straws
Date: 20/2/08
Venue: The Scala, London

I just wrote a massive review of this, and then Firefox decided to crash, so don't blame me if this one is short and sweet.

Opener Phoebe Killdeer and the Short Straws were really good. Their jazz/samba/acoustic/folk/indie/funk (is that even a genre?) went down really well. Phoebe used to sing for Nouvelle Vague but it seems she has gone onto form her own group with The Short Straws as her band. A really tight and mesmerising performance from both band and singer.

Nouvelle Vague took to the stage and opened with A Forest (The Cure) which was amazing to hear live. They played a fantastic set of slow and more upbeat songs, including Too Drunk To Fuck (Dead Kennedys), Blue Monday (New Order), Friday Night Saturday Morning (The Specials), Ever Fallen In Love (Buzzcocks), Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division) and Dancing With Myself (Billy Idol). The high lite has got to be their version of God Save The Queen (Sex Pistols) which was played with just an acoustic guitar and one of the two female vocalists which I think was Melanie.

Overall well worth the treck to Kings Cross to get to the Scala and the £20 for the ticket. I really hope this band don't decide to 'go in another direction' and alter their bossa nova covers of 80's New Wave and Post Punk artists because the rearrangements that they create are so removed from the original sound, it's refreshing to hear some of my favourite songs in a completely different covers format as opposed to your mates band down the pub banging out yet another rendition of Teenage Kicks.


Unfortunately couldn't attend Nada Surf, but Hot Chip in Brighton on Thursday should be a good one.

Mark Ronson

Why is everyone still wetting themselves over Mark Ronson? Just saw the advert for his "amazing new album!!!", Version on channel 4 for about the eighth time this evening. New album? Didn't it come out in like, 2006? What a prat.

And his Radiohead - Just cover is appalling too.

Photos

Brighton circa 1985. At first you'd think this was a war torn country, but no. It's just some man sunbathing under a digger. I miss Brighton. Copywrite Martin Parr.


This was taken in a home for disturbed children who grew up in a concentration camp. The girl in question was asked to draw her 'home'. Copywrite David Seymore.

Just watching David Byrne on TOTP2 singing 'Lazy' with X Press 2 reminds me of watching a pissed Dad at a wedding doing karaoke. Very depressing. What was he thinking?

Funeral

I've been thinking long and hard about this subject, considering I've had the same conversation with 3 different groups of people in the past two weeks, plus reading an intriguing article in the paper on Saturday about death. What would I have played at my funeral?

So far my shortlist is:

Nina Simone - Everyone's Gone to the Moon
Maria Mckee - If Love Is a Red Dress
Radiohead - Bulletproof
Elliott Smith - A Fond Farewell
Smashing Pumpkins - Farewell and Goodnight

or perhaps something more 'epic' that people can walkout and cry to and NEVER forget that moment.

Abba - The Winner Takes It All?
Madonna - Like A Prayer?
Rolling Stones - Can't Always Get What You Want?
Boston - More Than A Feeling?


Who knows. But I reckon it's best to plan ahead.

Cool Kids Never Had The Time

Smashing Pumpkins + Oceansize
Venue: 02 Arena, London
Date: 16/02/08

Seeing Smashing Pumpkins for the second time was even better than the first. The night began with support band Oceansize doing their whiney indie 'look at us we're so great' kinda thing, which I thought was pretty awful. Really the wrong act to support SP at such a big venue. The crowd didn't seem into them at all and they were just bland and predictable.

And then it was a completely different reaction at 8.45 when Billy and co. took to the stage. Right form the opener of Porcelina... through to the encore of an Echo and the Bunnymen Cover of Lips Like Sugar they had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Classics such as Zero and Disarm were left out in favour of a more diverse delve into their extensive back catalogue. The set included Mayonaise, Lily, Drown, Today, 1979, Ava Adore, The Everlasting Gaze, Stand Inside Your Love, Tonight Tonight, and a few off their most recent Zeitgeist album, including a storming Tarantula. Billy even played an impromptu version of 'Call The Shots' of which I have no recollection but I'm sure it was pretty special all the same.

Sure they were self indulgent, sure the solo's were drawn out but that's what makes the Pumpkins what they are. That's the point. And overall they put on a fucking great show with an amazing setlist to boot.

Tomorrow a change of scene with some French New Wave covers from Nouvelle Vague, followed by American college radio rock from Nada Surf on Thursday.

Busy times.

Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age

Venue: Hammersmith Apollo

Date: 11/02/2008

Having only previously really enjoyed QOTSA first three albums, I was shocked to find myself enjoying songs from the last two so much. Granted I didn't know them that well/if at all, but QOTSA at the Hammersmith Apollo on Monday were incredible. However, I was disappointed not to hear any of their 'hits'.. no No One Knows, Lost Art... etc. I wish I'd made more of an effort in their Rated R/Songs for the Deaf era. However overall a good live band and one I would like to catch again at some point in the future.

Smashing Pumpkins tomorrow night.. I hope they can top their performance at last years Reading festival.

You Are Listening to Radio Soulwax...

2manydjs + support
Venue: Digital, Brighton
Date: 9/02/2008


After planning on not going to see 2manydjs at Digital in Brighton for some time, I'm glad I was convinced (many drinks into the evening) to queue for a good hour to get a ticket on the door. What an incredible gig it was. Having seen them 4 times previously at various festivals and venues (including an unbeatable set at Summercase in Spain) they were on top form. With the Police closing the bars down due to over crowding, the venue was absolutely rammed full of sweaty dancers all up for an amazing night. When they eventually took to the stage at 1.30am, it all kicked off. Memory of the night is limited, but the highlight has got to be their remix of The Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control. The set was their usual mix of unknown beats mixed with popular songs of then and now, including The Ones - Flawless and The Clash - Rock the Casbah. Stumbling out of the club at gone 3am into the crisp seafront air, there were still people queuing outside desperate to get a glimpse of the unstoppable Belgian duo.

Great Escape

So yesterday I got my Great Escape ticket. In case you don't know, G.E is a Brighton based 3 day music festival in mid May showcasing a universal collection of new bands and up and coming groups. Last year saw Kate Nash playing to 220 alongside Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip at the Pressure Point, Adele playing to a lucky 50 or so people in Red Roaster Cafe, Happy Mondays on Brighton Pier, Gallows at the Komedia, Bat for Lashes/Cold War Kids/The Gossip/Scissor Sisters doing a T4 Transmission gig and so forth. If you've got the energy to run around like a headless chicken to over 20 venues in Brighton over 3 days and nights get your ticket now as this year it's going to take off what with being billed as the south's answer to SXSW. Already confirmed for this year are Young Knives, Black Lips, Ipso Facto, The Subways, The Teenagers and Iron and Wine plus many more to be confirmed over the next few weeks.

Expect a few gig reviews coming up in the next few weeks... including Queens of the Stone Age, Smashing Pumpkins, Nada Surf and Nouvelle Vague.

"Heavy".

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is known for releasing amazingly produced singles and forward thinking beats/lyrics... if her latest release is anything to go by, she's definantly lost her way. 'Ching-a-ling/Shake Your Pom Pom' is diabolical. Example lyric includes:

'Missy swing from a tree, I'm Mohamed Ali, cause I can sting like a bee'

Summed up in a word: Letdown.

Last.fm

Check out the last.fm link on the right to see what I've been listening to... Last.fm is an amazing site which tracks the music you play through itunes or whatever you play music through (who doesn't use itunes in this day in age?) and generates weekly playlists so you can really see what you've been listening to. It also gives recommendations, gig listings and the ability to create your own radio station.

Cool Groovy Morning Fine

I have jumped on the internet band wagon and got myself a blog. Expect to find it's mainly about music.. reviews, recommendations, gig photos etc. Anything else that interests or amuses me I will put in here too. I haven't had one of these before (livejournal doesn't count for shit anymore) so it may take me a while to get in the swing of things... Enjoy.