Two days later I quickly popped into HMV Oxford Street on the way home in time to catch half of Editors' instore set. Truth be told, without that much to look at and a rather small crowd, it was hard not too feel that the melodrama and intensity of their music seemed a little out of place, especially when they started with least brilliant single yet Blood first. Incredibly brilliant album track Camera, which restrains their usual explosive pay-offs for over five minutes of slowly creeping atmospherics, and previous single Munich just about made the trip worthwhile. That and buying the version of the single with Elbow produced B-side Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home which adds extra warmth and texture to their usually stark sound with very impressive results.
Since then, their album The Back Room has been released, which although slightly underwhelming after the perfect first two singles is really very good. It sticks far more rigidly to a single sound (Interpol with a couple of the edges removed, added beauty and better lyrics, basically) than anything as good as it is ought to, but they actually use it well to their advantage as the minute changes they do make on each song have more of an impact. Fingers In The Factory, the aforementioned Camera and gentle, dreamy album closer Distance are the most impressive.
31.7.05
Bright Eyes - 11/07/05 - Somerset House
Time to catch up on some gigs I've been to in the past month:
Somerset House, or more accurately the courtyard in the centre of it, as a gig venue is really pretty, and was even more so with a lot of pink clouds in the sunset. The Faint were less so and seemed almost entirely uninspiring but couldn't really be begrudged their place as some of them were in the band for our hero Conor:
…well, something like that. After an onscreen countdown in fast-forward (we got several more of those rather well executed during instrumental build-ups in a few songs) he came on a short while before it got dark, and to a place which was still half empty, possibly due to the attacks a few days previously but more likely because he isn't that well known here yet.
Indeed, the crowd actually seemed to dwindle throughout, probably due to the fact that he only played one song from accessible indie-country I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (the rapturously received acoustic and very pretty First Day Of My Life) and 11 from glitchy, claustrophobic, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn.
It didn't feel like he was wilfully ignoring what the people wanted at the expense of a show though, because the live versions of those already great songs were a revelation, the 10-piece band seeming unnecessary at first but soon bringing out an extra energy and grace to some which is often not their in their comparatively awkward album forms. Every song worked, but Down In A Rabbit Hole, Arc Of Time and a furious version of Easy/Lucky/Free to close were particularly extraordinary, and we were treated to a great version of older song Lover I Don't Have To Love too, fitting in well enough to show that the idea that this album is a sidetrack from his real direction is an oversimplification.
Finally something which I thought about as a result of Tom's article on FreakyTrigger, criticising the playing ofSigur Ros and Bright Eyes on 6Music after the two minutes silence. It might easily have been thought that an album full of fear, dread and confrontation of death would have fitted the mood at the time, but it was apparent pretty soon that this wasn't the case, and I think that this is because pretty much all Bright Eyes songs are essentially, whatever else is involved, about Conor and the myth/reality/whatever of how fucked up he is. To enjoy his music is to accept this, and if anything it worked better as escapism, going to a place where all your problems are caused and magnified by yourself.
Somerset House, or more accurately the courtyard in the centre of it, as a gig venue is really pretty, and was even more so with a lot of pink clouds in the sunset. The Faint were less so and seemed almost entirely uninspiring but couldn't really be begrudged their place as some of them were in the band for our hero Conor:
…well, something like that. After an onscreen countdown in fast-forward (we got several more of those rather well executed during instrumental build-ups in a few songs) he came on a short while before it got dark, and to a place which was still half empty, possibly due to the attacks a few days previously but more likely because he isn't that well known here yet.
Indeed, the crowd actually seemed to dwindle throughout, probably due to the fact that he only played one song from accessible indie-country I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning (the rapturously received acoustic and very pretty First Day Of My Life) and 11 from glitchy, claustrophobic, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn.
It didn't feel like he was wilfully ignoring what the people wanted at the expense of a show though, because the live versions of those already great songs were a revelation, the 10-piece band seeming unnecessary at first but soon bringing out an extra energy and grace to some which is often not their in their comparatively awkward album forms. Every song worked, but Down In A Rabbit Hole, Arc Of Time and a furious version of Easy/Lucky/Free to close were particularly extraordinary, and we were treated to a great version of older song Lover I Don't Have To Love too, fitting in well enough to show that the idea that this album is a sidetrack from his real direction is an oversimplification.
Finally something which I thought about as a result of Tom's article on FreakyTrigger, criticising the playing of
29.7.05
27.7.05
Ah, statistics
Study shows that people who download music illegally 'spend more on music', apparently.
As much as I believe that that might actually be true, and think that suing people (and especially stupid copy protection) isn't the way to go, this says nothing of the sort in reality. What this actually shows is that people who illegally aquire mp3s and therefore are almost certainly inclined towards listening to music on their computer/digital music player are more likely to also pay for music online, which is hardly that shocking a revelation. No mention is made of how much anyone is spending on music in total, despite online spending still being relatively minor compared to that on CDs.
As much as I believe that that might actually be true, and think that suing people (and especially stupid copy protection) isn't the way to go, this says nothing of the sort in reality. What this actually shows is that people who illegally aquire mp3s and therefore are almost certainly inclined towards listening to music on their computer/digital music player are more likely to also pay for music online, which is hardly that shocking a revelation. No mention is made of how much anyone is spending on music in total, despite online spending still being relatively minor compared to that on CDs.
26.7.05
Whalesong Ja Bitte
Sigur Ros have just announced another a European tour for November (a couple of months after new album Takk..., or Thanks... in English, is released) including the surprisingly large likes of Brixton Academy. Having missed their Somerset House show, I'll be there. Unless the new album is all (6)s or something.
24.7.05
...strange
Patrick Wolf arrested for burglary from his neighbour. NME story involving many comparisons and mentions of The Libertine surely forthcoming.
(thanks to xrrf for alerting me to this)
(thanks to xrrf for alerting me to this)
19.7.05
Nominations day!
Apologies for the slowness around here at the moment, but I am doing a proper job (ish) now! And I still haven't worked out how to post here from any other computer.
Anyway, so this year's Mercury nominations seem to be a big step forward from last year's overly obvious ones (Snow Patrol and Keane surely weren't both necessary for a start, plus they went and nominated fucking Joss Stone) although I'm struggling to find an album on the list that I can really hope for to win at the moment: Silent Alarm is definitely my favourite but has been so widely hyped already to moderate success that it's difficult to see winning doing too much good for them. A quick look at all the nominees:
Antony And The Johnsons – I Am A Bird Now: I had no idea that he was in any way British! Hope There's Someone I liked despite it seeming, well, a bit over-laboured, it hasn't got me to actually bother checking out the album yet though. It took me a while to get over the idea that I couldn't possibly like The Arcade Fire because so many annoying people did though to be fair that was before having been able to hear them at all.
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm: Not quite consistently fantastic but very nearly, my favourite by some way from this list. Like Eating Glass is one of the most intense and amazing songs of the year for sure. That all doesn't excuse releasing so many singles with such lazy non-B-sides though.
Hard-Fi – Stars Of CCTV: Occasionally a little clumsy in lyrics particularly, but when the alternative is Kasabian's say-nothing attempts at attitude, and when they have a lot of great songs to back it up with it doesn't seem too bad. The longer they leave it before the inevitable rerelease of Cash Machine the more wrong it's going to sound.
Kaiser Chiefs – Employment: Fantastic pop album, almost every track a joy from start to finish; only Dogs Die In Hot Cars and The Coral have managed this kind of thing better on recent debuts.
MIA – Arular: Hyped like anything but selling almost nothing, I have to admit to not hearing anything outside of the Glastonbury coverage on TV, that seemed promising though. I wonder if anyone is thinking 'I didn't realise that she'd done anything since Lady Marmalade'?
The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers: Forever Lost has crept up on me and is now sounding utterly gorgeous, they seemed a little boring when I saw them live though so haven't got the album yet.
Coldplay – X&Y: All of their albums have been nominated now which is surely unnecesary. This one could be their grand achievement if it wasn't for the lyrics.
The Go! Team – Thunder, Lightning Strike: I really liked the single which, erm, I can't remember the name of anymore. Oops.
KT Tunstall – Eye To The Telescope: Would rather have seen Jem here, her album is at least brilliant and more interesting in places.
Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger: A few great singles and the outrageously brilliant Acrobat aside, isn't especially thrilling.
Seth Lakeman – Kitty Jay
Polar Bear – Held On The Tips Of Fingers: I haven't heard of either of these previously, as Polar Bear apparently aren't the same band who forced Snow Patrol to change their name from Polar Bear years ago.
Just as importantly (well ok then, more), the Popjustice Twenty Quid Music Prize!! Which has an equally quite good line-up, despite the shocking absence of Natasha Bedingfield's amazing These Words (and they nominated Daniel a couple of years ago!).
Basement Jaxx - Oh My Gosh: Instant, funny, cute... a great single indeed.
Charlotte Church - Crazy Chick: Growing on me, but still not seeming all that fantastic. One of her best by far though apparently.
The 411 - Dumb: Stylish, but a little dull, and their first single was much better although having said that I now can't even seem to remember the name of it.
Girls Aloud - Wake Me Up: Ah, those metallic swooshes in the chorus are glorious... I'm yet to be fully converted to believing in their all-out brilliance but they're clearly a step ahead of most and this is a pretty good example of it. Even their new single which sounded depressingly non-descript at first actually sounded good on CD:UK this morning.
Goldfrapp - Ooh La La: Talent In A Previous Life notes the similarity of this to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Presuming that they are also thinking of the bassline to Spread Your Love, that was stolen from Spirit In The Sky in the first place anyway though. To be honest I haven't heard it enough to really judge it but it sounds promising. Oh and if you're thinking that it hasn't been released yet, Mr. PJ himself shows up on the comments thread over at Sweeping The Nation to explain that this is included on the basis that it has been released online already.
Kaiser Chiefs - Every Day I Love You Less And Less: Their finest moment to date, and it fits the list much better than Keane did last year. Always good to see an acknowledgement that, while white boys with guitars who play their own instruments etc etc aren't the be all and end all of music, it doesn't actually make them all crap by default, too.
Mylo - In My Arms: Appreciation of this was slightly scuppered by being fed up with the sample already, nicely done stuff anyway though (as opposed to the other efforts).
Rachel Stevens - Negotiate With Love: She doesn't quite have the necessary attitude to make it as perfect as it could be but the chorus is brilliant enough for it not to matter too much.
Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme: I thought that this was too long ago but I guess not quite... so uplifting and enjoyable that they tried to release it again with a different title not so long ago.
Uniting Nations - Out Of Touch: A little far outside the range of styles I can find appreciation for generally (yeah, I can't help it), incredibly catchy though I suppose.
Verbalicious - Don't Play Nice: The only one to which my response was 'huh?'. Seemed to be on the boundary between unremarkable and annoying the few times I have heard it.
Robbie Williams - Radio: His best single ever by quite some distance! Unexpected, twisted, unique and yet very catchy, it didn't matter that he chose to sing total nonsense over it. In fact, that might have been a good thing.
17.7.05
Well, I'm not disappointed
I was expecting the new Sunday Top Of The Pops to continue down the path of being not that great and there it went.
Fearne Cotton's overenthusiasm for everything continues to be a little grating, and Reggie Yates, who was finally doing a decent job, has been got rid of, to be replaced this week by an awkward Phill Jupitas, and next week by Jeremy Clarkson. I know that they're trying to bring the dads in but for all his skills it's hard to imagine him not being even more awkward. If it means archive an performance of Barclay James Harvest I'll be satisfied though.
The scheduled extra 5 minutes (although it appeared to be 10 in reality) have made room to have two archive performances as well as the usual 6 current ones which is fair enough I guess; this week it was Madness and Take That, introduced in a standard mocking manner. The captions from TOTP2 were kind of used, although much more briefly in each song.
No idea who the man reading the album and singles charts was, but he sounded incredibly bored, despite them being so brand! new! hot!.
Hayseed Dixie were the most puzzling band there. There is a medley of bluegrass Radiohead covers by a band calling themselves Rodeohead going around the internet which is pretty amusing, but this is based largely on a realisation that any song being played in an unusual style is only funny for a minute or so at most if that's it's only appeal. They throw almost everchanging songs and bits of songs at you, making for a lot of sudden happy recognitions, whereas Hayseed Dixie just covered Roses in its entirety. And somehow managed to even suck the life out of the 'crash, crash, crash into a ditch bit.' It's difficult to see how they're meant to appeal to a wide audience.
We had Charlotte Church and, erm, Bananarama and Inaya Day's Prince cover to represent great modern music at least. Oh and Ben Moody with Anastacia playing Amy Lee. Yeesh.
Being able to present the new number one while people are still interested on a Sunday is probably the only particular positive change in the move, which made it a bit of a shame for them that it was a song that everyone must have heard by now. Yes, James Blunt has reached number one after seven weeks. Let us rejoice as proper music in all it's inferior Damien Rice radio-edit glory has finally triumphed against the will of the man!
Fearne Cotton's overenthusiasm for everything continues to be a little grating, and Reggie Yates, who was finally doing a decent job, has been got rid of, to be replaced this week by an awkward Phill Jupitas, and next week by Jeremy Clarkson. I know that they're trying to bring the dads in but for all his skills it's hard to imagine him not being even more awkward. If it means archive an performance of Barclay James Harvest I'll be satisfied though.
The scheduled extra 5 minutes (although it appeared to be 10 in reality) have made room to have two archive performances as well as the usual 6 current ones which is fair enough I guess; this week it was Madness and Take That, introduced in a standard mocking manner. The captions from TOTP2 were kind of used, although much more briefly in each song.
No idea who the man reading the album and singles charts was, but he sounded incredibly bored, despite them being so brand! new! hot!.
Hayseed Dixie were the most puzzling band there. There is a medley of bluegrass Radiohead covers by a band calling themselves Rodeohead going around the internet which is pretty amusing, but this is based largely on a realisation that any song being played in an unusual style is only funny for a minute or so at most if that's it's only appeal. They throw almost everchanging songs and bits of songs at you, making for a lot of sudden happy recognitions, whereas Hayseed Dixie just covered Roses in its entirety. And somehow managed to even suck the life out of the 'crash, crash, crash into a ditch bit.' It's difficult to see how they're meant to appeal to a wide audience.
We had Charlotte Church and, erm, Bananarama and Inaya Day's Prince cover to represent great modern music at least. Oh and Ben Moody with Anastacia playing Amy Lee. Yeesh.
Being able to present the new number one while people are still interested on a Sunday is probably the only particular positive change in the move, which made it a bit of a shame for them that it was a song that everyone must have heard by now. Yes, James Blunt has reached number one after seven weeks. Let us rejoice as proper music in all it's inferior Damien Rice radio-edit glory has finally triumphed against the will of the man!
16.7.05
Clever? Lazy?
I presumed that Pitchfork were joking when they said that Franz Ferdinand's new album was going to be self titled and feature the same cover as their debut in a different colour, but more widespread reports of the same suggest that either it's true or they're taking everyone for a ride. Presumably it would end up being referred to as 2 or something? Or just being ignored perhaps.
Ah, someone's spotted a market
A 8/10 review on Planet Sound this morning has alerted me to the fact that Rough Trade are going to follow their UK release of The Arcade Fire's album and EP with a release of The Decemberists' rather excellent Picaresque, only 4 months after its North American release. Although as is common with these thanks to exchange rates, it was actually cheaper to import it back then.
Vibe Watch 3
"I don't think music purchased by the under 16's should influence the charts. Let's have some decent music!" Helen
Ah, this old classic. Obviously it's the fault of the under 16's that Elton John and James Blunt are fighting it out for number one this week.
"Stop going on about rock! It's just noise compared to R'n'B. If rock stars are so talented then why can't they afford designer gear?" Chan, Middlesex
Sadly this is probably a deliberate troll, but still, BEST ARGUMENT EVER.
Ah, this old classic. Obviously it's the fault of the under 16's that Elton John and James Blunt are fighting it out for number one this week.
"Stop going on about rock! It's just noise compared to R'n'B. If rock stars are so talented then why can't they afford designer gear?" Chan, Middlesex
Sadly this is probably a deliberate troll, but still, BEST ARGUMENT EVER.
iPod! iPod! iPod!!
Yesterday's Metro featured a comically stupid article about iPod sales reaching 10 million. In it they claimed that it had revolutionised the way in which people listen to music, and that it has a virtual monopoly (which indeed it does, though not in the sense of almost having a monopoly but that of appearing to have a monopoly in the media). Finally, and most brilliantly, they suggested that this monopoly was going to be challenged by Sony when they release their Playstation Portable, that new extension of their well known digital music player. Maybe it's going to be white?
9.7.05
The bar is raised higher (or should that be lower?)
Forget Interpol's top-40-missing rerelease of Slow Hands or Kaiser Chiefs' forthcoming pointless I Predict A Riot return, the most rubbish indie single rerelease crown has been taken by far as news comes through that Long-view are going to release Further again.
This was the band's debut single in mid-2002 when they were called Longview and seemed at least vaguely exciting to someone who thought that a band sounding like an inferior version of Elbow was exciting. It was rereleased (complete with Elbow remix, heh) around a year later ahead of their (terrible, overproduced, nothing compared to their live show) debut album Mercury and made the top 40. Fair enough.
But here we are 2 years and 2 new singles more later and they are shoving out a barely distinguishable remix of it again. Can anyone possibly still care? What the fuck is the point?
At least Heather Small has some small excuse...
This was the band's debut single in mid-2002 when they were called Longview and seemed at least vaguely exciting to someone who thought that a band sounding like an inferior version of Elbow was exciting. It was rereleased (complete with Elbow remix, heh) around a year later ahead of their (terrible, overproduced, nothing compared to their live show) debut album Mercury and made the top 40. Fair enough.
But here we are 2 years and 2 new singles more later and they are shoving out a barely distinguishable remix of it again. Can anyone possibly still care? What the fuck is the point?
At least Heather Small has some small excuse...
8.7.05
Leaders Of The Free World
It doesn't seem just two days ago now that I was watching a DVD version of Elbow's new album for the first time on a big screen at the NFT, but even so I suppose I should still comment on it.
They were funny and likable as ever in the discussion afterwards, and Phill Jupitas was an OK if overly controlling host. The Soup Collective, the people who do their visuals, were clearly nervous and unused to talking in public but managed to not drag things down too much anyway.
Onto the actual album (although we didn't get all of it, quite); it seemed to involve extremes of sound more than previously, with almost all of it either loud, dark and sinister or bare and beautiful. It's difficult to say a whole lot more than that it was neither exceptional nor disappointing on first listen, especially with the (generally excellent) videos and other studio clips to distract, but a couple of songs did already sound amazing. Now there's a two-month wait to find out if it will live up to expactions on fuller listening.
They were funny and likable as ever in the discussion afterwards, and Phill Jupitas was an OK if overly controlling host. The Soup Collective, the people who do their visuals, were clearly nervous and unused to talking in public but managed to not drag things down too much anyway.
Onto the actual album (although we didn't get all of it, quite); it seemed to involve extremes of sound more than previously, with almost all of it either loud, dark and sinister or bare and beautiful. It's difficult to say a whole lot more than that it was neither exceptional nor disappointing on first listen, especially with the (generally excellent) videos and other studio clips to distract, but a couple of songs did already sound amazing. Now there's a two-month wait to find out if it will live up to expactions on fuller listening.
we can wipe you out anytime
Coming home to London this evening (I got on a train out for work at 8 yesterday morning and hadn't been able to get home since) I put on some music to listen to as ever. Just because I'd happened to pick it up two days earlier and it would fit the time the train journey was going to take, this was my choice:
I didn't really think about it but by the second songs I realised that it fitted my increasing unhelpful feelings of fear and paranoia all too well, and only seemed to do more so as the journey progressed towards King's Cross. I considered switching it off a few times but I don't ever like to listen to incomplete albums (rockist alert) so I didn't, never mind my feelings of strangeness and discomoft. And when it finished and all I had in its place was silence and extended safety announcements warning against looking after other people's possessions I just felt even worse, more so than at any point in the last couple of days so far.
I feel much better and reassured now I'm actually home but think I'll go for some happier music tonight.
I didn't really think about it but by the second songs I realised that it fitted my increasing unhelpful feelings of fear and paranoia all too well, and only seemed to do more so as the journey progressed towards King's Cross. I considered switching it off a few times but I don't ever like to listen to incomplete albums (rockist alert) so I didn't, never mind my feelings of strangeness and discomoft. And when it finished and all I had in its place was silence and extended safety announcements warning against looking after other people's possessions I just felt even worse, more so than at any point in the last couple of days so far.
I feel much better and reassured now I'm actually home but think I'll go for some happier music tonight.
4.7.05
Apparently some kind of political gig thing happened at the weekend
but as I'm tired after starting work and people more knowledgable/funny have given their opinions at great length elsewhere (try the links from here) I'll spare you my long opinions on it. I'll just say that watching most of it on a big screen in Hyde Park was rather fun even if we were watching the same BBC coverage as everyone else (some of those interviews were a bit icky.)
Highlights were surprisingly U2, a little less surprisingly Robbie Williams (as he thankfully didn't play Rock DJ) and even less surprisingly R.E.M. and Pink Floyd, with the moment when we had to miss half of Man On The Moon to hear Razorlight being interviewed the most infuriating of the day by far.
Highlights were surprisingly U2, a little less surprisingly Robbie Williams (as he thankfully didn't play Rock DJ) and even less surprisingly R.E.M. and Pink Floyd, with the moment when we had to miss half of Man On The Moon to hear Razorlight being interviewed the most infuriating of the day by far.
Buddha with mace
The new Elbow single was played on radio 1 just now and was really catchy and happy and sounds like I may love it soon enough (although I am biased towards it what with them having been my favourite band for ages and all. Yes I know.). Presumably it was formally known as Buddha With Mace before becoming Forget Myself, and was enthusiastically reviewed on PS a while back
Mind you though, they could be a bit buggered if Doves make the obvious choice of Almost Forgot Myself as their next single, it's not like everyone can tell the difference as it is.
Mind you though, they could be a bit buggered if Doves make the obvious choice of Almost Forgot Myself as their next single, it's not like everyone can tell the difference as it is.
1.7.05
Review of Coldplay's gig
See comments on Glastonbury show.
(Well ok, they didn't play Can't Get You Out Of My Head.)
(And didn't fuck up Fix You quite as badly.)
(And the addition of 'we're really going to miss Countdown' to Everything's Not Lost was sweet.)
(Great to actually be there too of course.)
I'm still glad that I didn't go to both though.
Morning Runner did incredibly well as support considering the awful sound that they had, still hard to see them possibly being a success though, even if they were hot.
(Well ok, they didn't play Can't Get You Out Of My Head.)
(And didn't fuck up Fix You quite as badly.)
(And the addition of 'we're really going to miss Countdown' to Everything's Not Lost was sweet.)
(Great to actually be there too of course.)
I'm still glad that I didn't go to both though.
Morning Runner did incredibly well as support considering the awful sound that they had, still hard to see them possibly being a success though, even if they were hot.
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