2009: Songs of the Year - Number 8

Another classic from a rather poor album. Tongue 'N' Cheek saw the former Dylan Mills go from underground hero to triple chart-topper and the best popstar in Britain right now. Unfortunately, "Bonkers" was only one of a handful of tunes to match up to Dizzee's past glories. Only just reaching the annoying stage 7 months after release, "Bonkers" lives up to it's name, being one of the best, but most unlikely Number Ones of the year.

Tweet-ville U.K. featuring Dizzee Rascal, Codes, Slow Club, Mumford & Sons, Wolfmother and Tubelord

Since I've got a whole heap of albums that have yet to grace the pixels of Hitsville U.K., and I want to clear the space they're taking up in my mind, here's a handy little thing to help me (that I may have nabbed from Jamie Milton of Music Fan's Mic, who may have nabbed it from someone else...don't really know); an album review in the space of a tweets, or to those of you not keeping up with modern trends and technology, 140 characters. Call me lazy for doing this (and I'll call you correct) but it's simple and allows me to just give a brief overview etc etc. I'll get on with it now.
(Ratings, track recommendations and other stuff not included in the 140 limit, just so you know)

DIZZEE RASCAL - TONGUE N' CHEEK
"Bonkers leads to this; a go at proper pop "Cheeky" misogyny, stale beats, phoned-in flows, the odd Credit Crunch reference. Yawn, mostly"
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "Bonkers", "Dance Wiv Me", "Holiday", "Dirtee Cash", "Can't Tek No More"
5.5
CODES - TREES DREAM IN ALGEBRA
"Odd title, epic stadium rock. Would be a new U2 (zzz) if not for ambition and creativity. Bit samey halfway through but one to look out for"
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "Malfunctions", "Guided By Ghosts", "In Algebra", "Starry Eyed"
7

SLOW CLUB -YEAH SO
"Twee-er than B&S, but even better. Simple folk ditties mix with bittersweet indie rock to lodge in your thoughts for long after listening"
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "When I Go", "It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful", "There's No Good Way To Say I'm Leaving You", "Because We're Dead", "Apples And Pairs", "Our Most Brilliant Friends"
8


WOLFMOTHER - COSMIC EGG
"Big-haired Aussies return with new members but no new ideas. Same retro-rock as debut, but no equally great songs a la "Dimension", "Woman""
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "Cosmic Egg", "New Moon Rising", "Sundial"
3

TUBELORD - OUR FIRST AMERICAN FRIENDS
"Another quiet-LOUD band. Noticeably more depth, talent and ideas than most new bands. Clever, thrilling, few negatives cept little diversity"
RECCOMENDED LISTENING: "Somewhere Out There A Dog Is On Fire", "Stacey's Left Arm", "Propeller", "He Awoke On A Beach In Abergavenny", "Cows To The East, Cities To The West"
8

"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem..."

As you can (hopefully) tell from the title, I've been watching High Fidelity. It involves girls and music, how did I not find it/start worshipping it earlier? In fact, I can pretty much see my life being like that in 10/15/20 years, should I make certain decisions. Hell, it's pretty much my life know...just minus the constant stream of women (more like being drip-fed one per year) and my very own record store (more like this blog and the rest of the internet).

Anyways what it relates to is the Spotify mix playlists that I have created for you lovely people...at least I'm hoping you're lovely...to just spread a bit of aural goodness around. No, I don't see myself as some sort of musical Maharishi, imparting pearls of great music to you, the unenlightened. Being honest, most of you reading this will probably know infinitely more about this than I ever will and should you open one of the playlists, laugh in scorn at my woefully "mainstream" choices. But who gives one? I just want to share stuff I think is freaking awesome with anyone who wants to listen, hopefully convert a friend or two into liking a band and kill a bit of boredom.

Playlist Numero Uno is full of more well known bands/tunes of this year, with the odd suprise. So expect "Bonkers", "Dog Days Are Over", "Run This Town" and "Zero", though not "Bulletproof" or "In For The Kill" by La Roux. Even I'm sick of them by now.

Enjoy!

Playlist Nummer Zwei is the best of the lesser-known, "weird indie shit" (as I'm certain some acquaintances would call it) to appear this year. So album tracks from slightly less mainstream bands, obscure groups you're not sure how to say the name of (hello, Dananananaykroyd!) and basically good stuff. I've gotta say though, listen to the Noah & The Whale album in one go, as it is, not shuffled. You'll thank me later.

Enjoy even more!

Hopefully you'll enoy them, go buy the various albums/singles, see the bands live and, y'know, be a proper music fan. Or, if you're disgraced by my tastes, feel free to send me a playlist back to "educate" me. It could be fun. And these playlists will over there in the sidebar should you ever feel like downloading in the future and can't be bothered to click a few times right this second.

Oh and if you don't have Spotify, I reccomend you get it. Now.

NEU!
>>>TRACKS>>>13/07/09>>>Dizzee Rascal, Jay-Z, Bloc Party, The Big Pink, The Twang

Dizzee Rascal - Holiday (featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome)
Just over a year since "Dance Wiv Me", Dizzee unleashes a second collaboration with Chrome and kinda-crap, kinda-alright dance-master Calvin Harris. Less immediate than "Dance..." and "Bonkers", the synth riff is pretty much Harris' "I'm Not Alone" but toned down slightly, whilst Dizzee sounds half asleep throughout the track. Only when it gets a bit trance at the end does it really grab any attention. Not sure if it'll be a third Number One in a row for Dizzee, but it'll be a hit either way.
7.5

Jay-Z - D.O.A (Death Of Auto-tune)
Anyone who witnessed the opening to his Glasto set last year will testify that Jay-Z cannot sing, so why his comeback single denounces something to help people sing better is a bit baffling to say the least. Anyways, it's more a "diss" (yeah I can't pull that off) on the plethora of rappers using it; Kanye, T-Pain, Lil' Wayne et al. The great guitar riff and tumbling drum beat make for an addictive tune, as well as the jazzy trumpet breaks. If this really is the "Death of Auto-tune" then good riddance.
9

Bloc Party - One More Chance
The ever changing Bloc are back, with their third one-off single (after previous in-between-album singles Two More Years and Flux). Those of you hoping for a return for the spiky post-punk of Silent Alarm may as well just give up, as Kele & co seem intent on delving deeper into a dance direction. All the elements are there, a "Blue Monday"-aping beat, the classic house piano riff, a pitch-shift on the vocals and an overly-repetitive chorus. If it was released about 20 years ago, it'd be a classic today. But seeing as it's Bloc Party and a significant amount of fans want the band to stick to the same formula as their debut, it'll most likely be viewed in the same light as "Mercury"; messy, mediocre and a mistake. Even though it's better than most of "Intimacy" and is up there with their best work, fanboys are rarely pleased.
8.5

The Big Pink - Stop The World
First came the superb "Velvet", and now this. The Big Pink are much too kind. "Stop The World" is a whirlwind of hypnotic feedback, heavy drums and one massive chorus, as well as being strangely uplifting despite the seriousness it purports. As dancey as it is moody thanks to the pulsating bass, TBP should be huge by the time their album arrives, even bigger than Glasvegas were hyped up to be last year. B-side "Crushed Water" is a more spaced out affair, sounding a bit like Massive Attack, a bit like Foals, but completely unique at the same time. This is a special band so hop on the bandwagon whilst you can.
9

The Twang - Barney Rubble
Remember them? A gang of 40 year old Brummies (well they're closer to 40 than 20) who NME salviated over a few years back, calling them "the best band in Britain" and making Stone Roses and Happy Mondays comparisons. Yet another case of NME getting way too worked up and messing it's pants over a merely "alright" band. But The Twang have soldiered on through the mass derision and return with a summery shuffle. They haven't reinvented the musical wheel and they're not making zeitgeist-riding, seminal music, but they weren't doing that in the first place and never will. Just enjoy it as something that is positive, pleasant and pretty good.
7

NEU!
TRACKS>>>24.04.09>>>Dizzee Rascal, Green Day, Jarvis Cocker, Magistrates, Frankmusik

Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers (featuring Armand Van Helman)
Straight from the uber-success of the Calvin Harris collaboration "Dance Wiv Me", Dizzee has served up another bona-fide chart hit. If this isn't everywhere within a few weeks of it's release then I'll eat my hat. It's difficult to even figure out which genre to pigeonhole "Bonkers" into. Switching between straight-up pop, cheesy dance, hip-hop and even rock with a heavy bassline and the main guitar riff owing more to Kerrang! than Channel U, "Bonkers" is exactly what it says on the tin. Essentially just one big chorus (with a gradually annoying middle eighth, consisting of a generic dance hook), it won't please any hardcore rap/hip-hop/"urban"/"grime"/"whatever the kids are calling it these days" fans, but Dizzee can look forward to another Number One.
9.5

Green Day - Know Your Enemy
What do you expect from this, the first new material from the post-American Idiot Green Day? Face melting solos? Orchestral arrangements? Stacks upon stacks of synths? Well if you're deluded enough to want any of them from Green Day, then you'll be disappointed. "KYE" is what Billie Joe & co have become most talented at; simple, catchy stadium punk anthems. Okay, it is the most repetitive chorus since "Ruby" (take a wild guess how it goes) but that doesn't take away from it being a good ol' rock song. Not one of GD's best, but certainly whets the appetite for their forthcoming three-part "21st Century Breakdown" concept album
7

Jarvis Cocker - Angela
Ah Jarvis, what ever happened? Lead singer of Pulp, probably one of, if not the best band to come out of Britpop, Jarvis has assumed a sort of elder statesman role since the band went on hiatus in 2002; moving to Paris, generally being viewed as a king of all that is indie. His first solo album was pretty darn good, not exactly hitting the heights of Pulp's best but getting there. But in comparison "Angela" (the first single from second album "Further Complications") is, well, a bit crap really. The production leaves the song too flat to have any sense of verve or urgency, until a rather generic solo. Jarvis' usual witty musings are all but missing from the lyrics, which consist mainly of the highly annoying repitition of "Angela! Oh Angelaaa!". It's just quite puzzling to as to how the creator of "Common People" has churned out this.
3

Magistrates - Heartbreak
One quarter of the NME Radar Tour lineup (as well as Heartbreak, The Chapman Family and La Roux), Magistrates could be this year's answer to Friendly Fires. They've been described as Klaxons-meets-James Brown, and that combination is too far off the mark. "Heartbreak" has all the ingredients to see the Essex boys thrown into the limelight. A keyboard riff that anyone can whistle, a good chunk of 80's sheen, galloping drums, a simple-yet-funky bass line and there you have it; the underground pop hit of the year, in my humble opinion; music for the mind, hips and feet. If Magistrates aren't massive by next year's festivals, then I'll find another hat to eat.
8.5

Frankmusik - Better Off As Two
I really wanted to like Frankmusik. I mean really wanted to. The name is pretty cool, he looked cool the first time I saw him and the chorus of previous single "Three Little Words" was stuck in my head for at least two weeks. But now he just represents the ultimate in crap corporate pop in 2009. Evidence, you say? Well the endless slew of adverts advertising his singles for download and ordering through your phone, signing up for MySpace sponsored gigs, having awful hair and appalling fashion taste. Okay, the last two are less to do with crap corporate pop and more to do with being stuck in 2006/7 but there's still a valid point. In releasing "Better Off As Two", Frankmusik seems content to churn out sub-sub-sub Friendly Fires dance-pop and sing like his tongue is way too big for his mouth whilst collecting "Ones To Watch" plaudits. It's just plain wrong. This is not what pop should sound like in 2009 with the amount of truly interesting artists around such as Little Boots, Jamie T and Late Of The Pier. *end rant*
3