RANDOM MUSINGS, OBSERVATIONS AND NEWS INVOVLING THE WORLD OF MUSIC

+ New Wombats video for "My Circuitboard City" on their website. The song's actually grown on me a bit...still can't equal anything from the debut though

(Not real video, obv.)

+ I'm sure I walked past Dan Haggis (of The Wombats) in American Apparel in town the other week.

+ White Lies' album is possibly the best of the year. Despite there being 356 days of it left. It'll take a third Arctic Monkeys LP/the return of Richey Edwards/a collaboration between The Clash, The Smiths and The Beatles, with God on keyboards to better it.

+ I'm sure Danny Boyle and Morrissey are the same person. Just with a pair of glasses as the difference.

"We have real zombies on the go here!"

Glasvegas on Graham Norton Uncut. Errrr whut? I could take James Allan going on Buzzcocks, but this just too weird tbh

****

Twisted Wheel: new Manc/Oldham band, current supporting Oasis on tour. Not too sure what to make of them being honest. The tracks I heard on their MySpace are fairly average, stuff you'd expect to hear from the local chavvy band who've just discovered The Clash. But their new single "Lucy The Castle" is pretty catchy, and miles better than their other stuff. It may be because the video has been played about 972840 on the music channels over the last week or two, but still check 'em out.

Twisted Wheel
Lucy The Castle video

****

"I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things."
xxx

Sam's Town: A re-evaluation

The Killers second album, "Sam's Town", isn't viewed in too much of a positive light amongst the music press and fans. It's generally viewed as an overblown Springsteen-esque piece of Americana, accompanied by an unfortunate bit of facial hair (which has now been thankfully consigned to the rubbish bin of image overhauls)

Their debut "Hot Fuss" was critically acclaimed and popular with the part of the public that still buy CDs, yet a little one sided. The first half of the record was packed with what the Lacoste-wearing masses call "choons"; electro-indie-pop classics such as Mr Brightside and Somebody Told Me. Yet the second half was pretty much 5 tracks of filler, which only the hardcore fans could name/sing along to. And shortly after "Sam's Town" was released, the general consensus was that The Killers had followed the same route of an album of half great songs, half barely b-side standard.

But now, 2 weeks before third album "Day & Age" is released, I think it's time to take another look back at ST. The need for a run of classic albums from every new band seems to cloud most critics and fans perceptions of new LPs. If it's not a "Morning Glory", "Favourite Worst Nightmare" or "A Grand Don't Come For Free", then it's derided as a "Give 'Em Enough Rope", a "Yours Truly, Angry Mob" or even worse, a "Second Coming". Not that those albums are bad, just that they don't match up to the amazing/brilliant/zietgiest-defining debuts.

Beginning at Track 1 (which is always helpful), the title track of "Sam's Town" is a whirlwind of melodramatic rock 'n' roll, placing you straight into the retina-burning world of The Killers hometown, Las Vegas. Subtlety has never really been a part of their vocabulary, and here the word is seemingly erased from existance with almost everything but the kitchen sink thrown into this one track. It may appear cluttered, but it definitely works. But in the most direct of contrasts, this is followed by the first of two -ludes, Enterlude. A simple 50 second intro to the rest of the album, it may seem rather pompous to include Enterlude and its sister song, Exitlude, but yet again, it works to a tee.

Apart from these two, the album is pretty much the same melodramatic pomp-rock experienced on the title track, the pace never really letting up for a minute. The Springsteen influence is pretty obvious throughout, with lyrics like "We’re burnin’ down the highway skyline/On the back of a hurricane" so rooted in America, that there are oil prospectors still trying to get to them. But for all the talk of The Boss and The 'Tasche, Brandon & co still stick to their original influences of 80's synth-pop (namely New Order), which produces possibly the album's best moment in "Read My Mind", a track that could fit comfortably on Hot Fuss (and improve it indefinitely). Toned down vocals and guitars mixed with heavy synths and yet more cliched lyrics, e.g. “Breakin’ out of this two-star town” and “the stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun” make for a classic Killers song.

Before the record was released Flowers was quoted as saying that Sam's Town would be "one of the best albums in the past twenty years" and that it would be "the album that keeps rock & roll afloat." I'm not too sure about the latter part, but it is definitely one of the best albums since 1986. For a band who are "morally bankrupt" (© Nicky Wire 2007) they don't half make some great tunes

9/10

xxx

"HELLO LIVERPOOL!"

God, the EMAs are awful.
It's embarassing enough to get our own little awards ceremony just because we aren't on the other side of the pond, but to give the awards to shit acts is a kick in the continental bollocks.
The only good things about it were the Wombats, The Killers and Katy Perry (only because she is rather prettyful).

• Metallica, Duffy and Coldplay all nominated for numerous awards, and lose out to 30 Seconds To Mars,Pink and
  
• Jared Leto dressed in purple skinny jeans, a leather jacket, Obama shirt, a checked shirt and big kicks with hair past your shoulders. You're almost 40! Jesus Christ on a bike!
• Bono. Wanker.
• Tokio Hotel. A bunch of German hair-metallers beating Metallica and The Cure to the title of "Headliner". I know that means absolutely nothing, but it's the principle of the matter.
• Rick Astley being voted "Best Act Ever". I don't care how many lulz it provided or that I voted for him at least a thousand times, it just makes the whole thing seem totally farcical.
• The fact that only 4 winners were European
• The sheer amount of Americans turning the awards into an Obama rally. Yes, we know he won, we know he's pretty amazing but no need to shove it down our throats.

Fuck MTV, and fuck their awards
(I realise now it's ironic that I'm off to watch Gonzo on MTV2 now, but still.... MTV in general is a load of wank)

"First love, last love, hold me love, it's only love"
xxx

Computers and Blues

You know something is up in life when you start enjoying Snow Patrol.
Seriously, Q is playing the top 10 Snow Patrol songs, and being honest, they're all good. That's a sentence I never thought I'd say/type.

In a complete contrast, I've been pretty obsessed with The Streets today. Wasn't really into good music for the first two albums, and also hated rap in every shape and form. How unenlightened I was. But after listening to most of them, it's quite obvious that Mike Skinner is a genius.


Also check out Billy Talent :)
www.myspace.com/billytalent

"That's why I do this music business thing, it's communication with people without having the extreme inconvenience of actually phoning anybody up. "
xxx

"This is Bob. Bob had bitch tits"

Funny how things can change in like less than a year.....and definitely not for the better.
Ughh I don't wanna start being emo now, after a good day, on a new blog.

Let's just say it's the female of the species yet again.
Quell suprise....

*****

After listening to "The Seldom Seen Kid" by Elbow properly, right the way through, I finally see what all the fuss is about. Am I a little late for the bandwagon?

"I am Jack's complete lack of surprise. I am Jack's smirking revenge. I am Jack's wasted life. I am Jack's inflamed sense of rejection. I am Jack's broken heart. I am Jack's raging bile duct. I am Jack's cold sweat."
xxx

I'm a realist...

I'm falling in love with The Cribs all over again. Can't wait for the new album, whenever that may be.

Anyways, I said I'd do reviews and I shall do them now!
Although on short one as I cba doing anything long right now.

Glasvegas - Glasvegas - 9/10
Just buy it alright? I'm gonna keep going on about it

Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed - 7/10
You've probably never heard of them, but they're better than pointless, insipid Pigeon Detective-esque bands

How To Lose Friends And Alienate People - 7/10
Typical romantic comedy, but with Simon Pegg, so definitely worth it tbh

White Lies - Death EP - 8/10
Another band I'm going to keep bainging on about. You may think they sound utterly miserable (as well as Glasvegas) but remember that not everything has to be all bright and cheery. We're in a recession, people!

And another thing, a Superdrug tuna mayo sandwich is £1.49, yet an egg mayo one is £2.30. Does that make any sense at all?
I think I'm turning into a grumpy old man about 45 years too early....

"I'm a romantic, I'm an indecisive piece of shit"
xxx

Nothing but the truth

It's over 24 hours later and I still haven't done that history homework :/
One of these days, I'm gonna get organasised

Just thought, since I seem to be a Wikipedia of musical knowledge, at least amongst most people I know, I'd reccomend some bands to listen to, old and new :)

Bright Eyes - Supposedly "emo" folky indie
Glasvegas - If you don't know them by now, then you obviously do not listen to a word I say/type
The Hold Steady - One of the best bands in the world, crunching American barroom rock
The Rakes - Joy Division meets The Jam?/Arctic Monkeys if they had proper jobs in the city?
Those Dancing Days - Super sweet Swedish indie pop
White Lies - Gloomy stadium rawk, with quite a dark edge

That should be enough for now.
Might do some review tomorrow. Woop :)
Not sure what of, but hopefully tomorrow haha.

"America: It's like Britain, only with buttons."
xxx

Funeral For People's Music Taste

Ughh, history homework takes the absolute Michael. Great way to start off a new blog eh? By moaning. Well get used to it; it's one of my favourite pasttimes.
Just got back from the Last Shadow Puppets gig in Manc. Twas pretty fucking good tbh. Possibly the thrid best gig I've been to (sorry Morrissey). Missed the support act (Ipso Facto), though from the songs I've heard, I wasn't exaclty missing The Beatles. Walked past James Ford outside, and said hi to Miles Kane. Wish I'd got a photo with him :/.
Anyways, everyone should go see them at the Electric Proms later this month.

And now for more moaning. It's the result of an MSN convo with someone, who'd just got back from a Funeral For A Friend gig at the Barfly. Proclaiming it to be:

"OHMYGOD
BESTGIGEVER
BESTDAYEVER
OHMYGOD
BESTALBUMEVER
BESTDAYEVER
ISHOOKHANDSWITHMATTDAVIES
IDIEDANDWENTTOHEAVEN
ANDINHEAVEN...
THEREISFFAF"

Yeah, I know what yr thinking. Fan-girl-ness to the extreeeeeme. Noone in their right mind can proclaim FFAF to be the best band ever. Seriously. First of all, in comparison to the legends of music, they're absolute codswallop. Even in comparison to a lot of bands around today, FFAF are still pretty bad. They started off as a pretty decent proto-emo/hard rock band, but seem to have evolved into a bland, boring, below average stadium rock band. Something we really, really do not need right now. I guess the best analogy would be a fiesty little terrier that has been neutered and is now a tame little lapdog. I really can't believe anyone can actually think they're worthy of "BEST BAND EVORRR LOL!1" titles

In my opinion, for a band to be declared "best ever", they need to meet certain criteria. For instance: life changing albums/songs/gigs, more than one memorable song, a clear message, fucking melodies, a wider fanbase than a bunch of faux-emo kids, fan girls who want to have the bands collective offspring and people who can't name all of The Beatles.

Bands who fit this criteria: The Clash, The Smiths, The Beatles, Manic Street Preachers, Joy Division, Oasis, Blur, The Verve, Radiohead, Sex Pistols.
And for bands still around who could very well be some of the best ever, look to Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, The Cribs, Glasvegas, Arcade Fire, The Hold Steady, TV On The Radio, Klaxons, Kings Of Leon, Bloc Party and The Coral.

Seriously people, sort out yr music tastes. I know some of you do listen to some incredible stuff etc etc. And I also know it's everyone's own opinion on what music they listen to, but still, you could do better than Funeral For A bloody Friend.

"You've made a happy man very old."
xxx