I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I have another chat with singer/songwriter Marian Call, about touring, playlists, Standing Stones, Space Camp, karaoke, concerts, bears, and houses sliding down hills.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I have another chat with musician Jonathan Coulton, about bad hair, Acme brands, corned beef, null cheese, accents, lyrics, bad Doors, Jimmy Buffett, and jukebox musicals.
Snag your very own copy of his brand new album and graphic novel, Solid State – plus other merch – at www.JonathanCoulton.com.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I have another chat with the UK writing trio The Dawson Bros. – Andrew Dawson, Steve Dawson, & Tim Inman – about caring less, pub food, Tolkien, and the Oxford shark. Recorded live at The Eagle and Child Pub in Oxford, England.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I have a chat with singer/songwriter/icon Weird Al Yankovic, about inspiration, longevity, Orchestr-Al, Guam, jamming, Knott’s preservation, and Late Shift Johnny.
Hey guys! This month saw me take my first real vacation in about 3 years. I was actually away for 15 days of this month so my internet time was exactly halved. As a result, this month’s list is slightly shorter than usual. But I think I still found three nuggets of gold for your eye holes so take a look and know that I’ll be back to my usual length next month… ladies.
1) Bill Murray’s Hall of Fame Speech
I’m not a baseball fan. As an Irishman I guess it’s just not in my blood. But I am a Bill Murray fan. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, you should be able to love Bill Murray.
What you may not have known about him is that he actually owns a baseball team. He co-owns the Charleston RiverDogs and due to his long service to baseball he has recently been inducted into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame. And as he says in the video, he’s never been inducted into a Hall of Fame before so he had to accept.
Murray is a genius of the highest order so if you give him a podium to make a speech, you know it’s going to be good. He didn’t write anything for it, he just got up and spoke about how much he loves baseball and it’s every bit as good as you think it would be. Take a look.
2) Paul & Storm – Write Like The Wind (George R. R. Martin)
We here at FRED love Paul & Storm.
Well… we love Storm.
They have just released what is to my mind their first proper music video. Hopefully the first of many more to come. The song is about the agony of waiting for the next Game of Thrones book and the video is as ridiculous as you might expect from the duo.
3) Super Mario Street Art
This is a really cool time-lapse video which shows how artist Chris Carlson creates a 3D looking image on the sidewalk with just chalk and a ruler. Two bonus cool points go to the art being of an 8bit Mario and the awesome music added to the video.
After seeing how he does it, I almost feel like I could give it a go too but I know that it would just look like a 5 year old attempted it.
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And that’s it! My favourite things of the last month.
– Aaron Poole is the creator of Polish pole polish. He is also more accurately an internet whore and rarely leaves the house. If you like what you read here check out his blog http://aaronfever.blogspot.com
This month I’ve spent most of my time watching YouTube channels. Exciting, I know. As a result, you’ll see a lot of YouTube videos in my list. It’s a simple system I work here at MFT but I feel it suits me. So lets get started.
1) Rear Window Timelapse
Rear Window is one of my favourite movies ever. I love a simple idea that is executed perfectly and that’s exactly what Rear Window is. It has been parodied a million times by every TV series from The Simpsons to That 70s Show.
What I like about this is that it has been put together to play all the parts of the scenery at once. I feel like I’m not explaining that correctly but luckily the video is self explanatory so watch and enjoy!
UPDATE 3rd of May 2012: Awwww, they took it down. That’s lame
2) Shia Labeouf
No, not the charisma free actor of robot movies. Instead it’s a rather strange song by Rob Cantor. It’s about the robot movie actor but it’s also about escaping the clutches of the canibal murderer robot movie actor.
Again I dont think I’m explaining this one well. Have a listen.
Another one that was brought to my attention by the lovely JJ Hawkins. I had somehow avoided this series until this month. The infectious MyHarto and her My Drunk Kitchen show.
Luckily, with all my problems describing shows, this one needs very little decription. She gets drunk and cooks in her kitchen. Easy! And funny as hell. Watch, and then notice how 8 hours have gone by from watching all of them.
4) Botchamania
Here is something that is far from new also. And I’ve been well aware of it from a long time too. But this month it has kind of been my comfort food viewing.
The brain child of Maffew who edits together all the mess ups in wrestling you never thought you needed to see. Botch is what wrestlers call messing up a move or a promo. And just like the bloopers real for a comedy, it’s more fun than the actual shows.
5) Play us out Riz…
British rap group playing an acoustic performance on the streets of Paris in the middle of the night? I’m in.
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And that’s it! My favourite things of the last month.
– Aaron Poole is the creator of the whales. He is also more accurately an internet whore and rarely leaves the house. If you like what you read here check out his blog http://aaronfever.blogspot.com
The shortest month of the year is over now and even with it’s leap day I feel like it has flown by. But luckily, I still have a list of things that tickled me during the past 29 days.
Lists. I love them.
1) T-Rex Trying
What starting out for Hugh Murphy as a bit of a joke between friends about T-Rex’s tiny arms has turned into my favourite internet meme. Over on trextrying.tumblr.com you’ll find an endless amount of tiny arm jokes to brighten your day.
It all started with this:
And has run to here:
And so on:
With new ones going up pretty much every day it’s worth following that blog for some regular giggles.
2) Space Stallions
This video has been doing the rounds online all month. It’s an intro to a fictitious 80s cartoon “Space Stallions” that you will wish was real due to dangerous levels of awesomeness.
The video was made as a bachelor project for The Animation Workshop. I assume the guys got A+++.
It manages to squeeze everything cheesy and insane from our childhood cartoons and fuse it with a rocking synth track for maximum ‘tude.
By now you’re surely all familiar with that most ubiquitous of internet meme, the rage comic. Well, here is a great video that morphs people faces into those well known grotesqueries.
5) Play Us Out, Lisa…
Lisa Hannigan covering Gotye‘s hit “Somebody That I Used To Know“. Too much musical loveliness in one video.
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And that’s it! My favourite things of the last month.
– Aaron Poole is the creator of barnyard bingo. He is also more accurately an internet whore and rarely leaves the house. If you like what you read here check out his blog http://aaronfever.blogspot.com
This month has become a bit of blur for your faithful internet reporter. A trip to Dragon*Con in Atlanta at the start of the month combined with a tour of the UK towards the end and this Irishman is ready for a quiet October. However, it has resulted in my month’s Favourite Things to be a much more personal one than normal. So read on for my rambling recommendations of this past September, below.
1) Molly Lewis
I was lucky enough to be on two panels at Dragon*Con with Molly and hang out with her a little bit. Not only is she an extremely talented musician but she’s also a lot of fun.
I’ve been listening to her EP I Made You a CD, But I Eated It on pretty regular rotation and shall now recommend it to you.
You can purchase and listen to it and more via her bandcamp page. But for a taster check out this video below of her most recent song.
2) Sylvester McCoy
Since meeting the man during Con weekend I literally can’t shut up about it. He is such an awesome actor and genuinely down-to-earth human being. Not only was he hilarious over the course of the weekend but was a delight to everyone he met. I can’t wait to see him in the forthcoming The Hobbit movies. Gush, gush, gush.
We’ve shown it here on the website before, but it’s worth reposting until the cows come home. If the cows do indeed know their way. Sylvester McCoy cold reads the Pandorica speech originally acted by Matt Smith. Prompted by our very own Ken Plume.
3) Jonathan Coulton
The always personable (and hairy) Mr Coulton was another musician to make a dent in my September. His new album Artificial Heart was released this month and you should be listening to it or buying it here and then listening to it.
And for a hint of some of the musicality that lies within, listen to this hear thing with pictures.
4) The People’s Republic of Venture
Run by the wonderful Anne-Marie, PRoV does a kick-ass job every year of giving out cool Venture Bros. swag to the masses at the Con. Lots of badges, pin-up cards, cool tins, essentially anything you can think of. For example this great pin which currently sits atop my night stand.
And she was even kind enough to make us some FRED ribbons for our Con badges too!
Everyone might be talking about R.E.M.‘s announcement to call it a day this month but they weren’t the only band hanging up their guitars. The object of my teenage musical obsession for a long time, The Bluetones, played their final ever gigs this month. After six studio albums and a 17 year constant touring schedule they decided to call it quits.
I have been a rabid fan since I was 15 (please note, that is not 17 years ago, I’m not THAT old) and have been to several of their gigs which often requires flying to England to do so.
This month I had the opportunity to catch two of their final shows, along with a bunch of friends I’ve met because of the band over the years. It was emotional.
Here is a song of theirs, the video was directed by Edgar Wright who happened to put their songs in both Spaced and Scott Pilgrim. So there.
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And that’s it! My favourite things (and people) of the last month.
– Aaron Poole is the creator of Rave Moth. He is also more acurately an internet whore and rarely leaves the house. If you like what you read here check out his blog http://aaronfever.blogspot.com
The monthly edition of things I’ve enjoyed on the internet in the last 30 days or so. Shared with you in a list because I like lists. Let’s do this!
1) Depresstival – Marble Zone
The following video defines what I think is so magical about the internet.
Depresstival is the name of a young lady and her musical transgressions on her youtube account. She may do stuff outside of this, I don’t know. As far as I’m concerned she lives purely in the magical box on my computer screen.
While writing and recording some of her own songs she has also started a 30 Day Musical Challenge. You know the one, it invaded pretty much every social media this year and bugged the hell out of everyone, including the people who were doing it. In this challenge she has taken to doing some rather bizarre covers. Not only the most depressing version of ODB’s “Baby, I Got Ya Money” I’ve ever heard (making it also hilarious) but the theme song to the Marble Zone level from Sonic The Hedgehog.
Yes.
The reasons why I think the video perfectly defines what I love about the internet are
– 30 seconds of awkward introduction.
– 2 minutes of fun accordian music to the tune of Sonic The Hedgehog’s Marble Zone.
– A final minute of pure unashamed insanity beyond description.
Watch and enjoy.
You’re welcome.
2) Captain America: Shield of Justice
You’ve probably seen the film already (you lucky dogs, I’ve had to wait an extra week due to different international release dates) but if you haven’t, or want to relive the fun, you could do a lot worse than playing Marvel.com’s retro looking game Captain America: Shield of Justice.
In the exact same vein of the super fun Thor game they did for the film’s release, this is a platform bruiser and you have to save somebody or something-or-other from evil something something. Who cares? Just look!
Go Cap., go!
You can bounce the shield off the bad guys’ heads and the background music is awesome. He even has the little movie version costume.
Unfortunately, the following amazing thing can’t be shown to you on this page in a way that would explain just how wonderful it is. But as an attempt here is a picture of it and then I’ll do my best to make you understand.
How it works is very simple, every time you light a square it makes a noise. This noise is determined by it’s position on the grid. The higher the square the higher the note and vice versa. What is quite a simple task becomes an incredibly addictive one as you make fantastic looping melodies by clicking in randomly placed combinations or meticulously designed ones.
I love bullycomics.blogspot.com. If ever a man could give a shout out to a stuffed bull that he has never met, then today is that day. It’s a great blog full of funny and fascinating comic stuff and if you’re not reading it then I feel bad for you son, I got 99 problems but the bull ain’t one. Or you know, something more caucasian and relevant.
Anyway, one of the it’s more recent posts stuck out in my mind as being a doozy. It was a letter written to Garth Ennis and his Preacher book in 1998. Bully explains it all neatly and points out some good stuff so by all means check out the original post. But for the lazy of you, here is the letter itself and Ennis’ wonderful reply. WARNING: contains foul and stupid language.
5) The Walking Dead season 2 trailer
Nearly five whole minutes of zombie goodness. Hands up who else is excited for this? Ok, hands down and click the video.
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And that’s it! My favourite things of the last month.
– Aaron Poole is the creator of the hippy-hippy-shake. He is also more acurately an internet whore and rarely leaves the house. If you like what you read here check out his blog http://aaronfever.blogspot.com
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
Continuing my annual tradition, I’ve got an in-depth conversation between minor television celebrity, PC, and literary trivialist John Hodgman and FRED’s own me, Ken Plume. I present this audio feast for the ears, as one titan of culture and one Ken Plume touch on social networking, A GAME OF THRONES, fan expectations, Jeff Goldblum, the strut of dreams, & more.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
In this episode, I chat with Troubadour 2.0 Jonathan Coulton about off-roading, gongs, Giants, cruises, and more.
You can purchase all of his discs, plus other merch – as well as partake of more sonic goodness – at www.JonathanCoulton.com. While you’re over there, be sure to check out all 52 Things – and pick up his CDs. And pledge your life to him. The talented bastard.
I’m back! For those wondering (all twelve of you) where this column had disappeared to, the answer is a sad and lonely one. I didn’t receive any friend requests!
It’s true, this column is dependent on bands spamming me and for two months… no one bothered. I was tempted to review some bands I was already friends with but that would have been cheating (and it would have resulted in one of these being 100% positive and I couldn’t do that to you). So I had to play the waiting game. And now, just like buses and a group of men in a porno, they’ve all come at once.
I actually got 8 requests in the space of two weeks so now I have to try and catch up with myself. It’s a mad, mad world.
Considering it’s been so long, I should probably remind everyone why this exists:
I decided to review every band/musician/DJ that tries to add me as a friend on MySpace in order to cast an ear on artists who want to be heard and make them take the responsibility for the (mostly crap) music I’m exposed to on a regular basis.
Sure, it got a little less regular recently but still…
———————————————————————— JULIET’S RESCUE www.myspace.com/julietsrescue
It’s been a long time since I had a band to review so this was a nice one to start with. Juliet’s Rescue are a five piece from Kildare, Ireland. Now, admittedly they do that pet peeve of mine which is sing like they’re American. But, if you take one look at the lead singer you can tell, well, that’s just his thing. So just this once I’m not going to bitch about it and just take the music on it’s own merit.
Of the four songs presented I have to single out “A Decent Proposal” as the stand-out track. It’s all very listenable and “Make Yourself A Hero” would probably get in my head a lot more (as it has done) but “A Decent Proposal” is probably their most grown-up song. They’re a fun band and I think if I was a teenager I would turn into a groupie but it’s like finding Limp Bizkit when you’re in your 30s, some bands have to be found when you’re a teenager or you’ll never have that connection with them. Which is why I’m singling out “A Decent Proposal” because I think, if it played on the radio, I’d be interested.
I mentioned them being a band for younger folk and I don’t mean that in a bad way. We all know the deal. There is a demographic for certain music. And it’s kind of the problem with critiquing music in general, not all music is for you. Juliet’s Rescue are a good band. Solid music, decent lyrics, they’re solid. But, I’m not moved by them and I don’t think that’s a slight on the band. It’s just not for me.
Although, it doesn’t help when you could be the guitarist’s father. What is he? Twelve? For those wondering, he’s the guy second from the right. Look at him! Bless. One day, when he grows up, he’ll probably punch me in the face for this. But I figure I’ve got several years before this happens. In the mean time… coochie coochie coo!
Presentation = 4/5 Content = Great looking page but I would have liked more music, it also froze a lot on me Music = 4/5 Friend Request = DENIED!
When I first took a look at Koopr’s page I saw the top hat, the band lineup of guitarist and drummer, and the “quirky” style. The term “cheap White Stripes” couldn’t be further from my brain, I assure you. But if I was a lesser man, a man of bitter mind, then maybe I would have said that. Or worse.
When I played “Selling Secrets For A Smile” my fears were not put at ease. It had the distinct familiarity of recent Jack White side projects. My poisoned pen was at the ready (not a euphemism I swear). Not that it’s a bad song, it’s good but it’s just too similar to other artists for me. It even reminded me a lot of past Musical MySpace Tour alumni MTM. You want your music to stand out and this didn’t do that.
However, things quickly mellow out and KOOPR save themselves. To go from “Selling Secrets For A Smile” to “Get It Right” you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re listening to two different bands. But the next two songs follow “Get It Right”s lead and you finally get an idea to what KOOPR really are.
There are still problems. In their little bio page they say that Bill Hicks’ “Relentless” is their favourite album. I’m not going to put down Bill Hicks’ but it’s not music and no matter how cool you think it is to be “different” they would have annoyed me less if they just didn’t mention it.
The lyrics are OK but to be honest I feel they drag the music down. Instrumentally I can’t really fault these guys much. Is it mean to say I wished he’d just shut up? Who am I kidding? This is the Musical MySpace tour. If I didn’t say something dickish I’d be fired.
In the end I guess the style is destroying my enjoyment of the substance. I think the page design is fancy but it doesn’t match their good songs like “dissolve”. It’s a false sense of identity and I can’t get with that.
Presentation = 4/5 Content = They could have done with a video, it might have helped Music = 2/5 Friend Request = DENIED!
Gemma Mewse is a woman of her time. Or is that location? It’s hard to tell. Following in the footsteps of other fantastic female singer/songwriters from Britain in the last five years or so Gemma is a woman of acerbic lyrics and musings rather than the power ballad, love song singing ladies of old. This is a good thing.
I was a little frustrated to see only one song is available in full on her playlist. However, she does give us a few videos of full songs so I guess it evens out. The song we have in full is called “Numpty”. It’s a sharp tongued hate letter that gets your foot tapping. It’s things like this that can get me behind Ms Mewse.
She also comes up with lyrics of some nice sharp wit. The song “Stranger Things” contains this little ditty that I quite appreciate “doesnt mean that its retro just cause it says so on the label”. Not much in the large scale of things, but it’s the little notches of personality that gets me excited by musicians. An opinion or a passion that isn’t just “hey lets all love each other” or “it’s a rockin’ world”.
Now, I’d be remiss not to mention that, as stated earlier, we have heard this sort of thing a lot recently. Kate Nash and company have been towing this line for a while now. Does Gemma Mewse stand out from this crowd? Unfortunately not. She would still be a support act rather than a headliner. But it’s early days and she’s a young woman with a good voice. She’s only 18 for crying out loud! With a good starting base like this she could go on to bigger things. Lets check in again next year.
Presentation = 2/5 Content = Lots of videos but the page needs a better layout Music = 3/5 Friend Request = DENIED!
No, it’s not a typo. Eddie Harris is “eddiekitsner”. As far as DJ names go, it’s the worst I’ve ever come across. But is his music the worst I’ve come across?
It’s mostly horrible. I could go into the repetitive crap that’s on offer here but it’s just not worth it. Bad, home-made rubbish. I’d rather spend my time reviewing something people might enjoy so I’ll leave it at this.
On a side note: I’ve never understood the obsession DJs have with girls in bikinis. His profile picture is one and there are more with his logo painted on top throughout. Maybe it’s just the feminist in me but it rubs me up the wrong way. Nothing I can’t stand more than a chauvinist culture.
Sherlock Omz isn’t British hip-hop though, he’s faux gangster rap from the 90s. And that’s frustrating because if he took himself a little less seriously then this could be listenable. The guy has some decent rhymes mixed in with some god-awful ones. One line gave me a good chuckle though “I’m downing competition like pints in my local”. See, if he had more stuff like that I’d love it!
In the one song that he seems to relax with, called “Motion Spitures”, Omz finally finds a groove. Despite it being a two minute song with what only sounds like one verse it at least has the fun vibe that is severely lacking elsewhere. Also, yeah, you like weed. We get it. You can stop mentioning now.
I can’t recommend checking out his videos enough. For those who are fans of “Its So Cold In The D” there are treats that await you. I love music videos made with no money and these are… beyond description. Thank me later… Oh but try not to vomit from the terrible layout of the page.
Presentation = 1/5 Content = Loads here but whether it’s worth the eye explosion is another thing Music = 2/5 Friend Request = DENIED!
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– Aaron Poole
– If you want to be in the firing line for one of Aaron’s reviews, send a friend request to www.myspace.com/aaronhbp and he will reload for next time.
Welcome once again to your fresh supply of all things fantastic. I have, as always, spent the past week looking in every nook and cranny for the best new music the world has to offer just for you. On the menu this week we have a collective mix spanning from the depths of Denmark to the underground dancefloors of New York. So what are you waiting for? Dig in and bon appetite!
1. “Back To The Fuck Yeah” by Pulled Apart By Horses
Hailing from my former stomping ground here in the UK, Pulled Apart By Horses are a fairly fresh faced alt rock group coming straight out of Leeds. Having only been together as a band since 2008 they are still defining their sound but if this number is anything to go by we should be hearing a lot more from them in the near future. There’s a real juxtaposition between sound and feel with “Back To The Fuck Yeah”, it delivers itself with quite a dirty grungy swagger yet it’s formed from very clean cut guitar and bass lines. With a pretty simple drum pattern and a guitar riff seemingly inspired by Queens of The Stone Age’s earlier material, what we have here is a real booty shaking rock n roll groove. It isn’t dolled up and it’s not by any means pretty but it’s simplicity works and that alone proves that sometimes less is more.
2. “Talamak” by Toro Y Moi
You may be forgiven for thinking that my fingers had been possessed and made to strike the most random of blows to my keyboard when reading the title for this week’s second essential sound, but rest assured “Talamak” is the name of a real song and Toro Y Moi is very much a real musician. And just to clarify even further, I am in full control of my hands… honest. Despite being a nemesis to spell checker Toro Y Moi’s track “Talamak” is a wonderful mix of soft soothing vocals layered against a backdrop of air like static, gentle bouncing synths and a waterfall of filtered declining keys. Throw in a number of alternating harmonies and you have blissful transition of sound.
3. “Oh the Divorces!” By Tracey Thorn
Exploring the more treacherous and darker side to love the first single from Tracey Thorn.
Love and It’s Opposite LP is definitely an affair to remember. The former Everything But The Girl vocalist delivers a rather haunting song which shimmers with equal parts fondness and regret for a failed relationship. Her ever distinctive voice is partnered perfectly with a gliding piano medley and staccato string section for the most part. However as her lyrics begin to dig below the surface of the story the strings become stronger. It’s almost as if the music is mirroring the message within her words, it’s this symbiotic existence between voice and instrument which leaves such a deep impression upon the listener.
4. “Beach” by Mew
Beach is an aptly named song from Danish indie band Mew, who have been on the scene since 1997. After 13 years in the industry is “Beach” the song to break this sensational group of shoe gazing indie Danes through to the rest of the world? We can only hope so, the first thing you notice about Beach is that it is without a doubt the perfect song for summer, in particular summer evenings. The wispy, swooning vocals of front man Jonas Bjerre not only set the tone but are also similar to those of Ben Gibbard from Death For Cutie which will no doubt give them more crossover appeal. With a sun kissed blend of crisp drums, mellow bass lines, whispered backing vocals and euphoric keyboard sections this is an absolute must have for those of you compiling playlists for the forthcoming summer season.
5. “Home” by LCD Soundsystem
Rejoice for the king of New York indie disco and co founder of DFA Records James Murphy aka LCD Soundsystem is back! “Home” is the conclusion to This Is Happening the third and, if rumours are to be believed, final project under the LCD Soundsystem moniker. If this is the track to end it all then we couldn’t ask for more. With more percussion and slinky keyboard work than you could possibly shake a stick at “Home” provides us with a truly infectious groove. Once it gets into the swing of things the only regret you have is that eventually it will end. Along with Murphy’s crooning and the swaggering bass lines “Home” is like an audible representation of a truly great night out in particular it’s final moments. When the music stops you don’t, you just keep dancing and smiling, and really you cant ask for much more than that can you?
Janelle Monįe, ‘The ArchAndroid’ (Wondaland Arts Society/Bad Boy)
If Janelle Monįe would just settle down and conform to the stereotypical Beyonce-style soul music, she would have a huge career ahead of her. She is not interested in that though, oh no, this chick is pushing the boundaries. I mean, when did you last hear a Beyonce song in which the arrangements referenced Star Wars? That’s right, never!
‘The ArchAndroid’ switches genres and vocal styles in a kind of schizophrenic overture that leaves you breathless and wanting more. This is a masterpiece, pure and simple. Don’t just take my word for it though, listen to snippets of the album below.
The National, ‘High Violet’ (4AD)
Sometimes an album comes out and gets such epic reviews that you immediately run out to purchase it, take it home, give it a listen, and think “What the hell is this?” You might pretend to people that you enjoy it and find it very meaningful, but secretly you just don’t get it. ‘High Violet’ is one of those albums. In some music circles, it is already being called album of the year.
While admittedly being a huge leap forward for the band, there is something that seems to be lacking. You get the sense that they are trying so hard that it just cancels out the whole thing.
There is no real depth. “Afraid of Everyone” is the most interesting track on the album and is the only high point.
Karen Elson, ‘The Ghost Who Walks’ (XL)
You will know Karen Elson as either the wife of Jack White or as a popular supermodel from the nineties. You probably were not aware that she has a decent set of pipes on her. It would be easy to shrug your shoulders at Karen and mutter about how she only got a record deal because of her famous husband. That maybe true, but it does not detract from the quality of her songs (which she wrote herself) and the bluegrass/Doors/folk influence that shines through out the album. This isn’t the glitterly pop sound that you would expect from a model, this is the real deal.
“The Ghost Who Walks” is the first single from the album is quite addictive. It is one of those tracks that sound classic but original at the same time. I give this album the thumbs-up. It really is well worth the price of a download.
Marina & the Diamonds, ‘The Family Jewels’ (Chop Shop/Atlantic)
Marina’s music is endearingly catchy, but can be annoying in large doses, mainly due to the fact that she does have quite a whacky voice. The production is very 80’s pop, but the song subjects are pure naughties. You see, Marina is obsessed with herself and on becoming very, very, very famous. She is the Lady Gaga of the hipster crowd. It’s worthwhile making a note of her in your mind, because she is going to around for awhile.
Hello and welcome once again to Essential Sounds, it is I your real life Rob Gordon with another top 5 records to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Upon this week’s silver platter we have a spot of Oxford prog rock, a slab of jazzy rap, some Canadian ambience, dirty basslines and a bearded fellow having a stab at reggae. So for maximum pleausre insert headphones and keep your hands inside the cart at all times.
1. “Air Born” by The Kid Daytona
It seems these days if you’re not a member of the cash money familia or an alumni from the new school of hipsters it’s quite hard to get yourself out into the mainstream of hip-hop society. Granted there’s the odd exception, but overall there’s a lot of great hip-hop artists flying under the radar and this week’s first essential sound is a shining example of this. What The Kid Daytona brings to the table is a soothing blend of hypnotic wah wah guitar, jazzy keys and the best use of steel drums I’ve heard for some time. Musically speaking “Air Born” is very reminiscent of the recently deceased and greatly missed Guru, in particular his work from the Jazzamatazz recordings. In contrast to the more electro influenced and suped up hip-hop of today it’s a very welcome addition. Alongside the chilled out summer vibe the music provides, Daytona keeps underground integrity by giving us a solid example of tight intricate lyrics which focuses on the struggles of succeding in the highly saturated hip-hop scene. All this is remarkably complimented by a guest verse from UGK’s Bun B. Whether you’re an old school hip-hop head or not, “Air Born” is the perfect track to get you in the mood for the upcoming summer season.
2. “Foolin” by Devandra Banhart
Some may say that Devandra Banhart is already an established figure of diverse musical tastes but not one to limit his creativity the bearded indie rogue has switched gear yet again. Bringing us a fresh sounding reggae vibe with “Foolin”, Devandra blends his singer songwriter sensibilities with a somewhat traditional mix of bouncy drum patterns and funky guitar licks. The American troubador also seals the deal here by inserting a wonderfully melodic delivery which is backed up by a good use of vocal harmonies. This not only notches up another well crafted number for the Texan native but also serves us the listener with a lovely slice of audible sunshine.
3. “Heavy” by Chase n Status featuring Dizzee Rascal
Heavy by name, heavy by nature. This unattached collaboration between super producers Chase n Status and ambassador of UK hip-hop Dizzee Rascal punches the roof into the red in terms of decibels. The most interesting dynamic here is that musicaly it seems as if Chase n Status are venturing into new ground while Dizzee’s vocal contribution is very much akin to his Boy In Da Corner LP roots. Not to knock his work of late in the slightest but “Heavy” is certainly a reminder of the Mercury Prize winning MC’s ability to cut deep and go hard when giving the right tools to work with. A mixed bag of big sub bass lines, crunching drums, sharp horn stabs, 8 bit glitching and air raid sirens, “Heavy” is so loud and viscious that it won’t just blow the bloody doors off it will bring the house down!
4. “Spanish Sahara” by Foals
Despite the single being out for a few weeks now I felt compelled with the release of Foals’ sophomore effort Total Life Forever to shine a light on one of their standout tracks and a serious contender for song of the year “Spanish Sahara”. In comparison to their previous material “Sahara” is a delicate, sombre and thought provoking thing of beauty. The haunting unison of slow burning guitar lines and vocal delivery from frontman Yannis linger in your ear and heart like a mournful ghost of breaks up past. The lyrics are just as distinct, in particular the echoed line of “I’m the fury in your head, I’m the fury in your bed, I’m the ghost in the back of your head” paints a picture of a love impossible to let go. Add all this to a crescendo of scrambled single note based fretwork and bleeding snyths and you have the audio equivalent of a baby hurricane of cherry blossoms, never threatening but incredibly captivating and magnificent.
5. “Lately” by Memory House
There must be something in the water up in Canada as again we have another truly exceptional export of theirs on display this week. Memoryhouse who were initially brought together as an art project to escape the severity of the winter season consist of neo classical composer and photographer Evan Abeele and Denise Nouvion. Together this unlikely pairing have created a wonderful feeling of prescious melancholy with “Lately”. Consisting primarily of velvet like guitar riffs shrouded by clouds of light distortion and prolonged lingerings of sweet sounding crystal pads “Lately” conjures up images of a sepia toned dreamscape flickering through a film projector. Memoryhouse have not only given us an essential sound here but have bookmarked themself as an act to keep a keen eye on.
Kanichiwa interwebbers it is I, your friendly neighbourhood music guru, and as ever from my headquarters here in Blighty I have been scouring the land for the best new music to keep your ears and soul at peace. This weeks essential sounds sees us travel through a sonic chamber of eclectic material bringing you a buffet of hip-hop, electro, punk and everything else bar the kitchen sink so grab a pair of headphones, plug in and take off.
1. “We Are Water” by Health
Californian noise rock troop Health return with a taste of new material in the form of “We Are Water”. Despite having only been in action since 2007 the LA based group have made somewhat of a name for themselves and with their latest single they are making all the right moves to further develop their reputation. On first reflection the potent mix of pounding drums and distorted ambience come across as a cocktail of sound which consists of equal measures fear and intoxication. This is the tracks strength and fortunatly for the listener it never dies down, gripping you by the ear drum and the jugular until the ride is over. This is an essential track because basically it is the equivalent of adrenaline pumping through your blood stream, it gets under your skin and becomes a part of you.
2. “Shutterbug” by Big Boi
The often underated and overlooked other half of ATL’s iconic Hip hop duo Outkast, Big Boi further pursues his solo career with this hard hitting certified club banger! If “Shutterbug” is to be seen as a sample for what we can expect from Big Boi’s debut album Sir Luscious Left Foot then the early signs are good, very good. The expected soul and funk influence we’ve come to establish Big Boi with is ever present but under the production guidance of Scott Storch there is much more commercial appeal in the form of its big beat rhythm and squelchy synth work. All of this is topped off with Big Boi’s quick delivered and always on point flow, some may see this as move towards selling out but really its a long overdue move out of the shadows.
3. “Rambling Man” by Laura Marling
On her 2008 track “New Romantic” English singer songwriter Laura Marling makes a reference to fellow musician Ryan Adams and in particular his music. In her latest single “Rambling Man” his influence on her work has never been more noticeable. The tender and beautiful nature of the song distinctly echoes the tone of Adams debut album Heartbreaker. At the young age of 20 years old Marling writes with the whimsy and experience of someone ten years her elder. The beauty behind the track is its simplicity, the stripped down structure of guitar, drums and the ever fashionable banjo mixed with haunting harmonies and the sweet sticking beauty of Miss Marling’s voice make for an excellent example of delicate yet unforgettable song crafting.
4. “Born Free” by M.I.A
It’s been three long years since Mathangi Arulpragasm, better known as M.I.A last had an album of new material for the world to revel in and despite a little tease of new music earlier this year she has been rather quiet. Until now that is, “Born” Free is the first official single from the forthcoming as of yet untitled Lp and believe me it dosent dissapoint. Kick starting with thrasing crescendo of drums it’s not long before the infectious bass line sinks it’s claws in and the track takes off like a rocket. Swelling with plenty of punk rock attitude and dancefloor swagger “Born Free” would be just as well suited to a riot as it would an underground club. Of course not one to shy away from thought provoking lyrical content its clear to see that after six years in the buisness she still has just as much if not more to get off her chest. Take all this and throw in some grimey distorted vocals and a rebel rousing one line chorus and you have all the right ingredients for a truly essential song.
5. “Celestica” by Crystal Castles
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that you will be hard pressed to find a more euphoric experience than this new exhibit from one of Canada’s finest exports Crystal Castles. Packed with a pulsating rhythm, swelling keyboard lines and a sun shower of synthesised delight its easy to see why I love this song so much. Alongside the shades of classic house music it seems as if the electronic duo have turned their ear to contemporary trends as well. A good example of this can be found in the lowered pitch of the vocal harmonies which are somewhat representative of UK Dubstep artist Burial. However the real gloss which makes the track shine bright is the pop like vocals of band member Alice Glass. To accompany the versatile instrumentation, Glass gives us one of the sweetest melodies you’re likely to hear in this genre.
I’m currently packing for a trip to Atlanta tomorrow in order to take part in www.RedNoseNet.com so I didn’t have time this week to talk about the album “Volume 2” from She & Him (which is going to be my soundtrack for this summer, I can already tell) and the new album coming out from The Bluetones called A New Athens (which I got a pre-general release listen to and knocked my socks off). It’s a shame because by the time I do another one of these they’ll be old news. Just go listen to them yourself and thank me later. Luckily though I only had a few requests in my inbox this time round so let’s get cracking.
This is my MySpace music review column. There are many like it, but this one’s mines. My MySpace page is my best friend. It is my life. I must master my friends list as I must master my life. Without me, my MySpace is useless, without my MySpace, I am useless. I must fire my reviews true. I must shoot straighter than my readers who are trying to kill me, I must shoot the musicians before they shoot me. I will. Before God I swear this creed: My music review column and myself are the defenders of MySpace, we are the masters of our enemy, we are the saviors of my ears. So be it, until there is no friend requests, but peace. Amen
———————————————————————— WRIL www.myspace.com/wrillove
Wril is an R&B crooner from Chicago. I don’t get too many R&B singers sending me requests. Due to this being such an unusual event I feel I should do something a little different with this critique. I’m going to summon the pop gods of American Idol in order to truly give Wril the grilling he deserves.
Randy Jackson: Yo dawg, listen up. You know I like you right? I like what you’re doing. Some sexy ballads with an old school vibe. You and me are old school, right dawg? But yo, listen up. You were on pitch most of the time, I can’t fault you for that but I felt it lacked a bit of power is places. I needed it to punch through to the other side. But overall I thought it was nice. Good job. What you think, E?
Ellen Degeneres: Are you wrilly Wril? I wrilly don’t know. But I do know that I liked it. Your performance had some touching moments. I enjoyed it. It was definitely entertaining. But your name is wrilly silly.
Kara DioGuardi: First of all, let me make gestures with my hands for about 5 minutes. Then make ridiculous constipated faces… I really felt your emotion when singing. I felt like you really connected with your music and that this was a work of passion for you. Don’t you just want to punch me in the face though? I mean, seriously, how annoying am I?
Simon Cowell: If we’re being honest with each other here, and we are, that wasn’t great. It was OK, you sang it well and it was genuine but I’ve heard this a million times before and a million times better. I just don’t see how I can make enough money out of you for this to be worth it. Please fuck off.
And that’s kind of how I felt about it all. Nice to listen to, I can’t fault the guy for being sincere, but unfortunately nothing really stood out as being amazing. As a result it means the whole thing has to be classified as a bit average. But I wouldn’t put the guy down.
And Wrily really is a silly name. Made worse by song titles “She’s The Wril Deal”, “I Wrilly Want To Be Yours” and “Wril Love”. Barf.
Presentation = 4/5 Content = Some lame bio but plenty of music on show. Music = 3/5 Friend Request = DENIED!
If you think you have heard Alx Gee’s songs before, it’s possibly because you’ve heard them blaring from the inside of a Fiat Punto as it’s tracksuit bedazzled driver sped past you. Yes, Mr Gee is a purveyor of dance music.
It would be fair to say that I have no interest in this. In any way shape or form. Unless I’m rat-arsed drunk in a club, dance music doesn’t speak to me. Not this kind anyway. I could mention the good stuff like Daft Punk, Faithless, Chemical Brothers etc but because they’re so good they transcend dance music and incorporate a little bit of everything. They’re more than just “put your hands in the air” cheesy house techno.
As a result of my feelings, I was never going to give this a fair shake. It sounds like something I used to make with the Music game on my Playstation 1.
There is also a weird thing I noticed (and no, I’m not talking about his name). In the “Friends” section of his profile he has a second profile of himself. Interested, I clicked to find that it’s the exact same profile in every way except he has two different songs rather than the three he has on the other page. What is the point of this?
Also, how does this dude have over 225,000 plays on each song? That’s insane for an unsigned artist. I mean, the guy has a desperate plea for a manager in his bio. How is he pulling this off? I’ve got to tip my hat to him for this at the very least.
There isn’t much to his page though. Three songs, no videos and his pictures are set to private (I had to google search for a picture to put in this article). Meh. Back to the loch with you Nessie.
Presentation = 3/5 Content = Shite all. Music = 2/5 Friend Request = DENIED!
This woman is a bit of a bombshell. There seems to be a trend with this column that every week I get at least one friend request from a musician that just stumps me. Poetic K is a head scratcher. First of all let me try and describe the music or at least categorize it.
Poetic is a good moniker to give herself as there is a major hint that Ms. K is some sort of modern beatnik punk poet. Most of her songs sound like poems being recited to an alt rock soundtrack. She never really sings and she doesn’t really shout. It’s a kind of Marilyn Monroe performance; if she hung out with some goths. I don’t think she could squeeze any more sex or cutesy tone into her voice if she got a crowbar and Tweetie Pie.
Now I’ve never believed there to be much influence from a producer in rock music. Hip-Hop, certainly, but not rock. However, if ever there was someone screaming out for the need of a producer it’s this lady. Or at the very least better sound equipment because whoever put this together leaves things very loose. Now I understand that she’s probably going for that freaky, free style but it just comes across as sloppy. Sound dips and raises in bizarre places, it’s so off that I refuse to believe it’s on purpose.
I think if this was my first week doing this, I would probably have torn Poetic K a new one but to be honest I think she honestly has to be put in perspective. While I don’t think I’ll ever be on board for this kind of artsy rock I have to give her kudos for at the very least being an original sound. I come by so many sound-a-likes and generic bands that to have someone who even gets my attention and makes me think is a bit of a winner.
Give her a listen. At worst, you’ll know what’s going on in Berlin.
Presentation = 1/5 Content = Messy lay out but I suppose there is more than enough here to keep you occupied. Music = 3/5 Friend Request = DISAPPEARED!
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– If you want to be in the firing line for one of Aaron’s reviews, send a friend request to www.myspace.com/aaronhbp and he will reload for next time.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
I’m Ken Plume, and soon you’ll be listening to “A Bit Of A Chat” with me, Ken Plume.
