I’m just starting to get into, and understand how to get the best of podcasts – this one - is my favourite find so far (apart from the Ricky Gervais one) – its a free feed of electronic, ambient music…all EXCELLENT quality, and really listenable. I highly recommend this. You can download at the blog, or subscribe to the feed, or do both via itunes.
Once last thing before I shuffle off the planet
I will be the one to make you crawl
So I came down to wish you an unhappy birthday
Someone call the ambulance, theres gonna be an accident.I’m coming up on infrared, there is no running that can hide you,
Cos’ I can see in the dark.
I’m coming up on infrared, forget your running I will find you.One thing before we start the final face off,
I will be the one to watch you fall
So I came down to crash your…beggars banquet,
Someone call the ambulance, theres gonna be an accidentI’m coming up on infrared, there is no running that can hide you,
Cos’ I can see in the dark.
I’m coming up on infrared, forget your running I will find you, find you.
Placebo – InfraRed
For a while now, I’ve been reading about using technology for finding new music…exploring new tools, and ensuring that I stay on top of the music that interests me, rather than just blindly streaming music from the Radio (which generally is not what I want to hear). I’ve been using last.fm for ages now, to capture what I am listening to – and then using its recommendations engine to find new things.
This article (long – but worth the read) lists some of the other work (and last.fm) that is going on out there on the internets to utilise the power of metadata and recommendations to keep that personal playlist as fresh as possible.
My first new music review of 2006 – and its an absolute corker, The Tonights self titled album is a killer CD – kicking off with perfect power-pop in the shape of ‘Tiptoes’ it wanders through a selection of great tracks, some piano ballads like ‘By Myself; with its added horn section and some downtempo, intense brooding tracks like ‘Homunculous’ and the closer ‘Red Velvet Goat’. The female vocals, are mixed well – pure and honest sounding, coupled with cool guitars and excellent drumming – and scatterings of horns and pianos to enrich the sound. Its an album that could be filed alongside many of the 90′s female influenced bands (Elastica maybe?) – but its sound and production is clean and current – and sat well on a couple of long drives in the car over Christmas. A friend gave me a copy of this CD – which is from Australia (I can’t find it for sale in the UK right now), but I fully expect to see this in the UK press very soon. Excellent album – hunt this down and make it your first great album of 2006.
Its about that time when everyone who runs a website -decides on their favourite stuff of the year. Top Ten lists are absolutley everywhere – like opinions, everyone seems to have one, and I don’t want to be the odd one out in the blogosphere. So – for a start, are my top ten albums of 2005.
Honorable Mentions – the nearly theres
Gorillaz – Demon Days : Well, half a good album is better than nothing, great collaboraions and superb production
The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers : Beautiful, jangling pop with hhoney sweet vocals.
Babyshambles – Down in Albion : Louche, angry pop music, with self destruct button permanently engaged.
Stumble through the crowds together,
They’re trying to ignore us. That’s OK.
I’m proud to be the one you hold when the shakes begin
Sallow skinned, starry eyed, blessed, in our sin.
Elbow – Powderblue
I’ve done both actually – Ian Brown, live at Brixton Academy yesterday – and its a late contender for the ‘gig of 2005′. Ian Brown and his band ambled on stage about 9.30ish – and opened up with two legendary Stone Roses tunes : ‘I wanna be adored’ and ‘Made of Stone’ , its a gig opening that will stay in my mind for a long time, football stadium style singing from us lot…little left-right marching from Mr Brown, awesome start. Then a good ramble through solo stuff – Dolphins were Monkeys, All Ablaze (with magic question mark writing in the air…), personal highlights of the evening were ‘Sweet Fantastic’ and ‘Time is my Everything’ – and then two encores… with FEAR getting one of the biggest cheers of the night, followed by ‘Return of the Fisherman’ and ‘She Bangs the Drums’ to send everyone home happy, even the most die hard Roses fans. Bloody amazing, full of style and energy – loads of passion. Brilliant night out. Photos here.
Richard Hawley – Coles Corner : tonight, Richard Hawley will be on Jools Holland, and I feel confident that sales of this terrific album will soar tomorrow (some of you maybe hear after googling following that performance). I would recommend you don’t delay too much – click on the picture at the left and go and buy your copy now. There really aren’t many albums made like this anymore – when you pop it in your CD player you will understand. The opening track will just blow you away – string led, melancholic and beautiful, it reminded me of Scott Walker and Bacharach in places – and my expectations were high for the rest of the album. Coles Corner doesn’t disappoint with beautiful, melancholic, gentle and lush songs reminiscent of the finest Roy Orbison moments – filled with rich vocals and vintage sounding steel guitar. Stand out tracks are ‘Born under a Bad Sign’, ‘Tonight’ and the opener ‘Coles Corner’ – but really, all the tracks are superb. This is his fourth album, and I’m off to buy the first three – and then go and find the material he made with the Longpigs. Please – don’t delay, buy this – and let it keep you warm through the winter.
You burn too bright, You live too fast…
This can’t go on too long, you’re a tragedy waiting to happen
Elbow – Red
Andrew Kendall is an independant music photographer, who has been published in the NME, Independant etc – and recently had all of his equipment stolen in a mugging, like a DJ or musician or even a plumber…his tools are his trade -without his camera he can’t survive, so he has come up with a novel way of getting some cash together for a camera…he’s selling prints from his online gallery. Now I could have been cynical and mentioned insurance etc, or argued that he just wants an upgrade…but I’m feeling less cynical than normal today -and I invested just 15 quid in this fantastic picture of one my heroes.
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