More tunes for your Friday/Saturday/Sunday playlists...
Chunking - Stay Up Forever (LP)
An amazing album and another which shows that using instruments and being a band are not necessarily precursors to making boring music.
Frankmusic - Confusion Girl
It’s been a while since we’ve had some good amyl pop to throw ourselves around to and this is so good it almost provides the headrush for you.
Robyn - Be Mine
See above.
Lil Chris - SexyBack
Master Hardman’s only-slightly-spoilt-by-Gym-Class-fucking-Heroes comeback single has reminded us of this little gem from around the last album campaign. Key lyric “I’m Little Chris, I wear a stupid hat”. Amazing. TAKE IT TO THE WALRUS!
Paul Simon - The Russian Futurists
We bought a new phone the other week and on it came preinstalled this song about which we know nothing other than
a) It sounds like the Grandstand theme tune
b) It’s crying out for some sort of remix
c) We probably shouldn’t like it as much we do :(
UPDATE! - This is actually a song by The Russian Futurists called 'Paul Simon', NOT a song by Paul Simon called 'The Russian Futurists'. Another shining example of our immaculate research, there. (Thanks to James M for the info).
MIA - Kala (LP)
STILL.
Francis Monkman - The Long Good Friday Theme
It simply does not get much more ‘Friday Night’ than this.
Happy weekend!
x
31 August 2007
Something about Razorlight (??!!!)
Razorlight, for the uninitiated, are a ‘seminal’ indie band - loved by everyone from Jo Whiley to Edith Bowman - who make very important records with black and white covers (the covers feature a lot of white because that increases the importance).
Recently they played a gig at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank, which apparently is not a shopping centre. We sent a roving reporter, who took this photo (as you can see it is very nearly up to the standard of those taken by our own ‘in-house snapper‘):
Fortunately for our mole they missed Editors, who supported, but were seated in time to see Johnny and the boys slay the arena. And what was the verdict on this most momentous of occasions? Let’s not wait to find out!
“It was shit; the new album is boring and they only played about two songs that I know. Basically it would have been a lot more fun stood in a field listening to the radio, which, thanks to the venue’s ‘facilities‘, it pretty much smelled like we were doing anyway.”
Oh.
(Thanks to Cherry T for the report).
Recently they played a gig at Edinburgh’s Meadowbank, which apparently is not a shopping centre. We sent a roving reporter, who took this photo (as you can see it is very nearly up to the standard of those taken by our own ‘in-house snapper‘):
Fortunately for our mole they missed Editors, who supported, but were seated in time to see Johnny and the boys slay the arena. And what was the verdict on this most momentous of occasions? Let’s not wait to find out!
“It was shit; the new album is boring and they only played about two songs that I know. Basically it would have been a lot more fun stood in a field listening to the radio, which, thanks to the venue’s ‘facilities‘, it pretty much smelled like we were doing anyway.”
Oh.
(Thanks to Cherry T for the report).
30 August 2007
YouTube presents...
Time for a roundup of our favourite recent videos.
Common ft. Lily Allen - Drivin’ Me Wild
In which a particularly stunning Lily sings and looks pretty in a variety of outfits ESPECIALLY THE AMAZING SPACESUIT ONE.
KT Tunstall - Hold On
In which the loveable guitar popster dances and looks amazing in a variety of themed outfits BUT NOT THE COUNTRY AND WESTERN ONE.
Lil’ Chris - Clothes Off
In which everyone’s favourite ‘cheeky popstar’ contradicts himself by clearly having a good time removing some clothes.
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
In which Justice do similar things to Lil’ Chris, but with fancy technology instead of strings.
Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No
In which the girls pair MASSIVE dresses and frankly terrifying eye makeup in a video that for once makes them look like something other than The Girls Of FHM.
Hurrah!
If you’ve seen a ‘promo’ that didn’t make you want to kick your telly in, tell us about it.
N.B. Anyone recommending the new Editors video, even ’for a laugh’, will be banned.
Common ft. Lily Allen - Drivin’ Me Wild
In which a particularly stunning Lily sings and looks pretty in a variety of outfits ESPECIALLY THE AMAZING SPACESUIT ONE.
KT Tunstall - Hold On
In which the loveable guitar popster dances and looks amazing in a variety of themed outfits BUT NOT THE COUNTRY AND WESTERN ONE.
Lil’ Chris - Clothes Off
In which everyone’s favourite ‘cheeky popstar’ contradicts himself by clearly having a good time removing some clothes.
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
In which Justice do similar things to Lil’ Chris, but with fancy technology instead of strings.
Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No
In which the girls pair MASSIVE dresses and frankly terrifying eye makeup in a video that for once makes them look like something other than The Girls Of FHM.
Hurrah!
If you’ve seen a ‘promo’ that didn’t make you want to kick your telly in, tell us about it.
N.B. Anyone recommending the new Editors video, even ’for a laugh’, will be banned.
Alphabeat Goes On
We’ve been meaning to write about Alphabeat (admittedly 400 years after everyone else) since we added them on MySpace and they sent us a delightfully garbled request to be put in our top friends.
Their music (a sort of CSS-meets-Junior Senior-meets-a big bag of party drugs type affair) meant that their request was duly met and we vowed to do something about them ASAP.
Now, only two months later, and thanks to this story on Popjustice, we bring you news that the amazing Alphabeat are set to release ’Fantastic Six’ at some point this autumn.
Hurrah!
This is the video:
Nice outfits.
Their music (a sort of CSS-meets-Junior Senior-meets-a big bag of party drugs type affair) meant that their request was duly met and we vowed to do something about them ASAP.
Now, only two months later, and thanks to this story on Popjustice, we bring you news that the amazing Alphabeat are set to release ’Fantastic Six’ at some point this autumn.
Hurrah!
This is the video:
Nice outfits.
Important Facebook News
The View covering The Libertines...
...on that Radio 1 40th Anniversary CD.
That came 'full circle', didn't it?
That came 'full circle', didn't it?
23 August 2007
Some long overdue words about Vicky Nolan
Ages ago - literally ages ago - we made brief mention of the lovely Vicky Nolan and her even lovelier song ‘Look Out Your Window’.
Since then Vicky has recorded new songs and had new pictures taken of herself, all of which can be heard and seen at her MySpace (some of the pictures of Vicky in a field have been removed but we haven’t asked her why yet so we will have to assume there that was some kind of rural legal ‘altercation’).
What do we know about Vicky Nolan?
:: She’s got basically the best possible surname.
:: Her music is quite laid back but not actually boring.
:: She is a singer and a songwriter and she sings the songs she writes.
:: She’s ‘not exactly ugly’.
:: In other words, she’s quite fit.
:: She is the sort of artist you put on when you are tired of being a drunken idiot and think to yourself “Yes, Song 4 Mutya is good, but that was last night and right now I would rather be alone with my hangover, some Coco Pops and some nice music. I am covered in bruises and I don’t actually remember getting home, I especially don’t remember that weirdo on my settee; I’m going to have to kick him out quite soon and before that I’d just like ten minutes where I can sit back, forget this headache and listen to something that’s not likely to make my head spin clean off my shoulders.”
Other than that all you need to know is that she’s very good and well worth investigating, especially if silky, soothing, Sunday-morning singing is your cup of strong espresso.
We will let you know about the photos of Vicky in a field and why they were taken down as soon as we get around to emailing her.
x
Since then Vicky has recorded new songs and had new pictures taken of herself, all of which can be heard and seen at her MySpace (some of the pictures of Vicky in a field have been removed but we haven’t asked her why yet so we will have to assume there that was some kind of rural legal ‘altercation’).
What do we know about Vicky Nolan?
:: She’s got basically the best possible surname.
:: Her music is quite laid back but not actually boring.
:: She is a singer and a songwriter and she sings the songs she writes.
:: She’s ‘not exactly ugly’.
:: In other words, she’s quite fit.
:: She is the sort of artist you put on when you are tired of being a drunken idiot and think to yourself “Yes, Song 4 Mutya is good, but that was last night and right now I would rather be alone with my hangover, some Coco Pops and some nice music. I am covered in bruises and I don’t actually remember getting home, I especially don’t remember that weirdo on my settee; I’m going to have to kick him out quite soon and before that I’d just like ten minutes where I can sit back, forget this headache and listen to something that’s not likely to make my head spin clean off my shoulders.”
Other than that all you need to know is that she’s very good and well worth investigating, especially if silky, soothing, Sunday-morning singing is your cup of strong espresso.
We will let you know about the photos of Vicky in a field and why they were taken down as soon as we get around to emailing her.
x
Name Change Poll: The Result
Many thanks to those of you who emailed with a response to our latest poll, asking which was the better name: Yo Chomsky! or Hola Zizec!
We got a record four million replies, the consensus appearing to be - and we really are paraphrasing this as little as possible - “they are both shit”.
Thanks again for that, viewers.
We got a record four million replies, the consensus appearing to be - and we really are paraphrasing this as little as possible - “they are both shit”.
Thanks again for that, viewers.
Non-rubbish New Band Alert!
Another decent lot from the Northwest. It's a trend!
What have Daley Thompson, Sebastian Coe, Fatima Whitbread and an unknown band from Carlisle got in common? The answer, apart from bulging muscles and a winning mentality, is that they are all Stars Of Track & Field.
Allow us to explain. You may remember that recently we went to an all-day music festival and quite enjoyed hearing a band called Stars Of Track & Field, whose ability to impress us was remarkable on two counts:
1) They were the first band on and everyone was sat down at the back
2) We were still sober enough to hold a valid opinion on live music
After the set we spoke to Blake and Jenni from the band and were able to garner the following EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION:
:: They argue over what genre they are
:: They argue over what their best song is
:: They argue quite a lot really
Despite the apparent disharmony within the group they are very friendly people and appear to get on quite well with each other, at least in front of strangers.
But enough about the people, what about the music?
SOT+F are a tricky barrel of fish whose genre confusion is quite understandable. They fuse elements of indiepop, rock and ska (wait, come back! etc.) into a great big shouty party sound that is a lot more infectious than it has any real right to be.
Their first EP, ‘Not Here To Shop’ is a tidy effort that makes up in enthusiasm and wanton hook-dropping what it lacks in production.
Opener ‘Temporary Thing’ betrays the band’s ska side the most; its verses lolling atop a steady reggae-tinged riff before exploding into a chorus of crazy blues punk frenzy (really). They carry the quiet bit/loud bit trick over into EP highlight ‘Fall Of Everything’, a track that showcases singer Jenni’s not-inconsiderable vocal talents. This year a lot has been said about how great Beth Ditto shouting all over the place is, but in reality it’s reassuring to find a singer that can shout and sing, and do either, with equal ease, at the drop of a bassline.
The rest of the EP doesn’t quite match up to the opening, but it has a good go: ‘Night Out Of Hell’’s Coral-esque time changes give way to a breakdown that brings to mind Karen O narrating the end of the world over The Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind’, while ‘Take Off’ is the sort of sweet ballad that - if the OC was still going - would probably see the band signed up to soundtrack an ‘emotional’ break-up scene and catapulted to global stardom.
So there you have it. Another good thing about SOT+F is that - unlike 99% of jobbing rock bands who want everything handed to them on a fucking plate - they are prepared to work hard to get noticed, and seem to have a basic grasp of what ‘getting noticed’ actually entails - their next major objective is to play Manchester as often as possible and bassist Blake works tirelessly at building a list of contacts and MySpace friends. With Stars Of Track & Fields’ infectious enthusiasm for what they do, it’s little surprise these contacts often become fans.
Stars Of Track & Field On MySpace
What have Daley Thompson, Sebastian Coe, Fatima Whitbread and an unknown band from Carlisle got in common? The answer, apart from bulging muscles and a winning mentality, is that they are all Stars Of Track & Field.
Allow us to explain. You may remember that recently we went to an all-day music festival and quite enjoyed hearing a band called Stars Of Track & Field, whose ability to impress us was remarkable on two counts:
1) They were the first band on and everyone was sat down at the back
2) We were still sober enough to hold a valid opinion on live music
After the set we spoke to Blake and Jenni from the band and were able to garner the following EXCLUSIVE INFORMATION:
:: They argue over what genre they are
:: They argue over what their best song is
:: They argue quite a lot really
Despite the apparent disharmony within the group they are very friendly people and appear to get on quite well with each other, at least in front of strangers.
But enough about the people, what about the music?
SOT+F are a tricky barrel of fish whose genre confusion is quite understandable. They fuse elements of indiepop, rock and ska (wait, come back! etc.) into a great big shouty party sound that is a lot more infectious than it has any real right to be.
Their first EP, ‘Not Here To Shop’ is a tidy effort that makes up in enthusiasm and wanton hook-dropping what it lacks in production.
Opener ‘Temporary Thing’ betrays the band’s ska side the most; its verses lolling atop a steady reggae-tinged riff before exploding into a chorus of crazy blues punk frenzy (really). They carry the quiet bit/loud bit trick over into EP highlight ‘Fall Of Everything’, a track that showcases singer Jenni’s not-inconsiderable vocal talents. This year a lot has been said about how great Beth Ditto shouting all over the place is, but in reality it’s reassuring to find a singer that can shout and sing, and do either, with equal ease, at the drop of a bassline.
The rest of the EP doesn’t quite match up to the opening, but it has a good go: ‘Night Out Of Hell’’s Coral-esque time changes give way to a breakdown that brings to mind Karen O narrating the end of the world over The Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind’, while ‘Take Off’ is the sort of sweet ballad that - if the OC was still going - would probably see the band signed up to soundtrack an ‘emotional’ break-up scene and catapulted to global stardom.
So there you have it. Another good thing about SOT+F is that - unlike 99% of jobbing rock bands who want everything handed to them on a fucking plate - they are prepared to work hard to get noticed, and seem to have a basic grasp of what ‘getting noticed’ actually entails - their next major objective is to play Manchester as often as possible and bassist Blake works tirelessly at building a list of contacts and MySpace friends. With Stars Of Track & Fields’ infectious enthusiasm for what they do, it’s little surprise these contacts often become fans.
Stars Of Track & Field On MySpace
20 August 2007
V Good Show
Despatches from our mole at the V Festival…
* Lily Allen is very pretty and petite in the flesh.
* Sophie Ellis Bextor is very skinny indeed and her son is cursed with not only bright ginger hair but curly, bright ginger hair.
* Robyn looks pretty old close up.
* Despite not really liking his music, Paulo Nutini made me go slightly weak at the knees.
* Iggy Pop made me go very weak at the knees, especially as i got to watch from the side of the stage. Ditto Jarvis
* Graham Coxon should play more old stuff. And maybe not headline half-empty tents.
* The new Sugababe turned up as a guest of Mutya. AT THE WRONG SITE.
* Kanye West sat in his posh car most of the time then got someone to gaffer tape bins bags over his feet so his white trainers stayed pristine.
* Peter Kay is lovely but didn't go on stage with the Proclaimers.
* The singer from James looks so much like Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon that I found it difficult not to laugh.
* The Manics’ new guitarist is called Wayne. He used to be in 90s indie boyband Catch, and then thirteen:thirteen. This is not new information from the weekend but he was being a dick so I want to ridicule him as much as possible.
* Nicky Wire is still a really, really lovely bloke though. As is Dave Grohl.
* There was a sign saying 'due to circumstances beyond our control, the Kooks will be headlining the Channel Four stage this evening'. I laughed. Lots. But not in the singer's face, which would have been much better.
(Thanks to Holly C for this.)
* Lily Allen is very pretty and petite in the flesh.
* Sophie Ellis Bextor is very skinny indeed and her son is cursed with not only bright ginger hair but curly, bright ginger hair.
* Robyn looks pretty old close up.
* Despite not really liking his music, Paulo Nutini made me go slightly weak at the knees.
* Iggy Pop made me go very weak at the knees, especially as i got to watch from the side of the stage. Ditto Jarvis
* Graham Coxon should play more old stuff. And maybe not headline half-empty tents.
* The new Sugababe turned up as a guest of Mutya. AT THE WRONG SITE.
* Kanye West sat in his posh car most of the time then got someone to gaffer tape bins bags over his feet so his white trainers stayed pristine.
* Peter Kay is lovely but didn't go on stage with the Proclaimers.
* The singer from James looks so much like Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon that I found it difficult not to laugh.
* The Manics’ new guitarist is called Wayne. He used to be in 90s indie boyband Catch, and then thirteen:thirteen. This is not new information from the weekend but he was being a dick so I want to ridicule him as much as possible.
* Nicky Wire is still a really, really lovely bloke though. As is Dave Grohl.
* There was a sign saying 'due to circumstances beyond our control, the Kooks will be headlining the Channel Four stage this evening'. I laughed. Lots. But not in the singer's face, which would have been much better.
(Thanks to Holly C for this.)
19 August 2007
Newton On Song
Showbiz journalist, sociology professor, avid follower of Liverpool FC; now you can add ‘satirist’ and ‘whiz with words’ to Victoria Newton’s growing list of talents.
Commenting on the troubles surrounding Amy Winehouse - most of which Newton herself has helped to create - the nation’s favourite pop hack thought she’d offer her own spin on a couple old standards, giving them a spooftastic twist.
“In, out, in, out, Blake
is always about,
Amy does some cokey
and she turns around,
That’s what it’s all
about.”
Ahem.
It’s helpfully labelled ‘to the tune of the Hokey Cokey’, just in case you, quite rightly, had NO FUCKING IDEA what Vicky was blathering on about. “Amy does some Cokey”? The woman sounds like someone’s gran trying to be cool. Then again she looks like someone’s gran trying to be cool too, so we suppose it’s to be expected.
Not content with dishing out her peculiar form of justice via mere playground singalongs, Professor Newton also spoofs Amy’s hit ‘Rehab’ - with hilarious results.
“They tried to make me
go to rehab,
I said yes..
no, then yes again.”
…
FUCK OFF.
Commenting on the troubles surrounding Amy Winehouse - most of which Newton herself has helped to create - the nation’s favourite pop hack thought she’d offer her own spin on a couple old standards, giving them a spooftastic twist.
“In, out, in, out, Blake
is always about,
Amy does some cokey
and she turns around,
That’s what it’s all
about.”
Ahem.
It’s helpfully labelled ‘to the tune of the Hokey Cokey’, just in case you, quite rightly, had NO FUCKING IDEA what Vicky was blathering on about. “Amy does some Cokey”? The woman sounds like someone’s gran trying to be cool. Then again she looks like someone’s gran trying to be cool too, so we suppose it’s to be expected.
Not content with dishing out her peculiar form of justice via mere playground singalongs, Professor Newton also spoofs Amy’s hit ‘Rehab’ - with hilarious results.
“They tried to make me
go to rehab,
I said yes..
no, then yes again.”
…
FUCK OFF.
Say 'No' (to the) Patrol
Nicky Wire - who, for younger viewers, is a bit like Lily Allen but more feminine - has always been dependable when it comes to providing funny, accurate and acerbic assessments of the careers of fellow popstars and institutions.
He once advocated building a bypass over Glastonbury while he was actually on stage at the festival. He compared baggy bands to Hitler, which, in the wake of The Twang, does not seem like such an irrational line to draw. He also said some nasty things about Michael Stipe that Boy George did not find very funny.
Anyway, he’s been at it again, this time offing his mouth in the direction of Snow Patrol, surely one of the most dreary and pointless bands of all time. Seriously, if the question was posed, “should we close down the music industry?”, Snow Patrol would be our first answer in the column marked YES OF COURSE WE FUCKING SHOULD.
Nicky’s take on the band is more blunt:
“There’s something utterly shit and deplorable about them. It’s a desperate form of music: the endless repeated lines over and over, the same drab fucking little thing.”
Now that - if you discount any ‘pot/kettle/boring’ accusations that might be levelled at the post-Richey ‘Manics’ - is what we call spot fucking on.
Hurrah!
x
He once advocated building a bypass over Glastonbury while he was actually on stage at the festival. He compared baggy bands to Hitler, which, in the wake of The Twang, does not seem like such an irrational line to draw. He also said some nasty things about Michael Stipe that Boy George did not find very funny.
Anyway, he’s been at it again, this time offing his mouth in the direction of Snow Patrol, surely one of the most dreary and pointless bands of all time. Seriously, if the question was posed, “should we close down the music industry?”, Snow Patrol would be our first answer in the column marked YES OF COURSE WE FUCKING SHOULD.
Nicky’s take on the band is more blunt:
“There’s something utterly shit and deplorable about them. It’s a desperate form of music: the endless repeated lines over and over, the same drab fucking little thing.”
Now that - if you discount any ‘pot/kettle/boring’ accusations that might be levelled at the post-Richey ‘Manics’ - is what we call spot fucking on.
Hurrah!
x
14 August 2007
Night Time Essentials
We went to the wonderful Keys Money Lipstick in Manchester last Friday.Here are four reasons why it is wonderful.
Hang on a minute...
...here we go:
1) Location, location, location. The Star and Garter, while host to some hilariously-bad Morrissey fan nights (where smiling is literally frowned upon), is perfectly situated for parties like KML. Close enough to town for people to get there, yet far enough away to ensure that WKD-drinking shirt boys don’t come causing trouble, the result is…
2) Good atmosphere. Literally everyone at Keys Money Lipstick is your friend. Even the ones trying maintain an air of cool by steadfastly refusing to dance. Speak to people, they will speak back, dance with people, they’ll dance back. Not many places can boast that.
3) Upstairs/downstairs. IF MORE CLUB NIGHTS COULD REALISE THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING A LOUD BIT UPSTAIRS AND A QUIET BIT DOWNSTAIRS, MORE CLUB NIGHTS WOULD BE WORTH GOING TO.
4) Amazing playlist. As Keys Money Lipstick’s 1st Birthday Mix proves, the emphasis here is firmly on modern, cutting edge indie music that you can shake it to. No throwbacks, no nostalgia, just solid, danceworthy, electro-edged 21st century indiepop. As it should be.
There are a lot of other reasons why KML is a good night, including the fact that local bands like The Tigerpicks (who are playing the night in a couple of weeks) randomly turn up for a couple of drinks, but above are the four main reasons why you should definitely not forget your Keys, Money or Lipstick ever again (ho ho ho, etc.)
x
Kate Nash - The Verdict!
So, the Kate Nash album.Apart from being one of the most unexpectedly-underwhelming pop events of the year, the release of her album finally gives us a chance to properly address the question that’s been on our lips since January: is Kate Nash amazing or a complete idiot?
The case for the prosecution (ie. she‘s an idiot):
:: At times the air of pretension threatens to destroy the album completely. You get the feeling that Kate Nash thinks she is very clever and would like everyone to know how clever Kate Nash is. Hence bizarre moments like the r-rolling on ‘Mariella’, which would be a much better song were it not for annoyances such as that.
:: ‘Dickhead’ (the song, not Kate). FUCKING HELL.
:: She hasn’t got the business sense to sell songs which obviously don’t suit her style, like ‘Pumpkin Song’, to other artists, preferring instead to stick them on a rushed album.
:: Clearly, she hasn’t learnt any lessons from the awful ‘Caroline Is A Victim’. Album opener and second worst musical moment of the year (after that aforementioned monstrosity) ‘Play’ is evidence of this, and will make you want to kick your speakers in.
The case for the defence (ie. she‘s amazing):
:: She is at least very talented.
:: Album highlight ‘Foundations’ is one of the best songs of the year, by any artist, full stop. A masterpiece of 21st relationship drama, the lyrics are only criticised by people who’ve always been too old, single and boring to understand them. A massive pop moment.
:: She’s got a thousand opinions.
:: In contrast to the decidedly-dubious Remi Nicole, who thinks a reference to Topshop and some bollocks about fighting in pubs makes you ‘real’, Kate Nash writes heartfelt songs that, pretentious or not, have obviously come from the mind of someone who’s lived a little. You’d pretty much have to be a murderer or something not to have a little weep over ‘Birds’.
The Verdict:
When posing our original question, we raised the possibility that Kate Nash was both amazing AND an idiot, and it looks like, ultimately, we got it right. Which means we’re going to have to say she’s amazing, because what proper pop star isn’t slightly idiotic too?
With ‘Made of Bricks’ it is a case of Nash being very good when she’s good and very bad when she’s bad. Which is forgivable on a debut, even in the make or break climate we live in. In songs like ’Foundations’, ’Mouthwash’, ’Birds’ and ’Merry Happy’ she has written some of the most beautiful, heartfelt and endearing tunes likely to emerge this year. Now if we can have more of that, and less of the silly voices, we’ll be on to a winner.
The Midweek Chart
1) Amy Winehouse - You’re Wondering Now
Sunkissed gospel ska b-side to Amy‘s new single, which sees our beehived hero asking herself “what to do / now you know this is the end” and “how you will pay / for the way you misbehaved” over jaunty skiffle type business. Get well soon you daft bat.
2) Grace - Stand Still
The chorus of this song, despite being absolute bollocks and patently terrible advice, is one of those moments when shoegazing indie grows some bollocks, starts to mean something and makes it feel like the entire fucking universe is flowing out of the speakers and into your heart. Best played several times very loud.
3) Sugababes - About You Now
This is seriously fucking good, the best ‘babes single for a long time, and a clear reminder that the sentiments echoed in the lyrics (basically, “yeah, so, sorry for messing you around, but I’ve realised I actually like you so if it’s okay with you can we get back together or something”) only ever work when spoken from the mouths of attractive young women.
4) Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No
Hearing the amazing new Sugababes single has not dampened our appetite for this any; nor has seeing the video, which features big flowing dresses, ridiculous eye make up and Nicola looking more beautiful than every other woman on the planet combined.
5) MIA - Kala
Still.
6) Keys Money Lipstick - 1st Birthday Mix
To celebrate their first anniversary, the lovely people from Keys Money Lipstick have put together a mix which you can download at their MySpace. Featuring gunslinger favourites MIA, Feist, and the killer CSS remix of The Cribs ‘Men’s Needs’ (plus loads more), it should give you some idea as to how amazing the KML night itself actually is.
Sunkissed gospel ska b-side to Amy‘s new single, which sees our beehived hero asking herself “what to do / now you know this is the end” and “how you will pay / for the way you misbehaved” over jaunty skiffle type business. Get well soon you daft bat.
2) Grace - Stand Still
The chorus of this song, despite being absolute bollocks and patently terrible advice, is one of those moments when shoegazing indie grows some bollocks, starts to mean something and makes it feel like the entire fucking universe is flowing out of the speakers and into your heart. Best played several times very loud.
3) Sugababes - About You Now
This is seriously fucking good, the best ‘babes single for a long time, and a clear reminder that the sentiments echoed in the lyrics (basically, “yeah, so, sorry for messing you around, but I’ve realised I actually like you so if it’s okay with you can we get back together or something”) only ever work when spoken from the mouths of attractive young women.
4) Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No
Hearing the amazing new Sugababes single has not dampened our appetite for this any; nor has seeing the video, which features big flowing dresses, ridiculous eye make up and Nicola looking more beautiful than every other woman on the planet combined.
5) MIA - Kala
Still.
6) Keys Money Lipstick - 1st Birthday Mix
To celebrate their first anniversary, the lovely people from Keys Money Lipstick have put together a mix which you can download at their MySpace. Featuring gunslinger favourites MIA, Feist, and the killer CSS remix of The Cribs ‘Men’s Needs’ (plus loads more), it should give you some idea as to how amazing the KML night itself actually is.
No giant women, plenty of Red Stripe
Gigs, especially ones that are underground, are usually only bearable for a maximum of 30 to 45 minutes. After that, the heat, noise and crowds of sweat-drenched drunks become too much for most people to take. So imagine our surprise on Sunday when we not only went to a gig that LASTED ALL DAY but was also underground - and enjoyed the shit out of it. It wasn’t just one long gig; that would be stupid. Not even Springsteen could pull off a ten hour set. No, the gig in question was ‘Attack Of The Giant Woman’, a sort of urban mini festival at Manchester’s Roadhouse venue, staged by excellently-named local club night Get Girl.Kill Baddies.Save Planet.
Sadly there were no giant women in attendance, but there was a crowd full of friendly individuals who were very much up for having a fun time. The smoking ban provided opportunities for outdoor mingling, and the excellent pass-out system meant people could come and go throughout the day, some leaving for pizza, others for a quick sunbathe in Piccadilly Gardens.
The bands and alcohol were too plentiful to provide a rundown of the full day, but some of our highlights were:
Stars Of Track And Field
Had a difficult job going on at 3pm to a small crowd but managed to do pretty well for themselves, drawing enthusiastic applause at a time when most people were too hungover from the night before to get up and dance. Good mix of female vox and odd Ska licks.
Clarky Cat
This bunch of Brass Eye-referencing loons build up their sound using disparate basslines, beats and riffs until everything has welded together nicely and you’re faced with molten disco carnage. Which is a good thing, obv.
Dead Disco
Bringing oodles of glamour and enough pouting to shame Vicky Beckham, Dead Disco did their usual thing of playing very good pop songs with guitars while at the same time looking completely uninterested by the whole affair. ‘The Treatment’ was fucking amazing.
James Morton (DJ)
One of several DJs who played between bands, Morton spun a nice selection and, along with Jon Grant, spoke passionately for the GG.KB.SP crowd and what they stand for.
Overall it was a marvellous festival, with none of the clouds, scallies or walking offered by last week’s Dpercussion. If the Roadhouse can do something about their piss-poor ventilation, and if the organisers can maybe look at getting a local laughter merchant or DJ to compére next time, this is a concept that could run and run.
On a serious note...
Anthony H. Wilson
1950 - 2007
Broadcaster, mogul, nightclub owner, record label founder, example to us all.
So there we were on Friday enjoying a nice drink at Keys Money Lipstick, when Ian, the ever-genial co-promoter of the night, turned to us and said, “Tony Wilson died today… oh, and there was an earthquake in town”. Yes, Manchester was rocked in more ways than one last week when some buildings shook, and more notably, one of her favourite sons was taken away.
Wilson died of a heart attack at Christie’s hospital after battling with Cancer since last year. It was a shock to many as the full extent of his illness had been kept largely secret: it was only six months ago that the former boss of Factory Records revealed his battle in the Manchester Evening News and wrote about his “love for the NHS“.
Our first memory of Tony Wilson is of him presenting entrepreneurial business show Flying Start, which was a forerunner to the shoddy shit like Tycoon now being pedalled on the third channel, and being impressed by his style but also slightly bored by his seriousness.
It was only years later, during hip young gunslinger’s ‘cultural awakening’ (which is the bit where you borrow Never Mind The Bollocks and realise that, actually, things existed before you were born) that we discovered an alternative music legacy going back decades and a tireless devotion to the heart of Manchester were actually Wilson’s best features.
Wilson was, is and always will be an inspiration to anyone who cares about music. He set the template for independent record labels (or at least showed them what not to do), he banged on constantly about new Manchester music, worked harder than the council to put the city on the map and - lest we forget - BUILT THE FUCKING HACIENDA FOR CHRIST’S SAKE. Not with his bare hands, or course, but for the amount of love and effort he put in he might as well have shifted the bricks and mortar himself.
People say of Wilson that he could be infuriating and a bit of wanker, but what this stance fails to point out is that, actually, all the best people have a tendency to be infuriating and a bit of a wanker. If you manage to please everyone all the time you’re obviously doing something wrong.
Anyway, his closest friends point out that he was actually a very sweet man, who became increasingly perturbed by the public’s perception of him as some sort of self-loving swaggercock as the years went on. If he was so awful, would those same friends have shelled out for drugs to keep him alive? Drugs that the National But Only In Certain Areas Health Service wouldn’t stump up for. Not a chance.
The death of Tony Wilson finally sees the curtain fall on Manchester music’s glorious Act One. Talk is of a memorial statue, but far better would be an academy, scheme or bursary - set up in his honour - to give the new music in Manchester a chance to flourish and allow Act Two a chance to find its own Joy Division, its own Hacienda. It’s what he would have wanted.
1950 - 2007
Broadcaster, mogul, nightclub owner, record label founder, example to us all.
So there we were on Friday enjoying a nice drink at Keys Money Lipstick, when Ian, the ever-genial co-promoter of the night, turned to us and said, “Tony Wilson died today… oh, and there was an earthquake in town”. Yes, Manchester was rocked in more ways than one last week when some buildings shook, and more notably, one of her favourite sons was taken away.
Wilson died of a heart attack at Christie’s hospital after battling with Cancer since last year. It was a shock to many as the full extent of his illness had been kept largely secret: it was only six months ago that the former boss of Factory Records revealed his battle in the Manchester Evening News and wrote about his “love for the NHS“.
Our first memory of Tony Wilson is of him presenting entrepreneurial business show Flying Start, which was a forerunner to the shoddy shit like Tycoon now being pedalled on the third channel, and being impressed by his style but also slightly bored by his seriousness.
It was only years later, during hip young gunslinger’s ‘cultural awakening’ (which is the bit where you borrow Never Mind The Bollocks and realise that, actually, things existed before you were born) that we discovered an alternative music legacy going back decades and a tireless devotion to the heart of Manchester were actually Wilson’s best features.
Wilson was, is and always will be an inspiration to anyone who cares about music. He set the template for independent record labels (or at least showed them what not to do), he banged on constantly about new Manchester music, worked harder than the council to put the city on the map and - lest we forget - BUILT THE FUCKING HACIENDA FOR CHRIST’S SAKE. Not with his bare hands, or course, but for the amount of love and effort he put in he might as well have shifted the bricks and mortar himself.
People say of Wilson that he could be infuriating and a bit of wanker, but what this stance fails to point out is that, actually, all the best people have a tendency to be infuriating and a bit of a wanker. If you manage to please everyone all the time you’re obviously doing something wrong.
Anyway, his closest friends point out that he was actually a very sweet man, who became increasingly perturbed by the public’s perception of him as some sort of self-loving swaggercock as the years went on. If he was so awful, would those same friends have shelled out for drugs to keep him alive? Drugs that the National But Only In Certain Areas Health Service wouldn’t stump up for. Not a chance.
The death of Tony Wilson finally sees the curtain fall on Manchester music’s glorious Act One. Talk is of a memorial statue, but far better would be an academy, scheme or bursary - set up in his honour - to give the new music in Manchester a chance to flourish and allow Act Two a chance to find its own Joy Division, its own Hacienda. It’s what he would have wanted.
09 August 2007
Someone isn't happy...
Hello Fans,This week I was going to write my 500 words about ‘The Bouncer’ by Kicks Like A Mule, but I have been so upset by something that I literally died. I literally died, inside. All my positivism is shot to pieces and I don’t even know if I can carry on with the column any more - my love of music has been that badly affected.
Do you want to know what upset me so much?
This:
"Do you know the tracks that just go over your head, and by the end of the song you realise you didn’t take even the slightest bit of it in? Well, ‘Girls Who Play Guitars’ is exactly one of those. While this spasmodic guitar dirge is playing on the stereo in the background, we start imagining how cool it would be to have telekinetic powers strong enough to fire a custard pie filled with cyanide straight at Paul Smith’s gob. “We used to talk about girls who play guitars/We used to talk about plans in tiny bars”. Splat! We can but dream".
That is the NME said about my band’s new single.
:(
Apart from being factually wrong and shoddily written that review is heartbreaking because it takes a piece of art that I spent seven years of my life bringing into the world and dismisses it out of hand, as if it doesn’t matter.
OF COURSE the song will go over your head if you listen to it on a STEREO!
Maximo Park makes music for headphones.
Spasmodic guitar dirge? GWPG is one of our best compositions! Our manager even said so, and I'm sure I heard Edith Bowman tell someone she liked it.
I won't even dignify their desire to MURDER ME with a response.
And who is this ’we’, Mr. Jamie Crosslan (for it is he who authored the above savaging)? ’We’ start imagining? ’We can but dream’? Collectively? I think not. Using ’we’ to describe oneself is the sort of thing pretentious bloggers do and I cannot abide by it. ‘We’ indeed.
As I say the whole thing has left me very upset and I am still unsure as to whether I will be able to continue being positive enough about life in general, let alone music, to carry on writing a column about my favourite old records.
With that I bid you a saddened good day.
Paul
x
"Let's hear it for T.S. Eliot!"
This week we have obsessively been listening to ’Weekend In Hatfield’ by Yo Chomsky! (that is their exclamation mark by the way), a band who - for one month only - have changed their name to Hola Zizec! (again that exclamation mark is theirs) seemingly just to confuse everyone and scupper their own chances of becoming well-known.
The song itself is a rough-as-fuck live version of the track recorded at Nottingham’s Rock City, by the band who “haven’t had time to record anything yet” (by ‘time’, they probably mean ‘money’) and sits on their MySpace page alongside some of the most original, and most badly-produced, demos we’ve heard in a long time.
There is a lot to suggest Yo Chomsky!/Hola Zizec! will one day be a very good band (they fuse guitars, beats and deft/daft lyrics to great effect), but until they make it into the studio to tidy up the rough-edged brilliance of tunes like ‘Weekend In Hatfield’, we won’t know for sure.
Visit Yo Chomsky! on MySpace
VIEWERS! What do you think is the better name out of Yo Chomsky! and Hola Zizec!?
Email us.
The song itself is a rough-as-fuck live version of the track recorded at Nottingham’s Rock City, by the band who “haven’t had time to record anything yet” (by ‘time’, they probably mean ‘money’) and sits on their MySpace page alongside some of the most original, and most badly-produced, demos we’ve heard in a long time.
There is a lot to suggest Yo Chomsky!/Hola Zizec! will one day be a very good band (they fuse guitars, beats and deft/daft lyrics to great effect), but until they make it into the studio to tidy up the rough-edged brilliance of tunes like ‘Weekend In Hatfield’, we won’t know for sure.
Visit Yo Chomsky! on MySpace
VIEWERS! What do you think is the better name out of Yo Chomsky! and Hola Zizec!?
Email us.
Add Us On MySpace
This is our new MySpace profile picture.
We knocked it up in about five minutes this afternoon.
Which is considerably less time, one would imagine, than Hard-Fi’s ‘art people’ spent umming and ahhing about how clever they were before deciding on their GROUNDBREAKING and IMPORTANT design for the band’s new album.
Make friends with us on MySpace.
We knocked it up in about five minutes this afternoon.
Which is considerably less time, one would imagine, than Hard-Fi’s ‘art people’ spent umming and ahhing about how clever they were before deciding on their GROUNDBREAKING and IMPORTANT design for the band’s new album.
Make friends with us on MySpace.
04 August 2007
PaRappa we ain't...
Here is our tribute to the rapping featured on 'Mango Pickle Down River', the amazing lowlight of MIA's upcoming album, 'Kala'.
My name is Bobby,
I’ve got a hobby,
I hang around in lobbies and
my favourite nuts are Nobby’s.
I also like chips,
but they stick to my hips,
so good on the lips,
I even rub them on my nips!
I go to the shops
to buy food and things,
I get the bus and don’t make a fuss.
When I get home I usually put a DVD on.
Not even a didgerifuckingdoo could spoil them rhymes!
My name is Bobby,
I’ve got a hobby,
I hang around in lobbies and
my favourite nuts are Nobby’s.
I also like chips,
but they stick to my hips,
so good on the lips,
I even rub them on my nips!
I go to the shops
to buy food and things,
I get the bus and don’t make a fuss.
When I get home I usually put a DVD on.
Not even a didgerifuckingdoo could spoil them rhymes!
Some Things For The Weekend
Palladium - Midnight Service
Actual funk music it may be, but we’ll be drink mercury if there’s a more hook-laden, smile-inducing example of the genre. Palladium are a band who’ve got everyone (ie. twelve people in London) talking about them: are they the truly amazing new band they bill themselves as, or a pitiable bunch of failed session musicians who’ve clubbed together for one last crack at the big time? Whatever the answer, tunes like this will endear them to many.
Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No…
Still amazing despite the by-numbers single sleeve.
MIA - Kala (LP)
We’ve been waiting for this album to ‘drop’ since the ‘Bird Flu’ promo appeared on YouTube in February. Now that it’s here there is only Christmas left to look forward to, and that is going to seem pretty shit by comparison. Unbelievably good, if you discount ‘Mango Pickle Down River’.
Dragonette - Take It Like A Man
This is available to buy in the shops RIGHT NOW and if you don’t go out and get a copy you are an enemy to music. It really is that simple. This is the highlight of Dragonette’s soon-to-be-released (probably) ‘Galore’ album - purchase of which should also be compulsory - and has a chorus that’s better than Prozac; like inhaling a cocktail of poppers and helium.
The Ting Tings - That’s Not My Name
There is a very peculiar sound at the beginning of this song. It sounds like someone swinging something round but could also be someone skipping. Whatever it is, it prefaces surely one of the year’s most joyous and danceable indiepop moments. Funnily enough, haven’t The Ting Tings got a fucking excellent name?
Dead Disco - The Treatment (Metronomy remix)
While the original is a neat bit of jangly guitar pop that rattles along nicely; this remix offers a wonderfully odd and slightly sinister-sounding view of things, evoking the sort of dark ‘n’ sweaty girl-based clubbing nightmares that we all wish weren’t ACTUALLY REAL.
Actual funk music it may be, but we’ll be drink mercury if there’s a more hook-laden, smile-inducing example of the genre. Palladium are a band who’ve got everyone (ie. twelve people in London) talking about them: are they the truly amazing new band they bill themselves as, or a pitiable bunch of failed session musicians who’ve clubbed together for one last crack at the big time? Whatever the answer, tunes like this will endear them to many.
Girls Aloud - Sexy! No No No…
Still amazing despite the by-numbers single sleeve.
MIA - Kala (LP)
We’ve been waiting for this album to ‘drop’ since the ‘Bird Flu’ promo appeared on YouTube in February. Now that it’s here there is only Christmas left to look forward to, and that is going to seem pretty shit by comparison. Unbelievably good, if you discount ‘Mango Pickle Down River’.
Dragonette - Take It Like A Man
This is available to buy in the shops RIGHT NOW and if you don’t go out and get a copy you are an enemy to music. It really is that simple. This is the highlight of Dragonette’s soon-to-be-released (probably) ‘Galore’ album - purchase of which should also be compulsory - and has a chorus that’s better than Prozac; like inhaling a cocktail of poppers and helium.
The Ting Tings - That’s Not My Name
There is a very peculiar sound at the beginning of this song. It sounds like someone swinging something round but could also be someone skipping. Whatever it is, it prefaces surely one of the year’s most joyous and danceable indiepop moments. Funnily enough, haven’t The Ting Tings got a fucking excellent name?
Dead Disco - The Treatment (Metronomy remix)
While the original is a neat bit of jangly guitar pop that rattles along nicely; this remix offers a wonderfully odd and slightly sinister-sounding view of things, evoking the sort of dark ‘n’ sweaty girl-based clubbing nightmares that we all wish weren’t ACTUALLY REAL.
Fashion News
Everyone’s banging on about The Hives’ new look, but really, they’ve let themselves go a bit have they not? Yes they have.
02 August 2007
In praise of... Remixes
Remixes, depending on your point of view, are either a complete waste of time, or a brilliant way of giving old and/or rubbish songs a new lease of life.
We’re not talking about cash-in-hand, rentabeat remixes here: where faceless producers try to sell their awful attempts at dance music by slapping random snippets of someone else’s vocal over the top - the musical equivalent of offering to paint someone’s portrait, only to then stick bits of their photo on top of a painting you’ve already done. We’re referring to the type of remix that takes elements of the original and mercilessly plays around with them, distorting, twisting and generally fucking about with things until a whole new interpretation of the song becomes apparent.
This is closer in spirit to a director re-shooting someone else’s film, but with their own vision, than the cheap ‘cash-for-bpm' view of remixes that some people hold.
Take the CSS remix of the latest Cribs single, for example. A fairly average indie tune that at best could hope to inspire limited outbreaks of foot-shuffling becomes a thrusting, colourful dancefloor banger, just because some people from Brazil thought it would sound better that way. How did CSS pull it off? Not by ripping the original to pieces and sewing it back together with Generic Trance thread, but by tweaking the original so delicately that it sounds like it always did - except completely different.
A similar ethos is employed by Mr. Oizo, on his remix of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’. Here, the Gallic Flat Eric-botherer has rejuvenated one of the most tired songs of all time, literally by ‘re-producing’ the original. It follows exactly the same structure: all the same riffs are in place, the iconic bass-and-tin-pot intro intact, yet Oizo has applied a sort of punk, fuck-you tweak to the track, adding artificial vocals and screeching guitar stabs left right and, indeed, centre. The seditious, glitchy retake ends in appropriate fashion, skipping to halt like a broken CD. The overall result being that ’Killing In The Name’ sounds more alive, more vital, and more likely to elicit a ’WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?’ reaction than at any point during the past 14 years.
More intrusive to structure, but no less playful, are To My Boy’s tamperings with Klaxons’ track ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’. Here, the quirky Scouse duo rip steaming chunks out of the original and weld them back together so furiously you’d think they were reclaiming it as their own lost demo. The tune is given a gigantic, menacing electro tune-up, so that “I’ll always be there for you, my future love” ends up sounding more like an ominous threat than a declaration of devotion, but crucially, the joyful rave-ish spirit of the original remains intact.
This is in contrast to Erol Alkan’s take on ‘Golden Skans’: the Trash man simply attached a vocal sample and some token riffery to a sparse electro track that probably took him all of five minutes to knock out in exchange for his Klaxons dollar.
Ultimately, remixes needn’t necessarily stick to the original’s template in order to remain worthwhile. It is still possible to ditch wholesale chunks and replace them with your own musical witterings and not become part of the ‘Max Von Rustpumper’s Rustpumper Dub’ crowd. Look at Modernaire’s remix of The Holloways’ ‘Generator’. This is basically more of a cover version than a remix, replacing forced north London jauntiness with a cerebral, layered and, at times, sinister-sounding take that is nonetheless surprisingly danceable.
Also closer to a cover than a remix is Metronomy’s stunning re-working of Kate Nash’s ‘Foundations’. Currently kicking the fuck out of clued-up clubland, the mix takes Nash’s already-iconic vocal and teams it with lurching electro basslines, synths and an inspired falsetto backing to create a fitting accompaniment to the feelgood/bad hit of the summer. The dreamy “ooooooh” vocal during the bridge is truly brain-bending, and has already been held responsible for the melted hearts, heads and legs recently suffered by several hundred overexuberant club kids. Much like the best remixes usually are.
We’re not talking about cash-in-hand, rentabeat remixes here: where faceless producers try to sell their awful attempts at dance music by slapping random snippets of someone else’s vocal over the top - the musical equivalent of offering to paint someone’s portrait, only to then stick bits of their photo on top of a painting you’ve already done. We’re referring to the type of remix that takes elements of the original and mercilessly plays around with them, distorting, twisting and generally fucking about with things until a whole new interpretation of the song becomes apparent.
This is closer in spirit to a director re-shooting someone else’s film, but with their own vision, than the cheap ‘cash-for-bpm' view of remixes that some people hold.
Take the CSS remix of the latest Cribs single, for example. A fairly average indie tune that at best could hope to inspire limited outbreaks of foot-shuffling becomes a thrusting, colourful dancefloor banger, just because some people from Brazil thought it would sound better that way. How did CSS pull it off? Not by ripping the original to pieces and sewing it back together with Generic Trance thread, but by tweaking the original so delicately that it sounds like it always did - except completely different.
A similar ethos is employed by Mr. Oizo, on his remix of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’. Here, the Gallic Flat Eric-botherer has rejuvenated one of the most tired songs of all time, literally by ‘re-producing’ the original. It follows exactly the same structure: all the same riffs are in place, the iconic bass-and-tin-pot intro intact, yet Oizo has applied a sort of punk, fuck-you tweak to the track, adding artificial vocals and screeching guitar stabs left right and, indeed, centre. The seditious, glitchy retake ends in appropriate fashion, skipping to halt like a broken CD. The overall result being that ’Killing In The Name’ sounds more alive, more vital, and more likely to elicit a ’WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?’ reaction than at any point during the past 14 years.
More intrusive to structure, but no less playful, are To My Boy’s tamperings with Klaxons’ track ‘Gravity’s Rainbow’. Here, the quirky Scouse duo rip steaming chunks out of the original and weld them back together so furiously you’d think they were reclaiming it as their own lost demo. The tune is given a gigantic, menacing electro tune-up, so that “I’ll always be there for you, my future love” ends up sounding more like an ominous threat than a declaration of devotion, but crucially, the joyful rave-ish spirit of the original remains intact.
This is in contrast to Erol Alkan’s take on ‘Golden Skans’: the Trash man simply attached a vocal sample and some token riffery to a sparse electro track that probably took him all of five minutes to knock out in exchange for his Klaxons dollar.
Ultimately, remixes needn’t necessarily stick to the original’s template in order to remain worthwhile. It is still possible to ditch wholesale chunks and replace them with your own musical witterings and not become part of the ‘Max Von Rustpumper’s Rustpumper Dub’ crowd. Look at Modernaire’s remix of The Holloways’ ‘Generator’. This is basically more of a cover version than a remix, replacing forced north London jauntiness with a cerebral, layered and, at times, sinister-sounding take that is nonetheless surprisingly danceable.
Also closer to a cover than a remix is Metronomy’s stunning re-working of Kate Nash’s ‘Foundations’. Currently kicking the fuck out of clued-up clubland, the mix takes Nash’s already-iconic vocal and teams it with lurching electro basslines, synths and an inspired falsetto backing to create a fitting accompaniment to the feelgood/bad hit of the summer. The dreamy “ooooooh” vocal during the bridge is truly brain-bending, and has already been held responsible for the melted hearts, heads and legs recently suffered by several hundred overexuberant club kids. Much like the best remixes usually are.
A comeback we actually wanted
Hurrah!
Fans of iffy rapping and hilariously-improbable situations rejoice...
'Oh shit!'
x
Fans of iffy rapping and hilariously-improbable situations rejoice...
'Oh shit!'
x
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