James have more than one song

Picture by jterry.

This may come as a shock to many: James have actually released other stuff besides Sit Down.

In fact, they've released eleven albums, plus a handful of EPs and compilations (eugh). They had a short-lived commercial success with Sit Down and Laid, but otherwise they're very underappreciated for their talent. Sit Down isn't really a true representation of how good they are, it's just a radio song. They've written so much better stuff. You'll be pleased to hear that they're still at it as well, with the release of Hey Ma earlier on this year. It's a fairly good album, but not as good as some others they've done I could care to mention (Laid being in my opinion their best). It takes a good band to stick it out for years on end, always being on the edge of surfacing but never quite getting there. Take a listen to these samples, and if you like them, maybe you could help them out by buying an album. It's something you won't regret doing - really.

James - Laid (mp3, 3.7mb)
James - Come Home (mp3, 3.5mb)

Support
Website -- MySpace

Buy
Direct (UK) -- Amazon (UK) (US)

B is for B-sides #10

Today's featured single, much like last week's, has a lovely poppy radio-friendly A-side, and then the B-side is a completely different genre. It's Billy Joel's classic, Uptown Girl.

"What? You mean it's not by Westlife?" No.


I actually love this song - it's probably one of the very few songs I'd heard before I was ten years old (and the rest were all from Queen's Jazz). Uptown Girl has the ideal chorus for radio: catchy, memorable, and you can sing along to it whilst driving (I added that one in just for fun). Westlife killed it a bit when they covered it, and it's even more annoying that that's the version a lot of people know. Westlife should stick to writing their own songs. Oh, hang on... they've never done that.

The B-side, at least on my copy (there appears to be quite a few different presses) is the lesser-known track Careless Talk. Like I said before, it's a completely different genre to the A-side. No longer does Billy Joel use the Frankie Valli influenced falsetto tones, but moves into a fairly normal singing style. He even sounds like Elton John at one point, although the song's nothing like anything Elton's ever done. The song tells the story of some rumours going around about the singer and "his girl," with the singer denying it continuously. It's almost a perfect continuation of the A-side, where Billy's singing of his love for this (uptown) girl. In fact, it's quite unintentionally a concept single. Who needs concept albums when you've got the singles?

A-side: Billy Joel - Uptown Girl (mp3, 4.5mb)
B-side: Billy Joel - Careless Talk (mp3, 3.6mb)

Support
Website

Buy
Direct (US) -- Amazon (UK) (US)

Saturday Covers #19

I've got a ton of work to do today, so let's see if I can rush through this post in a mere 15 minutes.

Image stolen with all good intentions from top2bottom.net

Paul Simon. Great, isn't he? According to Time, he's one of the "people who shape our world." I wouldn't go that far, but he can write some pretty awesome stuff, as is proved by his 1972 single "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard." Unfortunately it wasn't as commercially successful as it could (and should) have been - it only reached #22 in the States and #15 over here. If someone released a track this good nowadays, it would be at #1 instantly. There's no good music anymore. OK, Kings Of Leon are my new heroes for knocking that stupid Katy Perry off the top spot, but seriously... stuff this good just isn't made anymore.

Paul Simon - Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard (mp3, 2.6mb)

Well, obviously the Gimmes wouldn't miss out on covering something like this. Yes, it's Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, who covered this song for their album Have A Ball. You get the impression they're fans of Paul Simon, as they also covered Simon & Garfunkel's The Boxer, on their album Have Another Ball!. Anyway, like I've said many times before, they can't really do a bad cover. This also applies. It may be a bit sloppy, but as long as you don't take it too seriously, it's great.

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Me & Julio Down By The Schoolyard (mp3, 2.6mb)

Just one more cover, as like I said I'm a bit busy today (which is why I've been glossing over detail in the previous covers). This cover comes from the side project of Andy Hull, lead singer of the Manchester Orchestra. The band is called Right Away, Great Captain!. While I no nothing of any other work they've done, I can tell you that from what I've heard they're a soft rocky sort of band. They actually make Me And Julio sound like a Simon & Garfunkel performance, with the softly played acoustic guitars and backing harmonies. Overall, it's not bad, and probably more suitable for a serious listener than the Gimmes' version.

Right Away, Great Captain! - Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard (mp3, 5.0mb)




Buy
Paul Simon (UK) (US)
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes (UK) (US)
Right Away, Great Captain! (US)

Current obsession: The Jackson 5

So maybe Michael Jackson's had a lot of bad press, but no matter how much Michael Jackson's disliked at the moment, The Jackson 5 are still one of the best pop groups, ever.

Every now and then (in fact, about every week), I go through a phase of obsessively liking one band or artist, and listening to their music non-stop. This never lasts for more than three or four days, but during that period I pretty much refuse to listen to anyone else. Then, as suddenly as it started, it's over. Currently, as you may already have deciphered, it's The Jackson 5.

I mean, these guys are amazing. Just their names are great. Tito, Marlon, Jermaine... I would give anything to be called Tito. On a musical side of things, their songs are just so catchy. I was actually whistling I Want You Back all day today, and it would have been singing if I could go that high. But really, I'm in love with The Jackson 5 (although I'd better not let Michael hear me saying that, considering current allegations).

I also love the way that whenever I hear the piano slide at the beginning of I Want You Back I keep thinking it's going to be ABBA's Dancing Queen. I'm such a freak.

The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back (mp3, 3.5mb)
The Jackson 5 - ABC (mp3, 3.5mb)

Knowing me, this type of post will probably become a regular, seeing as my obsessions seem to change weekly. Watch out for more!




Buy
Amazon (UK) (US)

Joe Jackson goes classical

Joe Jackson is absolutely fantastic. Along with Elvis Costello, he's one of the brilliant pioneers of new wave. While many associate him with this scene and this scene only, he's actually branched out, perhaps a little too far for the liking of some. Not only does he (brilliantly) do albums in the same vein as the classic Look Sharp! (not to be confused with Roxette's Look Sharp), he's also got some classical and jazz under his belt. The 1981 release Jumpin' Jive was a collection of classic jazz covers performed by Joe, and while he's not the first pop musician to move onto jazz, it was still an unexpected move. But perhaps even more unexpected was the dabbling into a little classical music. Yes, Joe Jackson, that songwriter we all know for tracks such as Is She Really Going Out With Him?, has also ventured towards classical. That's like Freddie Mercury teaming up with some Spanish lady called Monteressat and releasing an album full of opera. Oh... that's already been done.

The point is, this classical business is a bit out of character for Joe Jackson. And also, classical music really isn't cool. Although I enjoy a bit of Mozart and Strauss, I can't really say I listen to classical music beyond the point of The Planets Suite (the best classical composition, ever). But anyway, Joe's done it, and there's nothing we can really do about that. We might as well sit back and enjoy it.

And enjoy it we will - it's amazing. Out of all popular musicians, how many do you think are actually that: musicians? Barely any, let's be honest, but Joe Jackson is certainly one of the few. Don't forget he studied at the Royal Academy Of Music. His true musical understanding is definitely displayed in Symphony No. 1, a four-movement symphony released in 1999. I was a little too aware while listening to it for the first time that it wasn't entirely classical. It's more of a progressive fusion of classical and rock. Think Sky, or Emerson, Lake & Palmer. However, classical is what it says on the tin, I suppose we've got to treat it so. Of the four movements on the CD, there isn't one that goes by without you thinking, "This is too good to be true." The idea that a popular artist can embrace such a musical contrast is incredible. However, Joe Jackson is incredible, as is displayed in this masterpiece. Long-time fans may think of it as a weaker moment, but I'm not a long-time fan, and I think it's great.

Here are two tracks for comparison: a classic, and a... classical.

Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him? (mp3, 5.2mb)
Joe Jackson - Symphony No. 1 (Fast Movement) (mp3, 8.2mb)




Buy...
Look Sharp! (UK) (US)
Symphony No. 1 (UK) (US)

The Boxing Lesson

The Boxing Lesson, hailing from some place I've never heard of in Texas, play some damn good music. They're one of those bands I've been saving for a rainy day. Today is a rainy day weatherwise, and also because I have nothing else to write about. But The Boxing Lesson aren't really suitable for rain - they're more like a thunderstorm of music, driven by powerful guitar work, dramatic sound effects and the fantastic invention of the minor key. Think Radiohead, basically. There's tons of bands with this sound (see my previous post on Kingsbury), but The Boxing Lesson's music doesn't send you to sleep, a phenomenon in this genre's world. I was sent a copy of The Boxing Lesson's album Wild Streaks & Windy Days, and it's actually really impressive. Not only does it contain the slow, moody tracks, but it also has some more upbeat songs too. I'm usually narrow-minded when it comes to any music like this, but The Boxing Lesson are opening my mind. It takes a good band to do that.

The Boxing Lesson - Freedom (mp3, 4.4mb)
The Boxing Lesson - Brighter (mp3, 4.0mb)





Buy
Wild Streaks & Windy Days
Or take your pick

Autopop

I got myself a copy of Autpop's single Still Hanging Around the other day. As has happened many times before, I was buying blindly, having never heard of Autopop or the song. It was the artwork that drew me towards this one. Luckily for me, it's really good. After a quick bit of research, I found that Autopop were a moderately successful band from the 90s. They released one well known single, and were never heard of again. From the sound of their music and the release date of Still Hanging Around, I'd immediately associate them with the Britpop movement. It's just a pity they didn't release anything else - they could have done better than the tragically overrated Blur.

Autopop - Still Hanging Around (mp3, 4.6mb)
Autopop - Being Seen (mp3, 3.0mb)
Autopop - Crisis Girl (mp3, 3.2mb)

Buy
Autoshopping

B is for B-sides #9

With today's single, I'm kind of cheating. It's not actually performed by the original composer, but the composer's performance isn't too great. It's Girls Talk, written by Elvis Costello, performed in this case by Dave Edmunds.

It's an extremely catchy number, and it's not surprising it made #4 (and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks, according to my incredibly helpful book British Hit Singles). Dave sings in a very Costello-esque manner, which could either be interpreted as displaying influence, or simply being unoriginal. Either way, the slight whinyness of the vocals suits the song right down to the ground, being about a man's annoyance and paranoia. With an perfectly horrible key change right at the beginning, you can tell it's cheese from the word go. However, it was written by Elvis Costello, who is yet to write a bad song. It may be cheesy, but it's brilliant.

Pictured above are the regular and limited clear copies of the single, both with the B-side "Bad Is Bad." We'd expect Bad Is Bad to be a song in a similar style to that of Girls Talk, but in fact, it's nowhere near. It's a great rock 'n' roll track, about as far from the nice new wave on the A-side as you can get. Jerry Lee Lewis could have easily written it, but he didn't; it was actually Huey Lewis. You just can't get rid of him can you? Well, it's not all too bad. It also is a catchy tune, but being rock 'n' roll, it's barely any different to the other millions of tracks like that. If you don't listen to a lot of rock 'n' roll, you'll probably enjoy it. But if you've got a lot of rock 'n' roll on your iPod, you're better off giving it a miss: while it's a very good song indeed, you've heard it all before.

A-side: Dave Edmunds - Girls Talk (mp3, 3.2mb)
B-side: Dave Edmunds - Bad Is Bad (mp3, 3.7mb)

Buy
Dave

Saturday Covers #18

I haven't posted a lot this week, so here's hoping that this particular little episode of Saturday Covers will more than compensate. I think it's pretty good, and that's coming from me.

You may be surprised to hear that Cheap Trick are actually still touring. While nowhere near their good old height of fame, they're still going strong. But it's not any of their new music featured today, but a timeless classic: I Want You To Want Me.

Maybe it's too near the top end of cheese-rock for some people, but I love it. Brilliant little tune, staying stuck in your head for days. I heard it for the first time in a while on Thursday, and it's still not floated away from my subconsciousness. Crafty little idiots. But seriously, I fail to see how you couldn't like this. It's just... so perfect.

Oh, and by the way, this is the original In Color version:

Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me (mp3, 3.4mb)

Country fans! It's Dwight Yoakam! He's back with possibly the most interpretive cover amongst these featured today. I will admit this is the only country song in my 4000+ songs iTunes library. I'm not really a fan of the crooning sameyness of a lot of country tracks, but I allow myself the odd one here and there. Luckily I've allowed myself this one, and it's not half bad. If you listen to quite a lot of country, you've probably heard it all before, but if you're someone who barely ventures out of the safeness of one particular genre, you might be pleasantly surprised if you give this a chance. It's not anything too special, but an entertaining listen and a little sample of life on the other side the genre boundaries.

Dwight Yoakam - I Want You To Want Me (mp3, 4.7mb)

It's entirely possible that half of you have rapidly switched off your monitors upon scrolling this far down. I don't blame you. Lindsay Lohan is perhaps the most contraversial topic since sliced bread. Any relevant comparisons are welcome.

Really, whether we hate Lindsay Lohan or not, there's no denying that she's quite a talented singer when she tries. She's done a cover of I Want You To Want Me, and while that may be wishful thinking on her part, it's not too bad at all. I might even go as far as saying I like it. It's a slightly more rocky version than the original, with pretty cool backing vocals and far more interesting guitar lines. It would be unfair to give credit to Lindsay Lohan for all this interpretive genius, as I'm about 99% sure she had nothing to do with the arrangement or instrumental performance. So, well done to whoever the musicians and arrangers are, for a very impressive performance of Cheap Trick's classic.

Lindsay Lohan - I Want You To Want Me (mp3, 5.5mb)

Here's an Elvis wannabe if ever I saw one. The haircut, the suits, the ever so original crooooning voice. It's Chris Isaak, and while he's a bit OTT, he still does a nice little cover of I Want You To Want Me. The verse is a little tedious in this particular performance, but the chorus is where it all kicks off. I don't know what it is, but Chris Isaak's got a way of making it sound so exciting, without actually making too much change to the original. A very admirable performance overall.

Chris Isaak - I Want You To Want Me (mp3, 4.7mb)

I'm not really that huge a fan of Propagandhi - it's all a bit too noisy, shouty and political for my taste. However, their earlier stuff often proves to be a very impressive listen indeed, and their 1993 album How To Clean Everything is often considered a classic. With tracks like Anti-Manifesto, it can't be bad. It's also home to the cleverly named I Vant Ü 2 Vant Me, which translates from German as... nothing at all.

OK, maybe it's not so cleverly named, but it is cleverly performed. It may not sound too hard, but it's actually really difficult to turn a comparatively slow track into a fast-paced punk track. Propagandhi have achieved this by keeping vocal tempo near enough the same, but having the instruments play double time. It's a clever concept.

This recording's often mistaken to be by NOFX, and I can understand why; the opening vocals sound remarkably like Fat Mike. NOFX have not in fact recorded this, so don't get confused.

Propagandhi - I Vant Ü 2 Vant Me (mp3, 1.4mb)

Buy
Cheap Trick
Dwight Yoakam
Lindsay Lohan
Chris Isaak
Propagandhi

Ringo Ska

I don't ususally go for Beatles cover bands, or cover bands of any sort for that matter. They're often a complete disaster, and listening to a whole album of the same band covering songs they just wish they'd written themselves is not in the least bit enjoyable. But Ringo Ska are different. Sure, they've got the most painfully cheesy name possible, but they also play some of the best Beatles covers around. They've kept the good bits from original performances, including the trademark close harmonies, but they've also made the songs fun, something The Beatles were only half way towards doing. It's for that reason, and that reason only, that I've taken the time to feature a covers band, something I wouldn't usually consider doing. They must be good.

Ringo Ska - I Feel Fine (mp3, 2.7mb)





Buy
Ringo Ska's website

NOFX's self-titled EP

I'm incredibly excited. Pictured above is the latest addition to my record collection, NOFX's 1985 release "NOFX." Music wise, it's absolutely rubbish. No joke - they sucked. But that's not why I love it. This was the first ever NOFX release, from over 20 years ago. It was limited to 500 copies, and according to Fat Mike, just the first 100 copies "...took us about 6 months to sell." I think that's pretty cool.

If you want some music samples, here they are, but I'm warning you, they're not very good.

NOFX - Live Your Life (mp3, 3.3mb)
NOFX - Six Pack Girls (mp3, 0.9mb)


By all means, buy a CD of some of NOFX's later stuff, because that's great.





Buy
Direct
Not so direct

Richard Wright, Pink Floyd founding member, passes away

It's not often I have to break bad news. I don't like it.

Richard Wright, Pink Floyd's greatly influential keyboard player, died today after fighting cancer for a long time. He was 65.

I can't think of a more suitable song at this time than his most well known composition, The Great Gig In The Sky. The first words spoken in this rather mournful song are "I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do... don't mind." Let's just hope these words ring true now.

Pink Floyd - The Great Gig In The Sky (mp3, 5.5mb)

"'Listen, son' said the man with the gun. 'There's room for you inside.'"

Us And Them

They Might Be Giants with some short stories

They Might Be Giants are surely one of the best alternative rock bands the world has ever seen. Creating an incorporation of melody and comedy so fine that even Bill Bailey couldn't compete with it, and let's face it: he's not funny. The album Apollo 18 is considered by many to be They Might Be Giants' greatest work, and for once, I agree. But that's not what I'm here to promote (although I do suggest you buy it). No, I'm here to promote one very specific part of Apollo 18, namely, Fingertips.

Fingertips is a series of 21 songs on the album Apollo 18, all but one being under a minute, the large majority clocking in at under fifteen seconds. While they seem completely different in genre, instrumentation, theme and structure, they all have one thing in common - they're all awesome. The idea behind Fingertips, according to They Might Be Giants, is to take advantage of the shuffle mode on many "modern" CD players. It was modern when the album was released, anyway. The point is, it's a fantastic idea, and they're just great fun to listen to.

An interesting point to make about these tracks is a band calling themselves "They Might Be Gannets" have taken these incredibly short songs and turned them into full length tracks. While it's a nice listen, there's nothing like the originals, is there?

Here's some of my favourite Fingertips tracks. I try not to post more than two songs by a certain band in any one post, but seeing as all of these tracks are twenty seconds or below, that's my justification. Think of them as 30-second samples.

They Might Be Giants - Fingertips: Come On And Wreck My Car (mp3, 0.3mb)
They Might Be Giants - Fingertips: Aren't You The Guy Who Hit Me In The Eye (mp3, 0.2mb)
They Might Be Giants - Fingertips: All Alone (mp3, 0.2mb)
They Might Be Giants - Fingertips: Something Grabbed Ahold Of My Hand (mp3, 0.3mb)
They Might Be Giants - Fingertips: I'm Having A Heart Attack (mp3, 0.5mb)
They Might Be Giants - Fingertips: Hey Now, Everybody (mp3, 0.2mb)

Please do buy the album Apollo 18. It's worth it just for the 21 Fingertips tracks. They Might Be Giants are one of the most tragically underrated bands ever. I also recommend Flood.




Links to buy
Here!
and here!

B is for B-sides #8

Squeeze's single Cool For Cats (also known as "that record I have five copies of and still want more") is definitely their most commercially successful, and often credited as being their best. I've never really seen that, myself. While the song is catchy, humourous and very cleverly done, I don't think it's their best. The first time I heard it, I wasn't actually too impressed, and this was one of the first Squeeze tracks I ever heard - a misrepresentation if you ask me. They've written so much better stuff. However, if I compare it to today's rubbish rather than Squeeze's other work, it's fantastic. While it's not the best song to sing along too, it's got a pretty awesome instrumental, complemented with Jools Holland's great piano work. I like it very much, but it's by no means their best.

Cool For Cats' B-side, Model, is something else. It starts off a bit slow, but when it gets going, you can really get into it. The verse melody may not be as strong as that of Cool For Cats, but it leads into an immaculate chorus. Maybe the lyrics aren't really that inventive ("...do, do do do do do do do, do do do..."), but it's the ideal sing along chorus, and one of Squeeze's greatest. The song moves along perfectly, and eventually collapses into a breakdown of raw guitar twiddling, as I like to call it. It's not often where the B-side is better than the A-side... but Model is brilliant. It's very, very, Cool For Cats.

A-side: Squeeze - Cool For Cats (mp3, 4.5mb)
B-side: Squeeze - Model (mp3, 4.1mb)






If you haven't already...
Buy!

Saturday Covers #17

"I'm Gonna Love You Too? Isn't that by Blondie?" No, it bloody well isn't.

My goodness, it's Buddy Holly. Yes, I'm Gonna Love You Too was originally performed by Buddy Holly, and a fine performance it is too. You probably already knew that, but the amount of people who think Blondie wrote it...

I recently got myself a very large Buddy Holly 5-LP box set. I don't regret it, but five entire albums of Buddy Holly played one after the other can get a bit tedious. However, it was here I discovered just how good the original version of I'm Gonna Love You Too really is. I'd heard it a few times previously, but listening to it carefully... this is brilliant.

Buddy Holly - I'm Gonna Love You Too (mp3, 1.1mb)

It's not that well known, but Paul McCartney actually recorded his own version of I'm Gonna Love You Too. It's just a low quality live recording of him playing an acoustic guitar, but it's a very nice cover all the same. Zero points for interpretation, as there's practically none, but it's made up for by the rather entertaining spoken "Buddy Holly" at the end. If only more people spoke like that, eh?

Paul McCartney - I'm Gonna Love You Too (mp3, 1.2mb)

Quite surprisingly, Seasons In The Sun isn't the only song Terry Jacks ever recorded. I know, it came as a shock to me as well. But Terry Jacks has also recorded a rather nice version of I'm Gonna Love You Too. It's far more laid back than any of the other versions, yet still keeps a nice tempo going throughout the song. Great use of backing vocals, something Buddy only used in the vocal "riff." As far as differentiation from the original is concerned, it's not too adventurous, using similar instrumentation and vocal lines. However, it's a far more interesting listen than McCartney's, and for that it deserves recognition.

Terry Jacks - I'm Gonna Love You Too (mp3, 1.3mb)

A large picture of Debbie Harry can only really mean one thing: you're about to be blown away. In my eyes, Blondie can do no wrong. I am yet to hear a bad song by Blondie. Admittedly they're not the best band ever, but they write such catchy tunes it's hard not to love them. The 1997 reform was a big mistake though. Comebacks = bad (although I like the song Maria as much as anyone). Oh, and their version of I'm Gonna Love You Too? Fantastic.

Blondie - I'm Gonna Love You Too (mp3, 2.5mb)

Buy
Holly
McCartney
Jacks
Harry

Bad reviews for Queen's "C-lebrity"

Queen (or should I say Queen minus Freddie and John plus some guy who isn't Freddie but blatantly wants to be) released their new single on Monday. The track "C-lebrity" was premiered live on Al Murray's Happy Hour, but the official single release didn't really go to plan. As with practically any release nowadays, C-lebrity received bad reviews. Nothing wrong with that, a track that satisfies everyone just can't be written. Bad reviews are one thing, but Planet Sound giving it an absolute zero out of ten? That's just wrong.

Let's take a look at this new track then. It tells the story of an aspiring young star, with a complete lack of talent yet still struggling to become famous. The song is quite obviously a joke about these so-called "Big Brother instant celebrities" and the celebrity culture that surrounds us today. Which of course, isn't at all hypocritical coming from one of the world's most successful bands, ever. On the plus side, it's got great guitar riffs, nice backing vocals from Taylor Hawkins and Roger Taylor, and a crunching classic rock sound. On the minus side, it's not Queen.

Two original members of Queen and the vocalist from Free/Bad Company, for me, isn't Queen. Queen should have hung up the instruments when Freddie tragically passed away, as let's face it, they owe their success to that great man of charisma and showmanship. But they've struggled on, and it's not like they've gone completely downhill. Just a bit. OK, a lot. I miss Freddie.

Musically, C-lebrity sounds like half a Guns N' Roses track forcefully glued onto New York Dolls. Not that it's a bad thing, of course. It's just not what you'd expect from Queen (if you could call them that). I've been listening to the song on repeat whilst writing this post to get ideas. It must have played about five times now, and I haven't once felt the need to turn it off. That can't be a bad thing, can it? I'm very strict about what I like and dislike, and I also have a distinct disinclanation to listen to anything that involves a band's "comeback." I'm scaring myself now, but I like this song.

It's just a shame it's by Queen.






Posting a new single just after it's been released is the perfect way to get yourself done for copyright infringement, so here's a YouTube video instead.

Oh yeah, and it turns out we didn't die with that particle smashy thingy did we?

Support people who really don't need the money...
C-lebrity

End of the world - or is it?

"Enden Er Naer!" Those are the words on the lips of many (most of them German - others just say "end is nigh") as scientists prepare to smash some particles into each other in Switzerland, planned for tomorrow, Wednesday 10th of September. It's not often I show much interest in what scientists waste their time doing, but with this particular particle-smashing, there's the slightest possibility it could effect me. There's various theories of mini black holes, massive explosions, you know the type. Actually, it's more likely that my house will fall down on top of me at this very instant, and as I'm still typing, it obviously didn't.

Even though I don't think that this experiment they're doing tomorrow will destroy our world, I do think it's quite irresponsible of the scientists. They're hoping that by banging particles around they'll find some information about our beginnings. I don't see how smashing two very small things into each other will suddenly provide that information, but let them wish what they want. The irresponsible part of the opening sentence of this paragraph refers to the fact that the scientists don't actually know what's going to happen at the end of this experiment, so in a way, the predictors of the end have every right to predict so. It's just like me chucking an elephant off a cliff without looking to see who's at the bottom. I wouldn't be this irresponsible, so I don't think the scientists should be. Where would I get the elephant from?

So, will the end be tomorrow? Statistically it's unlikely. However, just in case, you'd better keep this "end of the world mixtape" handy.

The Living End - End Of The World (mp3, 1.7mb)
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - End Of The Road (mp3, 3.1mb)
Shocking Pinks - End Of The World (mp3, 3.6mb)
R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (mp3, 5.6mb)
Pennywise - 30 Seconds Till The End Of The World (mp3, 0.7mb)

As much as I'd like to share more depressing end of the world tracks with you, I've run out of time now. See you tomorrow... or will I?

Shopping list if you're still alive tomorrow
The Living End
Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
Shocking Pinks
R.E.M.
Pennywise

Freeboy

Freeboy are one of those bands that can't be easily researched. Why? Because, if you believe the internet, they don't exist. Google searches for "Freeboy,""Freeboy band" or "Freeboy music" yield next to nothing, apart from one demo tape review, which can be found here. Aside from that, Freeboy have no internet presence whatsoever.

So how did I come across this ghost band? Actually, it's a story very similar to my Levellers story, so I'll condense it to spare the waffling. Basically, I was in a charity shop, flicking through the singles which I must have flicked through hundreds of times before, looking for any new additions amongst the endless Engelbert Humperdinck, and saw this friendly little face smiling up to me from the sleeve of Freeboy's single "But I Am/Freeboy:"

Well, for 50p, I couldn't resist that smile could I? I purchased it (alongside a rather nice green vinyl copy of Acker Bilk's Evergreen), and took it home. I was expecting to hear an indie record of average quality; they can't be too bad otherwise they wouldn't have a record out, but likewise, they couldn't be too good otherwise people would have heard of them. What I wasn't expecting was to hear my new favourite band...

Actually, they're not my new favourite band. But they're damn good, I'll give them that. Freeboy play a mix of layed back indie with just a hint of punk and funk influences (listen carefully to the basslines in But I Am). Songs that are easy to sing along to appears to be a standard for the single. I haven't heard any other Freeboy, but it's my new life goal to do so.

Freeboy - Freeboy (mp3, 2.6mb)
Freeboy - But I Am (mp3, 2.7mb)

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Don't know how, but do it anyway.

Actually, if they're playing in your town:
a) Go to the show
b) Let me know!

B is for B-sides #7

Another Sunday, another B-side to satisfy our cravings for long lost exclusive single tracks.

One Vision by Queen is considered by many to be a classic, and by hardcore Queen fans to be one of their greatest. I won't launch into too much detail about the song, as most people must have heard it at least once and therefore be familiar with it. What I will say about it is it was destined to be a classic right from Brian May's crunching opening guitar riff, cueing teenagers all over the world to dust off their air guitars and play along. If that's not unity, the general message of the song, then what is?

As pictured above, the B-side, Blurred Vision, was present of both the 7" and 12" releases of the single - not an all too common occurence. Blurred Vision, as the name suggests, is essentially a remix of One Vision, focusing on Roger Taylor's little drum section. Remixes of the A-side on the B-side of a single is actually a very modern idea, but Queen were using it back in '85, when the single was released. A remixed version would fit in on a 12" (which were more aimed at DJs so they could do scratchy stuff to them on their "decks") , but it's rarely present on a regular 7" release from the era.

Putting technicalities aside, it's actually a very difficult piece to listen to. I expect it was put there more as a display of what could potentially be acheived with a bit of effort rather than as a nice little tune for your enjoyment. Well, see what you think.

A-side: Queen - One Vision (mp3, 3.1mb)
B-side: Queen - Blurred Vision (mp3, 4.3mb)

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Saturday Covers #16

I promised myself that I would stick to just one cover for this episode. Just one. Not too much effort. I've gone a bit over the top in previous weeks, with five versions of Happy Days and eight versions of High Wire. It's all very well, but it takes an enormous amount of time and effort on my part. For this reason, I've only got one cover this week.

Actually, I couldn't resist slipping another one in. Here's Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: everyone loves The Beatles. They've been featured on Saturday Covers before (clicky), but you can't grow tired of them can you? Interestingly, this is the only Beatles song to be featured on "The 50 Worst Songs Ever," and also maybe the only one I think is wrongly placed on that list. It's not their best, admittedly; and no, they can't play reggae. At least they tried.

The Beatles - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (mp3, 3.6mb)

The Marmalade win the prize for best Crickets lookalike.

Ever heard of Scottish group The Marmalade? Me neither, but they're a bit before my time. Actually, so are The Beatles, so it's not really a great argument.

They may not be the most successful group in the world, but they do a cracking rendition of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (possibly the hardest song to type). The Beatles version was simply too slow, wasn't it? Obviously The Marmalade think so, as this cover is a little more up-tempo, but nothing to horrible. Lovely backing vocals, too, which was also a downside to The Beatles' version. Actually, if John Lennon had heard this cover, it's no wonder he hated his own version.

The Marmalade - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (mp3, 4.2mb)

As always, the best is saved for last. The Bedrocks, a little known West Indies band, play Ob-La-Di just as a song of its quality should be played: well. I got the vinyl single about a year ago from my local Oxfam for a pound, and that was only because I misread the label and thought it was The Beatles' original. I'd actually rather have this version, because it's far, far, better.

And as a plus, it's not available anywhere on the internet, at all, except here. I think.

The Bedrocks - Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (mp3, 1.8mb)

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Midget Fan Club

While not to everyone's taste, Midget Fan Club are very good at what they do. And what do they do? They play damn good punk rock, that's what.

MFC, fronted by GFS (aka Guy Smiley, everyone's favourite game show host), have developed a very unique sound. Some people may listen to their music and hear what they've heard before: fast guitars, wild solos, elegantly throaty vocals. But give their music a second listen and you realise that this is unlike anything you've ever had the pleasure of hearing. The energy possessed by Midget Fan Club will blow you away.

Midget Fan Club - A Total Nightmare (mp3, 2.0mb)
Midget Fan Club - Take The Fall (mp3, 2.8mb)

If two free sampler songs aren't good enough, the entire album A Total Nightmare is available to download directly from the band's website, for free! Find it here.




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Konrad

Electronic music makes up a miniscule section of my iTunes library. In fact, I'm pretty sure that it doesn't extend far beyond Autobahn by Kraftwerk, and I only have that because it's a classic. But generally, I've never had a care for electronic music.

Which is why I'm shocked at myself for liking Konrad.

Don't let the guitar in the picture fool you - Konrad's music is entirely synthetic. I'm amazed to find myself enjoying his music so much that I want to play it again. If you're familiar with the blog, you'll know my number one priority for music is musicianship. And, quite out of place for electronic music, Konrad's music has it, and in large quantities. However, instrumentation is also high on the must-have list, and good instrumentation uses instruments, not computers. Does this mean I'm writing off Konrad's music completely? Not at all. Like I've said before, this is incredible.



It's experimental. But you can listen to it. This is unheard of.

Surely experimental means a whole load of sounds that make a seemingly unending track that barely passes as music? Well, I thought so to, but Konrad's proven me wrong, with his original mix of electronic and (dare I say it) pop. It's the type of music that gets better each time you listen to it. How? I can only guess that because there's so much going on in each song, you hear new exciting bits of it you hadn't heard previously. It certainly keeps your interest, far more than a Scouting For Girls track would (you may or may not have guessed by now that I don't like them).

Perhaps Konrad is my gateway drug into a world of music I've never experienced before? I certainly hope so.

The debut album Loose Canyons from Radical Turf Records is out now!

Konrad - Kites (mp3, 5.8mb)
Konrad - Canyon Blue (mp3, 5.6mb)






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Don't let your canyons get loose

Kingsbury

It's not uncommon for me to get emails from record companies, containing a press release for a band that desperately needs promotion. Usually these emails aren't even adressed to me, and have simply been sent out to every music blog owner the record company could find. It's always nice to receive an email from a band rather than their representitives, and even nicer when they've taken the effort to look at the blog prior to sending off an email to see if I've actually featured music similar to their own.

Samantha, guitarist from alternative band Kingsbury sent me an email requesting that I take a listen to one or two of their songs. Unlike so many other submissions, this one actually had my name at the top, so I gave Kingsbury a chance.

I'm glad I did.

Photo by Colleen Reed

Kingsbury, hailing from Orlando, Florida, play brooding, rather melancholy alternative and somewhat experimental rock music. The similarities to Radiohead pour out of this musical concoction by the dozen, but related bands such as Calla and Low are also cited as influences, along with some older acts like Pink Floyd.

I was sent the album The Great Compromise after showing interest in the music shown on the band's MySpace. Upon receiving it, I stuck it straight into my PC's CD drive and it hasn't left there since. The album is absolutely fantastic work by the Florida foursome. Guided by the husky whispered vocals of Bruce Reed, whilst driven along by the untiring minor furtherance from the guitars, it adds up to be more of a surrealist work of art than Salvador Dalí could shake a paintbrush at. Not bad for a band's debut full-length album.

From the opening chords of the first song, Corpse, you know it's going to be something special. If you're a regular reader of the blog you'll know that what I like to hear is original instrumentation, and when a rock album opens with a fully-blown string section and tubular bells, you can tell it's going to be much more than your typical drivvle.

From the first note to the last, The Great Compromise is without a doubt one of the greatest displays of musicianship in recent years.



And, talking of first and last, here's the opener, accompanied by the unbelievable instrumental finishing track.

Kingsbury - Corpse (mp3, 3.9mb)
Kingsbury - The City And The Sea (mp3, 10.7mb - it's worth the large file size)





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Kingsbury's MySpace

Drawn A Blank

That's right, I'm back. And even better than before.

Well, maybe not better. It's going to be hard to top Happy Days on Saturday covers isn't it?

Let's launch straight into the music.

So a while ago I was sent a package from Robert, vocalist and guitarist of punk band Drawn A Blank. Contained within were five 7"s and a CD of their EP Look Alive!, some stickers, and a note. Yeah, I have six copies of the same EP, but it was free and the music's pretty flippin' good.

Drawn A Blank are one of those bands that sound like the beginnings of all the great pop punk bands. Their influences are displayed in their music - "...simply put, we love the Bouncing Souls, Avail, Grey Area, and bands along those lines..." Think The Good, The Bad And The Argyle by Bouncing Souls and you've got a close match to Drawn A Blank's sound. Seeing as they sound like early punk bands that evolved into huge well-known names, I reckon the future's bright for these four lads from VA - which I believe is a state in America.

What's great to hear from Drawn A Blank is their passion for their music. Maybe it's an overheard statement, but I believe Robert means what he says when he writes "I didn't put out a record to make money off of it, I put it out because I love the music, my band, and my friends."

The EP Look Alive! was released in 2007 and no new material has been released since, as all members of the band attend schools in different places, but hopefully we'll be hearing some new stuff from these guys soon. As I found out, Drawn A Blank are prepared to send out any number of copies of Look Alive! for as little as the cost of postage, just to get the word out. Send them a message through their MySpace if you like any one of the samples I'm posting below.

Drawn A Blank - Trying (mp3, 4.6mb)
Drawn A Blank - Here's To Today (mp3, 2.1mb)
Drawn A Blank - Smells Like One Of McFaddens (mp3, 2.4mb)




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