Good Stuff Released 29th November 2010:
James Blake – “Limit to Your Love”
I have to admit, I know little about James Blake, but what I can tell you is that today he has released an absolutely beautiful song. Very simple, with often just a piano part, vocals, and dark, throbbing ambient backing, this track is stark and haunting, with very interesting production and effect laid throughout that only serve to increase the generally somber, depressive atmosphere. Its not a happy song, and lyrical its content also reflects this. If you like you music to be happy happy smiley nicey then this won’t be for you, but if you like a bit of bleak realism every now and then, check it out. I found it staggeringly good, and the accompanying video is subtly fantastic too.
Mark Ronson & the Business Intl. – “Somebody to Love Me”
The video for this track just makes me long for the 1980s. Fair enough, there was a bad economy and no one had any jobs then either, but there was a vague romanticism in the air, of rebellion, of impulse, of individuality. We’ve all got a bit boring and sensible in the past 25 years. Anyway, I digress. Here, Mark Ronson provides us again with a great single from his new album, which in my opinion is much better and far more interesting than his last offering. More slow paced, but still with a strong beat and chorus hook, this is a good song, and demonstrates that behind all the scandal and exaggeration, Boy George is still quite a good singer.
Bad Stuff Released 29th November 2010:
Nicki Minaj – “Right Thru Me”
Aside from the dreadfully unnecessary introduction to the video, with a positively gratuitous usage of the word “disrespecting”, this track is a perfect example of the shitty levels contemporary R&B has sunk to. It’s become a weird amalgamation of turn of the centaury dance music and quite storm, which to me sounds sooo dated. I also don’t like her hard, Newe Yeork style of singing, and just generally am getting so sick of the strong independent black girl/all I need is a good man thing. Yet it’s had 9.5 million hits. Go figure.
See this at Here Comes Everyone: http://t.co/uauX25j
Monday, 29 November 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
HERE COMES EVERYONE POST: Playlist of the Week - Angry
I have an angry playlist. I listen to it when I feel angry as a way of channelling the strength and sense of purpose I often feel when angry. Sometimes it’s quite a cool feeling - embracing that emotion. This is a selection of the best tracks from my own playlist that help channel my anger in a positive way; that essentially help me let off steam. They aren’t all thrash metal or horrorcore, I’m a lot subtler than that, thank you very much. These tracks are about releasing contempt, cynicism, and brooding anger, both musically and lyrically. These are about dealing with anger in a real way, not just about incitement to literal aggression. As follows:
“Holiday in Cambodia” – The Dead Kennedys
Hardcore punk is perhaps a fairly obvious choice for angry music; the Dead Kennedys an archetypal example of the genre; and “Holiday in Cambodia” their best known song. But it is a thrashing stamped of political aggression that pulls no punches, and a fast pace to get that angry heart pumping.
“Grounds for Divorce” – Elbow
Deep, dark guitars rule this track, which have a formidable power and pulse. Good for angry walking.
“Devil’s Spoke” – Laura Marling
Since Laura Marling makes soft, low-key folk, this might be an odd choice for some, but through this song the guitar has an inexplicable disquieting affect on me. She also has a passive aggressive quality that is very typical of an angry woman.
“Catch Hell Blues” – The White Stripes
Again, the guitar in this track has a sinister, menacing quality throughout it that is a complex, rotating ball of anger, with various parts, all of them angry. Great for when all you feel is just fucking pissed off.
“Beetlebum” – Blur
Swelling, pulsating, low frequency guitars wind throughout this track, which are perfect for brooding negativity.
“Get Innocuous!” – LCD Soundsystem
The slow, repetitive nature of this track’s development for me epitomizes the anger you can feel about a frustrating situation that slow grinds away at you, making you more and more angry, never being resolved, just perpetuating.
“96 Quite Bitter Beings” – cKY
Again, as this track is essentially metal in its origins, the link to anger might be a bit more obvious. The snarly vocals spiting bile and the jagged guitar riffs are perfect anger material.
“Perfect Day” – Lou Reed
Whilst the BBC may have chosen to develop a positive interpretation of this track, Lou Reed’s original version, though sedate, is riddled with a brooding, introverted negativity. Its quiet cynicism regarding a seemingly perfect day that is actually riddled with heroin addiction is great for when feeling particularly despondent and angry at life in general.
“Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” – Bloc Party
Eerie and pained, the beginning of this track reflects the quiet desperation that often goes hand in hand with anger. Then the track explodes with fast, thundering guitars at an aggressive pace, great for releasing bottled-up tension, especially when feeling disillusioned.
See this post at Here Comes Everyone: http://t.co/EVhnw7m
“Holiday in Cambodia” – The Dead Kennedys
Hardcore punk is perhaps a fairly obvious choice for angry music; the Dead Kennedys an archetypal example of the genre; and “Holiday in Cambodia” their best known song. But it is a thrashing stamped of political aggression that pulls no punches, and a fast pace to get that angry heart pumping.
“Grounds for Divorce” – Elbow
Deep, dark guitars rule this track, which have a formidable power and pulse. Good for angry walking.
“Devil’s Spoke” – Laura Marling
Since Laura Marling makes soft, low-key folk, this might be an odd choice for some, but through this song the guitar has an inexplicable disquieting affect on me. She also has a passive aggressive quality that is very typical of an angry woman.
“Catch Hell Blues” – The White Stripes
Again, the guitar in this track has a sinister, menacing quality throughout it that is a complex, rotating ball of anger, with various parts, all of them angry. Great for when all you feel is just fucking pissed off.
“Beetlebum” – Blur
Swelling, pulsating, low frequency guitars wind throughout this track, which are perfect for brooding negativity.
“Get Innocuous!” – LCD Soundsystem
The slow, repetitive nature of this track’s development for me epitomizes the anger you can feel about a frustrating situation that slow grinds away at you, making you more and more angry, never being resolved, just perpetuating.
“96 Quite Bitter Beings” – cKY
Again, as this track is essentially metal in its origins, the link to anger might be a bit more obvious. The snarly vocals spiting bile and the jagged guitar riffs are perfect anger material.
“Perfect Day” – Lou Reed
Whilst the BBC may have chosen to develop a positive interpretation of this track, Lou Reed’s original version, though sedate, is riddled with a brooding, introverted negativity. Its quiet cynicism regarding a seemingly perfect day that is actually riddled with heroin addiction is great for when feeling particularly despondent and angry at life in general.
“Song for Clay (Disappear Here)” – Bloc Party
Eerie and pained, the beginning of this track reflects the quiet desperation that often goes hand in hand with anger. Then the track explodes with fast, thundering guitars at an aggressive pace, great for releasing bottled-up tension, especially when feeling disillusioned.
See this post at Here Comes Everyone: http://t.co/EVhnw7m
Thursday, 18 November 2010
MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST (LIVE REVIEW): Caitlin Rose – South Street Arts, Reading
My initial reaction when entering this relaxed arts venue was surprise at the audience demographic. Considering that Caitlin Rose is currently doing the rounds as part of the Twisted Folk tour, the scene last night was a fairly typical older English folk crowd. Few people looked below the age of forty, and even fewer looked younger than thirty. At twenty four, I was perhaps the youngest audience member. However, whilst the crowd may have been filled with beards and hiking boots, the support acts for Rose were the complete opposite of crusty folk. Both Peter Wolf Crier and Hannah Peel demonstrated a gloriously current, fresh and quirky sound, which was exactly the kind of hip, new, alt-folk I had been expecting to witness.
Then Caitlyn Rose came on stage, and my confusion regarding the audience was resolved. Rose’s music, for the most part, is country based music, and country-folk is generally more appealing to an older, mellower and more reminiscent audience. They certainly all seemed very familiar with her songs, and were clearly there for her, and her alone.
From what I had heard of Rose’s work previously, I was aware that her music had a distinctly country edge, but live it is clear that she is a true Nashville doll, with a wide, southern drawl, lots of telecasters and pedal steel guitars, and a backing band that look like the Allman Brothers circa 1975. She’s quite a cute and chatty performer who is clearly comfortable on stage both musically and personally. She was coy, youthful almost to the point of immaturity, and feisty. Technically competent as well, she seemed at home with both the guitar and microphone.
Ultimately though, it is Rose’s stellar voice which is her biggest attraction, and why her audience love her. She is technically excellent, with a wonderful tone and timbre to her voice. Her voice is strong, clear and faultless on all numbers, with a soft and contemplative or bright and punchy edge depending on the track in question. Her and her band kicked out the rockier numbers well, although for me, the quieter numbers, when she takes the guitar away and focuses on singing, is where her true ability lies. When this happens she adds a more vulnerable, subtle quality to her performance, which is very powerful, and outclasses the confines of the country genre. The track For the Rabbits in particular was really endearing, as well as her final two encore tracks, which she performed alone.
Rose is clearly enamored with country music and performs it well, although the sheer proliferation of pedal steel guitar throughout the performance made the definite country vibe hard to escape from. The audience loved this, although personally, being more of a folk-ie rather than a country-nut, I preferred the more toned down tracks, which had a much more transcendental, and touching quality to them. Over all though, it was a good performance, and Rose a charismatic and talented performer.
See this review at More Than The Music: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/gig-reviews/18112010-caitlin-rose-south-street-arts-reading/
Then Caitlyn Rose came on stage, and my confusion regarding the audience was resolved. Rose’s music, for the most part, is country based music, and country-folk is generally more appealing to an older, mellower and more reminiscent audience. They certainly all seemed very familiar with her songs, and were clearly there for her, and her alone.
From what I had heard of Rose’s work previously, I was aware that her music had a distinctly country edge, but live it is clear that she is a true Nashville doll, with a wide, southern drawl, lots of telecasters and pedal steel guitars, and a backing band that look like the Allman Brothers circa 1975. She’s quite a cute and chatty performer who is clearly comfortable on stage both musically and personally. She was coy, youthful almost to the point of immaturity, and feisty. Technically competent as well, she seemed at home with both the guitar and microphone.
Ultimately though, it is Rose’s stellar voice which is her biggest attraction, and why her audience love her. She is technically excellent, with a wonderful tone and timbre to her voice. Her voice is strong, clear and faultless on all numbers, with a soft and contemplative or bright and punchy edge depending on the track in question. Her and her band kicked out the rockier numbers well, although for me, the quieter numbers, when she takes the guitar away and focuses on singing, is where her true ability lies. When this happens she adds a more vulnerable, subtle quality to her performance, which is very powerful, and outclasses the confines of the country genre. The track For the Rabbits in particular was really endearing, as well as her final two encore tracks, which she performed alone.
Rose is clearly enamored with country music and performs it well, although the sheer proliferation of pedal steel guitar throughout the performance made the definite country vibe hard to escape from. The audience loved this, although personally, being more of a folk-ie rather than a country-nut, I preferred the more toned down tracks, which had a much more transcendental, and touching quality to them. Over all though, it was a good performance, and Rose a charismatic and talented performer.
See this review at More Than The Music: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/gig-reviews/18112010-caitlin-rose-south-street-arts-reading/
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