The Horrors latest album has been a long time coming for some, and it is finally close. Just less than a week away, you can help illuminate Luminous - clever! You can do this by listening to the stream below, and sharing it to unlock more tracks.
The first song is just... well worth the wait. Farris's voice is incredibly unique, he's really mastered it. Along with the two singles, this is shaping up to me a potentially album of the year, like the last two.
H x
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Tuesday, 29 April 2014
Damon Albarn // Everyday Robots - Review
If you like Blur, you may want to look away here.
If you like, or rather appreciate, good music, then you're in the right place. Damon Albarn's debut album comes after 19 side projects spanning 89 years in the business (some of that isn't true).
The music itself is mightily impressive. Mixing electronic drum beats with a very cool array of percussion makes something pretty unique - see Lonely Press Play for a perfect example. His warbling, mumbling at times voice may not be appreciated by some, but it suits this music.
Mr Tembo is very uplifting, with the heartbeat outro from Lonely Press Play leading into it perfectly. The ukulele buzzes along the song like a child on a train ride through an exotic paradise. That, is what this album creates: vivid imagery, with inventive (at times) lyrics. The keyboards and piano are worth of note, as they aren't always part of his work - they go with the usual guitar you hear, but this acoustic album is less about that; it is more about Damon himself.
Those voice samples are pretty weird too, eh? I love the one he does himself towards the the end of Mr Tembo: "football pitches" comes across as a Blur era comment.
The music you find on the album is like nothing he has done in the past. This is his most personal effort yet, obviously. It isn't his best, but it is definitely worth a listen at the very least.
Enjoyable.
7/10
Credits to spin.com for the photos.
H x
If you like, or rather appreciate, good music, then you're in the right place. Damon Albarn's debut album comes after 19 side projects spanning 89 years in the business (some of that isn't true).
The music itself is mightily impressive. Mixing electronic drum beats with a very cool array of percussion makes something pretty unique - see Lonely Press Play for a perfect example. His warbling, mumbling at times voice may not be appreciated by some, but it suits this music.
Mr Tembo is very uplifting, with the heartbeat outro from Lonely Press Play leading into it perfectly. The ukulele buzzes along the song like a child on a train ride through an exotic paradise. That, is what this album creates: vivid imagery, with inventive (at times) lyrics. The keyboards and piano are worth of note, as they aren't always part of his work - they go with the usual guitar you hear, but this acoustic album is less about that; it is more about Damon himself.
Those voice samples are pretty weird too, eh? I love the one he does himself towards the the end of Mr Tembo: "football pitches" comes across as a Blur era comment.
The music you find on the album is like nothing he has done in the past. This is his most personal effort yet, obviously. It isn't his best, but it is definitely worth a listen at the very least.
Enjoyable.
7/10
Credits to spin.com for the photos.
H x
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Record Store Day 2014 // Collection
Very dreary and boring title, I know. I was up at 7, okay? That is pretty darn early for a student.
Anywho, here we are again. Or perhaps the first for some - but alas, this is my third Record Store Day I have been to, and again, it was excellent. The vibe around any record shop today compared to the rest of the year is akin to a gig venue before and after the last song. Which is pretty sad really, as this is more than likely my last visit (or rather purchase, as I do love looking through stores... to see what I haven't downloaded) to an independent record store this year.
Moving on from that slightly sad state of affairs, feast your eyes on my below haul of records.
Above are, from top left clockwise:
- Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea/I Hate Myself and Want To Die (£12, 6,000 produced)
- elbow - Charge (£10, 1,000 produced)
- London Grammar - Hey Now (£8, 2,000 produced)
- Bombay Bicycle Club - To The Bone/Reign Down (£12, 500 produced)
Pretty remarkable that Billericay managed to get in some of these, don't you think? I went particularly with an eye on the BBC record. I have "To The Bone" already, as it came with "Easier" (yet to be released elsewhere, officially) in the boxset of their last LP. The London Grammar LP has a lovely design to it, which I have attempted to capture below - the photo doesn't do it justice though. Not sure on them calling it "this side" and "other side". There's trying to be cool, and then there is trying to alter the bible.
The elbow one, well, I just bloody love Elbow. It has a lovely engraved etching of the album cover on the b side.
The Nirvana record has a particularly interesting history to it - it was a cancelled release 20 years ago after Kurt sadly died. Their were images of the records produced in Germany, but the release was cancelled. They claimed to have destroyed all the copies, but mysteriously a few vanished.
"mysteriously", eh.
Here we are now, 20 years on, with a Record Store Day release. Something that in its day would have been sought after, but now easily obtainable on one day of the year. To top it off, today alone I can see an eBay account which shall not be named has sold 5 copies for $40 dollars, making a 500% profit on each record sold. Extortinate; Kurt is most definitely turning in his grave.
Anywho, here we are again. Or perhaps the first for some - but alas, this is my third Record Store Day I have been to, and again, it was excellent. The vibe around any record shop today compared to the rest of the year is akin to a gig venue before and after the last song. Which is pretty sad really, as this is more than likely my last visit (or rather purchase, as I do love looking through stores... to see what I haven't downloaded) to an independent record store this year.
Moving on from that slightly sad state of affairs, feast your eyes on my below haul of records.
Above are, from top left clockwise:
- Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea/I Hate Myself and Want To Die (£12, 6,000 produced)
- elbow - Charge (£10, 1,000 produced)
- London Grammar - Hey Now (£8, 2,000 produced)
- Bombay Bicycle Club - To The Bone/Reign Down (£12, 500 produced)
Pretty remarkable that Billericay managed to get in some of these, don't you think? I went particularly with an eye on the BBC record. I have "To The Bone" already, as it came with "Easier" (yet to be released elsewhere, officially) in the boxset of their last LP. The London Grammar LP has a lovely design to it, which I have attempted to capture below - the photo doesn't do it justice though. Not sure on them calling it "this side" and "other side". There's trying to be cool, and then there is trying to alter the bible.
The elbow one, well, I just bloody love Elbow. It has a lovely engraved etching of the album cover on the b side.
The Nirvana record has a particularly interesting history to it - it was a cancelled release 20 years ago after Kurt sadly died. Their were images of the records produced in Germany, but the release was cancelled. They claimed to have destroyed all the copies, but mysteriously a few vanished.
"mysteriously", eh.
Here we are now, 20 years on, with a Record Store Day release. Something that in its day would have been sought after, but now easily obtainable on one day of the year. To top it off, today alone I can see an eBay account which shall not be named has sold 5 copies for $40 dollars, making a 500% profit on each record sold. Extortinate; Kurt is most definitely turning in his grave.
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Bombay Bicycle Club // A thoroughly deserved number one
I'm writing from a train station in London to be able to finally say Bombay Bicycle Club have reached number one with "So Long, See You Tomorrow". Not "So Long See You Later", Radio One. It's fantastic to see a band you root for becoming so popular and encouraging a style of music that is often illegally downloaded to be bought.
The accolade is thoroughly deserved for such a true band. Having bought their first ever EP when they were still at college, this is far from what they set out to do.
I look forward to arriving home at uni and opening my limited to 200 box set.
Thank you BBC, and thank you UK for making it happen.
H x
Friday, 7 February 2014
Bombay Bicycle Club // So Long, See You Tomorrow - Review
Having previously only left 13 months between albums, the 30+ months gap to this Jack Steadman, singer and lead guitar, produced fourth LP sees Bombay Bicycle Club delve further into their own eclectic sound scape. Having left it so long, you wonder what caused the change. So, I asked Jack himself.
I wish. The man's harder to contact that than an MP outside of an election campaign.
Jack and the band love travelling, and their destinations are painted all over 'So Long, See You Tomorrow'. The sounds of India can be heard on 'Feel' one of the firs to be débuted live recently. The track represents a change and shift in focus further away from their perhaps landfill indie first effort, and more so towards the 'Shuffle' sample style. The standout tracks from the album in fact all have samples: 'Overdone', 'So Long, See You Tomorrow' and 'It's Alright Now'.
'Luna', and the previously released 'Carry Me' are most certainly their biggest sounding songs to date - a reason they are catapulting towards the number one slot for Sunday, having topped the album chart midweek, a first for them. 'Luna' catches Jack in a happy mood with some seriously catchy bass from Ed, who features far evidently more on this album than the last. Not only is this the album that Jack chose to pump the bass levels up, but Ed now plays synth on some tracks - they're great musicians and it is great to see the other jump into the mix. Jamie also plays bass on 'Carry Me', a thumping track, and sings on other tracks too. Music from musicians, a rarity.
To see a band I've followed from the dizzy garage shows of yesteryear (I can say that now, okay) reach even dizzier heights of the chart is fantastic. Only 'Flaws' and their last LP 'A Different Kind Of Fix' have been lucky enough to reach the charts. They haven't topped no.4 yet.
This time every inch of me is hoping they do, with their best album yet.
9/10
H x
I wish. The man's harder to contact that than an MP outside of an election campaign.
Jack and the band love travelling, and their destinations are painted all over 'So Long, See You Tomorrow'. The sounds of India can be heard on 'Feel' one of the firs to be débuted live recently. The track represents a change and shift in focus further away from their perhaps landfill indie first effort, and more so towards the 'Shuffle' sample style. The standout tracks from the album in fact all have samples: 'Overdone', 'So Long, See You Tomorrow' and 'It's Alright Now'.
'Luna', and the previously released 'Carry Me' are most certainly their biggest sounding songs to date - a reason they are catapulting towards the number one slot for Sunday, having topped the album chart midweek, a first for them. 'Luna' catches Jack in a happy mood with some seriously catchy bass from Ed, who features far evidently more on this album than the last. Not only is this the album that Jack chose to pump the bass levels up, but Ed now plays synth on some tracks - they're great musicians and it is great to see the other jump into the mix. Jamie also plays bass on 'Carry Me', a thumping track, and sings on other tracks too. Music from musicians, a rarity.
To see a band I've followed from the dizzy garage shows of yesteryear (I can say that now, okay) reach even dizzier heights of the chart is fantastic. Only 'Flaws' and their last LP 'A Different Kind Of Fix' have been lucky enough to reach the charts. They haven't topped no.4 yet.
This time every inch of me is hoping they do, with their best album yet.
9/10
H x
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)