I think I’m becoming boring and old. Either that, or the popular music scene is.
He's been expecting me.
It had to happen at some point: I fear I’m getting too old for modern music. At the grand old age of 22 I find myself more and more disappointed with new albums that I would previously be a fan of.
This week I have listened to the latest albums from: Turin Brakes, the Soft Pack, Swanton Bombs, the Automatic, Frightened Rabbit and Shy Child. Out of those six I can safely say that I find only one ‘alright’ and worthy of a couple of listens. So for the past few days The Winter Of Mixed Drinks (Frightened Rabbit) has been in my car stereo until I got bored of it earlier today and replaced it with an old compilation of Snow Patrol and Coldplay singles. Yes, you read that right.
My suspicions were first aroused during the Brits, when I found myself particularly enjoying Robbie Williams‘ finale medley – and I subsequently changed channels when I discovered he was on ITV2 doing a further 15 or 20 minutes of material. I’ve also been known to refer to a concert of his I attended when I was younger as “incredible”. It’s especially worrying when you add in to the mix that I have only recently relinquished my three year control of a website which championed and promoted a vast array of new musical talent.
Maybe it’s because I’m no longer bombarded with 10-15 CDs every day, but I seem to be describing every new release as one of either ‘bland’, ‘boring’ or ’safe’. Turin Brakes and Shy Child are particularly guilty of invoking these feelings.
Two albums that I have been entrusted with by the kind fellows of The Line Of Best Fit to review have also had me thinking that, as the esteemed Danny Glover would say, I’m getting too old for this shit. The Soft Pack’s debut is fast, frantic and doesn’t outstay its welcome. However the over-distorted guitar solos and less-than-pitch-perfect vocals gave me a headache. Swanton Bombs’ album is loud, brash and made me think of early, good, Metallica at times. But I only managed a couple of tracks before deciding I needed a break. I then went back to listening to the Team America soundtrack.
Those who know me personally will also know that I recently became engaged. With this comes the idea that you will, at some point, get married to this person. Naturally, like most women, my fiancée has been day dreaming about her ideal wedding – and inevitably which song will soundtrack the important ‘first dance’. A year or two ago I went through numerous songs and thought about their suitability to this once-in-a-lifetime event. At this point my decisions centred around lesser known guitar-based indie bands which I’m at a loss to recall.
Now, thanks to the impact of a few years to the back of the head, I’ve been thinking about Take That’s A Million Love Songs. And hating myself.
As an aside, I’ve also noticed that my ‘recently listened’ widget on the right hand side is getting increasingly depressing. I may be forced to remove it soon.
Shane MacGowan and celebrity friends have put their own spin on a classic. All for a good cause.
This one was simply too good to miss. The legendary Shane MacGowan has teamed up with a host of celebrity friends to release a single in aid of Concern Worldwide’s work in Haiti.
Along with Johnny Depp, Nick Cave, Bobby Gillespie, Paloma Faith, Elize Doolittle, Mick Jones and Chrissie Hynde, MacGowan has recorded a cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ 1956 hit I Put A Spell On You. You can have a listen below, and if you like what you hear can pre-order it via IRL Records by clicking here.
Not ones for going down the more traditional ‘performance’ videos, Vampire Weekend’s song-accompanying efforts tend to be a little bit more exciting than the usual fare. From the sheer adrenaline rush of A-Punk and Cousins, to the more laid back videos for Oxford Comma and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa, there’s always an element of the unusual.
The video for Giving Up The Gun – the second single, after Cousins, to come from new album Contra – isn’t quite as exciting as their previous efforts, but again it’s a bit detached from the norm. Have a gander below:
Once again the fates have conspired against Neil Warnock. The beleaguered manager of doom-laden Crystal Palace has called for an official to be suspended“for a very long time” for getting a decision wrong over the weekend. The decision, to award Aston Villa a corner when it should have been a goal kick, lead to Villa equalising with three minutes remaining.
Now Warnock’s side face a cash-boosting replay with Premier League Villa, however the Palace boss would rather see the linesman suspended from his job. If footballers were suspended every time a mistake was made Wigan’s Titus Bramble would have only made half the first team appearances he has so far. There’s enough pressure on officials to get things right in real time – remember, they don’t have the benefit of multiple-angle slow-motion replays – without the added pressure of losing your job for the slightest mistake.
Had this been the other way round, and Warnock’s side were the ones benefiting from an official’s error, then no doubt it’d all be down to luck. Or hard work. When that happens we’ll see the other line trotted out – the one about officials having a “difficult job to do”.
Who are you? And what have you done with Kate Nash?
Erm… Kate Nash? Is that you?! One of 2007’s biggest female stars (admittedly mainly for the massive hit Foundations) has teamed up with Bernard Butler – him formerly of Suede, who helped launch Duffy – for a free download ahead of her second, currently untitled, album.
The track, I Love You More, is a bit… well… weird. In the beginning it sounds like things are looking up, and taking on a peculiar Horrors-esque slant, until everything goes a bit mad halfway through. It’s clear Nash has had some kind of influence from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Karen O as she screams and shrieks her way through the finale, but it’s ever-so-slightly rubbish.
Anyway, have a listen to the starts-well-but-goes-downhill-halfway-through track courtesy of Youtube below. Or go to her site and download it yourself.
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