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:
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.
An introduction into the world of the delightful Tigers That Talked.
They’re probably just as aware as the rest of us that this is a particularly rubbish band name (despite the alliteration being notable), but that shouldn’t put you off their gorgeous string-swept debut Artificial Clouds. Originally discovered back in a TMM singles club in October 2009, it still hasn’t lost any of its original charm.
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You can also have a little listen to Black Heart Blue Eyes using another fancy player below.
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The four-piece are due to release their debut album The Merchant at some point in 2010.
Anyway, there’s more on Spotify, or you can check out the band’s website and obligatory Myspace page.
It’s not difficult to feel out of place in this massive venue, but Arctic Monkeys took it all in their stride.
There’s always a danger that bands who take to Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena stage may find themselves dwarfed by the cavernous hall, reminiscent of a WW2 bomb shelter despite being less than 15 years old. Arctic Monkeys have spent their brief career slowly building up to this moment – a full arena size tour – and it’s pretty safe to say that their appearance here is long overdue.
Opening with the The Jeweller’s Hand – the final song on third album Humbug – it’s apparent that the band have mellowed somewhat since their earlier days. Instead of an explosive introduction their arrival on stage is somewhat subdued, with the band beginning the laid-back number behind a massive red curtain that slowly opens. It’s an effective opener, and the band waste no time in laying into their more famous tracks, such as first single I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor which sparks mass hysteria among the 11,000 plus crowd.
But it’s not just the album tracks which get an airing here, as recent b-side Sketchead (taken from recent single Cornerstone) is introduced as “one of our new songs”. As a song it’s difficult to place, and not one that you can see sitting alongside Crying Lightning and the aforementioned Cornerstone. It serves as more of a bridge between old and new, linking a wide gulf which is all the more evident in a live environment.
The raw The View From The Afternoon seems out-of-place in this new, mellower Monkeys set, while the seedy My Propeller and haunting synths of Pretty Visitors somehow suit the band more these days. Meanwhile, the tracks which are included from Favourite Worst Nightmare – 505, Brianstorm, Fluorescent Adolescent (complete with the end of Mardy Bum inserted halfway through) et al – sound fresher accompanied by Humbug. That said, When The Sun Goes Down arguably gets the most rousing reception of all as lead Monkey Alex Turner takes the reins to perform the introduction on his own – again inciting riots in the crowd when the song really kicks off.
It’s similar to the earlier scenario with I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor, making it look as if the majority of the audience are here for the select few songs from Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not that are performed tonight. The noise that greats Turner’s every word is deafening, and the finale – 505 – prompts nearly 20 people being hauled from the crowd by security staff.
By the end of their near hour and a half set Turner heads off, leaving the band to finish the song without him. It’s a strange ending, with many of the crowd unable to believe they’re not coming out for a second encore – but alas, the house lights come on and music pipes in over the PA. It’s not often that a band manages to keep up the quality for a entire set, but tonight Arctic Monkeys managed it in spectacular style.
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