2008

Hello. I've not written to this in quite a while but I did have a list of the best albums of 2008. Hopefully I will start writing again soon, having remembered my login details and not having any coursework to do. Enjoy.

1.) The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow

2.) Stay Positive - The Hold Steady

3.) Fantasy Black Channel - Late Of The Pier

4.) Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs

5.) Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

6) Intimacy - Bloc Party

7.) Dear Science - TV On The Radio

8.) Falling Off Lavender Bridge - Lightspeed Champion

9.) The Age Of The Understatement - The Last Shadow Puppets

10.) Angles - Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

11.) For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver

12.) Nights Out - Metronomy

13.) Modern Guilt - Beck

14.) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

15.) Songs in A&E - Spiritualized

16.) The '59 Sound - The Gaslight Anthem

17.) Antidotes - Foals

18.) Love, Ire and Song - Frank Turner

19.) Oracular Spectacular - MGMT

20.) Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

21.) St Jude - The Courteeners

22.) Tha Carter III - Lil' Wayne

23.) Only By The Night - Kings Of Leon

24.) Brain Thrust Mastery - We Are Scientists

25.) Death Magnetic - Metallica

26.) Beautiful Future - Primal Scream

27.) At Mount Zoomer - Wolf Parade

28.) Shall Noise Upon - Apollo Sunshine

29.) All Or Nothing - The Subways

30.) We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed - Los Campesinos!

31.) Partie Traumatic - Black Kids

32.) Weezer (The Red Album) - Weezer

33.) Tell Tale Signs - Bob Dylan

34.) After The Balls Drop - Les Savy Fav

35.) Couples - The Long Blondes

36.) A Cross The Universe - Justice

37.) Shine A Light - The Rolling Stones

38.) Where The Light Is - John Mayer

39.) Romance at Short Notice - Dirty Pretty Things

40.) Little Death - Pete and the Pirates

41.) This Is Not The World - The Futureheads

42.) Workout Holiday - White Denim

43.) 808s and Heartbreak - Kanye West

44.) 4:13 Dream - The Cure

45.) There Will Be Blood - Jonny Greenwood

46.) One Day as a Lion - One Day as a Lion

47.) Cage The Elephant - Cage The Elephant

48.) Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls

49.) Attack and Release - The Black Keys

50.) Twenty One - Mystery Jets

Live Review: Primal Scream - Hammersmith Apollo

Primal Scream played an amazing set last night at the Hammermith Apollo. The night started with support from dreary London post punk outfit Cristine and ridiculous hair-metal rockers RTX but the night really got started when Bobby Gillespie and co. walked onto the stage at 9:15.

Opening the same way they opened their incredible 2000 album Xtrmntr with 'Kill All Hippies', they sent the crowd wild as soon as the first words of the voice clip were heard. The montage of slogans and adverts only enhanced the intensity of the spacey guitars and pounding drums while Bobby sings "you got the money, I got the soul" in his best falsetto.

After this, they launched into recent single 'Can't Go Back'. This set the perfect atmosphere with its shoutalong chorus and the buildup before Bobby's shout of "Let's Go" to introduce Andrew Innes' guitar solo. Although this was the best of the 'Beautiful Future' tracks played tonight, the set was consistently amazing, with almost every song just being completely perfect. Average album track 'Suicide Bomb' becomes a great bluesy stomp with an MBV-style sonic onslaught while the breezy title track with its claps and "oohhhhh"s makes for great fun. Like all the great frontmen, Gillespie puts on an amazing display with his onstage actions while still maintaining an aura of effortless cool. His animal noises at the beginning of soul number 'Uptown', which he dedicated to "all the ladies in the house", was something to behold.

As with all Primal Scream gigs of late, the setlist is pretty much equally balanced with rock'n'roll tracks from such albums as 'Riot City Blues' [although some feel superflous when the setlist includes relatively pointless 2005 track 'Suicide Sally and Johny Guitar' but doesn't feature the classic 'Kowalski'] and the more intense, electronic tracks. The songs from 'Evil Heat' are particularly impressive with 'Miss Lucifer' being an early highlight. However the last 4 songs of the main set saw the gig turn from the spectacular to the legendary.

When Bobby Gillespie announced the arrival of My Bloody Valentine guitarist, the legendary Kevin Shields, the fans were audibly ecstatic. The biggest highlight of the set was the ensuing 'Shoot Speed/Kill Light' with the a lot of the crowd screaming those 4 words along with Bobby while Shields brought added distortion and the wall of sound MBV gigs are famed for. After this sirens signified the classic hardcore techno track 'Swastika Eyes', which was similarly incredible. Innes, Shields and new band member Barrie Cadogan (of Little Barrie fame) attached their capos for the night's main singalong, 1993 hit 'Movin' on Up' which was followed by the euphoric set-closer 'Rocks', which had similar singing and clapping appeal.

Having left the stage, they returned for an encore initially without Shields but maintained the air of awe at the music being produced in the crowd with an immense version of 'Higher Than The Sun' accompanied by a looped video clip of chaos in the streets to really reinforce the brooding but chilled tone of the song. After this came a raucous version of 'Necro Hex Blues' off the most recent album which, although sadly lacking Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age who featured on the album version (Innes played the solo with similar power however) still managed to stir up the crowd despite being relatively unknown.

As the night drew to a close, they brought out their most commercially successful song, 'Country Girl' which prompted another mass singalong but what was to follow would be the night's most memorable. As Kevin Shields returned to the stage he amped up his trademark distortion as the band launched into the classic 'Accelerator' which while sending the crowd wild still managed to send them into a state of shock and awe by the song's close, the band leaving the stage with the awesome laser show still on and some very loud feedback still ringing all through the Apollo for several minutes and in our ears for several hours.  An incredible way to end such an incredible night.

This was probably the best gig I've ever been to. I was so in awe at the great (as previously said, 'Kowalski' would have completed it) set of songs, stunning lights and lasers show and just the atmosphere. Seeing my favourite band meant a lot and when they play such amazing music having been in the business for over 20 years, it's hard not to treat such a gig with such a reaction. The addition of watching the return of a legend only made the experience even more awesome. The Scream are a force to be reckoned with and when they can pack so many hits into one night and put on such a show to go with them, it is evident that they are one of the best live bands in the world.

Polls

Just to see people's opinions, I had this from idea after a few conversations (mostly with Jack)

(marks after votes from Me, Rachel, Amber, Jack and Andrew)

Blur or Oasis?

4-1

The Rolling Stones or The Verve?

4-1

Raconteurs or White Stripes?

1-4

Dirty Pretty Things or Babyshambles?

3-2

Cajun Dance Party or Bombay Bicycle Club?

0-5

Late of the Pier or MGMT?

2-3

Muse or Radiohead?

2-3

Smashing Pumpkins or Nirvana?

3-2

Metallica: Good or Bad?

5-0

Weezer: Good or Bad?

3-1

Queen: Good or Bad?

3-2

Dire Straits: Good or Bad?

2-3

Hard-Fi: Good or Bad?

1-4

Classical in General: Good or Bad?

3-2

Laura Marling: Good or Bad?

2-2

Les Savy Fav: Good or Bad?

1-3

Lil' Wayne: Good or Bad?

4-0

comment with views :)

Album Review: Intimacy - Bloc Party

This is sure to be one of the most divisive albums of the year. However, Intimacy, the latest from New Cross' finest, appears to satisfy all possible audiences. Scenesters hoping for 10 'Helicopter' clones will be pretty shocked by the change of direction, but will still find themselves loving more conventional tracks like 'Halo'. Those looking for more dance-orientated electronica, as hinted at by recet singles 'Mercury' and 'Flux' will possibly lose patience with mellower tracks 'Signs' and 'Biko'. However, it is clear to me at least that this is their masterpiece and one of the records of the year, despite requiring a couple of listens before it reveals its quality.

Upon the first listen, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at the first two tracks. 'Ares' begins with 15 seconds of calming synths before assaulting the listener with spiky guitars and relentlessly barking lyrics from Okerere, to some sounding more like Hadouken! than Bloc Party. However once you get past this sonic onslaught, the technical achievements and the lyrics with which Okerere lists all of the world's problems.

Choosing 'Mercury' as a lead single was either a brave or misjudged decision. All the minimalist vocal looping and esoteric lyrics referring to astrology don't make the song accessible at all but as part of the album, it works. Again, after a few listens, the swirling trumpets are accepted as part of the music, not as an afterthought and it genuinely improves with each listen.

'Halo' is immediately more accessible. There is some intense riffing from Lissack and Okerere, lyrics that are sung, not shouted, and it is a song that sounds like it would fit on either of their other albums, until the synths are brought in for the solo break where they aren't seen as a distraction or a waste, but an addition to the soundscape.

The hearbreakingly beautiful 'Biko' couldn't be more different. A complete change of pace, Kele sings with an effective falsetto about a dying friend, quoting Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' and bearing his soul. This song sounds almost too personal to listen to. Musically, the lack of anything except a looped guitar pattern and some bulding beats from a drum machine, it comes as a shock after the first three tracks, sounding more like something off "Kid A."

We are instantly brought back to the full heavy Bloc Party experience with 'Trojan Horse', with a blend of the personal lyrics and thick texture of drums and synths. It features another chorus with a strong melody, but already sounds familiar. After this, the first two tracks suddenly sound more like music.

Other highlights include 'One Month Off', with angry lyrics in which Kele bursts out at an unfaithful partner, deciding to "Be as cruel as [you], fighting fire with firewood," a clever lyric the likes of which are found throughout the album. 'Signs' is a sequel of sorts to 'Biko', with a glockenspiel to evoke a dreamy soundscape and lyrics where the cancer paitient is now dead and mourned for by Okerere, who now can barely handle the grief.

'Zepherus' sounds a lot like a lot of the rest of the album but is distinguished by a choir, making it sound more epic or pretentious, depending on how it is looked at. New single 'Talons' was not included on the original cut of 'Intimacy', but belongs on it and will feature on the physical release. Seeing Okerere running away from a hedonistic lifestyle, feeling guilty and hating his partner in a similar vein to 'Mercury' ("When did you become such a slut?" he asks with dissent). 

Closer 'Ion Square' sees Kele's issues solved, no longer mourning or hating but being comfortable with his relationship for once. So, after all the effects and astrological imagery, Intimacy is essentially a relationship record. Lyrics seem inaccessible but are revealed to be personal. While initally sounding like a mess of horns, shouts and very loud guitars, the heavier tracks get more interesting and melodic, while the mellow tracks simply get more beautiful. This will be seen as Bloc Party's masterpiece, their Kid A, but when this will happen is a matter of time

Coming Soon, *12 Perfect Albums

To pay tribute to my 12 favourite albums of all time, I have decided to run a series of reviews of the 12 albums listed below which I believe to be the best ever recorded. The 12 albums will be as follows

Axis: Bold As Love - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Elephant - The White Stripes

Funeral - Arcade Fire

Highway 61 Revisited - Bob Dylan

Odelay! - Beck

OK Computer - Radiohead

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine

Screamadelica - Primal Scream

The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

Because of the Times - Kings of Leon

Berlin - Lou Reed

Up The Bracket - The Libertines

These articles will be put up in the near future in any order. Comment with your ideas/favourite albums too, to help me get a grasp of what other people like, not just myself :p

(I put two more in due to some obvious realisations that weren't in my mind when I put this post up)

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid

After seventeen years of producing haunting and beautiful music, Elbow's recent discovery in the mainstream culminated in their triumphant win of the Mercury Prize for The Seldom Seen Kid, their fourth incredible album out of four. Rarely do any bands show such consistency as the Bury men, who were nominated for the same prize for their debut, Asleep In The Back.

The Seldom Seen Kid opens with "Starlings", a beautiful bearing of Guy Garvey's soul. To hear a man admit his faults in such a way as when Garvey sings "I know I'm asking you / to bet on a horse that's good for glue / and nothing else," the first of many similarly poignant lines, Garvey breaks hearts with his honesty.  

"The Bones of You" is a love song with a melody so lovely that without the lyrics you can tell exactly what Garvey feels in this summery future single that aptly ends with an excerpt of "Summertime" by George Gershwin. "Mirrorball", sounds similar to much of Elbow's back catalogue. This is possibly the only issue that could be raised with this otherwise practically perfect album. This problem, however, goes out the window with Track Four.

The album's lead single, "Grounds for Divorce" is a bluesy stomp with a powerful fuzzbox riff and tinges of keyboard to remind the listener that this is Elbow one is hearing, not Led Zeppelin. It sounds amazing, with Guy singing about how he is powerless to stop his alcoholism, constantly falling into the "[Drinking] hole in [his] neighbourhood down which of late [he] cannot help but fall," while also making it a heartfelt tribute to Brian Glancy, a friend of the band who died during recording and to whom their Mercury Prize was dedicated.

Other highlights include "The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver", an orchestrally-tinged ballad about the highs and lows of fame which, like everything else on the album, sounds truly like a labour of love. "Some Riot" has a beautiful chromatic piano part and sounds so personal and claustrophobic that one almost feels intrusive listening to Garvey's innermost thoughts, mourning the loss of a friend [Glancy] once again, singing "When will my friend start singing again?" as if he is unable to deal with the grief. 

Second single "One Day Like This" is possibly their best song to date, a wonderfully epic ballad singing about the simple joys of love in the summer and was undoubtedly one of the biggest singalongs of the festivals this year with the joyous refrain "Throw those curtains wide, one day like this a year will see me right," detailing the height of euphoria of love and the realisation that the world is, ultimately, a beautiful, despite after all the despair of earlier tracks.

This is an outstanding album, and, save for Burial's dubstep masterpiece Untrue, the only serious contender for the Mercury. Garvey writes spellbinding lyrics and sings with such a raw, open sound that his genius can no longer be ignored. With The Seldom Seen Kid's chart success and now the Mercury, will this be Elbow's long overdue acceptance as one of the best bands in Britain? 

Track Review: Dreamin' Of You - Bob Dylan

Dreamin' Of You comes from another collection of rarities by the man proclaimed to be the Best Musician Ever by many a music fan. His latest single is in fact an outtake from one of his many masterpieces, Time Out of Mind.  This, like many songs on that album, reflects on age and his decade-spanning career. "The Heavens Above / feel further away than ever before," he sings, contemplating the ups and downs of his life in a manner to "Love Sick".

This is one of the best-sounding songs of his career. Jim Keltner's drums are slicker than all else on that seminal album, while the piano playing is equally stylish, in keeping with Dylan's cool. His drawl sounds poetic but strong, calling to mind 2000's "Things Have Changed" or Modern Times' "Ain't Talkin'".

Dreamin' may not quite scale the heights of those two tracks, or indeed Time Out Of Mind's highlight "Not Dark Yet", which still stands up amongst his greatest, but it is a very good song. If this was left off Time Out Of Mind, it makes the prospect of a whole collection of tracks left off his last few albums sound very promising, and proof, if it is still needed, that Dylan is just as much of a musical genius as he was in his youth.

Shameless Plug

http://jcollinsmusic.blogspot.com

This is the music blog by a good friend of mine, Jack Collins. He, like me, thought it would be a good idea to start a music blog and so here you can find his.

-Emmett

Track Review: Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon

Much has been made in the music press of the new "political" lyrical quality of the Kings' forthcoming album Only By The Night. Cynics would say that this lead single is just a method to get the fans who want to see more of the same onboard for the album as opposed to releasing a song with much more of a lyrical departure from previous material such as "Crawl". Thankfully however, "Sex on Fire" is a great piece of American southern rock like "California Waiting" and "Camaro" were before it and much more than a standard single. Unlike other tracks on the new LP, it is not politically motivated, inspired by the energy and excitement of love instead.

Sounding like a dirtier version of Springsteen's "Born to Run", this is hymn to love on the road is, in a way, a midpoint between the two styles of the Followill clan's music. Musically, it is pure stadium rock, with a chorus destined to be sung back by thousands of adoring fans, similar to much on "Because Of The Times". It is equally a return to the sleazy garage-punk lyrical tone of much of the first two albums, a regress to adolescence.

The lyrics, while unenigmatic, perfectly capture the passion that has fueled some of the band's best moments. Singer Caleb muses on his celebrity, having to live his love life in the public domain ("All the commotion. . . has people talking"). Clearly their rise to fame hasn't been as warmly received by the band as "Fans" would have suggested. Since they have been touring the last album for so long this can't really be called a comeback single, but it is definitely a sign of good things to come on "Only By The Night".

Hi

Was told I should start a Music blog so here it is :p

Ill do some album reviews and stuff.

So yeah, welcome and enjoy :)

-Emmett