Take It To The Chorus has moved

After taking a break, Take It To The Chorus has now moved. Blogger has been good to me, but it's time for a change. I'll see you over at Tumblr for more pop music waffle.

RIP Fuzz Club

After ten years, tonight will be the final Fuzz Club at the University of Sheffield. In case you don't know, Fuzz Club is (was) the indie club night where, as a student, I watched many a brilliant gig. Most universities have indie/rock nights, but none as consistently wonderful as Fuzz Club. Bands I watched included Maximo Park, Art Brut, the Long Blondes and Keane. Once, the Arctic Monkeys supported the Ordinary Boys. After the bands came the indie disco, usually featuring Cannonball by the Breeders, The Modern Age by the Strokes and Date With The Night by Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Good fun, yes, but I usually preferred watching the bands. That's the sort of person I am.

I'm sorry to hear of its demise. Does this indicate a decline in the demand for indie nights at universities? Probably not. Not many club nights make it to their tenth anniversary, and it's just time for something new. While the Liverpool club/party scene always underachieves (sorry Liverpool, I know you're my current home but it's true), the Sheffield club/party scene overachieves. Come September there'll be quirky club nights all over the city. Probably held in basements, playing only pagan disco.

So let's all raise a glass of Snakebite and black in memory. Or Jagermeister, if that's your thing. Goodbye Fuzz Club: whenever I hear Molly's Chambers by Kings of Leon I'll think of you.

A fitting tribute

Hello internetz. I took a break from blogging. To start with, I was ill. Eurgh, so ill. Then I was better, but I couldn't bring myself to blog. Just the thought of signing into Blogger's dashboard gave me the blog sweats. Why? Fear, probably. I think I've overcome it now.
The other day I was waiting to catch a train on Merseyrail. If you don't know, Merseyrail is similar to the London Underground, yet somehow grubbier and less punctual. Once upon a time (probably in the 1970s), it was decided that Merseyrail's official colours would be a cheerful yellow and a sophisticated chocolate brown. Unfortunately, I always think it looks like nicotine yellow and poo brown.
But anyway, I was waiting when another train passed through the station. One carriage had the words 'John Peel' stencilled on. It was too quick for me to snap a picture. A fitting tribute to a great man? Hmmm...
Another John Peel tribute is The Ravenscroft, a pub in Heswall, Wirral. Mr Peel was born John Ravenscroft, in said town. A large picture of Peelie surveys the staircase up to the toilets.
The Ravenscroft is one of those anonymous, beige pubs with pleather couches and a muted plasma screen with rolling Sky Sports News. As my dear friend Nigel pointed out, not the sort of drinking establishment that Peelie would have particularly liked. And, equally, not the sort of drinking establishment that would have welcomed a man like Peelie.

£5 to win

Thanks for the bottle of Tia Maria, Alexander Rybak.

Another gig

On Tuesday night, I went to see a band called Mi Ami in the Static Gallery. That's the sort of person I am. I go to gigs in galleries. (It's more of a studio space, to be honest.)

I was planning to write about my gigging adventure on Wednesday. But I just couldn't think of anything to write. It was a moderately good gig, where I drank a can of Red Stripe and took a photo of my shoe (pictured). Mi Ami were not bad, but they did a lot of screeching. It reminded me of a messy spin painting and PMT combined. Plus they were ridiculously loud.

Today is Thursday, and I finally mentioned this because I really enjoyed the support bands. The first on were called Bagheera, but I can't find their MySpace. They were good, I promise. Second on were Balloons, playing some cheeky electro pop. Also good, and they looked like they were having fun. This means that I have fun, and everybody is happy.

Picture Book were also playing. I've seen them before. They're trying to do high-concept electro, and project visuals from a Macbook. For me, it ends up like The Knife without the gender-bending or sexuality, or early Moloko without the ideas. I do like bands who put "official" at the end of their MySpace profile. That's ambition.

I'm gonna take you out tonight

The video for Little Boots' first-single-proper - New In Town - is here. Not just on the tellybox but also on the internets. Can Little Boots transform all the buzz into unit shifting?
Let's take a look at the video and find out.
We open with Little Boots herself, staring dolefully at the rain-splattered LA streets that pass by her car window. It's a lonely life being a touring artist. But at least she's wearing a spectacular necklace and dress (made by Ashish, if you must know).

Meanwhile, a group of ne'er-do-wells are scrabbling around to survive. They're probably under a railway bridge. In a dubious area called 'downtown'. This chap has a sign that reads 'Need food - spent all my money on judo lessons'.
Being new in town, Little Boots accidentally wanders in and finds herself surrounded by shopping trolleys.

Wait a second - they're not ne'er-do-wells. They're trained dancers!

For the second verse and chorus, she accidentally wanders into a backstreet dance battle. Like I told you, she's new in town. But it's all rather jolly.

For the middle eight, she accidentally wanders into a local dogging spot. Because she is, after all, new in town.

We end with Little Boots staring dolefully out of the car window, as at the start. Meaning that she dreamed the entire thing.

And there you have it. A quite good video. The song itself doesn't really do it for me yet, but I'll give it some more time. It sounds like the Human League, and I love the Human League. So some more time. I don't want to be one of those people who huffs and puffs that "the earlier stuff is better".
But at least I'm not this YouTube commentor:

"i really liked her better with dark brown hair and when she was with dead disco"

Just let it go. Dead Disco were not bad, but the rest of us have moved on.

Five new bands for the bank holiday

Another chance for my irregular feature on new bands. Five of them. For the weekend bank holiday. Enjoy yourself.
1) Blues Roses Acoustic loveliness from the Bradfordian formerly known as Laura Groves (pictured). Album out NOW.
2) Soft Toy Emergency Liverpudlian whippersnappers making bouncy electro pop. I think they rehearse in a studio over the road from my flat. That makes me feel like a weird stalker.
3) The Yeah You's Literally everybody has been going on about these two chaps. Well, I've seen them mentioned in a few places. And now it's my turn. Their pop songs are rather splendid. Somehow, I managed to get through this paragraph without mentioning their lackadaisical approach to grammar. Oh wait. Damnation.
4) The Whiskycats Rabble-rousing Mancunian folksters, featuring trumpet. I'm told they know how to throw a good party. This is a very important component of becoming a good band. However, I'm still waiting for my invitation to arrive.
5) Menya 'Electro crunk' New York trio. A bit like CSS, but fuzzier.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs confusion

Here is the May issue of The Stool Pigeon:

I do enjoy reading The Stool Pigeon. It tells me about all the cool new bands I should be listening to. And don't the Yeah Yeah Yeahs look spanky on the cover? Jonathan Safran-Foer (at right) is looking a bit Photoshopped. The shadow doesn't match his cheekbones, but nevermind. I don't think The Stool Pigeon has demanded he digitally slim down.
The tagline, however, confuses me. I understand that Father Christmas has reindeers called Donner and Blitzen, and the new YYYs album is called It's...
...but what's Donna got to do with it? And why slip in the German connective? Perhaps Karen O and co have gone...
And they sound very...

But come on. It just doesn't quite make sense. Or maybe I just don't get it. Can you explain?

My vision's gone on Euro

It's the time of year when the bluebells are blooming, the lambs are frollicking and my thoughts are turning to Eurovision. I like it, OK? I just really, really like it. Not even ironically. Also, Moscow 2009 will have revised voting rules (a mixture of viewer votes and "professional juries"), which could potentially even out some of the block voting.

So far, I'm not impressed with the BBC's coverage, which has been a mixture of Graham Norton derision and Andrew Lloyd Webber schmaltz. Jade Ewen, the UK entry, does have a brilliant voice and looks good in a floor-length frock, but it all looks like an advert for Sir Andrew's West End franchises. However, the BBC's Eurovision website does have videos of all the contestants. I've given some of them a listen, and will detail the most... interesting below. Unfortunately there's not enough time in my day to listen to them all. Have you seen how many countries fall within the Eurovision Song Contest boundaries? Loads, that's how many. And not all of them will make the final.

Country Czech Republic

Song and artist 'Aven Romale' [Come On Gypsies] by Gipsy.cz

Concept Superhero hip hop gypsy punks with a glimmer of Queen.

Douze points? A less sophisticated version of Gogol Bordello, so probably not. It's ironic too, so I doubt it will make the final. Casual observers think the competition is full of these novelty entries, but Eurovision isn't too kind on songs that laugh at themselves (please see Spain's 2008 entry, 'Baila el Chiki-chiki' by Rodolfo Chikilicuatre). Because, by extension, they might be laughing at the entire song contest. And if that happens we might as well just forget the whole thing and sit at home, crying over a Celine Dion DVD.

Country Norway

Song and artist 'Fairytale' by Alexander Rybak (pictured at top)

Concept Chirpy lament for a former sweetheart based around traditional Norwegian fiddles, performed by a child prodigy. Alexander claims to be 22, but looks at least 12. His opening lyric is 'years ago, when I was younger'. He must be referring to when he was a foetus.

Douze points? Yes. At first I wasn't sure, mainly because Alexander looks like a more impish Richard Fleeschman. After two more listens, I like it because it's so proud to be Norwegian. Who wants a musically homogenised Europe? Not I. On my third listen I was starting to convince myself it's the best Eurovision song I've ever heard, and that Alexander Rybak - with his cheeky good looks and folk fiddling - is the new Patrick Wolf. After briefly cross-referencing with 'The Magic Position', I am obviously wrong. Yet if 'Fairytale' wasn't structured so rigidly and dismissed the cheesy backing singers, it could be sort of Patrick Wolf-esque, don't you think? If you close your eyes. And squint a bit.

Country Greece

Song and artist 'This Is Our Night' by Sakis Rouvas

Concept Uplifting Euro-dance fronted by a smouldering Adonis. With a massive, truck-driver key change at the end. It just makes me want to wave my arms aloft in admiration of Greece. I like Eurovision entries that aren't embarrassed to declare their intention to win (especially Lithuania's audacious 2006 entry). When Sakis promises 'this is our night / fly to the top, baby / yes we can do it / just wait and see' he doesn't just mean you and me. He means the entire nation of Greece.

Douze points? Why not? It's triumphant, euphoric and reminds me of Sash! circa 1997. And this Sakis fellow looks like a nice chap. His English-language Wikipedia entry is full of salacious rumours, but I don't believe any of it.

Country Ireland

Song and artist 'Et Cetera' by Sinead Mulvery & Black Daisy

Concept Girlie power punk pop without the attitude, wit and balls of Helen Love or Period Pains. It's got guitars on. Strumming power chords. Which, ever since Bill and Ted, has been the official sound of teenage rebellion. If you're wondering why Sinead gets top billing, I think it's because she once played Cinderella in a Dublin pantomime.

Douze points? Non! Nul points! It's a very lame approximation of rock and roll, styled by Tammy Girl. Ladies, put the guitars down and unclip the pink hair extensions.

Elsewhere, Lithuania are sending Justin Timberfake, while Denmark are making do with Fake Ronan Keating. Bosnia & Herzegovina have good betting odds, but I found their entry too boring to get through the second chorus. Also, memo to Belgium: who do you think you are? Jimmy Ray?

And now you know everything you need to know about the Eurovision Song Contest 2009.

Lunchtime

My dear friend Matt asked me what Lady GaGa has for lunch. I didn't know. But he showed me:

The double gig

Last night I double-gigged. And I love doing the double-gig. Rushing across town between venues makes me feel so important and in demand. Well, it wasn't much of a rush. More of a stroll down the road.

The evening started in Liverpool Barfly, which I affectionately call the Baffly. That's because a lot of their line-ups baffle me, and it sounds like Barfly. A double-pun for a double-gig. Clever. My friends Cayelle were playing. They were a bit rusty but did well. I still think they should exploit their strengths and write songs about things they know about, such as tax issues, engineering and Numb3rs. They could be the North West's premier nerdcore band.

After this it was off to Korova for Zarif. She's the new Lily Allen or something like that. We arrived early and had to admire her bass drum for a while (see picture). Quite a while, in fact. But late stage times are just Korova's thing. Luckily, the upstairs bar has CCTV screens, so you can monitor what's happening in the gig venue and decide when it's the optimal time to go downstairs. Too early and you'll have to sit through the soundcheck. Too late and you'll struggle to find a space (although last night that wasn't a problem, with about 20 or 30 people - a bit disappointing for a free gig on a Friday night). As soon as I headed downstairs with my friends we were accosted by two braying City boy types. They were loudly yah-yah-yahing and wearing shirts. Not the Ben Sherman ones you get in TK Maxx either. One of them had slicked-back hair. They might as well have carried a sign declaring "We're not from around here". I'm all for mixing it up and meeting the variety society has to offer, but some people are just twerps. When we politely refused to sit on a sofa with them, they brayed "don't be such a homosexual!" Shudder.

Zarif and her session band were a pleasant surprise. I'd been expecting Remi Nicole Part II, but Zarif was much better than that. Brassy, funky and summery. Uncannily similar to Amy Winehouse circa Frank, yes, but somehow different. Plus her star-shaped earring matched her star-shaped tambourine. How lovely. I was enjoying her set. So were the City boys, who salsa-danced at the front with their accompanying blondes. Berks.

At the end of her set my applause was sincere. "I like this," I thought to myself. "I'm going to add her on MySpace." But then it hit me. She knows those City boys. She's friends with them. Oh Lord. Maybe I don't like her after all.

When's the next Justin Timberlake album out?

It feels like I've been seeing and hearing a lot from Justin Timberlake recently. That T.I. song. That new Ciara song. That Madonna song. And he was hanging around -menacingly - in the background of that Rihanna video. He's starting to look a man who doesn't want a night out to end because he can't face the stiffling loneliness of going home alone. You know the type. It's 4am, the clubs are shut and the afterparty's winding down but they still won't let you leave.

Then a thought occurred in my brain: shouldn't there be a new Justin Timberlake album on the way? It's nearly three years since FutureSex/LoveSounds. However, Rolling Stone confirm otherwise. Unless it's an elaborate double bluff from Timberlake. Maybe he's actually going to unlease a spectacular new album next month, which he's been secretly recording in his bathroom. Hmmm. Seems unlikely.

Does it even matter if we don't get a new JT album? I don't mean this year. I mean ever. If Justin doesn't get around to making a third solo album, I'm ok with that. It's a big commitment: two years (at least) of writing, recording, promoting and touring. FutureSex/LoveSounds and Justified are two very good albums (the former is the better one, obviously, as you might guess from the name of this blog. Charlie Brooker might disagree.). Not many people get to release even one half-decent album, so maybe we should be satisfied with that. I'd prefer Justin to carry on with his collaborations, cameo movie parts and Saturday Night Live skits than have him releasing a succession of increasingly mediocre albums. Yes, I am looking at you, Britney.

Songs that Girls Aloud should cover

Actually, I'm not saying that Girls Aloud should cover the following songs. But they could. If Xenomania wanted a day off, or Jo Whiley summoned them to the Live Lounge (again).

Tuneage (This Is Not A) Love Song by Public Image Ltd
That's a brilliant idea This song is a parping, rousing post-punk foot-stomper. It's based on a contradiction, similar to Sexy! No No No... John Lydon repeatedly snarls 'this is not a love song', but there's something about the way he sings it that makes me think it is.
Then again, maybe not Do Girls Aloud really want to be tackling free enterprise through a pop song? Also, French dance music supremo David Guetta recorded a dark, synth-led version in 2007. (Did you know the French verb 'guetter' means 'to watch for'?)
Lead vocalist Sarah. She could take on John Lydon. Easily.

Tuneage The Facts of Life by Black Box Recorder
That's a brilliant idea Girls Aloud are somehow quintessentially British. And so are Black Box Recorder, who write songs about cups of tea, motorway service stations and queueing for the bus in the rain.
Then again, maybe not It's not much of a song, is it? More of a spoken lament for missed adolescent opportunities.
Lead vocalist Kimberly. She's the slightly prim one. And don't pretend to me that you wouldn't want to hear her cooing 'experimentation, familiarisation... it's all a nature walk'.

Tuneage No More I Love You's by Annie Lennox
That's a brilliant idea Girls Aloud have underachieved with slow numbers. This one isn't quite a ballad, but it has a very lovely chorus.
Then again, maybe not It's a little bit too kooky. Remember the male backing dancers dressed in as ballerinas? And the vocals jump around a lot. Even more than Annie's eyebrows in the video.
Lead vocalist Nicola. She's my favourite. She's kind of glacial.

Tuneage Unchained Melody by Everybody
That's a brilliant idea Everybody else has done this. Robson and Jerome, Gareth Gates, everybody. Girls Aloud might as well make their contribution to the most covered song of the 20th Century.
Then again, maybe not What was once a poignant song is now just a hackneyed, karaoke staple.
Lead vocalist Cheryl. The nation's sweetheart can do her dewy-eyed, wobbly jelly chin thing and we'll all blub in a sad (yet joyous) way with quiet obedience.

Tuneage I Know What Boys Like by the Waitresses
That's a brilliant idea Sassy post-punk pop about attracting male attention, but waving it away. With a massive saxophone solo.
Then again, maybe not Shouty bubblegum poppettes Shampoo released a version in the mid-90s. It reached number 42. But who cares about chart positions? It was a more than respectable effort.
Lead vocalist They can all have a go. Especially the 'boys like, boys like, boys like [hand clap] me'.

Tuneage Maybe by the Chantels (also the Shangri-Las, and Janis Joplin)
That's a brilliant idea Yes, it is a rather brilliant idea. Girls Aloud acknowledged their debt to 1960s girl groups in the video for The Promise. And didn't they look lovely in those sparkly dresses? Maybe is almost a canonical song for 1960s girl groups. It's a beautiful, heart-breaker of a song about yearning for a lost love affair. Even in the opening lyric it manages to reach out and touch you ('maybe if I pray every night / you'll come back to me'). Which a lot of songs fail to do in three or four minutes.
Then again, maybe not Nope. I can't think of any reason why this couldn't work. It's just a really, really good song. It's practically transcendent.
Lead vocalist Nadine. She's got the biggest voice. Sorry, rest of Girls Aloud.

I like driving in my car

People seem to rather enjoy La Roux's In For The Kill as it's been steadily climbing the singles charts. At this rate, it'll be number one in another two months. But, in the video, where is she driving in her car?

There's only three possible answers.
1) The garage, to fill up the tank and buy some Rizlas.
2) An exotic location in order to exact violent revenge on someone who wronged her, as in a Tarantino film.
3) The Eighties.

Do It Yourself

Karen got on the email. She wanted to tell me about the RPM Challenge, which I am now telling you about. It's a NaNoWriMo for bands, where the challenge is to record an album during February. Which 833 musicians/bands eagerly did this year. And now you can skidaddle over there to listen.
Another similar website is SellaBand, where artists sell $10 shares in the hope of raising $50,000 to record an album. 50,000 sounds like a lot of dollars for some bands. You know, not very good bands. Then again, ProTools isn't cheap. And you need to know how to use it. Spunky Japanese rockers Electric Eel Shock shifted their shares in eight weeks, and are now recording. Good for them.
What's the point of all this? I like hearing about people getting on with things themselves and (hopefully) having a bit of fun in the process. Scrolling through all those bands and singer-songwriters made me realise just how many people out there are making music, or trying to make music. Obviously, a lot of it will be a bit rubbish. From the RPM Challenge, I listened to an Edinburgh band called The ZX81s. I picked them because I thought if they named themselves after an early home computer, they might sound like Kraftwerk. They don't sound like Kraftwerk but are still rather good. So well done.

Five new bands for the weekend

The weekend has arrived once again, which means it's time for my (irregular) feature, five new bands for the weekend. Hey ho, let's go...

1) The Ropes Sultry boy-girl duo from New York. More of a fashion statement than a band, but I think I quite like them.

2) DD/MM/YYYY (pictured) Jumpy Canadian math rockers. Like Foals without the haircuts. It's pronounced 'Day Month Year'. Just so you know.

3) Mirrors Brightonian trio of indie boys with synths and a well-thumbed copy of Simon Reynolds' Rip It Up and Start Again. Like Depeche Mode on a downer.

4) Crystal Antlers Rather wonderful, yelping Californians. I'd say they're a little bit psychedelic, but that could just be because they feature what sounds like a Hammond organ. And we all know that Hammond organs are the official sound of psychedelic rock.

5) Juan Maclean He's the next LCD Soundsystem. You know, if you haven't really listened to LCD Soundsystem. Or Daft Punk. Or the Human League. Or anything released by DFA Records. Or funky house. Despite this, I still very much enjoyed his album, The Future Will Come.

The biggest midget in the game

My goodness. Mel C's had a big of a change of image recently:
Not really. You know that's Lady Sovereign, and so do I. She's back with her big comeback (well, medium-sized comeback) single, So Human. It's based around the choicest cuts from Close To Me by The Cure. You might have missed her 2006 debut album (Public Warning) and that Ordinary Boys track she mumbled all over, but let me assure that Lady Sovereign is a big star. The video is proof.

See? She goes to red carpet events where people interview her. On camera. And men in grubby Parkas take photos of her. In the screengrab above Lady Sov is about to cause several thousand pounds worth of damage to the paparazzo's camera, but that's ok. She's a rebel.

And people put her on the cover of cool style magazines. Doesn't she look super super? Also, Anyother Magazine. It's like Another Magazine. Do you get it? (LOL!!)

Crazed magazine. Could that be like Dazed and Confused? (Double LOL!!)

Blah blah, Vague magazine...

The video ends with a big party at an art gallery. It was full of boring, pretentious people wearing suits, but Lady Sov snuck her friends past the velvet rope. They're all such fun that they don't dance, they jump. And they probably wear the plastic toys that come with Happy Meals as jewellery.
What have we learned?
1) Lady Sovereign is famous. And you like famous people, right? Especially the ones who are a bit mouthy and kick photographers. You know, like Lily Allen. Therefore, you will like Lady Sovereign.
2) Lady Sovereign is popular and she likes parties. But not VIP ones. If you bumped into her in Earls Court, she'd probably take you to a cool party in a warehouse. There'll be glow sticks. In a variety of colours. And then you'll be popular too, because you're in there with Lady Sovereign.
3) Did I mention that Lady Sovereign is already famous? Perez Hilton likes her. And if you don't like her, you're just not keeping up.
So far, so pop music video trope. My problem is that So Human is that it's weak. So weak that it might collapse in a strong breeze. It's a feeble ghost of The Cure's Close To Me. Not even Lady Sovereign looks convinced. There's a young chap called Thomas Jules who recently released a similar track, called Get Close To Me. Who thought of it first? I know not. The only winner here is Robert Smith.
In other news, I was ill last week with that winter vomiting virus you've heard everyone talking about. I highly recommend you avoid catching it. Even if you have to cut off close contact with all other human beings, you'll thank me. However, I did manage to watch Animal Collective playing at Liverpool O2 Academy. It used to be a Carling Academy, and to emphasise the difference the bar is now stocked entirely with Carlsberg. The venue still has the atmosphere of a large garage decorated with chewing gum. It was surprisingly full, considering that Liverpool is the city of the Beatles and Animal Collective's music doesn't reach out to give you a big hug. "They're quite good," a boy in a beanie hat said to me at the bar. "But it's not as good as Jim Morrison or Joe Strummer."

Guess who's back

Take It To The Chorus has been on sabbatical from blogging for a while, as I was in the land of no internet. But now I'm back. Here are some pictures to astound and enchant you:

Service update

Hello! I am working in the West Midlands for a few weeks. Unfortunately there's a lot of tasty gigs I'll be missing in Liverpool/Manchester, but that's just how it goes. I don't know if I'll have much chance to Take It To The Chorus, but I'm sure you'll cope.
On Friday night, I went to see Passion Pit, Hockey and Bear Hands at the Brudenell in Leeds. Sadly I missed Bear Hands, but Hockey and Passion Pit were brilliant. I cursed myself when I realised my camera was at home, but snapped this two pictures on my dear friend Fran's camera. One over-enthuasistic, amateur Mick Rock in a plaid shirt was snapping so fervently and obtrusively - at one point using a mobile phone in each hand - that the singer of Passion Pit (Michael Angelakos?) grabbed the phone off him. Overall, it was a very blog buzz kind of gig.

Five new bands for the weekend

1) Marina and the Diamonds One of the most promising post-Regina Spektor singer-songwriters out there. And when I say Regina Spektor, I mean Soviet Kitsch era, not Begin To Hope era. I only listened to that one once. It made me feel a bit sad inside. Marina is what you hoped Florence and the Machine would sound like.

2) Bear Hands Very, very cool band from Brooklyn. Of course they're cool: they're from Brooklyn. Williamsburg, probably. Are you only allowed to live in Brooklyn if you're a musician or artist (preferably both)? I will be seeing them live tonight, supporting Passion Pit at the Brudenell in Leeds.

3) School of Seven Bells Another band from Brooklyn, but this time a Secret Machines offshoot making swirly dreamscapes. Pitchfork like them. I don't like them because of this, but the recommendation doesn't hurt.

4) Polly Scattergood She's an alumni of the Brit School (please see: Leona Lewis, Katie Melua, Amy Winehouse...) and posts MySpace bulletins all the time to let everyone know she's got a new blog up. This annoys me. However, I forgave her a little bit when I listened to Other Too Endless. It's beautiful in an otherworldly way.

5) Boy Crisis Impossibly hip, gender confused and recently signed Brooklynites. I imagine they sleep all day and go to warehouse parties all night. Inbetween, they somehow find time to write some tasty punk-funk, hipster hop tunes. From their MySpace: 'They are well-liked in the blogosphere. They are hip and marketable to several youthy demographics. They have "crossover appeal." They have an "ethnic band member."' See? They've got a sense of humour too.

Get your leather on

The new Yeah Yeah Yeahs single (Zero) is rather wonderful, don't you think? Startling, yet wonderful. It's a swaggering song full of bold synths and Karen O's sneers. The guitar doesn't even kick in during the first minute.
Show Your Bones was a solid second album, but not all that brilliant. Hopefully, the YYY's third offering (It's Blitz!) will officially be a stonker. Zero has some of the angsty energy that got the band through Fever To Tell in 2003, but it's more mature, more considered. I take this to be a good omen. The garage rock rawness of Fever To Tell was exciting, but you can't maintain that. I guess you could keep pretending, but wouldn't that turn you into Iggy Pop?
One more thing. Below is precocious novelist and Brooklynite, Jonathan Safran Foer.


Please compare him with the YYY's drummer Brian Chase - also a Brooklyn resident - at left below.

The only possible explanation is that THEY ARE THE SAME MAN.

RIP nu rave

Remember the days when every gig/club you went to was full of people decked out in Day Glo leg warmers, UV face paint and glowsticks? And if the night was above average, people would be shouting 'oh my god, this is just like a rave!'? Well, yes, just "like" a rave in controlled surroundings. Just like a rave without the three hour drive around the Peak District looking for the right field, following the directions given in a vague text message. And without the gurning, middle-aged pillheads, mangy dogs on bits of string and people shitting in a ditch.
Anyway. I'd almost forgotten about nu rave (or is that new rave?). That Klaxons album was so long ago. And all those other nu rave bands, like... Shitdisco... and... New Young Pony Club. When the trend officially began to decline I do not know, but if you take a look at the pictured shop window, I'm sure you'll agree that nu rave is definitely dead. I took the photo earlier today through the window of a shop called Price Mark. It's a bit like Primark, but further down the discount clothing hierarchy. A bit like nu rave has filtered down the pop culture hierarchy from a cool, alternative 'youth movement' to an excuse to hawk neon polyester tat.

Pop star dreams

I had a dream last night that MTV offered Lisa Scott-Lee a new reality TV series, in which they followed her as she prepared to take an IQ test. If she failed to get into Mensa, she would have to give up thinking. Luckily for Lisa, she came out with an IQ of 153. That's when I realised it was a dream.
Below is a photo of a wheatpaste I saw in Liverpool. It's got nothing to do with Lisa Scott-Lee or intelligence testing. I just thought it looked nice.

Florence and the Machine pie charted

Florence and the Machine. Some people adore her, some people do not. The Critics do, as she picked up the Critics' Choice Award at the Brits. I'm a bit hazy about what this award is exactly, and the placing of the apostrophe completely changes it. And what if they are not music critics, but actually a consortium of food critics, wine critics or theatre critics?
Personally, I don't particularly like Florence and the Music. Her warbling is just not for me. I have created a pie chart to help you understand why I have reached this decision. It's all in pastel colours to ease you towards the weekend.

PS I hope it's big enough. Blogger manages my content very well, but it's not good at image hosting. When Blogger and I first got together it was so exciting, but over time I fear we've grown apart. At the moment we get along ok. We have our ups and downs. But I fear that one day I might lose my temper and run away to Wordpress.

I want my MP3

Sarah got on the email. She asked me kindly if I would stream an MP3 of Andi's Good Morning Sun, which I promptly forgot about. My bad.
This got me thinking about whether Take It To The Chorus should dabble in MP3 posts. People like MP3 blogs. And record companies like them because they create a buzz (translation: they provide free PR and marketing). But I decided no, Take It To The Chorus is more of a personal scrapbook than a depository for MP3 streaming. If you want an MP3 blog, poke around the Hype Machine. They aggregate seemingly millions of blogs streaming every remix you could desire. (The buzz is really just an illusion, because the same MP3s get emailed around at the same time.) And you know you should support the artists and buy the music, don't you?
Anyway. Back to Andi. She is Canadian, and I already like her more than Avril Lavigne. Here is the video for Good Morning Sun, in glorious technicolour. You can even download it for free over here.

It's rather jolly, no?

The Lady GaGa noise

Just what is that Lady GaGa noise? You know the one I mean. Halfway between a gasp of excitement and a bird squawking. Whatever it is, I like it.

The Fame is a very enjoyable album. I don't like all of it, but Poker Face is clearly a wondrous pop song. The Lady GaGa squawk (let's just call it a squawk for argument's sake) punctuates the album. I like that. It's a sort of stamp of GaGa authenticity.

Unfortunately, Lady GaGa herself is already starting to grate on my nerves. Congratulations on her to escaping the Lower East Side party scene, unlike Santogold (or is that Santigold?). But girl needs to put some more clothes on. Especially as she inspires The Sun to write breathless, mastubatory pieces with headlines like 'GAGA-ING FOR IT'. Ew. She looks like a creature that never sweats, gets cakey make-up or grows unwanted body hair. This could make me feel slightly inadequate. However, I'm convinced that Lady GaGa was constructed in a laboratory. She doesn't walk anywhere. She strides.

10 songs that make me leave the room

After I mentioned Theory of a Deadman the other day (shudder), I started pondering what songs really offend me. Some songs routinely come out on top (or should that be bottom?) in worst song polls, like We Built This City or My Heart Will Go On. I can get through songs like that. Not comfortably, but I can clench.
I choked down the bile, and compiled 10 songs that I loathe. This isn't a top 10 of horrible-ness, because the amount they make me vomit in my own mouth is equal.

My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas
You know what I'm going to say. It's a juvenile playground chant that reduces women to 'lovely lady lumps'. Just in case you didn't get the hint that sex is a transaction (e.g women give men sex, in turn men give women designer handbags), Fergie reels off luxury brand names ('Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi and then Donna'). In the video, she drapes herself over Louis Vuitton products and big shiny cars.
Buttock-clenching moment...
will.i.am's threat to 'mix my milk with your Coco Puffs'.

Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? by Rod Stewart
I can't bring myself to listen to this one. It's so embarrassing. Also, it keeps getting re-released, remixed and covered. Just go away, please.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The thought of Hot Rod gurning away in skin-tight leopard print trousers.

Come On Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners
This is a school disco staple. I despise everything about it, from the fiddle intro to 'my thoughts I confess verge on dirty'.
Buttock-clenching moment...
Walking past an Eighties-themed bar and hearing someone belting this out on karaoke.

Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
Building racial harmony and integration through song. What a nice idea. But this is saccharine, laboured and hideous. The intentions are so anguished that it falls flat onto its face. I blame Paul. Stevie's just getting through it.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The harmonised 'side by side on my piano keyboard / Oh, Lord, why don’t we?'

The Girl Is Mine by Michael Jackson featuring Paul McCartney
Schmaltzy duet in which Macca and Jacka contest their ownership of a submissive slave-woman. Thriller is supposedly one of the greatest albums of all time, but only if you ignore this track. Apparently, there's a will.i.am remix. I haven't listened to it.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The hideously contrived spoken word ending.
Paul: 'Michael, we're not going to fight about this, ok?'
Michael: (Chortling) 'Paul, I think I told ya. I'm a lover, not a fighter.'
Paul: 'I've heard it all before Michael. She told me that I'm her forever lover, don't you remember?'
Michael: 'Well, after loving me she said she couldn't love another.'

Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus
The song that spawned a million line-dances. It is tedious, trite country music by numbers.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The thought that we could have left this song in the past, but then Miley Cyrus popped up and reminded us all of its existence.

2 Become 1 by the Spice Girls
This is supposedly a sweet, romantic song that people probably chose as their first dance at weddings. This baffles me as the central image is so starkly sexual that it makes me blush. It's so... penetrative.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The cooing 'wanna make love to ya, baby'. And Geri's clown make-up in the video.

Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel
Sorry, Peter Gabriel. You really haven't done anything to offend me, but I can't stand Sledgehammer. The stop-motion video is amazing, but the song goes straight through me. Is it the slap bass, the aggressive brass hits or the evangelical 'show for me'? I'm not sure. I just know that if I was trapped in a confined space, this is the song I would start hallucinating. Until I went mad.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The panpipe whirl that punctuates the song.

Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) by Limp Bizkit
Embarrassing and meaningless, this was a number one single for three weeks in October 2000. It was also the moment that nu-metal died.
Buttock-clenching moment...
Fred Durst.

Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know by Britney Spears
The fourth and final single from Oops!... I Did It Again, this song didn't make it on to Britney's greatest hits. Because it is truly terrible. Shania Twain is partly responsible for this dreary ballad in which Britney pleads a sexy man chunk to fall in love with her.
Buttock-clenching moment...
The intro sound of an unidentified (synth) instrument. It's presumably meant to sound sexy, but reminds me of a damp sweat patch on a faux leather sofa. The 'shoo-be-doo' backing vocals. The climactic key shift. The video in which Britney - wearing a white bikini - cavorts in the surf with a spunk. Everything, basically.

The Killers identity crisis

Is it just me, or are the Killers starting to look like they want to be in different bands?
From left to right, we have Mark 'Pouting Synthpop' Stoermer, Ronnie 'Open Mic Folk Night' Vannucci Jr, Dave 'Hair Metal' Keuning and Brandon 'Flamboyant Morrissey' Flowers.
It's a shame that Day & Age is a bit disappointing. Human grew on me, but the rest of the album is a bit of a snooze.

Worst song EVER

There's a lot of bad songs out there. Thanks to 4Music, today I think I've heard the worst song ever (while waiting for the kettle to boil). It's a song that makes Ebony and Ivory bearable. It's a song that makes Nickelback sound half decent.
The aural abomination of which I write is Hate My Life by Theory of a Deadman. Like Nickelback, the band are Canadians and on the same label as their post-grunge chums. 'Post-grunge' - a musical "genre" that's given up on life. Just as this song has given up on life. It truly is crap.
The video is below. Don't try and tell me you can get through it without feeling dead inside. I won't believe you.

In happier news, I've had a spring makeover of Take It To The Chorus as I wanted to keep this place looking nice. You can also comment on posts, if you wish. Don't be shy. We're all friends round here.

Bon week-end (with new bands)

Weekend, weekend, weekend! New bands, new bands, new bands! That chant needs some work. But you get the idea.

1) Titus Andronicus Fact: the gloriously gruesome revenge tragedy Titus Andronicus is my favourite Shakespeare play. Therefore, I'd probably have a soft spot for these New Jersey chaps (pictured ^^) whatever music they were making. Luckily, the music is rather good yarn-spinning, American white collar indie rock.

2) Blk Jks Like a South African TV On The Radio, minus vowels. (It's pronounced 'Black Jacks'. Or at least that's what I heard Zane Lowe say.) They mix up fuzzed-up art rock guitars, highlife and afrobeats. Exciting stuff.

3) The Pains of Being Pure At Heart Wan New Yorkers who would easily fit onto a C86 compilation. Teetering on the edge of twee.

4) James Yuill One young man mixing laptop electronica and acoustic tunes. That makes him sound like an open mic experimenter getting it wrong, but he's getting it right. He's also done some very good remixes.

5) Swanton Bombs Two floppy-fringed indie kids from London. They might grow out of their skinny jeans one day, but until then they're making melancholic yet angry songs with guitar, piano and lots of words.

Current obsession: Serge Gainsbourg

I've only just got into Serge Gainsbourg. Gasp! This man must be one of the world's most influential musicians, and was responsible for Je t'aime... moi non plus, Bonnie and Clyde and Comic Strip. What's taken me so long? Especially as I visited his grave in Montparnasse Cemetery a few years ago. I always assumed he was an eccentric singer beloved by a few, but when I was the amount of flowers on his grave I realised he was actually an eccentric singer/director/writer beloved by many. My bad.
Language has probably been a big barrier, as much of Serge's oeuvre (check me out) is in French. Some people claim they don't listen to the lyrics, but words/language get me all excited. And I've been learning French. I've perpetually been learning French for years now, and I'm getting quite good. Recently I've been able to listen to songs in French and just about understand them. Do I feel smug? Of course I do.
I've been getting well acquainted with Serge and have discovered that Love On The Beat is a fantastic album. Apart from Lemon Incest. That's not a cultural difference - a sexually provocative duet with your 12 year old daughter is just wrong. Don't start telling me it's ambiguous. I know the video makes you feel uncomfortable too.
All this Serge-ing has made me wonder what else I've been missing out on because I've been stuck in my English-speaking world. There's a lot of other worlds out there - French-speaking, German-speaking, Spanish-speaking etc - full of music I haven't yet heard. I might not understand all the lyrics, but does that really matter?

The chipmunk effect

Is Auto-Tune taking over R&B? Some pitch correction here and there on the vocals can smooth out a melody, but the T-Pain effect is dominating some records.
Whatcha Think About That, the new single from the Pussycat Dolls, is approximately 83% Auto-Tune. At first, I thought it was a weak playground chant sung by a robot channelled through a Stylophone. Now I realise it's a weak playground chant, but Auto-Tuned for effect to draw attention to its own artifice. This is appropriate as the Pussycat Dolls themselves are creatures of artifice. You wouldn't want to be in a confined space with them, as you'd have trouble breathing due to the smell of fake tan, hair mousse and desperation.
I was going to plonk the video in here so you could judge for yourself instead of clicking through to YouTube. However, embedding has been disabled by request. I guess Polydor realised that the single is not very good and didn't want the embarrassment of it splashed across the internets. Let's console ourselves with the single cover:

I think it's important you know that women can only contort their bodies into such positions with the help of Photoshop. Please don't be disappointed. I realise the blonde with her apparently detachable leg in the air looks so seductive, but it's not real.
Also, Missy Elliott, don't you have better things to be doing? There's a Yellow Magic Orchestra track I need you to sample right now. Just drop it in my inbox when you're ready. THANKS.

Endgaming Sugababes

During the 9 years the Sugababes have been around, they've mostly made me feel ambivalent. Apart from Overload, Freak Like Me, Push The Button and Round Round. I thought their music was otherwise fine, just not for me. And I always felt they looked like they might aggressively elbow me out of the way in a nightclub toilet.
Since the release of their sixth album (yes, six), Catfights + Spotlights, the Sugababes have started getting on my nerves. I dislike the lack of joie de vivre (please compare with Girls Aloud) - it's all so... workmanlike. I dislike the farcical 'female empowerment'. I dislike the Most of all, I dislike the creepy video for No Can Do. The way Heidi lines up the shirtless and near faceless men reminds me of the slave trade.
It starting to look like they're delaying the inevitable. I say, ladies, just do it. Break up. The dresses may have got posher but the music's become more mediocre. It doesn't look like it's fun anymore.
I am a bit nervous that they might read this post, then track me down and bogwash me.

What's the new Bat for Lashes song like?

The new Bat for Lashes song is very good indeed. Very, very good. It's called Glass and appeared on all the usual MP3 streaming suspects at the end of last week, although I think it was Pitchfork who got to punch the air and exclaim 'FIRST!!!11'
I've listened to Glass a few times, and have to stop now in case I implode from anticipation of her second album, Two Suns. Glass is an evocative and exotic song full of gemstone imagery and dizzying vocals similar to Kate Bush. The opening lines - 'I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets' - are taken from the Song of Solomon (chapter 3, verse 2 if you must know). I'm no Biblical scholar, but I do know that the Song of Solomon is the book of the Bible that celebrates the earthly pleasures of sexual love. Blimey. I don't remember that one being mentioned during school assemblies (my primary and secondary education was Church of England).
Bat for Lashes' (aka Natasha Khan) debut album, Fur And Gold, was a mainly DIY affair of vocals, handclaps and walking sticks. I loved it dearly, but I'm excited about the leap forward that Two Suns will probably be. Production-wise, Glass has a much bigger budget and is full of amazing organ, fuzzy bass and crystalline guitars. And those tribal drums! Wowzers. If Fur And Gold was a cool, low-budget indie flick then Two Suns will be the Hollywood blockbuster. That's not a very good analogy because Hollywood blockbusters are usually market researched into a pile of lowest-common denominator slush, but Natasha Khan is a massive creative talent. One of the best albums of 2009? Probably. And I won't even get to hear it until April. Boo.

Freedom of Amanda Palmer's speech

Are UK media outlets right to ban Amanda Palmer's new single, Oasis? Yes, probably. The song is a tale of rape and abortion, set against a perky piano backing. Such subject matter is enough to raise the ghost of Mary Whitehouse and have her rattling against the gates of MTV. It's disappointing, but music channels like The Box or Kerrang! aren't doing it to keep the spirit of rock'n'roll alive. They're part of big corporations and need to keep their viewers and advertisers happy. For a lot of people, Oasis is a contentious song and for networks it's just not worth the risk of offending people. Because once they've been offended, they might start a Facebook petition or email The Sun. Next thing you know, MPs are discussing it in the House of Commons and the fabric of the universe is unravelling.
It is disappointing that songs about women as submissive sexual objects fill up the airwaves, but one song that tries to articulate a different perspective won't get a few rotations on MTV2. Disappointing, but not surprising.
Amanda has never been a mainstream artist, and unless she has a major shift in ideology I doubt she ever will be. That doesn't matter. She wants creative freedom, and has plenty of Dresden Dolls fans in love with her music. I like her more than her music because she's the intelligent, strong singer/songwriter, and an idol for a lot of marginalised teenage girls out there. Also, unlike the majority of women in pop, she doesn't look like her face has been laminated.

Mind-boggling seven inch single coincidences

This is the seven inch version of Panic by The Smiths. And that really looks like David Walliams, doesn't it?

New shocking Oasis video not very shocking

Oasis have got a new single coming out, called Falling Down. This comes as a surprise to me, as surely it is the 17th single from their 52nd album. Or something. I can't keep up with Oasis, who last said something relevant around 1997 but have managed to plod along using the Beatles as source material.
You might think that Falling Down is full of mixed metaphors and confusing imagery, like 'catch the wheel that breaks the butterfly'. But that's actually a reference to Alexander Pope's poem An Epistle to Arbuthnot. See? The lyrics aren't taken from fridge poetry. It's clever. It's metaphysical.
The video is apparently very controversial. Our protagonist is a beautiful young lady, who awakes amidst the wreckage of a heavy night out. She really looks a lot like Candie Payne, or Penelope Cruz's paler sister. But she's not.
As she leaves the den of iniquity where she's spent the night with several young men and women, she's looking rather dressed up. Trench coats, headscarves and Audrey Hepburn shades are not the look usually favoured by people who live in maisonettes. Especially ones with decorative butterflies on the brickwork.
Hold on, our protagonist is actually a posh young royal who's been taking the whole 'common touch' thing a bit too literally. Blimey. Dressed like Princess Diana, tiara and all, she goes out to shake hands with a few normaloids at a charity event.
All goes well until our young royal encounters the Brothers Gallagher, who disdainfully refuse to shake her hand. Below I've managed to capture to exact moment that Noel really sticks it to the establishment by saying 'nah'. It could be 'blah'. Maybe he's coughing. It's hard to tell.

Liam looks especially unimpressed, and pulls his best 'are you looking at my bird?' face.
Finally, the pay off. She steps out onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace and - bam - there's Prince Charles. So she's not supposed to remind us of Princess Diana, she is Princess Diana.

So there you have it. Ageing rock stars known for their working class roots are actually a little bit anti-royalist. Shocking and controversial stuff, I'm sure you'll agree. That is, shocking if you read the Daily Express. Or it's 1998.