Take It To The Chorus

Take It To The Chorus has moved

2009-10-11T17:48:00.002+01:00

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

2009-06-11T12:09:00.004+01:00

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

2009-06-08T14:34:00.002+01:00

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

2009-05-20T22:05:00.002+01:00

Thanks for the bottle of Tia Maria, Alexander Rybak.

Another gig

2009-05-07T14:22:00.003+01:00

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

2009-05-05T12:41:00.001+01:00

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

2009-05-04T21:33:00.004+01:00

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

2009-05-03T23:25:00.006+01:00

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

2009-04-27T15:16:00.006+01:00

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

2009-04-26T12:00:00.001+01:00

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

The double gig

2009-04-25T12:11:00.006+01:00

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?

2009-04-24T11:16:00.003+01:00

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

2009-04-10T09:00:00.001+01:00

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

2009-04-07T11:47:00.003+01:00

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

2009-04-04T14:44:00.000+01:00

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

2009-04-03T16:54:00.000+01:00

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

2009-04-01T20:45:00.000+01:00

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

2009-03-09T15:45:00.000Z

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

2009-03-02T19:56:00.000Z

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

2009-02-27T13:26:00.000Z

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

2009-02-26T20:51:00.000Z

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

2009-02-24T19:20:00.000Z

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

2009-02-24T12:20:00.000Z

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

2009-02-20T15:59:00.000Z

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

2009-02-20T14:28:00.000Z

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

2009-02-19T13:51:00.000Z

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

2009-02-18T14:46:00.000Z

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

2009-02-17T14:05:00.000Z

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

2009-02-16T21:28:00.000Z

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)

2009-02-13T19:00:00.000Z

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

2009-02-12T21:30:00.000Z

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

2009-02-11T20:45:00.000Z

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

2009-02-10T23:03:00.000Z

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?

2009-02-09T20:20:00.000Z

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

2009-02-09T13:37:00.000Z

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

2009-02-08T22:29:00.000Z

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

2009-02-06T12:54:00.000Z

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.

Rare and Racy

2009-02-04T19:00:00.000Z

It's time we talked about record shops. Sometimes I get worried that all the good independents will disappear, and I'll have to jab away at the internet to buy vinyl. One of my favourites is Rare and Racy, which has been open on Devonshire Street, Sheffield since 1969. Beloved by Sheffield bands, arty types and literary types, it's mainly a second hand book shop similar to Shakespeare & Co. The walls are pasted with posters for local gigs and pages torn from old books. It's a slightly musty anachronism, and I love it.
The record section is very Howard Moon, as it's full of old bluesmen and bebop. But there's non-jazz too, and if you want some obscure glitch or ambient techno, you'll leave happy. Because it's in Sheffield, they usually stock plenty of Human League and Cabaret Voltaire.

The John Peel graffiti isn't on Rare and Racy itself, but the shop next door. It's so wonderful I plonked it on here too. A few days after John Peel died, somebody sprayed it all over town in tribute. The wall has been repainted a few times, but John Peel remains.

The road to Eurovision

2009-02-03T23:03:00.000Z

An unashamed Eurovision fan I may be, but my enthusiasm for ESC 2009 has so far been limited. From the bits and bobs I watched of the BBC's voting show, Your Country Needs You, the choice was Jade Ewen or gubbins. Jade can certainly sing, in that Sylvia Young Theatre School way. She once had a bit-part in Casualty once, which is like taking a GCSE in acting.
However, Andrew Lloyd Webber's song sounds like a leftover from a West End show that closed early. It's all vaguely uplifting, and has more syrup than Tate and Lyle. Sample lyric: 'it's my time, my moment, I'm not gonna let go of it'. Excuse me, but I thought this was about the United Kingdom and not one stage school graduate in a sparkly dress. Here are some people who could have written a better song:
1) Morrissey. It's been a few years since Mozzer said he would but then didn't. My fingers remain crossed that he'll change his mind.
2) Jarvis Cocker. Jarv said he'd write a song if asked. I say he should have written a speculative song then we could have voted for it against Sir Andrew's offering.
3) Morrissey AND Jarvis Cocker. How potentially amazing? Very potentially amazing, indeed.
4) Kid Carpet. The Bristol pop-twiddler declared that winning Eurovision was his ultimate ambition, and if that's not throwing your hat into the metaphorical ring then I don't know what is. Some of the songs on his recent album Casio Royale are rather good, you know. Especially Hitting The Wall.
5) Little Boots. I know you agree.
6) Me. I'm sure I could throw something together. It would probably involve a Casio VL-Tone, kazoo and lots of cowbell.

Tweecore and garage rock

2009-02-01T16:29:00.000Z

After a few tipsy evenings out I'm tired, but I have some photos to amuse you.
On Friday night I went to Offbeat, Sheffield's finest indie club. It's a night full of twee, indie and alternative tunes, as you can see from the playlist:
My boyfriend requested the DJ play some Half Man Half Biscuit.
Because it was Offbeat's 12th birthday, there was cake and a mixtape swap:
Offbeat = very good.
Last night, I saw Frank Sidebottom playing at the Magnet. It was the third birthday of the Go-Go Cage, which is a surf/garage/psych rock night. There was no cake, but there were mixtapes and a burlesque dancer. Ooh blimey. My photos look crapola, so I made a zoo scrapbook to show you instead:
The Go-Go Cage = very good too. But now I need an afternoon nap.

I'm in the quicksand

2009-01-31T17:24:00.000Z

Yoo hoo! I've been away in Sheffield for a few days, having a little holiday. I wanted to tell you about it at the time, but my laptop didn't like the Wi-Fi in Sheffield. On Thursday night, I went to Fuzz Club, which is a band-and-indie-disco night in the students' union. It is probably the best student indie night in the UK because they consistently book in ace bands and a pint of Snakebite is £1.60. I went for Snakebite and lime. You'd probably go for Snakebite and black[currant], but I have a more sophisticated palate.
La Roux played a few songs. Just in case you don't believe I was there, here is a picture:

As you can see, she was wearing a lovely striped t-shirt and blazer. But her shoes were even more lovely. And no, her right leg is not a ghost.

Her backing synth player was wearing some very white trainers. Very white indeed. Is that a London thing? It doesn't look right in Sheffield. You're not going to last the length of Devonshire Street in the rain.

The man in front of me was wearing a colourful trilby. He took a lot of photos of La Roux on his phone. I think he was a bit in love with her.

La Roux was fairly good, considering it was her third gig. A bit shaky, but fairly good. She started with In For The Kill (new single) and ended with Quicksand (old single), with a few near-identical songs betwixt. Ultimately, it was just a lady singing over a backing track. She joked that she'd never been north of London. Well, I hope it was a joke.
The merchandise stall gave me a rather nice strip of film, reminding me to buy the new single.

After La Roux's skit, it was time to dance the night away to the Strokes, the Knife and the Smiths.

I talked to a boy wearing fairy wings. He told me he was raising money for charity and had to wear something pink. Oh really, I said, what charity? He couldn't remember.

A good night out, and I saw La Roux for £2. I know, £2! These students don't know they're born.

Bored of the Lily Allen album already

2009-01-26T15:38:00.000Z

Lily Allen's second album - It's Not Me, It's You - is not unleashed on the record buying public until 9 February. If you're in North America, you'll have to wait until 10 February. The Observer Music Monthly proclaimed the album the best new release for February, awarding it five stars out of five. This means that in OMM terms it is at least 20% better than Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion (or 'the new Animal Collective album', if you prefer).
But I'm already tired of it. Why? I'll tell you why...

1) Lily Allen is the proof that we don't live in a meritocracy. Not that Keith Allen barged into EMI and demanded a record contract for his daughter. But she didn't get to be a pop star/TV presenter/fashion designer based solely on her talents.

2) Lily's first album Alright, Still relied heavily on samples. And I mean heavily. Alfie borrowed so much from Sandie Shaw's Puppet On A String that even the video features a puppet. Sampling is not committing creative fraud, but who can still pretend that Lily is a musical genius for singing over Jackie Mittoo? Or pretend that she's a voice-of-a-generation lyrical genius? [Insert obligatory snark about rhyming al fresco with Tesco.]

3) Even if I don't want to listen to it, I'm going to pick it up by osmosis. Whenever I innocently switch on the radio/switch on the TV/walk into a shop/walk into a bar, Lily Allen's album will be there. Going into my ears without my written permission.

4) Some people (like Miranda Sawyer) praise Lily Allen for being outspoken and opinionated. I know plenty of people who will loudly tell you what they're thinking. They are not outspoken or opinionated; they are obnoxious. They are the sort of people you don't want to sit next to in the pub. The ones who claim to have lost their money and demand you lend them a tenner.

5) I've spent enough time thinking about Lily Allen now, so that's it.

Life has surface noise

2009-01-25T17:20:00.000Z

Recently, it was my birthday and a tasty selection of LPs came into my life:

I love David Bowie (up to Let's Dance) and have most of his albums on CD or MP3 (not including anything post-Let's Dance). As you can see, it's not just David Bowie: The RCA Years, but there's also some Gang of Four and Ramones in the mix. Whoever previously owned these must have loved them as they're in amazing condition, especially considering some of them are over 30 years old. At first I thought they were recent reprints, but I checked the labels.
I love vinyl. I'm kooky like that. I love the ritual of searching through my record collection. I love slotting the stylus into the correct groove. But why am I clinging onto this niche format? It's a bit inconvenient, trying to delicately slide a 12 inch back into its sleeve without scratching it. They take up lots of space, and seem to attract dust magnetically. Also, I'm not convinced the sound quality is any warmer than digital music.
Perhaps it's nostalgia. My dad has a large collection of classical music on vinyl. Most of it is old Deutsche Grammophon recordings from charity shops. Perhaps I like making things a little bit harder for myself (not that placing a record onto a turntable is all that hard, but still a bit more tricksy than pressing a button on an iPod). Some music deserves a bit more effort.
I wouldn't want all my music on vinyl. But for David Bowie albums, definitely. They were recorded for 12 inch LPs, and that's where they belong. It'll be years and years before vinyl is obsolete, but as long as it's affordable I'll keep on collecting. So I'll just have to put up with dusting them every week.

Orange unsignedAct update

2009-01-25T17:09:00.000Z

Once upon a time (well, December), I predicted that Scarlet Harlots would win Channel 4's elaborate battle of the bands show, Orange unsignedAct. Today, I was proven wrong as acoustic guitar-strummer Tommy Reilly won. Scarlet Harlots were in the final three, so I gave myself a pat on the back for my incredible ability to (almost) predict the future.
Tommy Reilly seems like a nice Scottish boy who can sing quite well and strum his acoustic guitar quite well. He now has a record deal with Universal, which promises a £60,000 advance and 'multi media marketing campaign' (e.g they'll get some street teamers to spam music forums with messages like 'OMG the new Tommy Reilly single is really good!'). But the leap from being an unsigned band/artist to a signed one is
His single is out now, titled Gimme A Call. You can buy over here. It reminds me of David Gray, with less of the wobbly head. The lyrical hook is 'give me a call, you've got a phone don't you?' Which leads me to the real winners of this televisual fandango: Orange. Their brand has been splashed all over the show. And now the winning single props up the idea of the necessity of owning a mobile phone (presumably one on the Orange network). Further, it's necessary to own a mobile phone so you can vote in televised battle of the bands competitions.

Shiny shorts

2009-01-23T12:37:00.000Z

Many people arrive on this site by typing words like 'shiny shorts' into search engines. Many, many people. See? I know what you're up to.
Well, the public gets what the public wants. I noticed another music video that includes shiny shorts. This time, there are shiny boob tubes too. Bonus! Voilá , it's Divine by Sebastien Tellier.

I previously noted that lamé clothes add some jazzmatazz to otherwise dull songs. But Divine is a song so amazing that it doesn't need the American Apparel effect. Sebastien hasn't even noticed there are two funereal ladies behind him in top hats and Bacofoil.

If I Had A Heart

2009-01-21T11:45:00.000Z

Fever Ray is the new musical project of Karin from the Knife. She has a startling new single out, called If I Had A Heart. It's a nastier cousin of Portishead's Machine Gun, except instead of being led by beats it's led by an oscillating hum. It is not a song you would want to be alone with on a dark night. Very few pieces of music manage to sound unsettling, but If I Had A Heart is one of them. I like it - very much so.
But what's the video all about? I wish I could tell you. We'll need to take a closer look. Again, it's genuinely disquieting. I'm warning you. I can't be there to hold your hand, so if you might be creeped out you'll have to look away.

We open with some urchins in a canoe, drifting on a misty lake. Don't worry, they are being supervised by an adult at the back. However, they don't look too cheerful. I suspect there will not be a happily ever after ending.

On the shore are some peoploids in masks that resemble owls. With an alsatian. They're searching for something. Ominously.

Suddenly, we see a country house. It appears there has been a mass suicide in the drained swimming pool. I told you this wasn't pleasant, so don't start complaining.

Inside, the decor is opulent but there are more bodies. They're just sleeping, right?

Ah, there's Karin. Well, I'm assuming it's Karin. It's her music video, after all. Is she responsible for the horrors we have seen so far? Possibly. She looks rather demonic, and is clasping a white rodent to her chest. It could be a ferret, a rabbit or a guinea pig. It might not be a rodent at all, but a white dove. Actually, it could be a white tea towel for all I can see.

Now the masked peoploids are in the house. On closer inspection, they look more like fish. Whatever they are, I do not like them.

We end with the canoe disappearing over the horizon of a bleak sea. Now I feel very insignificant and powerless, as if I too am adrift on an uncaring ocean. Wait - is that the whole point of the video? It's all quite upsetting because it makes me think about the futility of it all, and wonder whether masked strangers are peeping at me from the bushes. Even the idea of the hook ('if I had a heart I could love you') is horrible... the idea of being simultaneously alive and not alive, and entirely emotionally detached. I'm scared. Could you hold my hand, please?
It was directed by a chap called Andreas Nilsson. Just look at how many cool videos he has made. I wish he was my friend.

Mind-boggling pop music coincidences (part 1)

2009-01-19T18:09:00.000Z

There once was a young girl called Amy Studt. She wanted to be a pop star. And she was. For three moderately successful singles in 2003/2004. The whole British Avril Lavigne idea didn't really work out. But Amy wants a second bite of the pop star cherry, and is making a "comeback" with a new single called Nice Boys. The video is over here. I gave it a look and her voice reminded me a tiny bit of Amanda Palmer (from the Dresden Dolls). Amy also looks like Amanda Palmer. If Amanda was from Bournemouth and shopped at Claire's Accessories.
I had a look at the video for Amy Studt's 2003 hit single (number 6 on the UK charts single), Misfit. In it, she performs at the end of term school concert in front of big spangly letters spelling out AMY.

And below is the video for Amanda Palmer's 2008 single, Leeds United. In it, she performs at a burlesque cabaret club in front of big spangly letters spelling out AMANDA.

Coincidence? I don't think so. There are only two logical explanations here.
1) Amanda Palmer was not only aware of Amy Studt but also influenced by her.
2) The Amy Studt of 2003 travelled into 2008, looked at the video for Leeds United on Pitchfork, thought it was cool, travelled back to 2003, pitched the idea of making a video in which she performs in front of big spangly letters spelling out her name to her record label, made a video in which she performs in front of big spangly letters spelling out her name...

Trendspotting: Fairisle hats

2009-01-19T16:30:00.000Z

This winter, you may have noticed there's a lot of people wearing knitted hats. The ones with ear flaps and tassles. You know what I mean, although I can't decide on a name for them. Knitted deerstalker? Fairisle bobble hat with the bobble? Head cosy-ing device? Anyway. I'm wearing one right now. (Edit - No, I'm not.) Hadley Freeman tackles this in today's G2. Hadley believes this trend is emanating from market stalls in Camden and that Amy Winehouse is implicated. Camden Town, yes. But Amy Winehouse? No. The culprit for this trend is actually Dappy from N-Dubz (him on the left). And maybe a little bit of Fonejacker.

You might not have noticed, but N-Dubz are very popular in the UK. Platinum-selling debut album popular. The UK grime/hip hop market is a niche, but a large niche. It's not a niche I know much about, so I'll be quiet. However, I did want half an hour of Channel U once. At my sister's house.

I wore one of these knitted hats throughout last winter, but back in those bleak days people would rudely point and laugh at such kooky headgear. Now we're in 2009 and everybody has caught up with me. They've realised it's practical and whimsical, especially if you follow Dappy's example and elevate the ear flaps. But now Topman is full of them. Fashion, eh?

My new favourite hat (ergo the hat trend for next winter) is pictured below. It's more of a hat/scarf combo. My parents bought it in Tallinn, probably on a market stall similar to one in Camden. It's like a knitted Dickensian nightcap featuring frisky stallions. If Dappy doesn't start wearing one of these by the end of February I will be very disappointed.

The Joy Division moratorium

2009-01-16T13:53:00.000Z

I don't know if I like Joy Division anymore. Obviously, I realise they are not only one of the most important post-punk bands, but one of the most important bands. Ever. But there are too many bands out there who are trying to achieve the same doomy vocals, mechanised production and claustrophobic guitars. Step forward Interpol, Editors, White Lies, etc.

Ian Curtis was inspired by literature, art and philosophy including JG Ballard, William Burroughs... but so many bands sound like they're inspired only by Ian Curtis. It's an ever-decreasing spiral, and at the centre is one well-read yet troubled young man from Manchester.

I might have to set up a petition on the 10 Downing Street website to campaign for a Joy Division moratorium. I propose we take all our Love Will Tear Us Apart seven inches, Unknown Pleasures CDs and Joy Division ovengloves, then deposit then safely in a massive storage chamber beneath Macclesfield. Don't worry, it won't be forever: we'll just put them away for a year. When we get it all back our ears will be fresh and we'll fall in love all over again. And all those unsigned bands in provincial towns will be forced to redefine their references. Maybe there will be bands discovering German literature, New Wave cinema and, ultimately, fresh ways of musically expressing themselves. It's going to be a new Renaissance.

Joy Division are not the only band to blame for all the derivative acts out there. We might need an amnesty for The Smiths as well. And The Pixies. Basically, all the amazing zeitgeisty bands. It'll be difficult yet worth it, and I'll go first. You can just follow my example, I promise.

PS - I love the above Anton Corbijn photo of the band. It's an image I'm not embarrassed to call 'iconic'.

Spot + identify

2009-01-14T22:53:00.000Z

I have recently discovered Spotify. And what a discovery. It's a music streaming service similar to Pandora. Unlike Pandora, it's available to Europeans like me. Also, you can organise songs into playlists like iTunes, and stream to your heart's content. The slickness and quickness of the technology (a painless download) is impressive, but I think it's Swedish. We all know that Sweden = nirvana. Those Swedes are so clever.
But what about the economics? Just how are people making cold hard cash off this? Let's not be shy about this. Everybody needs to pay the rent/mortgage. Maybe the idea is that streaming music will encourage MP3 and CD sales, or maybe the idea is advertising revenue. There's plenty of digital media advertising revenue to be had, but I'm not convinced there's an endless supply. What happens when the recession bites? So far, the ads on Spotify had been very discrete, although Moira Stewart did remind me to fill in my tax return (and I was all 'Moira, relax! I did that in October').
PS - I think Spotify is only available if you're in Europe (or your computer is in Europe, at least) and you need an invite. Email takeittothechorus@gmail.com if you want in. And you know you do want in.

BBC Sound of 2009

2009-01-13T16:52:00.000Z

Last week, the BBC music website announced their top 10 acts for the UK in 2009. It's a good barometer of which new bands/artists will be big in the coming year, and who has good PR agents. Or the most friends on MySpace. If you're the sort of person who scours the internet for new bands, it all feels a bit redundant. But there are primitive people who only use the internet for Facebook, Bebo and the Radio 1 homepage.
I know that last week is about a million years ago in blogging terms, but why don't we all slow down? I needed some time to think it over. And now I have done, you can read what I think. Oh, lucky you!

1) Little Boots
Who on earth?
Leeds University graduate and Blackpool lass Victoria Hesketh, plus producer Joe Goddard (him from Hot Chip. No, not the singer, the other one).
The buzzwords
Cyber disco diva; pop sensibility; Tenori-on.
The buzzwords decoded
Similar production to Giorgio Moroder and a fearsome vocal; knows how to write a pop song; expensive Yamaha drum synths.
Likelihood of making it
Duh, she's already made it. She's finishing the album in LA which sell, sell, sell. And she is quite clearly an amazing pop star for our times.
Take It To The Chorus sez... yes please. I love Little Boots, and in doing so feel less guilty for describing Dead Disco as 'try-hard Long Blonde wannabes' who were 'forcing the sexy'.

2) White Lies
Who on earth?
Three young men from West London. They're probably wearing leather jackets right now. Or black shirts with skinny red ties.
The buzzwords
Brooding introspection; epic proportions; big indie hope.
The buzzwords decoded
Ian Curtis obsession; liberal use of reverb; suitable for early in the night at indie discos.
Likelihood of making it
Very high. If we understand 'making it' to mean a UK tour of medium-sized venues and one album.
Take It To The Chorus sez... too easily confused with Editors/the Bravery/Interpol.

3) Florence & the Machine
Who on earth?
Big voiced kooky lady from London. The Machine is metaphysical.
The buzzwords
A passionate force of nature; a kooky creative; beautiful.
The buzzwords decoded
She dances on stage, probably while barefoot; writes own songs, some of which are quite good; phwoar, wonder if she has a boyfriend?
Likelihood of making it Good, but I can't help feeling that Florence's fortunes are linked to fashion. So we'll wait and see what Topshop are stocking in the summer.
Take It To The Chorus sez... I don't want to be rude, but... this just doesn't do it for me. And it's at least 18 months since I first peeked at her MySpace, so I feel she's had her chance.

4) Empire of the Sun
Who on earth?
That fella from The Sleepy Jackson, and that other fella from Pnau. So the most hipster band in Australia.
The buzzwords
Search for inner enlightenment; softcore spaced-out beats; uplifting and colourful performances.
The buzzwords decoded
Had an idea in the pub but didn't think it through properly; not as good as Pnau or The Sleepy Jackson; once attended a Flaming Lips gig.
Likelihood of making it
Limited. They're just too wacky for the mainstream. And the album cover for 'Walking On A Dream' is really bad. Really, really bad. It looks like a Star Wars tribute album recorded on Moogs. Except George Lucas refused permission so they've changed all the melodies a little.
Take It To The Chorus sez... thanks, but I'm quite happy with MGMT.

5) La Roux
Who on earth?
Flame-haired singer Elly Jackson and producer Ben Langmaid. He's friends with Rollo from Faithless, don't you know.
The buzzwords
Crazy hair; eighties revival; 21st Century synth pop auteur.
The buzzwords decoded
Normal hair with some mousse; listened to all the Heaven 17 albums; owns a Micro Korg.
Likelihood of making it
Reasonably assured. In the video for Quicksand, La Roux is looking tres chic in a Henry Holland floral suit. Keep up - fashion designer Henry Holland. He's friends with supermodel Agyness Deyn, don't you know. Something tells me such stylings are a guarantee of some success. But it's also my problem... it all looks a bit too London-centric. Once you're north of the Watford Gap it starts to look a bit style-over-substance. Here in Liverpool, La Roux would make sense in Korova on a Friday night. But there are a lot of other nights (and days) in the week.
Take It To The Chorus sez... opinion to be confirmed.

Elsewhere, Passion Pit were in at number nine. Which sounds about right. They're definitely my favourite new discovery of 2008 and band I can't wait to hear more of/see live in 2009, but they're not for everyone. They're cerebral, see. You just don't get it.

For once, I agree with Kanye

2009-01-12T16:34:00.000Z

Throughout December it felt like there would be no new music ever again, and we would have to make do with Alexandra Burke and Jeff Buckley. But now it's January and there's so many new songs, albums and bands hurtling themselves towards me that I don't know where to start. Actually, I do know. With the new Peter Bjorn & John offering, which first appeared ('dropped') on Kanye West's blog ('Kanye West's ghostwriter's blog). If you click the link you'll have to scroll down, then scroll down some more. Just keep scrolling, ok?

Seemingly titled Nothing To Worry About, it's a beat-led stomp that doesn't sound as optimistic as the hook suggests. With singing children. If you thought the Swedish trio flooked it on Young Folks, you now have to admit you were wrong. Peter Bjorn & John are officially serious indie band contenders. Yes, Writer's Block is a beautiful album, but how many bands have two beautiful albums in them? Not many.

You may notice from the picture that I've discovered the Brushes palette on Photoshop. So expect to see a lot more of colour burning and flowing stars on this blog. If you're a graphic designer, you might want to look away in embarrassment.

Five new bands for the weekend

2009-01-09T20:26:00.000Z

Welcome to 2009 on Take It To The Chorus! It's the weekend, so here are some new bands. And when I say new, I mean new to me. So if you've heard it all before, just roll your eyes and move on.

1) Tommy Sparks He's a young man making poptacular tunes. There's a video for heart-throbbing single I'm A Rope, which features hypnotised fans and sequinned trainers. Mr Sparks will be supporting Bloc Party on tour in February, so we ('we' meaning the sort of people who go to Bloc Party gigs) can discover if he really is a pop star. Because he might be able to write and produce a fantastic tune, but can he perform?

2) Solid Gold Three men from Minneapolis. With keyboards. Making melancholy synthpop without the naval gazing. They are brilliant. Fact. Their debut album Bodies of Water is available here. They're unsigned, and could do with your cash monies.

3) The Research I lied to you before. The Research are not new to me, but I make the rules so I can disobey them. I sort of forgot about The Research after their debut album didn't sell by the shed full in 2006. Now I've remembered them and they are still making wonderfully sweet songs of love and loss. And still based in Wakefield. I hope Russell still has an impressive collection of jumpers.

4) David Goo Mr Goo and his Variety Band are responsible for the Balkan disco romp on the rightmove.co.uk advert. It makes me want to leap up with a glass of fire water and heartily declare 'na zdrove!' The rest of his oeuvre seems to be comedic yarns. I can't draw many conclusions from his website, but he's based in London and looks like the sort of man who'd be good to chat with in the pub.

5) Janelle Monae Imagine Andre 3000 with an android fetish. Single Many Moons is a sci-fi funk masterpiece that includes a chanted list of everything from bubonic plague to plastic sweat. Also, her artistic ambitions are big: Many Moons doesn't have a video but an 'official short film' in which Ms Monae stars as Cindi Mayweather, the Alpha Platinum 9000 android.

Competing on the telly box

2008-12-02T19:51:00.000Z

The X Factor is not the only music competition taking up space on the telly at the moment. Oh no. Channel 4/4Music have Orange unsignedAct (stupid typography not mine), in which bands from across the UK compete for a warm handshake from Alex James. Or something like that. I haven't properly watched any of it, but I know it features Lauren Laverne wearing nice frocks and Alex Zane does his smug face. Celebrity judges such as Kelly Osbourne add some authority during the audiences. Don't you start laughing. This is Kelly Osbourne. Her qualification is that her dad is Ozzy Osbourne. And her boyfriend is in a band.

A contract with Universal and £60,000 advance is the grand prize. Sadly, a lot of the bands competing probably don't realise that such a record deal is not the key to a long, fulfilling music career. They could just release one single and be shunted aside by mid-January. Do you remember Envy & Other Sins? Exactly. Winners of the show in 2007 (back when the network sponsorship hadn't been sorted and it was plain old mobileAct Unsigned - stupid typography not mine again), they made a nice video and then complained about being exploited to Drowned In Sound.

The series hasn't reached it's big final finale yet, so I've decided to sift through the 10 finalists and make my predictions. Let's just hold hands and we can get through it...

SleeperCell (once again - stupid typography not mine) - I think they're the Disney-approximation-of-emo ones.

Bo Bruce - I think she's the lady one.

Fangs - I think they're the ones who've never watched the Mighty Boosh.

Hip Parade - I think they're the lad rock Glaswegian ones.

Scarlet Harlots - I think they're the synth pop ones.

Luva Anna - I think they're the kooky folky ones.

Pyrelli - I think he's the "hip hop/grime/urban/R&B" one.

Klaus Says Buy The Record - I think he's the acoustic singer-songwriter one.

Tommy Reilly - I think he's the other acoustic singer-songwriter one.

Toby Sebastian - I think he's the other, other acoustic singer-songwriter one.

Well then. Who's For The Win? I know not. Whoever has the most friends and the prettiest face. But I have to pick one... so... Scarlet Harlots. They seem to be the right fit.

Take It To The Chorus on MySpace

2008-12-02T19:13:00.000Z

Attention please! It may amaze and delight you to learn that Take It To The Chorus has joined MySpace, where I can collect up all the bands I like. And all of the bands I think I might like. And all of the bands I don't really like but pretend I do. And so on. MySpace is full of badly animated GIFs and other such nonsense, but it is good for bands. Remember the old days (say, 2004) when bands could only put their demos on the internet if they had a friend to build them a website and upload MP3s.
I'm over here, so if you're down with that whole MySpace thing I promise I won't deny your friend request. Unless you're one of those annoying people who send out bulletins every hour of the day. If you are one of those people, I will add you then quietly delete you from my friend list. So there.

It's (nearly) the weekend

2008-11-28T10:56:00.001Z

Let's celebrate with a chocolate Hob Nob and some new bands. (NB new to me, at least.)
1) La Roux. If Little Boots doesn't save retro-electro pop in 2009, La Roux will. Apparently. However, this Frenglish irritates me. 'La roux' makes no sense! It's 'le roux' or 'la rousse', OK? I know I'm being a pedant, but I did sweat through that Schaum's Outline of French Grammar. Which makes me the expert. Obviously. Oh well. La Roux does have a higher Google-ability. And the tunes are really rather good.
2) Pulled Apart By Horses. Noisecore guitar shenanigans! From Leeds! Both my thumbs are up in appreciation.
3) Skeletons. Sheffield ragamuffins with disjointed guitars and wailing harmonies. Low Google-ability, unfortunately.
4) Julien Dore. Monsieur Doré won Nouvelle Star in 2007, which is the French version of Pop Idol. This must mean France is behind us culturally, because we've moved onto superior TV talent competitions, such as the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent. In France, they still have Star [Fame] Academy. Backwards! I'm joking. Julien Doré may have emerged from primetime, but he did so singing Nirvana and without having a proper shave. He also plays the ukulele, and only auditioned for the show to promote his then band, the Jean d'Ormesson Disco Suicide. The new Serge Gainsbourg?
5) Darlings of the Splitscreen. Actually, I took a poetic liberty at the start of this post. This band are not new to me. I went to one of their first gigs at the Grapes, Sheffield. But oh, how they have improved since then. (A lot.)

The best song in the world EVER!

2008-11-28T09:28:00.000Z

Sometimes, I've wondered whether there is a song that transcends all other songs. The man who lives in the flat downstairs from mine has discovered what it is. It's The Only One I Know by The Charlatans.
I know what you're thinking. 'The Only One I Know? The Charlatans' 1990 hit? It's all right, I suppose. It rumbles along quite nicely, and has a Madchester-fringe sort of appeal.' Well, you had better keep those thoughts to yourself because Mr Downstairs loves it. Really, really loves it. For him, it's not just a once-a-day song. It's not even a twice a day song. On no. Sometimes it's a seven or eight times a day song. He listens to it over and over, and almost everyday I hear that familiar Hammond organ riff pulsating through my floor.
Mr Downstairs is also quite fond of Grounds For Divorce by Elbow. But it's the Coca-Cola Championship to The Only One I Know, which is the Barclays Premier League. All of it. And I'm starting to agree. It's a bit funky. It's a bit psychedelic. It's the product of a less cynical, more celebratory era. Dr Downstairs is not much of a talker. Occasionally he says hello, and once or twice he's held the front door open for me. So it's reassuring to hear the Charlatans emanating from his flat, and know that he's still alive down there.

A cold and broken Hallelujah

2008-11-26T15:37:00.000Z

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah is to be the X Factor winner's song, ergo the UK Christmas number one. Actually, it's not so much Leonard Cohen's version, but more like Jason Castro's version of Rufus Wainwright's version of Jeff Buckley's version. You probably know all this already, and you've probably made up your mind. But here I am adding to the blogosphere chatter with my opinion on this crucial matter.

And my opinion is: MEH. Hallelujah is not just an amazing song, it's one of the best songs ever. So it's a canny choice for an X Factor winner's song, and I'm sure a lot of people will listen to the result and feel very affected by the song's beauty. But exactly what I find beautiful in the song will presumably be vomitted all over with vocal histrionics and ruined like so many other songs (see also: Yesterday, Over The Rainbow, Unchained Melody). Louis Walsh is probably insisting that a trucker driver's gear change be added to the final chorus.
To me, the choice suggests that Simon Cowell employs minions to trawl karaoke nights and YouTube to find out what songs the public are into. Except he probably doesn't use the word 'public', but 'proles'. It also suggests that Diana will probably be the winner. Not just because she hacked through the song at the X Factor boot camp/auditions but because the song wouldn't really suit any other contestants. Unless JLS have choreographed some smooth moves to it. I know what your (end) game is, Cowell!

Also, I fear we're a bit closer to the day when new songs stop being written and we just keep trawling through an ever decreasing canon of songs, until eventually we're only capable of humming the melody of Greensleeves. It could happen, people. Stay vigilant.

Chairlift live in Liverpool

2008-11-25T13:08:00.000Z

Last night, I battled through the freezing temperatures to watch Chairlift at The Magnet. IMPORTANT: they were used on a iPod Nano advert, don't you know.
The Magnet is one of my favourite Liverpool venues, because it's cosy and is just about the only nice late bar in the city. The Magnet is proud of its history (back when it was the Sink Club), as it was the city's first and only black music venue. My picture at left is of the ladies' toilets. Notice the proximity of Barack Obama to the condom machine. Progress! There's also wheat pasted posters reading 'POWER AND EQUALITY'. Surely that should be John Power and equality?
Electric Church Foundation played first. I think they were students. Not that I'm a student-hater, but you know. Student bands always seem to get support slots then bring loads of friends - who disappear before the main act. Rude! Especially when the main act have been used on an iPod advert. Anyway. Electric Church Foundation sounded like a tussle between Beth Orton and a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute act. They have an EP out on iTunes, so good for them.

Second support slot were Picture Book. They played behind draped gauze, which had visual projected onto it. This means they're either a) ugly, or b) very serious indeed. It was probably the latter. Although the music was ace-tastic (similar to Gus Gus or Roisin Murphy), it was starting to feel a bit alienating and boring. So I took a photo of my new flowery skirt, at right. Doesn't it look like an old curtain?
Chairlift were not bad. They started out with what felt like about half an hour of swirling Velvet Underground-esque atmospherics. But once they started playing some songs it was much better. The biggest round of applause was for Bruises, of course, because it was used on that iPod Nano advert. Most bands will announce 'this is our last song'. But Chairlift were a bit sneaky, and announced 'that was our last song'. I liked that. It brought an element of surprise to the evening. WELL DONE.

Alternative X Factor theme weeks

2008-11-20T11:38:00.000Z

Simon Cowell needs to stop relying on schmaltzy, mawkish tricks and start putting some fun into X Factor. It's about time 'creative director' Brian Friedman actually did something creative.
Here are my suggestions for some X Factor theme weeks:

1) Skiffle week. The contestants tackle songs by the Quarrymen and the Vipers, accompanied only by washboards and a double bass constructed from a cardboard box with elastic bands. Mark Kermode makes a guest appearance.
2) Serge Gainsbourg week. Dermot O'Leary cracks an inappropriate incest joke, causing the Daily Mail to spearhead a campaign. 200,000 angry viewers sign on online petition, calling for Dermot's resignation.
3) X Factor/Pop Idol week. A nostalgic look back at past series of TV singing competitions. Songs include Blink by Rosie Ribbons, Come Back by Jessica Garlick and Treat Me Like A Lady by Zoe Birkett.
4) John Lomax week. The contestants peer into the Archive of American Folk Song. Moby records a video message of support.
5) Err, that's it...

Just another brick in the wall

2008-11-17T21:21:00.000Z

The bricks reading 'Gary Glitter' and 'Jonathan King' have been scrubbed from the Cavern's Wall of Fame, so that everyone in Liverpool can sleep sounder in our beds that Mathew Street is no longer sullied by their names. The Cavern Club took this decision after what the Liverpool Echo describes as a 'storm of protest'. And when they say storm of protest, they mean that West Derby MP Bob Wareing said 'I wouldn't myself have wanted to put his name up.' Them's fighting words.
When I walked past the Wall of Fame earlier, I snapped a picture of the replacement plaque:

So the bricks have gone, but their names remain. This small act poses so many questions that it could be the start of an Arthur Miller play. Tim Jonze eloquently mulls it over on the Guardian music blog, and I agree that we should separate the art from the artist. Otherwise where does it end? Will the government announce a Gary Glitter amnesty, so you can hand in your Gary Glitter records at the local police station and free yourself of their shame?

Top 10 songs of the past week

2008-11-17T14:53:00.000Z

Should have posted this up yesterday, but I didn't. My bad. Here is my top 10 for the week ending 16 November 2008.

10) Womanizer by Britney Spears

Woma-woma-woma-nizer, y'all!

9) Hot N Cold by Katy Perry

I haven't decided that I suddenly like Katy Perry. But this song is undoubtedly good, and I kept telling myself that 45% was written by Dr Luke, 45% by Max Martin and 10% by Katy Perry. That makes me feel better.

8) Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf

Move over, Timbaland.

7) Brass In Pocket by The Pretenders

Something made me think about Lost In Translation, which made me think about Scarlett Johansson singing. Which made me shuffle through my record collection for some private time with Chrissie Hynde.

6) Cuffs by Zeigeist

Lovely electro stuff.

5) Pass This On by The Knife

Listening to Ziegeist reminded me how much I love The Knife. Which is A LOT.

4) Zombie by The Cranberries

There's something about the vocal quirks of Diana Vickers on X Factor remind me of Dolores O'Riordan. Except Diana makes more whistles and clicks. Hopefully, Simon Cowell will organise a Star Wars themed week in which she can perform as R2D2. I'm not going to pretend I'm too cool to have seen the X Factor, because any time you catch a glimpse of ITV2 it's being repeated. That, or Katie and Peter: The Next Chapter.

3) Sleepyhead by Passion Pit

I [heart] Passion Pit.

2) Dream On by Christian Falk featuring Robyn

This has been floating around for ages, but it's still wonderful. I just hope Robyn gets into the studio and starts working on a new album pronto.

1) Love Kills (demo) by Little Boots

Him out of Hot Chip + the former singer of Dead Disco + a Micro Korg= wonderful things. Love Kills is a cover of a Giorgio Moroder/Freddie Mercury song, FYI.

5 new bands for the weekend

2008-11-14T11:37:00.000Z

It's been too long since I caught up with Paul Lester's New Band of the Day. Somewhere, in a darkened room, Paul is sifting through endless MySpace profiles and cursing the day he pitched the idea to the Guardian.
I've also had a poke around the internets, and found some interesting new bands...
1) Fan Death Dangerously glamorous Canadian funky dance pop. With disco strings.
2) The Tough Alliance These two young men are Swedish. Surely that's enough for you? A little bit synth pop, a little bit tribal techno.
3) Feral Children Slightly scary Seattle-based art rock quintet. Sounds like they're about to collapse into a brawling, squiggling freak-out at any moment. In a good way. If they don't turn up on an All Tomorrow's Parties line-up somewhere in the world, I'll be very disappointed.
4) Baddies About 98% of new guitar bands are horribly generic and boring. These young chaps from Southend are in the remaining 2%. Yeah, yeah... they've been listening to the Horrors, Art Brut and possibly Queens of the Stone Age.
5) Zeigeist - I found this Gothenburg electro troupe all on my own, without the help of Paul Lester. Gothenburg electro, you say? Featuring arty live shows? Wait - maybe they're actually The Knife in Rococo disguise. Zeigeist do sound a lot like the Knife, but camper and more ready for the club. A bit like Fischerspooner, in fact. But while Fischerspooner would be throwing shapes in the middle of an empty dance floor, Zeigeist would be sitting in the chill out lounge, discussing Kate Bush album tracks with a handsome stranger. And their press shots. Oh my!

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I Kissed A [Insert Here] - And I Liked It

2008-11-09T12:29:00.000Z

Homemade YouTube music parodies. What's that all about, eh? You can gaze upon your computer screen and see what others do on Sunday afternoons. Katy Perry's I Kissed A Girl has caught the imagination of many a YouTuber, and every transgressive variation is explored through song. Here's one by Venetian Princess, in which she kissed her boyfriend's Granny. And she liked it.

This dude thinks domestic violence is funny. He's wrong, of course. But he kicked a girl. And he liked it.

This one does have sound, I promise, you just have to turn it up. She "f#cked" your mum. And she liked it.

The young lady below isn't doing this for laughs. Oh no. She found Jesus Christ. And she liked it.

This chap kissed his wife. And he liked it. He also noticed the similarities between Katy Perry's original and Gary Glitter.

I can definitely see the young man below petitioning his high school teachers to stage a school production of Grease. He kissed a cat. And he liked it.

What are these people hoping for? Internet fame? To be the next Chris Crocker? Oh well. It's good to have a hobby.

Current obsession - Depeche Mode

2008-11-09T11:54:00.000Z

Depeche Mode (hereafter referred to as the Mode) are clearly brilliantly amazing. And it seems that I've only just realised this. My bad.
Maybe it's because the Mode are not as popular in the UK as they are in Europe. There are indie clubnights across the UK throwing nights dedicated to bands like the Smiths or Joy Division. But if you want to spend all night bopping to Personal Jesus and Just Can't Get Enough with other Modeheads, you'll have to go to France. Or Russia.
From Marilyn Manson to Nouvelle Vague, The Mode have been well plundered. And 'thanks' to Popjustice, Hilary Duff''s new Personal Jesus-sampling single Reach Out entered my ears. While the original uses Christian imagery to draw parallels between religious ecstasy and sexual ecstasy, Hilary simply implores a sexy man hunk to 'reach out and touch me'. Like, ewww! I know Jamelia did something similar a couple of years ago, but she's exonerated because her version (Beware of the Dog) is better. And everyone involved with Hilary Duff looks like they're phoning in, apart from the stylist.
Let's put all the covers and samples aside, and spend a few minutes remembering how brilliant Depeche Mode are. I'm sure you already know they are, but it's nice to have a reminder. Here's Everything Counts (In Large Amounts), in which the Mode explore consumerist greed.

The rise of the idiots

2008-11-07T19:21:00.000Z

As you may have noticed, the MTV Europe Music Awards took place in Liverpool last night. And as a citizen of Liverpool I feel that I should comment upon this very important cultural event. Let's just get on with this...

From where I was sitting (in the pub), it looked like a parade of morons with little relevance to Liverpool or music. (A man at the next table sagely announced 'it could be happening anywhere'.) It's like they'd started with the idea of a music award show (once upon a time they were quite exciting), chopped out the interesting bits (like the music) and filled in the gaps with glitter cannons and hair extensions.

Sometimes, it feels like the idiots are winning. The idiots who think wearing a t-shirt with Barack Obama's face on it is a radical politcial statement.

PS. Today, my hairdresser was insistent that Jay-Z and Beyonce went to Sayers 'because they don't have pasties in America'. I wanted to believe her, really I did, but somehow I doubt Jay-Z queued up for a ham and cheese slice.

A Modicum of Comfort

2008-11-07T09:54:00.000Z

When the Jack White and Alicia Keys Bond theme emerged, I was disappointed to discover that it is called Another Way To Die and Jack White had not tried to wrap his chops around the lyrics 'The Quantum of Solace'. I thought using the film title as the song hook was the rules. Turns out I just wasn't paying attention, and Chris Cornell's theme song for 'Casino Royale' is titled You Know My Name. (But honestly, were you paying attention to that one?)

I was vaguely excited about discovering what the big-voiced, piano-hammering Alicia and that ghostly urchin could come up with. I'd also like more details on the writing process. Did Alicia and Jack sit in a room together, drinking coffee until it was finished? Or did they recorded separate ideas at home and shared them over Google Documents. Because it does sound like a bit of a mish mash.
When I first heard - and I mean properly heard it, not just that Coca-Cola advert - I didn't like it. But in the interests of fairness, I've given it a few more tries. After Jack White has given us the White Stripes and Alicia Keys has given us... a whole load of slow jams, so I can give them a few minutes. Below is a plot of my enjoyment of Another Way To Die:

Here are the salient points:
1) The introduction. It starts off in a mess of brass and guitars. A MESS.
2) There is a brief peak during the first progression of piano chords. Alicia Keys always sounds a bit hothoused when she's behind the keyboard, but this I quite like.
3) The first chorus hits another brief peak, because I think I like it but I'm not sure why. The lyrics sort of sound like they watched a preview tape of the film, and listed what they saw: 'A door left open / a woman walking by / a drop in the water / a look in your eye / a phone on the table / a man on your side'.
4) After a trough, the second chorus kicks in. And it's starting to make sense now. I'm enjoying this. Really, I am.
5) But then there's some more messy horns, forcing in the Bond theme. And trying to evoke a Martini-sipping sophistication.
6) This call and response bit between the guitar and Alicia going 'bleeeurrrgh' is good.
7) Third chorus. I really, really do like this. Honest.
8) It sort of dies a way in another mess of brass. Not even redeemed by Alicia singing 'shoot 'em up, bang bang'. END.

Conclusion: It's not GoldenEye, but at least it's not Die Another Day. But what does it matter, anyway? It's just trying to convince you that James Bond films are VERY IMPORTANT EVENTS and that you should get down to the cinema.

Liverpool Music Week

2008-11-05T17:37:00.000Z

Yes, this week (30 October to 6 November) Liverpool is officially a musical city - as it is Liverpool Music Week. This week of gigs has passed me by somewhat because a) I've been in that there London, and b) US Presidential election fever, but last night I headed up to Bumper for a Johnny Foreigner gig. Unfortunately, I didn't make it as far as Dananananaykroyd because my boyfriend was feeling woozy (well, he had bravely donated a pint of his blood to the NHS a few hours earlier). And I was impatient to spend the night with David Dimbleby, watching Jeremy Vine struggle with touch-screen maps of US states.
But I did see a musical treat from Hackney Carriages, a young man with a guitar, Macbook and a knowledge of Conor Oberst's back catalogue. He was officially not bad. Liverpool music scene veterans the Down and Outs also appeared. Er, 2001 was on the phone and it wants its pop-punk guitar sound back.
There you go. Liverpool Music Week. It will end in a blaze of glory tomorrow night at the MTV Europe Music Awards. And when I say 'blaze of glory', I mean a lot of whooping, glitter and Katy Perry struggling with an autocue. When did MTV last have any relevance to music? Public tickets start at £65, if you're interested, but there is a 'restricted view'.
A whole load of free gigs sounds like a brilliant idea in theory, but it's usually difficult to find the diamonds in the mire of not-very-good unsigned bands. Maybe I'm just annoyed because Liverpool Music Week have the cheek to tell me what to wear.
PS Go Obama!

Take It To The Chorus is back

2008-11-03T11:33:00.000Z

I went away to London, worked like a little worker bee with no internet access, and now I'm back. Here are some photos:

Take It To The Chorus is away

2008-10-07T21:31:00.000+01:00

Attention puhleez! I am currently in London, and unable to blog due to lack of internet access. But I am thinking of you. I promise. xx

The Ting Tings tackle America

2008-10-03T11:33:00.000+01:00

Leona Lewis is not the only pop star to be affected by a Hollywoodisation... now it's happening to the Ting Tings. Let's take a look at their latest video, Be The One. Remember when they used to be raw and made videos that were perfect for MTV2 and YouTube? Not any more. They're reaching out to the glossy, American market.
We open with Katie, Ting Tings singer and indie pin-up, waking up on a hospital bed. But Katie has no concern for her mysterious health problem, and pulls an Uma Thurman. It's like Kill Bill.Meanwhile, Johnny Weirdo-Eyes is playing a gig in a toilet venue to a disinterested audience of two. I know he's not really called Johnny Weirdo-Eyes, but do you have any other explanation for why he's always wearing sunglasses?But this cannot be! The Ting Tings must be reunited. And so Katie sneaks from the hospital in search of her chum. She's apparently unconcerned about going incognito, because she's wearing a very nice bright red coat. Also, she's apparently unconcerned that two men are following her with a large projector screen.Johnny Weirdo-Eyes leaves his own gig with two ladies in tow. But he doesn't care about these two lovelies in fishnets, he's searching for Katie.And while Katie is searching for Johnny, she is accosted by a beefcake. You don't get men like that around Salford Mill.Finally, out duo are reunited. In another scene reminiscent of Kill Bill, they drive away together. Indie music is saved!Except they're not really driving, it's just those men with the projector screen again.
I like the Ting Tings, really I do. But I want them to look like they shop in Afflecks. I don't want Katie's face to become suspiciously glossy, like a foundation advert. I don't want them to have a bland American make-over. Just look at what happened to Kath and Kim.

Current obsession: Lady GaGa

2008-10-02T16:22:00.000+01:00

I've tried keeping this to myself, but I really have to tell you that I think Lady GaGa is rather good. I've been reluctant to share on this one because she has enough self-created blog buzz. And she made a guest appearance on 'The Hills', which makes me go 'ewwww!'.

But Let's Dance is a brilliant pop song. There's something that elevates her above the usual pop moppet (poppet?). She's Williamsburg without being a Williamsjerk. She's an Italian-American girl, and is therefore the new Madonna. Plus she looks like an escapee from a Stanley Kubrick film.

Leona Lewis: twice the woman you'll ever be

2008-09-30T22:32:00.001+01:00

Leona Lewis is no longer the shy Pizza Hut waitress who won X-Factor. She's only released two singles and one album, but she's now a global mega-star. She's not just the new Mariah Carey, she's surpassed Mariah Carey and become an even more massive superstar. Let's take a look at the video for her latest single, Forgive Me, to prove this. But is it really Leona, or her glossier, more saccharine Hollywood twin?

Following the success of Bleeding Love and debut album Spirit, Leona's fame inspires break-outs of mass, Kids from Fame-style street choreography. In case you're thinking 'but Leona's a singer, not a dancer', don't worry. It's cut very fast so you can fool yourself into believing that she can groove with the rest of the troupe.

But she's not just another cute girl in a pink t-shirt. She's a glamorous cabaret star in a miniature top hat and black sequined dress, caressing a hot pink sofa.

Her powers do not stop at street dancing. Leona's superstardom also intoxicates a small mob of anonymous men in creepy white masks.

Yes, those masked men are good for Hallowe'en. But what Leona really needs are some smart men to help her out in unexpected downpours.

The local cinema has devoted its advertising hoardings to Leona's new single, because it is a very important cultural event.

You'd think the street dancing, sinister cabaret and shiny mackintosh would be enough for one woman. But Leona is no ordinary woman. She's also commands an ethereal Merry-Go-Round for ballerinas.

Finally, Leona gets time to relax and send a text on her really expensive phone. You just know she's texting her hot ticket of a boyfriend.

I like short shorts

2008-09-30T22:02:00.000+01:00

One of the most common search terms used to arrive at this blog is 'shiny shorts' because of something I wrote here. Well, if that's what you want, that's what you shall have:

By 2009, every music video will have to include some American Apparel clothing. Dov Charney will be checking up on it.

Slow Club are a very good band

2008-09-26T10:19:00.000+01:00

Last night I saw Slow Club thumping and chanting in Liverpool Barfly. And they were rather wonderful.

They were supported by a rosy-faced cherub by the name of Thomas Speight, and also a charming young lady in skinny purple jeans. I think she was called Roxanne.

I've seen Slow Club a few times before, but last night they were extra special. For two people, they can make a lot of noise. They feature a quirky assortment of percussion, including the chair at left (legs sawn off for easier transportation). They can sing beautiful harmonies. They can even go off mic and keep all eyes on them. They're also from Sheffield. Go Sheffo!

My boyfriend declared that, as is, they are too quirky for mainstream success. But if they were 17 years old, instead of hawking their own CDs from a cardboard box at the end of the night they'd be up there with Laura Marling by now. Although I'm sad to admit it, he's probably right.

Solange + Boards of Canada = ??

2008-09-24T12:06:00.000+01:00

Yesterday, I mentioned This Bird by Solange and that it is rather good. It's based around Slow This Bird Down by Scottish Warpheads Boards of Canada: it's not exactly a sample, more like Solange singing over the entire song.
There's probably a lot of BoC fans excreting their bile about YouTube comment boxes. How dare an R&B piece of fluff warble all over Boards of Canda?! Well, she does dare, and it's good. And if you don't like it, just ignore it because it's a downtempo album closer. Somehow, I doubt Jo Whiley will be giving it heavy rotation, and the Sandison brothers probably received a nice payday for it.
Maybe I like it because the original is really, really good. Solange's vocals are a poignant meditation on escaping a disappointing relationship ("The music I play must be loud as can be / so I don't have to hear myself think"). There's something about the two parts that doesn't quite fit: fledgling R&B divas and downtempo IDM don't usually belong together. But I like that jarring... it's a song that draws attention to itself by recontextualising both. It's Solange's John Cage moment (or maybe she's saving that for the next album).
Also, during the ebb towards the end, Solange coos 'the song's not over yet...' She totally gets the joke.
Something tells me Solange doesn't give a piffle what you or I think. She wears tinfoil dresses. Because we're not talking about any old Solange here, we're talking Solange-younger-sister-of-Beyonce. Beyonce Knowles, y'all!

Top 10 songs of the week

2008-09-23T12:01:00.000+01:00

I should have told you this on Sunday, in the tradition of charts, but I'm a busy woman. Oh well. Let's go!

10. Mr Pharmacist by The Fall
Dave Simpson's new book The Fallen is out now. I might buy it when it's out in paperback, because I'm cheap like that. (It's £18.99 in hardback. That's a lot of pounds to read about The Fall.)
9. Look Back Jacques by The Arch Nazards
The Arch Nazards is my chum Adrian Flanagan, who was briefly a member of The Fall.
8. Up by The Saturdays
There's something I don't like about this whole Saturdays thing, but I haven't decided what the thing is yet. I'll get back to you.
7. Too Fake by Hockey
I'm not just saying this is good because Paul Lester put them on his New Band of the Day blog, ok? It's as if The Rapture and LCD Soundsystem moved to Oregon.
6. My Delirium by Ladyhawke
She is very good, you know.
5. The Promise by Girls Aloud
I'm coming around to the idea.
4. This Bird by Solange
The album's been out for a while, but I forgot about it. This is the album closer, in which Solange-younger-sister-of-Beyonce warbles over a Boards of Canada track.
3. Halfway Home by TV On The Radio
TVOTR (see, I'm a fan) are one of my favourite bands. And now they've got a new album. And they're touring. It's almost too exciting for me, so I've had to ration out listens to this in case I start running around like a hyperactive child.
2. Black by thecocknbullkid
A new song from the Londoner, and she's turning into a proper popstar. This one has bass and a Gameboy-core ending.
1. Embrace by PNAU
My friend spent an evening in the pub telling me how amazing this track is, and getting me to repeat the spelling (p, n, a, u!) so I'd remember to listen at home. Well, I did, and he was right. They're from Sydney, and the vocals are by the lovely Ladyhawke. In celebration of their achievement at hitting number 1 in my arbitrary chart, here's a picture:

Photo by Cybele Malinowski.

One man bands and vodka

2008-09-22T11:20:00.000+01:00

On Saturday night I went to a gig at Mello Mello, an artsy cafe run by volunteers just off Liverpool's main drinking strip. It's a lovely little place, with pictures all over the walls and a fine selection of teapots:

Because it's a cafe, it was a BYOB night. So I arrived with ginger ale and vodka, and think I've only just woken up (it's now Monday lunchtime). The main event was Bob Log III, supported by my friend Thomas Truax. There were two other supports, but I was too rude to write their names down and the answers won't provide the answers, so I may never know the name of the young man reading poetry. Sorry! It was the Imperial vodka ('specially selected by Spar').
Thomas Truax charmed the audience with his inventions and crazy antics. Because I've been friends with him for a while, I'm not sure I can evaluate his performance. Let's just say that he doesn't so much break through the fourth wall, as smash it to pieces. And he sings about orphanages, dogs howling at the moon and long train journeys. The audience were grinning their chops off, including the passers-by with their faces pressed to the window outside.
Last week's Guardian Guide unfairly described Bob Log III as 'occasionally entertaining'. Well, Guardian Guide, I was very entertained. Unfortunately, I couldn't really see what was happening because the stage was comparable to a cardboard box. I guess some people would view it as sad that Bob Log III was hotly-tipped in 2001 alongside The Strokes and White Stripes. And while Jack White has a supermodel wife and new Bond theme, Bob Log III is still leaping around in a jump suit and crash helmet for the pleasure of drunken fools (like me). Well, you know which sounds like more fun to me? The latter. Less money, but more integrity.

Girls Aloud vs Sugababes

2008-09-19T10:50:00.000+01:00

Top of the pops UK girlbands Girls Aloud and Sugababes both have new singles "out there" (The Promise and The Girls respectively), and it seems appropriate to place them side by side and decide which would be victorious were they to fight. Both bands are vying to be the biggest pop girlband in the land, both are lead singles from new albums and and both have parping brass riffs, which were invented by Mark Ronson in 2007. Fact.
There's a lot of people with a lot of things to say about The Promise, so I don't feel I need to add to it. I agree with No Good Advice's appraisal that The Promise is 'blissful, swooning and warm', but overall it doesn't excite me. It's good, but come on, it's not the best pop song ever.
There's also a lot of people with a lot of things to say about The Girls. All I can say is that it makes me barf in my mouth a little bit. Yes, Sugababes have had some amazing tunes over the years, but I can't get around the problem that they look like the sort of girls who would elbow you out of the way in the nightclub toilets, just to get a better look at themselves in the mirror. Sugababes are riding the bandwagon of popularity by reworking a song that has been used by Boots in their TV advertising. And I despise those Boots adverts, because of the lumbering idea beneath that by buying a cheap bit of make-up will transform you into a desirable glamazon. I don't even need to look at the Sugababes' video to know that it features some lipstick lesbian girl-on-girl grinding. Go on, you watch it and tell me I'm wrong.
Who are the winners? Girls Aloud or Sugababes? You know the answer...

PS I'm still learning how to use Photoshop (or should that be 'how to Photoshop'?), so it's rudimentary. But we've all got to start somewhere, and in my case it was with the polygonal lasso. I'm also not sure what I'm trying to tell you, visually. Girls Aloud = Roy Lichtenstein?

Are The Beatles over-rated?

2008-09-16T10:43:00.000+01:00

The new HMV in Liverpool One don't think so.

PS The photo doesn't quite convey how big it is. Well, let me tell you that it is big. It's the Rhodes Colossus of Liverpool. Stand beneath it and you'll be forced to contemplate your own insignificance.

The art vs sport dichotomy

2008-09-15T21:42:00.000+01:00

My trip to the Manchester Velodrome as an Olympics glory hound started me thinking about art vs sport. You can dabble in both, but there's only enough hours in the day to excel at one. Obviously, I chose to leap to the arty side of the fence.
At a gig, theatre or gallery I'm comfortable because I know the social conventions, but I spent my hour in the Velodrome feeling a bit embarrassed in case I committed a faux pas. Also, getting dressed in the changing rooms made me feel like I was back at school.
Once I'd got my head around not having brakes and being strapped onto the bike, it was good fun. Sadly, I won't be the next Victoria Pendleton but I managed to get off the Cote d'Azure and above the black line. Although it was a beginner's session, there were some very serious people decked out in Lycra, and a constant whiff of latent aggression. That must be what sport does to you. It was good fun, but I'll stick to art.

Lover, come back to me

2008-09-14T19:04:00.000+01:00

My goodness, what a busy week, including a trip to Notting Hill and a wobbly cycle around the Manchester Velodrome. On Friday night, my friend Matt offered up his plus one to watch Julian Cope at the Carling Academy. There was apparently a loose theme to do with Eric's (a long-lost venue of Liverpool legend) to promote a new show at Liverpool Everyman. I was tired, but the lure of a plus one is too great, so I scraped on a layer of mascara and threw on my favourite dress.
The Academy is always dimly lit (they've standardised everything else in all of their venues, is the lighting policy the same?), so I could get away with hiding in a corner like a ghost. A ghost drinking Carling, obviously. Doors opened at 7.30pm and we arrived at 9pm, assuming we'd already missed Pete Burns in the support slot. But, as you can see from the crappy snap at left, we had not.
Pete Burns didn't make it onto the stage until 10pm. A lot of people in the room looked like they were paying babysitters by the hour, and they were getting restless. It was the first time I've been to a gig where the crowd are booing before the band has made it on stage. But this was no mere band. It was glamourpuss Pete Burns. Celebrity Big Brother AND Celebrity Wife Swap alumni Pete Burns. He's not a man who'd be happy with a Subway foot long and bowl of chips before going on stage at 8pm. Oh no. Pete Burns is an exquisite creature who requires fine dining and a chaise longue before performing. Some people might think that three songs is not enough for a set, but when you're Pete Burns and people have paid £20, it's plenty. They should count themselves lucky to be basking in your presence for a mere £20. He introduced 'You Spin Me Round' as 'the song that took me out of Liverpool... thank god'. Yes, that's the attitude Pete! You tell the people of Liverpool that their city is shite, as if it's still the Eighties. He also told the chosen few witnessing his performance that he was 'just going through the motions', and in a glisten of black sequins was gone.
The really frustrating thing? He can sing! He has a certain stage presence! If he weren't such a whinging diva he could have had a proper music career!
Julian Cope soon appeared, topless, wielding an acoustic guitar. The Copeheads in the room seemed very happy to see him, but to me he looked like a man at an open mic night about to launch into a rant against chip and pin or unfair bank charges. I decided to head homewards after a few songs. Sorry, Julian. (Not that he cares.)

And the beat goes on

2008-09-07T14:59:00.000+01:00

This weekend feels like the first in ages that I've spent in Liverpool. So I decided to re-discover the city I live in, instead of rushing around the country. On Saturday I went to see The Beat Goes On, an exhibition about Liverpool's music scene, at the World Museum. It's the whole world... in a museum! Nearly. There's a planetarium, aquarium, bug house and bee hive.
The exhibition focused on Liverpool music since the 1950s, through Merseybeat and super-clubs, right up to Hot Club de Paris. It was a sensory overload of memorabilia, buttons to press, pictures and a pretend stage to play inflatable guitars on. Also, being one of those cool, new wave museums, a lot of the bits and bobs on display were personal artifacts... nightclub fliers from the Cream glory days, a spangly outfit worn by a drag queen to G-Bar, a tin robot used on the cover of 'Tin Planet' by Space.
Here are the photographs I took before security asked me to stop:

Half an hour well spent. Obviously, some of it felt a bit self-interested ('Liverpool is amazing! We made The Beatles! We invented music! Did we mention, we're also European Capital of Culture 2008?'). But it was interesting. Looking at the past made me feel more than ever that Liverpool doesn't have a particularly strong music or club scene at the moment. There are some good venues, good bands and good promoters doing good things, but definitely not on the same scale as cities like Leeds or Glasgow.

Enablers at Korova

2008-09-07T14:43:00.000+01:00

On Friday night, I watched Enablers at Korova, a post-rock band from San Francisco.
Brighton trio Euchrid Eucrow were supporting. Although it's exciting to see a band comprised of guitar, accordion and viola, they were pretty poor. I thought they were like Magnetic Fields without the knowing humour or intelligence, while my boyfriend condemned them as a rubbish Silver Mt Zion. Harsh words. But it was too, too intense and morbid for a Friday night.
Enablers were much better, and I was surprised by how many fans were rocking out. I don't have much to say, because I was a little tipsy on Fosters (it's only £1.95 a pint). I had a bad head on Saturday, which serves me right.
There was a lot of plaid and check in the room. Plaid and check are the official clothing of post-rock and drone. My friend Matt wore a nice check shirt:

While I went for a plaid skirt and brown cardigan combo. I'm so indie.

Arachnophilia

2008-09-03T16:58:00.000+01:00

Remember when I mentioned that building on the Dead 60s album cover? From today, it is now the building with the massive mechanical spider:

The big beastie has been attached to the Concourse Building as part of La Machine, a near-indescrible piece of street theatre happening throughout Liverpool city centre this weekend. Her name is La Princess. The details are cryptic, but it will literally stop the traffic. Roundabouts and street lighting have been removed in preparation, and there's a big spider web over Exchange Flags. What's going to happen? I don't know, but it involves a 'magical snowscape' and I'M SO EXCITED.
However, not everyone agrees. When I was taking the above photograph, a man starting telling me "it's all a bloody waste of tax-payer's money".

Out in the streets

2008-09-03T11:20:00.000+01:00

I know I did a post about video yesterday, but I'm doing another one today. From Action Biker's MySpace I stumbled onto a lovely Swedish music blog called PSL. The best bit is a section called Video-arkiv: Musik med ("Video archive: music with". Look at me, reading Swedish with Google Translate).
It's all very lo-fi or no-fi, as most of the performances are acoustic and filmed on the streets and hotel rooms of Stockholm (go, STHLM). I find this a lot more appealing than the fast-cutting, whistles and bells approach of music shows like Transmission or Sound. And there's no grinning Shoreditch-ite telling me why it's cool. I'm such a grump.
There's loads of videos to dip into, and among the Swedish artists there are some familiar friends like Kate Nash, Laura Marling and Slow Club. So far, my favourite is Lykke Li singing Little Bit, because it starts with an old man shouting from his flat, threatening to call the police. At the end, he's been charmed by Lykke and her toy piano, and throws a flower onto the street. I also like The Dodos playing next to a Gothenburg tramline, and CocoRosie over-dressed backstage at Debaser.

Down with the kids

2008-09-02T10:23:00.000+01:00

The last time I saw a bit of children's TV, it looked fairly crap. What happened to engaging, well-written programs like My Parents Are Aliens or The Demon Headmaster? And the music? Carrie and David's Popshop doesn't quite cut it. Sesame Street has always included musical skits and guest stars, and more recently Yo! Gabba Gabba has joined in. These shows are both American, and I don't even know whether they're shown in the UK. Are these bands doing it for the kids or the parents? Both, hopefully. Here's a few of my favourites...

Feist re-works 1-2-3-4 to include 'chickens come back from the shore'.

REM play down the fact that Shiny Happy People is about Prozac by re-writing it as 'Furry Happy Monsters'. Mike Mills looks like he's about to explode with glee. And that Muppet looks a lot like Kate Pierson. Maybe she's the REAL Kate Pierson.

This is obviously the best thing James Blunt has ever done.

The Shins forcing grins on Yo! Gabba Gabba. And what is the orange circle covering on the drummer's hat?

The Shiny Toy Guns on Yo! Gabba Gabba. But it's a children's show, so they're named 'The Shinies'.

There's more out there on YouTube, including Chris Brown, Norah Jones, Destiny's Child and Alicia Keys. But they all involve Elmo, and I can't stand that furry simpleton. Children deserve good TV that makes them excited about the world. And who, in 10 or 15 years time, would want to reminisce about the cheap, humourless cartoons filling up children's TV? Give them more of the above. Cut Copy dressed as pirates, playing all of 'In Ghost Colours' live. That sort of thing.

Tunes of the week

2008-09-01T11:52:00.000+01:00

Another week, another opportunity for me to compile a top ten list. Here are songs that I've been in playing during the past week:

10 Overdosin' by Heidi Montag
This is absolute crap. I've never even watched 'The Hills'! Honest. I don't even know what it's doing here. Probably because laughing at it makes me feel better about myself.
9 Toy Boy (Extra Muscle Mix) by Sinitta
It's actually by Stock, Aitken and Waterman, and this remix does have some extra muscle (well, extra bass). The sleeve promises 'Today's sound. Tomorrow's technology'. Surely the other way round would be better?
8 Feel The Love by Cut Copy
Unofficially, I've decided this is my favourite song of 2008. Other songs will emerge, but it will take a lot to displace this from the top of my chart. I suppose I should put it at number one every week, but that would get a bit boring.
7 My DNA by Manda Rin
New single from the ex-Bis lovely, but not that much of a new direction. I was a bit disappointed to see on her MySpace that she considers her influences to be New Young Pony Club, Blood Red Shoes and Late of the Pier. Surely it should be the other way around?
6 Breaking It Up by Lykke Li
Still releasing singles from 'Youth Novels'. And they're still wonderful.
5 Gamma Ray by Beck
When I listened to 'Modern Guilt' I was relieved to discover that Beck's still got it. What it is, I'm not sure, but I doubt he knows either.
4 Do The Strand by Roxy Music
The best Roxy Music song. Apart from Virginia Plain. Maybe.
3 Mercury by Bloc Party
Bloc Party managed to take me by surprise with their digital-only rush release of 'Intimacy'. Me and Bloc Party have not always been compatible (it's some of the lyrics look like bad poetry to me). But I was obviously wrong, and now we're going to be best friends. Mercury is amazing. Really and truly.
2 Dusk Til Dawn by Ladyhawke
Wonderful pop. If you're not paying attention, she does sound a little bit like Mira/Helen from Ladytron. Plus there's a Casio VL-Tone squealing in the background, and Casio VL-Tones are ALWAYS a good thing.
1 Jump in the Pool by Friendly Fires
Eeep! Can't wait for the album, or the tour. It's a bit like Cut Copy, a bit like Klaxons. For so long I wanted MORE COWBELL. And here it is. Well done, St Albans' finest. (Apart from Stephen Hawking, Francis Bacon and Michael Morpugo.)
Well, this post looks a bit boring without a picture. So here's one of Friendly Fires larking about:

Peter and the Wolf (and double bass)

2008-08-31T17:52:00.000+01:00

Last night I went to Korova for some gigging action. Strawhouses and The Laze were on first, but I missed them because I was drinking Jack Daniel's and coke. If you can't do that on a Saturday night, when can you do it?
Seal Cub Clubbing Club (SCCC) are local heroes, and not bad at all. They are halfway between a watered-down Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and a watered-down Mars Volta, from the Wirral. They're also proof that all the good band names have been taken. The album is out NOW, apparently.
The crowd thinned for Peter and the Wolf, which always seems to happen when the headliners play after the local heroes. There's something charming about them, and any band who goes to the trouble of bringing a double bass deserve more than a few moments of my time. They just need more hooks. I saw them in July at the Everyword Festival, and I completely forgot to tell you about it. But that's ok, I can tell you now. It was a Nabokov Present: Tense event, which involved the band spending a week writing a few songs on knife crime (the chosen topic), then performing them at the Everyman Theatre. There was also some short plays and a video. They just plugged in, played, went away. It didn't involve excessive soundchecks or endless fiddling with FX pedals. All unsigned showcase gigs should be like this. Be honest, most bands don't even have three good songs. Why drag it out longer than necessary?
I forgot to take my camera (to Korova or the Everyman). So no pictures of the light fixtures or floor tiles :(

Recording shopping in Liverpool

2008-08-30T16:35:00.001+01:00

Saturday shopping has never been a hobby of mine, but I spent some time browsing record shops this morning. Liverpool city centre is fairly hectic most days, but Saturdays are packed out with teenage girls struggling with Primark bags.
My boyfriend and I went to Zavvi, where I snapped this picture of the dance section:

It's like an eerie vision of the future, where everything has been packaged into separate compartments (Ibiza chillout, summer dance, funky house etc), but everyone is impossibly attractive because they're made out of plastic. And the content is all the same. Zavvi is not my kind of shop, but the boyfriend did find re-pressings of The Cars' Greatest Hits and The Art of Noise, for £2 each. Although we're usually eco-conscious to the point of being eco-bores, he asked for a plastic bag (well, we need something to put the rubbish in). It was hilariously large, and pictured here with the Norton Complete Shakespeare for scale:

And that Norton Shakespeare is BIG. We also browsed Probe Records, but left empty handed. In Hairy Records I picked out Roxy Music's Music For Your Pleasure, and the boyfriend selected a Stock, Aitken and Waterman compilation called The Hit Factory (of course). When I was sticking it onto the turntable at home, two press releases fell out:

The text is the same, but one is double spaced. Are they the former property of a SAW completist who bought them? Or was it a promo copy? They're dated 14 October 1987, but the record was released 12 October 1987. Nice to know that Stylus Music had the marketing campaign was well planned. As press releases go, it's a good one as it's full of facts. And there's no purple prose, unless you count the badly punned title of "Stylus score spectacular coup with SAW collection". The 12" had a dealer price of £4.17, and RRP of £5.99, while the CD dealer price was £8.34, RRP £11.99. The TV advertising campaign had a £500,000 budget, and there's even a Telex number at the bottom. The past really is a foreign country. I don't really to keep them, but don't want to chuck them in the recycling (yawn, eco-bore). If you want me to post you these pieces of SAW history (you know you do), email me at takeittothechorus@gmail.com.

The end of Korova

2008-08-29T12:25:00.000+01:00

Korova is one of my favourite Liverpool music venues. They attract the smaller touring bands I want to see, like Holy Fuck and Free Blood, and the decor is crazy-sexy-cool. OK, sometimes the indier-than-thou atmosphere is a bit irritating. It also took me months to figure out where the handriers are in the toilets. (Under the mirrors.)
Unfortunately, the Korova Group have gone into administration. Even The Daily Mirror's 3am Girls have something to say. However, when they describe Korova as the Arctic Monkeys' favourite Liverpool bar, they actually mean the band went there once to take photos for the debut album sleeve. Apart from Korova, a joint investment with the Ladytron boys, there are eight bars and restaurants affected. Three are on the Albert Dock: Babycream (a bar/restaurant for clubbers who've slipped into the next demographic), Circo (a circus-themed bar for suits) and the New Raven (an Irish-American pretend pub). Over-ambitious brand expansive, or the credit crunch?
If an investor takes over Korova, would they really want to run it as the tripartite business it currently is? Managing a bar, canteen and gig venue on one premises is a lot. Especially as it's in that area of Liverpool city centre which heaves with chain bars advertising drink-til-you-puke offers. There's more money to be made from stag and hen parties downing two-for-one shooters than arty student-types sipping San Miguel.
I fear that whatever becomes of Korova, it won't involve so many free/cheap gigs. And then where will young bands get a start in this city? Korova's downstairs venue is free to hire and has a decent PA. Taking that away would be a massive blow to the DIY music scene. It's a sad day for Liverpool and for "culture". Also, the mini Lambananas have been taken away! Sniff.

The Ting Tings vs Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong

2008-08-28T12:14:00.001+01:00

I remember a time, not so long ago, when The Tings Tings were easily confused with Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong. Both have similar-sounding names, and both were amongst the crop of ones to watch in 2008 in just about every music publication and blog. The year's not out, but who is clambering to the top of the indie heirarchy? And who needs to book an appointment with a careers advisor?
Let's find out, in The Tings Tings vs Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong!

And who are the winners? Why, it's...

...of course. Sorry, Joe Lean (or is it Joe Beaumont? Or Joe Van Moyland?)
(PS: Sorry for the size of the table, Blogger doesn't have an insert table option. Probably as not many bloggers want to insert a table comparing indie bands.)

Riot on the radio

2008-08-27T11:11:00.000+01:00

Just as the original Cavern became a subterranean car park, another reminder of Liverpool's musical heritage is being destroyed:

Yes! It's that building from the Dead 60s 2005 album, 'The Dead 60s'!

I'm not sad to see it go, because it's been ugly and useless for years. And it overshadows Lime Street Station. But how poignant: The Dead 60s announced their split earlier this year, and now the key visual image to their debut album is slowly being dismantled. I never really liked them, and I'm not just saying that to be cool. When they first emerged, I used to confuse them with The Ordinary Boys. But The Dead 60s failed to reach the dizzying heights of Celebrity Big Brother. Although Riot Radio was something of an indie disco standard for a while, the band have one of those sad stories... they churned away for years before getting a deal with Deltasonic, sold a few CDs then recorded a second album in New York. But that second album was never released, and they have to find proper jobs. Plus they were due to play The Other Stage at Glastonbury in 2005, but it was hit by lightning (source: Wikipedia). It's all a bit tragi-comic.

Mathew Street festival

2008-08-26T17:49:00.000+01:00

The bank holiday weekend featured a big shindig in Liverpool's calendar: the Mathew Street festival. Mathew Street being the location of the Cavern. And it really is spelt with one T, ok?
The festival was cancelled last year due to those omnipresent health and safety fears (read: fears that people would get drunk and climb onto scaffolding). But it returned this year with six outdoor stages, including the Brit Pop stage.
I imagined a few bands plugging through Beatles covers, but no, it enveloped the entire city centre. Call me a misanthrope, but it just looked like a big excuse to roam the streets while drinking cans of premium lager. Most of the bands were tribute acts, including Amy Wynehouse, Fake That and Kaiser Thiefs.
I saw some of local heroes Blue Ruby up on the new band stage, and they were no better or worse than the hundreds of other local heroes up and down the UK. Here's a picture of the available merchandise. I'm sure you'll agree it's tasteful and reasonably priced.

I know it's all a bit of japery and I sound miserable, but I live in the city centre. And free, outdoor events usually bring out the people who stagger around clutching Bargain Booze carrier bags, pissing on my doorstep and setting off fireworks.

My life in songs

2008-08-25T21:53:00.000+01:00

I've been in Edinburgh, for the festival. Of course! If you don't do the fringe, you're a nobody. In the art world. Here is some grafitti I saw outside a pub:

Here's my favourite songs of the past week. Because I don't have an iPod or Last FM account to document what I've been listening to, this list is fairly arbitrary. But it is compiled with love. Love!
10 So What by Pink
I liked it last week, and just as my interest began to wane, the video popped up all over the internets.
9 5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale
I tried to resist this twee little tune, but it managed to snare me.
8 The World Should Revolve Around Me by Little Jackie
Good song. Selfish sentiment.
7 Spiralling by Keane
That song they wrote Gwen Stefani was good. And this new single is even better. What's happening to me? Am I becoming the sort of person who takes a collapsible chair to gigs?
6 Into The Galaxy by Midnight Juggernauts
Better than Damon Albarn's contribution to the BBC's Olympic coverage.
5 Daddy's Gone by Glasvegas
They're even better than Jesus and Mary Chain.
4 Just Like Honey by Jesus and Mary Chain
Wait, not quite.
3 Red and Purple by The Dodos
Discovered this during a MySpace trawl. You'll like it, I promise.
2 Sleepyhead by Passion Pit
When my friend told me in the pub that I should listen to Passion Pit because they are VERY GOOD, I thought it was just one of those things you say in the pub. Then I listened to their MySpace songs, and discovered they really are very good.
1 Progulka by Zemfira
Zemfira is a post-Soviet pop icon. My boyfriend lived in Russia for a while, and tells me that Zemfira's popularity is of Dima Bilan proportions. Compared to more familiar pop princesses, she is startling. She doesn't talk about her private life, barely smiles and is self-consciously androgynous. Like Annie Lennox or KD Lang, but able to shift a million more units. She even found time between being a pop superstar to study for a philosophy degree at Moscow University. Progulka (translation: 'Walk', from her 2005 album Vendetta) is an incredible song. Unfortunately for Zemfira, it's the only Zemfira song I like. Her sixth album is imminent, so maybe I'll enjoy that. I can't even describe how excited it makes me... video is here. Make your own mind up.

Goodbye, The Hits

2008-08-19T16:03:00.000+01:00

The Hits has morphed into 4Music, and it was with a slight regret that I said goodbye.
Long ago my boyfriend renamed The Hits as The Shits on the Freeview EPG. Oh, how we chuckled. Because it was true... The Hits seemed to play about five videos per hour between adverts. And always the same kinds of videos (Rihanna, Timbaland, any commercial dance), going round and round and round. But it was always there, and the sort of channel that was good to switch on while doing the ironing or cleaning. Oh shush, we all need to do the cleaning.
I hoped to say goodbye to The Hits, but when I switched on before 7pm for the big launch last Friday. But it had already disappeared! So unless somebody tells me I'll never know what the final video was. But who cares? 4Music is the future. From now on every video will be introduced by squawking and gurning Camden types, dressed by Beyond Retro. The playlist will focus on bands featuring boys in skinny jeans, strumming guitars. The schedule will fill up with repeats of reality TV shows and Friends. It'll be just like E4! I'm joking. Sort of.
It will be televised musical fun. But I really don't like being told all the time why each video/band is amazing. Especially by someone like George "Mr Charisma" Lamb. Just be quiet and let me make up my own mind. Unless it's Steve Lamacq or Huw Stephens. They know what they're talking about, and I can even forgive Steve for shilling for the Pigeon Detectives.

Weekending in Somerset

2008-08-18T10:07:00.000+01:00

I spent the weekend at a wedding in Somerset, and I think a good time was had by all. I had a good time, at least. Due to a lack of funds and available rooms, I camped behind a pub that was also hosting a beer festival. The Wurzels were headlining, and the real ale was flowing.
I also thought you might like to know my top ten tunes from last week:
10. My Drive Thru by NERD, Santogold and Julian Casablancas
Hipster trio take the money and run. It's basically an advert for Converse, and sounds like a less good Beck, Prince and MIA.
9. When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls
I can't decide whether I despise this or rather like it.
8. Last Train to Transcentral by the KLF
For some reason I NEEDED to listen to the KLF, so went back to the future (1990) for one of their less loved "other" singles.
7. Reinforcements by Sparks
I've been flicking through my vinyl a lot, and re-discovered this camp pop gem.
6. The Things That Dreams Are Made Of by The Human League
Re-discovered from another vinyl flick.
5. Come Into My World by Kylie Minogue
X doesn't do it for me. Sorry, Kylie. But this is amazing. Especially the Michel Gondry video.
4. Over the Ice by The Field
After watching The Field at Field Day last weekend, I re-discovered this track. It's like Steve Reich goes commercial.
3. ICA Lappis by Action Biker
I've said it before - absolutely lovely.
2. So What by Pink
New single, which leaked early and rapidly around the internets. And it's brilliant. Pink's been responsible for some utter crap (God is a DJ etc) but this divorce kiss-off is utterly brilliant.
1. Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush
Ended up here through a daisy chain because The Field sampled Kate's Cloudbusting. (I love Kate Bush so much that we're on first name terms.) Spent a bit of time comparing the original Wuthering Heights vocal with the re-recorded one, and generally thinking "argh, this is amazing! And she was only 19! Take that, Adele/Kate Nash!"

And, for a post-script, here are some wedding snaps:

Trendspotting: shiny short shorts

2008-08-15T11:52:00.000+01:00

I've noticed a trend in the music videos of 2008. Teeny-weeny shiny, shiny shorts and bikini tops! Is this thanks to American Apparel? It's a budget-conscious way for stylists to inject some so-called glamour.
In the video for Because The Night, Cascada catches the attention of a buff rocker (I know he's a rocker because of his leather jacket, and his friend is holding some drumsticks). Obviously, her shiny bikini top and pants plus black corset combo helped.

Cheryl Tweedycole favours the shiny boob tube in Will.I.Am's Heartbreaker. The hoodie makes it really urban, no?

The lame (as in la-may, I can't figure out how to add accents in HTML) invasion continues in Blackout Crew's Put A Donk On It, a choon so terrible it makes me whimper a little. The dancers are the physical manifestation of 'techno'.

According to Vogue, three is enough for a trend. But I'm even more thorough than Vogue, so here is Camille, pretending to hula hoop in the video for Money Note. She's gone for the shiny shorts over black leggings, which I would call a 'just in case' look.
There's more lame (LA-MAY!) out in pop world, I just know it. I think I've spied more in videos I didn't care to remember, such as Mariah Carey. It all looks so sexy and glamorous up on screen. But it's that American Apparel vision of sexy, which doesn't actually exist. One spin through the washing machine and that stuff is ruined. I love how it's described as 'swimwear' on their website, with the caution that 'exposure to salt water and chlorine not recommended'.

Field Day

2008-08-14T15:30:00.000+01:00

I went to Field Day on Saturday, but I haven't told you about it yet. I know, I know, I'm making a loser sign against my forehead as I'm typing.
It wasn't the post-apocalyptic wasteland the Drowned in Sound message boards had me fearing: I queued about 10 minutes for the toilets and the cans of Red Stripe were plentiful. But it was cold and raining all damn day. And full of braying East London types. You know the sort, who turn up just to be "seen" and apparently spend their days putting together outfits. It's difficult to hate on the scenesters though, because it's just a phase. They'll grow out of it.
Jeffrey Lewis and his cartoons were good, as were The Field. The main stage was too quiet during Laura Marling and Of Montreal, and there was an excellent brass band hidden amongst the trees. Overall? A nice day out.
My friends kindly let me stay with them in Bow afterwards, and filled me up with Pimms. So maybe East London isn't so bad.

Current obsession - Action Biker

2008-08-14T15:05:00.000+01:00

I was on one of my regular YouTube daisy chains when I found Stockholm lovely Action Biker. My starting point was When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls (did Britney Spears not make the final edit?) and somehow ended up with luscious electro loveliness. Action Biker is Sarah Nyberg Pergament, and she sings like Francoise Hardy, makes beautiful lo-fi electronica and looks like she stepped from a street style webiste. She also performs with Kevin Wright as The Dreamers. She is proof that Sweden is a wondrous paradise, along with Dala horses, IKEA, The Knife and so on.
Below is the video for ICA Lappis, which not only looks amazing but is also a song about shopping in the Swedish equivalent of Spar. There's also a live video on YouTube where she sings on stage while making brownies. Performance baking = winner.