The biggest midget in the game

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

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

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

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

Blah blah, Vague magazine...

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

Weekending in a Velvet Underground song

Last weekend (so long ago, but I haven't had chance to write about it until now) I went to All Tomorrow's Parties curated by Explosions In The Sky at Minehead Butlins. This is not to be confused with All Tomorrow's Parties at Camber Sands, because that one was curated by Pitchfork. And is at a Pontins, which is like the weird cousin nobody likes to talk about of holiday camps. Butlins, however, is posh. It's true! Pubs, eateries, go-karts, a high-ropes course...
The line-up was like Metacritic's best of 2007 albums, including The Field (sample-heavy Swedish ambient techno!), Stars of the Lid (guitar-heavy ambient drones!), Battles (guitar-heavy tribal post-rock!) and Animal Collective (um, samples, guitars, drones, Beach Boys!).
Out of all the festivals I've been to, ATP is probably one of the best. It's all about the MUSIC. Well, more about the music than most festivals... and because you get to sleep in a chalet, you don't have the problem of accidentally camping next to a group of morons who stay awake all night boasting about how many drugs they can consume during an average night out in Barnsley. Er, drugs! Illegal! Well done!
Between all the over-priced Carlsberg and vodka & ginger beers, here are my highlights of ATP vs EITS...
...A Hawk And A Hacksaw were lovely, although a little lost on the Pavilion stage on Saturday afternoon. It's a bit too massive for their Balkan fiddle and accordion twiddlings.
...The Field were a perfect end to dance out the weekend between 1.30am and 2.30am on Sunday night. And I'm not just saying that because Pitchfork gave his album 9 out of 10. Strange that all weekend most people looked like post-rock fans, but as soon as the 4/4 beats and laptop appear they start shouting 'RAVE!!' and 'THIS IS JUST LIKE SKINS!!'.
...Battles played twice, and I never realised there was such demand. Sunday night was a mere 45 minute hit parade, but Saturday night's set was for the fans. Until 3am (bit late, isn't it?). But I realised that I love them, so I don't mind that it was long past my bedtime. Don't laugh, 3am is late for a gig.
No photos, sorry, as my camera didn't travel with me. :(

Water Curses by Animal Collective

Like A-sides and B-sides, EPs only really made sense when vinyl was dominant. Do EPs even exist anymore? It's like those bands who emphasise their new single is a radio edit, when they have no hope of getting playlisted. Not even on student radio. Anway. To Animal Collective:

Critics and the music aficionados who pay attention to them couldn’t get enough of Animal Collective’s 2007 album, the at times difficult yet joyous Strawberry Jam. After all the excitement, it would perhaps be rude of the New York quartet to deny their fans Water Curses, an EP of Strawberry Jam off-cuts and leftovers.
Title track Water Curses burbles through highly strung keyboard buzzes and flute warbles so distorted they could almost be underwater. There is a melody, although it’s difficult to hold onto and gradually unravels into a jittering hullabaloo.
Water Curses is experimental, but underneath the freeform structure and sampling there is a pop song. It is strangely shaped, sometimes noisy and sometimes erratic, but still a pop song. Because it is simultaneously boldly experimental and celebratory, Water Curses is as much fun as the Beach Boys dancing to John Cage.
As for what it’s all about, it’s something to do with ‘I want to be like water’ and to ‘never need a doctor’. That’s just the lyrics you can understand. Who really knows? This is Animal Collective, after all.