Goldmine Trash

It's All 'Appenning

2009-03-11T16:08:00.002Z

From next weekend, I'm going to "mothball" this blog (I hope I have the terminology right) to concentrate on doing some other things. Such as contributing to Stuck Records, and to do some proper jobs for a bit. Expect a few more posts including the rest of the R'nB Girls posts by the weekend (I knew I wouldn't manage a post a day for two weeks!), and see you about.

Corrections and Clarifications

2009-03-11T13:42:00.002Z

"Control" is Janet Jackson's third album, not her second. Her first was "Janet Jackson" (1982), and her second was "Dream Street" in 1984.

Tweet, tweet...

2009-03-09T20:25:00.001Z

You can now follow my tweets by following the link below...

Pop Thought For The Day

Tweet "Southern Hummingbird" (2002)

2009-03-04T16:30:00.006Z

Released: May 2002
Label: The Goldmine Inc./ Elektra
Produced by: Nisan, Jubu, Craig Brockman, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott, Timbaland and Charlene “Tweet” Keys
Highest UK Chart Position: 15

1. So Much To Say (Intro)
2. My Place
3. Smoking Cigarettes
4. Best Friend
5. Always Will
6. Boogie 2Nite
7. Oops (Oh My)
8. Make Ur Move
9. Motel
10. Beautiful
11. Complain
12. Heaven
13. Call Me
14. Drunk
15. Southern Hummingbird (Outro)

This follows on from the late night soul of Janet Jackson’s “Lonely” and the gentler corners of Anita Baker’s “Rapture”. “Southern Hummingbird” is a seriously laid-back record. It might seem odd to draw comparisons between it and the Blue Nile, but listening to things like “Always Will” and “Beautiful”, I’m always reminded of the Blue Nile’s “Hats” album: both are sparse and electronic, snail-paced at times, frequently moving and naggingly catchy. It sounds great at the dead of a particularly balmy night in the summertime. Sometimes it’s so quiet you could almost hear a pin drop while it’s playing. Call it a weird synaesthesia or leap on my part, but while listening to “Southern Hummingbird” I picture traffic lights changing on deserted city streets at 4am. Even the most uptempo, dancey track here – “Boogie 2nite” which, brilliantly, was covered by Booty Luv – has a lazy loping groove. “Oops (Oh My)” was the lead single – a brave record (alluding to female masturbation) which made the Top 10 in the summer of 2002. The best tracks here are to be found on what I suppose they used to call side two. “Motel”, “Beautiful”, “Heaven”, “Drunk” and even the slightly more danceable “Call Me” are all ambient r’n’b wonders. The overall effect is to lead the listener into a world which you can really feel lost in. This sort of restrained, modern, post-electro, post-millennial soul represents the most forward looking pop of our time. Equal effort seems to be spread between writing cracking witty lyrics, dreaming up lovely melodies and building sound collages to rival those of Brians Wilson and Eno. “Southern Hummingbird” is certainly one of the ten best albums I’ve heard this decade. Such a simple album, so unfussy, so addictive and beautiful. The five mp3s I post here are all great but there are a lot more where they came from here, so I urge you to buy this album. Seriously.

Tomorrow: Diana Ross "diana"

Anita Baker "Rapture" (1986)

2009-03-03T16:07:00.004Z

Released: April 1986
Label: Elektra
Produced by: Anita Baker and Michael J. Powell
Highest UK Chart Position: 13

1. Sweet Love
2. You Bring Me Joy
3. Caught Up In The Rapture
4. Been So Long
5. Mystery
6. No One In The World
7. Same Ole Love
8. Watch Your Step

Of the records I intend to put up over the next two weeks, this one strays deepest into big, gospelly, belting-voice territory. I don’t know how much influence “executive producer” Anita Baker had over the sound of this record, but with the aid of Michael J. Powell, she cut this unsurpassable album in 1986 (her second album, her debut was released to great acclaim in 1983). Anita Baker is a proper singer if you know what I mean. She does astonishing things with her voice here. In fact “Rapture” is the sort of record you hope Leona Lewis or Alexandra Burke might make one day. Baker’s voice reminds me of Mary J. Blige at times, but is richer still. Let’s cut to the chase: the Voice is the main attraction here. The songs are usually amazing too. “Sweet Love” (probably the best thing here in fairness) is still a staple of daytime radio and VH1 Classic. Anita co-wrote that one too (she also wrote “”Been So Long” and “Watch Your Step”). Eleven songwriters are credited on the album in total, including Rod Temperton of Heatwave and “Thriller” fame, who offers “Mystery” - one of this album’s highlights. “Caught Up In The Rapture” was a sizeable hit too, and sounds a bit like something Steely Dan might do when they’re feeling poppy (think Rosie Vela’s “Zazu” album). It’s easy to imagine (Steely Dan backing vocalist and Doobie Brother) Michael McDonald singing most of the songs here actually. Anita has had one of those “long and distinguished” careers which hasn’t furnished her with many hits, so she’s often thought of as a one-hit wonder by people on the eastern side of the Atlantic. She had a minor hit with “Giving You The Best That I Got” in 1988 and that was great too, but she’ll probably be best remembered for, even become synonymous with, “Rapture”, a record which oozes adult sophistication. It’s like the soul equivalent of reggae’s “lovers rock”. I’d describe it as “music to hump to” if that didn’t sound so ghastly. Besides this music doesn’t deserve to be backgrounded, you’ll want to lose yourself in its lusciousness. Get caught up in the rapture, indeed.

Tomorrow: Tweet "Southern Hummingbird"

Bella!

2009-01-24T18:59:00.004Z

Further to yesterday's post, here's an italo-disco stonker from Raf...

Laura Brannigan's cover of that was a smash hit, but Raf's original version is even better. Now, if Self Control's not going round in your head for the remainder of the day, then I'm an Italian. My name is DJ Giuseppe Pepsicola - might I interest you in the latest "waxing" of my vampy piano tinklings? (Get out - Ed.)

Sun-kissed, eclectic and totally Cosmic.

2009-01-23T12:44:00.005Z

An article by Jude Rogers in today's Guardian Film and Music section on "Cosmic Disco" has grabbed my attention. Here's your link.

Cosmic Disco, as described in the article above, has a lot in common with the Balearic scene/tendency/movement. First and foremost, it's gloriously fun. It's also ultra-eclectic. Excitingly, upbeat dreamy dance pop is in the ascendancy right now. Some people put that down to the "credit crunch" (hereby referred to as "c***** c*****" by me, as I'm bloody sick of the phrase). With VV Brown and Little Boots on the brink of massive pop stardom, we could be witnessing the beginnings of another genuinely thrilling period for pop - perhaps even one to rival the great New Pop boom of the early 80s or the exciting excesses of the house/rave era (87-91).

I recommend the "Balearic Beach Sessions" and "Disco Italia: Italo Disco Classics 1977-1985" compilations which were released last year. I'm also sticking CosmicDisco.co.uk in the links section over on the left of your screen.

Happy dancing. :-)

Feeling Spot, Spot, Spot

2009-01-20T21:02:00.003Z

Here at GT we're all for using new technology to listen to music, and for abiding to copyright and property laws. It's for these reasons that we've been getting very giddy about Spotify, the new music application that allows users to stream whatever they want, whenever they want. It's totally free (the only compromise to listening is a short advert every half-hour or so) and 100% legal. Plus it comes with the function of creating playlists, which you can share with others and even let them add to it. So to celebrate this we give you the playlist for our Top 50 Singles of 2008. Of the 50 all but three of the tracks were available in the music library (apologies to fans of Little Boots, Pay TV & The Long Blondes). If you're struggling to get this playlist to work, or you want an invite in order to access the world of Spotify, please give me a shout.

I'll leave you with an artist I've been enjoying all week: Cerrone. 3 of his albums worked his way into our shop this week and they've barely been off the turntable since.

50 Singles of the Year 2008 (Part 2)

2009-01-15T21:45:00.009Z

In record time, we deliver our final round-up of the best of last year's singles whilst still in the first half of January. As before, Ciaran selected the songs and gives his thoughts, as do I on a lot of tunes. Artwork and links to be up shortly.

25. Chris Brown “Forever”

Written by: A. Merritt, R. Allen, C. Brown, J. Jones and B. Kennedy
Produced by: Pollow Da Don
Released: June
Highest UK Chart Position: 4

Ciarán: Rihanna’s boyfriend. And he’s no slouch in the perfectly-judged r’n’b pop department either. “Forever” is disarmingly simple, and just another impeccable Chris Brown single.

Gavin: Welcome to 5 years ago! Hmm, it’s allright I suppose but quite dull in comparison to a lot of the songs on this list, there’s possibly a great song trying to get out but it’s been drowned by over polished production.

24. Coldplay “Viva La Vida”

Written by: Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin
Produced by: Brian Eno, Markus Dravs and Rik Simpson
Released: June
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: 2008 was the year in which Coldplay finally made some sense to me. I’m just 8 years behind everyone else, and a country mile behind the world. Maybe it was the Make Coldplay History campaign wot did it, contrary sod that I am, but I can’t shake the feeling that when everyone is saying something you can be sure that what they’re saying is wrong. Sure of it! Ok, maybe not, but it ought to be enough to make you go and re-examine the evidence. So what’s the “beef” with Coldplay? Is it that they’re a stadium rock band? Is that all? Does Chris Martin annoy people? Is it something like U2 syndrome: where the idea that Coldplay are just vaguely annoying has become an unstoppable bandwagon which destroys everything (including any possibility of engaged criticism) in its path? It’s true that the idea that there could be a Best Band In The World (something Q Magazine devotes an inordinate amount of space to discussing), is silly. “Viva La Vida” might not be their best single to date, but it’s got a good old fashioned tune with nice stabby strings. The lyrical allusion to a dethroned king is surely enough to explain the band’s recent attire (i.e. it’s French revolution clobber isn’t it). It’s been played to death and I still like it. A whopping great number one, and deservedly so.

Gavin: Like Chris Brown this song is also frustrating but for entirely different reasons. Coldplay are a group that polarizes opinion to the point that one but can't help feel that you're picking sides when casting opinion over their music. Trying to be objective, I come to the conclusion that these songs could be so much better, but every interesting chord change you expect to happen subsequently doesn't and every melody line feels disappointingly unadventurous. There are one or two nice bits in this song (the first line of the chorus for example) but it's something I could very much take or leave, and normally choose the latter. It's says something about my current musical bent when I can't wait to move onto the next song which is….

23. The Saturdays “Up”

Written by: Andreas Romdhane, Josef Larossi and Ina Wrolsden
Produced by: Quiz and Larossi
Released: October
Highest UK Chart Position: 5

Ciarán: The Saturdays single before this one (“If This Is Love”) was based around a sample of Yazoo’s “Situation”, but “Up” also sounds like it could have been collated from the remnants of ruined early 80s synthpop records. I hope The Saturdays go on to be great. I’ve liked all three of their singles so far (including their “newie”, “Issues”, which is out in January). The video for “Up” is good. Very literal. They stand on pedestals that go up. They do a dance routine. They wear bright, colour-coordinated clothes and smile a lot. They’re that sort of pop group. In 2008, this was about as close as we got to a “Hand On Your Heart”.

Gavin: With the possible exception of 'Work', I still think they've yet to make the song that's really going to break them into pop's big league, but this is a bloody good effort. A marked improvement over 'If This Is Love' which felt very over calculated and left me a bit cold. In contrast this has far more of its own identity and suits the 5-piece vocal style.

22. Kings Of Leon “Sex On Fire”

Written by: Caleb Followill, Nathan Followill, Jared Followill, Mathew Followill
Produced by: Angelo Petraglia and Jacquire King
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: Sometimes rock is at its best when you can’t tell whether the people behind it are taking the mickey or not. This record might be a joke, there again it might not be. Probably isn’t, on balance. Either way it’s got a stormin’ chorus and daft lyrics about having lots of rumpo in a car (possibly, but not necessarily, whilst rockin’ down the highway with the wind in your hair). Guns ‘N’ Roses used to make records which were as fun as this. Good for playing along to while standing in front of the mirror with a tennis racket as a substitute for a guitar. 11 year old boys love this sort of “boys music”, and they’re dead right to.

Gavin: The Kings' sudden explosion of popularity (and the obligatory critical backlash they've then faced in certain quarters) comes as a bit of a shock to me as they've always produced consistently good (if not exactly earth-shattering) pop-rock, and their latest offerings are no exception. This is a nice enough little tune, plenty of memorable hooks with nothing sounding out of place. Doesn't really get me too excited but that's what happens when you get to my age.

21. The Killers “Human”

Written by: The Killers
Produced by: Stuart Price
Released: November
Highest UK Chart Position: 3

Ciarán: The best single from The Killers in ages, and a deserved smash as 2008 wound down. There are people who will never like The Killers of course, and no doubt they hated “Human”. They have as much in common with Pet Shop Boys as they do U2 though, as this sparse, reverby, hooky single attests.

Gavin: The Killers probably incite the same vitriol that our previous artists do, but it's lot easier to see why with them. Everything they seem to produce comes across as being self-consciously epic - off-the-shelf anthems for a busy, background-music lifestyle. Whilst I hate having to resort to these lazy insults, every attempt I make getting into their music leaves me wondering what I'm hearing, certainly not an abundance of melody. Sorry.

20. Ladyhawke “Dusk Til Dawn”

Written by: Phillipa Brown, Pascal Gabriel, Alex Gray and Hannah Robinson
Produced by: Pascal Gabriel
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 78

19. Ladyhawke “My Delirium”

Written by: Phillipa Brown, Pascal Gabriel, Alex Gray and Hannah Robinson
Produced by: Pascal Gabriel
Released: December
Highest UK Chart Position: 33

Ciarán: Two in a row from Ladyhawke, who is my favourite new pop star. Except she’s not really famous enough yet. Maybe she’ll never be properly famous. If not, that will be the world’s loss. “Dusk Til Dawn” is over all-too-soon. You can’t really dance to it, but you can stomp to it. It’s got Chic-y rhythm guitars on the chorus, crunchy drums, a smattering of honky-tonk piano on the instrumental break and a good one note bassline for the most part. And I love how she pronounces the word “dawn”. Whilst watching the revived-but-rubbish Chart Show on telly in September, I felt a twinge of nostalgia when they included “Dusk Til Dawn” in the NME TV Chart but didn’t stop to play it. This sort of indie pop at least used to get short shrift on mainstream TV on a Saturday morning, now it’s being overlooked out in the telly wilderness that is the Chart Show TV channel!

“My Delirium” is a recent release, and has climbed the charts for two weeks in a row! Could it be the first number one of the new year? Of course not. But it’s almost as crunching and rockin’ as “Sex On Fire” but more melodic and dreamy with it. You could break this song up into bits and put together about five other songs from all the bits. It’s just bursting with imagination and ideas. There’s a lovely quiet bit at 2’412 were it sounds like it could burst into something by Swedish sampling genius The Field. But it doesn’t. Instead it hammers the glorious chorus home for the remainder of the song. In any other year this might make my end of the year Top 10, but this has been a particularly strong year for singles. Rest assured her album will be in my Top 2 of the year.

Gavin: It's been very hard to ignore Ciaran's unbridled enthusiasm for Ladyhawke, but I'm glad he's been so persistent as I'm becoming a bit of a convert. These two songs highlight her strength in tuneful but intense pop. A pity the album doesn't have a bit more range & variation, but she's definitely get the opportunity to hone her craft, and very probably will.

18. Ne-Yo “Closer”

Written by: Shaffer Smith, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, M. Beite, Bernt Rune Stray
Produced by: StarGate
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: 2008 was The Year of the Gentleman of course. “Miss Independent” was a strikingly good single too (sounding like something Usher might make when he’s on form). “Closer” might nop sound like such an obviously brilliant record on first listen, but it reveals its beauty with subsequent plays. It’s been a good twelve months for razor sharp r’n’b, of which this single is a great example.

Gavin: Some interesting changes of pace, kind of makes it more bearable. Yeah, it's not that bad really.

17. Alesha Dixon “The Boy Does Nothing”

Written by: Brian Higgins, Alesha Dixon, Miranda Cooper, Carla-Marie Williams and Xenomania
Produced by: Brian Higgins and Xenomania
Released: November
Highest UK Chart Position: 5

Gavin: It's warmed my heart to see the revitalisation of Alesha in the last 12 or so months, from being the annoying, shouty one in the already quite annoying & shouty Misteeq to an all-singing-all-dancing wholesome bastion of showbizness. And although isn't exactly Pet Sounds it works rather well, an infectious beat, top-notch production from Xenomania as usual with enough spark in the vocals to keep any man enthralled.

Ciarán: Xenomania stretched themselves a bit this year, largely ditching the rollicking electro-rock they’re most associated with in favour of jazzy, even bluesy, pop. Alesha Dixon might be best known as the winner of Strictly Come Dancing last year, but before that she was a member of Mis-Teeq, whose single “Scandalous” was something of a ruddy marvel (and a big hit in the US) back in 2002. Dancing on the telly on a Saturday night seems to be the thing to do these days if you want to become a household name (and one wonders if Rachel Stevens will get a shot at a comeback if she wins Strictly… this year) so, fame having been restored, here’s Alesha’s comeback single. It does sound rather a lot like “Mambo No. 5”. It’s immediately catchy and it brightened up the winter nights no end. But it’s not quite as good as…

16. Gabriella Cilmi “Sweet About Me”

Written by: Gabriella Cilmi, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Larcombe and Xenomania
Produced by: Brian Higgins and Xenomania
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: 6

Ciarán: It’s incredible to think that Gabriella Cilmi is only, what, sixteen? When she opens her mouth and that voice comes out. “Sweet About Me” debuted in the chart in early March, but didn’t actually reach its peak until the end of June, a full sixteen weeks later. Its long, slow climb is in no small part attributable to the legion of GMTV viewers who heard the single on an advert and downloaded the track over breakfast. It’s great that Xenomania can turn their hand to a track like this. Soundwise, it’s a world away from “The Show” or “”Red Dress” or “Biology”. I love the gentle sighing track which surrounds Cilmi’s older-than-her-years vocal. And it boasts as memorable a chorus as you’ll find on any pop record. The first half of her album “Lessons To Be Learned” is about as good as this. “Save The Lies” and “Sanctuary” made for good singles too, and “Einstein” is too good to languish in “album track” obscurity. Definitely one of 2008’s more pleasant discoveries.

Gavin: The most interesting thing about this single was the extremely prolonged upward trajectory it took to get to its peak position of No. 6 in the singles chart. OK, it's not a bad song and has been growing on me of late, but I can't see that's bringing anything new or exiting to the party and purely exists to fill demand for sensitive female singers. Prove me wrong, Gabi.

15. Rihanna “Don’t Stop The Music”

Written by: T.E. Hermansen, M.S. Eriksen, T. Dabney and M. Jackson
Produced by: StarGate
Released: January
Highest UK Chart Position: 4

Ciarán: This was actually available on “Good Girl, Gone Bad” as long ago as May 2007, and it actually made the charts a month before its physical release on downloads alone. It’s a ridiculously great single. It almost invents a new genre - a weird mixture of French filter house, r’n’b, soul, disco and pure melody in one big pop orgasm. Michael Jackson’s “Wanna Be Startin’ Something” is chucked into the mix. It sounds like Daft Punk at other points. And all the while it stays on the brink, sounding like it’s just going to explode. Norwegians StarGate had a hand in writing and producing it. It’s hard to imagine how Kanye or Pharell or Xenomania could have done a better job. Completely amazing. But it can’t make our Top 10 because it is a bit old at this stage.

14. Elbow “Grounds For Divorce”

Written by: Guy Garvey and Elbow
Produced by: Craig Potter
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: 19

Ciarán: Everyone seems to be saying how pleased they were that Elbow won the Mercury Prize this year. They should have won it for “Asleep In The Back” in 2001. “The Seldom Seen Kid” is a fine album too, and its lead single was just so good that Elbow became impossible to ignore. In essence it’s a boozey blues song, but let’s not forget its great riff and the layers of pretty melody which crop up during the quieter bits. I didn’t think Elbow had a “classic” single in them, and how wrong I was. “One Day Like This” was bloody good too, but “Grounds For Divorce” gets the nod because it’s such raucous fun. Nice title as well, by the way

13. Goldfrapp “A&E”

Written by: Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory
Produced by: Alison Goldfrapp, Will Gregory and Flood
Released: February
Highest UK Chart Position: 10

Ciarán: “Seventh Tree” was my favourite album of ’08, and is probably Goldfrapp’s best yet. “A&E” wasn’t the strongest song on the album, but made for a great single nonetheless. The lyric relates an intriguing story – just like all great folk songs do, and the pretty tune, surprising mood changes and general hummablility of it all worked brilliantly.

Gavin: Not even the best thing on Seventh Tree but still very good, surprised how the they're always able to bounce back with fresh ideas when it appears their creative juices are about to dry up. In contrast to Ciaran's experience I'd heard a few negative things about Seventh Tree before I got to listen to it, when I did it wasn't the simple reversion to Felt Mountain that I had envisaged, instead owing more to Joni Mitchell and delicate folk stylings. Truly an exquisite set.

12. Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris & Chrome “Dance Wiv Me”

Written by: Harris/ Mills/ Detnon/ Paul
Produced by: Calvin Harris
Released: July
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: Bassline of the year. No question. It seemed an unlikely marriage: “grime” wonderkid Dizzee Rascal and producer Calvin Harris, who in the past has seemed like a Tesco Value version of LCD Soundsystem. That was clearly off the mark, because great though he is, James Murphy has never released anything even remotely as effective and unselfconscious as this single.

11. MGMT “Kids”

Written by: VanWyngarden and Goldwasser
Produced by: Dave Fridmann and MGMT
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 25

Ciarán: It was between this and “Time To Pretend”. “Kids” wins out because it smuggled the daftest, most-twee synth riff into the charts, all the major festivals and our collective consciousness in the summer. It shouldn’t work, but boy it does.

10. Hot Chip “Ready For The Floor”

Written by: Owen Clarke, Al Doyle, Joe Goddard, Felix Martin and Alexis Taylor
Produced by: Hot Chip
Released: February
Highest UK Chart Position: 6

Ciarán: Hot Chip finally had the hit they deserved with this irresistible slice of quirky pop magic. During the year, Joe took some time to work with Little Boots and Alexis released a solo record which was also rather good. They’ve been around for quite a while now, but there’s good cause to hope that Hot Chip are still finding their rhythm. When they’re good they’re as good as it gets.

Gavin: The song's totally undersold. You could see this being a big smash in the hands of Kylie, Rachel Stevens etc (well, a few years ago maybe). But here it sounds more like an unfinished demo - why have they got the world's shyest vocalist to sing what is essentially a pop song? Could have been so much more.

9. Duffy “Mercy”

Written by: Duffy and Steve Booker
Produced by: Steve Booker
Released: February
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

= 7. Girls Aloud “The Promise”

Written by: Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Jason Resch, Kieran Jones and Carla-Marie Williams
Produced by: Brian Higgins and Xenomania
Released: October
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

= 7. Girls Aloud “Can’t Speak French”

Written by: Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Tim Powell, Nick Coler, Jody Lei and Carla-Marie Williams
Produced by: Brian Higgins and Xenomania
Released: February
Highest UK Chart Position: 9

Ciarán: Like some giddy schoolchild, I actually tuned into Radio 1 for the momentous first play of this record. It didn’t disappoint. “The Promise” chimes well with the vaguely 60s-ish pop which people like Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse and Duffy have been producing. Listen to this single alongside the Girl Aloud singles which preceded it (“Sexy! No No No”, “Call The Shots” and “Can’t Speak French”). You’ll find that they sound nothing like each other. Xenomania’s eclectic, diverse, genius at work again. The chorus to “The Promise” sounded a little like the theme tune to Blankety Blank (i.e. knowingly crap BBC quiz-show of “yore”) but that just added to the nostalgic, kitschy charm of the thing. It also coincided with Cheryl Cole’s emergence as an ace judge on X Factor and all-round popular “lass”. The video was good too - a little bit like the one for Diana Ross’ “Chain Reaction”. Without getting quite the same plaudits as “The Promise”, and without scaling the same dizzy heights in the charts (well it was the third single from their album “Tangled Up”), “Can’t Speak French” is every bit as good a single. The lyric is cheeky and dry, and the record is boosted by jazzy guitar parts and a killer chorus. It was as if Xenomania were saying “look, we can throw anything into the mix and it’ll still work”.

Gavin: First up we have GA's third and best Number 1. It's unqualified success makes our original thought that it was something of a brave and risky song to return proved to be quite naïve in hindsight. If we're seeing where this ranks in relation to their other singles it's cosily somewhere in the middle - not up there with 'Biology' or 'The Show' but certainly nowhere near the bottom either. A fitting lead-off for their most consistently good album, too.

As for ‘Can’t Speak French’, I think I'm the only GA fan that doesn't 'get' this song - 'Call The Shots' perfected the mid-tempo ballad (a genre that they've since made their own) that this seems superfluous. It certainly isn't a bad song though, and maybe I'm just getting frustrated that they haven't released a true 'stomper' for quite a while now.

6. Alphabeat “Fascination”

Written by: Alphabeat
Produced by: Rune Westberg
Released: February
Highest UK Chart Position: 6

Ciarán: At the start of 2008, Alphabeat were spearheading something called “The Wonky Pop Tour” – a package troupe of pop misfits who challenged the power of Simon Cowell. It was supposed to be about giving the little guys a break, and putting a little bit of quirk back in the charts. It woulod be easy to overexaggerate how successful this Danish group and their touring pals were in this regard, but from first listen “Fascination” had “massive hit” written all over it. Like the kiddy-pop of S Club 7 and Steps it was completely devoid of sex appeal and was very smiley and day-glo and cheesy. The sort of hit that delights pop fans of all ages.

Gavin: Proof that a great pop song doesn't have to come charging out of the blocks from the first line - indeed the whole song sounds a bit of a structural mess, making it all the more special how well it ultimately works. 2008 has been a very good year for hit pop songs, a lot of it is down to the range and variation of a lot of these good songs, songs like this that have made listening to the Nows etc. an unexpected treat.

5. The Ting Tings “That’s Not My Name”
Written by: Julian De Martino and Katie White
Produced by: The Ting Tings
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: The single that saw The Ting Tings reach number one was partly so successful because anybody can sing/shout its chorus. It was riffy and impossible to get out of your head once you’d heard it. That it reminded people of Toni Basil’s “Hey Mickey” strengthened its claim to be the 2008’s greatest novelty pop smash hit, but The Ting Tings have avoided becoming one-hit wonders because “Shut Up And Let Me Go” and “Great DJ” were almost as good.

Gavin: The Tings have come in for a bit of a backlash recently, unfortunately that's what happens when your album can't live up to the ridiculously high standards of your Number 1 smash - a pity because this track is an absolute belter, becoming more infectious with every listen (no surprise when the song is so meticulously layered with melodies and surprises). I fear that in a few years time any mention of The TTs may be followed with a comment of "what happened to them, then?" Destined to have price placing on any "I Love 2008"-type compilations.

4. Katy Perry “I Kissed A Girl”

Written by: Katy Perry, L “Doctor Luke” Gottwald, Max Martin and Cathy Dennis
Produced by: Dr Luke, Benny Blanco and Gary Silver
Released: August
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: Undeniable, memorable, controversial, US pop genius.

3. Little Boots “Stuck On Repeat”

Written by: Victoria Hesketh
Produced by: Victoria Hesketh and Joe Goddard
Released: February
Highest UK Chart Position: did not chart

Ciarán: The idea that Little Boots is going to be genuinely famous and a chart regular throughout 2009 gives me palpitations of excitation. It also makes me worry that she’ll go the way of Annie and remain a critical success with a small but obsessive fanbase convening on internet forums wondering aloud why she’s not the most famous pop star in the world. Brilliant as it is, “Stuck On Repeat” doesn’t sound like a chart-slaying megahit which will unite people of all ages, from every possible background in admiration. It’s too rough for that. Nonetheless it is tremendously exciting.

Gavin: The start sounds like a Christmas version of 'I Feel Love'! Lots of great ideas, refreshing mix of uptempo melodies and darker tunes in the background. Many people are tipping Little Boots to be the one to watch for 2009, if she can keep producing records of such intensity and excitement as this she'll definitely be back here this time next year.

2. Estelle featuring Kanye West “American Boy”

Written by: Estelle Swaray, Kanye West, Caleb Speir, Josh Lopez, William Adams and Keith Harris
Produced by: Kanye West
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: The brilliance of “American Boy” lies in its simplicity, its producers having the talent and sophistication that it takes to do something that’s beautifully simple. Estelle has released great singles in the past, but never anything as immediate as this. When she’s not flirting with the male population of an entire nation, Kanye West is delivering one of the year’s wittiest raps (check out the pun “I feel like Mike at his Baddest, like The Pips at their Gladdest…”). It also contains some brilliantly noughties French house style breakdowns and a perfect chorus. Brilliant in every possible way.

Gavin: For me this represents the biggest and best hit of the year, and I mean a 'hit' in the true, old-fashioned sense; a song you first got to know by hearing other people talking about it, hearing people singing it even. When I did hear the song that had enchanted others I was no less ecstatic - a Billie Holliday-esque melody line adapted to fit a energetic 4/4 beat, the crispest guitar sound on a R'n'B record possibly ever and a guest spot from Kanye West that complements the song but also suits Estelle's returning vocal. Fully deserving of its 4 weeks at Number 1 and can sit proudly at the top of our chart. With the exception of………

1. Sam Sparro “Black and Gold”

Written by: Sam Falson and Jesse Rogg
Produced by: Jesse Rogg and Sam Sparro
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: 2

Anybody who tuned into a radio this year will be very familiar with this and it seems everyone loves this record. The lyric is great because it’s really about something; creation and evolution, theology and science, fullness and emptiness. It’s like having the “Cupid and Psyche 85” period Scritti Politti back. That and the dancey, glossy sound of this record make it single of the year here. “Black and Gold” sounds really great on headphones. But then it sounded great everywhere; on car stereos, on small transistor radios, on TV… It’s everything a smart pop single should be.

It's not over yet, the following records are deemed to be 'bubbling under': Blackout Crew “Put A Donk On It”, Friendly Fires “Paris”, N Dubz “Papa Can You Hear Me”, Gabriella Cilmi “Sanctuary”, Duffy “Stepping Stone”, Snow Patrol “Take Back The City”, Take That “Greatest Day”, Beyonce “If I Were A Boy”, Ladyhawke “Paris Is Burning”, Madonna featuring Pharell Williams “Give It 2 Me”, Ladytron “Ghosts”, Ne-Yo “Miss Independent”, Boyzone “Love You Anyway”, Little Jackie “The World Should Revolve Around Me”, Will.I.Am featuring Cheryl Cole “Heartbreaker”, Adele “Chasing Pavements”, Ida Maria “I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked”, Gabriella Cilmi “Save The Lies”, Duffy “Rain On Your Parade”, Lady Gaga “Just Dance”, The Saturdays “If This Is Love”, Rihanna “Take A Bow”, Alphabeat “Boyfriend”, Kaiser Chiefs “Never Miss A Beat”, Jennifer Hudson “Spotlight”, The Ting Tings “Shut Up And Let Me Go”, Jordin Sparks with Chris Brown “No Air”, Sparks “Good Morning”, Glasvegas “Geraldine”, MGMT “Time To Pretend”, Alexandra Burke “Hallelujah”, Cut Copy “Hearts On Fire”, Goldfrapp “Happiness”, VV Brown “Crying Blood”, Kelly Rowland “Work”

2009 - An unfocused look forward

2009-01-04T18:30:00.003Z

We kick the year off with an apology for tardyness - Ciaran and I have been having such a popnerdtastic New Year that we haven't been able to summon the energy to get to a computer over the last few days. Do not fear though, as the now incredibly-out-of-date Top 25 singles of 2008 is still forthcoming. In the meantime I'll leave you with a song we enjoyed over the holidays:

2008 - An unfocused look back

2008-12-24T20:00:00.002Z

While Ciaran is beavering away with what will make up the Top 25 Singles for 2008, I thought I’d keep you entertained with some awards I want to give out for lesser known endeavours achieved during the year (meaning talk about some stuff that doesn’t fit into any proper structure). Let the ceremony begin!

THE ‘BEST VIDEO YOU COULD ONLY WATCH ONCE BECAUSE IT FREAKED YOU OUT SO MUCH’ AWARD

There was only ever going to be one winner of this category as soon as I clapped my eyes on ‘Stress’ by Justice:

As you can see it’s a decidedly unjaunty tale regarding some roustabouts in Paris. As with a number of controversial videos released of late it’s not so much the violence itself that captives, more the unglamorous, matter-of-fact nature of its cinematography and of course the twist that comes about two-thirds of the way through. It certainly provides a lot of thought for the viewer, the main one being “Urrrgh!”

THE ‘BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG THAT GIVES US AN EXCUSE TO USE THE PHRASE “THOSE WACKY FOREIGNERS!”’ AWARD

Now this award was still up for grabs at the 11th hour, but only a matted of days ago I was pointed to this little gem: ‘Les Limites’ by Julien Doré:

You may be forgiven for thinking this is your typical slice of obscure arthouse Gallic eccentricness. So it may surprise you to learn that not only did this prove to be a real summer smash (peaking at No. 2 in the French singles chart) but Monsieur Doré is a recent product of ‘Nouvelle Star’, France’s equivalent of Pop Idol/X Factor. Yes, the same media phenomenon that brought you Steve Brookstein and Michelle McManus is responsible for this, which owes more to Serge Gainsbourg than Simon Cowell. On a serious note, it does highlight the important point that good singing is not about high are the notes you can hit or how long you can sustain them for (though of course these abilities do help), it’s about how much emotion you are able to project in your voice and the level of characterisation you can emit - something that appears to be lost on all but the best reality-show hopefuls.

THE ‘BEST NEWSWORTHY EVENTS BY AN ARTIST WHO DIDN’T ACTUALLY GET AROUND TO RELEASING ANY RECORDS IN THE YEAR’ AWARD

This one goes to the group that made the transfer deadline day look like a game of one-man musical chairs, those lovely ladies that are (or indeed were) in The Pipettes. Firstly in April there was their outdoing of the Sugababes by going from Mk1 to Mk3 in one step. Then even the new line-up didn’t make it to the end of the year, with Anna (that’s the one that wasn’t Gwenno or Gwenno’s sister) choosing to pursue her own song writing career (which currently includes a co-credit for ‘Girls’ by the aforementioned ‘babes so the jury’s still very much out). Is Gwenno really that much of a tyrant to work with? I’ve had a number of ex-admirers getting quite tired of the situation and taking the view that they should just give up now before they become (even more of) a joke, but there’s been reports that their new material is even better than their debut album (which, faults an’ all remains extremely listenable), so like the most desperate Jimmy White fan I still remain hopeful.

THE ‘BEST ATTEMPT TO ROB GAVIN OUT OF HIS EVENTUAL RETIREMENT NEST-EGG’ AWARD

I very grudgingly give this award to Mute Records for re-releasing the BBC Radiophonic Workshop CDs. To explain this let me take you back to 2002; how my friends laughed when I spent quite a reasonable sum of money on a brand new copy of the album originally released in 1975 (a brilliant record covering a vast scope of the Workshop’s capabilities). How vindicated I felt when the CD was deleted shortly after, with copies selling online for even more considerable sums. And now this. Sure, normally I’d be very pleased that this masterworks are being made more available for a new generation to appreciate them, but music don’t put food on the table mister (unless your name is Brian Higgins of course).

THE ‘MOST WORRYING ABSENCE OF NEWS REGARDING SOMETHING WE’VE BEEN PROMISED FOR AGES’ AWARD

For the first time in living memory this award does not go to G’n’R for Chinese Democracy, an album I have yet to hear and is therefore immune to any criticism. Instead the spoils go to The Beatles. Another year gone, and while the Fabs themselves have been keeping in the news for various reasons, still no sign of the digitally remastered albums they’ve been talking about since the Moon landings. You remember them, the Beatles albums? The reason why they became international superstars and loved by people aged 1 to 100? Well it appears that EMI never have, which is why even to this day the Beatles CDs you buy in a shop (if you’re still lucky enough to live anywhere near a music shop now) still sound utterly terrible, every instrument sounds like it’s been separated from the others and is now competing with them rather than complementing the sound. For the time being, we’ll have to rely on the rather excellent bootleg jobs than audiophile fans have completed instead to the real thing. But surely that magical day will come - but for god’s sake get a move on, Sir George isn’t going to be around forever you know - unless there’s the quite plausible thought that he is God, and that’s why we’ll all be eating & drinking too much today. Merry Christmas everyone!

50 Singles Of The Year 2008 (Part 1)

2008-12-22T18:11:00.046Z

Welcome to the first part of Goldmine Trash's 50 Singles Of The Year "extravaganza". An mp3 or m4a for each track will be up on the blog in the next day or two. The list was compiled by Ciarán. Gavin chips in with some observations. Part two will be up towards the end of the week. Chart info from the wonderful Chartstats.com. Happy Christmas!

50.

Pay TV “Fashion Report”

Written by: Er...
Produced by: ...I'm not sure to be honest. But whoever it was is a bloody genius.
Released: June
Highest UK Chart Position: did not chart

Ciarán: How brilliant is this? It’s easy to forget that from time to time pop can throw up things like this Swedish girl-trio. All of their output is worth a listen, but this particular single is amazingly funny and sharp. Apart from the fact that it reminds me of his 1967 “Qui Est In, Qui Est Out” single, it’s just like the sort of dry, dark pop Serge Gainsbourg became so adept at writing. “The loving God is ‘out’/ Jihad is very, very ‘in’/ Just to live and then die is ‘out’/ To commit suicide is ‘in’ again”. Now that’s a brave lyric. Serge wrote a Eurovision winner of course, and it’s no surprise that Pay TV were participants in Sweden’s Melodifestivalen recently (i.e. their equivalent of ‘A Song For Europe’ as was). “Fashion Report” is as delightfully perverse as any single by The KLF, and as catchy and daft as The Reynolds Girls’ “I’d Rather Jack”. If it weren’t so obscure it would be much higher in our chart. The video is a must, too. The whole “package” is based on such a simple idea, but is so brilliantly carried off. Superb stuff.

Gavin: I was a bit late to the Pay TV party, but was soon enticed by great songs such as Fashion Report. Nothing earth-shattering, and their lyrical stances are as subtle as a bulldozer, but with melodies like this it doesn't matter. Will look forward to more of their stuff, would have possibly put this a bit higher myself but we'll see what the other 49 are like…

49.

Neon Neon featuring Kate Le Bon “I Lust U”

Written by: B. Hollon and G. Rhys
Produced by: Boom Bip
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: did not chart

Ciarán: From “Stainless Style”, which was one of the year’s outstanding albums. Gruff Rhys and Boom Bip’s Neon Neon project might have looked odd on paper, but the fruits of the collaboration were very worthwhile. “I Lust U” involves a neat examination of celebrity relationships (“You and I get along famously…staring from the cover of a magazine/ Selling our souls for the highest fee/ And I love you, yes I’ll love you if the price is right”). Its parent album is a concept LP about John De Lorean, the Belfast car entrepreneur and millionaire who was a minor celebrity in the mid eighties and whose bankruptcy was major news. Hence the track’s bank of synths and and air of mischief. It’s all just quirky enough without being annoying, never sounding in-jokey, and it certainly has a great tune and atmosphere. Rather touching in a funny sort of way.

Gavin: Very pleasant, all the right components are present & correct, catchy melody but ultimately there's a punchiness lacking from the tune to stop it being any more than, say, the 49th best single of the year.

48. and 47.

M.I.A. “Paper Planes”

Written by: M.I.A. and Diplo
Produced by: Diplo
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 19

Santogold “L.E.S. Artistes”

Written by: S. White and J. Hill
Produced by: Jonnie “Most” Davis, S. White and J. Hill
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 27

Ciarán: The late 00s may in time come to be remembered as the period in which pop went truly global. In this regard M.I.A., Santogold and Bishi are like harbingers of a new era. Mixed race, multi-ethnic jet setters, the lot of them, and the world is their oyster. It’s not that mad to imagine that in the next decade (whatever it will be called) the emergence of exciting new pop from rural Asia or Africa will be a continuing trend.

“Paper Planes” is from M.I.A.’s 2007 album “Kala” and was released as a single at the time but didn’t do much “business”. Now it’s had a slight remix and is a decent sized hit. The playful rhyming and sound affects made the single one of the year’s highlights. Santogold’s “L.E.S. Artistes” is quite simple but no less effective. It’s just a good vocal and groove. Sometimes that’s all it takes.

Gavin: On "Paper Planes" it sounds like Musical Youth have grown up and got in with the rough girls at college. Rymichally pleasing, well produced, yes I quite like this one. Lyrics (and indeed sound effects) a tad tiresome though, maybe I'm missing the point? The Santogold one sounds like Nelly Furtado when she remembers to pack a tune. The chorus is something of an anticlimax after an unconventional & interesting verse structure, and goes straight for the aural jugular instead. Still eminently listenable nevertherless.

46.

Lykke Li “I’m Good, I’m Gone”

Written by: Lykke Li Zachrisson
Produced by: Bjorn Yttling
Released: April
Highest UK Chart Position: did not chart

Gavin: I can't decide whether this one is beautifully charasmatic in its instrumentation or insipid due to its lack of hooklines (though the chorus is not completely forgettable). Best bit? The surprise introduction of lingering male vocals at the 2-and-a-half-minute mark, that sound like a (frankly more interesting) Spiritualized song has accidentally wandered in, then leaves the room almost as quickly.

Ciarán: This wasn’t a hit at all? The world has gone mad. Lykke Li’s “Youth Novels” was one of the best albums of the year – a really strong record that rewarded repeated plays - and this is its most immediate and toe-tapping moment. She might sound like a three year old at times, but she’s a bloody talented song-writer. This track, like the rest of her album, was produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John. It’s surprising it didn’t sell by the truck-load. Expectations for her next album will be high. Speaking of which…

45.

Annie “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me”

Written by: Annie, Richard X, Hannah Robinson and Timo Kaukolampi
Produced by: Richard X
Released: July
Highest UK Chart Position: 54

Ciarán: Now it’s not that big a surprise that this wasn’t a hit, it was more “sadly inevitable”, like Manchester United winning The Premiership again. The record company (Island) screwed up, basically. This got bugger all promotion and limped into the charts at number 54, after which Annie was dropped, and her album “Don’t Stop” (which is very good) was put on indefinite hold. “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me” is effortlessly good, a bit like “Chewing Gum Part 2”. There are lots of great things about it; the “ringy-dingy-dingy-ding-ding-ding” bit, the line “Life’s too long for you to get it wrong” (take heed record companies!), the sound of the ice-cream van at the end, the sweet chorus... Hopefully things will right themselves in 2009 and Annie will rightly become the biggest pop star in the universe. Yeah, wishful thinking. “Fun” fact: Hannah Robinson (who is Richard X’s long-time songwriting partner) co-wrote most of Ladyhawke’s whizzo debut album. More of which later.

Gavin: For me the greatest disappointment in music this year was the problems Annie faced in attempting to release new material. Those who have heard "Don't Stop" in its provisional form will know it's a largely great album made up of so-so songs and utterly amazing pieces of work, of which this single lies somewhere in the middle (speaking of middles, if only they'd put a proper middle-eight in there!). Was it the ridiculous lack of promotion that led of its chart failure, or is it simply never going to happen for Annie no matter what? All I know is that if "Songs Remind Me of You" was released as a single Ciarán & myself could have spent a total of 30 seconds on this list, with that song unarguably at the No. 1 spot. Whether it'll have a chance to top next year's poll remains to be seen.

44.

Madcon “Beggin’”

Written by: Bob Gaudio and Peggy Farina
Produced by: Madcon
Released: August
Highest UK Chart Position: 5

Ciarán: It might not be immediately obvious, but Madcon are in fact Norwegian. Norwegian hip-hop/soul/”urban” music isn’t the anomaly you might expect. Hot-shot production team StarGate are also Norwegian and they’re involved in a couple of singles further along our list. Although when Norway’s Laid Back released “Sunshine Reggae” back in 1983, it probably did seem a tad incongruous. Pop really is the only truly “world” music. “Beggin’” might not leap out of the speakers and whack you over the head, but it does involve a canny use of the sampler. It’s a sort of cover of The Four Seasons’ “Beggin’” from 1967 but with added (w)rapping. Dancing Drunk At A Wedding music. “Beh-gin’ beggin yoooooo-oooo, put your luvvin’ hands out bay-bay…(hic!)”

Gavin: Sorry, but it's the first tune to do nothing for me at all. A very unexciting sound, nothing to grab me, little differentiation between verse & chorus, what's the appeal? A rare miss, Ciarán!

43.

Sugababes “Girls”

Written by: Allen Toussaint, Anna MacDonald, Nicole Jenkinson and Keisha Buchanan
Produced by: Melvin Kuiters, Si Hulbert and Mike Steven
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 3

Ciarán: The music out of the Boots ad. Featured in just about every ad break on ITV or Sky Digital throughout 2008. Played to bloody death. And yet I’m still rather fond of it. It’s punchy and lively. “Stop speculatin’, I’m a regular girl!” I can’t think what Keisha imagines she’s referring to when she’s singing that bit. Sugababes are only about 4% as exciting as they used to be. But they were very very exciting. So that still makes them about the eighth best pop group around at the moment. (Enough spurious “maths”, get on with it! - Ed)

Gavin: This reminds me a bit of Charlotte Church's pop output from 2005 - everything's been thrown into this track and it has the impression of being record-company rubber-stamped, but the final result leaves you a bit cold, especially given the 'Babes previous ability to come back with stonking singles once you've written them off. Sure it's allright, but as they are finding to their cost 'allright' just doesn't cut it in today's world. Here's hoping they can bounce back yet again.

42.

Britney Spears “Womanizer”

Written by:
Produced by:
Released: November
Highest UK Chart Position: 3

Ciarán: Have you tried miming along to the chorus of this single? It’s bloody impossible! Give the girl a break…

Just when it looks like she’s gone so far off the rails that there can be no coming back, she comes up with a “Toxic” or a “Gimme More”. “Piece Of Me” was this close to making it into the Top 50 too, but it feels like that was released several aeons ago. “Womanizer” is the latest in a series of bonkers singles. The invention going on here sonically and lyrically ("You you you-ah, you you you-ah womanizer womanizer womanizer baby…” - excuse me, but…what?) is a joy to behold.

Gavin: Perhaps unfairly, I'd always given Britney's songs short shrift (mostly because I've spent most of the last 10 years dismissing her as spawn of the devil) but following a number of recommendations by friends whom I trust I've decided to take a more open-minded attitude to her music. And I'm glad I did because I think this is a bit of a corker. In a complete contrast to the Sugababes song previously, this one shouldn't work but the forcefulness of the beat and the repitition in the vocals prove inexplicably irresistible. But a few marks off for slightly straying into your tendency to provide "look-at-me" lyrics, Ms Spears.

41.

The Long Blondes “Century”

Written by: Kate Jackson and The Long Blondes
Produced by: Erol Alkan
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: did not chart

Ciarán: The Long Blondes split up during 2008, which is a real pity because as this single shows they were capable of producing real pop magic when the mood took them. “Century” is doomy but hook-laden. Genuinely one of the most exciting singles of the year, the thought that it might be a hit had me expectantly awaiting the Top 40 countdown. In the end it didn’t even make the Top 75. Nevertheless, it’s every bit as good as “Giddy Stratospheres” or “Once and Never Again”. Erol Alkan’s production is just the cherry on the cake. Here’s hoping Dorian and Kate Jackson are making great records like this again soon.

Gavin: There ain't no love and there ain't no use! Sorry, was the first thing that came into my head. Despite that, and despite owing more than a little debt to Sarah Cracknell, this is still quite an ambitious record that fulfils and captivates. Good change of tempos too.

40.

Mystery Jets “Two Doors Down”

Written by: B. Harrisson
Produced by: Erol Alkan
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 24

Ciarán: Another Erol Alkan product, here. Mystery Jets really came into their own this year. Their album “Twenty One” was a belter. A very 80s sounding record. The b-side of “Two Doors Down” was a cover of Aztec Camera’s “Somewhere In My Heart” making this single the feel-good indie hit of the summer. Or something. One of those songs about having a crush on someone you bump into everyday, and not having the courage to do anything about it. A very teenage preoccupation, that. Annoying bit: “I hear that she likes to dance around the room to a worn out 12” of ‘Marquee Moon’…” KLANG!!!! That was a reference, kids!! Everything else about it is lovely though. It has saxophones on it too which is always a bonus.

Gavin: Urgh, here come the LOLZ! I'm very suspicious of songs that I perceive to be taking the piss, and whilst I don't completely hate this on first listen (always a good sign) the excruciatingly calculated namedropping in the lyrics is very infuriating. But is it an allright tune? I think I'll have to pass judgment until we know if the Mssrs Jets' intentions are true. See you in a few years…

39.

Hercules and Love Affair “Blind”

Written by: Andrew Butler and Antony
Produced by: Andrew Butler and Tim Goldsworthy
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: 40

Ciarán: Hercules and Love Affair’s album was released to enormous acclaim in 2008. Five stars in the Guardian, and just about everywhere else. According to Mojo it was “a gorgeously burnished fusion of three decades of classic dance music, from disco to house, acid to synth-pop, Derrick May to Giorgio Moroder”, It could have done with being a bit more Scissor Sisters too, because they did neglect to put a tune in on occasion. “Blind” is undoubtedly the album’s highpoint. Not only does it actually deliver on the promise hinted at by the reviews, it has a cracking lyric and vocal from Antony Hegarty to boot. A marriage of the tragic and the euphoric. Completely ace.

Gavin: Oh, you know this is going right up my alley with my current Giorgio Moroder obsession. Not just gets the synthesized parts right but is suitably epic when it needs to be. Great vocal as well, just a pity it doesn't really know how to end. Ooh, harsh.

38.

Vampire Weekend “Oxford Comma”

Written by: Ezra Koenig and Vampire Weekend
Produced by: Rostam Batmanglij
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 38

Ciarán: This gets in ahead of “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “A-Punk” because it’s the loveliest track on Vampire Weekend’s debut album. You almost forget the notice the whopping great swear word in the chorus. The band’s background got a lot of attention; they’re Ivy Leaguers - very well educated and posh and wealthy. The sort of people who aren’t supposed to muscle in on rock and roll, in other words. That Vampire Weekend’s sound also owes a debt to West African music just got them into even more trouble. The whole “debate” was ridiculous, passive-racist nonsense so we’ll sidestep it here. You only have to hear “Oxford Comma” once and you’ll carry it around in your head for a month. Their album was bristling with similarly great tunes, so don’t be surprised if Vampire Weekend are around for a long time yet. “Fun” fact: This year, Peter Gabriel recorded a cover of the Vampire Weekend song which namechecks him: “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”.

Gavin: Hmm. A bunch of young urchins have a go at being Divine Comedy. Well, they've got the smugness right but this tune is lacking any real charm, strong vocals or any other reason for me to stop these childish criticisms. Next!

37.

Black Kids “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You”

Written by: Black Kids
Produced by: Bernard Butler
Released: April
Highest UK Chart Position: 11

Ciarán: It’s obviously indebted to The Cure, which is no bad thing, and it was an indie-disco anthem in its own right. The spirit of the 1980s seemed to haunt the indie pop of 2008. The Long Blonde’s “Century” sounded like something that came straight out of 1981. Vampire Weekend revisited Paul Simon’s “Graceland”. This is like something from “Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me”. It’s interesting how pop music moves in these cycles. This single gets in also because of its memorable, shout-along chorus and palpable sense of fun.

Gavin: A 'good' single - passable verse, reasonable chorus but a thrilling pre-chorus (I'm a sucker for high-pitched chanting in records). Fortunately these guys keep the smugness down to a minimum, something I was particularly worried about given the title. Overall a fairly solid pick.

36.

The Pussycat Dolls “When I Grow Up”

Written by: Rodney Jerkins, Theron Thomas, Timothy Thomas, J. McCarthy, P. Samwell-Smith
Produced by:
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 3

Ciarán: Boy, do The Pussycat Dolls annoy people. To some, tracks (like “Beep” which appears to be a song about leering, and “Don’t Cha” which is all about a foxtress tempting some bloke to leave his missus) are so offensive they’re just off the scale. Yet it always seems to be that the same people who complain about “the failure of feminism” then go on to make demands on what The Pussycat Dolls should or shouldn’t be. They have fake tan! They’re marketed as being sexually aggressive women and… they don’t even write their own songs!!! Oh pur-lease!

“When I Grow Up” – like most singles by PCD – is brilliantly (expensively) produced and ultra-catchy. The lyric tackles the seedier side of fame head on. “When I was younger I would say ‘When I grow up I want to see the world, drive a nice car, I want to have boobies’…” it goes, “…but be careful what you wish for cause you just might get it”. I understand the counter-argument: “We knew the entertainment industry was tawdry to begin with, so we don’t need to be hectored by these perma-tanned puppets”. Okay. Pop music of this kind is stupid and filthy and morally suspect. Hey! That’s why I love it.

35.

Kanye West “Love Lockdown”

Written by: Kanye West
Produced by: Kanye West
Released: September
Highest UK Chart Position: 8

Ciarán: There were signs this year that Kanye West does have a sensitive side after all. After allowing an early version of “Love Lockdown” to leak online, he took subsequent criticism of that version to heart and went and had a rethink. The original was strikingly good if you ask me. West has claimed that 2008 was the worst year of his life. His mother died and his long-term relationship came to an end. Consequently, “808s and Heartbreak” is a bit of a downbeat album in places (as you’d expect) but it’s completely wondrous. “Love Lockdown” captures the spirit and mood of the album quite well and is one of Kanye West’s best singles so far. It’s all very “minimalist”. Then those clattery drums kick in on the chorus. It’s melodic, moving and just a bit surreal.

Gavin: Wow, this sounds like Daft Punk having a go at R n B and largely succeeding. Again this another artist I've tended to overlook, though I've always been aware of his powers of great single creating. Admittedly the song tends to tread water after the first verse & chorus, but I'm happy to just wallow in the waves…..

34.

Madonna “Miles Away”

Written by: Madonna, T. Mosley, J. Timberlake and N. Hills
Produced by: Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Danja
Released: December
Highest UK Chart Position: 39

Ciarán: Life on the road! Useless isn’t it? Having to watch This Is Spinal Tap on the tour bus again and having that conversation for the umpteenth time with the drummer about how he never gets to play the one he wrote. Good grief. It’s almost enough to make you write a dreadful song about being a rock star away from home. And here’s Madonna’s contribution to the “oeuvre”. Except it’s not dreadful at all – in fact it’s pretty fab, being by far the sweetest and most melodic thing on the recent “Hard Candy” LP. So why it only got to number 39 in the charts is anyone’s guess really. Shame.

Gavin: Sorry, but there's nothing contained here that's the least bit captivating. The melody is forgettable, the production bland and it's at least a minute too long. Was this really the best thing on Hard Candy? I have to agree with the previous post on this blog, that album of ballads can't come soon enough.

33.

Kylie Minogue “The One”

Written by: Kylie Minogue, Richard Biff Stannard, James Whittaker, Russell Small, John Anderson, johann Emmoth, Emma Holgren
Produced by: Richard Biff Stannard and The Freemasons
Released: August
Highest UK Chart Position: 36

Ciarán: Say what you like about her gay disco iconic status or her multiple re-inventions or her brave fight against illness, but I yearn for the days when Kylie was equally loved and despised for releasing brilliant singles like “Step Back In Time”, “Hand On Your Heart” and “Got To Be Certain”. The PWL version of Kylie made pop at its purest. And this decade, “In Your Eyes” was a bit of an overlooked classic, which is to say nothing of “Can’t Get you Out Of My Head”. Recent songs however, like “2 Hearts” and “Sensitized” (lurking on the album “X”), are all very breathy and allegedly “sexy”, and sample Serge Gainsbourg records and what-have-you, but there’s something to be said for simplicity isn’t there, and Kylie’s best singles are the very straightforward ones. “The One” is a case in point. Despite not really having chorus, this was something like Kylie at her glorious best. It’s two parts “I Believe In You”, one part “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, and one part New Order.

Gavin: More Moroderness, fab! There really is nothing better than the sound of throbbing analogue synths. Nice breezy chord changes, decent vocals (lead and backing), a typical good Kylie record.

32.

Wiley “Wearing My Rolex”

Written by: G Keane, J Stone, L Julian, P Klein, R Cowie
Produced by: Bless Beats
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 2

Ciarán: You can’t make the words out, and it goes thump thump thump. Just like the best pop music should do. All at once, “Wearing My Rolex” was funny, sinister-sounding and groovy. But one can’t help but feel that it might have been improved still further if “they” had put a donk on it. Don’t you agree?

Gavin: From the offset this is definitely an exciting production, the opening very reminiscent of the early 90s chart-dominating rave. Doesn't really go anywhere but the tune is short and sweet enough for the hook to keep you entertained for its 2 and a bit minutes.

31.

Rihanna “Disturbia”

Written by: Brian Seals, Chris Brown, Andre Merritt and Robert Allen
Produced by: Brian Kennedy and Makeba
Released: June
Highest UK Chart Position: 3

Gavin: What number single was this off her album? Whatever it was, it sounds like she's reached her equivalent of "Filmstar" (No. 5 off 'Coming Up', still made Top 10!) or "Liberian Girl" (No. BLOODY NINE off 'Bad').It's not offensively bad, just completely inoffensive in every way. Would have made perfect Side 2 album filler but such is the way of the Rihanna music industry juggernaught these days

Ciarán: An excellent single which provides further evidence that while Rihanna’s ballads are “very good and that”, her upbeat records are some of the best things in the world of pop and she should release more of them. Loses marks for not being “Don’t Stop The Music”.

30.

Katy Perry “Hot N Cold”

Written by: Katy Perry, L “Doctor Luke” Gottwald and Max Martin
Produced by: Dr Luke, Benny Blanco and Gary Silver
Released: October
Highest UK Chart Position: 4

Ciarán: If you haven’t seen the video for this you need to right now. It features an army of jilted brides on bicycles at one point. So here you go…

“I Kissed A Girl” could so well have made Katy Perry a one-hit-wonder. Then she came out with this which is very nearly as good. Katy was one of the best pop stars of 2008. She was like a cross between Cyndi Lauper and another Cyndi Lauper. Great opening line: “You change your mind like a girl changes clothes!” As well as having an absolutely brilliant chorus, “Hot N Cold” provided the opportunity to discover that the word “bitch” is still deemed offensive by MTV and daytime radio. “You’re hot then you’re cold, you’re yes, then you’re no, you’re in then you’re out, you’re up then you’re down…” - you could mine that lyrical seam for an age couldn’t you. What a way to follow up a massive hit like “I Kissed a Girl”. Triumphant.

Gavin: Want to hate this, but can't. Subsequently feel dirty. Verses substantially more interesting than the chorus (typical US-pop 'rock out'), definitely hints that Ms Perry could be an artist to look out for once she gets all the attention-seeking out of her system.

29.

The Ting Tings “Great DJ”

Written by: Julian De Martino and Katie White
Produced by: The Ting Tings
Released: May
Highest UK Chart Position: 33

Ciarán: The Ting Tings have a knack for releasing infuriatingly catchy singles which you end up loving almost despite yourself. This single, which encapsulates the euphoria of a night out or the joy of a rock festival, should have been a much bigger hit. Repetitive and annoying, yes. But in a good way.

Gavin: There's a real mish-mash of influences in this record, none of which I can quite make out (the punkish Junior Senior songs? Guitars lifted straight from a 4AD record?). Nor do I care, when the end product is very satisfying to listen to, even though the song is not without its weak moments (why are we struggling to hear killer choruses today?).

28.

Duffy “Warwick Avenue”

Written by: Duffy, Jimmy Hogarth and Eg White
Produced by: Jimmy Hogarth
Released: March
Highest UK Chart Position: 3

Ciarán: Yes alright it sounds like something that would be on the soundtrack to a Bridget Jones movie. And yes it sounds a bit like Amy Winehouse and Gabrielle and Dusty Springfield (like that’s any kind of shame). But there’s nothing more refreshing or original than a bloody great song, and this is a bloody big ballad of the mascara-streaming-down-your-face variety. A lot of rubbish was thrown at Duffy this year, but her “Rockferry” LP was the biggest selling album of 2008 for the good reason that it was a really really good record. I was tempted to put “Stepping Stone” and “Rain On Your Parade” in this list too.

Gavin: It was very easy for me to dismiss this song during the year, having not really taken the time to listening to properly. It was very easy for me to think of Duffy as a Radio 2-approved dilution of 'proper' singers. And yes, this song wears its influences on its sleeve like a garish, brightly-coloured t-shirt. But it's unquestionably full of memorable hooks, wonderful melody and will most likely only continue to grow in my estimation.

27.

Keane “Spiralling”

Written by: Tim Rice-Oxley, Tom Chaplin and Richard Hughes
Produced by: Keane
Released: August
Highest UK Chart Position: 23

Ciarán: The much trumpeted make-over was a bit of red-herring. It’s not as if “Perfect Symmetry” was that different from the Keane albums which had gone before. Its lead single, “Spiralling” was the sprightliest thing Keane had released in ages though with a great, hooky, chorus. This didn’t translate into sales unfortunately. They’re the whipping boys of the music press these days and this seems a little unfair to me. It’s as though they’re being punished for sins which were committed in a past life. As Noel Gallagher put it: “the singer could start injecting heroin into his knob and you’d still say ‘Yeah but your dad’s a vicar’…” He has a point. And it’s got nothing to do with the music Keane produce.

Gavin: It's not the revolutionary change that some parts of the media would have you believe, but it still represents a marked improvement on their previous works. If they continue come Album No. 60 they might be as good as The Beatles. Or they might not.

26.

Pink “So What”

Written by: Max Martin, Pink and Shellback
Produced by: Max Martin
Released: October
Highest UK Chart Position: 1

Ciarán: The way she says “Nope!” after the bit that goes “I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went/ So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent.” Hilarious! The similarities between Pink and Katy Perry are obvious. Both work with Max Martin, both benefit from great choruses, witty lyrics and buckets of “attitude”. “So What” is the latest in a long line of undeniably spot-on Pink singles. And she blows a raspberry right at the end.

Gavin: The next installment in "Popstars I've always found a Bit Annoying". After what has seemed like an eternity (possibly from the early 90s onwards) of dreary ballads and over polished "urban" music dominating the airwaves it seems as though having a decent melody now counts for something if you want to have a big hit. This record typifies a lot of the good pop we've seen of late. Just about raucous enough in the choruses to avoid criticisms of faux-rock, with a good childish catch in the verse to draw the listener in.

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (Over Whether To Watch X Factor or Aherm, Football)...

2008-12-13T16:02:00.004Z

I really really hope Alexandra wins X Factor tonight. She'll be duetting with Beyonce so she is bound to do well, but I fear lots of people from Derry are going to vote for Eoghan bloody Quigg. Today's Evening Herald has also "backed" the "plucky" teenager.

"It's shit, but at least it's Irish shit." How that mentality pervades our culture... :-(

Sandwiched in between the main show and the results show tonight is a Girls aloud TV special. It's said to feature "special guests". I'm hoping for Pet Shop Boys (who've co-written their new single "The Loving Kind"), Johnny Marr (who plays on what should be their next single "Rolling Back The Rivers In Time"), and Annie (whose track "My Love Is Better" featured backing vocals from Girls Aloud until they were removed, boo!). One of these is likely to happen, the other two are very unlikely.

But from Harry Hill's TV Burp at 6.40 onwards ITV tonight is something approaching TV heaven.

Reach for the Stars

2008-12-13T10:46:00.004Z

This will keep you going for the weekend, it's some amazing pieces of music from Super Mario Galaxy, which for Ciaran's benefit is a video game! When done well, games can be the most captivating and immersive entertainment experience around (and so they should be given that the big titles have budgets to match movie blockbusters), and the full blown Mario titles represent a true purity in gaming (typical of Nintendo at their creative peak). For example, whilst the graphics are not the most technically proficient due to the limitations of the Nintendo machine, they more than make up for it in the incredible imagination in the visuals, creating a magical world for the children and adults who play the game. This was the first Mario game where a full orchestra was used for many of the tunes, and complements the majesty of the game with a fantastic soundtrack that could be described as 'celebratory' in tone. The first couple of tunes I've selected are the more serene, ethereal pieces (that reflect the levels set in space which they are used in). For the third piece note how the hookline from the previous piece is subtly used, this time creating a dramatic charge. Enjoy!

"We begin to feel the happy exhilaration of being fully conscious in the present moment. We begin to be fully alive in the Now."

2008-12-10T15:46:00.005Z

Whilst reports of the death of the single have been greatly exaggerated, there is no question that the format has recently been deprived of a number of commercial avenues that it once took for granted. A sharp downturn in physical sales has resulted in the High Street chain stores replacing the space it occupied with video games, DVDs and whatever other merchandise they can move in a hurry. A shift in televisual viewing patterns has meant it nigh on impossible to see the video of your favourite band enjoy mass exposure on the terrestrial airwaves. Fortunately there is still one long-running music industry institution that wholeheartedly celebrates the wonder of the pop single, and it’s appeal is currently as strong and vibrant as it’s ever been.

Volume 71 of Now That’s What I Call Music was recently released in November, following hot on the heels of the fastest-selling Now! Album ever (a record set by Vol 70, which broke the previous record set by Now 69) with first-week sales to rival Oasis or such acts at their prime. Proof need be that the series which first launched 25 years ago still has a large place in the heart of the music-buying public. But what has sustained its commercial and cultural appeal over that time, while other acclaimed and popular compilation series have been forgotten? I hope to answer that by explaining my passionate love affair with these records and exactly why they are not only the biggest compilation albums ever seen, but also the best.

On its release in 1983, there were two very important differences between the Volume 1 of Now That’s What I Call Music and other compilation albums that existed around that time. Firstly there was the unprecedented step of rival record company teaming up in order to expand the number of hit songs they could put onto the albums. Whilst the majority of the tracks were the result of the agreement between the two big guns of EMI and Universal, smaller and independent labels were also involved whenever they could bring some hits to the party. The abundance they had at their deployment was extremely noticeable on Volume 1, which contained a staggering 11 No.1 singles (still a Now! Record) Secondly, it was the first major series of compilations to be released as double albums instead of a single LP. This meant that more songs could be included without having to sacrifice audio quality (as squeezing more tunes on a piece of vinyl meant thinner grooves and a thinner sound, such was the practice employed on other compilation specialists like K-Tel and Ronco).

Like many other youngsters, what initially drew me to the records was the outstanding value of money that they offered. When even one 7” single represented a significant outlay of pocket money, to be able to collect a minimum of 30 chart hits in one very reasonably priced-set felt like Christmas had come three times a year. It was the availability of competitive compilations like Now! that rendered the budget compilation albums such as Pickwick’s Top of the Pops obsolete. The point is even more apposite in recent times, with Nows holding up to 50 tracks over their 2 CDs. The more cynical music aficionado would suggest that the economic benefit is the only why these albums are so popular, that they represent a tawdry bargain too good to be true. But there’s more to it than that…

For example, there’s the vast scope of all the different styles that are contained within the albums, something that you won’t get in the majority compilations that rigidly stick to certain genres. The delicious irony of the Now! Albums is that selecting tracks using the deceptively conservative criteria of record sales leads to a complete lack of prejudice in what sort of music goes on them, tracks that are as varied as they are variable. Where else are you going to find a range of good songs such as“Ms. Jackson“ by Outkast, “Destiny“ by Zero 7, “Don‘t Stop Movin“ by S Club 7 and “Pyramid Song” by Radiohead? Or where Supergrass is followed by Shaggy?* Now 71 continues this wide range of sounds, housing Kings of Leon, Katy Perry, The Script and The Saturdays all together.

Of course it wasn’t long until the other major companies wanted a piece of the action, and clubbed together to release compilations of their own, the most notable being the “’Hits’ collaboration between CBS and Warners. This series initially enjoyed similar levels of sales and interest to the Nows, helped by the fact that they had access to arguably the three transatlantic pop heavyweights of the 80s: Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson. But whilst the Nows have consistently been at the top of the compilations tree, Hits has been subject to numerous rebrandings, relaunches and relatively sluggish sales. Why did they fall by the wayside? Whilst both series were comparable in terms of the commercial calibre of the artists, Hits tended to lack the variety contained within the UK Top 40, and bar some notable exceptions (“April Skies” by The Jesus and Mary Chain for example) the compilations had a very un-British metallic sheen about them, as if they had been in rubber-stamped in a record company office rather than jacking up a high-tech tape recorder to someone’s house party.

The first set that I purchased was Now 10 in 1987, amongst its many attractions was the beautiful neon sign & twilight sky that adorned the sleeve. It was representative of the golden age of Now! Artwork which at its best brought to life all the romanticised extravagance of the 1980s, and helped establish the series as premium pop product. After a few years of jauntily haphazard sleeves (which sometimes involved a collage of the artists involved and/or the cartoon pig lifted from the Danish Meat Industries advert that inspired the series title), the graphic design department started to push the boat out from Volume 6 onwards. Other notable sleeves included the sunshine n skyscraper effect of Vol. 11, the Castrol GTX-esque liquid metal sleekness of Vol. 8 and the Blue Peter inspired plastic fire-propelled rocket of Vol. 13. Not only did the sleeves look fantastic, but one couldn’t help but marvel at the physical attention to detail that went into producing these iconic images, when a lazy trip to a copy of Photoshop was not an option. Exactly how many takes did it get the swimming pool photo of Vol.12 just right? Sadly the necessary evil of brand-recognition came around in the 90s (not helped by the monstrosities that were the sleeves for 17-19), which is why the design has remained stubbornly consistent from Now 20 onwards. But despite not being part of the releases in nearly 20 years the motifs and design of the early albums are fondly remembered and helped establish the series as the brand leader.

Ultimately records can only be judged by the level of satisfaction that they bring to the listener, and the true appeal in listening to past Nows is that they represent a true snapshot of whatever the pop landscape happened to look like at that time, good songs and bad. I cannot stand the re-writing of cultural history that occurs on a constant basis within the media and the industry, and it’s the record labels in particular that have been ravaged by the nostalgia bandwagon. Visiting an old Now is truly visiting a non-revisionist heaven, the bona fide pop classics plus the refreshment and joy got from listening to the songs modern-day compilations wouldn’t touch with a bargepole.

Sadly there was a distinct lack of inspiration in track selection in the woefully point-missing retrospective “Now That’s What I Call 25 Years” released earlier this year, which contained only songs that we have heard (and still hear) all too often. But those after a true nostalgic experience could well be in luck, as early next year sees the release of Now 1 (previously never released on CD before), indeed this is the first time a past now has been re-released ‘as-was’ with its original track listing. A perfect way for a new generation to experience the new joys of old Nows. In another 25 years time, who knows what music we’ll be listening to, on what format, or how we will purchase it. But as long as the Nows are around, we will always have a definitive document of what new music fans were listening to.

*The answers are Volumes 49 and 31 respectively.

"Oh God, there's two of them"

2008-12-10T15:27:00.004Z

Crap video, uncrap song, and as good an introduction to this blog as any:

Just as it was fun to ponder on possible TV programmes to name-check on a modern-day version of "Matthew" that was posted on this blog recently, what combination of immortal/topical names would work on this now?

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #7

2008-12-09T18:30:00.003Z

Jesus Loves You "After The Love" (1989)

Lovely Balearic house single from 1989. Memorably sampled by The KLF on their "Chill Out" LP. Boy George is capable of real brilliance, I'd like to write him a fan letter to cheer him up in "chokey".

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #6

2008-11-19T21:38:00.007Z

Mention of Cliff Richard's single "We Don't Talk Anymore" over at my friend's excellent blog (Asleep On The Compost Heap), has prompted me to post this. Alan Tarney wrote the aforementioned number one for Cliff. In 1980, Barbara Dixon had a big hit with this inspired piece of Tarney brilliance.

Barbara Dixon "January February" (1980)

He then went on to have a hand in most of those brilliant mid 80s singles by A-ha, before racking up further hits with St. Etienne and Pulp. The man is a legend.

Yesss!!!

2008-11-15T15:13:00.005Z

Top Of The Pops To Return - As Public Service TV

From Timesonline. This is the best news I've heard in ages. Not sure what that says about the quality of my life at the moment but there you go.

I've just posted the following on Popjustice...

"Incredibly excited about this. Must. Calm. Down.

I was loyal to TOTP right to the bitter (and blimey it was bitter) end. I agree with the poster who complained about the word "content" being bandied about, that gets on my nerves too. I say look at Top Of the Pops from January 30th 1994 onwards. Ric Blaxill got the DJs back, booted most of the Albums Chart nonsense into touch and made the show a whole heap of fun. Another thing he remembered to do was to chuck the odd left-field performance into the mix. During those first few months we got the see Mark E. Smith, Laetitia Sadier (from Stereolab) and Killing Joke on the show alongside the Wet Wet Wets and Boyzones of the day. Those WTF? moments were what made TOTP really brilliant.

When it moved to Friday nights and the first show featured two songs from Paul Weller backed by Ocean Colour Scene at the end, I thought the show was doomed. And I think whatsisface from the Tube and The White Room (Chris Cowey?) did as much to ruin the show as Andi Peters did. So long as the next producer and director remember that this is TOTP fer-crying-out-loud and not Later... or Glastonbury coverage or Strictly Come Dancing then all will be well.

God I hope this happens...."

And the following on Analogue, as news...

"Stop whatever it is you’re doing (actually, hang on, don’t - just keep reading) because great news is just in. Rumour is circulating that the best TV programme in the history of the universe, Top Of The Pops, is to return to the BBC on a weekly basis during 2009. There has been a bit of a “kerfuffle” of late regarding the cancellation of the Top Of The Pops Christmas Special (which is so obviously the best thing about Christmas TV that I hardly need to go into details). Simon Cowell threatened to step in and take the show to ITV, but apparently BBC “bosses” are reconsidering their decision to CANCEL CHRISTMAS.

Now, according to “insiders” a proper return is on the cards, with miming and the charts and probably dancers and balloons and Radio 1 DJs and all of those things that made TOTP brilliant in the first place. There is an argument being made that the resurrection of Top Of The Pops would amount to a public service. Noel Gallagher - never one to talk out of his rear end of course (cough) - blames the recent growth in knife crime to the lack of pop on telly. While visiting Westminster, Lemar of all people told the UK’s Culture Secretary Andy Burnham that TOTP urgently needs to return. The cabinet minister agreed. This speaks volumes about the show really. Top Of The Pops was always very “establishment”. Rivals like Ready Steady Go, The Tube, Whistle Test and The Roxy set out to be raucous and “edgy” but all fell by the wayside after a few short years. There’s nothing more boundary pushing or shocking than rolling out a show which features Cliff, Paul Young, Kylie, Bananarama and Midge Ure, and then throwing Nirvana or The KLF or the Manic Street Preachers in balaclavas into the midst of it. That’s how to do “subversive”.

Pop fans like myself have been deprived of a fix of mainstream pop performance on telly for too long. And as we approach 2009 the charts are in rude health. Singles, or downloads, climb the charts over several weeks, just like they used to. Then big hits stick around for two or three months just like they used to. It’s great being a chart wathcer these days, and that’s all TOTP needs to focus on - the UK Top 40. From now on, they’ll want to feature more forthcoming releases but otherwise it’s simple: stick to “the formula” (something TOTP stridently failed to do in its later years) and you can’t really go wrong.

To conclude my rather excited post, then: THIS MUST HAPPEN.

My favourite Top Of The Pops moment happened in 1987. After showing the video for George Michael and Aretha Franklin’s I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me), John Peel quipped: “Aretha Franklin, the first lady of soul there - she could make any old rubbish sound good. And I think she just has…”'

Without A Care In The World...

2008-11-05T17:49:00.005Z

Crikey. A month is a long time in the "blogosphere" and the question that's on everyone's lips* is: oh Goldmine Trash, where have you been? So here, in twelve handy cut out 'n' keep steps, is a brief guide to what I've been up to.

1. I've moved house.
2. I've started to take driving lessons.
3. I've learned to cook (a bit).
4. I've decided I want to be an occupational therapist.
5. I've started applying for work experience in that area.
6. I've watched my flatmate have dreadlocks put in.
7. I've played the new Girls Aloud album about 30 times. OMG!!1! It's literally AMAZING! etc. As Popjustice would no doubt "have it".
8. I've been writing for, and copy editing, the new issue of Analogue.
9. I've been listening to that same flatmate learn to play the trumpet.
10. I've listened to another of my flatmates learn to play the saxophone. It is like living in a Steely Dan lyric: (i.e."I'll learn to work the saxophone/ I'll play just what I feel/ Drink Scotch Whisky all night long/ And die behind the wheel..." ) Well, hopefully not that last bit obviously.
11. Um...
12. That's it!

Here's an old tune. Listen out for Kevin Rowland right at the end.

*i.e. No-one's lips.

Zzzzzzzzzzz...

2008-10-23T21:46:00.003+01:00

Are you bored waiting for me to get the internet in to my new house? Aw, sorry about that. But thank you for reading anyway. In the meantime look at Girls Aloud performing new single "The Promise" on The X Factor. It should be number one by the weekend. The official video's good too but "embedding has been disabled by request".

Time Capsule!

2008-10-03T12:08:00.006+01:00

Have I ever mentioned the time our next door neighbour dropped around with some records she'd found in a dustbin? It was in 1990. Our next door neighbour in Balbriggan, Mary, was working in the Grand Hotel (which had fallen out of use for some years and which is now called The Bracken Court Hotel) when it was undergoing renovations. Parts of the grounds of the hotel had been untouched for years, and I like to think that it was in that part of the hotel that she made her find. She'd discovered about seven or eight vinyl LPs in a forgotten dustbin. She had no use for them herself but knew that my brother had a big record collection so she thought he'd like them. The records were (if I remember correctly):

Black Sabbath "Black Sabbath" (Vertigo, 1970)
Magna Carta "Seasons" (Vertigo, 1970)
Free "Tons Of Sobs" (Island, 1969)
Blood Sweat and Tears "Blood Sweat and Tears" (Columbia, 1969)
Rock Workshop "Rock Workshop" (Columbia, 1970)
Jimi Hendrix (I'm not sure which but I know it was a cheapo live album, possibly "Isle Of Wight Live" from 1971)
The Edgar Broughton Band "Wasa Wasa" (Harvest, 1970)
Pete Brown and Piblokto! "Thousands On A Raft" (Harvest, 1970)

They were all original vinyl copies in various states of distress, most of them were in gatefold sleeves, some were almost unplayable. My brother and I were familiar with some of the names there; Black Sabbath, Free, Blood Sweat and Tears and Jimi Hendrix. We had no idea who the others were. In fact I seem to remember my brother writing off to Mat Snow at Q Magazine to find out more details about these artists. This was a long time before the internet of course. I have since discovered that Pete Brown was involved with Cream and co-wrote their biggest hits.

The really brilliant thing about it was it was like discovering a time-capsule from 1970. And some of the records were brilliant, particularly "Black Sabbath" which also has just the most fantastic sleeve art. Earlier this week I dug out the records from above which I still own; Sabbath, Magna Carta, Rock Workshop and the severely warped Free record (it was like that when we got it). Magna Carta's "Seasons" has really grown on me over the years. Because this childhood memory has fired my imagination ever since, I have recently bought some prog-folk-rock box sets; Island's "Stranglely Strange But Oddly Normal: The Anthology 1967-1972", Harvest's "A Breath Of Fresh Air 1969-1974" and Vertigo's "Time Machine: The Anthology". Each set has three discs and a very detailed booklet (typically running to 40 pages and featuring band biographies and release dates etc.) And the music is largely brilliant. I'm going to collect up as much of this stuff as I can get. Even if it has to be on CD.

I'm quite obssessed with the very late 60s and early 70s now. Really the years 1969, 1970 and 1971 specifically. I even love films from that period. Especially creepy old horrors from the early 70s; things like "And Soon The Darkness" - a thriller thing with Michelle Dotrice in it which I remember staying up late to watch when it was shown on ITV in 1990 (it was a bit crap but that doesn't matter, I still might buy the DVD), "The Wicker Man" and "From Beyond The Grave" (both of which are from 1973) and old Hammer Horrors. That's the sort of time period covered in the records we found that day. I wonder who owned them originally? He was obviously a bit of a rocker with "a sensitive side". How long had they been in the disused hotel?

Yesterday I discovered this great website which is devoted to the early Vertigo "swirl" releases. There's nothing like fussing over old record sleeves, and those old Vertigo releases were beautiful things. Hope you enjoy perusing that site as much as I do.

I was wondering what I would put in a 2008 time capsule that might be discovered by some kids in the year 2030? If any readers have any suggestions I'd be interested to hear them.

Why I Love Nick Drake

2008-10-03T11:58:00.003+01:00

His catalogue extends to just three proper studio albums and a clutch of posthumous compilations, but Nick Drake’s influence has been enormous. His records didn’t sell much when he was alive, but his legend is now such that in 2007 a BBC Radio 2 documentary on Drake was narrated by Brad Pitt. More importantly, he was an extremely gifted songwriter and talented musician. Sometimes I feel that the fact that he apparently commit suicide overshadows his work, and it can be tempting to portray Nick Drake as a desperately lonely, depressed voice crying in the wilderness. Personally, I think Drake was a great artist, and as is the case with all great art, the truth is a little more complicated than that.

By all accounts Drake was a shy, withdrawn figure. Here’s a short extract from Joe Boyd’s book “White Bicycles”, where the author talks about calling Nick for the first time to express an interest in hearing some of his demos:

“Uh, hello?” The voice on the other end of the line was low and soft, almost embarrassed. In the years to come, I would get used to Nick Drake’s way of answering the telephone as if it had never rung before. When I told him why I was calling he was surprised. “Oh, ok, uh, I’ll bring it in tomorrow.” He appeared at my office the next morning in a black wool overcoat stained with cigarette ash. He was tall and handsome with an apologetic stoop: either he had no idea how good-looking he was or he was embarrassed by the fact. He handed me the tape and shuffled out the door.

Stories like the one above have contributed to the mythology surrounding Nick Drake. It helps that on record, Drake’s voice is soft and gentle. So the image of the middle class, university educated poet is hard to resist; Drake is seen by some as a depressed, isolated figure who had led a rather charmed life in some respects. Drake was born in Rangoon, the son of a doctor, and he had attended public school in Marlborough. Well-posh. In Patrick Humphries’ excellent Nick Drake biography he mentions that, at one point at Marlborough, Drake had played in a band with one Chris De Burgh, adding that De Burgh was sacked from the band for being too short! It seems that many people admire rock’s outsiders, and while Drake certainly had links to the proper establishment (not just the rock establishment), I think it is his singularity, his peculiar talent for addressing subjects like the fleeting nature of fame and human isolation which endear Nick Drake to so many people so many years after his death.

I’ll write a little here about Nick Drake’s three main albums, all of which I believe to be essential listening for fans of English folk, or rock music of the late 60s/early 70s. Starting with 1969’s Five Leaves Left which was produced by Joe Boyd. Initially it was felt that Nick should work with a professional string arranger, but after some faltering sessions with Richard Hewson (James Taylor’s arranger) it was decided that Drake’s friend from Marlborough Robert Kirby should take on that role. Kirby had worked with Drake before any recording contracts or studio time had been negotiated, and it was felt by some people at those initial Drake-Kirby sessions that this was a bit of risk; to let an ‘unknown” amateur take the reigns could be an expensive folly. As they soon discovered, and as we all know now, Kirby’s arrangements are beautiful, and it’s impossible to overstate their importance on Nick Drake’s records. When they combine, Nick’s loud, ringing, finger-picking guitar and Kirby’s strings are one of the great joys of modern English music. Five Leaves Left is the example par excellence of this sound. It is sustained over ten extraordinary songs. On “Way To Blue” we’re left with just the strings and Nick’s vocal and it is probably my favourite song on the album. “Time Has Told Me” which opens the set is a combination of chiming acoustic and electric guitar and piano. Elsewhere “Cello Song” is as hypnotic a song as you could wish to hear in Drake’s catalogue. For me, it’s a record that’s full of colour and changes of pace and mood; there’s never an overly abrupt break in this mood, but listening to the cold wintry sounding “River Man” and then thinking about the bright “Thoughts Of Mary Jane”, I can’t help but be struck by the broad palette of sounds and moods contained on this album.

On 1970’s Bryter Layter, it sounds like an effort has been made to make a glossier, more produced-sounding record; perhaps an attempt at having a proper hit album. It seems that Nick was uncomfortable with being a marginalized talent, that he yearned for recognition, and the constant waiting for success to happen bothered him immensely. “Hazy Jane II” is startlingly upbeat. If it does represent a proper attempt to make an obvious pop song, I’m not sure it’s entirely successful. It isn’t tremendously catchy, and it sort of shambles along on a wind of brass. Drake is further back in the mix and sounds a bit lost. It is quite out of step with the rest of the album. “At The Chime Of A City Clock” is more representative of Nick Drake’s output overall – more downbeat and introspective and subtly arranged. Here we encounter a lone saxophone, which actually sounds like it has a right to be there and adds to the song where on “Hazy Jane II” the brassy bits distract the listener. The highlight of Bryter Layter for many, myself included, is “Northern Sky”. Joe Boyd, impressed by John Cale’s arrangements on Nico’s The Marble Index invited the ex-Velvet Underground member to contribute and the end result is just wonderful. “Fly”, was recorded at the same time, also with John Cale. Another personal favourite from this LP is “One Of These Things First”, again just a gorgeous mélange of piano and guitar with a drum part so subtle it’s almost subliminal. Perfect music for hangovers. “Poor Boy” is jokey and self-mocking in a way which is just great and a nice reminder that Nick Drake wasn’t necessarily this tortured artist, as he is so often portayed. It features a chorus of female backing singers bellowing “A poor boy! So sorry for himself!” It’s a solid album, but in some ways it feels like an end of the road, because from here on Nick became withdrawn to the point of losing contact with his friends and all of the people who wished to further his career and nurture his talent.

Nick had lost contact with his record company, management and friends by the time Pink Moon was recorded in 1972. An announcement/advert was issued in the music press to this effect: “PINK MOON – NICK DRAKE’S LATEEST ALBUM: THE FIRST WE HEARD OF IT WAS WHEN IT WAS FINISHED”. This is how the album was launched on the public. Nick had recorded the album without telling anyone but the engineer. By this time Nick was utterly disenchanted with the music business and seemed resigned to being a cult figure. The album itself is bleak and initially intimidating but it has gone on to be his biggest selling album. The standout tracks for me are the title track, “Road” and “Things Behind The Sun”. It’s a terrific, introspective record. Within months of its release Drake had a mental breakdown and was hospitalized. His subsequent recordings can be found on a compilation called “Time Of No Reply”. If anything, they’re even darker than the “Pink Moon” material. “Black Eyed Dog” is especially painful to listen to, Drake’s voice is shaky and distant – here he does sound like a man at the end of his tether.

The “Fruit Tree” box set has recently been reissued and features the three studio albums and a documentary DVD (parts of which are also available on YouTube). I’d recommend the box to anyone, but if you wanted to just tip your toe in the water as it were, the “Way To Blue: An Introduction To Nick Drake” CD compilation on Island is an excellent place to start. You’ll want to buy up everything else by the man anyway. I also recommend Joe Boyd’s superb autobiography “White Bicycles” and the Patrick Humphries biog “Nick Drake: The Biography”. Both books are examples of rock writing and its absolute best. Therein you can read about Nick’s formative years, in-depth analysis of his recordings and anecdotes and commentary from his family, friends and colleagues. I like the stories about Danny Thompson joking around with Nick in the studio, and Beverley Martyn plying Nick with chicken soup.

Blimey, Q Magazine Is Quite Good Again!

2008-10-03T11:56:00.001+01:00

I was going to use my allotted space this week to talk about how Steely Dan were one of the specialist subjects on Mastermind earlier this week. Having an older brother who likes that sort of thing, I was brought up listening to Steely Dan, and thought I could have a stab at answering the specialist questions for once. I was wrong. Still, brilliant group all the same.

I’ve decided to give Steely Dan the swerve for now because there is news just in… Q has been given a new-look this month. Not particularly exciting news, you might say, but they’ve actually put some real effort in. The November issue is on sale today. They’ve brought back the “Who The Hell…?” feature which helped make Q’s name but which was abandoned in 1997 (this month they feature Will Self, but it’s not exactly scornful of the man). Back also, are the Q Charts. They’ve also got John Harris, Dorian Lynskey, Billy Bragg and - best of all - David Quantick as regular columnists. There’s still lots of Bob Dylan and articles about Snow Patrol and Keane, but that’s what Q is there for (and by the way Keane’s new album looks like it could be really good). Why the interest in Q? Because it’s cheering to see printed music journalism take a step in the right direction, and once upon a time Q was a really great read.

It was launched in October 1986 by Mark Ellen who now edits Word. He established Q as a monthly, more grown up version of Smash Hits (Ellen and fellow Q founding staff members David Hepworth and Tom Hibbert had been Hits writers). It had a good word count, and a great sense of humour. Tom Hibbert’s “Who The Hell..?” column was the best thing about it, his interview with Ringo Starr was priceless (e.g.: “Ringo doesn’t like my question and lunges forward in the chair almost doing himself a mischief, and scowls ‘What’s wrong with you man?! This is a bloody legend sitting in front of you! I’m not asking you to comb the bloody legend’s hair but you could at least mention the new album!’”). It’s too much to hope that they get Tom Hibbert back. But with lengthy features on AC/DC, New Order and a lighter feel throughout, it is a good start. Here’s hoping they’ve left the stupid “100 Best Beatles Albums” stuff in the past.

"A certain, indefinable weltschmerz..."

2008-10-01T13:35:00.006+01:00

The other day I fished some old copies of the NME out of the loft, which is where I came across this. From the Thrills section, edited and I assume written by Stuart Maconie, issue dated 22nd September 1990.

The text reads:

"THE SECRET DIARY OF SONIA AGE 22 and a HALF

Mon 3: Got up. Felt suffused with a certain, indefinable weltschmerz. Was up 'til past three reading Kafka's Metamorphosis which might account for it. A brilliant mind, but such sadness. Watched some facile sop for the housewife called After Nine with Claire Rayner. There was quite an interesting item about global warming but it was spoiled by the fat woman's irksome familiarity. Quelle tristesse, as Flaubert would have it.

Tues 4: Checked engagement diary. Horrified to see that I have an appearance scheduled on Wacaday. That appalling dolt Mallett would try the patience of a saint. Things got even worse at the studio when I realised that those execrable ninnies Big Fun were also booked to appear. "What about the matching hooded tops then, son? Wicked eh?" My God. Had to endure 20 minutes of questioning by some demented brat. What would Turgenev have made of it all?

Wed 5: The pale autumnal sunlight prompted me to reach for my collected Keats. "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness..." Immortal words. A delicious languor fell upon me. Interrupted by postman. Massive royalty cheque from PWL. Suddenly felt dead...like...errrrr vivacious and...err Scouse and, like brilliant. Dead, dead brilliant."

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #5

2008-09-25T17:45:00.005+01:00

I was thinking to myself earlier...if this record were released in 2008, which TV programmes would "Matthew" be watching? Do post your suggestions in the comments box won't you.

Karel Fialka "Hey Matthew" (1987)

Me, I've been watching "The Family" on Channel 4. It's surprisingly good, isn't it?

You can read my interview with Laetitia from Stereolab over here. That's all for now except to say that there's a rather cruel, but nonetheless amusing, review of Seasick Steve's new album in this week's NME. Why have I started reading the NME again - out of nostalgia? Loyalty? I don't know.

From The Best Pop Album of 2008 (So Far)...

2008-09-23T16:28:00.002+01:00

Ladyhawke "Dusk Till Dawn"

Suffice to say: I bought this six days ago. My iTunes tells me I've listened to it at least 15 times right through so far. I'm going to stick it on again.

Great songs on "Ladyhawke": "Magic", "Manipulating Woman", "My Delirium", "Better Than Sunday", "Another Runaway", "Love Don't Live Here", "Back Of The Van", "Paris Is Burning", "Dusk Till Dawn", "Oh My", "Crazy World", "Morning Dreams".

Great songs which are NOT on "Ladyhawke": "Love Is A Battlefield", "Out Of Touch", "Kids In America", "Little Lies", "Rush Hour", "Obssession", "Easy Lover".

More soon...

What's Goin' On...

2008-09-15T18:36:00.002+01:00

If the title of this post makes you think of Eastenders more than it does Marvin Gaye, then we are of a kind. But just to say that as of next week I hopefully have a new place to live (in Maynooth, home of monks and students) and I'll be back online properly from there on in.

In other "news", Girls Aloud's new single, "The Promise" is very good. Surprise surprise, eh?

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #4

2008-09-15T17:51:00.004+01:00

Susan Fassbender "Twilight Café" (1981)

Good piece of new wavey pop. There is another clip of this from TOTP2 on YouTube, but I fear that might have wanker wanker wanker WANKER Steve Wright talking over it, so I thought I'd spare you that. Anyway, I like these YouTube clips where someone just sticks up a bit of film of them playing an old single...

"Awl-riiiight!"

2008-09-13T14:02:00.004+01:00

I've seen this mentioned about the place a couple of times this year, in a mail out from Word Magazine's website and in yesterday's G2. It is brilliant so I thought I'd whack it up here.

Adriano Celentano "Prisencolinensinainciusol"

This basically invents hip-hop, disco, funk and music video in one fell swoop. In Italy in 1972! Amazing.

Eurythmics "In The Garden" (1981)

2008-09-10T21:28:00.008+01:00

Songwriters: Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (+ 1 with Roger Pomphrey)
Producer: Conrad Plank
Guest musicians: Marcus Stockhausen, Robert Gorl (of D.A.F.), Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit (of Can), Clem Burke (of Blondie)
Recorded: February - June 1981
Released: October 1981

1. English Summer
2. Belinda
3. Take Me To Your Heart
4. She's Invisible Now
5. Your Time Will Come
6. Caveman Head
7. Never Gonna Cry Again
8. All The Young (People Of Today)
9. Sing Sing
10. Revenge

Alright, I'm not going to kid on that this is an earth-shatteringly brilliant record. But is it worth your time? I think so. Having lost guitarist Pete Coombes, ex-Tourists Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart form Eurythmics and off themselves to Connie Plank's studio in Cologne to record an album that teeters perfectly on the verge between avant-garde experimentalism and New Pop. Maybe they thought they had nothing to lose, but The Tourists did have two Top 10 hits and a Top 30 album behind them. I'd say they were taking a bit of a risk. The outcome of their German sessions was the 1981 Eurythmics debut 'In The Garden' which didn't get much record company support and failed to chart. The single 'Never Gonna Cry Again' just about charted (outside the happenin' 40) and it would take a further two years for the duo to taste proper pop star success again. So, the question is: were the Eurythmics ever any use? I think so. I first became interested in this album having seen the following clip on "Sounds Of The 80s" (back in the mid 90s, I hope you're keeping up)....

It was interesting to me that a band who I thought I knew inside out, and who I found slightly boring, had this interesting history. That they'd collaborated with one of Can - who I knew to be progressive German modernist types - was intriguing. I'm into records that don't necessarily have a catchy chorus as such, but which have an intriguing mood or atmosphere about them. There's something nice and dark about 'Never Gonna Cry Again'. It's completely repetetive, it's got sort of out-of-tune brass instruments on it. That's Holger Czukay wandering into view halfway through the 'Never Gonna Cry Again' performance, like some lost, senile old age pensioner. It's just all a bit wrong, but in a good way. I went and bought 'In The Garden' off the back of it and thought it was quite good actually. Here I was enjoying a record by bloody Brit Awards perennial Annie Lennox! Not a woman who I had a lot of time for during my youth I must say.

Opener 'English Summer' is pleasant enough. Half way through the music drops away and sampled sounds of the city in summertime are heard (echoes of Lovin' Spoonful there) and then the song fades right back up again. I know it's only a little detail but it makes a difference, makes it eerie. 'Belinda' is an uptempo should-have-been-a-hit sort of song. 'Revenge' the album's closer is similar, they've got great drum tracks and slightly funky basslines, but funky in the krautrock sense. Poor old Jaki Liebezeit has his name misspelt throughout the '87 CD issue's inlay, but never mind. Another good one is 'Sing Sing', which for some reason is sung in French. Perhaps it's just part of the cosmopolitan spirit of the times; this is from a period when Simple Minds were releasing similarly krautrocky records called things like "70 Cities As Love Brings The Fall" and "Constantinople Line". Sometimes it's better to leave things untranslated, but no matter - this is a mysterious sort of album anyway. 'Take Me To Your Heart', 'She's Invisible Now' and 'All The Young (People Of The World)' are all slight enough songs, but it's all about mood here. This is an album to buy if you're into Stereolab's later poppier albums, I think. It's full of ancient synths, Farfisa and - sorry to use the cliche again - motorik rhythm. But it's still a pop album. Most odd. Is this Can copping out? Or is the sight of Holger Czukay on national TV something to celebrate? I don't know, but I like the clash of personalities going on here.

I'll post the mp3s... soon alright? No promises here!

No Show For The Fireman On "Later...Live"

2008-09-10T14:57:00.007+01:00

According to yesterday's Planet Sound, The Fireman (i.e. the outlet for the ambient techno dabblings of Paul McCartney and Youth) have pulled out of their scheduled appearance on "Later...Live" next week, owing to Macca rehearsing for a tour. This is a pity, because they deserve wider exposure. They released two albums in the 1990s, "Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest" (I love that title) and "Rushes". They're very hard to find, so it's best to stick with YouTube for now.

Hopefully they'll get around to re-issuing those albums. In the meantime, if you get a chance have a read of "The Unknown Paul McCartney" by Ian Peel, which delves deep into Paul's long love-affair with avant-garde music. Next time someone tries to tell you that John Lennon was the maverick spirit in The Beatles, take a copy of this book and WHACK THEM OVER THE HEAD WITH IT.

That YouTube vid is rubbish isn't it. But I don't have a Fireman mp3 to share with you unfortunately.

Youth is best known perhaps as a member of Killing Joke, and producer of The Orb, Crowded House and The Verve. He also produced (and co-wrote bits of) Bananarama's "Pop Life" album from 1991 though. I love people who bring what are apparently polar opposites in pop music together. Here's 'ver Rams' TOTP performance of "Preacher Man", a very good single I think even if it wasn't a big hit.

It's okay rock fans, you can come out from behind the sofa now.

A third album from The Fireman is imminent.

Good Call!

2008-09-10T14:21:00.002+01:00

Girls Aloud's "Call The Shots" has won the 2008 Popjustice £20 Prize. Quite right too.

Electronic "Electronic" (1991)

2008-09-07T16:30:00.005+01:00

Tracklist:
1. Idiot Country
2. Reality
3. Tighten Up
4. The Patience Of A Saint
5. Getting Away With It
6. Gangster
7. Soviet
8. Get The Message
9. Try All You Want
10. Some Distant Memory
11. Feel Every Beat

It’s a pity Electronic didn’t seem to realise what a brilliant pop group they were. Their second and third albums were huge disappointments. 1996’s “Raise The Pressure” contained one or two good songs and lots of dated ravey davey bollocks, and “Twisted Tenderness”’s forays into fat ugly rock left this writer a bit cold. “Electronic” though, is genuinely one of the best pop albums of the 1990s. Not that I want to oversell it.

I’ve uploaded the 1994 re-master, which adds in the 1989 single “Getting Away With It”. I will upload all of the tracks on the album because it is so good that I cann’t decide what to leave off. (My connection is a bit slow today so they may appear during the week.) One of the reasons I like this album so much is that it came as such a surprise that Barney out of New Order would make a record with Johnny Marr out of The Smiths. Not only that, but a dancey pop record. “Johnny Marr? Miserable Morrissey’s mate? Making a record you can dance to??” Now we know that Marr had been itching to make records like this all along. Being constrained by Morrissey’s luddite attitude to pop music (“If a synthesizer ever appears on a Smiths record, then I won’t…”) meant that Marr embraced dance culture with some gusto. Around the time of this album’s release Sumner and Marr ranted and raved to journalists about their favourite italo house records and their mutual love of Kraftwerk and The Stooges. But crucially, I think, this record has a pop nous about it which makes it really special. I can’t think of a more fresh, modern, melodic album from 1991 than this one. The Pet Shop Boys collaboration, “Getting Away With It” is obviously brilliant enough, with its wry, self-deprecating lyric and mix of Spanishy guitars, strings and Chic-y bass. But they didn’t even bother to stick that on the album when it was originally released. There was “The Patience Of A Saint” though, which sort of made up for that single’s omission.

Lead off single “Get The Message” is the guitariest thing here, drenched in feedback. Listen out too for the yawning backdrop and some really Sumner-esque lyrics. It was a busy year for Johnny Marr. He also co-wrote and produced Kirsty MacColl’s “Walking In Madison” and a couple of tracks on Billy Bragg’s “Don’t Try This At Home” album (including the single “Sexuality”). Three of the year’s best singles of 1991, right there. It might sound like goalpost-moving but the album’s flaws only add to the fun of it all. Barney’s crap-rapping on the opening and closing tracks spring to mind. But if you’re like me, you’ll want to forgive that. It was only years later that I realised those tracks were inspired by the violence at the Hacienda which was raging at the time. “Gangster” is also great, it dates back to the mid 80s when Sumner started to write for a solo record, and is apparently about a friend of his who had ended up in prison. It’s to Sumner’s credit I think, that his lyrics seem so childish (or do I mean “child-like”?), for example this track’s obvious rhyming: “I’d like to read, I’d like to write/ But where I live I learn to fight”. It might not be Bob Dylan, but it’s touching in its own way. It’s rare that the record has a lull, although towards the end it seems to drift off just slightly. Even taking that into account, Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr are at the top of their game here and this record is as good as anything they have ever done, whether together or apart. It sounds to me for all the world like a sequel to New Order’s “Technique” album. The entire album exudes panache, self-awareness, and humour.

You can find some really good reviews of this album here, here and here which make the point better than I can. “Electronic” is perhaps the best pop album of its time. It’s a pity after that after one more really good single “Disappointed”, the duo disappeared for four years, only to return with the patchy at best “Raise The Pressure”. Apparently Sumner suffered from writer’s block – he even appeared on The Late Show on BBC2, where he was invited to experiment with Prozac and report back to the show about how it affected his creativity. Since then, there’s been New Order’s occasionally good reunion (and now, another apparent break-up), while Marr has been busying himself as usual as a member of Modest Mouse (isn’t “Dashboard” an utterly brilliant record?) and now The Cribs.

P.S. I preferred the single mix of “Feel Every Beat” over the album version. You can see the video for that here. Scroll down this page to see the TOTP performance of the “Disappointed” single from 1992.

P.P.S. By the way I AM trying to upload more tracks from this but I'm having to use internet cafes and it's taking forever. But they'll be up in a few days.

"That's a silly question..."

2008-09-07T15:57:00.007+01:00

In response to this, here are a couple of articles from Smash Hits magazine, both from 1988.

(From the letters page)...

Dear Black Type,

I'm from "down under" in Melbourne. That's where Neighbours is filmed and since I know a bit about it, I would like to give the bloke who wrote to you, Norman Omar (21 Sept - 4 Oct), a few answers to his questions. Yes, it's true that Madge does marry Harold! Eileen is ditched at the altar (the person who plays Eileen died, so they wrote her out as if she'd just gone on holiday). Daphne is killed in a car accident and Des has to look after Jamie! Jim marries a doctor but doesn't move out of the house for months. Lucy does nearly die, but then she gets better and goes to boarding school! Charlene does marry Scott but because Kylie Minogue leaves, they have to write her out too. I hope that clears everything up for you, Norman.
Kayleen Wise, Victoria, Australia.

Yes, you're completely right that on the third "track" on the second side of Wilfred Grumble And The Incredibly Freaky Flashback Experience's seminal 1966 release "Hey Man! There's An Aubergine In My Brain", you certainly can hear the band's drummer Stig having a conversation about Nietzsche with a colander (but only if you stick your head fully into your left "woofer"). It undoubtedly is a long mighty long way down rock 'n' roll!!!!(?*£%!?$)

(From the Personal File featurette, an interview with Mags from A-ha...)

Full name: Magne Furuholmen
Date of birth: 1/11/62 in Oslo, Norway.
Do you have any brothers and sisters?
Yup, I've got one sister and two brothers. My sister's name is Line, but my brothers' names are far too long, so just put T and T (they're called Thorstein and Trygve actually - Ed), They're 15 and 17 years old and are both still at school, and Line, who's 20, is at college studying market research.
Do you have any pets?
No, but my family have a lot of pets - dogs, cats, sheep...they live on a farm you see. I think it would be rather unfair if I kept a pet because I travel around the world so much. I suppose the closest thing I've got to a pet is my cow-skin leather jacket, ha ha. (?)
Where do you live now?
London - I thought that was, uh, a pretty well-known fact. Whereabouts? Heh heh heh, no chance mate. It's quite a nice flat, but I don't have a lot of furniture because i like to have very little to distract my mind when I'm resting. (??) I don't think I have one picture on my wall, but I do have a lot of pictures standing around me, I do a bit of painting in my spare time, so I keep my pictures around me - like children. (???)
How tall are you?
1.86 metres - that's just over six feet. I was a very slow developer until I was about 16, then I grew about eight inches in one year, so I slept a lot that year. Why? Well you do when you grow, don't you?
Do you have any famous ancestors?
One of my ancestors was a Norwegian king back in the Iron Age. He was a Viking, yes, but he was a big cissy. He used to dress up in women's clothes and hang out with the wandering minstrels.
What do you do last thing at night?
I meditate, mainly because I tend to get very tense and stressful during the day when we're touring, which we are now (in Germany). You just clear your head of all thoughts and relax. It's based on, em, some kind of Eastern rubbish I suppose. I also like to have a sauna sometimes too. Do I like it very hot? Yes, I usually pour vodka on the glowing stones and get really drunk heheheehee! I wouldn't recommend it though because sometimes it blows up...
Has anyone ever given you a blow-up iguana?
A what? Oh! No, but sometimes when we're on stage, people throw these eight-foot blow up whales during "Looking For The Whales". I've kept one at home.
Who would you most like to go Scandinavian back-packing with? Would it be a) Terence Trent D'Arby; b) Paul Weller; c) Tommy Cunningham or d) Tiffany?
Paul Weller's had a big influence on me, so he would be interesting I suppose. Terence Trent D'Arby is a nice guy, but I'm not sure he enjoys back-packing. No, it's not true that he threw a profiterole at me during the BPI Awards. He threw some stuff around and some of it did hit our table, but I don't think he was aiming at us. Tommy Cunningham? I've never heard of him. Ginger-haired chap? Oh well, good luck to him. Tiffany? What about her? No, I don't really fancy the idea. I think Paul Weller would be the best, even though he might annoy me with his high-brow conversations. Back-packing is a seriuos business - you can't take it lightly, you know.
What would you like to come back as in a later life?
What? Uuuuuh....(wheezes furiously). I don't really perceive the world that way, but I think what you're asking me is whether I'm happy the way I am or would I like to be someone else. And that's a silly question.
Is there anything more disgusting than having to clean scrambled eggs out of a saucepan? I dunno - I don't cook my scrambled eggs in a saucepan. I've got a microwave, man.
Do you ever lie in bed and think to yourself "It's just like punk never happened!"?
Yes! Punk was really important and it strenghthened the whole music industry, so we need something like that again.
Have you ever found any silver fish in your mattress?
No! It would scare me to death that one. Oh! We've got to go to the soundcheck. Last question!
What's your favourite word that rhymes with Mags?
I don't know any words that rhyme with Mags. Do you have any? Fags? That's not really my favourite. Bags, tags, rags...I don't have any favourites. Any I particularly dislike? Nope. (Click! Brrrrrr....)

Priceless! I'll post more example of this sort of thing as I find them.

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #3

2008-09-06T14:02:00.004+01:00

Rhianna "Oh Baby" (2002)

It's not a brilliant record, but I liked it enough at the time to buy her album "Get On" when it came into the charity shop that I worked in (i.e. Concern in Dundrum village - don't look for it, it's not there anymore). Nice, sub-aquatic bassline and wah-wah guitars here.

Lovely weather we're having by the way. Now that it's stopped pissing it down I'm hoping to upload a completely brilliant album tomorrow, so stay tuned for that. (I've been housebound, you see.)

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #2

2008-09-04T11:32:00.003+01:00

Sophie Ellis-Bextor "Mixed Up World" (2003)

You may be wondering why I've resorted to posting lazy YouTube embeds this week. It's because I've moved out of my rented accommodation back to my parents for a couple of weeks (hopefully no more than that), and now don't have internet access at home. I expect to find a new place soon.

In other news, changes are afoot at State magazine. I like the magazine a lot. It seemed a good rival to Hot Press to me, so I'm a little bit disappointed that they now intend to give it away for free. Not that I've anything against free stuff you understand, it's just the feeling that people don't want to pay for good music magazines anymore. Free ones like Connected and Analogue (who I'm currently writing for) vary in quality quite wildly in my experience.

In other, other news...Annie's album "Don't Stop" has leaked but I haven't heard it yet. I don't want to spoil it for myself when it GETS RELEASED PROPERLY. If it gets released properly that is.

And now they're playing an even more moany and whingey, dull live version of Pink Floyd's "Mother" by moany whingey dullard Roger Waters in the internet cafe I find myself in. Time to make a hasty exit. Toodle-pip!

Songs They Don't Play On The Radio...Anymore #1

2008-09-03T12:24:00.004+01:00

First in an occasional series...

Deepest Blue "Deepest Blue" (2003)

P.S. I have just been into Enable on Camden Street and have bought S Club 7's album "Sunshine", S Club Juniors' album "Together" and Now 62. All of which came to €7.30. A snip!

"Disappointed", encore.

2008-09-02T21:50:00.003+01:00

There was a brilliant interview with Pet Shop Boys in the September (i.e. Autumn) edition of Pop magazine (a "superglossy", apparently)! I'll type it up in a day or so but in the meantime, look at this. It is brill.

A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Back Catalogue...

2008-09-01T11:49:00.005+01:00

A fun clip, this. From Top of the Pops, June 1992. The Orb's album "U.F.Orb" was about to reach number one, and their single "Blue Room" (co-produced by Youth) had crept into the charts at number 8 - despite being 39 minutes and 56 seconds in length. The radio edit is a much more sensible 4'11 though, and this is the version we have here. Bob Bloody Geldof was co-hosting the show this week, and once this performance had come to an end had this to say "Hmmmn, that was incredibly mind expanding. And now from mind expansion to hair expansion: it's Elton John with his new wig and 'The One'..." These things are worth knowing aren't they. Another thing to say about this clip is that "Dr" Alex Patterson ("doctor" of what, exactly?) later revealed to Vox magazine that TOTP's director at the time (Stanley Appel, I think) had tried to persuade the duo to - in Patterson's words - "do a sort of a 'yo' wave to the camera" at some point during the performance. A nice example of piss-taking here all the same. The Orb's performance of "Toxygene" five years later is almost as good.

Most of The Orb's albums have just been re-issued in deluxe double disc editions (as if they weren't long enough to begin with). I'm hoping they reissue "Live 93" which is a forgotten gem. But just for the record "Pomme Fritz" isn't as bad as some of the reviewers have been saying it is. To put it another way...

EXCELLENT: "The Orb's Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld", "U.F.Orb", "Live 93"
ALRIGHT: "Pomme Fritz", "Orblivion", "Okie Dokie It's The Orb On Kompakt", "...The Dream"
IFFY: "Orbvs Terrarvm", "Cydonia", "Bicycles and Tricycles"

"Once More..." was sort of alright-ish too, now that I think of it...

Donk!

2008-08-31T18:40:00.002+01:00

This year's crap novelty hit has arrived...

R.I.P. Geoffrey Perkins

2008-08-30T11:19:00.002+01:00

I've been saddened to hear news of Geoffrey Perkins' death. He had a hand in most of the best comedy programmes of the past twenty years; "Harry Enfield's Television Programme", "Father Ted", "KYTV", "The Fast Show", "The League of Gentlemen"...the list goes on. A sad loss.

Irritating, Maybe. But Homophobic? I'm Not Convinced...

2008-08-29T14:37:00.002+01:00

If you’ve been living in a ditch, or are a “proper music” bore and believe that pop music is beneath you, then it may have escaped your attention that Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” has thus far spent three weeks at number one in the UK. I quite like the single I must say, but not everyone will agree. In recent weeks the song has been played constantly on daytime radio, on MTV Hits and The Box, in supermarkets, in clothes shops, in cars and bars - and nobody likes an overexposed pop song. What’s more, “I Kissed A Girl” has prompted accusations of homophobia. The song may be irritating, the video may play up to every Zoo magazine lesbo-fantasy in the book, but is it really homophobic? I think this is pushing things a bit.

The phrase “lipstick lesbianism” has become quite the popular alliterative put-down of choice over the past decade or so. I dislike the phrase, because of its snotty undertones, but I’m talking about girls who are to all outward appearances “straight” (as if outward appearances count for anything in the world of sexuality), publicly snogging other girls for whatever reason - expressed or otherwise. Perhaps it is fair to attack public girly snogs, if such displays merely exist for the voyeuristic pleasure of blokes. That’s already to make a bit of an assumption, I’d say. Maybe it is just attention-seeking, but is it homophobic? What is the point of protest? It does all seem to spin on the idea that there is such a thing as a “proper lesbian”. This single isn’t pushing the sort of ideas Luce Irigaray espouses, I’ll grant you. The singer of “I Kissed A Girl” does add “I hope my boyfriend don’t mind it”, and wakes up in bed beside the chap at the end of the video, in true secondary-school essay “It was all a dream!” style. For some people all of this will scream “I’m not gay by the way!” But I’m sure we all know plently of people who have “experimented” with members of their own gender, and who don’t feel the need to label themselves as “gay”, “straight” or “bi” or any other category. The line “it felt so wrong/ It felt so right/ Don’t mean I’m in love tonight” also seems harmless enough to me. It’s flighty and cheeky, kissing as harmless fun. That’s all the “lipstick lesbian” phenomenon is. I don’t believe it makes life more difficult for LGTB people. I think the real bone of contention is that some straight men are turned on by lesbian fantasies (always involving very feminine looking lesbians natch). So it involves the sexual objectification of women - is it misogynistic? Just about any hetero-male fantasy is going to be misogynistic by that account - unless you get your kicks out of thinking about the sufragette movement or by reading “The Female Eunuch”. Isn’t the area of sexual drives, fetishism and fantasy always going to be dark and unsettling to some degree? Or am I just a perv?

The accusations of homophobia against “I Kissed A Girl” smack of a new puritanism to me. Perry’s previous single was of course a thing called “Ur So Gay” (”gay” having become a synonym for “lame” or “naff”). You could chart the etymology of the word like you can a single climbing or sliding down the pop charts. The “Brights” movement, a bunch of people who champion what they call reason over what they call superstition (and for these people this includes religion), and involving Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett among others, has sought to claim the word “bright” in much the same way that homosexuals adopted the word “gay” in the last century. Again, I am not conviced that even “Ur So Gay” is really homophobic. The argument is an interesting one and I’m open to it, but if you want to convince me that the use of such phrases is homophobic, then we’ll have to get into the intentionality behind it. I suspect that Katy Perry’s religious (Christian) upbringing has a lot to do with how people hear her recent singles. But I think a point is being missed. “Lipstick lesbianism” is a cultural phenomenon. There is a song about it. It doesn’t go any deeper than that.

Mind you, if her next single is a collaboration with Beenie Man, it might be time to worry. (But stranger things have happened - according to Planet Sound Roots Manuva and James Blunt are about to record together. This is great news, if only because it’ll force the “James Blunt, anyone?” brigade to think for a change.)

Bring Back The Chart Show! (But Do It Properly!)

2008-08-23T10:02:00.005+01:00

It's Saturday morning, I'm perusing YouTube for interesting music videos. I'm doing this despite a hangover. In the old days I could have had a TV-based computerised video jukebox do this awkward task for me. It was called The Chart Show and it was utterly brilliant.

Exhibit A:

It started out on Channel 4 back in the autumn of 1986, when it was transmitted at 6pm on Fridays. From January 1989 it became The ITV Chart Show and was broadcast at 11.30am. This is the slot it will perhaps be best remembered for. The Chart Show's genius move was to show rather left-field music videos side by side with the Top 10 at the one time of the week when kids were sure to be paying attention. I've very fond memories of the show; the useless trivia that would appear on screen during a song's instrumental break, the gimmicky videotape spooling where it would fast forward and rewind through the charts. It always seemd to tantalisingly by-pass a song you'd love in favour of something utterly ghastly by Jive Bunny. And then there was The Indie Chart. This was where your parents would become acquainted with the phrases "Half Man Half Biscuit", "Red Lorry Yellow Lorry" and "Alien Sex Fiend". Lots of the bands hadn't thought (or cared) to make a video for their indie "hit", so a still photo of them would have to suffice instead. Sometimes a band would create a DIY vid just to get airtime on The Chart Show on a Saturday morning. The specialist charts (Indie, Dance, Rock - and for a brief period Reggae) were invariably fascinating.

Exhibit B:

I'd honestly love to see The Chart Show return. Now that 4Music is up and running on digital I don't see why they shouldn't do it there. Get Video Visuals back in to produce it, base it on the 1989-1995 era ITV Chart Show (no band interviews, competitions or phone votes which ruined the revamped version from 1996 onwards). You can find this week's Indie, Dance and Rock Top 10s among the links on this rather garish web page.

Exhibit C:

It's worth a go, don't you think?

Edit: Further to 23Daves' comment below, a revamped version of The Chart Show can be seen here. But be warned, it is piss-poor.

Young, Dumb 'n' Full of Hum

2008-08-22T12:37:00.008+01:00

I really like Eurodance; the "Eurocheese" of the Cappella, 2 Unlimited, Motiv-8, Jam and Spoon variety. A lot of that music has a melancholy about it which is underappreciated I think. It’s something in those chords. It’s that gay pop aesthetic: uplifting, defiant lyrics married to plangeant melodies. The throbbing electro pulse that makes the best synthpop so irresistible. 2 Unlimited’s “No One” was their first attempt at a mid tempo pop song, a sort of gentle cod-reggae thing, but it only got to number 17 in late 1994. I thought it was really good, but hey-ho. Corona’s “The Rhythm Of The Night”, Culture Beat’s “Mr Vain”, Motiv 8’s “Rockin’ For Myself”, even Toni Di Bart’s “The Real Thing” - I love it all, it feels like a bit of a golden age to me now. At it’s worst the scene gave us the novelty likes of Whigfield’s “Saturday Night” or Scatman John’s “Scatman”. But big deal, I’d take that over The Verve any day.

Ray Slijngaard and Anita Dels were great pop stars. "Technotechnotechnotechno", that was his catchphrase. 2 Unlimited's "Greatest Hits" compilation is surprisingly brilliant. It is of course, completely stupid. It does contain a string of massive hit singles, many of which my friends struggle to remember. When I manage to locate my copy of said album, I'll upload some tracks from it here. Capella also had a string of hits, but mostly this scene was made up of one-hit or two-hit wonders like The Real McCoy, Haddaway ("What Is Love" is an absolute corker - 9,195,416 viewers on YouTube can't be wrong), and Urban Cookie Collective. The whole thing went stellar when Rollo, the bloke behind Felix's "Don't you Want Me" - a pancontinental smash in 1992 - formed Faithless and released the excellent (no, really it is) "Reverence" album in 1996. "Insomnia" engulfed the world and big bombastic superclub house became inescapable. With "Big Beat" (which personally I tended to find rather grim and joyless) also enjoying enormous popularity in the late 90s, Europop ducked under the radar in terms of the popular consciousness, but it never went away as early 00s hits like Fragma's "Toca's Miracle", iio's "Rapture" and DB Boulevard's "Point Of View" prove.

This music is vibrant and youthful. You don't need to take drugs to this, this stuff is fuelled by fizzy drinks and at most a bit of alcopop (very 1996, that). It follows the lineage from Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder through Telex, Human League, DAF, Propaganda, Pet Shop Boys and The KLF to Bizarre Inc and their production line kind. Its presence is still felt in the charts today, it is in the aching atmosphere of downtempo house, the Bealearic influence on people like Cut Copy, in the electro-rush of Xenomania's output (Brian Higgins was a member of the Motiv 8 production collective) and it is also in the idiot noise produced by German techno-ARSES, Scooter. But you can't have everything. "Viva Europop 96!" is, as the title might suggest, a great compilation of this Euro stuff. Here are some tracks from it (AAC files will have to do for now, I'll come back and change them to mp3s if i get any requests to do so)...

Corona "The Rhythm Of The Night"
Jam and Spoon "Right In The Night"
Tony Di Bart "The Real Thing"
Urban Cookie Collective "The Key, The Secret"
2 Unlimited "No Limit"
Clock "Whoomph (There It Is)"
Cappella "U Got 2 Let The Music"
Motiv 8 "Rockin' For Myself"

This Film Will Make You Happy*

2008-08-18T18:53:00.006+01:00

"Happy-Go-Lucky", the latest film by Mike Leigh, is released on DVD today. Fuelled by positive reviews and pre-release hype, I rushed to see it on its debut in the cinema back in April and wasn't disappointed. It's the best film I've seen in years. Can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much at the cinema. I don't want to spoil the plot but it's a good kind-hearted, joyous, ethical sort of film about an almost supernaturally upbeat and happy primary school teacher called Poppy (Sally Hawkins) who lives in North London and the effect she has on the lives of the people around her - her sisters, her best friend and most entertainingly of all, her driving instructor (who is quite hilariously portrayed by Eddie Marsan). The film is a bit like "Amelie" in some ways, but if feels more real and less fantastical. I think Poppy is a great character; alert, aware, nobody's fool, and for all her chipper, sunny demeanour she has a wisdom and insight about her which is an enviable as her cheery outlook on life. Check out the rather strange, apparently interpolated scene where she encounters an Irish vagabond on some wasteland to see what I mean. That's a wonderful psychological rendering of the character and really elevates the film above mere corn. There's a sort of "dark underbelly" (clichéd film crit-speak ahoy!) to it all too. I won't add any spoilers at this point, and I'm not sure how to write about films without giving the game away...

Mike Leigh has a reputation for making grim dramas, but I've always thought he's a great director. "Abigail's Party" was a genuinely great piece of television. I finally got to see it last year when it was shown on BBC4 on the thirtieth anniversary of the original broadcast. It's well worth grabbing that DVD whenever you can also.

There's a short interview with Mike Leigh and Sally Hawkins here.

*Well, not necessarily. Some people find its lead character annoying. I don't get that from the film at all, though.

Let Me Take You There

2008-08-15T20:02:00.002+01:00

Goldmine Trash is on its hols at the moment, but will be back on Monday. In the meantime here's something summery and marvellous from Betty Boo. Mashing up The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds" and The Four Tops' "It's All In The Game". Pure pop bliss.

80808

2008-08-08T20:02:00.002+01:00

For the day that's in it.

I Love The Saturdays

2008-08-07T10:05:00.006+01:00

A: If This Is Love
B: What Am I Gonna Do

Buying physical singles can be a bit of a struggle in Dublin these days. HMV Grafton Street only seem to stock the Irish Top 16 (?), and a few vinyl 7" which tend to be old stock they can't get rid of. So yesterday I had to scour Dublin's city centre for a copy of the debut single by The Saturdays. It's called "If This Is Love" and it is ace. Admittedly this might be down to the fact that musically it is entirely based on Yazoo's ultra-ace "Situation". It sounds great even through the crappy €15 earphones I had to buy for myself yesterday when my usual ones packed up.

They're not very famous yet, The Saturdays. A Google Image search for them throws up pics of Girls Aloud and Sam Sparro, but not a decent pic of The Saturdays themselves. They have toured as support to Girls Aloud though, and they have been a presence on daytime TV in recent weeks. There is also a lengthy thread about them on the Popjustice forums, but I'm not sure how accurate a gague of their popularity that actually is. They're signed to Fascination which is Girls Aloud's label and which was set up as a sort of "pop" counterpart to the revived Fiction imprint. In the end I managed to find one copy of the single in HMV Henry Street. I'm in two minds as to whether to upload it now. I want you all to go out and buy it, thereby sending it up the charts. But even if you wanted to you wouldn't be able to find it as I seem to have the only copy! And besides you can probably download it from iTunes or something. A combination of no credit card and no computer literacy precludes me from using such internet services. Also I like to leave my house and browse in record shops for a while returning home with a record I can hold in my hand. Pop has never been just about the music (maaaan!), it's the artwork, the gentle whir of the CD in the CD player, the sight of the stylus hitting the vinyl. I suspect I'm the last man on earth who still buys CD singles? I've bought a few singles this year, some of them have been 7"; Goldfrapp's "A&E", "Happiness" and "Caravan Girl", Sam Sparro's "Black and Gold", Mystery Jets' "Two Doors Down", Girls Aloud's "Can't Speak French", Annie's "I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me", The Long Blondes' "Century"...I can't remember what else.

At the risk of finding out just how few people read my blog, I thought I'd ask any of you readers what the last single you bought was? Leave your answers and other comments in the comments section below.

P.S. The downloads I've provided are AAC files this time, sorry if that's inconvenient for anyone.

The Saturdays' Official Site

Well It Made Me Chuckle...

2008-08-07T01:33:00.003+01:00

Today I saw a CD on sale in Tower which was by Chaotic Dischord. Can't tell you whether they're good or crap (although to be honest I suspect the latter, call me a snob...), but the song titles on their album made me chuckle. They're an anarcho-punk band, and they take no prisoners Grandad!. They have songs called ""Fuck Off Ripcord", "Still Fuckin' Dying" and "Cunt Rock". So far so dreary. But the one that cracked me up was called... "We're Fuckin' Glad The Smiths Split Up".

That's just unnecessary.

If you must...

Black Box Recorder "The Facts Of Life" (2000)

2008-08-05T21:11:00.008+01:00

Tracklist:
1. The Art Of Driving
2. Weekend
3. The English Motorway System
4. May Queen
5. Sex Life
6. French Rock 'N' Roll
7. The Facts Of Life
8. Straight Life
9. Gift Horse
10. The Deverell Twins
11. Goodnight Kiss

Subversive pop doesn't get much better than this.

Released in 2000, Black Box Recorder's second album was produced in part with the man who was responsible for Billie's "Honey To The B" LP. It featured songs about sex, suicide and cars. Like Frazier Chorus' "Sue" it dwells on some idea of middle-class hell. If this is what it's like to live in a dream home, then I'm happy with my shitty student flatshare thank you very much.

I never liked The Auteurs much, although I heard Luke Haines was the talented one in Black Box Recorder. John Moore had been a member of Jesus and Mary Chain and had also eked out a living by importing bootleg absinthe from the continent, apparently. His (now ex-) girlfriend Sarah Nixey is responsible for the breathy, clipped oh-so-English vocals here. I think it was the single and title track to this album which won me over to the Black Box Recorder cause back in 2000. It's a sumptuous sounding record - you hear indie musicians say they're going to make a great pop record and never expect them to actually do it, but that single really "delivered". Although I could have done with hearing the lyric when I was twelve really.

The rest of the album is almost as good. In some ways it reminds me of Stephin Merritt's work with The Magnetic Fields and Future Bible Heroes - "The Art Of Driving" has that same relish for metaphor. "French Rock 'N' Roll" (which has a BEAUTIFUL middle eight) and "Sex Life" don't shy from big glossy pop production but maintain that darkness about them, a certain melancholy is never far from the shiny surface. The album made number 20, but the single only got to number 37 but hey you can't have everything. It's a number one in my heart.

There's also much to like about the other Black Box Recorder records, although I must admit a particular love of the track "Andrew Ridgley" from 2003's "Passionoia". Since then, Luke Haines has had a great single called "Off My Rocker (At The Art School Bop)"* and Sarah Nixey released a cover of The Human League's hilarious "The Black Hit Of Space" as a single in 2007.

*He's taking the piss out of Banksy in this vid isn't he...?

Noughties But Nice

2008-08-03T12:18:00.008+01:00

Yesterday I whiled away an afternoon by looking up some of my favourite singles from the last 10 years on YouTube. Year by year, here are some of the videos I chose...

1999: Pizzicato Five "Weekend"

2000: Sugababes "Overload"

2001: The Ones "Flawless"

2002: DB Boulevard "Point Of View"

2003: Richard X featuring Kelis "Finest Dreams"

2004: Girls Aloud "The Show"

2005: Rachel Stevens "I Said Never Again (But Here We Are)"

2006: Goldfrapp "Ride A White Horse"

2007: Groove Armada featuring Mutya Buena "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)"

2008: Rihanna "Disturbia"

So I think it's fair to say that I'm into ultra-camp synth-disco.

Max. Headfuckery

2008-08-02T21:05:00.012+01:00

I'm planning a post soon on "disturbing moments in pop and rock", but while I prepare that one I thought I'd mention that I have re-posted the article on Numbers Stations which features in the current issue of Analogue, and I've inserted some new bits into the text too. Hey, it's Goldmine Trash Edit News! In the post I mention "Threads", but another brilliantly disturbing broadcast is what was known as The Max Headroom Pirating Incident. some of our older readers will remember Max Headroom from his mid 80s prime-time show on the infant Channel 4, or from his Art of Noise collaboration "Paranoimia" (which was a bit shite to be honest). The aforementioned "incident" occured during a showing of Doctor Who (spooky already huh?) at about 11 pm one evening in November 1987. Some bloke (nobody knows who) managed to climb up the Sears tower in Chicago, jam the signal which was broadcasting WTTV Chicago across the region, and broadcast his own bizarre and creepy cryptic messages whilst dressed as Max Headroom (no one knows why). Again, the myth and mystery of the event makes this compelling viewing. The thing that gets me is: the bloke could have broadcast ANYTHING. He could have said anything he wanted to say. He could have dissed a few people he disliked or demanded ransom money. But instead...well have a look for yourself.

Isn't that strangely, grippingly brilliant? Or is it just me?

A similar incident happened on ITV back in the late 70s when someone jammed their signal and managed to transmit audio over the news. In this case, the scammer claimed to be an alien broadcasting a message to say that he was watching mankind and that if we didn't give up our warring ways we'd be in trouble (or something). Imagine watching telly some tea-time in 1978 and that happens! I'd have crapped myself! Because I was only six months old. But even if I had been an adult I would have been a bit worried I can tell you. It's referred to as the Vrillon incident and you can find that here. When I heard about these incidents I became quite hooked. In Poland in the mid 80s, Lech Walesa's "Solidarnos" movement jammed the national TV to transmit messages to the general public, you can find that here.

Talking of disturbing TV broadcasts, I often like to imagine myself as a youngster up late at night watching MTV in the early 80s when they used to broadcast videos by The Residents. The Residents were, and still are, off their heads. Sorry, make that "eyeballs"... I'll be posting something about their brilliant 1980 album "The Commercial Album" in a day or two but in the meantime watch this, it's the music video which accompanied the album's release and features 4 - four! - of that LPs songs (every song on the album last for just a minute) in one neat package. Every bit as creepy and weird as you'd want it to be...

By the way...Rihanna's new single is called "Disturbia", but it's not disturbing at all, it's just brilliant in the way that Rihanna usually is when she's not attempting a drippy love song.

Orlando "Passive Soul" (1997)

2008-08-02T19:08:00.006+01:00

Tracklist:
1. Introduction
2. Furthest Point Away
3. Just For A Second
4. Natures Hated
5. On Dry Land
6. Contained
7. Afraid Again
8. Happily Unhappy
9. Don't Sleep Alone
10. Save Yourself
11. Three Letters
12. Here (So Find Me)/ Hero

This album clearly has lapsed into some sort of obscurity - I couldn't find a decent shot of the cover on Google's Image search. Time to get the digital camera out again...

As was the case with InAura, this album came out looooooong after the Romo bubble had burst. This was released in the summer of 1997, by which time I'd almost completely forgotten about Orlando. They had released a single, "The Magic EP" in 1996 which was slagged off quite mercilessly in Select Magazine by guest reviewers The Future Sound of London. I still haven't forgiven FSOL for that. Being the loyal chap that I am, I bought this LP as soon as it appeared, and privately hoped that its tardy appearance on the Blanco Y Negro label was a sign that Orlando had outlived Romo and could do well despite their connection to the much-ridiculed scene. Yeah, right...

Ok, this album is not brilliant, but it has its moments. As was the case with the Romo scene that spawned them, I wanted to like it more than I ever actually could like it. Like, the CD case carried a list of Orlando's inspirations and they were all stupendously laudable; Dexys "Let's Make This Precious", Shena Mackay, The Style Council, Shoot 'N' Surf Internet Cafe, Stanislavski, "God Is In The Details", My So-Called Life, The Supremes, The Night of May 1st 1997..." The sleeve art contained reproductions of the duo's school reports and photos by PSB zapper Eric Watson. The best track on the album was produced by Alan Tarney, the man behind brilliant singles by A-ha, Cliff Richard ("We Don't Talk Anymore", "Carrie"), Pulp ("Disco 2000") and even Barbara Dixon ("January"). So one senses that this could have been so much better, if it had had a bigger budget maybe, or if they had struck while the iron was hot.

A quick history lesson for those that don't know... Orlando were Tim Chipping and Dickon Edwards. For a brief time they were the kind of band who got mentioned in the lonely hearts/pen pal column in Select ("19 year old wallflower seeks like-minded types for gigs and drinks, into Manics, Pulp, Orlando, Kenickie..."), and they still seem to be held in fond regard by sentimental music fans on messageboards here and there. Since the end of Orlando, Tim has appeared as a cameo in "Shaun Of The Dead" and Dickon has written about pop culture on the Tangents.co.uk website (don't look for it, it's not there anymore). But it is perhaps for "Passive Soul", that they are best remembered.

It starts off with a short excerpt from socialist anthem "The Red Flag", before hurtling into the stomping Northern sounding "Furthest Point Away". It's part Dexys and part Style Council but I must admit that I think now, as I did then, that it sounds a bit rushed and shoddy. It's with the Tarney-aided "Just For A Second" that my ears really prick up - the track is an absolute stormer. Some great lyrics too: "Deep down I fear I might actually be...unremarkable!" - they're clearly aiming for a Kevin Rowland-esque mixture of ambition and insecurity there. A great single and it's a bit of a tragedy that it wasn't a hit. As for the rest of the album...well the best bits sound like Orlando's attempts at recreating their heroes' best bits. The Style Council's "Changing of the Guard" on "On Dry Land", Culture Club-meet-The Associates on "Happily Unhappy", Jimmy Webb's work for Glen Campbell on "Don't Sleep Alone". It's all ok, but difficult to rave about. That said, it's a shame they didn't get a second crack at the whip. Worth a listen.

Wherefore Art Thou, Romo?

2008-08-02T16:34:00.007+01:00

For about five seconds towards the end of 1995, Romo flourished. It was, in effect, a revival of New Romantic or New Pop ideas but its advocates preferred to talk of it as a renaissance (as "revival" had connotations of grey lad-rock and fag-end britpop: things which Romo was very much supposed to be the antidote to). I wanted Romo to succeed, believe me. Certainly by 1996 the occasionally brilliant indie-pop explosion of the previous three years had turned into something much more pedestrian, much duller and more in thrall to the history of rawk. Bands like Ocean Colour Scene and Cast epitomised this dish-water dull attitude towards pop. It was conservative, priggish and earnest. Awful rockist notions of authenticity and soul held sway and it was from this point on that brit-pop's more open-minded tendencies started to have less and less influence over chart pop. The panoramic, widescreen pop of "The Great Escape", "Different Class" and "Giant Steps" showed that at its best mid 90s English pop could scale the heights set in the early 80s by people like ABC, The Associates and Scritti Politti. The best of the Romos understood that. Orlando for example loved Richey Edwards period Manic Street Preachers as much as they did the Human League. They wanted to be the biggest pop group of the late 90s, one which fused literate, (dare-I-say-it) intellectual references with the pure rush of classic Motown, disco and synth pop. So yes, towards the end of 1995 I would have been a willing convert to this happening, gloriously witty scene.

And then I heard the records. Seriously, the disappointment of hearing the free cover-mounted Romo tape which Melody Maker gave away in March 1996 stays with me to this day. I'm listening to it now; Holywood, Dexdexter, Plastic Fantastic...the names are great, but the music is utterly abysmal. Cheap-sounding, badly recorded, predictable and tuneless nonsense the lot of it. Romo really died with it. Within weeks Simon Price - who up to this point had been (along with Taylor Parkes) Romo's biggest champion - wrote the movement's obituary in the "Viewpoint" section on MM's letters page. But the Romo issue of Melody Maker is a riot. Many people, including myself, believe that this represented another nail in that music weekly's coffin. It is a pity things worked out that way because it was a brave thing to do, to put the motley crew you see above on the front of Melody Maker at the height of Britpop, in a week when Blur, PJ Harvey and David Bowie were vying for space in its inner pages. Among the highlights of the issue's 8 page Romo extravaganza are the interviews with Sexus ("I stood behind Jason Orange [out of Take That] in Holland & Barrett recently. For quite a while. It's kept me going for months."), Plastic Fantastic ("You can tell if a place is the right place, if you've got a free cocktail in either hand...") and best of all Orlando ("Our attitude towards other groups isn't one of malice. It's one of disappointment"). The movement's manifesto - or Romanifesto - is full of great throwaway lines too. Here are some of my favourites:

"Romo is, correct, élitist. But we are talking about a particularly democratic form of élitisim. Anyone can reinvent themselves. We can't help it if most are too dull to try."

"Romo is always believing you are gold."

"Romo is tearing open the map of Europa, our frontierless homeland, and gazing with romantic fascination at the place names: Valencia, Sorrento, Praha, Hammerfest, Zurich, Sarajevo, Arkhangelsk, London."

"Romo is the word, and shall be. Like 'dada': two simple syllables. Ro-mo. Romantic, Modernist."

"Romo is la nouvelle belle époque. Romo is hurtling into this fin of the siécle to fin all siecles with but one imperative: dance, for tomorrow, we die."

The main groups who feature in the piece are (in order of appearance); Orlando, Minty, Viva, Hollywood, Plastic Fantastic, Sexus, Add N To X, Boutique, Nancy Boy, Elizabeth Bunny, Factor Max, Brattish, InAura, Romania, Six Finger Satellite, Sin With Sebastian and System Addict. There follows a list of bands they suggest they didn't have room to include, but I'm convinced most of these are made-up; Universe, Ballroom, Crescendo, Glamour, Lucy Can Can, Glasshouse, Pleasurehead, Nightporter, The Heart That Glows, Port Sunlight, De Milo, I Dream Of Wires, White Trash, Designer, Synth SFX, Subaqwa, Silky and Aura. I mean, come on - "The Heart That Glows"? For fuck's sake...

Romo was of course largely the brainchild of Simon Price (author of a brilliant Manic Street Preachers biog and who now writes for The Independent) and Taylor Parkes who were always my favourite Melody Maker journos. Week in, week out, Parkes and Price would champion only the most NOW pop groups; TLC, Earl Brutus, Tricky, Kenickie, Pulp for example. It is because of them that for a brief time in the mid to late 90s Melody Maker was actually far better than NME (really after Danny Kelly, Stuart Maconie, Andrew Collins, Steve Lamacq and David Quantick had jumped ship). Romo - far from launching a new wave of freakish, effeminate, plastic pop stars to stardom - was really their big moment.

It is almost all complete and utter piffle. And I love(d) it.

My friend 23 Daves has a great post about InAura on his blog "Left and to the Back". InAura were lumped in with the Romo crowd and the infamous MM Romo article has this to say about them: "Impertinently young, indecently pretty, InAura swagger with potential. Hardly surprising, given their cold-glittering cocktail of Suede/Bowie flashboyisms, lavish Depeche/Duran sweep, PSB undercurrents, cocksure riffola and plain old greed. Factor in singer Matt Carey's petulant, feline charisma and the mutant keyboard scapes of Magazine vet Dave Formula, and you'll be gagging for it." Their album "One Million Smiles" does contain a couple of great tracks in singles "Coma Aroma", the grandiose "This Month's Epic" (which sounds like Primal Scream on a good day) and the brill Duran-esque "Soap Opera". I saw the vid for that on The Chart Show at the time, and you can find it here now. So some Romo music was good. I should also mention Sexus' single "The Official End Of It All" which was just ace. A post about Orlando follows...

Does Your Mother Play Golf? Productions Presents…How Smash Hits Went Down The Dumper

2008-07-31T14:21:00.010+01:00

On February 13th 2006 Smash Hits was published for the final time, having succumbed to the pratfalls of the pop publishing industry. But now it’s back! Back! BACK! Currently propping up the record shelves in a shop near you, is "Smash Hits: The 80s" - a three disc compilation of pop from that decade. It is mostly brilliant, but the best of it is half-forgotten things like "Since Yesterday" by Strawberry Switchblade or "Each Time You Break My Heart" by Nick Kamen. It is a companion to the "swingorilliant" book “The Best Of Smash Hits: The 80s”, edited by Mark Frith. Now on sale in Chapters for just €3 (a snip!), you’d be a fool to miss this trip through the greatest reading matter of its day. The publication which gave our language the phrases “A so-called famous so-called Astrologer writes…”, “Sniiiiiip!”, and “Aaaack-tualloi…” The publication for which Vic Reeves once applied to be editor (which in itself speaks volumes), which campaigned for the knighthood of Cliff Richard, and referred to him as Sir Cliff before the event anyway. A world where foxtresses (i.e. scantily clad young ladies of the “not-very-ugly” variety) could be seen “cavorting” with various “Uncle Disgustings” (i.e wrinkly old goats of a pervy “bent” like Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger or Robert Palmer in the video for “Addicted To Love”). It was the magazine which deployed inverted commas in a way which was frankly baffling at first, but which alerted us to the clichés of rock journalism. The magazine which stumped its interviewees with a series of searching and frequently barking mad questions; “You’re not very good at acting, are you?” (to “Dame” David Bowie), “What colour is January?” (to Wayne Hussey of The Mission), “Have you ever been sick in a kangaroo’s pouch?” (to Jason Donovan) and “Does your mother play golf?” (to Susannah Hoffs). Its letters page was presided over by the devastatingly sarcastic Black Type, a shadowy figure which would extol the virtues of Um Bongo and weather presenter of “yore” Wincie Willis, as often as he’d keep to the subject of pop, and who was “killed off” when a picnic table supposedly fell on him, only for the character to be revived 10 months later insisting that “It was all a dream!” - Dallas-style.

It was, in short, the wittiest and most beguiling music publication in the world for about 7 years (between 1983 and 1990, really), but ended ignominiously, ignored by the public in February 2006. The question is: how did it go from selling a million copies in 1988 to disappearing in a cloud of disinterest 18 years later? Smash Hits emerged in the wake of punk and was the brainchild of ex-NME editor Nick Logan. With the bright, brash, colourful rise of the New Romantics in the early 80s, Smash Hits – being glossy rather than inky – was in a position to print captivating pics of mean, hunkin’ pop stars such as Adam Ant, David Sylvian and John Taylor (of Duran Duran). By the mid 80s it outsold the NME, Melody Maker and Sounds combined by almost 3:1. Smash Hits reflected the humour of pop after the dourness of post-punk. NME was littered with postmodern critiques of pop by the likes of Paul Morley and Barney Hoskins, whereas Smash Hits was more at home getting Robert Smith of The Cure to appear on the cover peeking out from behind a fish-tank. While the legendary “hip-hop wars” raged at the NME, Smash Hits ran bets on who would replace the recently departed Clark Datchler as singer of 1980s chart-botherers Johnny Hates Jazz (Fish, who had just left Marillion, got their vote of confidence - narrowly beating Blockbusters presenter Bob “I’ll have a P please, Bob” Holness into second place).

Peak-period Smash Hits does read rather like the place where the pop journalism and surrealist comedy collide. This is due to the in-jokey nature of the writing, the willingness of pop stars to put themselves forward for a slagging, and the tone of the magazine - which wonderfully straddled disdain for, and devotion to, pop music. Smash Hits journalists took it for granted that pop music was at once the most ridiculous and most wonderful thing on the planet. And with the likes of Julian Cope, Five Star, Terence Trent D’Arby, A-ha, Morrissey and Prince filling its pages week after week, it’s not hard to see why. Even Margaret Thatcher deigned to grant an interview in the run-up to the 1987 general election, responding to journalist Tom Hibbert’s enquiry into a possible knighthood for Cliff Richard with a terse “Always be serious!” Smash Hits was never really serious, but it still managed to criticize the pop of the time in a fairly comprehensive manner. The review for Duran Duran’s 1988 LP “Big Thing” concluded that “the dumper beckons” – “going down the dumper” being the resting ground for no-longer-famous, no-longer-any-good pop stars. Memorably, the magazine once declared “The dumper has no bottom, but if it did have a bottom you’d find Paul King there.” Pop stars’ egos were systematically set upon. Most notable in this regard, was Jon Bon Jovi, who humourlessly objected to questions such as “Have you any interesting scars?” and “Have you any good fishing tips?” in a manner which seemed to speak volumes about the man. “Come on, man!,” barked the bouffanted one, “Ask me about life on the road, or how I write my songs! Do I know any good fishing tips? I mean, jeez, who gives a shit!?” It’s funny how a banal question can penetrate the surface isn’t it. The magazine’s readers were always referred to as “viewers” (as if this were all taking place on TV). Interjections from the “editor” peppered the magazine. Overly esoteric articles would end with an abrupt “(Series discontinued – you’re sacked! – Ed)”. If a pop star was rabbitting on drearily, or veering into pervy subject matter, they would be stopped in their tracks with the phrase “(Sniiiiiiiiiipp!)”. Black Type’s letters page was frequently interrupted by a sleazy publisher character. To wit: “A publisher writes: It’s an outrage! Take a letter Miss Pringle. Er, by the way, Miss Pringle…have I ever mentioned what an uncanny resemblance you bear to erstwhile “sex-kitten” Marilyn Monroe? Did you perchance see that film where Ms Monroe steps on a vent thingie, allowing the breeze to raise up her skirtings, revealing her undergarments and shapely legs? I wonder if you would oblige me by… (Sniiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!! – Ed.)"

One Smash Hits innovation was to get pop stars to review the new singles. In a memorable moment of grumpiness, “professional misery” Morrissey dismissed Alphaville’s “Forever Young” with the withering one-line review: “They should have been drowned at birth”. Samantha Fox (always referred to in the magazine as Sir Samuel Saucepot of Fox), had the following to say of Paul McCartney’s 1986 single “Press”: “Yeah, he’s grey, but my dad’s grey and Michael Heseltine is grey…” Enlightening stuff. She wrapped up by adding that she “grew up with Sgt Pepper’s records in the house”. It’s difficult to imagine, say, Paris Hilton’s P.R. people allowing such things to reach the light of day. This is probably the key to Smash Hits’ gradual demise in the 1990s. As pop stars became more and more au-fait with the ins-and-outs of the career aspect of being a pop star, they started to get wise to interview techniques. When Eternal took a year out to go on a public relations course in 1999, Smash Hits’ fate was all but sealed, really. Not that the magazine was cruel. (Well, okay it was cruel to Chesney Hawkes, whose career the magazine never took with the same gravitas as the pimpled pop star did). You could genuinely get a sense that the staff of Smash Hits cared about and even loved pop music. And pop in this sense meant Half Man Half Biscuit and The Jesus and Mary Chain as much as it did Kylie and Jason. One of Smash Hits’ staff members, Neil Tennant, left his position as assistant editor in 1985 to scale the charts himself as a member of Pet Shop Boys. Almost certainly, Tennant’s innate understanding and appreciation of pop music informed his actual pop star career.

Smash Hits’ parlance is ingrained deeply in the consciousness of anyone who grew up with the magazine in the 1980s. “Perv-breeks” were usually leather trousers as worn by a member of a “rawk” group, and such band members’ more excessive lifestyle choices were referred to in oblique but hilarious fashion. Alcohol was “rock and roll mouthwash”. To be drunk was to “have a bit of a summer cold”, having had “one Tizer too many”. And to be in the throes of a rockstar ego strop was “to be in a bit of a tizz because fame is, like, a double-edged sword…” Anyone who over-used the old hairspray was said to be in possession of a “fright-wig”. This led Italian popstress Spagna (of “Call Me” notoriety) to protest: “Is not, ‘ow you say, a frighten wig. Is real hair.” Smash Hits would always print the words of pop stars phonetically to capture their faltering English as you can see above, and the phrase “sic” was never necessary. It would even print out how a pop star laughed (“Hihihihihihihihiii!”, in the case of Kylie. Or “hurhurhurhur” in the case of Lemmy from Motorhead.) This has become standard journalistic practice, it seems. Taking their verbatim obsession to extremes, ‘ver Hits (as it was known) would faithfully reproduce even the most monotonous acid-house song lyrics. Its coup-de-grace in this area was its reproduction of the lyric to Art Of Noise’s 1984 hit “Close To The Edit” (i.e. “Dum dum/ dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum/ Dum dum dum, tra la la”.)

The influence of Smash Hits is extraordinarily far-reaching. Now you find interviews with Britney Spears and Franz Ferdinand in broadsheet newspapers, on the 6 o’clock news and so on. This was not really the case before Smash Hits came along. These days it seems that everyone is a pop critic, anyone can maintain an on-line “blog” or post to a message board or forum of some description and vent. Some use their Bebo or MySpace accounts to offer their observations on the world of popular culture. Things like Popjustice.com allow for anyone and everyone to contribute, and Popjustice’s editor Peter Robinson (himself an ex Smash Hits “scribe”) is clearly keen to keep Smash Hits’ joyous, witty approach to pop alive. Likewise, Popworld (especially when it was under the guidance of Simon Amstell) is very much in the vein of Smash Hits at its best. Smash Hits itself really started to fall asunder in the early 1990s, when a paucity of pop stars meant it had to be content with any interviewees it could get. House and rave were too faceless, too druggy for Smash Hits to tackle. Take That, East 17 and Britpop in the mid 90s saw a brief resurgence of Smash Hits’ fortunes, but by the new millennium and the proliferation of things like Pop Idol, Fame Academy and Big Brother, a kind of pop meltdown had been reached. And by this time Smash Hits had become a rather sorry, humourless thing. The final issue “boasted” “naked McFly pics!” Good grief.

At a time when the circulation of the NME is barely traceable, when pop and rock has been overrun with careerists (a recent edition of the NME suggests that you use your degree to further your career as a music journalist, yeah smash the system eh kids?!), it seems that Smash Hits’ irreverence is needed now more than ever. It does seem fair to say that Morrissey is intrinsically more interesting than Ricky from Kaiser Chiefs. What a swizz. When I bought “The Best Of Smash Hits: The 80s”, I approached the counter with crisp €20 in hand, and on mentioning that I’m entitled to a student discount, the shop assistant chirruped “that will be €19.84 then please. Approriate really, eh?” The girl stood next to him then mentioned that she wasn’t even born in 1984 and a brief discussion of 80s style ensued between them.

What “larks”, eh viewers? (Yes, that’s quite enough Smash Hits speak thank you – Ed.)

"Smash Hits: The 80s" is out now on Rhino Records. “The Best Of Smash Hits: The 80s” (Ed. Mark Frith) is also out now, and published by Sphere.

Pop Rules!

2008-07-31T13:49:00.006+01:00

Below is an article by David Quantick on the power of pop music. It is thought-provoking to say the least, and downright spot-on to say the most.

“Strange how potent cheap music is,” Noel Coward once said, doubtless while trolling round the drawing room in his pyjamas to the strains of some Cole Porter song. These days, assuming he wouldn’t be beating Paddy McAloon to death with a copy of ‘A Life Of Surprises’, Coward might be making the same remarks about the Top 40.

Potent is the word when it comes to pop music; no other form of music, not even free-style jazz or Verve b-sides, can exert the same irritating, crazed influence on the adult brain. No other music is that simple and direct; pop music, whether it’s The Beatles, Take That or Phil Bastard Collins, breaks into your mind and squats in it until you die.

Pop music is of course a subjective business. Bryan Adams and Whitney Houston records make us cool pop persons with our REM and Orb records run into the bushes and gag like hippos, but millions of other people feel very differently. Similarly, the dull men of rock out there in medialand who can only groove to Peter Gabriel, BB King and the Brits nominees run with horror from anybody over 125bpm (and indeed under 125 years old).

So we won’t waste a lot of time defining the creaking question of what is pop? – except to say that if it is Sting, then all we have ever fought for is an empty sham. Nirvana – they have hits, they have tunes – are pop. Public Enemy – they are exciting, they make memorable records – are pop. And, sadly, even Undercover – they look like shit, they are shit – are pop. Hey, that’s showbiz.

Some people won’t accept this. Some people think that their record collections are morally superior to other people’s record collections. They think that liking Belly or Pavement makes them better, more intelligent people than folks who opt for Erasure or East 17. Bloody hell, some people think that pop – that’s pop, ladies and gentlemen, the musical form that gave the world Motown and The Beatles and punk rock and Suede – is inferior to what they thrillingly call “proper music”. They will tell you from the moral high ground of owning ‘It’s A Shame About Ray’ that people who like pop music are “morons” or “brainwashed”. And we wonder why Morrissey is so popular.

STUDENT: “These pop groups are rubbish. They don’t even play their own instruments!”
HUGE NUCLEAR BOMB EXPLOSION
STUDENT: “AIIIEEEE!!!!”

- Extract from my forthcoming novel Die Sad Indie Boy, Die!

You know what pisses me off? This: there are thousands of people out there who profess themselves fit enough to go into shops and buy records but who despise everything about pop music. They might from time to time buy a Pet Shop Boys single because they have heard that Neil Tennant is a bit “ironic”; they might have a couple of drinks and dance to ABBA at a party because that’s a “funny” thing to do; and they like a bit of SexKylie (even though they do not know why ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ was a great single) but show them anything outside their weeping world of guitar self-righteousness and they sneer a half-wit’s sneer of disdain.

History is riddled with such gits. In the 1950s, when everyone was doing it naked in the streets to Elvis Presley and Little Richard and Chuck Berry, these people were buying 1920s-style trad jazz albums and wearing bowler hats.

In the 1960s, when everyone was doing it on speed and then acid in the streets to everything from The Monkees to Smokey Robinson, from The Who to Jimi Hendrix, these people were sitting down and listening to weedy white grammar school boys playing tedious copies of old blues songs. And then there were the 70s…

The 70s, as we know, gave us punk. But the real reason for punk rock wasn’t social upheaval or inflation or the oil crisis; it all came about one afternoon when the nation’s sane teenagers – happy with their T Rex and Bowie and Barry White and Philly Soul and all the rich cultural heritage of the day – finally tired of being told by their elder brothers that the likes of Yes and Genesis and ELP and Wishbone Ash – decaying, talent-free, self-abusing arsefluff of the devil every single one of them – were not only “good” but were in fact “important” because they could play their instruments and wrote about elves and spacemen.

BAM! That was it. The nation’s pop kids went through nine evolutionary stages in a week and destroyed the world in a spitting, leather and safety-pin hail of hate and guitars. Well, almost. Some of the sadder punks claimed the joy and release of disco was in fact “faceless” and, horrors, “commercial” and formed sad hardcore labels in the 1980s which went bust. Wicked!

“I could do with the money…” – David Bowie, ‘Star’

But we digress. The point is that these wankers have always been wrong about pop. Who cares if people play their own instruments or even sing on their own records? It’s what the record sounds like that counts. Who cares if pop is “mindless”? It’s an emotional form; given the right circumstances a pop record can be even more exciting or moving or even weird than anything “rock” has to offer.

Ah, say some invertebrates or Levellers fans, but pop records are so meaningless and cynical and tacky. Pop artists only care about the money and they put no thought or creativity into the record, like, and you have to admit that Stock, Aitken and Waterman weren’t in it for the love.

This is an interesting argument. It assumes that you can only make good records if you are doing it for free and giving the proceeds to charity, which pretty much puts paid to every record ever made. It also assumes that rock equals honesty and pop equals dishonesty, and neither of these things is true.

Pop is honest. It was invented to make money and it never pretends otherwise. And it will shamelessly try every trick in the book to make you like it. It steals from everyone and it makes no bones about it; at the moment, it’s stealing from hip-hop, ragga, hardcore, techno and even Asian music (pop, is in fact, the only real “world music”) and it doesn’t pretend to originality – this despite the fact that there’s more inventiveness in a third-rate dance track than most of U2’s career. Look at an average band like East 17, whose records casually blend about five different musical styles from the past 20 years, but fail to boast about it. Meanwhile, Elvis Costello hires a string quartet and you’d think he’d found the lost bastard chord. Originality in pop is a daily occurrence; originality in rock means owning a Big Star album.

Rock, basically, is dishonest. It’s founded on dishonesty, from Jim Morrison pretending to be a poet to Bruce Springsteen pretending to be a steelworker. The major labels are crammed with rebels in limos, street kids with accountants and pure woodland spirits with $1,000,000,000-a-day coke habits.

Morrissey is a stadium rock act who sells himself as a lonely bedsit lad. Bono promotes himself as a man subverting the very concept of rock, when in fact all U2 are is Bon Jovi with boggle shades and a good art director.

The worst pork pie about rock and pop, however, is the claims they make about “meaning”. The difference between rock and pop isn’t that rock has meaning and pop doesn’t – it’s that rock claims to have meaning, whereas pop generates meaning. It’s like this: nearly every “serious” rock act seeks to have some kind of artistic impact on the listener. Sometimes they fail and sometimes they don’t, but they’re always after that effect.

Pop records, though, can be crass and cynical and all that, but because people take them up and relate them to their lives or to incidents in their lives, those records mean something. It might be as spooky as ‘Man On The Moon’ or ‘How Soon Is Now’ or it might be some saccharine weepy that turns up twice a week on Our Tune, but it doesn’t matter.

Pop is great because people take meaning from it and, while it’s unlikely to change our lives, it reflects our lives and becomes part of them too.

Strange, how potent cheap music is.

- David Quantick, “Pop Rules!”, NME (6/2/93)

David Turpin: My Favourite Things

2008-07-28T17:48:00.006+01:00

I meet David Turpin in a bar that doubles as a sort of library. Books surround us. Some cackling ladies are apparently over for a hen party. The strange mixture of literature and let-your-hair-down fun could seem incongruous, but here it feels oddly appropriate. It is the perfect place to ask the bookish, thoughtful, Sandymount based grave-digger (i.e. he “digs” graves, ho ho!) about his new album, his favourite records, books and films, and about the relationship between sex and death. And, of course! The politics of dancing – on graves.

David’s debut LP, “The Sweet Used-To Be”, is this year’s most strikingly original Irish album. Gentle electronics and the occasional sample provide the backdrop for a lyrical world populated by ghosts and wild animals and the atmosphere is just a little bit spooky. It is redolent of 4AD’s more wistful, ethereal output: This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins and even Frazier Chorus. Momus and Pet Shop Boys also spring to mind. One of the sprightliest things on the record is called “Dancing On My Grave”. Turpin is, it seems, enamoured with the supernatural. I enquire if he is interested in Romantic Poetry. “The Romantic Poets were always praising nature, talking about how wonderful it is and feeling in awe of it. I’m more interested in the idea that nature can be cruel too, and even evil. Besides I’m not just interested in the natural world, I’m interested in the world of the fairies.”

Later, he tells me that his dog died recently. “The difference between being alive one minute and being dead the next is so small but still so huge. I know it’s only a dog and I’m not comparing it to a human dying, but I looked around the house and all the dog’s baskets were there. We buried him in the garden. Really it was the last act of kindness I could show him. You don’t have to be particularly religious to feel that sense of the sanctity of a grave. My song ‘Dancing On My Grave’ is an invitation to somebody to dance on my grave when I’m dead.” I ask him what he thinks of the idea of people who plan to dance on Margaret Thatcher’s grave when she passes on. “Whether you’re an atheist of not, to do that is such a profoundly disrespectful thing to do, to make light of somebody’s death like that. You know that feeling when you’re in a graveyard and you accidentally step on someone’s grave…? But to actually invite someone to dance on your grave after you’re dead is either an act of incredible masochism, or it’s a very empowering thing to do”.

A brief discussion of the history of masochism in pop ensues. “That Antony and the Johnsons song “Fistful of Love” is so great because he freely and openly admits to being a masochist. He says he likes being slapped around. Some people pretend to be into masochism but feel the need to let you know that they don’t approve of that sort of thing really. That’s what that song by The Crystals, ‘He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)’ was all about. There’s a real honesty about that song. People don’t want to hear a woman say those things, but The Crystals are obviously singing in character there. Immediately everyone is looking for the man pulling the strings who is making her sing this. Little Eva (of “The Locomotion” fame – Ed) told Carol King that her boyfriend had hit her because he heard she’d cheated but she was pleased in a way because it meant he loved her, so Carol wrote a song about it. It’s a representation of something that isn’t nice but we’re still entitled to sing about it. It’s a taboo – we can’t talk about the impulse to be the victim.” Ah yes, pop’s dark side. It’s not all “I Should Be So Lucky” and “Touch My Bum” you know.

He tells me he’d love to work with Kylie, and I have to applaud the ambition that is latent in this statement. So many Dublin musicians seem to think that having your demo get a spin on Phantom FM is as good as it gets. So who else would you like to record with, David? “Grace Jones. Have you heard her new song? It’s alright, it sounds like a Massive Attack song, but it opens with the line ‘Pleased to eat you, pleased to have you on my plate’ which is brilliant, very Grace Jones. I saw her live once and she was two hours late coming on stage. All these people around me were booing – you could tell they didn’t know Grace Jones. When she did arrive you knew immediately that she was doing you a favour by just being there. Liza Minelli, especially since Cabaret, always has this…grip on herself. She’s always seeking attention, always asking to be loved in one way or another. But with Grace Jones you believe it.” Maybe that’s the difference between growing up in Hollywood and growing up in the riot-strewn Jamaica of the late 60s and early 70s? “Maybe, yeah. If I made a record with Grace Jones and she didn’t treat me like shit throughout the recording process, I’d be disappointed.” Spoken like a true masochist. So, David Turpin, tell us about some of your favourite things…

MUSIC
Kate Bush “The Hounds of Love” (1985)
“It’s a record that has its own sealed world. You can like it or dislike it but you can’t really say it’s deficient, you know, because it is what it is what it is. There’s a real sense of joy about it. You have to look past the big 80s drums, but it’s still a masterpiece. ‘Hounds of Love’ is really where Kate Bush ceases to just be a singles artist and becomes an albums artist. All the little girlishness of her earlier records falls away at this point. You know that line “is there so much hate for the ones we love?” It’s the sound of the record too. Her voice is obviously very evocative and the lyrics are very good… blah blah blah…but all the sounds that are going on in this record are great too. She shamelessly writes about topics that some people might think of as being incredibly boring, but she manages to extrapolate something form them that justifies the reference. ‘Cloudbusting’ is about Wilhelm Reich who I don’t know that much about, and the whole second side is about Tennyson! So it might be intellectual but it could, you know, go on Top of the Pops, and it did in fact. I love the almost onomatopoeia of “Running Up That Hill”, the drums sound like someone running and so on, I like that attention to detail. There are sounds on the record where you’re not sure if you actually heard it or dreamed it or imagined it. Those voices on ‘Waking The Witch’ for example, and that song that follows it (’Watching You Without Me’ – Ed), where a voice appears as a ghostly thing. Her last album was good too, and she came back with dignity, which is…admirable. I always think of her as being this sort of ancient being, but she’s not – she’s probably only something like fifty years old…”

Jimmy Scott “Heaven” (1996)
“He made records as Little Jimmy Scott and he had a sort of alto female voice, so it was kind of separated from gender. He then went away for a bit and came back and made a record with Ray Charles, which didn’t get released. After that he went off into obscurity for a long time until he was sort of rediscovered by Lou Reed in the early 90s. He released this record called “Heaven” which a collection of spirituals. One of them is called “There’s No Disappointment In Heaven”. He sings it like a ninety-year-old man that has the innocence of a child. It’s jazz, but it’s a very spacious sort of jazz sound, it’s not a cocktail jazz sound. It’s kind of hard to say what’s so great about it. He had a bad family history, it sounds like he’s singing the story of his life. It’s weird to hear him since that song “Heaven” (a Talking Heads cover – Ed), because the song is maybe atheist or agnostic at best, but he makes into a sort of spiritual song and brings out the ambiguity of it. It’s a cynical song drained of cynicism and there’s still something there. Even though it’s very anti-God because he’s very religious he manages to find the faith in it. When I grew up were weren’t raised religious, I thought that was fairly normal but then years later I realized it wasn’t so normal at all. So I don’t really have a background in religious music, it’s something I discovered much later - maybe as a teenager. I’m interested in that notion of wanting to pray even though you don’t know who or what you’re praying to. I don’t dance but I would never dance on somebody’s grave, no.”

Missy ‘Misdemeanor’ Elliot “Supa-Dupa Fly” (1997)
“I’ve just been getting into hip-hop recently. Journalists tend to ask me who I think I sound like and I’m often tempted to mention The Sugarhill Gang and things like that, but they’re not really an influence on my record, though they could be on the next one. My friend who plays keyboards with me and writes with me is really into block parties – with a ‘k’ mind you. And so I’ve started to sort of plunge into that a bit. “Supa-Dupa Fly” is sort of like “The Hounds of Love” in that it just takes this pleasure in invention. I find some of the sounds on it really funny. I don’t know why but anytime you hear all the sounds fit in to place it makes you laugh. When I record something with my friend and it just sounds right, we laugh. Missy Elliot is also a very underrated singer, a soul singer. I’m not saying she’s the best singer there is, but she is good, and she’s a good rapper too. There aren’t many female producers around who produce for other people. There are lots who produce themselves of course, Joni Mitchell, Bjork produces her stuff with Nellee Hooper obviously, but I can’t think of many jobbing female producers.”

FILM
“Blue Velvet” (1986)
“I love the film; I think it’s far better than ‘American Beauty’. I like Laura Dern’s character in it. A lot of people don’t understand it, they think it’s funny, particularly that scene outside the church but I don’t think it’s funny at all. I like how her character is treated here - sympathetically. Not like in ‘American Beauty’, where the film thinks it’s so much better than the character Mena Suvari plays. It spends all its time mocking her and reveling in her misery, it’s laughing at her all the time. I like how in Blue Velvet it treats the girl as a “girl in trouble”. Sure, she’s not very clever and she’s spoilt and so on but that doesn’t matter. I love the score. I know it’s full of big 80s synth-pads, but it adds to it. It’s mysterious and electronic; we don’t really know where we are. Lots of Angelo Badalamenti’s scores are like that. Even in ‘Twin Peaks’, the jazz bits are played on sort of electronic instruments, there’s something not quite right about it. I love the main song in ‘Blue Velvet’, the simplicity of it. I think it’s just a couple of lines – ‘Sometimes the wind blows and the mysteries of love come clear…’”

BOOK
Michael Lesy “Wisconsin Death Trip”
“It’s a book of photographs taken in this town were tragedy seemed to be around every turn. There was a cholera epidemic, lots of people died, all the kids turned out gay, and it just seemed that everything turned out wrong in this town. There are a lot of photographs of dead babies’ bodies. It’s like the last act of kindness the parents’ could show to their dead infant children. When somebody dies and you get to see them after their death, it’s the first time you ever get to see them still, genuinely still. A friend of mine died, though I didn’t see him die, and I didn’t see his body, but I imagine it’s the same with a person as it was with my dog. Not that I mean to compare the two things!”

David Turpin’s album, “The Sweet Used-To Be”, is out now on Kabinet Records.

Ancient, But Justified.

2008-07-28T01:46:00.007+01:00

Just a quick note to say that KLF Online is sort of back and running again having been mothballed for some time. They've just re-instated everything that was there before, downloads-and-all, so it's the "one stop shop" for "all your Drummond and Cauty related needs". If you need reminding why The KLF were the best thing ever to happen to pop music, have a look at this...

...and a read of this...

THE GOLDEN RULES

"Lieber and Stoller, Goffin and King, Berry Gordy, Chinn and Chapman and Pete Waterman have all understood the Golden Rules thoroughly. The reason why Waterman will not continue churning out number ones from now until the end of the century, and the others had only limited reigns, is not because Lady Luck’s hand strayed elsewhere or that fashion moved on, it is because after you’ve had a run of success your coffers are full, keeping strictly to the “GRs” is boring. It all becomes empty and meaningless. Some have become emotionally or business-wise embroiled with artists whose ambitions now lie elsewhere and far from merely having Number Ones. Lieber and Stoller could walk into a studio tomorrow and have a world-wide Number One in three months if they were so motivated.

The basic Golden Rules as far as they apply to writing a debut single that can go to Number One in the UK Charts are as follows:

Do not attempt the impossible by trying to work the whole thing out before you go into the studio. Working in a studio has to be a fluid and creative venture but at all times remember at the end of it you are going to have to have a 7-inch version that fulfills all the criteria perfectly.

Do not try and sit down and write a complete song. Songs that have been written in such a way and reached Number One can only be done by the true song-writing genius and be delivered by artists with such forceful convincing passion that the world HAS to listen. You know the sort of thing, “Sailing” by Rod Stewart, “Without You” by Nilsson.

What the Golden Rules can provide you with is a frame-work that you can fit the component parts into.

Firstly, it has to have a dance groove that will run all the way through the record and that the current 7-inch-buying generation will find irresistible. Secondly, it must be no longer than three minutes and thirty seconds (just under three minutes and twenty seconds is preferable). If they are any longer Radio One daytime DJs will start fading early or talking over the end, when the chorus is finally being hammered home – the most important part of any record. Thirdly, it must consist of an intro, a verse, a chorus, second verse, a second chorus, a breakdown section, back into a double length chorus and outro. Fourthly, lyrics. You will need some, but not many.

- from “The Manual (How To Have A Number One The Easy Way)” by Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond, 1988."

Good, eh?

Birdie "Some Dusty" (1999)

2008-07-27T11:29:00.004+01:00

Tracklist:
1. Laugh
2. Dusty Morning
3. Let Her Go
4. One Two Five
5. Lazy Day
6. Folk Singer
7. Port Sunlight
8. Blue Dress
9. Linus
10. I Can't Let Go

Birdie are (or were - I'm not sure they're still a going concern) Debsey Wykes and Paul Kelly. Debsey was a member of Dolly Mixture, who released some records in the early 80s which can bring tears of nostalgia to the eyes of aged indie anoraks up and down the country. 'Ver Mixture (as Smash Hits would probably have called them) became Captain Sensible's backing band for a bit. That's Debsey dressed as a south sea islander performing "Happy Talk" on Top of the Pops. Paul Kelly was a member of East Village. He directs music videos these days (for Eighteenth Day of May and Birdie), and he has also just finished work on a documentary on the Royal Festival Hall which is called "This Is Tomorrow" (see post below). Debsey and Paul met when they toured with Saint Etienne in the early nineties.

"Some Dusty" was Birdie's first album, released in the autumn of 1999. Reviews at the time were generally very positive and it seemed that all of them mentioned "early Velvet Underground" as being the primary influence on Birdie's sound (such a sound!), and as you'll hear, there are similarities. I prefer to think of this as "Sunday Morning Music", perfect music for hangovers. Aural Alka Seltzer. The spirit of C86 is also lurking in here, and sixties pop at its most laid back; Francoise Hardy, Donovan, Marianne Faithfull that sort of thing. I don't know if Debsey is a great singer as such, but she has a beautiful voice. On "One Two Five" and "Folk Singer" double-tracking showcases her vocal talents wonderfully, and the band are no slouches either (hopefully Roman Empress will be along at some stage to pass on some more info about them). "Blue Dress" is a world of organs, Revolver-style backwards guitar and psychedelic strings - it's just magnificent is an unassuming sort of way. It would take a hard heart to resisit the soothing single "Let Her Go" or the shimmering "Port Sunlight". Track this album down, and while you're about it pick up their follow up set "Triple Echo". Birdie are a great lost band, so I'm happy to spread the word about them.

Youtube:
Let Her Go
Such A Sound

The Collected Films of Saint Etienne

2008-07-27T01:15:00.015+01:00

To anyone who knows me who might be reading...you knew I would do this.

Today, somebody asked me who my favourite group was. I gave the pat answer that OBVIOUSLY I couldn't choose just one. In truth, I was being coy, Saint Etienne sprang to mind immediately.

Their albums and singles, it should go without saying, are always brilliant, fresh-sounding, future-eyeing, intelligent pop. And they keep getting better, their most recent album "Tales From Turnpike House" is probably their best so far. A new compilation is released in September. Appropriately enough it is called "London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne", and two singles are coming along with it; a new version of "Burnt Out Car" (re-jigged by Xenomania), and a collaboration with Annie and Richard X called "This Is Tomorrow", which incidentally is the name of Saint Etienne's latest film.

My favourite thing Saint Etienne have ever done is probably their film "Finisterre", which they made in 2002 to sort-of promote their album of the same name, and which finally got released on DVD over here in 2005. It's about London: the train journeys to the city centre from the suburbs, the coffee shops, record shops and parks; it's about people's experiences of living and working there, or of leaving and coming back to it. It goes into the night life, romantic literature about the city, the gulf between the sunken, run down council estates and the luxury appartments in affluent areas. It depicts the city as it undergoes a period of renewal at the beginning of this decade; many locations in the film have apparently disappeared since it was made. Many people are interviewed to talk about their experience of London (among them White Stripes' producer Liam Watson, Vashti Bunyan, novelist Shena Mackay and Subway Sect leader-turned-postie Vic Goddard) but no-one actually appears on film as a talking head, instead we just hear their voices over lovingly-shot images of the city. Saint Etienne's music and a narration, which is delivered by Michael Jayston and written by Bob Stanley and Kevin Pearce, hold it all together via a flurry of musical and literary references (of which my favourite is the McCarthy/ Manics inspired "We told the friendly bank manager about our dreams, he talked of business plans and pension schemes; Natwest, Barclays, Midland, Lloyds: use a bank? I'd rather die..."). At one point the voice over intones "My object is to encourage an appreciation of the unlooked for pleasures. The create an enthusiasm for the neglected or undervalued...the freakish, even." - a sentiment which I, and I'm sure many "bloggers", can identify with. "Finisterre" is a real work of love; beautifully shot, well narrated, and ultimately... very Saint Etienne. Bob and co-director Paul Kelly (also a member of Birdie, of whom more tomorrow...) were interviewed for The Guardian's media section last week and you can see that here. Kieran Evans also deserves credit for his wonderful work on "Finisterre".

Here's a YouTube link of a live version of a track from the album "Finisterre" (on the album it's immediately followed by the quote "Rock could be so good, but we make it all so rubbishy...").

And while we're about it...
a very short and very selective history of rock on film.

Eggstone "Ca Chauffe En Suede! Avec Eggstone" (compilation, 1999)

2008-07-26T11:45:00.007+01:00

Further to the Scandinavian Pop post below...

Tracklist:
1. Waiting For The Bell
2. Still All Stands Still
3. Against The Sun
4. If You Say
5. Summer and Looking For a Job
6. See The Good Things
7. Good Morning
8. She's Perfect
9. Marabous
10. Wrong Heaven
11. Beach Boy
12. Shooting Time
13. Penguin
14. Sun King
15. The Dog
16. Birds In Cages
17. Brass
18. Taramasalata
19. Mizu

One summer in the late nineties, Supergrass were due to play at Denmark's Roskilde festival but had to pull out at the last minute. The gap they left on the bill was filled by Eggstone, who strode out on stage wearing stuck on sideburns and other items of comedy facial hair. This is reason enough to like them isn't it. Well I think so anyway.

Per Sunding, Patrik Bartosch and Maurits Carlsson, who comprise the group, had met about ten years previously on the ferry back to their native Malmo from the Roskilde festival. Eventually, along with their friends Tore Johansson and Anders Nordgren, they established Tambourine Studios in Malmo. Five years after that they set up their own record label and called it Vibrafon, which is sort of appropriate given what Eggstone's records sounded like. The Cardigans' best albums were recorded with Tore Johansson at Tambourine. Scott 4, Texas, New Order and Saint Etienne also recorded here. Not since Benny and Bjorn from ABBA founded Polar Studios in 1978, had one band had such influence over the sound of Swedish pop music.

Not that Eggstone get the credit they deserve outside their native country. In Spain there has for some years been a vibrant indie-pop scene based around the Siesta record label in Madrid. Eccentric record label boss Mike Alway, who helped to found Cherry Red and él records in the UK, is based in Madrid now, and has links with Siesta. It's no surprise then that the label released an Eggstone compilation called "Spanish Slalom", raising the group's profile - just a little - in Spain. In 1999, the confusingly titled compilation "Ca Chauffe En Suede! Avec Eggstone" was released to mild critical acclaim. In fact I think only Uncut magazine picked up on it at all. Tracks from all three Eggstone albums ("Eggstone In San Diego", "Somersault", Vive La Différence") appear here, so it's a good place to start with the group. They've never split by the way so hope remains of a fourth album appearing at some stage.

"Waiting For The Bell" is a brilliant introduction to the band, the Tambourine sound is all in place here, in the crisp drums, the bright pianos and vibes. Having been so taken with Eggstone in the late 90s that I visited Malmo myself, it's impossible to hear these records without thinking of woodcabins in the forests of Skane, of Malmo's modest fishing port, and still, chilly, Swedish air. Listening to the exhilirating "Against The Sun" now, I wonder why Eggstone weren't bigger in the UK. Just try to listen to it without grinning. The sixties swing of "See The Good Things" and "Marabous" would have sat comfortably in the UK charts at the height of britpop. They're just two of the songs here that lurch off into psychedelia, the sort of things you might expect to find on a Dukes of Stratosphear record. "Good Morning" and "She's Perfect" are string-drenched, cocktail party pop songs, while "Shooting Time" anticipates The Cardigans' disco direction on "Lovefool".

Enjoy!

The 2008 Popjustice Music Prize Short List

2008-07-23T11:33:00.005+01:00

Announced yesterday. Always a good overview of British pop in any given year, the recipitents of the PJ prize receive "a crisp £20 note" for their efforts. For the past six years the award has shadowed the Mercury Prize, so just as both shortlists were revealed yesterday, so the winner will be announced on September 9th. You'll have read about the Mercury Prize in just about every newspaper today, probably. Here's the shortlist for the 2008 PJ£20 Prize then...

'A&E' - Goldfrapp
'About You Now' - Sugababes
'Bleeding Love' - Leona Lewis
'Call The Shots' - Girls Aloud
'Dance Wiv Me' - Dizzee Rascal feat Calvin Harris
'Flux' - Bloc Party
'Money' - Daggers
'That's Not My Name' - The Ting TIngs
'Valerie' - Mark Ronson feat Amy Winehouse
'Ready For The Floor' - Hot Chip
'Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control)' - Groove Armada feat Mutya Buena
'Stuck On Repeat' - Little Boots

Popjustice

Frazier Chorus "Sue" (1989)

2008-07-23T00:23:00.006+01:00

Tracklist:
1. Dream Kitchen
2. Storm
3. Forty Winks
4. Ha-Ha-Happiness
5. Sloppy Heart
6. Living Room
7. Sugar High
8. Forgetful
9. Typical!
10. Ski-Head
11. Little Chef

This might be the most criminally underrated album I own. Seriously, if you ever find this in a second hand shop, on vinyl or CD, buy it. They were formed by vocalist Tim Freeman (brother of Martin Freeman, the actor who played Tim in The Office. And if that sentence sounds ambiguous that's ok - some people say he based the character on his elder brother), the woodwind playing Kate Holmes, Chris Taplin and Michelle Allardyce. Frazier Chorus's story really begins when an early version of "Sloppy Heart" falls into the hands of 4AD and is a minor indie hit. Then the band leave that label and sign to Virgin, releasing their debut LP "Sue" in 1989. Their second album was called "Ray", incidentally. I like to think the albums were given christian names but actually I think it's more likely the title "Sue" refers to litigation - there is a line on the album that goes "they say you're itching to sue..." - which would fit in with the band's darker side.

The most noticeable thing about Frazier Chorus on first listen is undoubtedly Freeman's whispery voice. Then there's the clarinet, oboe, flute and plucked violin strings. All of this is going on over gentle synth-pop. It's clear that the chief lyrical pre-occupation here is with domesticity. Most of the songs seem to be set in a sort of suburban middle-class hell. "Dream Kitchen" which was almost a hit in 1989 is full of this imagery, mention of the kitchen sink, tea and the phrase "this stuff's so kind to my hands, I'm never gonna change to a different brand". Dark humour abounds, sometimes it's laugh-out-loud funny: the aforementioned single contains the bitter line "Your life's too good to be true/ I think I'll ruin it for you", and it's just sung in a ridiculously chirpy way. Later, the opening lines of "Forgetful" go: "I just saw your friend and he told me to forget your haircut and forget your shoes/ He told me all the things I ought to forget and I forgot them all, except for you". It cracks me up every time, because the music behind it is so downbeat. Then I remember how sour the lyrics can be; when they're not all to do with revenge, infidelity and jealousy, they're about self-harm or wanking ("Sloppy Heart") or refer to dead dogs ("Ski-Head"). You won't be surprised to hear that "Dream Kitchen"'s b-side, "Down", was about oral sex.

An album with lyrics like that has no right to be so damn pretty. Frazier Chorus never quite matched it again, although their 1990 single "Cloud 8", which was produced by (Lightning Seed) Ian Broudie, is rather good. They hemorrhaged a member with each album until by 1996, Tim Freeman was using the Frazier Chorus handle to put out what was really solo material. Chris Taplin formed Espiritu who had a couple of decent singles in the mid 1990s on Heavenly. Kate Holmes is now a member of Client along with Sarah Blackwood (ex-Dubstar).

One Dove "Morning Dove White" (1993)

2008-07-22T21:15:00.005+01:00

Tracklist:
1. Fallen
2. White Love (Guitar Paradise Mix)
3. Breakdown (Cellophane Boat Mix)
4. There Goes The Cure
5. Sirens
6. My Friend
7. The (Transient) Truth
8. Why Don't You Take Me
9. White Love (Piano Reprise)
10. Breakdown (Radio Mix)
11. White Love (Radio Mix)

This is one of those records which you remember being a bigger hit than it actually was. Perhaps that's because One Dove were all over the music press during 1993 and 1994, to the point where lead singer Dot Allison became something of an indie pin up. It's suprising indeed that "Morning Dove White" wasn't a smash as its mixture of dubby, lollopping rhythms and dreamy melodiousness sounds like a perfect meeting between The Orb, Cocteau Twins and Curve. Maybe it was just a bit ahead of its time. Death In Vegas would go on to record similarly stoned pop towards the end of the 90s, to great acclaim and even commercial success. It's no surprise Dot collaborated with them. Andrew Weatherall, who co-produced this with the band and engineer Jagz Kooner, is legendary for his soporific Balearic productions whether under his real name or recording as Sabres of Paradise. This album could be his best work though.

You won't, I suspect, do much in the way of dancing to this album. And it's not really a record to do the washing up to either. This is very much a record to light josticks to. At its best you might catch yourself singing along to some irresistible tune ("Fallen", "White Love"). But really this is a lazy, downtempo sort of album. It's quite wistful and sad sounding in places, and often is redolent of the trippier moments from Primal Scream's "Screamadelica". That's quite a compliment. It really consists of conventional enough pop songs which have been stretched out, like dub reggae mixes, or like floaty, extended jams. Two of its singles ("Breakdown" and "Why Don't You Take Me") did manage to scrape into the top 30, as did the album itself. Nevertheless, "Morning Dove White" is a bit of an overlooked classic.

What Madonna Should Do Next

2008-07-22T18:07:00.003+01:00

Madonna "Something To Remember" (compilation, 1995)

Tracklist:
1. I Want You (with Massive Attack)
2. I'll Remember
3. Take A Bow
4. You'll See
5. Crazy For You
6. This Used To Be My Playground
7. Live To Tell
8. Love Don't Live Here Anymore
9. Something To Remember
10. Forbidden Love
11. One More Chance
12. Rain
13. Oh Father
14. I Want You (Orchestral) [with Massive Attack]

Her marriage to Guy Ritchie may or may not be in trouble, but after the disappointment of the recent “Hard Candy” LP, marital strife might just inspire Madonna to an artistic renaissance.

Last month, the tabloid papers were awash with speculation on the state of Madonna’s marriage. Just the usual gossipy prattle you expect really. In April Madonna released her latest LP, “Hard Candy”, featuring collaborations with Pharell Williams, Kanye West, Timbaland and Justin Timberlake. It was something of a disappointment after the brilliant “Confessions On A Dancefloor”. Despite boasting the number one single “4 Minutes”, much of the new album’s 40 minutes seemed to take 4 hours to tick away. Only the current single “Beat Goes On” (a throwback to the era of 80s Soul Weekenders) and the polite but charming “Miles Away” really leaped out at the listener. Madonna always does this, of course. She succumbs to the law of diminishing returns only to arrest the rot about three albums down the line. Her next album will either be disastrous or it will be another, surprising, career highlight. If she’s aiming for the latter option, perhaps she should explore the complications of her personal life.

Back in 1989, after a painful divorce from Sean Penn, Madonna released what was by far her best album up to that point, “Like A Prayer”. Apparently, the recording process was torturous, delayed by the singer’s gloom, punctuated by extended sobbing sessions and much soul-searching. It may well have been painful for its creator, but it’s hard to deny that the resulting record was terrific. “Oh Father” and “Keep It Together” were ruminations on broken homes, “Dear Jessie” an exercise in comforting infantilism, “Cherish” was the moment of optimism amidst the anguish, and the title track was The Bold Statement. According to Lucy O’Brien’s superb study of the history of women in pop, rock and soul, “She Bop”, even the fact that Madonna ditched the peroxide and allowed her natural auburn locks to roam free was a statement. It said she wasn’t just the sexualized blonde strumpet of media imaginings - she was an individual, not just a marketing man’s puppet, and that she needed a change. Of course, a mere eighteen months after the album’s release she was blonde again, and cavorting with some manly hunk in the video for “Justify My Love” but that’s where a reputation as a sex-pot will lead you.

Since then, the “Ray Of Light” album has come to be seen as her best work but, for me, Madonna’s most interesting characteristic is her way with a despondent tear-soaked ballad. And for that reason, the 1995 compilation “Something To Remember” is a fantastic record. When I was a child in the 1980s it always seemed that the sort of pop the girls at school really liked wasn’t the product of Stock, Aitken and Waterman’s brainstorming sessions, or the enthusiastically received (in the music press) output of The Smiths, Pet Shop Boys or New Order. The girls at school preferred weepies. You were more likely to catch my elder sister and her playground friends singing “Crazy For You” or “Live To Tell”. Skip forward to the mid 90s, and ballads like “This Used To Be My Playground”, “You’ll See” and “Take A Bow” are the memorable Madonna songs. And when you remember that those 90s singles came after a truly low-ebb for Madonna - the release of 1992’s underwhelming “Erotica” album, and its attendant book “Sex” - a light-bulb pops in this writer’s head. The surest way for Madonna to turn around her lagging fortunes is to play to her real strength, which is singing brilliant big-balled ballads. You’ll find all of the best ones on “Something To Remember”.

She has of course had the occasional tender moment since the electro-revival of “Ray Of Light”. Some of that album’s more enduring moments include the terrific “The Power Of Goodbye”, lead single “Frozen” and the underappreciated “Little Star” (I say “underappreciated” because it’s lurking on a pop album, and albums are a rock business, right kids?). Since “Ray Of Light”, Madonna has pursued that dancey pop direction, best heard on the barnstorming likes of “Hung Up” and “Music”. But it feels like Madonna’s output this decade has been inconsistent. The general tunelessness and crap rapping of “American Life” didn’t help her critical reputation, and now “Hard Candy” has shown that Madonna is quite capable of following a genuinely great album with a frustratingly patchy one. If singles are anything to go by, let it be remembered that you could have picked almost anything for release from “Confessions…”, whereas this time it’s hard to say which of “Hard Candy”’s perfunctory r’n’b trots will be chosen next.

When Madonna fails in her attempt to make us dance, she can always rely on her ability to make us cry. That’s why I’m hoping her next album will be a blub-athon of mammoth proportions.

1234567890 Achtung! The Mysterious World of Short Wave Numbers Stations

2008-07-22T18:05:00.008+01:00

A child’s strange, mechanized voice is announcing a series of apparently random numbers. Odd, xylophone-aided, musical interludes are repeated on a loop. Now a disembodied voice barks the phrase “konek!” and the broadcast falls silent. This isn’t some new musical experiment from Steve Reich. You are listening to short wave radio and have stumbled upon a Numbers Station. These intriguing, and often disturbing, radio broadcasts have been beamed across Europe from various secret locations for the best part of 50 years. But who is broadcasting and what exactly are they in aid of? Officially, the answer is that nobody really knows. Short Wave enthusiasts the world over, however, are unanimous in asserting that these “stations” are a means used by the world’s various secret services to communicate information to spies. They are illegal – in fact, theoretically you could be arrested for just listening to one.

Numbers Stations used to be all over short wave radio, especially during the Cold War. Now, they are still in evidence although to a lesser degree. Try scanning through the short wave dial at nighttime, where you will be bombarded with radio broadcasts from all over the world. “The Voice of Russia”, “Radio Havana Cuba”, a plethora of American religious evangelists, distorted pop from the Asian sub-continent; you’ll find it all here. But nothing is more exciting on listening to the SW band than finding a Numbers Station. Radio enthusiasts make a hobby out of searching for them, and swap notes on which broadcasts have been found, which times the recordings were made, which wavelength was being used and so on. But the target audience for these broadcasts is apparently that man on the park bench wearing the dirty rain mac and sunglasses. Or possibly sitting on a train reading a newspaper with two holes cut out for him to peep through.

The only people who are prepared to comment on the machinations of Numbers Stations are radio hobbyists, no nation state has ever confirmed or denied that they operate such a station. According to the short wave aficionados however, the station that has become known as “The Lincolnshire Poacher” is operated by MI6, and broadcasts from a rather tatty old building in Cyprus. Its transmitters are directed towards the Middle East so what the secret service can do is send one of their agents to a country like Turkey (for example) and send messages to him over the airwaves. Similarly, it is thought that MOSSAD, the KGB and others have all made use of this means of communication.

So how do they work? All you need to decode the broadcast is a pen, access to a short wave radio and what is called a “one time pad”. Each letter of the alphabet is randomly assigned an equivalent number, creating a numerical language in which messages can be spelled out, jotted down and ultimately interpreted by the agent in question. Each time a new message is broadcast, the letters of the alphabet are reassigned random numbers, making each individual code theoretically “uncrackable” by anyone who hasn’t been informed which numbers represent which letters. Hence, “one time pad”. One of the rare incidences where an institution was prosecuted for using a one time pad happened in 1998 when some Cuban spies were tried in the U.S. In this case, a station called “Atención” had made the broadcasts. One of the messages was the well sinister “Under no circumstances should agents German nor Castro fly with Brothers To The Rescue or another organization between the 24th and 27th…” Broadcasts are typically made in a foreign language to further obscure the indentity of the message’s sender and recipient . Also, the voices of women and children are often preferred.

The secrecy and danger of numbers stations is partly what makes them so fascinating, so compelling and so mysterious. Happily they often sound fantastic too, especially if you happen to be into abstract electronica or the spooky music we tend to associate with 1970s children’s television programmes – one thinks of the haunting theme tune to Picture Box, which is genuinely one of the most beautiful pieces of instrumental music you could wish to hear. Forward thinking musicians such as Boards of Canada have peppered their records with samples of Numbers Stations. Wilco named their brilliant “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” album after a sample they’d used of a numbers station broadcast. There’s a website where you can download a four disc compilation called “The Conet Project: Recordings of Short Wave Numbers Stations” for free. It must rank as one of the finest collections of avant-garde or “outsider” music there is.

It is named after a mishearing of the Czech phrase “konek” which means “end”, a phrase that brings some Numbers Stations broadcasts to a close. Highlights include "The Gong Station" which is the most sinister thing I think I've ever heard - really, it's the kind of thing you listen to in bed in the dark with the covers pulled up around your face to hide yourself from the monsters lurking under your bed. The distorted electronic noise that goes along with the broadcast and which, some say, constitutes part of the coded message, sounds so other-worldly. But there are some brilliantly surreal moments on "The Conet Project" too; the Alpine bonkersness of "Tirolean Music Station" for example which features yodelling, and Austrian music of the oompah-oompah beer festival variety, which is then interrupted by a sullen sounding man reading out numbers in German.

Every now and then I like to stick "The Conet Project" on and play it as I would an Aphex Twin, Autechre or Black Dog Productions album. But it's SO repetitive. Usually I get to about track ten, disc one and decide that I'm far too spooked to listen to any more. It gives me the shivers in the same way the BBC's terrifying account of mutually assured destruction "Threads" does. I'm just about part of the generation that remembers when "Threads" was broadcast in 1984. Mention of the programme still gives me the spooks. There's a moment in "Threads" in fact, which is very "The Conet Project", now that I think of it. That bit which shows some children a few years after the bombs have dropped passively watching Words and Pictures on a grotty old video tape, as part of an effort to educate the poverty stricken, radiation-enfeebled kids just a little bit. It's the mixture of childhood innocence and maturity-through-suffering that does it. If you watch this thread (har har!) of YouTube clips - and I recommend you do if you want to scare the bejaysus out of yourself - then you can find what I'm talking about at the end of part 12/13. So Numbers Stations are very much connected in my mind with that sort of cold war, nuclear terror. Horrible, but completely compelling at the same time.

Over and out.

Listen to "The Conet Project: Recordings of Short Wave Numbers Stations" here.

Scandinavian Pop

2008-07-22T17:59:00.001+01:00

I’ve loved all things Scandinavian since I first heard ABBA’s “Greatest Hits Vol. 2” from the comfort of my crib (not in the MTV sense) when I was about three years old, and I’m open to the criticism that my musical taste hasn’t become much more sophisticated since then. “The Name Of The Game” was number one on the day I was born. Perhaps I was a viking in a previous life. It does seem though, that the pop music from that part of Europe is – unlike my efforts to account for my love of Scandinavian pop of all stripes - effortlessly uncomplicated. And so whistleable! Is it a response to the lack of daylight up there? Recently we have seen a wave of new Scandinavian pop groups release a body of amazingly good pop music. In the immediate wake of terrific albums by Annie, The Knife and Robyn, a glut of brilliant Nordic pop has emerged, much of it synthpop. Northern Europe has a long tradition in this regard, think of ABBA’s “The Visitors” as the jump off point. Giving the synths a swerve meanwhile, are The Concretes and Peter, Bjorn and John – the latter gave the world the bothersome or brilliant (depending on your fancy) “Young Folks”. Whatever instruments they employ, or whether they bother to learn an instrument at all (see Pay TV below), from Bergen to Stockholm, from Reykjavik to Silkeborg, the mood is vibrant, colourful, breezy pop. Amen to that.

Back in the 1990s of course, there was “Scando-pop”. This was a sort of scene-but-not-really based loosely around the Tambourine studios in Malmo. With producer Tore Johansson at the helm, The Cardigan’s best records were created here, alongside a series of brilliant (although overlooked on these shores) releases by Eggstone. The sound was literally wooden; the antique-pine acoustics of the studio, ancient instruments and brittle sounding drums led to a beautiful, icy sound. The Cardigan’s “Life” LP is a great example of this. It could hardly have been more twee if you’d stuck a slide in its hair and plopped a lollipop in its mouth. These people had obviously spent some time in the company of the back catalogue of “él records”. Operating elsewhere, and missing out on the Tore magic, there were meat ‘n’ potatoes rockers Kent, the practically bipolar Wannadies and Whale, the latter posessing it must be said a rather knockabout sense of humour. Anyone who remembers Whale’s “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe” or “Young Dumb ‘N’ Full Of Cum” will attest to the rather irritating “wackiness” of the duo. If they’d recorded a single called “Look! My Dog Is Wearing The Sunglasses! Hoho!”, you wouldn’t have blinked an eyelid. Iceland’s Emiliana Torrini tried and failed to have hits here, although she did co-write Kylie’s hit “Slow”. Both of her albums are well worth a listen, and “Unemployed In Summertime” is one of the great lost singles of the 1990s. The rather more abstruse Stina Nordenstam could and perhaps should have had proper hits here, but remains a cult figure.

Now however, Scandinavian pop doesn’t sound so exotic, it doesn’t sound like it’s being produced in some outpost. Much of the most vital pop music of the past five years has been indebted to the likes of Royksopp and The Knife. Annie’s brilliant 2005 single “Heartbeat” was produced by the former, while The Knife used their royalties from the Sony advert which used Jose Gonzalez’s cover of “Heartbeats” to set up a record label. The UK’s most prolifically brilliant producers and songwriters, Richard X and Xenomania, have obviously been paying attention. Meanwhile Denmark’s Alphabeat are spearheading the so-called Wonky Pop movement, bringing bright brash pop to the sort of grimy sweaty clubs where you imagine a lot of trilbies get handed in to the cloak room. They appear to be going through a critical backlash of sorts at the moment, their album took a bit of a drubbing in the music press, but even dogs in the street know that “Fascination” is one of the best singles of the year so far. In 2008, our Northern European cousins are at the heart of pop.

As some of our readers will know, Lykke Li’s “Youth Novels” is one of the better LP releases of this year so far. Its pared-back sound has made it a hit on alternative radio, on Radio 2 and at festivals throughout Europe. Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John produced it, and the likes of “I’m Good, I’m Gone” , “Little Bit” and “Handing High” are lovely enough that you probably wouldn’t actually mind them reaching “Young Folks”-level omnipresence. Lykke Li is one of the guests on compatriot Kleerup’s new self-titled album. He collaborated with Robyn on “With Every Heartbeat” – possibly the greatest single of 2007. Elsewhere half-sisters Neneh Cherry and Titiyo guest.
The album has already been a top 10 hit in his homeland. Swedish pop is in a particular healthy state at the moment. Even its “melodifestivalen” (the route by which you may become their entry for the Eurovision song contest) displays brilliant imaginative pop. Recent participants Pay TV’s current single “Fashion Report” is incredible, see its disturbing but compelling video here. It’s part “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”, part “I’d Rather Jack”. With a dollop of KLF style black-humour on top. If you like this you’ll like Bodies Without Organs – formed by ex members of Army Of Lovers, very camp but possibly too clever for their own good on occasion. But what do you expect from a group who name themselves after a concept from Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari? For those of you who miss The Knife (currently on hiatus), Zeigeist’s LP “The Jade Motel” is a like a slightly more cheerful, younger sister to “Silent Shout”.

Most exciting of all though is the expected arrival (in October) of Annie’s new album “Don’t Stop”. A megamix of tracks from the album has been on a tour of the internet recently and it sounds completely brilliant. Her extraordinary debut set, “Anniemal”, stalled despite being one of the very best pop albums of the last 10 years. Hopefully this time proper fame will beckon, and to this end she has worked with pop-production gods of our time, Xenomania (as well as her usual collaborators Richard X and Timo Kaukolampi). Last time out, fellow Bergen dwellers Royksopp helped out, this time it’s fellow Bergen dweller Fredrick from Datarock who puts in an appearance (on the energetic “Misery”). Alex Kapranos from Franz Ferdinand contributes guitar to “Loco” and “My Love Is Better” (Girls Aloud also contributed to the latter, but record company politics have seen to it that their vocals have been removed). If what’s been leaked on the internet so far is anything to go by, “Don’t Stop” will be the best pop LP of 2008.

Annie “I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me”

Pay TV “Fashion Report”

Emiliana Torrini “Unemployed In Summertime”

Lykke Li “I’m Good I’m Gone”

Alphabeat “Fascination”

Annie “Don’t Stop (Megamix)”

Time Out

2008-03-31T14:58:00.001+01:00

Because of the recent death of my friend Eoghan, final exam time pressure and just a general need to take stock of things and sort myself out, I am abandoning this blog. I may return at some point, and use it as an mp3 blog. There again I may not. Should you wish to contact me, I suggest you send me an email. Thanks for reading. Ciarán xx

"Dazzle Ships" and Comercial Suicide

2008-03-07T15:00:00.000Z

Bob Stanley has written a very interesting piece on OMD's recently re-issued "Dazzle Ships" in today's The Guardian. He also discusses the maverick spirit of the New Pop acts, people like ABC and Dexys, who followed up mega-selling albums with decidedly challenging work. Here's the full article...

How To Lose 3 Million Fans In One Easy Step

With just one album, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark more or less destroyed their career. And they weren't the only ones: the early 1980s were littered with commercial suicides. Bob Stanley finds out how it all went wrong

Friday March 7, 2008
The Guardian

Guy Hands wouldn't allow it these days - what are these "artists" trying to do? Bankrupt the company? - but in 1983, no one batted an eyelid when a major chart band followed a multimillion selling pop album with something extremely obtuse. An album, even, that contained no obvious hits and soundtracked the cold war at its coldest. No one bought it, mind you, so Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's Dazzle Ships came to be viewed as a heroic failure - the ultimate commercial suicide.

"Every year we'd visit American Forces Network [the broadcaster for US troops] in Germany," remembers OMD's Andy McCluskey. "There were almost a million people at [the US] Frankfurt base, it was like a colony. And we'd see the same guy every year when we went there to do an interview. So we gave him Dazzle Ships and he said, 'Wow! Gee, what a weird album. Radio Prague? Let's play it! They'll think the commies have invaded!'"

Architecture and Morality, OMD's third album, had been a monster hit following its release in 1981, with any number of potential singles. Souvenir was first out of the block and made No 3. When Joan of Arc got rave reviews ahead of the album's release, McCluskey told Smash Hits: "That's nothing. Wait until you hear the next single - it's our Mull of Kintyre." Maid of Orleans duly became another huge hit in the UK, and Germany's best-selling single of 1982.

"It sounds strange, I know, but we had been trying to change the world," says McCluskey. "It was the naive confidence of youth, the idea that music is that important. The music we made had to be interesting and different. And somehow we believed that would change the world, the way people think. So when we sold 3m albums and the world didn't change, we were scared."

The result was a bout of writers' block. It wasn't as though OMD wrote conventional love songs to start with - Enola Gay was famously about Hiroshima, Stanlow about a power station - yet Dazzle Ships took off what McCluskey calls "the sweet wrapper". For starters, the first single was called Genetic Engineering. "I was very positive about the subject! I didn't expect someone like Monsanto to come along and say, 'Fuck it, we can make money out of cross-pollination.'"

However, when Dave Lee Travis played the single on Radio 1, he said - with some gravitas - that it was about time someone in the music world stood up to the evils of tinkering with nature. "People didn't listen to the lyrics," McCluskey recalls. "I think they automatically assumed it would be anti. Generally, I was pretty dark and pessimistic. Very precious and strong-minded."

The song is still one of Dazzle Ships' more overtly commercial moments. Disembodied voices from the eastern bloc sit over recordings of time signal pips, speak-and-spell machines, wartime submarines. "It all made sense to us. We wanted to be Abba and Stockhausen. The machinery, bones and humanity were juxtaposed."

Dazzle Ships entered the charts at No 5, then dropped like a stone. Architecture and Morality sold 3m; Dazzle Ships sold 300,000. With one record, Orchestral Manoeuvres lost 90% of their audience.

"I was the ideas man, Paul Humphreys made it happen. It was a symbiotic relationship. But I'm the one who took us right to the edge of the plank. When people heard Dazzle Ships, they obviously preferred our music with the sweet wrapper on. Not a song about someone's hand being cut off by a totalitarian regime. After that, there was a conscious and unconscious reeling-in of our experimental side. We got more ... conservative."

As, of course, did the whole country. Dazzle Ships, falling between the Falklands war and the Tories' emphatic

re-election, sounded the bell for the new pop playground that the charts had become. An almost forgotten era, now lumped in with the ephemera that succeeded it- the likes of Johnny Hates Jazz - new pop was an attempt in 1981 and 82 to marry chart music to the avant garde. Incredibly, it succeeded. There was no manifesto, but the new generation - OMD, ABC, Soft Cell, the Teardrop Explodes, Dexys Midnight Runners - had lived through punk, understood its situationist leanings, and understood the real value of music. While OMD name-dropped Dancing Queen, Ian Curtis and Mies van der Rohe, ABC claimed they existed to write "a soundtrack for the 80s".

At the turn of the decade, ABC had been Vice Versa, a Sheffield post-punk unit who leaned more towards the atonal than to Abba. They were interviewed for a fanzine called Modern Drugs by Martin Fry, and got on with him so well they asked him to become their singer. After changing their name to the perfectly minimalist ABC, they sat down to write some perfectly modernist love songs: Tears Are Not Enough, Poison Arrow, The Look of Love, All of My Heart. All Top 20 hits; all soulful, well-dressed pop. Their parent album, The Lexicon of Love, defined the charts of 1982.

ABC predated OMD in their attempt to take on the preconceptions of their fanbase, and their second album, Beauty Stab, did not define the charts of 1983. The strings were gone, replaced by some tough guitars that sounded weirdly dated - sometimes like Low-era Bowie, sometimes closer to Led Zeppelin. Had it been released two years later, when guitars were voguish once more, it would have kept the ABC boat afloat. Instead, it just sounded confusing.

Like Genetic Engineering, the first single from Beauty Stab - That Was Then But This Is Now - was exhilarating and shrill, and made the top 20. The cause wouldn't have been entirely hopeless but for one line: "Can't complain, mustn't grumble, help yourself to another piece of crumble." It had perhaps been meant as a joke - it was followed by a cheesy sax break - but Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera lambasted it in an interview as embodying all that was bad in modern pop. Suddenly, the emperor's new pop clothes were revealed. The line has been a fixture in "worst lyrics" polls for 25 years, attaining the top slot in one conducted last year by BBC 6Music. Beauty Stab, like Dazzle Ships, died a quick death.

Which leads you to wonder what the hell happened in 1983. It was almost as if the country was tired of mavericks, had heard enough about unemployment figures and ghost towns and nuclear threat. They wanted glamour, in a Seaside Special way. Duran Duran had their first No 1 in 1983. Paul Young, Wham! and Howard Jones - considerably more pliable and predictable than OMD or ABC - were the year's new stars. Waiting around the corner, jacket sleeves already rolled up, was Nik Kershaw.

According to Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners, the music industry had started to become "incredibly conservative. I was dealing with people who were much more careerist. At Mercury, by 1985, there were loads of public-school people - millions of them."

Dexys had already crashed once when, following the No 1 hit Geno, they recorded the super-intense single Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One). It received no airplay and failed to crack even the top 75.

"I just had something to say," says Rowland. "I was disappointed with success - we were still cramped in a minibus on hot summer days. I did not think, in any way, that Keep It was difficult. It was truthful, 100% truthful. Geno had been a No 1; I thought, if you like that amount of emotion, try this amount of emotion."

Dexys, though, had a second wind, and fought back with the million-selling Celtic soul of Too-Rye-Ay in 1982. Come On Eileen became an international No 1. They had survived and prospered. Too Rye Ay's follow-up, Don't Stand Me Down, was an astonishingly personal and beautiful record, but it became Dexys' equivalent of Dazzle Ships. The problem was it came out three years after Too-Rye-Ay.

Rowland is understandably proud. "I don't want to think about it too much because I want to think about what I'm doing now, but I remember coming out of the studio thinking, 'That's the best I can do.'"

Don't Stand Me Down emerged in a far less adventurous era than the one Too Rye Ay was released into. New mavericks on the block such as the Smiths and the Jesus and Mary Chain were entirely ignored by Radio 1. The same happened to Dexys, though it was their own fault - no single was released from the album.

"It was a stupid mistake," Rowland says. "I wanted This Is What She's Like to be the single, a 10-minute single. The manager said, 'Good idea ... or no single at all.' It was a chance to be like the groups of the early 70s, like Led Zeppelin. I thought that would be great, but I wasn't sure. There was a new guy at Mercury and he was like, 'What?' That was it. I said, we're definitely not releasing one. They [the label] went with Don't Stand Me Down for about a fortnight. Then they moved on to something else."

British eccentricity may well play a role in these crash-and-burn albums - a willingness to be contrary. Some Americans have followed gold albums with zero-sellers, but not many. Harry Nilsson's Nilsson Schmilsson contained the original lung-busting power ballad, Without You, and made him a rich man. Never one for the obvious, he gave its sequel the misleading title Son of Schmilsson and filled it with raggedly sung novelties. It contained no obvious hits, though You're Breaking My Heart, a song for his ex-wife, did stand out: ABC's "apple crumble" line hardly holds a candle to "you're breaking my heart, you're tearing it apart, so fuck you".

That was calculated self-destruction. Neil Young, having tasted fame and fortune with After the Goldrush and Harvest, famously said he would rather head for the ditch than stay in the middle of the road. And that's just what he did with Time Fades Away. Young recorded the stoned, muddy, hard-rocking album on a stadium tour to confused audiences who had never heard the songs before. No atmosphere, no acoustic balladry, just memories of getting a kicking in the schoolyard and an extended moan about LA. Young's profile duly disappeared.

Fleetwood Mac's Rumours had been recorded in trying circumstances. The sequel had the even more onerous task of following what was then the bestselling American album ever. Lindsey Buckingham assumed control of 1979's Tusk. Though it cost £1m to make - a figure that even today seems barely plausible - much of it sounded clattery, half-formed, with strange rhythmic leaps and offbeat tics. Hotel California it wasn't.

It later emerged in his girlfriend's memoirs that Buckingham had become obsessed with Talking Heads, and was desperate to make Mac relevant to a post-punk world. The problem was that even though Rumours had been all about break-ups and unfaithful lovers, it still sounded as though the roof was down and you were heading up the highway in the sunshine. Tusk was unleavened weirdness, as close to its predecessor as the Beach Boys' lo-fi Smiley Smile had been to Pet Sounds. It simply didn't cut the midwest mustard. However, like Dazzle Ships, Tusk makes a lot more sense to 2008 ears.

"The album that almost completely killed our career seems to have become a work of dysfunctional genius," says Andy McCluskey with a grin. "The reality is that it's taken Paul [Humphreys] 25 years to forgive me for Dazzle Ships. But some people always hold it up as what we were all about, why they thought we were great."

· The remastered edition of Dazzle Ships is out now on EMI

Exciting Annie-related News

2008-03-05T20:14:00.001Z

Annie, wonderful Annie, whose last album "Anniemal" is one of the Seven Wonders Of Modern Pop (or something) is back. Back! BACK! To celebrate, she has put her new single up on her MySpace page.

Annie on MySpace

Her forthcoming album features collaborations with Brian Higgins, Richard X, Girls Aloud and Franz Ferdinand. I for one, cannot wait.

REVIEW: ALBUMS

2008-03-04T21:19:00.000Z

Goldfrapp "Seventh Tree" (Mute)

With this currently number two (two!) in the UK Album Chart, it seems almost redundant to be reviewing it now. But I wasn't one of those cheeky sods who downloaded the album when it leaked in November. Not that I'm overly concerned about the "damage this sort of thing does to the artist" you understand. It's more to do with my still present juvenile excitement at buying a record on the first day it's out in the shops. I like to swoon over the lyrics before I get to hear the songs in question. Imagine my surprised expression as I sat on the bus back home as I encountered the now immortal line "Roasting, roasting, roast indeed, mahogany titties that live on and on" ("Clowns"). Goldfrapp have always revelled in bizarre imagery, and lyrical curveballs like the one just referred to are part of what make them such an exciting, unpredictable pop group. Much has been made of their current joke-folk-opus (as Roy Harper once almost had it), but for all the acoustic sounds on offer it's still a pop album. It's stuffed with melodies. So long as they don't lose their talent for cooking up truly corking tunes, I don't care if their next album is an exploration of the musical possibilities of the Bulgarian noseflute. "A&E" is the lead single here - already a top 10 hit - and it's not even the catchiest thing on the album. That award goes to "Happiness", a sarcastic Beatles-y thing which evokes some scary alternative version of the Salvation Army, doling out cynical advice to the downhearted. It goes: "Join our club and you will find/ Harmony and piece of mind...Donate all your money, we'll make it better". On tracks such as "Cologne Cerrone Houdini" or "Little Bird", Alison does sound remarkably like a cross between Kate Bush and Elizabeth Frazer. Perfect for one of those spring/summer days when the trees are dappled in glorious golden sunshine (and we get a lot of those in Ireland don't we), "Seventh Tree" leaves the impression that Goldfrapp have a whole lot further to go before they run out of ideas. God knows what they'll do next, and that's the most brilliant thing about them in a way. (9 out of 10)

Magnetic Fields "Distortion" (Nonesuch)

It's hard to escape the feeling that this album - a sort of tribute to the sqwalling feedback of The Jesus and Mary Chain apparently - is slightly hamstrung by the noisy arrangement. Stephin Merritt contends that the last original or interesting development to take place in rock music was the release of JAMC's "Psychocandy" LP in 1985. I'm looking at a copy of Smash Hits here from July 1986, brothers Jim and William Reid are peeping out at me from the centrepages and declaring "To get in the Top 10 you've got to write a nauseating, obnoxious record, something like The Housemartins or Dr and the Medics..." JAMC would have a top ten hit 10 months later with "April Skies", but Magnetic Fields will have to wait a while yet before they reach such lofty heights. It's not that Merritt hasn't written some really good songs again, songs which display once again his knack for wordplay and melody. It's just the feedback sounds like a dull joke, a gimmick. Nothing wrong with gimmicks per se, but here it does get in the way. A bit. "Distortion" also harks back to early Magnetic Fields albums "The Wayward Bus" and "Distant Plastic Trees". Even the sprightliest songs here like "California Girls", "Please Stop Dancing" and "The Nun's Litany" sound decidedly lo-fi. It's the more subtle, gentle tracks which ultimately prove most rewarding; "I'll Dream Alone" and "Drive On Driver" being particularly pretty. "Too Drunk To Dream" wins the award for best opening line. It begins "Sober, life is a prison/ Shit-faced, it is a blessing". In conclusion then, was "Psychocandy" that good an album? No. So why bother? But you can't keep a genuine songwriting genius down. (7 out of 10)

Hot Chip "Made In The Dark" (EMI)

Not the hoped-for world-beating triumph to capitalise on the chart success of recent single "Ready For The Floor". This finds Hot Chip add to their repetoire of interesting-and-all-that, but still-slightly-annoying, technopop. The in-jokes can be a bit tiresome - this features an unwelcome spoken word bit from Todd Rundgren in the middle of "Bendable Poseable" - but when Hot Chip reign in their wackier tendencies they are quite affecting. "We're Looking For A Lot Of Love" is a gorgeous ballad, rather calling to mind New Order's "Thieves Like Us". "One Pure Thought" is just a smidgin, a remix perhaps, away from being a surefire hit. And "Ready For The Floor" is of course a great single, but you already know that. There's nothing bad here, it's just hard not to feel slightly disappointed that this isn't BLOODY GREAT when it feels like it could/should have been. (7 out of 10)

Vampire Weekend "Vampire Weekend" (XL Recordings)

What do they call this kind of thing? Mathrock or something silly like that? Sometimes labels aren't that helpful. This does sound rather like Paul Simon's "Graceland" in places though, and it's no wonder as Vampire Weekend are well to do college-going types from New York who just so happen to be into West African music. And good on them too, for they seem to be part of a new indieband mindset that has broader musical horizons than the dreary old Smiths/Oasis/Radiohead followers we've become so immune to. And if "Vampire Weekend" leads to a youngster buying Bhundu Boys or Hugh Masakela record, then all's well and good. The standouts are; "Oxford Comma" (ultra-pretty tune, swearing), "A-Punk" (something to dance to) and "Campus" (the rather touching moment). (8 out of 10)

The Orb "...The Dream" (Dragonfly)

Here's something of a surprise. After 12 years distancing themselves from the classic ambient dub sound of their brilliant "Adventures Beyond The Ultraworld" and "U.F.Orb" albums, The Orb don't just revisit similar territory but practically offer us "U.F.Orb II". Turns out the Mike Oldfield influence ran deeper than remixing "Tubular Bells" for him after all... Well, this isn't quite as great as "U.F.Orb" of course, but it does throw in a similar array of beguiling samples; I spotted Christopher Lee in The Wicker Man in there somewhere at one point. And "Lost and Found" is to this album what "Towers Of Dub" was to the "U.F.Orb" LP - that is, a dub reggae track with farty noises over the top, and lots of echo. Unlike their 1992 career-highpoint, this album is a bit lightweight in the tunes department. Only "Vuja De" and "The Truth Is..." threaten to burst into something resembling "song" at any point. But it's good to have them back, sounding just a bit like their old selves, and they've even put a tiny little picture of Battersea Power Station on the back to remind us of "Orb Live 93". Aw. (6 out of 10)

Billy Bragg "Mr Love & Justice" (Cooking Vinyl)

First album in six years, in which time he's written a book on the subject of Englishness - a very good book it was too. But perhaps it took something of his zest for creativity out of him. This album struggles to reach the great heights of the Bragg of "yore". "I Keep Faith" features a guest appearance from Robert Wyatt (one which WON'T scare everyone out of the pub I might add) and it'd sound right on Radio 2 but that's ok. Elsewhere not many songs make a huge impression initially, but "O Freedom" is a good old attack on the so-called war on terror, and "The Johnny Carcinogenic Show" is a strident attack on the tabacco and advertising industries. So while old-age may indeed have "mellowed" him, it's nice to hear Bragg have a good rant now and then. Initial copies come with a version of the album without Bragg's backing band The Blokes, so it all works out rather well in the end. It's no "Don't Try This At Home" or even a "Brewing Up With Billy Bragg" for that matter, but it'll do.
(6 out of 10)

"I Love You, Tomorrow - You're Only 34 Days Awaaaaay!"

2008-03-04T21:15:00.000Z

Yes, I got a bit side-tracked by my dissertation there. But that's done and dusted now and we can plough on. Okay? Okay.

I'm Back. Back In Denim. And Denim Put The Soul In Yer Rock n' Roll.

2008-01-27T00:36:00.000Z

Well having moved house a couple of times in the last couple of months, I've settled down a bit now and can continue to "blog" to my heart's content. Will post more tomorrow. For now, have a look at two of the best videos of 2008 so far...

Toodle-pip!

Normal Service Will Be Resumed Shortly

2007-11-26T18:57:00.001Z

In the meantime, a little "light" music...

Frazier Chorus "Typical" (1989)

No Music Day

2007-11-21T11:31:00.001Z

Will anyone observe the third "No Music Day" today? I must admit, I forgot all about it until just now... I haven't listened to any music thus far so I may follow Bill Drummond's advice to see if I feel any different having spent a completely music free day. Here's what Drummond has to say about in on his Guardian blog today...

I feel shit. It has just gone 6.30am and this is when I usually feel my best, when my mind is at its sharpest, when the ideas start tumbling into place and I am eager for the day ahead. But this morning I feel shit.

I've no right to claim this state; I mean I'm not living in cyclone-hit Bangladesh or stuck down a mine in the Ukraine or wherever it is.

Now that I have got that out the way I'm feeling better already. First thing to be done is this 600-word blog for the Guardian, then get emails sent before the others get to their Macs and PCs.

The reason that I got invited to do this blog is because Wednesday November 21 is No Music Day. Now in its third year, No Music Day was something I made up. I didn't go to any authority to have it sanctioned. I do not know if there is anywhere one is supposed to go to anyway. I made it up just for me, a way of addressing my jaded relationship with music amongst other things, but it seems to have been catching on. Last year the London-based cult radio station Resonance FM decided to embrace it. This year BBC Radio Scotland, a national radio station with several million regular listeners, has elected to observe it. This I feel good about and to this end I will be catching the sleeper up from Euston tonight, arriving in Glasgow bright and early on Wednesday morning. The day will be spent at the radio station being a guest on a number of the shows, fielding calls, making my case and placating doubters. Of course I will have to defend myself against those that think it all some sort of publicity stunt, prank or even worse - a cynical scam. If you want to know why I felt the need to have a No Music Day and why that day is on the November 21 click here to read what I wrote last year for the Observer's Music Monthly.

The major thing that has changed since writing that piece is that I've decided to limit it to just five years. I do not want to spend every November, for the rest of my life, trying to breathe new life into a concept, that should have been left alone years ago.

So this year being the third, I'm already half way through. Next year I would like to focus No Music Day on film. With so many films I feel that the soundtrack music just gets in the way. It is used to lend drama and emotion but so often it just cheapens and allows for lazy film-making. For the final No Music Day, on November 21 2009, I would love iTunes to shut up shop for the day. Hang the closed sign in their window for 24 hours. Give the world a break and themselves a day off.

But all that is some time away. Between now and catching the sleeper up to Glasgow tomorrow night, I've got to spend today typing up the last chapter in a book entitled 17. I've been working on this over the last 12 months and the final draft was supposed to be with the publishers last Friday. If the book has a central theme, it is about our culture's evolving relationship with music. How, as we delve deeper into the 21st century, the primacy of recorded music is beginning to look more and more like a hangover from another era, we will start developing ways of making, consuming and thinking about music in vastly different ways to what we have been used to for the past 50 odd years. All big stuff, and not something that I can even start on in a 600-word blog, but lying in bed this morning I had an idea. It was for the closing lines of the book; I wanted to use the quote "Say bye-bye, Sooty. Say bye-bye, Sweep". I got myself very excited about it, but couldn't work out why. The quote has no relevance to the rest of the book and anyway how many people would know it?

Last night I presented a performance of The17 at the Seventeen Gallery in London. The17 is a choir, which I have been developing over the past couple of years and will not be going overground with for some months.

Today will be spent working with Mark Lawson, putting together a feature for this evening's edition of Front Row on BBC Radio 4. We are going to be interviewing various people involved with music making and business, about the idea of No Music Day.

And now that I have got this blog done, I will make myself some porridge and walk my youngest son to school.

- Bill Drummond, the Guardian, Nov 21st 2007.

You May Have Missed...

2007-11-16T23:47:00.000Z

Recently, I whiled away an evening by taking Garry Mulholland's excellent book "This Is Uncool: The 500 Greatest Singles Since Punk and Disco" down from the shelf and reading as much as my tired eyes could take in one sitting. While I did so, I played as many of the records he mentioned as I could put my hands on (i.e. whatever I could find on my iPod). After a couple of hours, I realised I had only managed to get as far as listening to the entries he chooses for the years 1977 and 1978. It's incredible how many great singles were released over the winter of '77/'78. The book is a real treasure, it has me gagging to track down singles I haven't heard, and re-discovering singles I'd neglected to listen to for a long time. There are (rare) occasions where I don't think he writes enough on a single (his treatment of Kylie Minogue's "I Should Be So Lucky" is a bit lazy, but I suppose I should be happy he chose to include it at all). One of the best things about the book is the reproductions of single sleeves inside. The author is obviously passionate about artwork as well as the records in question, so the thrill of pop oozes from every page. If you haven't read it, make it a Christmas present for someone and have a sneaky read of it yourself. His follow-up book, "Fear of Music", which follows a similar format, and applies it to 261 (?) albums is also worth a look, but not as good as "This Is Uncool". One small gripe: this is a book about "important" singles, which necesserily neglects the detritus that makes pop music so exciting and ridiculous. So no mention of "The Lone Ranger" by Quantum Jump, or Haysi Fantayzee's "John Wayne Is Big Leggy". Maybe some of the best singles just defy any kind of logic you could try and apply to them.

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: How Great Is The New Girls Aloud Album...?

2007-11-16T21:08:00.000Z

BLOODY great is the answer you're looking for. Or to put it another way...

ALBUMS IT IS NOT AS GOOD AS; The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds", The Beatles "Revolver", ABBA "Gold", that sort of thing.
ALBUMS IT IS BETTER THAN; Kylie Minogue "X", Britney Spears "Blackout", Sugababes "Change", all of the previous Girls aloud albums.
ALBUMS IT IS ABOUT AS GOOD AS; Pet Shop Boys "Please", Betty Boo "Boomania!", Pulp "Different Class", TLC "CrazySexyCool", Goldfrapp "Black Cherry", Annie "Anniemal", Madonna "Confessions On A Dancefloor", Róisín Murphy "Overpowered"...

Alright, I'll review it properly. And in lieu of an image of the album sleeve popping up on google search, another pic of ver 'Girls.

GIRLS ALOUD "Tangled Up" (Polydor/Fascination)

What comes to mind when you think of Girls Aloud? Popstars: The Rivals, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh? The phrase "Wives and Girlfriends"? Generic daytime radio blandpop? Fake tans? Very well, but only a buffoon would deny that Girls Aloud's best singles are among the most memorable and exciting British pop has provided us with in recent times. They've been lumbered with some iffy cover versions from time to time, but hopefully they're a big enough prospect to ditch the overwrought run-throughs of other people's hits. This album (their fourth, excluding last year's compilation "The Sound Of Girls Aloud") gives them the chance to step up a gear and, brilliantly, they do so.

This is not just a Girls Aloud album of course. It is also a Xenomania album. For the first time, every track on a Girls Aloud album has been written and produced by Xenomania (i.e. the production team which comprises all or some of the following; Brian Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Nick Coler, Gisele Somerville, Matt Gray, Toby Scott, Tim Powell and Lisa Cowling). Xenomania have been responsible for a lot of the greatest British pop music of the last decade. In Girls Aloud's "Biology", they produced what The Observer called (rightly, in my view) the Single Of The Decade. In other words, expectations are high here, and "Tangled Up" it resolutely NOT a let-down.

It kicks off with "Call The Shots" (last week's Single Of The Week here, see below) which is as good as anything Girls Aloud have released so far. A lovely contemporary synth pop tune, it is great in the way "Love Comes Quickly" or "Love Action" are great. It is the first in a run of six absolutely great tracks - potential singles all of them - on what in the old days we would have called "Tangled Up"'s side one. "Close To Love" and "Girl Overboard" are brisk and sparkly. The former is reminiscent of early Duran Duran, the latter is a wonderful minor-key marvel. Both sound machine-driven but not overly icy or distant. Something for Kylie's (or indeed Britney's) "people" to consider next time out. "Sexy! No No No" exemplifies Girls Aloud's trademark sound, rawk guitars, stomping beats...quite difficult to dance to, or indeed to sing along with for the most part, but then the chorus sqauts in your brain and refuses to leave. "Can't Speak French" is particularly impressive" - witty lyrics "I can't speak French, so I'll let the funky music do the talking...", set to an odd honky tonk type rhythm. It calls to mind Goldfrapp's "Satin Chic". From this point on, all sorts of styles are thrown into the album's musical palette; drum 'n' bass ("What You Cryin' For"), house-y reggae ("Control Of The Knife"), disco ("Damn") and yet more mean-rockin' riffs ("Fling", "I'm Falling"). If the album is missing anything, it's a killer-ballad. Closer "Crocodile Tears" is as close as we get, but it's still mid-tempo, harking back slightly to the brilliant 2003 single "Life Got Cold".

Undoubtedly, "Tangled Up" is a "result". (9 out of 10)

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

2007-11-16T11:20:00.000Z

ESTELLE "Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)" (Atlantic)

"1980" feels like a long time ago doesn't it. Since that we haven't heard much from Estelle but now she's back! Back! BACK! She's enlisted John Legend and Will.I.Am from Black Eyed Peas to concoct a terrific comeback single, which could see her achieve her biggest hit yet. It's Brit-soul with a shuffly rhythm, a smidgin of brassy stabs and a killer chorus. Oh, and what can only be described as belchy noises. Lyrically it reverses the rampant misogyny of that other Will.I.Am collaboration, The Pussycat Dolls' "Beep". This single has more in common with, er, Common (whose "I Want You" is another excellent Will.I.Am aided hit from earlier this year). "Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)", happily, makes the winter feel like summer, so listen to it throughout the forthcoming cold, frosty mornings and be thankful.

YouTube:

Because Six Months Is Too Long To Wait For Another Fix Of Eurovision...

2007-11-15T00:08:00.000Z

In 1973, ABBA entered the Swedish "melodifestivalen", which is their Song For Europe, with the song "Ring Ring". They came third, and would have to wait another year for Euro-glory. Here is the song which won that 1973 competition, "You're Summer" by Nova. It contains the legendary line "Oh your breasts are like swallows nesting". Let's face it, that's why I'm posting it here.

(Ireland gave it five points in the '73 Eurovision Contest proper, by the way...)

ALBUM REVIEW

2007-11-14T22:25:00.000Z

Snigger all you like, student indie-snobs, one day you'll have a mortgage to pay too.

DAVID GRAY “Greatest Hits” (East West)

There are lots of people out there who seem to dislike David Gray intensely. For some it’s because he brought busking into the charts. Some people dislike him because they doubt his sincerity, others because his voice seems affected. Yet more people dislike his apparent wetness, and to some he’s a villain because he paved the way for the even less fondly regarded James Blunt. Gray’s rise to popularity seemed to usher in the age of what some commentators are fond of calling “mortgage rock”; a clearly dismissive term which puts paid to having to write anything at all sensible or thoughtful about bands such as Keane, Coldplay and Snow Patrol. A listen to this Greatest Hits album, does not reveal the blandorama Gray’s critics accuse him of cooking up. His reworking of “Say Hello, Wave Goodbye” is not included here, which will be either a blessing or a swizz depending on where you stand the David Gray “issue”. However, the memorable, gentle piano ballad “This Year’s Love” is present and correct, as is the really quite excellent single “Sail Away”. The admittedly overplayed, but really-not-as-ropey-as-you-might-remember-it “Babylon” is also included. Elsewhere, lesser known singles such as “The Other Side” reveal some surprisingly dark lyrics. Fans will own everything here bar two tracks, one of which is recent single “You’re The World To Me”, but there are pleasant surprises in store for the open-minded. (8 out of 10)

"Avoid Rock and Roll. Really. There's no money in it."

2007-11-10T17:22:00.000Z

Irish indie hopefuls The Immediate split up this week. Helplines have been set up to console their weeping fans (music journalists, most of them) so as we bid a fond farewell to the band who Could Have Been Bigger Than An Emotional Fish, I present an interview I did with their bassist Peter Toomey earlier this year. It was intended for publication in a student paper but a cock up meant the music section never got printed. (Ciarán accepts no responsibility whatsoever for The Immediate splitting up).

HOW’S THE SECOND ALBUM COMING ALONG? We’ve recorded demos in Donegal and they’re sounding good. We’ve played a few new songs live and they’ve gone down really well. We played at Whelan’s last night actually.

WHAT HAS THE RESPONSE TO YOUR MUSIC BEEN LIKE IN ENGLAND? Gigs have been really good there, but it’s a tough place to crack. We played in Brighton and Sheffield and toured with The Young Knives. It’s tougher in London. The audiences are more cynical and jaded there, they’ve seen it all before and they can be hard to please. But we’re going back to Brighton in the summer to play a festival.

IS DANCE MUSIC REALLY MAKING A COMEBACK? I don’t know about this New Rave. All these bands like Enter Shikari…they’re all shouty guitars and squelchy noises over the top. Slightly folky stuff like Devendra Banhart and Joanna Newsom…that seems to be more where things are going now. So, I’m not sure about this NME New Rave scene, no. I suppose it’s all about getting your music out there.

AND THREE PEOPLE STANDING IN A TELEPHONE BOX CONSTITUTES A “SCENE” AT THE NME, DOESN’T IT? Yeah…

HAVE THE NME IN IRELAND HELPED YOU AT ALL? Well, they mention us a bit but they’ve so many bands to cover. Yes, it’s a difficult one to break into really.

WHAT’S THE BEST BAND YOU’VE SUPPORTED OR BEEN SUPPORTED BY ON TOUR? The Young Knives…or Doves. I didn’t want to like The Young Knives but they won me over, they were so good. I was already a big fan of Doves, we got to play a few shows with them down the country and at The Olympia. Also there’s this U.S. band called Dios Malos, they were great too.

YOU USED TO WORK IN A RECORD SHOP. DID YOU EVER GET TO SELL A COPY OF YOUR OWN RECORD TO A CUSTOMER? Yeah! Before Christmas I sold a few copies of it. I just grinned. Some of them knew I was in the band, others didn’t.

DID ANYONE EVER TAKE THE RECORD BACK AND ASK TO EXCHANGE IT FOR SOMETHING ELSE? No, not in my presence anyway. If they had done would I have allowed their refund? Oh yeah! Of course…

WHAT WAS THE LAST ALBUM YOU BOUGHT? A compilation of stuff by Tim Hardin. I’d heard covers of his stuff by people like Scott Walker and The Small Faces. Also I bought a record by Au Revoir Simone. They’re three girls, really good…

SHOULD MORRISSEY HAVE ENTERED THE EUROVISION? I think so. He’s a big fan of sixties and seventies Euro-pop. He knows his stuff. But maybe he was just joking about actually entering himself. I think he would have done well, he’d have looked slick in front of the Eurovision viewers around Europe. Yes, I think they’re ready for something like that at Eurovision.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH POP MUSIC AT THE MOMENT? Too many bands are trying to be The Arctic Monkeys! Too many bands sound the same. You don’t get the weird one-hit wonders like you did in the seventies. It’s not as much fun now. You used to get things in the charts like (daft 1972 number one) “Mouldy Old Dough” by Lieutenant Pigeon. The guy had his mother on piano! And things like that would sit alongside stuff like The Sweet and T Rex. You don’t get that kind of thing now.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN 2007? Just to get the record out and about a bit more here. People don’t know us well enough yet. We want to release the album (i.e last year’s superb “In Towers and Clouds”) in France. That’s it really. I’m looking forward to going to France…

DO YOU STILL HAVE TO GO TO LONDON TO ACHIEVE BIG SUCCESS OR IS IT POSSIBLE TO STAY IN DUBLIN? I suppose you do in a way have to go to London. But Europe is good too. It all filters down anyway. A lot of the bands from the sixties and seventies that I like are English bands but these days most of the bands I like come from the U.S. People like Wilco. But it’s good to do well in places like France, Germany and Scandinavia too, so we might concentrate on there a bit.

BONO : “YAY” OR “NAY”? (Not much hesitation…) Yay. It’s begrudgery isn’t it, all of these people putting him down. He must be doing something right. I wouldn’t mind being as successful as him.

WILL YOU VOTE IN THE UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTION? I think so, yes. I’ve got to get my voting card though! Should rock be political? (Thinks for rather a bit…) Nah. I don’t like when it gets too political. I like story songs, that’s what I try to write anyway.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THE BUSINESS STUDENTS OF TRINITY COLLEGE? (Appears rather stumped…) Advice? Do I have any advice for them? (Thinks for about five years…) Um, keep your bus tickets, recycle them… Career advice? Oh. Er, apply for lots of jobs. Should they give it all up for rock and roll? Oh no. Avoid rock and roll. Really, there’s no money in it.

DID YOU CARE ABOUT IRELAND DOING WELL IN THE CRICKET WORLD CUP? I didn’t know we were in it! It gets a hard time of it in Ireland, cricket. I used to listen to it in the background while I studied. There was just something very relaxing about it. I didn’t really understand the rules, no.

WERE YOU A HAPPY TEENAGER? Like any teenager really, I was moody sometimes but I was happy. Did I ever write a song about my moodiness? I tried to write songs, yeah. They were a bit rubbish though.

WHAT WAS THE FIRST SONG YOU EVER WROTE? I just wrote some lyrics and gave them to Conor in the band (Conor O’Brien, The Immediate’s guitarist/ drummer/ singer!). He spent ages putting music to my lyrics. That was it really. I don’t really write songs by myself.

THE IMMEDIATE ARE RENOWNED FOR THEIR KNACK FOR SWAPPING INSTRUMENTS. IS THERE ANY INSTRUMENT WHICH YOU’VE TRIED – AND FAILED – TO MASTER? The guitar! I play drums and bass, but I never managed the guitar. There’s no competition among us over who’s the best guitarist, no. We’re all good at our instruments in different ways. We have different styles. We each bring our own thing to it.

WHAT’S THE MOST ANNOYING QUESTION YOU GET ASKED IN INTERVIEWS? “What do you think of the Irish music scene? Aren’t Irish bands doing well?” That’s because there are lots of bands in Ireland! Once this journalist tried to get us to slag off another Irish band. He was comparing our sales with theirs, things like that, trying to create competition or something. Yes, it was a bit nasty.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SO NERVOUS BEFORE A GIG THAT YOU WERE SICK ON YOUR AMPLIFIERS? I get very anxious before a show but it gives you adrenalin. I’ve never actually been sick, no. You get a better performance out of it really, so nerves are a good thing. I don’t really mind having to come out from behind my drum-kit to sing. It just gives me the right frame of mind.

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING THINGS WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO DO: (A) GO DOWN THE BOOZER WITH AMY WINEHOUSE; (B) GO TO A VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT WITH CHRIS MARTIN OR (C) DISCUSS GUITAR TECHNIQUE WITH GLEN HANSARD OF THE FRAMES? (Thinks for several aeons…) I can only pick one, can I? Go drinking with Amy, probably. Failing that, guitar technique with Glen Hansard. I could probably learn a thing or two off him. What if Amy got drunk and started causing trouble? Well, I’d walk away at that point I think…

THANKS, PETER OF THE IMMEDIATE. Thanks! (Click! Brrrrrr…..)

SINGLE OF THE WEEK

2007-11-08T12:48:00.002Z

Girls Aloud "Call The Shots" (Polydor/Fascination)

After the disappointment of the Sugababes' below-par album and The Spice Girls' comeback - a damp squib of a single if ever there was one - it's left to Girls Aloud to rescue British girlpop once again. Happy to report then, that "Call The Shots" is their best single since "Biology". We're talking triumphant mid-paced synthpop, wistful midwinter disco. It seems that Brian Higgins and his Xenomania pals are incapable of writing a bad tune, and they seem to save their very best ones for GA. If this doesn't whizz into the Top 5 next week, there really is no justice in the world. It is simply one of the most charming pop releases of the year and bodes very well for their imminent album "Tangled Up". Their guest appearance on X Factor next week will hopefully give it an added sales boost. Hurrah!

YouTube:

It's Late

2007-11-08T02:27:00.000Z

From now on, I'll write some bits and pieces here.

You have been warned. :-)