Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Buy The Album

A week without writing on the blog means that the sun and work have taken too strong a hold. This past week though I have been mainly listening to Eels. New album is a solid contribution to an already excellent back catalogue. Unusually for one of the more popular artists all the video's are able to be directly embedded on a blog post, ergo, it has to be played.



Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Check The Meaning

The wonders of google ad sense. I was on my google mail for a while today and one of those predictive ad type things appeared (all that information stored somewhere on a server, well its probably data rather than information but lets not get into that argument), low and behold I'm told thanks to the wonder of the t-internet that Diabetes is reversible even Type 1. This came as news to me and they even have a fupping youtube video to 'prove' their claims. A doctor Nick type tells me its true so it has to be. Stop using insulin completely while your pancreas still doesn't work. If I follow this advice I can see it all ending badly (minus some limbs and eyesight). Hope is the cure but this is ridiculous.

Well after getting a good laugh out of that, I went in search of some music that should give us all some hope and I came up with this. I reckon insulin and listening to this might be a slightly more pragmatic solution. Strings and Sigur Ros is just a winning combination even if I haven't a notion what the song is about, but it sure as hell isn't stop with the insulin.


Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Loud Noises

Interchange formats for desktop publishing should be held accountable. Well mainly for wasting my time. Loud noises required.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Classic Album of The Week (Part 5)

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, or so the saying goes. This was meant to be a weekly slot an as so far as material goes it should run dry for want of material. With no apparent pattern or sense of purpose I have hopped from Neil Young to Fleetwood Mac through Bruce Springsteen to end last time I wrote at The Stereophonics. The path is something like travelling the world with a Lonely Planet guide by visiting places chosen through closing one's eyes and using a thumb tack (apologies to all for the long and meandering metaphor). This week is no different and neatly contains some giant chunks of i-pod listening time.

The Bends was Radiohead's last traditional rock album. It saw them teetering on the edge of stadium rock stardom, something which they have pulled back from in recent years to take up the mantle of plain greatest band of the modern era. Anyways The Bends, the soundtrack of disaffected youth, without really understanding what in god's name they were signing about. From disaffection with modern life (Fake Plastic Trees) to disaffection with modern life (Black Star). An album with a rhythm section to die for and some mesmerising Johnny Greenwood guitars (if I continue along these lines I will have to search for the patented Rolling Stone album review phrase book).

Finishing with deeper than you first think Street Spirit [Fade Out] a song which perfectly encompasses all of what Thom Yorke is about, its an album that will be continued to be played. Anyways the song of the album (which really is a contradiction in terms) is Blackstar, doom/angst/comment all rolled into one. Genius

Sunday, June 14, 2009

"Invested" In Books?

After my trip to Dun Laoghaire (it was excellent, I love the place and company) I returned with a ninety year old book. Well seeing as the property market investments had taken such a kicking recently I decided to invest in fine antique books (note sarcasm). Anyways "Shelley's Poetical Works" now adorn the book case or the pretentious corner as the more sarcastic refer to it. Also to keep my mind off people talking out loud on public transport I was mainly listening to this. The Kings of Leon vibe continues, and I've just realised that this is possibly the greatest driving song of all time.


Thursday, June 11, 2009

KOL

From Youth and Young Manhood, its the Kings Of Leon playing Trani. This was before the marketing people got their hands on them and production went a bit mad. This is bluesy and just a builds like every good song should. It doesn't make the immediate impact of lets say Use Somebody but Christ its a grower. Also the aversion to shaving just makes them a proper rock band.


Wednesday, June 10, 2009

It Is Two Video Post, Oh The Fun

To continue the long tradition of fooling myself that I have stumbled upon some new act and quickly find out that most of the world new about it all along (and yes they have usually played on Letterman). So following on from Autolax, Silver Sun Pick Ups and Okkervil River here is the Manchester Orchestra. They have SFA to do with the Hacienda club or Joy Division for that matter, hailing from the US of A and more influences than one can shake a stick at (in a good way, not in a Jet Are You Going To Be My Girl kinda way).




Also included in today's post mainly cause it was super-handy and appeared in related videos for the above one on youtube. With the best song off the second album Favourite Worst Nightmare, its the Arctic Monkeys and Fluorescent Adolescent (not a patch on Mardy Bum).

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Sessions

Ryan Adams is an expensive habit for devoted followers seeing as very few months go by without the appearance of a new album. Our first introduction to this workaholic was with Whiskeytown but his break through stuff here in Ireland at least was the release of the his best album to date Heartbreaker (Jack Daniel drinking soundtrack if there ever was one). Reviewed his most recent album with the Cardinals a couple of weeks ago. Here though is a live performance from a BBC 4 show a couple of years ago. From one of the more stylistically all over the place album Demolition here is Desire.

Monday, June 8, 2009

In The Begining. When We Were Winning

Cracking decade the nineties when songs like this (Animal Nitrate Suede, go on listen to it, genius) were released on a monthly basis. Those famous bands which filled most summer evenings back then are slowly coming back into vogue. Problem is you buy the album give it about three listens, declare it alright and then slip back to the older stuff comfortable in the knowledge that there is the appearance of coolness and keeping up with the whole newish music scene without having to wander too far from the records of youth. Bob Dylan's stuff is a typical example for me, got most his new stuff but probably can't list a track, while Freewheelin' probably can be song (if ears could take it) from heart.

Anyways all that rambling leads me nicely into Manic Street Preachers new album Journal for Plague Lovers (for those of a spotify persuasion click here). Crunching guitars, crashing drums in the opening track Peeled Apples and we are away in a hack. Seemingly (according to a trusty issue of Mojo) the lyric book of Richey Edwards were raided in the making of this album and yes it does sound a little like The Holy Bible (the 1994 album rather than the yoke that causes about four different wars a year). So far on first listen at least this album appears to be their most accessible in a long while and as good as what is out there. Although if I'm being honest after three listens, I will probably go back to this...

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Sing The Blues

Well, God is in heaven
And we all want what's his
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I'm gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

One of the great songs of all time and not a bad youtube video find either. All in all a very good day.


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Lights Out

Seeing as it's roasting and half the country have turned into lobsters some R&B is required with a summer vibe.

On a literary note, just finished reading Micheál Ó Siochrú's finely written historical account, "God's Executioner". From an Irish perspective a very reasonable account of what can at best be described as a dark time in history or else a pack of lies, of course its a question of perspective. Anyways an interesting footnote of history is that one of the greats of English literature Milton (he of "Paradise Lost" fame, the poem I dug out of Soundings) was a long time supporter of Cromwellian tactics in Ireland and even wrote poetry celebrating the victories. On further investigation this was never mentioned in Irish syllabus although his posting as a foreign minister was briefly included. (For a far more complete and coherent review: see here)

What has taken me on this tangent? Well it has to be the heat and also the realisation that this happened within a few miles of home and we were never told about it. Reading always surprises you. Lights Out though for now (Santogold and Cromwell, what do I be thinking!).


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

A Million Miles Away From Today

Memories of silent footage being played in the sitting room of this guy playing at our local festival and for the outrageous sum of £2.50.

Stuff like that just sticks in the head.


Rattling Through Life

Ah yes the joys of Ryanair, herded like cattle into a pen waiting for a flight, a stressful way to end an otherwise relaxing weekend. For places visited see here, here, and here and listened to this(is it Green Day in disguise) : madness I tells ya madness!

Anyways can't get Frightened Rabbit out of my head, they have taken over what little brain power I have. Genius lyrics and delivered in American TV series ready dramatic fashion. It has got it all, enjoy The Modern Leper.