Noise Annoys

Bjork - Moon Video

2011-09-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

The icelandic singer Bjork recently launched a new video for the track "Moon". The video is directed by Bjork and Inez & Vinoodh. "Moon" is set to be included on "Biophilia" which will be released on October 11. The album will take the form of 11 apps and is a collaboration between Bjork and Apple.

Island, Is

2009-12-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

And the tones he would push and the songs he would push
To the side

Hitler's reaction

2009-09-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Swing

2009-07-31T12:05:00.000-07:00

Cover Story - Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

2009-06-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Arctic Monkeys have revealed the artwork for their new album "Humbug", due to be released on 24th August. The photo was taken by photographer Guy Aroch at Electric Lady Studios in New York, where the band recorded their third album.

Also by Guy Aroch:

Jacques Brel - Ne Me Quitte Pas

2009-06-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

"In a man's life, there are two important dates : his birth and his death. Everything we do in between is not very important."

Ne Me Quitte Pas was written after Suzanne Gabriello, Brel's girlfriend at the time, put an end to their relationship. Zizou was pregnant with his child and had an abortion after Brel refused fatherhood. Jacques would later admit in an interview that the song is not a love song, but rather one about the cowardice of men.

Bourgeois happy feelings...

2009-06-10T05:34:00.000-07:00

And here we are, in the center of the first world
It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

The Submarines - You, Me & The Bourgeoisie

Album review: Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

2009-06-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

Kasabian - Underdog

Having gone into relative obscurity over these past couple of years, Leicester band Kasabian finally released their 3rd album, "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum". No wait, it hasn't been released yet, but will be on June the 8th.

You probably know Kasabian as being part of the 2004-2005 wave of British bands comprising the more successful Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys, among others. Not surprisingly, lead singer Tom Meighan has said that on the new album they tried to take a distance from that and establish a unique Kasabian style. That is a very bold statement from someone who, when asked to describe the new album, came up with the succinct and brash: beautiful. Suffice it to say, that was not the impression I got after a whole host of listens.

"West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum" (an intentional tongue twister title for sure) is supposed to be a concept album about..., well nobody knows for sure. Lyrically it's all over the place, ranging from tales of blood thirsty characters to social critique of modern life, to swaggers about living life to the fullest and so on. Not afraid of being too pretentious, on the track "West Ryder/Silver Bullet" there is a spoken part from a passage in the film "Sans Soleil" by Chris Marker. "In that moment, poetry will be made by everyone" could be a subtle sarcastic self-reference that I wouldn't put past them.
The opening track "Underdog" is in my opinion the best song on the whole album. It is basically a redoing of "Club Foot", a powerful driving riff easily remembered, accompanied by the sort of vocals Tom has always been best at. The very next track is another highlight, "Where Did All The Love Go?" has an infectious rhythm, with Sergio Pizzorno's whiny voice singing the chorus whether you like it or not. When I first heard the intro to "Fast Fuse" I instantly thought of Radiohead's "Sulk", but the song itself is anything but a sulk, Serge's trademark throbbing guitar providing the buildup for Tom Meighan's explosive rough vocal style. "Thick As Thieves" is perhaps one of the points of departure from their earlier albums, Sergio sings this ballad quite decently and also adds a touch of Mariachi guitar along with the indispensable "la-la-la"s.

"West Ryder/Silver Bullet" features a contribution from actress Rosario Dawson as well as subtle Eastern influences in an attempt to create something that might come across as psychedelic to some. First single "Fire" is again, like "Underdog", a straighforward Kasabian rocker with sparse electronics thrown in as usual. Album closer "Happiness" is about as cheesy as you can get. For one we have Serge's fretful voice again for reasons that I can't understand being as Tom has superior power and range an frankly even a more suitable tone. Second, a gospel choir really should have no place in rock'n'roll.

Entertaining music it is, thought provoking it is not. Passionate creative spirit it required; original, unprecedented ideas it did not. Sensible, just commendation it deserves, undue praise it does not.

Stereophonics - Long Way Round

2009-05-27T13:43:00.000-07:00

Obscure Dakota single B-side used as the opening theme for one of my favourite TV shows ever.

That Night, A Forest Grew

2009-05-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

A pretty little thing I found on Youtube, guaranteed to pull a grin from anyone... (song and video)

Fever Ray

2009-05-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Fever Ray - When I Grow Up
After gaining worldwide success and recognition with The Knife, Karin Dreijer Andersson went for the higly fashionable custom of coming out with a solo album of her own, which came out earlier this year under the name Fever Ray.

As you would expect, the songs are a step sideways (if not forward) from her work with The Knife. The electro foundations are still strong but maybe a little less on the techno side (as was the earlier release Silent Shout). Fever Ray songs don't have that kind of impact and energy but they do make up for it in atmospherics and gentle layering of various instruments and drum patterns. The album flows steadily with moderate pace and there are no real highlight tracks, as the record's general tone is intended to make it more of a chillout experience at the expense of entertainment.

You can play the whole album on the official website here. I recommend the song Triangle Walks for an enjoyable Honk Kong triad style arrangement and the perfect tune for walking down empty streets at night (if you're into that kind of thing) which is cleverly named Keep The Streets Empty For Me.

PS: The intro to the song in the video up there has an X-Files feel that I just couldn't resist. Listen, tell me what you think...

Bat For Lashes - Daniel

2009-04-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

She was the opening act to Radiohead for a few shows in 2008, that must be worth a listen.

The Bishops - City Lights

2009-03-03T11:47:00.000-08:00

.
PS: no, the song is not a Kaiser Chiefs B-side, there really is a band called The Bishops, I didn't make it up.

White Lies - To Lose My Life

2009-02-24T09:49:00.000-08:00

If there was ever a good example of a band just appearing out of nowhere and rising to stardom in only a few months, then White Lies would definitely fit the bill. Formerly known by the name Fear Of Flying, they released their debut album (To Lose My Life...) in January.

What is it that makes them so instantly enjoyable? The music of course. Obvious similarities with Interpol, Editors, The Killers and even Joy Division are accurate to a degree, but they do bring something new to the table. Ok, the new thing could just be the blending of those influences into something nobody has done before, but you have to give some credit to that, it's hard to be fully original these days. I mean, I even hear some Pet Shop Boys in singer Harry McVeigh's voice.

Standout tracks from the album are Death, Farewell To The Fairground and the one in the video, To Lose My Life. This last one's drums are very likely to remind you of Muse's Starlight, yet borrowing bits and pieces from other bands should not be shameful as many great bands have done it. How else is music going to change and improve if not by using and building upon what's already been proven good?

Song review: Quite Free

2009-02-15T13:36:00.001-08:00

...(in love with the dictionary...)
Melomaniac dilletants abhor, who be the perpetrators? Vile swindle or echt fashioning, this benign threnodic composition strains and so dispatches my recollecting means to well-nigh limbo. No disdain on my part, but ideogeny is cut short of research material when it comes to music nowadays.

Withal, anent the band's aim to pen their way out of banal bombast-free Coldplay-like affected and not seldom effective tunes, they abide by tried and tested routines. Namely, dashing out low-voltage stringed instruments to vaguely melodic progressions that appear tailor-made for the issue at hand. Chiming out A's and G's in evidently Pythagorean intervals is bound to fondle the ears and beguile the listener's grasp of aesthetics.

Nothing to write home (or anywhere) about lyrically, albeit class emancipation should by now emerge in everyone's ego as the seminal conviction to adhere to. Music has never been marginal in altering rectitude paradigms of average simpletons. Winsome figments of fatherhood-aged gents' fecundity are likely to perpetuate that.

PS: the song is by Travis, from the album Ode To J. Smith

Doves

2009-02-06T04:59:00.000-08:00

How come I have never written anything about the band Doves before? Although that picture may make them look more like apes that just came out of the jungle than the symbol of love, fidelity, peace and goodwill, these men make music, and they're quite good at it too. I only discovered the band a year ago but it seems like I've known their songs all my life.
Doves - Pounding

Take for example the track Pounding off their second album, The Last Broadcast. Aside from the obvious ocean/sea/big body of water with (olive-branch-carrying) doves in the foreground imagery, this song has the feel of other songs I used to hear when I was a kid, like Europe's The Final Countdown, or even like Wonderwall, songs that seem embedded in my brain. The small guitar-solo section appears like it's existed since the beginning of time. Anyway, that's enough (random thoughts).

About the band... they're a three-piece former disco turned to indie-rock group, similar to Elbow or British Sea Power. They're about to release their 4th album (Kingdom Of Rust) this spring, hopefully I will get a chance to review it when the time comes.

Oh, and here's some random art for you:

Oasis - Falling Down

2009-02-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

Oasis - Falling Down MySpace Exclusive

Fleet Foxes

2009-01-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

Hailing from the hometown of grunge music (Seattle), Fleet Foxes is a band that is actually doing something different. Self-describing their music as "baroque harmonic pop jams", they do have a slightly medieval feel. Someone actually said about them: "if Robin Hood had a band, this would be it", and being as Robin Hood is the coolest folklore figure ever, that says something.

Their debut self-titled album was a huge success among critics, but please see for yourself:

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

An interesting bit about the album is the cover, which is a detail of the 1559 painting "Netherlandish Proverbs" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, which depicts a land populated with literal renditions of Dutch proverbs of the day. You can check it out here.

Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses

2009-01-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

The first single from Franz Ferdinand's upcoming album "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand" has been released. After just a few listens, Ulysses sounds fantastic. The usual British post-britpop indie catchy "la-la-la" tunes are never going to go away it seems.

UPDATE: Franz Ferdinand too is going to be playing at B'ESTFEST in Bucharest (July 3rd), how about that ?!

Album review: The Killers - Day & Age

2009-01-19T07:34:00.001-08:00

It's been coming for a long time and it's been released for quite a while but only now I got a chance to review The Killers' much anticipated album, Day & Age. Usually when I go about such a task, I try to let go of any expectations and just evaluate the album on its own, out of context, without putting it in perspective. I'm not one to go "the pitchfork way" and give an album a low grade just because it didn't live up to its hype or revolutionize the genre. Needless to say it is always hard to do that, and at first I couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed when I didn't find Day & Age to be a return to the days of Hot Fuss.

Latest single: The Killers - Spaceman

Losing Touch - As good as an album opener can get really, but it took a while for me to get into it. A "cosmic" and glamorous feel that you'd expect from The Killers. Also, the guitar solo is one of the highlights on the whole record, simple but stylish. 9/10

Human - I think it would be hard to find someone who hasn't heard this song or its deep/funny lyrics. I never looked at Brandon Flowers as a poet and I don't now either. The song...well, you know it and you probably already have an opinion. Mine: 9/10

Spaceman - This track is the only one on the album that could have easily been on Hot Fuss. Best of the album, impressive, high replay value and not one wrong note coming from those vocal cords. 10/10

Joy Ride - Obviously, the first thing you notice when you listen to this song is the funky bass, guitar and beat, the occasional saxophone fill and the Las Vegas(their hometown) linked lyrics. They tried something different and it turned out ok. 8/10

A Dustland Fairytale - This track I usually skip because it's got no melody to it. It's one of those songs that is impossible to hum even after several listens. Not that bad though, a catchy melody isn't everything. You can see Flowers puts a lot of passion into his singing. 7/10

This Is Your Life - It's one of my favourites, although the backing jungle-like vocals can get annoying at times. 9/10

I Can't Stay - A tropical paradise beat, little spiralling piano riffs together with the all-present sax make this song as well very different from anything else they've tried. The chorus also is impossible not to sing along to. 8/10

Neon Tiger - A story about a tiger trying to escape from the hands of people who want to gut it. Very original. Of course it's much deeper than that, the neon tiger is actually a metaphor for the artist who doesn't want his creativity and artistic freedom to be caged in this hectic music biz. Or not. Anyway, Brandon Flowers said this song came about when he was trying to write like MGMT and even if it sounds nothing like MGMT, those in fashion indie movement redefining boys from New York were a positive influence. I heard it live this summer and I remembered it. 9/10

The World We Live In - I always associated this song with Smile Like You Mean It from Hot Fuss but I can't explain why. Probably because it's synth driven and it has a catchy chorus. 8/10

Goodnight, Travel Well - Dark, mysterious... boring and dull. Possibly a long term grower but life's too short to wait for that. 6/10

A Crippling Blow - These last two tracks are only bonus tracks but A Crippling Blow is one of the best on the album. Again, you'll find yourself singing that you don't need time for some strange reason. 9/10

Forget About What I Said - Sounds a lot like the Kaiser Chiefs or Kasabian, or something. It's faster paced than any of the other songs so it's an ok closer for the album. 8/10

Overall: 9/10

No, Day & Age is not album of the year but as far as The Killers go it is not a letdown. It's got a different personality just like the previous two had and some of these new songs are going to be amazing live. They are launching a gigantic world tour which will see them play, for example, 17 shows in only one month (March).

UPDATE: The Killers are coming to Bucharest for B'ESTFEST Festival on July the 1st!!!

The Raveonettes - The Christmas Song

2008-12-26T06:59:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a cocktail called...

2008-12-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

Elbow - Grounds For Divorce

Elbow's album The Seldom Seen Kid won this year's Mercury Prize and finally got the attention it deserves. Go out there and listen to it, you'll thank me.

The Stone Roses reunion?

2008-12-15T04:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, bassist Mani (currently of Primal Scream) has given us hopes of a reunion of the band that were one of the pioneers of the Madchester movement during the late 80's and early 90's.
"Next year is the 20th anniversary of the first album. It's the ideal time to do it. It's something I would love to do before we are all fat and bald. Start the campaign." said Mani. I don't know what he means by starting the campaign, but if it helps to spread the word and get people listening to their songs again, I'll do just that.
Apparently the only member that still hasn't been convinced is Ian Brown. His voice might have changed but that doesn't stop others.

The Stone Roses - She Bangs The Drums

Glasvegas - Geraldine

2008-12-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

Love it or hate it?

Special season treat for people from Romania, this song was recorded inside St. Nicholas Church in Brasov featuring The Concentus Choir singing in both English and Romanian:

Glasvegas - Silent Night (Noapte De Vis)

The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You

2008-09-06T09:59:00.000-07:00

Yes, The Last Shadow Puppets, remember them? They have a new video out for their next single. If you get the feeling you're being fed too much of the same bands then you are right. My mistake.

My Mistakes Were Made For You

PS: is Alex the John Lennon and Miles the Paul McCartney, or is it the other way around?

Sziget Festival Budapest, Day 5

2008-08-28T03:49:00.000-07:00

Yes it's been a while but we all go on holiday and away from everyday life. We did go to the last day of Sziget Festival and we had a great time. It would be a stretch to say that we went there on a "journalist" mission but we certainly didn't do any camping, boozing or any other European youth partying traditions. We went there for the music and we were well served. This year's lineup was perhaps weaker than previous ones, up until the last day the headliners had been Iron Maiden, Kaiser Chiefs, Sex Pistols and REM.

The day began with scouser indie band The Wo mbats who managed to get going a crowd that was starting to gather in front of the main stage. They played their youthful, happy, upbeat songs with great energy and they got a good reception from the crowd but in all honesty, everybody was there for the acts that were to follow.
The announcer then came up and told us the bad news that Aussie drum and bass group Pendulum were in an accident and would not perform that day, but he also brought good news, the fact that Pete Doherty was there (which was some achievement, considering he had missed a gig in Austria just one day earlier). We waited a while for the Babyshambles to come on stage but they finally did at around 17:30 featuring a Pete Doherty in his usual delicately perverse self and attire. Kicking off with Carry On Up the Morning's guitar intro, one could easily begin to see just what makes Pete a character off but also on stage.

Sometimes he would start jamming on his own in between songs, sometimes he would just sit down on the stage, often he would show a good appetite for his guitar picks etc. Another thing that you could not help notice is that Babyshambles' songs tend to have quick tempo changes that really cause madness in the crowd, to the delight of those who came there just for pushing each other or for crowd surfing. Yes, some people's idea of a good concert is one where you push and get pushed and stamped on as much as possible. Aside from that, it was a fabulous performance, they sounded really good and played all the best hits like Delivery, Side Of The Road, You Talk, Pipedown, Kilamangiro, ending with my personal favourite, Fuck Forever.

Next up were a Hungarian three-piece heavy-metal band called Tankcsapda, which I found is very popular in the country (although people I asked said they hated them). If you were into that kind of music you would probably have enjoyed it a lot, they did put on a good show (background imagery, pyrotechnics and all that). Even we found ourselves shouting "Tank-csap-da" afterwards, it was a pretty catchy chant.

The day belonged to The Killers though, who had a Sawdust theme for their stage setup, with the usual big K-letter stand for Brandon Flowers' keyboards. The performance had a very professional feel, the sound was flawless, the lighting impeccable.

For Reasons Unknown started the set with Flowers on bass-guitar and then continued with tracks from all their previous albums, including Joy Division cover Shadowplay and Tranquilize (which sounded great even without Lou Reed). When You Were Young, Mr. Brightside, Read My Mind, Somebody Told Me all got fantastic reception from the crowd who sang their lungs out and were mesmerized by the show The Killers delivered. A couple of new songs from their upcoming album entitled Day And Age sounded promising, before the nearly 2 hour long show concluded the day and festival with Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, the rendition of which I found a clip on youtube:

To sum up what our little trip to allegedly "the greatest festival in central Europe" was like, I would say that it lived up to our expectations. We were perhaps a little surprised that many people don't go there for the music but only for the atmosphere and partying, some were actually disinterested with what was going on around the stage area. Nonetheless, if you want a good show and are following your favourite bands around, a festival is a good bet, since it's relatively cheap and you can easily get to the front rows to see the performance up front.

The Coral

2008-08-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

The Coral is a band that has achieved a reputation in the UK for being the most bullshit-free band on the planet. They write songs, they record songs, they play songs. Nothing shocking, nothing flamboyant, nothing fancy. They let the music speak for themselves, and it so beautifully does on a consistent basis. Album after album (5 in total) they have done their thing with ease and elegance.

With a mix of primarily acoustic indie-rock and 1960s-style psychedelica and folk, The Coral are a favourite among other musicians, Noel Gallagher and Alex Turner having repeatedly declared their admiration for the band. Andy Bell of Oasis once said about them: "They're insular, but very natural. They don't get starstruck by people they're supporting, but they're not too confident either. They have that gang mentality - a self-confidence you might not expect of them. When you walk into a room, and they're in there, it's their room, not yours."

The Coral are set to release a 2CD compilation album The Singles Collection on 15 September 2008, which will feature the new song Being Somebody Else . They have released a video for it on Youtube, which you can enjoy right here.

Cover Story - Babyshambles - Shotters Nation

2008-08-06T14:13:00.000-07:00

As you probably know already, Sziget festival is on its way so dont be surprised if I'll post more often about The Killers or Babyshambles.
Today, we're talking about Babyshambles' latest album and the controversy surrounding it.
At first glance the artwork may appear innocuous. The funny thing is that as you do read Pete's lyrics trying to figure out terms like 'Arcadia' and 'Albion', along with finding out who Umberto Eco is, the cover art renders itself a likely candidate as a platform for Pete's wildest poetic inspirations.
The cover's back picture depicts Henry Wallis' 'The Death of Chatterton'. Thomas Chatterton, a young poet who killed himself, apparently because the English literary world has shown nothing but apathy towards his work, has been likened to Doherty. On 24 August 1770, Thomas Chatterton retired for the last time to his attic in Brook Street, carrying with him the arsenic which he drank, after tearing into fragments whatever literary remains were at hand. He was only seventeen years and nine months old.

And now about the controversy I was talking about. The image of Kate Moss’s behind has been removed of the cover of the Babyshambles album Shotters Nation and been replaced with a unknown posteria.
Kate did feature in lingerie on the front cover but Babyshambles management team have pulled the image fearing Moss will sue them now that she and Pete Doherty have split up.
The Sun : “The pictures of Kate were amazing. But no one knew who owned the copyright to them. After their nasty split they didn’t want to risk Kate or Agent Provocateur trying to sue them for using her image on the cover. The decision to change the pictures wasn’t something Pete’s management or the record company took lightly. But a decision needed to be made. They wanted the album out before the band’s arena tour in November.”

The Verve - Love Is Noise

2008-08-04T04:00:00.001-07:00

I know what you're thinking. If Love Is Noise and Noise Annoys then does it mean that love annoys? Hardly.

As you all must know The Verve have reunited last year and are due to release an album entitled Forth later this month. Love Is Noise is the first single and it just goes to show that you can just pick an annoying sound (in this case something resembling a seagull or a metal grinder) that is instantly recognizable and just repeat it throughout the song until it sticks in your head. Other than that, it is a truly great song, Richard Ashcroft proving once again that he still is one of the greatest singers out there right now. It's not exactly the next Bitter Sweet Symphony, but it is a great return for the band, with the usual overproduced multi layered guitar parts that made them famous.

All album covers should look like that!

The Greatest Music Video Ever

2008-08-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

To follow their previous top for the best ever rock 'n' roll band, NME have started another vote to try and find out what is the best ever rock 'n' roll music video. Quite a big task if you ask me, but still you can go and rate the videos that they put forward. By no means this would mean that the one who wins is indeed the greatest video ever because people are bound to vote for their favourite band, regardless of the actual artistic value of the video itself. Also, videos are largely the creation of the director and he should get the praise although they are never mentioned on the site. Currently Oasis are (as always) miles ahead with both their videos that are present in the contest, which makes you wonder whether they are as popular in Britain as they are in ...umm.. my playlists. Of course this is an opportunity for me to shamefully post another Oasis video, the top video on NME, Don't Look Back In Anger.

Motorcycle Emptiness

2008-07-29T05:24:00.001-07:00

To sum up what this song is all about in few words: this capitalist world breeds emptiness into people; we are given so many things to distract us from the unfairness of society and therefore we live with a bright, neon-like loneliness which will never be anything but everlasting nothingness.
Those are some pretty big words. Do you agree with them? If you do, then take a stand! If you don't, well I see no reason why you shouldn't enjoy the song as well.

Manic Street Preachers - Motorcycle Emptiness

Nationwide Mercury Prize 2008

2008-07-26T03:45:00.000-07:00

The nominations for the Mercury Prize 2008 have been announced, again with the usual controversy surrounding them. Claiming to reward the best album of the year from the UK and Ireland, the Mercury Prize was established in 1992 as an alternative to the perceived commercialism of the Brit awards. As it's been observed that bands who are nominated or indeed win the prize (especially the lesser known ones) experience a good increase in album sales, it's hard not to suspect a hint of "commercialism" in the nominee designation process too. However, the prize was established by the BPI and aims to cover a broad range of genres, which made Anthony Hegarty of Anthony & the Johnsons compare it to "a crazy contest between an orange and a spaceship and a potted plant and a spoon - which one do you like better?". Indeed, there was a time when Michael Nyman's "The Piano Concerto" went up against Prodigy's "Music for the Jilted Generation", causing a fierce rivalry between the two fanbases.

The 2008 albums of the year are:
Adele - 19
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
Burial - Untrue
Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Estelle – Shine
Laura Marling - Alas, I Cannot Swim
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Portico Quartet - Knee Deep In The North Sea
Rachel Unthank and the Winterset - The Bairns
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
...in alphabetical order of course.

Yes, some unknown names in that list which I won't get into, I'd just like to mention that it's Radiohead's 4th nomination, but having lost all of the previous ones it's hard to put your money on them, as the Mercury Prize has a reputation of being awarded to outside chances rather than the favourites. NME band The Last Shadow Puppets' presence on the shortlist provides Alex Turner with his 3rd consecutive nomination, to the delight of his passionate fans worldwide. The likes of Adele, Estelle or Laura Marling are there to achieve a good balance between male and female musicians, also the appearance of the folk group Rachel Unthank and the Winterset's The Bairns and the Portico Quartet's jazz-infused debut album Knee Deep In The North Sea make for a beautifully crafted list to reflect the very rich and diverse British music scene.
The awards ceremony is scheduled for September 9.

Album Review: Dirty Pretty Things - Romance At Short Notice

2008-07-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Dirty Pretty Things have recently released their second album, Romance At Short Notice, which received mediocre reviews, entering at number 35 on the UK chart and only spending one week in the Top 40.

However, after a fair amount of listens I've come to enjoy an album that sees Carl Barât trying out new things while confirming his great creative talent. Nice to hear more of the others singing as well, particularly Anthony, who has an excellent voice, giving evidence as to why he was used to replace Pete Doherty on stage back in those troubled days of The Libertines. Anyway, here's what you get on the record, song by song:

Buzzards & Crows
This is a fabulous starter for the album, with an anthemic feel and powerful chorus, it shows the Dirty Pretty Things reaching forward to places which remind me of The Beatles. The eerie fairground noises help too.

Hippy's Son
The beginning of this song seemed promising right up until Carl's voice for the verse kicks in. It's an angry, throaty voice that could work elsewhere but just doesn't fit in with the rest of the song. Some nice guitar work as always and that humming bit at the end gives me chills, but that's just a personal thing.

Plastic Hearts
An upbeat beauty of a song with a chorus that will make you sing along with instantly, showing a side of Carl that we've rarely seen before (la-la-la's and everything). Yes, it sounds like something The Kooks would do, but it's enjoyable nonetheless, gives variety and shape to the album.

Tired of England
First single off the album, this song is about the love for their country and city. Musically nothing spectacular, I think they just needed a quick simple melody to put the meaningful lyrics on. "We'll never be tired of London" says Carl, who would argue with that?

Come Closer
I didn't think much of it at first, but I started to like this short attempt at a ballad. "With a life so lonely/I need my one and only" umm...ok, but it's really not THAT bad. Definitely a grower.

Faultlines
A highlight on the album, it's another ballad this time with a heavenly chord progression to caress your ears. Again it shows them exploring new grounds and confirming that Carl is actually getting older and inevitably (?!) softer (he is over 30 now).

Kicks or Consumption
One of my favourites, this short, fast-paced, punchy song is a reminder that they're a band that can throw out punk-rock songs that could send crowds into the air. Would be great live.

Best Face
This track is I think the most reminiscent of The Libertines but it hasn't got nearly the amount of energy or 'edge' you'd expect. I find it quite boring actually, and as much as I dislike saying it, it's filler.

Truth Begins
Best track on the album in my opinion, it builds up from a mellow, acoustic part into a spirited beautiful chorus that never gets dull or annoying. It's one of the few bits from the record that got stuck in my head, should've been more like that.

Chinese Dogs
This one could've been great because it's got the feel of the early Libs but the vocals are truly irritating to me. I reckon they wanted to bring back a little bit The Clash but it just doesn't work. A disappointment.

The North
A dreamy ballad with a string section, something completely different from anything they've ever done before. It really emphasizes the voice which is ok but not especially suited for this kind of song.

Blood On My Shoes
This last song will definitely make an impression on you, with a gloomy intro and rythm changes, it's one of the more polished songs on the album. Apparently the Blood Thirsty Bastards from the first album spilled some on Carl's shoes. A pity that.

In conclusion, this record gets a good balance between moving on and maintaining what was good about the first album. It shows that a possible reunion of The Libertines (Carl recently said he and Pete have some "unfinished business") is likely to be successful, as Mr. Barât certainly hasn't lost his touch. So if you want my advice, it's definitely worth the downl... err...buy.

The Killers - Live

2008-07-21T02:23:00.000-07:00

What do all great bands have in common? Many things actually but for one they all sound even better live than they do on record. Well, at least that's what they say, and it must be true because "they" are knowledgeable people.
This four-piece band from Las Vegas has gained critical acclaim for their live performances and with three albums already under their belt and a fourth one recorded and due to be released this year, they will be headlining many festivals throughout Europe this summer, including Reading , Leeds and Sziget festival in Budapest. I will definitely be attending their show on the 17th of August in Budapest, and if you have the opportunity to do so too I strongly encourage you to take it. Here is an idea of what you might be missing if you don't:

Be their victims!

Leapsa - Your Turn

2008-07-20T04:15:00.000-07:00

I know that punctuality is my weak point but better now than never, right?. So, what is all about? I've got this leapsa (I'll call it this way since looking up for words in the dictionary became soo dulling) from Nance which sounds exactly like this:

'list seven songs you are into right now. no matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to'

So, what to begin with?

1. Placebo - Come Home : it's my first encounter with Placebo. Yeah, as in today, now, this moment - lame , I know, but this song already got its repeat, a very good song for driving your car, yeah, as i know what driving is but whatever.

2. Editors - An End Has A Start : this will certainly be my funeral song. "You came on your own/That's how you'll leave". Right!

3. The Coral - Pass It On - oh and this song. Now I'm dreamy and stuff. Its the perfect song for a summer evening, lying on a porch in the middle of nowhere, mosquitos buzzing you...

4. Kaiser Chiefs - Heat Dies Down - this song and the next one are still fucking with my brains. Bestfest attendees know better. "When the dies down/I'll still be in this fucking town".

5. Manic Street Preachers - Suicide Is Painless - Rock'n'Roll

6. The Killers - Change Your Mind - lovely, this one. I have to prepare myself: moustache - checked, cowboy boots - checked :p, black bow - checked. Sziget, here I come!

7. Interpol - Slow Hands - I just feel God on this one spanking the naughty ones.

And because I'm already bored, this leapsa will end right here fellows.
P.S.: Since uploading files became such a pain in the ass, you can ask me personally for any song you want to have.

Dig Out Your Soul, Coming October 6

2008-07-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Oasis are set to return later this year with a new single and their seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul. Main songwriter Noel Gallagher revealed details about his lyrics for his new songs: "I've literally got nothing left to write about: I've wrote about being a youth, and I've wrote about being a rock star, and I've wrote about living life in the big city. I've been re-visiting some of my more psychedelic trips of a younger man, because I remember them all you see...putting them to music."

Just in case you might not remember them, here's a little something to refresh your memory:

Oasis - Whatever

Strokes, Santogold, Pharrell - My Drive Thru

2008-07-10T13:26:00.000-07:00

Julian Casablancas (The Strokes), Pharrell Williams and Santogold teamed up to produce the song 'My Drive Thru' to celebrate 100th anniversary of Converse's Chuck Taylor shoe.
You can find the video below, also the Converse - Connectivity experience here.

Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)

2008-06-24T14:03:00.000-07:00

And if the snow buries my...
My neighborhood

And if my parents are crying,
Then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours
Yeah, a tunnel from my window to yours

You climb out the chinmey
And meet me in the middle
The middle of the town
And since there's no one else around,
We let our hair grow long and forget all we used to know
Then our skin gets thicker from living out in the cold

You change all the lead sleeping in my head
As the day grows dim, I hear you sing a golden hymn...

Then, we tried to name our babies
But we forgot all the names that,
The names we used to know
But sometimes,
We remember our bedrooms and our parent's bedrooms and the bedrooms of our friends
Then we think of our parents...
Well, whatever happened to them?!

You change all the lead sleeping in my head to gold
As the day grows dim, I hear you sing a golden hymn
It's the song I've been trying to sing...

Purify the colors, purify my mind
Purify the colors, purify my mind
And spread the ashes of the colors over this heart of mine!

The Last Shadow Puppets - Standing Next To Me Music Video

2008-06-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

Some may accuse me of copying but I couldnt miss the oportunity to have this on my blog. Alex Turner and Miles Kane a.k.a The Last Shadow Puppets will release their second single called Standing Next To Me on 7/7/2008. Meanwhile, we celebrate this with their latest video, shot in London by Richard Ayoade.

Arcade Fire - Ocean of Noise

2008-06-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

I dont know how but I've missed what I consider one of the best music videos. Yes, it is called Ocean of Noise and it belongs to the canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire.
It's about a shattering love story, happy ending included.

What Bands Have the Best British Accent?

2008-06-12T00:04:00.000-07:00

A few months ago i've opened the topic above on the 'we love british accent' group on last.fm. The results, as shown below, indicate that Monkeys and Kooks dominate this area.

The Kooks were closely followed by the Arctic Monkeys with just one vote to make the difference. I was tempted to vote again because of that. But hey, let's be just this time. I dont want to post some new informations about these bands because you probably know lots.
Now there are some notable bands/singers in that charts who must be mentioned.
Bloc Party are an English indie rock band, composed of Kele Okereke on vocals and rhythm guitar, Russell Lissack on lead guitar, Gordon Moakes on bass guitar and Matt Tong on the drums. Their brand of indie art rock has been compared to bands such as Radiohead, The Cure, Blur, The Smashing Pumpkins, Pixies and Joy Division.
You will find more about them on their wikipedia page. We are interested here especially about their english accent. We'll illustrate that with "Helicopter", a song very special for me, featured in Fifa 06 or Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

And the last one, but probably my favourite accent, Kate Nash. Nash is often compared to British singer Lilly Allen, who also uses strong intonation with her London accent.
Oh, dear. I can’t help noticing that British singer-songwriter Kate Nash has been taken to task elsewhere on Mog “for singing in her accent”. Allow me to reproduce one influential person's view about her accent:

"It’s not her accent, it’s somebody else’s.
That’s right, darlings, she’s faking it. Just like Bono’s American TV evangelist, Damon Albarn’s posh boy turned Essex lad, and, most recently, Alex Turner’s ongoing tongue-in-cheek impersonation of a miserable Sheffield steal worker (oh wait...that's his real personality).
Kate’s a nice suburban girl who wants to sound like an working-class ne’er-do-well. And being a former student of drama, she’s doing a bang-up job.
How can I be so sure? ‘Cause I accosted Ms. Nash, along with her sister and her parents, at her April gig in Dublin. And very lovely thoroughly middle-class people they were, too."

Bastards, she's such a lovely girl. Who cares if she's faking it or not?
Kate Nash - Foundations

Chiara Mastroianni & Benjamin Biolay

2008-06-05T01:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know! I feel kind of sorry for not posting such a long time but I was busy taking my exams.
So! What do we have for today, you will probably ask yourself. Well, today I felt like writing about these guys. And that is because last week I listened a lot to the 'nouvelle chanson francaise tag' on Last.fm and I couldnt miss the opportunity to share with you this. You can find the radio in question here: Nouvelle chanson francaise
And now about Chiara Mastroianni and Benjamin Biolay. Some say that they're the new Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin, probably because of their relationship. Chiara and Benjamin were together from 2002 to 2005 and had one baby together.

Chiara Mastroianni, as you probably figured out for yourself, is the daughter of already famous Catherine Deneuve and Marcello Mastroiani. She starred in one of the best recent french films that I've seen: Les chansons d'amour.
Benjamin Biolay is a french singer, songwriter, musician, actor and record producer for people like Juliette Gréco, Julien Clerc and Françoise Hardy, one of my favourite french singers. The link to Francoise Hardy will redirect you to some of her photos on Google. You will quickly understand why.
Moving forward, I want to present you what I would call their masterpiece. It's a song called Folle de Toi and it is featured on Benjamin Biolay's album called simple Home.

And because you were quite receptive I will introduce you to 'Les chansons d'amour' because I think it is very suitable for today's theme.

What A Great Singer

2008-05-09T02:43:00.000-07:00

Sid Vicious from the Sex Pistols singing to Frank Sinatra's My Way.

Cover Story - The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement

2008-04-25T10:17:00.000-07:00

Because I thought it would be an interesting subject, I've launched today a series of cover stories for my favourite albums.
Let's begin with the new album of the Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement:

So, the cover is one of the shots from Sam Haskins' book FIVE GIRlS (1962). Gill was an art student in Johannesburg in the early sixties. Not a professional model, she just walked into the studio one day and was a total natural in front of the camera.
Because I am sure you want to see more photos of Gill I will be generous:

The Last Shadow Puppets

2008-04-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

And because I can't help myself:

Domino is proud to announce the release of 'The Age Of The Understatement', the debut album by The Last Shadow Puppets , out today monday 21st April.

The Last Shadow Puppets are Alex Turner (from Arctic Monkeys) and Miles Kane (from The Rascals). Firm friends ever since Arctic Monkeys toured with Kane's previous group, The Little Flames, the pair were so inspired by listening to the likes of Scott Walker, early Bowie and David Axelrod, that they hatched a plan.

The result, 'The Age Of The Understatement', is an album of 12 full-blooded songs, bold and brassy, full of drama, wit and melody, that source the past but avoid falling into pastiche. Both Miles and Alex are 22, and this is a youthful record, full of life and the sheer pleasure of music making.

The Last Shadow Puppets recorded the songs at Black Box studios near Nantes, France in two weeks during the summer of 2007, with producer and drummer James Ford. The band then approached Owen Pallett to arrange and conduct the orchestration of the tracks, which were recorded by the 22 piece London Metropolitan Orchestra at British Grove studios in London over Christmas.

And now my favourite song, recorded live in New York on March 4, 2008:

My Mistakes Were Made For You

You can find out more about The Last Shadow Puppets here:
The other songs recorded live
The band

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

2008-04-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Yes. Ian Curtis is a fuckin legend and you can do nothing about it. The lead singer of Joy Division, band named after a group of Jewish women used as sex slaves in World-War 2 Nazi concentration camps, as depicted in the 1955 novel House of Dolls, is an inexhaustible subject for the critics and fans, because of his early death in 1980.
More informations about Joy Division and Ian Curtis you can find here:
Joy Division
Ian Curtis
And here is a great song by Joy Division:

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
ÎncÄ�rcat de hushhush112

The Kooks - Crazy

2008-04-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Kooks are singing here Gnarls Barkley's Crazy and in my opinion they are doing it pretty well. I'm really subjective though. This video was shot in Paris, June 2006.

More informations about the original singer you can find here: Gnarls Barkley

Album Review - The Kooks - Konk

2008-04-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

1."See the Sun" – 3:37
2."Always Where I Need to Be" – 2:42
3."Mr. Maker" – 3:00
4."Do You Wanna" – 4:06
5."Gap" – 4:00
6."Love It All" – 2:51
7."Stormy Weather" – 4:02
8."Sway" – 3:36
9."Shine On" – 3:15
10."Down to the Market" – 2:27
11."One Last Time" – 2:38
12."Tick of Time" and "All Over Town" (hidden track) – 7:41

And here it is. The new Kooks album is due to be released on April 14, 2008. For Konk the band worked with the same producer, Tony Hoffer. Frontman Luke Pritchard looks forward to the band's succes with this album and says: "I want this album to be big. I've got an ego - I want the album to do well. I want our singles to come on the radio and for the people to have their heads blown off by them."
And indeed he might be right because Konk appears to be a very mainstream album, pointing to a wide audience. Although the band is tagged as an indie rock one, this project seems to introduce the listener to the pop side of the boys, as Luke himself admits: "It's a good pop album."
It wouldn't be right for me to say that Konk is worse than Inside In / Inside Out but it would be ok if I say that the audience the band had will be the same as this album doesn't seem to bring anything spectacular than the previous one.
You will rapidly recognize Luke Pritchard's shouts to the vigorous drums from Inside In / Inside Out. Because of the modern yet warm sound, the songs will look to you catchy, childish-like and will have you dreaming of the future summer that you will spend.
The Kooks introduce you to the album with "See The Sun", a song with one of the best guitar fragments that boys ever performed. Next Tune, "Always Where I Need To Be", which is band's first single, seems to be the most dynamic part of the album. Your head starts shaking, the body is trembling and you see the stage calling for you. Mr Maker has a more britpop sound and tells us the story of some ordinary life of a guy. To be sincere my favourite song is "One Last Time", because of Luke Pritchard's singing. The record ends with "Tick Of Time", which includes also a hidden song called "All Over Town".
To conclude, Konk is not the year's most expected album but indeed a very good one for the band's admirers. If Inside In / Inside Out was one of your favourite piece of music, this one will certainly make the same impression in your eyes.
Here it is the band's first single:

The Kooks - Mr. Maker
The Kooks - See the Sun

Pete Doherty

2008-03-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Babyshambles - o trupa nascuta din cenusa trupei The Libertines, o trupa buna as indrazni sa spun, iar Pete Doherty, o prezenta interesanta. O cautare pe Wikipedia( Pete Doherty ) si un search pe youtube m-a facut sa imi creez cat de cat o idee despre acest om, care am zis ca merita sa i se dedice un post. Ca atuuri nu am putut trece cu vederea inocenta, vocea cat si tupeul lui. Insa, poate cel mai mare atuu al sau este muzica pe care o face alaturi de cei de la Babyshambles.
Here it is one of his masterpieces.

Daca vrei sa il vezi pe Doherty in viata de zi cu zi nu ai decat:

Greatest ROCK N ROLL Band Ever

2008-03-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

De curand site-ul NME a lansat o provocare tuturor fanilor muzicii rock, aceea de a isi alege trupa preferata. Vei fi rugat de a da o nota de la 1 la 10 fiecarei trupe care ti se propune.
P.S.: Nu intra daca nu ai de gand sa dai nota 10 unor trupe precum Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes, Klaxons, The Horrors, mai concret celor din profilul meu de last.fm (dreapta --> Artists I Like). Joking, right? :p
Dupa cum puteti observa top 5 nu arata exact cum as vrea so good luck! Mda, oricum e de apreciat prezenta unor trupe precum The Beatles in top, Oasis (mda again) sau Manic Street Preachers, care dupa cum bine stiti vin si in Romania la BESTFEST.
Poll-ul se afla la urmatorul link: The Greatest ROCK N ROLL Band Ever