We're only making plans for Nigel

Firstly sorry for the delay in posting, between spending a week on a boat in Norfolk and traveling to Manchester for a long weekend there has been oceans of rainwater in the way. As I write this I am finally on the train to Manchester after setting off from Norfolk 30 hours ago!

Secondly todays collection is made up of my laptop collection (wooo on the road) so its a bit sparse. The White Stripes have made a rather awesome back in recent weeks with their new album and single titled Icky Thump. The album itself is typical Jack White dirty guitar with bits of piano mixed in and Meg White going bang bang bang on the snares mixed with an occasional thud on the bass. What sets this apart from the White Stripes we all love? Nothing, and its not actually that bad a thing, each tune is as catchy as the other and I particularly like this little skitch into music-story-telling-thievery.

The White Stripes - Rag and Bones

The Editors are another band that are back with vengeance, their second album An End Has a Start is another album that is trying to keep the band consistent. If you are expecting anything new don't get your hopes up but if you were hoping to hear more Editors then you won't be upset.

Editors - Racing Rats

Anyone remember Victoria Bergsman? Or The Concretes? Well never mind, but Victoria Bergsman (the singer of the former Concretes) has come back on a solo project called Taken By Trees, and I tell you one thing, I am certainly taken..by....it [hmmm that didn't work]

Taken By Trees - Tell Me

Daz-da-automata

Just a quickie, as I just came across some news that Minus the Bear are coming back to warm our ears again. For those that haven't had the pleasure Minus the Bear are a Seattle based slow indie rock outfit with some crazy guitar tapping action happening. January 2006 they unfortunately lost their keyboard player and it got some, including me, worried that they might loose it a bit. But sure enough they are to release an album sometime in mid August so keep ‘em peeled! I also came across this Maccabees track, a band from Brighton or a Jewish national liberation movement (you decide)? Nothing really to say about the Maccabees apart from the songs called Lego (yes!) and I really love the line “The boys chew Lego, and now we can’t build castles, or robots, cause the pieces don’t fit together!” such an intense metaphysical point [yup]

Minus the Bear - Pachuca Sunrise
Maccabees - Lego

La Instrument

Did you know instrumental is an anagram of "Lunar Mittens"?

Yet another instrumental session is upon us, this will be a bumper issue as there will be a lack of mentaling next week (I apologise but holidays come first!). Bit of a mix today, with instrumental only tracks from Interpol and Spiritualized, and an acapella Bjork (this counts as the other end of the spectrum from instrumental). First up though I would like to introduce Amiina, a band from Iceland who you have all heard but never knew it. Amiina are the recording quartet for Sigur Ros and as I am aware once toured with them to promote Takk. As a band they excel mainly by playing stuff that doesn't sound too disimilar to Sigur Ros themselves but this is not exactly a bad thing.

Amiina - Rugla
Amiina - Glamur
Amiina - Hilli

Next up is St. Vincent, or under her real name Annie Clark, who has the power to completely render you useless for the few minutes that you listen to her music. Usually she is poppy, guitar powered, and well rounded with some awesome lyrics (enough to support Jose Gonzalez!). This on the other hand, is a tad different, it drips with affection and care and just wants to be listened too, I could spout on but why bother just listen!

St. Vincent - We Put a Pearl In The Ground

Instrumental versions of tracks that should be sung over are usually the first to be cursed by the fast-forward button. Thankfully that doesn't apply to our next two offerings, the first Interpol, is a track that does miss its lyrics, but gives you an ace insight to the complications that Interpol weave. Second up is possibly my favourite Spiritualized track of all time, and dont be surprised if its lyric-ked countpart makes an appearance sometime soon.

Interpol - Mammouth (instrumental)
Spritualized - I Didn't Mean to Hurt You (instrumental)

Toy Music, not a statement but infact the name of our next band, produce well toy music! Using the latest in toy piano, toy drum sticks, xylaphones and recorders Toy Music create some brilliant compositions using the oddest of instruments. This is no different, Strap The Button acts as a good starter for your toy music career and will have you pulling out that Early Learning Center saxophone in no time.

Toy Music - Strap the Button

Because of Ghosts, are a raw sounding mess of sound, which falls together perfectly in time and in tune. Parts of which are somewhere in between Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You, with guitar phrases laced together with xylaphone and an almost marching band like snare drum. Intrestingly enough on the bands website one of the members has a prefered instrument of "Wine Glasses"

Because of Ghosts - You Fool (Your House Was Built on a Frozen Lake)
Because of Ghosts - No More Reason, No More Doubt

Carrying on our fine instrumentals is Dirty Three, a three piece (believe it or not) from Melbourne Australia. Whats interesting about Dirty Three is that as a band they are only loved between the hardcore, but as individual musicians they have spanned all over the place. Warren Ellis, the violin player, is actually the lead violin player for Nick Caves Bad Seeds, the band themselves have had seven albums, toured with Sonic Youth and Pavement to name but a few, and are fantastic!

Dirty Three - I Really Should of Gone Out Last Night
Dirty Three - Sea Above, Sky Below

Finally, I have spent pretty much all day trying to figure out how I can justify having this next track, and to be honest I cant. Bjork doing an acapella version of Hidden Place, in terms of its instrumental status its about as far away as one can get from instrumental, but surely in that sense, like you cant have religion without both God and the devil, it makes it one in the same...

Bjork - Hidden Place (Acapella)

I'm baaaaad, Smashing it!

Its instru-mental!

As the thunder, lightning, hail, monsoon, typhoon, hurricaine and rain continue to belt this tiny island into oblivion its time to get on with the instrumental. Thomas Newman is top of my people list today, not simply because we watched Little Children, which features his work, but because my iTunes shuffle still surprises me to this day. Thomas Newman is one of the finest soundtrack composers out there, cousin to Randy (I never knew that till now) he has put in music what sometimes cannot be expressed in visual terms. I came up with a few of the key movie elements that have been emphasized by Newman's work and here a few questions:
Would anyone of made a fuss about the American Beauty, plastic bag scene? Would anyone of cried in The Shawshank Redemption when Brookes dies? Would anyone of actually cared about Meet Joe Black?

Thomas Newman - Whisper of a Thrill (from Meet Joe Black)

The piano has always been one of those instruments I love, I have been trying to play for longer than I can remember and still marvel when I play anything remotely good. Its emotive, simple, and one of those skills that puts you in good standing to learn anything once you have mastered it. Michael Nyman is another soundtrack composer who has provided some brilliant music to some fantastic films. Nothing more so than the music to The Piano

Michael Nyman - Scent of Love

Carrying on with the piano theme, Christopher O'Riley, the American classical pianist with a penchant for Radiohead. Which comes neat onto our next offering of Robert Glasper playing some Radiohead style Jazz, which does work oddly enough. The Hawi'ian Jake Shimabukuro, who is the finest ukulele player ever, does some more covers playing the Beatles, give it time it becomes more obvious after a while. Then moving onto more normal instrumental Tuesday type stuff, we have M. Ward the singer/guitarist who has worked with many a famous act (Bright Eyes in particular). The Six Parts Seven, who are a mix of Explosions in the Sky and Eluvium, create layers of bass, drums and some fine guitar. Enjoy my chums!

Christopher O'Riley - Paranoid Android
Robert Glasper - Everything in its Right Place
Jake Shimabukuro - While my Guitar Gently Weeps
M.Ward - Transfiguration
The Six Parts Seven - Stolen Moments

I'm gonna creep inside you like a warm kitten!

Today is indeed a great day, I was originally bringing together a piece about synthpop/electropop and low and behold on Rufus Wainwright's forum (don't ask why I was there) I found out that The Mighty Boosh are indeed doing a third season, oohh the excitement. The electropop is of course going to continue, even more so fuelled by the knowledge that the electro loving Vince Noir will be back. So first up the electropioneers who invented music, The Human League, before them was nothing but tune ups and setting up equipment in the hope that they would turn up.

The Human League - Don't You Want Me Baby?

Gary Numan, one of the great frontment who could indeed 'pull shapes', was another of the synthpop pioneers. Brought up in Slough, arse end of nowhere, he came to the music scene really quite young (in the days before Daphne & Celeste) and had millions of records! In 2000 some of the finest musical talent came forward and told of their love for the Numan (plural being Numanoids) and created a tribute album called Random. One of such covers was An Pierl who does a wonderful cover of Are Friends Electric? on the piano. So for your aural pleasure I have dug out Me! I Disconnect From You, which was always a favourite as a child, and Music for Chameleons, which I can't listen to without thinking about Alan Partridge attacking tax ladies.

Gary Numan - Me! I Disconnect From You
Gary Numan - Music for Chameleons
An Pierl - Are Friends Electric?

During the time of The Human League and all of the new wave/new romantics, there was a mini battle between themselves and the mighty Depeche Mode. Personally I was always a Depeche Mode (Sound of Silence did it for me) man though I have never been too sure why I didn't jump over. Saying that Wikipedia says that Depeche Mode were actually the more successful band and supposedly one of the longest-lived bands ever! Yet on the flipside Dave Gahan has been on a long drugs spiral whereas Philip Oakley still gigs (with new ladies), not sure what qualifies as a winner there

Depeche Mode - Strangelove

Synthpop has recently seen something of a comeback with the likes of the new wave Indie boys playing with their Moogs and Korgs. From the Kaiser Chiefs to the Klaxons to The Killers (?? maybe its in the 'K') we are hearing more and more of the new Indiesynth which is taking the UK, especially, by a bit of a storm. MSTRKRFT, pronounced Master Kraft, so I am told, was the brainchild of Jesse F. Keeler of Death From Above 1979 fame. They have provided some good (not amazing) fresh tracks of their own, but its with their remix tracks that they really shine. This one is a remix of Death From Aboves Sexy results and reminds me of Friday afternoons in the sunshine, in the pub, just after work, or maybe thats just whats on my mind.

Death From Above 1979 - Sexy Results (MSTRKRFT Remix)

Wikipedia.....doesn't knob about does it?

Obviously the news today is heavily centered around the Prime Ministarial handover on Downing Street. Its all quite strange, and now more than ever do you see that Prime Ministers are in office, hated, and then pressured and forced out of office, and then loved. It doesn't stop in the UK as well, look at the US Presidents (bar Regan) they are loved "Ohhh he's new", hated (usually around the time of budgets) and then loved again (which usually coincides when his/her successor starts being hated). Bill Clinton, who I did like all along, was one of the best Presidents of recent decades, alright his choice of lady wasn't perfect but pure carnal needs shouldn't stand in the way of national progress. With Blair it took a grand total of three hours (minutes) before people were talking about the best way to relocate his skills, and strangely enough how Gordon Brown isn't really the most honest person. Anyway, to mark the occasion I had a think about possible Tony, Gordon, songs, we start off with The Pixies. I see this song as the celebration of our new (old) Prime Minister, and then we move onto his darker, more hated, time in office with George Michael. Finally Blur bring us in (they do sing about Tony Allen dancing so just imagine its Tony Blair!) with Music is my Radar. Finally a bit of Stranglers comedy!

The Pixies - Tony's Theme
George Michael - Shoot the Dog
Blur - Music is my Radar
Stranglers - Gordon Brown?
Tony Blair - Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Wednesday, Wednesday

I could never really get the hang of Wednesdays, they are always a bit of a write off day. This week sees something even more so in the way of bad Wednesdays, as much of the UK has been flooded including, as shown, Hillsborough which is Sheffield Wednesdays football ground. First up today is Ladyfuzz! who I only just found out today when going over their MySpace that they had actually called it a day (tis a shame). This three piece from Londinium were rocky, poppy and damn cool. I saw them support Futureheads and they were really rather special live as well, but I don't quite know why I am even telling you!

For mains we have Wolf Parade who I listened to ages ago and then forgot about, and then remembered but couldn't remember anything about them, just that they were good. For them we have Shine a Light which was the song I remember hearing that first time and thinking "This is really f--ing good", these Canadian crazies will keep you a-bopping.

For pudding we have a real treat (ish), its in the form of the Tungay Ukulele Orchestra, don't ask me why I have a fettish for the sound of the Ukulele, I don't understand it either! See if you recognise this video-game classic!

Ladyfuzz! - The Man with The Monochrome View
Wolf Parade - Shine a Light
Tungay Ukulele Orchestra - Zelda

Expression or appreciation of subtle shades of meaning

Instrumental Tuesday is back again!!

Yet again we are here to bring you the instrumental classics of the day, and today is no exception. Two nights ago I caught the last forty-five minutes of 28 Days Later, a film that I had always slaughtered really (even though I had never watched it, sad I know!). I hate to say it but I was really quite surprised even coming into it that late in the film. It was really quite sublime and, always the first thing I notice, the soundtrack was ace to boot. The first little skitch I saw may have been a dream or something similar of white horses running round a field, rather stunning, especially to the amazing backdrop of Brian Eno's : an ending (accent). I was then even more surprised when a small scene of a sad moment (don't wish to spoil anything) which again was put together superbly was bolsted with Godspeed You Black Emperor's East Hastings, which has always been a favourite. Surprise couldn't even begin to describe the sheer brilliance in the build up and climax of the penultimate scenes to which you could shut your eyes and through the music understand every subtle nuance of goings on. Brought together by the very brilliant composer John Murphy, entitled In a House - In a Heartbeat, play them loud!

Brian Eno - An Ending (accent)
Godspeed You Black Emperor - East Hastings
John Murphy - In a House, In a Heartbeat

Tomato ketchup up the bum...

Manchester (home town) is a place that has changed a lot since the late 90's. Not too many people realise but Manchester was one of the recent(ish) cities to be damaged by terrorism. On June 15th 1996 a bomb was detonated in the centre of Manchester (causing £411m of damage) by the IRA, thankfully no one was hurt. The city was devestated as half of its commercial district was ripped apart in a time where bomb attacks were unheard of. Since that time however there has been an amazing change in the city centre, £1.2 billion in fact, and its now a truly wonderful city. At the time of all this I was at school, and was actually within close proximity of the bomb blast (about 900ft away), I was also working for a Manchester radio station, and the music in Manchester has always thrived. At the time there were a lot of famous up-coming local music acts and some have grown along with the town. The first band, Doves, who have always been a personal favourite performed some amazing sets on our radio and this song, The Man Who Told Everything, is a true fave which is the perfect Indie song. The other performer that we saw a lot of was Damon Gough (Badly Drawn Boy) who provides a perfect example of a typical mancunian, don't let those Irish Gallagher brothers fool you. Elbow, who are now known very well throughout the UK have always had their own brand of happy cheeky indie, Newborn, reminds me of the first time I heard the song, in the middle of Manchester in the rain where time almost slowed down (make sure you listen to the organ-age at the end). The final two, I am Kloot and Alfie, are two that are still struggling for the limelight, but still provide us with some brilliant music......enjoy!

Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around the Block
Doves - The Man Who Told Everything
Elbow - Newborn
Alfie - Bookends
I am Kloot - Titanic

"Love comforteth like sunshine after rain."

It seems not only Glasto has rain problems this weekend. With flash floods all over the country and a nationwide heavy rain MET office warning (which never happens) it looks like we are in for a wet one. I managed to watch a bit of Royal Ascot today, and even the Queen was facing the elements in her horse drawn Royal procession. Lets hope no one left he washing out, just in case here are some rain themed songs, including the deeply underestablished I Am Kloot, and Peter Gabriel (who is much better than Phil Collins).

Peter Gabriel - Red Rain
I am Kloot - Morning Rain
White Stripes - Red Rain
Violent Femmes - I Hear the Rain
Prince - Purple Rain
The Cult - Rain
Guns and Roses - November Rain Play this very loud and see how many people you can hear singing along!

Glastonbury Festival 2007

This weekend, as you may or may not know, is the Glastonbury Festival in the UK. It is possibly the largest single venue festival in the UK and it is usually the most varied (musically). This year sees some great acts, good old, obscure and famous, and large and tiny. Unfortunately for some of us getting the time off work and the finances to do it was beyond us (mainly me) and we have had to accept second best.

So for those who will join me in sitting in their gardens with music blaring full blast getting trollied inviting strangers round and generally getting messy here is a mix of Glasto's finest (this year)

Cold War Kids - Hang me up to Dry
Willie Mason - We Can be Strong
Tapes 'n' Tapes - Crazy Eights
Bjork - The Anchor Song (Family roots Strings version) Dazzlers fave songs
Patrick Wolf - Wind in the Wires
Rodrigo y Gabriela - Ixtapa
The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles)
Bloc Party - She's Hearing Voices
Arctic Monkeys - Old Yellow Bricks

Play it loud!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

If yesterday was Instrumental Tuesday today must be Wake-up Wednesday

Waking up is very hard, especially if you are lazy, and today I found more than ever that its only music that gets me out of bed. Its quite interesting that more and more you realise, and find, uses for music and the way it moves you (quite literally). So todays homage, musically speaking, is to music that moves you....out of bed. First up are two crackers for early mornings, the rock-up, as I like to call it with pieces from The Hives and the (International) Noise Conspiracy, two of Swedens finest. The Hives who need no real introduction with their classic Here We Go Again and the slightly lesser known, but no where near as un-awesome, (I)NC. With a new album due any minute, hopefully, these cultured rock-politicians can become more of a light to a decaying rock world. Mixed in are a couple of other more recent tracks thrown in for their varied musical awakening effects, espeically the Architecture in Helsinki track. Rounded off with the bizarre talky-speak of Art Brut and finally the old-school mother pulling the covers off in the form of David Bowie (thats scary). Just for good measure is The Chain, I cant for the life of me stay still when that bass-line kicks in at exactly 3:04 (the perfect snooze alarm!) have it!

The Hives - Here We Go Again
The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virginity
Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races
Battles - Ddiamondd Isn't a typo hmmmm Battles
Art Brut - Emily Kane
David Bowie - Queen Bitch
Fleetwood Mac - The Chain

*Dances*

Edit!
Just found a remix of Heart it Races, its mental!
Architecture in Helsinki - Heart it Races (Yacht's I Should Coco Remix)

Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock

Instrumental Tuesday is here!

Being in work can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare, even more so when it is getting late in the day and all you can think about is home time and Lego. In these situations the only thing that gets me through is instrumental tracks, and I have no idea why. I do love a good instrumental and there have been more and more mainstream instrumental bands cropping up. I love the almost euphoric sense of Explosions in the Sky (both a Winter and a Summer band....) and the Cinematic Orchestra who amazingly I only just came across yesterday, and how happy I was with their Jazz-trance-dance-oh.

God is an Astronaut - Tempus Horizon Best band name or what?
Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine
Eluvium - Prelude For Time
Fridge - Eyelids
Cinematic Orchestra - Evolution (Versao Portunense)
Do Make Say Think - A Tender History in Rust
Murder by Death - Holy Lord, Shawshank Redemption
Message to Bears - Found and Safe
Mogwai - I Know you are But What am I? Dazzlers fave songs

Ooooh instrumental mega-mixing!

First post, Oxford the musical city

Hi all and welcome to the new music blog created by me Dazzler and a bunch of other muso folk who should hopefully show you some light in the foggy musical wilderness. I wanted my first post to be a testiment of why I wanted to have a music blog so I have decided to pick my current hometown (Oxford) and some of the bands of Oxford that have changed me in some way.

Fell City Girl are one of the sad stories of Oxford, for four years this four-piece-epic-rock-anthem-a-thon band created some of the greatest nights of our lives. With stunning sounds and some of the most sublime vocals I have ever seen come out of a 5ft bloke, supported by some serious drum attack from their resident green monster. With February Snow they showed us that a pop-epic can still be meaningful and touching, on the other side Rudolph Valentino - Star of the Silver Screen taught us that there was much more to rock then energy, there is carnage and destruction. It was epic and amazing but unfortunately due to lack of interest it wasn't meant to be and these four chaps had to go back to piecing up their semi-shattered careers/educations/relationships and lives..

Fell City Girl - February Snow
Fell City Girl - Rudolph Valentino

The Foals, who are being bandied around by DJ's in the UK as we speak, are a band that as a self respecting musician I had set out to hate. They are pretty, over-hyped, Indie-disco and they stand for the musical morals I hate (beauty, scene and style..... its not because I haven't any honest!). Unfortunately they tack this along with an amazing talent for writing catchy pop tunes that you love to hate and they are fucking amazing at getting you off your feet. What bastards!

Foals - Hummer

On a final note for my first post we have to pay homage to two of the founding Oxford bands, and still two of my favourite bands for life. Supergrass with their ever-lasting youth and some of the best tunes I think I have ever heard, Moving in particular being a fave. Radiohead...of course, possibly the greatest UK band still alive with some of the most moving and life changing albums (isn't OK Computer still wining greatest album of all time with The Bends closely behind). Worryingly enough there are still many occasions where I see Thom Yorke trying to park his mini on St John St and bump into Danny Goffey feeding his children at Red Star on the Cowley..bizarre!

Supergrass - Moving
Radiohead - Airbag