It surely has to be a cause for celebration that in 2007 we can have a week with new single releases from Brand New Heavies, Cliff Richard, Simply Red, Celine Dion and Elvis Presley.
And whislt we're here, how the hell can Simply Red "split up"?
Anwyay, onto the serious stuff.
Ladytron's Destroy Everything You Touch gets a pointless re-release this week, but my god it is a killer track.
It's better than New Young Pony Club's Get Lucky, but that's a bloody good tune too.
Other good ones this week are Gilt Complex by Sons & Daughters, Terra Firma by The Young Knives and Handle Me by Robyn (no matter how the fact that the likes of Edith Bowman are banging on about Robyn as if she's some totally new artist that no one had heard of prior to With Every Heartbeat annoys me).
Not very good this week are You And Me by One Night Only, We Used To Vacation by Cold War Kids and The Night Sky by Keane.
Absolutely terrible, of course, is the new Westlife one. But did anyone really expect anything else?
Showing posts with label The Young Knives. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Young Knives. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Single Releases 27/08
If only for the absolutely preposterous video Maroon 5's Wake Up Call has to be one of the worst singles of the year. I mean come on, who does that lead singer think he is kidding?
How could a song with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on it be so absolutely awful? Yes, that's right, it also has 50 Cent on it. It's no wonder Ayo Technology has bombed in the US charts; Kanye is going to murder him in the chart "battle".
It's greatest hits time for Natalie Imbruglia. Although of course I do believe her when she say's she's only agreed to the compilation CD on her own terms. Yes dear. Glorious is the first "new" track to get an airing; like most of her stuff it's ok, but not great. Indeed, that just about sums her up. But then again what do you expect when her most famous song was, shall we say, misrepresented as her own song when all along it was a cover version....
I know no-one believes me, but the new Hilary Duff album was quite good. I know no-one belives me because it's remix time in order to shill some units. They can't even bring themselves to admit it's a Hilary Duff song as it's released under the name Wawa Vs Hillary Duff or some such nonsense. It's ok, but not as good as the proper version.
The Twang are as pointless as ever.
Mammoth by Interpol is good though.
The Young Knives come back with new track Terra Firma this week; it starts of distinctly unpromisingly, but soon becomes something a lot more agreeable. "It looks like mother nature's got a whore, with no regard for health and safety laws...". You can't argue with genius like that can you?
How could a song with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland on it be so absolutely awful? Yes, that's right, it also has 50 Cent on it. It's no wonder Ayo Technology has bombed in the US charts; Kanye is going to murder him in the chart "battle".
It's greatest hits time for Natalie Imbruglia. Although of course I do believe her when she say's she's only agreed to the compilation CD on her own terms. Yes dear. Glorious is the first "new" track to get an airing; like most of her stuff it's ok, but not great. Indeed, that just about sums her up. But then again what do you expect when her most famous song was, shall we say, misrepresented as her own song when all along it was a cover version....
I know no-one believes me, but the new Hilary Duff album was quite good. I know no-one belives me because it's remix time in order to shill some units. They can't even bring themselves to admit it's a Hilary Duff song as it's released under the name Wawa Vs Hillary Duff or some such nonsense. It's ok, but not as good as the proper version.
The Twang are as pointless as ever.
Mammoth by Interpol is good though.
The Young Knives come back with new track Terra Firma this week; it starts of distinctly unpromisingly, but soon becomes something a lot more agreeable. "It looks like mother nature's got a whore, with no regard for health and safety laws...". You can't argue with genius like that can you?
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Mercury Music Prize 2007 - My Thoughts...
Well the nominations are out.
I am pleased simply becuase Bat For Lashes got nominated (as I said they should be back in January when I reviewed the album) but that aside it was a pretty uninspiring list in many ways. Still I have seven of the albums, and there's only one artist I hadn't heard of, or had some musical contact with, prior to the list being announced.
I shall proffer some thoughts, in an alphabetical stylee, complete will William Hill odds (as of today's date).
Amy Winehouse (5/2) - The favourite with the bookies now (started off joint favourite with the Monkeys); it's five years since a woman won it (Miss Dynamite) so it may well be the year for Winehouse. No doubt they're taking bets on how drunk she'll be at the finals night too.
Arctic Monkeys (5/1) - It would be unprecedented if they were to win it twice in a row, and it would be undeserved too. Not that I didn't enjoy Favourite Worst Nightmare but surely it lacks the innovation compared to the debut that would heighten it's chances.
Basquiat Strings (12/1) - The token "out there" nomination. It's a stretch, given the lack of variety in the list, that it would win, but stranger things have happened.
Bat for Lashes (10/1) - My personal choice, both from the list of 12 and in general. It's now neck and neck for "most famous musician" I've met given this nomination and Nerina Pallot's Ivor Novello nomination. That aside, it's an album that, at least in my opinion, would be a deserving winner.
Dizzee Rascal (10/1) - This is another fantastic album, and I don't care what you might think of me saying that!
Fionn Regan (12/1) - I don't mean this to offend any of his fans out there, but I think this would be too much of a "middle of the road" choice for the Mercury panel. He's not got the huge success that would make him a winner, neither is his music fantastically different.
Jamie T (6/1) - This guy does nothing for me at all.
Klaxons (8/1) - This album is not very good. It's three or four good songs, surrounded by fairly poor tracks.
Maps (12/1) - Wouldn't be my choice at all, but if the judges want a surprising winner, he may be in with a chance.
New Young Pony Club (12/1) - A very good album indeed. Stands an outside chance but I can't see it winning.
The View (10/1) - Pah. I really hope this one doesn't win. I kind of liked it at the time of release, but I am now of the conclusion that it's all a bit rubbish.
The Young Knives (12/1) - The idea of this getting nominated completely passed me by when I was thinking what might get the call up, but for all that, it is a wonderful album.
So basically I want Bat For Lashes to win, (not only because they are my favourites from the list but that I genuinely think its the best British album of the year), but think that in all probability 2007 will be Amy Winehouse's year for the prize.
I am pleased simply becuase Bat For Lashes got nominated (as I said they should be back in January when I reviewed the album) but that aside it was a pretty uninspiring list in many ways. Still I have seven of the albums, and there's only one artist I hadn't heard of, or had some musical contact with, prior to the list being announced.
I shall proffer some thoughts, in an alphabetical stylee, complete will William Hill odds (as of today's date).
Amy Winehouse (5/2) - The favourite with the bookies now (started off joint favourite with the Monkeys); it's five years since a woman won it (Miss Dynamite) so it may well be the year for Winehouse. No doubt they're taking bets on how drunk she'll be at the finals night too.
Arctic Monkeys (5/1) - It would be unprecedented if they were to win it twice in a row, and it would be undeserved too. Not that I didn't enjoy Favourite Worst Nightmare but surely it lacks the innovation compared to the debut that would heighten it's chances.
Basquiat Strings (12/1) - The token "out there" nomination. It's a stretch, given the lack of variety in the list, that it would win, but stranger things have happened.
Bat for Lashes (10/1) - My personal choice, both from the list of 12 and in general. It's now neck and neck for "most famous musician" I've met given this nomination and Nerina Pallot's Ivor Novello nomination. That aside, it's an album that, at least in my opinion, would be a deserving winner.
Dizzee Rascal (10/1) - This is another fantastic album, and I don't care what you might think of me saying that!
Fionn Regan (12/1) - I don't mean this to offend any of his fans out there, but I think this would be too much of a "middle of the road" choice for the Mercury panel. He's not got the huge success that would make him a winner, neither is his music fantastically different.
Jamie T (6/1) - This guy does nothing for me at all.
Klaxons (8/1) - This album is not very good. It's three or four good songs, surrounded by fairly poor tracks.
Maps (12/1) - Wouldn't be my choice at all, but if the judges want a surprising winner, he may be in with a chance.
New Young Pony Club (12/1) - A very good album indeed. Stands an outside chance but I can't see it winning.
The View (10/1) - Pah. I really hope this one doesn't win. I kind of liked it at the time of release, but I am now of the conclusion that it's all a bit rubbish.
The Young Knives (12/1) - The idea of this getting nominated completely passed me by when I was thinking what might get the call up, but for all that, it is a wonderful album.
So basically I want Bat For Lashes to win, (not only because they are my favourites from the list but that I genuinely think its the best British album of the year), but think that in all probability 2007 will be Amy Winehouse's year for the prize.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Single Releases 16/07/07
Despite the fact that I'm' falling out of love with Lily Allen to some degree, I do enjoy her collaboration with Mark Ronson on Oh My God. Horns maketh the music, that's what I say. It's joyous in a way that the Kaiser Cheifs are no longer.
If you want my opinion on Joss Stone's new single, I think that my album review said all that needs to be said.
Well Thought Out Twinkles by the Silversun Pickups is quite the hidden gem. Check it out.
Jarvis Cocker is as relevant as ever on Fat Children. It's quite the song too. Not destined to see him top the charts of course, but in some cases chart positions can take a back seat.
Someone please explain the point of Biffy Clyro.
Nothing Changes Around Here say The Thrills. Well that just about sums it up. The Thrills are the sort of band that everyone sort of likes without ever really being able to say why. They're not bad, but in the final analysis they're not that good either.
I like the Victorian English Gentlemens Club, and their new single La Mer / Stupid As Wood is the kind of thrash noise stuff you'd expect from them. Not the best thing they've ever released but still something I enjoy.
In one of those regular "drunk on a Saturday night" moments I caught the video to XX Teen's Darling on MTV. Very funny video, but the song just seemed to be sub-par Young Knives to me.
Elvis Perkins is quite the talent. While You Were Sleeping is quite the tune. Ace, is how I would describe it.
Amy MacDonald is getting a lot of hype at the moment in certain places. Given the sheer ordinariness of Mr Rock And Roll, I fail to see quite why.
If you want my opinion on Joss Stone's new single, I think that my album review said all that needs to be said.
Well Thought Out Twinkles by the Silversun Pickups is quite the hidden gem. Check it out.
Jarvis Cocker is as relevant as ever on Fat Children. It's quite the song too. Not destined to see him top the charts of course, but in some cases chart positions can take a back seat.
Someone please explain the point of Biffy Clyro.
Nothing Changes Around Here say The Thrills. Well that just about sums it up. The Thrills are the sort of band that everyone sort of likes without ever really being able to say why. They're not bad, but in the final analysis they're not that good either.
I like the Victorian English Gentlemens Club, and their new single La Mer / Stupid As Wood is the kind of thrash noise stuff you'd expect from them. Not the best thing they've ever released but still something I enjoy.
In one of those regular "drunk on a Saturday night" moments I caught the video to XX Teen's Darling on MTV. Very funny video, but the song just seemed to be sub-par Young Knives to me.
Elvis Perkins is quite the talent. While You Were Sleeping is quite the tune. Ace, is how I would describe it.
Amy MacDonald is getting a lot of hype at the moment in certain places. Given the sheer ordinariness of Mr Rock And Roll, I fail to see quite why.
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