Music

Waters of march

2008-04-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

I've become addicted to a song called 'Waters of march'. It's being used on an advert for a gas company here and they've slowed it down and it's beatiful.

Originally writteb by Antonio Carlos Jobim it's a lovely song. I've no idea who is singing on the gas advert version, but it's an excellent cover.

This YouTube seems to be the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thi4LUOy_oA

I was a bit disappointed to see it had also been used by Coke back in the mid-eighties.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR7Wj9qnwaM

Radio

2008-03-07T00:11:00.000-08:00

I was just having a chat to someone from local radio and sent off a quick e-mail to tail off the conversation:

Just to continue the conversation on music, since there's no more important subject in my life.

I figure there are two types of music consumer; Passive and Active.

Passive just switch on the radio and are happy to listen to the same songs days in day out. They find it comforting. Once a month they might buy a compilation CD from Tesco.

Active consumers go to gigs, scour obscure places for new music, join internet music groups, buy lots and lots of music.

Now I know that ------ is for the former and not the latter, so that's fair enough but i'm just wondering what the ratio of Active to Passive might be?

So here we sit. The Active Consumers. Desperately hoping that there might be a radio station aimed at us. 6Music stepped up to the plate and showed promise but then faltered and became a platform for comedians who - as you'd expect - prefer to be funny than to talk about music. This would be fine it the station was called 6Comedy.

More and stations appear to be moving real people out of the studios and just sticking on random songs. That's not a radio station, that's an iPod on shuffle.

Sure, Local Radio always has ties to the local community and that's as much of a reason as any for keeping it, but it's a shame that they don't feel it's part of their remit to broaden their listeners music horizons.

Do you think that i'll ever hear a song that blows me away on ------? A song which i'd not have heard if i'd not tuned in? A real reason to listen. I suspect not and it's a real shame.

Now I know the argument is that people switch off if you play a song they've not heard before, but i've never subscribed to that view. That would imply that people don't love songs on first listen, and we both know from personal experience that isn't the case.

Is there no way to have a slot where new music can get an airing? Not new, as in a song that a plugger from a big record company is pushing, but something with a small listener base which the people of -------- would like? A time of the day when people would be expecting something new and excting?

One day, one day.

AAE

2008-01-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

I've re-acquainted myself with a song obsession. There's a guy called Antii whose been writing some great music under the name of AAE.

I'm a big fan of Nick Drake and I find the wonderfully soft vocals in his song '1982' to be very reminiscent. Lyrically it as touches of Bowie. A smattering of Vashti Bunyan-esque flutes. Just a wonderful mash of so many things, yet very much his own identity.

It's a song i'm going to like for a good long time yet.

I only wish he'd release an album.

Pop! What is it good for

2008-01-15T15:12:00.001-08:00

Watched an excellent programme on Pop called "Pop! What is it good for" written and presented by Paul Morley. It made me want to have a big poster in the office covered in lyrics.

Mariza

2008-01-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

Watched an episode of "Later.." and an artist called Mariza was on. All I know is she's from Portugal and had a really, really beautiful voice. I must check her out.

Judee Sill

2008-01-04T01:19:00.000-08:00

If you need relaxing then listen to "The lamb ran away with the crown" from Judee Sill's self-titled debut album.

Sill's voice is stunning.

Another music casualty though. Just two albums, obscurity then dead by thirty-five from drugs. Such a shame.

Zack Ziskin

2008-01-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

I've been re-ripping some CDs onto the PC so I can put them onto my iPod and came across 'Real as the memory' by Zack Ziskin. I don't remember where I got it from or who, if anyone, recommended it - but it's got some cracking songs on it.

I'd reccommend 'Waking hour' as a pretty damn perfect track, and to round off your listening 'If the world could talk' as a wonderfully mellow little thing.

Best of 2007

2008-01-02T00:52:00.000-08:00

Top 20 Albums of 2007.

1/ Automat - Self-titled

Jeez. This is one album that was always just on the verge of being released and I simply COULD NOT WAIT. This is an absolutely stunning album and I urge everyone to buy a copy. Hooks galore and it's the album that i've listen to more than everything else put together.

2/ Scouting for girls - Self-titled

Appearing quite late in the year it was soon vying for the number one spot. Really bouncy, happy music with funny, clever lyrics. With the bonus "secret" track of 'Strachan' quite the biggest ear-worm of the year.

3/ John Hoskinson - Pancho Fantastico

Way, way up there on my most listened to albums of 2007.

4/ B.C.Camplight - Blink of a Nihilist

Thanks to Marc for this one. A real, real grower and i'll be playing the hell out of in 2008 too.

5/ The Nines - Gran Jukle's Field

The Nines and Jackdaw4 arrived from NotLame on the same day and they've been alternating position-wise since I started typing the list, but I think they just pip Jawdaw4 (but ask me again tomorrow).

6/ Jackdaw4 - Bipolar Diversions

If there was an award for the best album title...

7/ The Hoosiers

Very good live. Lead man seems to be quite quirky and mmanic and I like that.

8/ Fields - Everything last winter

To my ears it shares some of the same sensiblities as another great album from 2006, "Trial of the occupanther" by Midlake. It smacks of having being written in the middle of a dark, dark forest under the watchful eye of maleaovant spirits. Every thrash of the guitar sending a thousand hell-black crows flying into the sky.

9/ Ken Sharp - Sonic crayons

Chock-full of great melodies. Am now working my way through an older album.

10/ Jason Falkner - I'm OK... You're OK

It's been such a long, long wait that my expectation level was set very high. Initially apart from a few tracks I wasn't as excited as i'd hoped I would have been. There were certainly flashes of the old Jason Falkner in there alongside songs which bear influences of artists he's worked with, for example "Hurricane" which tastes of Air. After i'd calmed down and listened to it with a slightly less judgemental head it began to grow on me. Frankly for the tracks "Say it's true" and "I don't mind" it'd be worth the cost of the album alone.

11/ Field Music - Tones of town

Lovely, lovely. Listened to "Kingston" a great deal.

12/ Paul McCartney - Memory almost full

13/ Nick Drake - Family Tree

Milking the cash cow? Perhaps, perhaps, but - still an interesting listen. Odd to hear Drake's speaking voice and nice to see 'Blossom' on a properly sanctioned album.

14/ Elliott Smith - New Moon

As with the Drake album, I hope they don't tamper with a legacy by putting out ever older and worse off-cuts.

15/ Fionn Regan

Nice bit of folk.

16/ Rooney - Calling the world

Not as good as it might have been, but still very enjoyable.

17/ Tammany Hall Machine - Amateur Saw

18/ Wilco - Sky blue sky

19/ Maple Mars - Beautiful Mess

20/ The High Llamas - Can Cladders

Disappointment of 2007

Rilo Kiley's "Under the blacklight". I know a lot of people liked it, but it just didn't do anything for me.

"Cheapest" album of 2007
Radiohead

Albums released before 2007 which have only just reached my ears:

2005: The f**king excellent Bryan Scary and "The shredding tears".

Stuff:
Spoon's "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" would have been a contender but the album never arrived.

Hopes for 2008?

New albums from Ben Folds, Ed Harcourt and Bleu would be nice. (oh, and Jellyfish - what do you mean it'll never happen?)

..... p.s. I saw David Celia's album "This isn't here" on someone's list. In my head it was from from the end of 2006 and not a 1 Jan 2007 release as it turned out to be - and so i'll add it, if I may, to the end of my list.

#21 Madder Rose - Hello June Fool

2007-12-31T05:49:00.000-08:00

Yet another charity shop find. I'm sure Madder Rose is one of those bands which had One Big Hit and then vanished, like Deep blue something's "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Perhaps i'll know when I listen.

#20 Katy Carr - Passion play

2007-12-31T05:39:00.001-08:00

Another charity shop purchase. The cover (and when browsing, you've got to judge an album by its cover) looks like it might contain a quirky woman-singer-songwriter a la Regina Spektor.

For the first few seconds it sounded like it might be ok, but then the singing started. It's not a very assured vocal and it has a rather annoying wobble to it. A smattering of tablas and tanpura give it a slightly more interesting sound, but ultimately it's missing something. The bottom line is just isn't as good as it might have been.

The track "Alasation" was ok, but I doubt i'll be listening to the album very often - if at all.

#19 Queen - Live at the bowl

2007-12-31T05:36:00.000-08:00

A second-hand copy from Amazon.

I wouldn't call myself an avid collector of Queen but i've got most of their (easyily-get-hold-of-able) stuff, but not this live album - and i'd heard good things about it.

#18 Fields - Everything last winter

2007-12-31T05:19:00.001-08:00

Having listened to their EP a lot this year I was thinking it'd be too late to get a copy of their proper debut album in time for it to have a chance of getting into the yearly Audities Top Twenty Poll, but it arrived this morning from Amazon.

To my ears it shares some of the same sensiblities as another great album from 2006, "Trial of the occupanther" by Midlake. It smacks of having being written in the middle of a dark, dark forest under the watchful eye of maleaovant spirits. Every thrash of the guitar sending a thousand hell-black crows flying into the sky.

#17 - Fields - Everything last winter

2007-12-31T05:19:00.000-08:00

Having listened to their EP a lot this year I was thinking it'd be too late to get a copy of their proper debut album in time for it to have a chance of getting into the yearly Audities Top Twenty Poll, but it arrived this morning from Amazon.

I'm pretty sure that track one was on the EP, but that aside there's no overlap.

Track three starts like the beginning of the scariest kids television programme never made.

#16 - Ken Sharp - Happy Accidents

2007-12-31T02:35:00.000-08:00

Another Not Lame. Ken Sharp's "Sonic Crayons" was in my top twenty for this year and was very much looking forward to hearing some of his older stuff. "Happy accident" dates back to 2000.

There's a sticker on the front that says:

"Fans of 60's British pop rejoice! 'Happy accidents' is a breath of fresh air wafting across Strawberry Fields." -- Eric Carmen, The Raspberries

"Very imaginative, I love it!" -- Al Jardine, The Beach Boys

Them's big words. It's a lot to live up to, but it does.

#15 The High Llamas - Can Cladders

2007-12-31T02:32:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to try this for quite a while. I had a quick listen an age ago on their MySpace site and i'd seen them post on the Audities music list.

It arrived this morning from Not Lame.

"Can Cladders" has a pleasingly dated feel to it and is once of those albums which - as much as you don't want to damn it with faint praise - is, "nice".

It's an album to be put on in the background and enjoyed whilst doing something else. The melodies just aren't quite there to engage the front part of my brain to stop what i'm doing and fully concentrate on it.

Very much a Sunday morning record. Wake up to it and then put the coffee on whilst the strings lull you into the day ahead.

#10 - Moby - Early underground

2007-12-29T06:07:00.000-08:00

You can't listen to Moby and not feel like some overpaid advertising executive is trying to sell you car, but it's quite inoffensive stuff and it's good to put on whilst you're working.

This album isn't to my taste this though. I'd have kept it underground.

#9 - Sister Sledge - We are family

2007-12-29T06:04:00.000-08:00

I figured if I get invited to a party then I could bring this along. I can't really pretend that i'm going to listen to it a great deal, but I feel that one day - and perhaps not for a while - that it'll come in handy.

#8 - Fairground Attraction - First of a million kisses

2007-12-29T05:47:00.000-08:00

I really like Eddie Reader's album "Angels and electricity" and was intrigued to hear her earlier stuff from Fairground Attraction. Upon reading the liner notes it I was disappointed to see that she didn't write the songs. Her lovely vocal shone through, but I wasn't really won over with the album as a whole.

#6 - Craig David - Born to do it

2007-12-29T05:43:00.001-08:00

Just so bad, i'm speechless.

#7 - Savage Garden - Self-titled

2007-12-29T05:43:00.000-08:00

I really bought this for Jane (in the same way that i'd point to any Phil Collins' records lying about the house and say the same).

Not really my thing. The songs are fine, but I don't like the production.

#5 - Daniel Bedingfield - Gotta get through this

2007-12-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

He's sold a shedload of records. I figured I might be missing something.

#4 - Robbie Williams - Live at Knebworth

2007-12-29T05:31:00.000-08:00

Look, there was a sale on. Ok? It only cost a pound.

I paid too much. Oh Robbie, Robbie, Robbie... Not enough of the hits.

#3 - Candy Butchers - Play with your head

2007-12-27T05:30:00.000-08:00

Very pleased to find a copy of this in Oxfam (Saffron Walden). I've got a solo album from Mike Viola which I like.

#2 - George Martin - In my life

2007-12-24T05:27:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's another covers album but since it's been overseen by George Martin you have to have a listen, don't you?

A quick flick through the artists and you worry that it might be a vanity project for so many of them and that whistling at home like the rest us of would have been the better option.

#1 - James Bond Themes - Various

2007-12-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

It is Christmas after all and when you've watched every movie into submission you may as well just pick your way through the themes, and there are some cracking songs.

Top 3 (in no particular order)

1/ Live and Let Die
2/ Nobody does it better
3/ We have all the time in the world

A new blog for a new generation

2007-12-22T00:59:00.000-08:00

I thought I better separate my 'normal' blog from my music stuff to prevent every diary entry from ending with '...and I bought some CDs'.

This blog can help me remember where I bought various albums and initial thoughts.

Best of 2006

2007-01-01T02:11:00.000-08:00

1/ The Nines - Calling Distance Stations

Some people have said they're not too keen on the McCartney-esque aspects of this album, but for me the whole thing is absolutely fantastic.

2/ The Feeling - Twelve Stops and Home

Put on a great (but very short) live show. New album in the pipeline for next year and the new songs they played the show sounded very good.

3/ Dog Problems - self-titled

A later-comer to this band. Thanks for MonkeyMarc for putting this one under my nose. Excellent stuff.Try the song "snails" if you've yet to be converted.

4/ L.E.O. - Apalcas ogling

Good fun album with probably the most stupid name of the year.

5/ Linus of Hollywood, Triangle

Another thing I was late coming to. Rapdidly bought back catalogue.

6. Roger Joseph Manning Jnr. - Lord of pure imagination

Another album in ten years perhaps Mr. Manning?

7. Jon Auer - Songs from the Year of Our Demise

Since he sold me the album in person - be rude to mention it.

8. Guillemots - Through The Windowpane

Perfect pop.

9. Drake Bell - It's only time

Kids' shows never had music like this when I was a lad.

10. Mmm.. (will add later)