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What are you listening to?


Julian H. Cope

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Nicolas Jaar - 'Space is Only Noise'.

 

A mate of mine has been obsessed with him for ages now, tried to get me into his work but not my cup of tea personally.

 

What I have been listening to recently is Dan Mangan's new album - 'Oh Fortune'. Been a fan of Dan's for a few years now since hearing his first album back in 2006 and rediscovering it a while later (coincidentally just before he released his second album), and caught him at consecutive Glastonbury festivals these past 2 years. He's improved a lot as a musician, and that is reflected in this latest album. While his older material is brilliant, it does tend to follow a similar pattern to most others in his genre - folky bluesy acoustic singer/songwriter stuff. There's nowt wrong with that at all, but few could get away scott-free with 3 albums of it. The signs were there in his second album of a change in direction, and this album really shows the changes he's made to his sound. At Glastonbury '11 this summer (opening the Other Stage on Sunday morning) he played with a full band with lots of drum bashing and guitar wailing, which is something that I found a bit odd at the time because none of his new material had been released before then. I have to say though, i'm mightily impressed with this new album.

 

'How Darwinian' combines jaunty rhythms, jangling shoegaze guitar shuffles and distorted electric wails to create a bloody lovely sound, and is probably my favourite track on the album. Having said that, there are some really great songs included on this record, with honourable mentions going to 'Rows of Houses', 'Post-War Blues' and 'Jeopardy'. I think and hope that this will really kickstart Dan's career, because he's an immensely talented musician and songwriter as well as being a really nice bloke into the bargain. Either way, get this album now and you can say you were ahead of the curve when he's performing Superbowl shows in the year 2067 ;)

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Kate Bush - 50 Words for snow. I’m a big fan of Kate Bush so I was always going to like it. As for a review, I’d like to copy this one from Metacritic.....

 

"This is without doubt one of the best releases this year, alongside the achievement as best Christmas/winter album ever released. Kate bush once again fails to disappoint with this album, with seven mesmerizing songs that have the clever ability to paint a variety of settings, which transport to a scene of winter beauty. The metaphorical and literal implications are well executed, with stories telling of the indomitable spirit of the search for a snowflake, a ghostly lake spirit in search of a dog, an eerie, yet evocative relationship with a snowman, the humanizing of a yeti, a timeless partnership spanning hundreds of years and lastly a religious portrayal of life surrounded by angels. It’s hard to tell of an album that accomplishes so much, as well as alongside a central theme to link the stories. This definitely requires multiple listens for maximum appreciation, as each time you'll find new aspects to the music as well as a deeper understanding of the meaning. The idea that the album is set against a backdrop of falling snow sums the story perfectly..It is essential."

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Shoplifting for Jesus - the new Alabama 3 album.

features Bez, Ray Winstone et al. As entertaining as ever. See them live if you can - you'll have a terrific night.

 

Saw them last night at Ystradgynlais Welfare, absolutely brilliant. Nice touch, Larry Love and keyboard player closing evening with 'Peace in the Valley' dedicated to Gary Speed.

 

Mao Tse Tung Says

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just reacquainting myself with Mountain. Mrs LS brought me set of their first 5 albums for chrimbo. Forgot how good they were. Leslie Wests guitar playing absolutely superb. Nantucket Sleighride, Swampboy, Mississippi Queen et al. Remember listening to my older brothers 'Mountain Avalanche' album when I was about 11 or 12, about 40 years ago now.

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Jeez cannot believe it has been a Year since I last asked this question...

 

Dubai Jazz Festival is coming up

 

4 nights, I can get a free pair of Hostility tickets (inc all the booze we can drink then one more pint) for one night (airmiles thing)

 

Who would YOU go to see?

 

James Blunt

 

Jools Holland

 

Jason Mraz

 

James Morrison

 

(Hint you lot convinced me to see Jools last year and he was bloody fantastic and put on a superb evening of music, so he has a hell of a lot of convincing to make it on my list this time)

 

Unfortunately my free ticket blag doesn't work for some of the other gigs we have coming up in the next 10 weeks or so so I also have one other choice to make...

 

Would you choose-

 

Duran Duran

 

or

 

Snow Patrol with Calvin Harris on the same bill...?

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Weirdly, I'm listening to the Thompson Holiday's ad cover of Pixies' Where is my Mind?

 

It's a slow, piano-based interpretation of one of my Pixies' favourites. VERY different and I can't stop humming it.

 

 

I grr'ed when I heard that on an advert, especially since the best use of the original is at the end of Fight Club :D

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Jeez cannot believe it has been a Year since I last asked this question...

 

Dubai Jazz Festival is coming up

 

4 nights, I can get a free pair of Hostility tickets (inc all the booze we can drink then one more pint) for one night (airmiles thing)

 

Who would YOU go to see?

 

James Blunt

 

Jools Holland

 

Jason Mraz

 

James Morrison

 

(Hint you lot convinced me to see Jools last year and he was bloody fantastic and put on a superb evening of music, so he has a hell of a lot of convincing to make it on my list this time)

 

Unfortunately my free ticket blag doesn't work for some of the other gigs we have coming up in the next 10 weeks or so so I also have one other choice to make...

 

Would you choose-

 

Duran Duran

 

or

 

Snow Patrol with Calvin Harris on the same bill...?

 

All the money in the world couldn't persuade me to watch James Blunt - cannot stand the bloke's voice. Its gotta be Jools again out of that list.

 

And as for Duran Duran or Snow Patrol/Calvin Harris, I find it hard to believe you're asking the question....... why would you want to go and see Duran?

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All the money in the world couldn't persuade me to watch James Blunt - cannot stand the bloke's voice. Its gotta be Jools again out of that list.

 

And as for Duran Duran or Snow Patrol/Calvin Harris, I find it hard to believe you're asking the question....... why would you want to go and see Duran?

 

Lol was just wondering who'd fall for the bait on that last one :)

 

I've recommended Jools to two others who are looking to go, if it was a get up and boogie event I'd probably do Jools again, but it isn't, it's all seated on hotel catering style chairs and just isn't the place where you can do much more than tap a toe.

 

Will keep trying to talk future Mrs D_P out of JB

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I grr'ed when I heard that on an advert, especially since the best use of the original is at the end of Fight Club :D

 

I know what you mean pap. Great song. Great film.

 

Love the original, but have mixed feelings about this. Good piano version yes, but advertising agencies have developed a deliberate trend for slow cover versions, so by liking it I feel horribly manipulated. If it was just an individual playing it on piano, brilliant, but as it is, it becomes a soulless marketing exercise for Thomson's and an ad agency.

 

The advertising industry should stay the fck away from good music, it's not what it's made for.

 

The first rule of advertising music is you do not talk about advertising music! ;-)

 

I do know what you mean adriansfc, but as this was a completely different interpretation of a classic I feel less bad about it being abused and me being manipulated.

 

It actually took me a couple of listens with the ad in the background to pick up what it was. It also gave me the excuse to bore my kids about the Pixies music again.

 

What is it with teenagers and 'classic' music? I guess it's their job to tell their parents that their music is 'old'.

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What is it with teenagers and 'classic' music? I guess it's their job to tell their parents that their music is 'old'.

 

I often make the joke that my kids are entirely uninterested in anything that was made before they were born.

 

In reality, I've lucked out. While the youngest daughter is distressingly a present fan of One Direction, I have no such concerns about Juvenile Unit #1. We alternate between playlists on school runs. The eldest routinely fills the car with stuff like Arcade Fire, Evanescence and Tinie Tempah, all of which meet or exceed my approval.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just listened to an early contender for album of the year - "Attack on Memory" by Cloud Nothings. previously lo-fi indie pop chancers, they have got Steve Albini on board and unleashed an incredibly hard hitting record, which reminds me of Slint, Sebadoh, classic Dischord and the proper emo-core stuff like Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, Jade Tree stuff etc.

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Just listened to an early contender for album of the year - "Attack on Memory" by Cloud Nothings. previously lo-fi indie pop chancers, they have got Steve Albini on board and unleashed an incredibly hard hitting record, which reminds me of Slint, Sebadoh, classic Dischord and the proper emo-core stuff like Sunny Day Real Estate, Promise Ring, Jade Tree stuff etc.

 

Bloody hell!

 

(runs off to iTunes...)

 

EDIT: Gah, its not out until 6th Feb

 

(runs off to TPB)

 

Aw yeah, that is **** hot Seany. Nice one sir, made my weekend.

Edited by Pancake
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