Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

Heard this last week...can't remember whether it was radio one or xfm...but it's got a retro-but-not-quite, early nineties pop, could possibly be included on the soundtrack to the movie "Grease 2" feel to it.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero

The physical CD and 7" vinyl singles are available for one week only from April 13. It's the first track on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' third album, 'It's Blitz!', which you can stream in full from last.fm now, or buy worldwide from Monday. And here's their MySpace.

Does this (strangely) remind anyone else of 'Cool Rider' at all?

The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You

This track holds a lot of sentimental value for me, for reasons I won't disclose but of which anyone who knew me well around 1998 will at least have an inkling....I unfortunately wasn't able to find a full version of the track on Last.fm but here's a clip and a youtube link:

The Flamingos - I Only Have Eyes For You

I'm also going to point you to a few others:

• The Five Satins - In the Still of the Night
• The Penguins - Earth Angel (youtube)
• Otis Redding - These Arms of Mine (TOBI again)

The last one's probably my favourite of the three...classic soul.

Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

Perfect for a sunny summer's afternoon in the park, this track is light and airy but also cheeky and deriding (#..I laughed so hard I fell down...#)

Department of Eagles - No One Does It Like You

Recommended to me by the same person who opened my eyes to the Temper Trap, Band of Horses and Bon Iver. I'm going to stop listing his credits now because they'll get too long and list-y. He shall henceforth be known as TOBI (so you can search him if you like his style) until he permits me to use his real name.

So that was my attempt at an April fool for the keenos who click the links before reading the entire post :)

Here's the real link. There's no audio for this track on their Last.fm (there is for others) but it's up on their MySpace right now.

Had a listen to the album, 'Ear in the Park' (through spotify) and 'Phantom Other' really stood out for me but also like 'Herringbone', 'Waves of Rye' and 'Therapy Car Noise'.

Cheers TOBI.

Audioslave - Cochise

Turn the stereo up loud and dust off your air guitar for the most kick-a*** intro ever written:

Audioslave - Cochise

I think this was used on a trailer for 'Iron Man' but haven't been able to find it - one of Chris Cornell's finest post-Soundgarden flashes of genius.

Lamb - Gorecki

Part of my induction into the world of trip-hop in the late nineties along with Massive Attack and the Sneakerpimps...the first time I heard this track was on the 'I Still know What You Did Last Summer' movie soundtrack but it was also recently used to advertise Tomb Raider Underworld.

Lamb - Gorecki

The rest of the soundtrack's pretty good too...here are a couple of my favourites:

• CJ Bolland - Sugar is Sweeter
• Imogen Heap - Getting Scared(unfortunately not a full-length version)
  

All a bit eerie and/or frantic, as one would expect from a teenage slasher flick, But they're pretty cool.

Muse - Showbiz

Xfm's Richard Skinner reminded me of this track this morning when he played 'Muscle Museum' (my favourite Muse track) on his show this morning.

'Muscle Museum' was released around the same time as Lit's 'Miserable' and Creed's 'Higher', which all became my anthems of that year (1999), even though the melancholy, fairly dark tones of the first two contrast completely with the happy, hopeful vibe of the latter.

Muse - Showbiz

This one's even darker and featured in the closing scenes of episode two of BBC3 series 'Being Human' - no longer on iPlayer but it is available on DVD from April 20 if you're interested in the blackly comedic 'lives' of a werewolf, vampire and ghost living in a flat in Bristol....

The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

I think I first heard this on Grey's Anatomy but a friend of mine reminded me of it about 6 months back when we were hanging out in the park one sunny summer's afternoon...

The Postal Service - Such Great Heights

Upbeat electro pop - here're their MySpace and Last.fm pages.

If you're more into acoustic and mellow, Iron & Wine also did a version which is featured on the 'Garden State' soundtrack and has a completely different vibe.

John Mayer - Love Soon

My favourite John Mayer song, and that's saying something - he's a genius. Here's his Last.fm page where you can check out the rest but just wanted to point you to:

John Mayer - Love Soon

Beautiful lyrics, cheeky beat - if you get a chance to see him in concert, jump on it. I saw him at the Marquee Club in Islington (no longer there) years ago, and it's in my top3 gigs of all time...

Vast - Don't Take Your Love Away

My trusty friend Shazam didn't recognise this one so I had to do a bit of digging, during which I came across this site. If you click on that, you'll discover I heard this song on one of the final scenes of episode 8.10 of Smallville - "Bride" (not linking because I don't want to spoil it for you too much if you haven't seen it - but maybe don't read on after the song description):

Vast - Don't Take Your Love Away

Looks like it's been used quite a lot; I've managed to find references to One Tree Hill, Scrubs and Veronica Mars as well as some manga...? But it's a really emotive, angsty, US-atmospheric-rock-highly-suitable-for-teen-dramas track. And yes, I love it.

There's no audio on the Last.fm page but it's up on their MySpace at the moment.

SPOILER (a bit): *Not sure how I feel about this episode...it's a decent morality story with some cool superpowers and futuristic themes but brainiac-infested Chloe Sullivan just wasn't as scary as the wicked wicca Willow Rosenburg...*

Cruel Intentions - Soundtrack

One of my favourite movie soundtracks of all time, from 1999 (I'll do a 'Garden State' post some other time although the Shins gave a taster), featuring tracks ranging from eerie to poignant to rawk with a bit of tongue-in-cheek thrown in for good measure. I'll point you to a few gems and try and steer clear of the (minimal) turkeys:

• Day One - Bedroom Dancing: the album version of this track gets a bit cheeky towards the end so don't listen to it too loud in public...really funky beat.
• Placebo - Every You Every Me: no match for 'Nancy Boy' in my mind but still a fun rock track.
• Craig Armstrong - This Love (feat. Elizabeth Fraser): this is the eerie I mentioned, and quite atmospheric.
• Counting Crows - Colourblind: from my favourite scene in the movie, Ryan Phillipe coming up the escalator to meet Reese Witherspoon at the train station. Leads to some 'Ahem' moments.

and finally...

• The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony: anthem.
  

I'm going to leave it there before I end up reeling off the whole track list - left Skunk Anansie out of it because I don't think 'Secretly' is one of their better tracks. Let me know if you disagree.

Happy weekend!

Hipslinky - Natural

Caught these guys at 93 feet east last night with some other great bands:

• the Vibrants - seen them live a couple of times now but keep going back for more...check out 'First Move' and 'I Won't Sleep (Terrify)' from the 'Retaliate EP'
• Scarlet Harlots - came 3rd on Orange Unsigned Act 2009, the tags on Last.fm say dub, soul, indie, hip hop, dance but they came across as odd but interesting drum n bass-style indie rock for me. Awesome and unexpected cover of Montel Jordan's 'This is How We Do It'!
• Anison - new single out this week, this was the launch gig. Really atmospheric, moody, indie rock.
  

But the reason for this post is to bring you:

Hipslinky - Natural

This track really stood out for me in their otherwise also fantastic set; think the OC. Here's their MySpace.

Anathallo

I'm a bit behind the curve on these guys it would seem...Insomnia Radio blogged them at the beginning of March and our mate Thom Lyons also mentioned them to me a couple of weeks back.

There's a lot of audio up on their Last.fm page and their MySpace lists a gig at the Monto on 26 May (but for some reason the venue website says the 25th).

My favourite track, I think, of the ones I've heard so far is 'The River' - piano intro, syncopated rhythm and memories of the Waltons...

Scott Matthews - Eyes Wider Than Before

Best known for 'Elusive', which was the first track released from the album 'Passing Stranger', but this is my favourite track:

Scott Matthews - Eyes Wider Than Before

Ethereal-sounding guitar running through and a beautiful texture to his voice. Here's his MySpace.

He's playing the Bloomsbury Theatre on 3 June.

City and Colour - Love Don't Live Here Anymore

Potentially my favourite cover ever, Dallas Green's version of the Rose Royce classic is heartfelt and broken, if that makes sense.


City and Colour "Love Don't Live Here Anymore"


There's more on the MySpace

Band of Horses - The Funeral

Back to the rock or I won't be able to sleep:

Band of Horses - The Funeral

Starts so peaceful and then just suddenly kicks, this track is incredible. For me, it's about treasuring every moment, but have a listen and reach your own conclusions.

Recommended by the same person who told me about the Temper Trap

Bits & Bobs I

Possibly an indie/rock-type hue to this blog so far...because that's mainly the type of music I listen to. I like to think I have an open mind though and often other bits & bobs catch my attention.

Here are a few recent ones of note (and a couple older):

Fish Go Deep - The Cure & The Cause (Deep House)
DJ NG feat. Katy B & MC Versatile - Tell Me (House - Radio Edit)
The Prodigy - Omen (Electronica)
Hot Chip - Over and Over (Electronica)
FreQ Nasty - Creator ft. Santogold (Breakbeat)
Lily Allen - The Fear (Pop)
Kate Nash - Pumpkin Soup (Pop)
N*E*R*D - Stay Together (Hip-hop)

Likely there will be some more of these hotch-potch posts along the way....

Jose Gonzalez - Hand On Your Heart

Never expected anyone to come even close to the splendour of the Kylie original of this classic but Jose Gonzalez's cover of 'Hand On Your Heart' is...

...well, find it and take a listen. No clip on Last.fm (although there's lots of other stuff) or on his MySpace but if you search the tube of you, you may get lucky.

La Roux - In For The Kill

Went to see the Temper Trap last night (what an excellent gig) and heard this while I was waiting for them to come out.

La Roux - In For The Kill (Skream Let's Get Ravey Mix)

It's this remix, in particular, that got me, not the original. Has a bit of a sinister vibe but in a chillout-ambient way. No media on the last.fm page right now but it is up on their MySpace.

Shazam for iPhone is my new best friend.

Mike Dignam - Anything

I saw him at the Hope & Anchor last month - this 18 year old singer-songwriter from Preston writes with incredible maturity and soul.

Mike Dignam - Anything

Reminiscent of James Morrison, 'Anything' was the first track of his I heard and prompted me to go along. Whispers that he's generating some label interest, I've got a sneaking suspicion I may have had a 'before they were famous' moment.

Here's his MySpace - I also love 'Someone Better' and 'Alive' (the live performance kicked it).

Pete Murray - Smile

My brother was the one who put me on to Pete a couple of years ago after hearing some of his tracks on 'Neighbours'...this one has become my favourite because of the melancholic bluesy guitar riffs and specifically the lyric:

#...come and touch my skin
you control my shiver...#

Pete Murray - Smile

His third album, 'Summer at Eureka', was released in May of last year, which I don't have yet but you can hear bits of on the last.fm page - I'm just going to point out a few from the other two albums that stand out for me (apologies for the longer-than-usual post. He is worth it)

Feeler

• So Beautiful - I love this track because it totally flips the 'you're so wonderful and I love you so much' cliches you would expect from a song with this title.
• Please - It's a song about always.
• Fall Your Way - Funky guitar - the video here suggests it's about his friend's testicles but I don't see it myself.

See the Sun

• Fly With You - This one's about refusing to give up on destiny.
• Class A - Loving the trumpets.
• Opportunity - The main reason I love this song is because of the Pete Murray & John Mayer duet from the ARIAs in 2006 - incredible.

end essay.