Wednesday 30 May 2007

You're not cracking up, you're just getting older



Poor neglected Hey Charlie! i’m sorry we’ve been such unresponsive parents recently. It’s the same excuses about galleries and hospitals, but that wouldn’t stop the realisation that if there were a weblog equivalent of the social services we would have been put away for leaving Hey Charlie! on the bus, or forgetting to warm the milk properly, or dressing the wee bairn up in flea-bitten rags, or something. Again, apologies are all we have.

Although i, thomas, (hello, good to see you again) have a scrap of evidence this time. A lot of the exhibitions i get involve in don’t really tend to be seen by many people, or even have much work in them, but at least every now and then there is a bit of a gem. This is an exquisite bit of noise from a sound exhibition i recently wrote the press release for, i recommend using headphones and a horizontal positioning.

Elizabeth Banks - Beach

Anyway, back to today’s procedures, we have a few belated birthdays to deal with. Yesterday, for instance, Noel Gallagher turned forty years old, while, on Monday, Kylie Minogue turned Still Too Young To Be Past It. This is the sort of time where the perils of a shared blog come to the fore – i prefer Kylie, while she prefers Noel. Not in a who-would-you-want-stuck-with-you-on-a-desert-island-with-you-before-you-get-rescued-and-move-to-the-countryside-together-to-drink-tea-all-day-and-make-babies sort of way, but in a way that simply and purely involves just the music. (Yes yes, i like Kylie for her music. You can’t really argue with this, this, this and this as proof that perfect pop music does exist – although i suppose you can really, but you’d be arguing against me.)

However, because Bianca is not here at the moment, i’ll take her side and give you something from Noel. Although, admittedly, if she was here she’d probably play you something by that band he’s in, whereas i think his best moments have been away from that. For instance, this. And similarly this, although i’m including that equally because it is probably my favourite music video ever ever. So much so that i’m going to embed it. Right here.



But anyway, as i was saying, Noel’s occasionally been pretty handy at the whole trad-indie acoustic guitar songsmithery thing, and ten or twelve years ago The Band He’s In could pass for being reasonably exciting, but i’d much rather he teamed up with his mates
to do fourteen-minute guitar solos while battling a sitar over an insanely funky neo-bhangra freakout. Like so:



Cornershop feat. Noel Gallagher – Spectral Mornings

And if i had to include a cover version of a song That Band did, well, i’d play you something that makes Mike Flowers Pops’ rendering of their 'art' sound positively ferocious. The natural progression is to go from the lounge to…the cocktail lounge!

The Lance Gambit Trio – D’You Know What I Mean?

And whilst we’re doing many happy returns, it turns out that At The Club by Kenickie became ten years old while we were away. Yes, we feel old. Just in case you missed it…



Kenickie – Come Out 2nite

Sorry again for the absence, we have a lot of post to play to you and some Annals Retentives too, just as soon as we’ve got off YouTube of course.

Tuesday 8 May 2007

Together at last: two Brians and a Jim



There's not really much to add is there?

Thanks to Mirri.

Monday 7 May 2007

We’re just a bunch of buffalo getting slaughtered



Yes, yes, i know. i’m sorry. Things just got a bit hectic back there. i was part of an exhibition that panned like a Teflon and Bianca started work in a hospital that won’t let up. We can only apologise.

Anyway, where were we? i can’t remember, let’s just start here by saying that The Crimea have a new album out. Principally because they do.
The Crimea formed after the demise of The Crocketts, a band who mixed primitive psycho-eyed frenetic rock garbling with moments of delicate introspection, this next song fitting neatly into the latter category, acting as it does as the B-side to ‘On Something’ which is most definitely the former. You’ll notice also that this track is a duet between ‘Davy Crockett’ (now plain ol’ Dave MacManus to his fans, including sister Annie) and one Mary Hopkin, who is not only reet famous but was also signed to Apple for a bit. Sweet and crunchy.



The Crocketts feat. Mary Hopkin - Host

However by the tail end of 2002 The Crimea had been formed by the aforementioned male MacManus and Owen Hopkin (any relation?), a year after The Crocketts were dropped by V2. Peelie started playing Lottery Winners On Acid with fervent admiration as soon as it was released on Shiny Beast, as well as the follow up, ‘White Russian Galaxy’ - unfortunately he didn’t live to see them play the song on Top of the Pops, or sign to Warners and release their debut album Tragedy Rocks for that matter, but then again the gap between the first Shiny Beast EP and the album was probably longer than The Crockett’s entire career.



The Crimea – White Russian Galaxy (Shiny Beast version)

And now, not only is it ready, but you can download the new Crimea
album, in its entirety, for nowt. Which is quite a clever marketing ploy apparently, but still rather pleasant i think you’ll agree. Free music might well be the future.

The Crimea – Secrets of the Witching Hour (LP)

Enjoy.

(Also, while we’re here, having that last blog entry featuring Reuben gives me adequate reason, i feel, to mention that they have a new single called ‘Blood, Bunny, Larkhall’ out on 18th of June, which seems to be mostly digital although they’ll have some CDs too. On first listen it’s much better than the singles from the last album, but i’d advise you not to watch the video while eating dinner, particularly if it’s spaghetti.)