tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52182548719391462572024-03-13T11:15:57.748+00:00Hey Charlie!Readers should note that all mp3s featured are for evaluation purposes only, please endeavour to research, support and love all artists you can. If you are the artist in question and feel irked, or if you just fancy a word about anything, please get in touch: tabdrinkink74[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]ukBianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-45020634715777755062009-12-31T06:43:00.004+00:002009-12-31T09:55:50.184+00:00Annals retentive: art decadeThere's storms forecast for Melbourne at the strike of midnight tonight. Something about that, despite not wanting to think many self-scaremongering thoughts, seems entirely fitting. While it feels futile to relate the pulsation of the moment to the current calendar system that peoples are using, this still feels like a decade i'd be very, very keen to hold onto for a bit longer. For personal reasons as well, i guess; at the turn of the millenium i was in my early teens, and now i'm in my early twenties, so, tempestuous times as they may have sometimes been, it is also the period which i'm sure i will always think of the most fondestly. These are - i think - roughly my favourite ten albums from what i hate calling the noughties. You should listen to them rather than read the reams of praise i'd be showering them with, although i won't entirely because it'd take me about a week to do any of them anything close to justice. They are pretty much in reverse order of preference, but not really, because being definitive about that sort of thing was to hard.<br /><br /><strong>Cornershop</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Handcream-Generation-Cornershop/dp/B0000649MW">Handcream For A Generation</a><br />i watched that fairly patchy documentary 'Live Forever' the other day, and because i tend to watch all the crappy extras that are dumped onto DVDs too i ended up watching the extended interview with Jon Savage. In one part he suggested that Britpop didn't really reflect the beauty of mid-nineties uk diversity because some alternative artists who had big hits at the same time - he mentions the incredible White Town and the...uhm...well...Babylon Zoo - were left out of the club to an extent, perhaps because of their ethnicity. A loaded point i guess, but it would make sense with Cornershop, who had one of their ploddy whimsical songs beefed up, had a smash hit, and the full extent of their awesome talent remained largely unbothered by the mainstream audience. Nevertheless, i can't help but feel that if Handcream For A Generation was released in the mid-Nineties it would be mentioned in the same breath as turds like Maxinquaye and What's The Story...? Instead it was released in the strange hinterland between The Strokes and No Name so only Lammo and John Peel played stuff from it. Listening to this album today makes me feel like there was barely a cloud in the sky all the way throughout 2002.<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P10zohJokXY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P10zohJokXY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Broken Family Band</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cold-Water-Songs-Broken-Family/dp/B00009V8WB">Cold Water Songs</a> <br />Although i have a huge soft spot for 'Balls' (make your own joke up) that otherwise seems worryingly unloved, the moment The Broken Family Band accidentally invented Anglicana is a moment i'll always be thankful for. When most end-of-decade polls will be celebrating the fact that Arctic Monkeys sing in their own accent, i'll be pleased that some lads from Cambridge tried both lyrically and vocally to sound like country and western stars.<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYp4jBTiz2g&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYp4jBTiz2g&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Chris T-T</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/London-Sinking-Chris-T-T/dp/B0000BXBY9">London Is Sinking</a><br />It turned out <a href="http://digg.com/environment/London_is_sinking_into_the_sea">he was right</a>, too. A strange trajectory Chris seems to have had over the last ten years; at the beginning of the decade he was probably best know for writing songs about Eminem's sexuality and maiming Lisa from Steps, and now he's most regularly recognised as one of the kings of lefty British politi-pop, the awfully-named genre that thankfully nobody made up (except me, just now). Last year's Capital was excrutiatingly under-valued, but the central pillar of his London trilogy, a long-player that tracked a narrative of sorts on a boat along the Thames, has more romance, death, anger, imagination, intrigue and heartbreak than any gritty Beeb drama could squeeze into a six-part series. <br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kAWNEdycbxY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kAWNEdycbxY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>People Like Us </strong>- Stifled Love<br />When the music industry grinds to a halt and we have to rely on artists chopping up bits of long-lost exotica as the primary source of entertainment, this is who i want to make everything i listen to for the rest of time. Rather than hear me ramble about how wondrous, sarcastic, warm and human her plunderphonic adventures are, you can <a href="http://www.peoplelikeus.org/2002/stifled_love_record_by_people_like_us.html">download this album in its entirety for free from here. i have no idea why the hell you would not do this.</a><br /><br /><strong>Mclusky</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mclusky-Do-Dallas/dp/B00005UD03">Do Dallas</a><br />This should speak for itself:<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yCrv3ofNL8U&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yCrv3ofNL8U&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SCaJom3HqxU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SCaJom3HqxU&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Pagan Wanderer Lu</strong> - <a href="http://www.normanrecords.com/records/107671">Fight My Battles For Me</a><br />Some people said that it was too long. Then again some people think Cheryl Cole is entertaining and fucking dogs is a good idea, so people aren't to be trusted. <br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WMIJ9f4d2i4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WMIJ9f4d2i4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Applicants</strong> - <a href="http://www.tunespro.com/album/30363/applicants/life-in-the-bus-lane">Life In The Bus Lane</a><br />An amazingly enjoyable album containing songs about pizza's involvement in relationship problems and Spike Milligan being a cunt. The best pop songs i've ever heard by someone who used to be on Digital Hardcore. Deserved to be downloaded more than the Dan Brown / J.K. Rowling sex tape. Next album will be pretty good i bet.<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2Z2qAAoQ78&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2Z2qAAoQ78&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y1iYFh8T_Ec&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y1iYFh8T_Ec&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Misty's Big Adventure</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Hi-Fi-System/dp/B00009KSKD">...And Their Place In The Solar Hi-Fi System</a><br />i personally think that when John Peel called Grandmaster Gareth 'the new God' he was talking Gareth down a bit. Dismissing Misty's as a novelty band - as many idiots did - for being inspired by the Bonzos, named after a Magic Roundabout reference and recording a song with Jeremy Vine/Noddy Holder ignores the swathes of frustration, world-weariness and paranoia that flow through most of their songs - it'd be like calling Radiohead a comedy band because they wrote a song about a watering can and did that video where someone fell over lol. They just happen to be very entertaining too...or fun, if you must. All of their albums are worth exploring, but these songs are the ones that i'd most like to be still singing to myself even after i've forgotten my own name. <br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8VmHNfZunHc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8VmHNfZunHc&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0sCQeWCvwMg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0sCQeWCvwMg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Bearsuit</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Team-Ping-Pong-Bearsuit/dp/B000BGH14G">Team Ping Pong</a><br />The band that most defined the last decade for me; i'll be wearing my blue Bearsuit t-shirt when i'm dragged kicking and screaming into the next one. It's a close call between this and their first 'proper' album Cat Spectacular!, as Team Ping Pong is (as far as i can tell) a truncated version of their attempted debut In Charge Of Meats, but for containing all the planet-beating songs that made me pretty much fall in love with them in the first place* this edges it. If i die suddenly play 'Minerals Made Me' at my funeral please. <br /><br />*although the distinct lack of 'Poor Prince Neal' left me a bit miffed.<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EvHFG4qdBc8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EvHFG4qdBc8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>Super Furry Animals</strong> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rings-Around-World-Super-Animals/dp/B000060MMJ">Rings Around The World</a><br />i wrote something about this <a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2009/02/discourse-2000-4.html">here earlier in the year</a>, kind of knowing that it would still be my favourite album by this point. Thanks. Happy new year.<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Dz0wc3uH1k&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6Dz0wc3uH1k&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rhCcBTux5f8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rhCcBTux5f8&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zUoc6Wv72cs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zUoc6Wv72cs&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7QRu3XnE8eY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7QRu3XnE8eY&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3jw7u4f-Ujg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3jw7u4f-Ujg&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4aAYQ0wqYf4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4aAYQ0wqYf4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-88321528043643122032009-12-29T14:12:00.007+00:002009-12-30T02:11:49.355+00:00Annals Retentive: Two Thousand And FineThis is sort of some of the best things i heard this year. It is dedicated to Norman Borlaug. i realise that trying to honour a recently-departed agricultural scientist said to have saved over a billion lives by just sticking some mp3s together and saying "this is for you" seems a bit arrogant, but in a year where a pop star got about a billion times more attention in death i feel like any mention of Borlaug's incredible achievements is worth doing.<br /><br />This is my favourite pop video of the year:<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f7mli1MsW-w&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f7mli1MsW-w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br />This is good too mind. i especially like the thing that happens when "He feels that the ethics of punk can be applied to the world of work" is sung:<br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AYfOfrTvpNs&hl=en_US&fs=1&hd=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AYfOfrTvpNs&hl=en_US&fs=1&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br />Anyway.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W0HIAAJJ">Here is the mix. Enjoy.</a> (<a href="https://www.yousendit.com/download/VGlkTXRVMVhtNEozZUE9PQ">ysi</a>)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/hellohighplaces"><strong>High Places</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/6233224">Late Bloomer</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/joyorbison"><strong>Joy Orbison</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa_PDKKc2_A">Hyph Mngo</a><br /><a href="http://www.thethermals.com/"><strong>Thermals</strong></a> - When I Died<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/acousticladylandmusic"><strong>Acoustic Ladyland</strong></a> - Sportsmode<br /><a href="http://mjhibbett.tripod.com/"><strong>MJ Hibbett & The Validators</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYfOfrTvpNs">My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once</a><br /><a href="http://www.cornershop.com/news.html"><strong>Cornershop</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNPUJ0cobWM">Free Love</a> <br /><a href="http://micachu.com/"><strong>Micachu & The Shapes</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TRkZpFgJcI">Golden Phone</a><br /><a href="http://www.warprecords.com/antipop/"><strong>Anti Pop Consortium</strong></a> - <a href="http://vimeo.com/6853731">Volcano</a> (<a href="http://www.fourtet.net/">Four Tet</a> remix)<br /><a href="http://internetforeverandever.blogspot.com/"><strong>Internet Forever</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7mli1MsW-w">Cover The Walls</a> (<a href="http://www.myspace.com/dreamtrakstudios">Dreamtrak</a> session) <br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/nordloef"><strong>Nordloef</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puTHW0treKk">Buddy Holly</a><br /><a href="http://www.silenceisawkward.com/"><strong>Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858512043/">Sleep The Clock Around</a><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/silenceatsea"><strong>Silence At Sea</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/music09/respond/silenceatsea/?display_mode=low">Fields Of Fire</a><br /><a href="http://brainwashed.com/vvm/haftw/releases/haftw001.html"><strong>Leyland Kirby</strong></a> - Memories Live Longer Than Dreams<br /><a href="http://paganwandererlu.wordpress.com/"><strong>Pagan Wanderer Lu</strong></a> - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viQF02BImZE">Ten Cities Is Not A European Tour</a>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-78080130309356902872009-11-03T12:31:00.002+00:002009-11-03T12:42:40.581+00:00RIP BFB<a href="http://www.thebrokenfamilyband.com/news.html">Bye lads.</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QfgOngQIoRY&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QfgOngQIoRY&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/unz-Pj9CqvE&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/unz-Pj9CqvE&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/obccolyWxP8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/obccolyWxP8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RcvFtP9GJew&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RcvFtP9GJew&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v68LFfCY0uo&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v68LFfCY0uo&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygJYDvJ8PSU&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygJYDvJ8PSU&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7kcKzczfUJs&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7kcKzczfUJs&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYp4jBTiz2g&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYp4jBTiz2g&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2OMohKnIvT8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2OMohKnIvT8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/LEcBB551OX0&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LEcBB551OX0&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-87304426262365897872009-09-27T01:44:00.003+00:002009-11-03T07:55:12.298+00:00Super Furry Animals live at Cardiff International Arena 1999This is a bootleg of a Super Furry Animals gig recorded by Radio 1 for Lamacq Live just before Christmas in 1999. As it is recorded onto cassette from FM radio like what we had to do in those days, it is occasionally a bit crackly and is not the full set played that night - the Beeb usually only broadcast choice parts of the event unless it was completely live. Because of the year the setlist is pretty Guerrilla-heavy - or rather, it includes tracks off the album that they've not played live much since, including The Turning Tide and The Door To This House Remains Open. My recording misses the first couple of bars too...sorry about that.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=WS02JI1P">Super Furry Animals recorded at Cardiff International Arena 1999</a><br /><br />Something 4 The Weekend<br />The Door To This House Remains Open<br />The Turning Tide<br />Northern Lites<br />Play It Cool<br />The International Language Of Screaming<br />God! Show Me Magic<br />Fire In My Heart<br />Hometown Unicorn<br />Calimero<br />Mountain People<br />Ice Hockey Hair<br /><br />You can also see (read: hear, with a nice picture from space to accompany it) a recently-added Peel session and interview with John by the band <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7w1R8FkbMA">here on YouTube</a> from around the time of Fuzzy Logic, as added by someone called <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/stepintothegalaxy">stepintothegalaxy</a>. Lovely.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-23421865695675350042009-09-14T06:15:00.003+00:002009-10-05T23:12:58.444+00:00Eat The Beatles on Another Nice MessA few months ago, during the modest promotional run for <a href="http://www.myspace.com/twoofthebeatleshavedied">Two Of The Beatles Have Died</a>, i was fortunate enough to compile a mix for the superlative <a href="http://www.anothernicemess.com">Another Nice Mess</a> radio show on <a href="http://www.dfm.nu">DFM Radio</a> hosted by Marcelle Van Hoof in Amsterdam. Considering it's a show that i've been a huge fan of for over five years now i felt honoured, frankly, and incredibly grateful that Marcelle played so many songs from the compilation. Considering there's supposedly a renewed wave of Beatlemania this week - and they're all songs relating somehow to The Beatles, you see - i thought it appropriate to upload the set here.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?kz4mt2yzhni">Eat The Beatles on Another Nice Mess 28/4/09</a><br /><br />*Marcelle introduction*<br /><br /><strong>Michael Mills</strong> - The Beatles (excerpt)<br /><strong>The Beatles</strong> - Flying<br /><strong>John Baker</strong> - I Want To Hold Your Hand<br /><strong>The Debbie McGees</strong> - Two Of The Beatles Have Died (Ziggy Bollus remix)<br /><strong>Yoko Ono</strong> - Snow Is Falling All The Time<br /><strong>Astral Navigations</strong> - Pope John Paul & Ringo<br /><strong>Grandmaster Gareth</strong> - The Sound Of Gareth<br /><strong>The Beetles featuring Cookie Monster</strong> - Hey Food<br /><strong>The Better Beatles</strong> - Eleanor Rigby<br /><strong>Daniel Johnston</strong> - The Beatles<br /><strong>Sebadoh</strong> - Yellow Submarine<br /><strong>The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band</strong> - Give Booze A Chance<br /><strong>People Like Us</strong> - Something In The Way<br /><strong>The Beatles</strong> Fan Club Christmas Record 1968 (excerpt)<br /><strong>Mojo Jones</strong> - Strawberry Fields Forever<br /><strong>Monsoon</strong> - Tomorrow Never Knows<br /><strong>The Fall</strong> - A Day In The Life<br /><strong>Paul McCartney, Super Furry Animals & Youth</strong> - Peter Blake 2000 (excerpt)<br /><strong>The Seltaeb</strong> - Enif Leef I<br /><br />*Marcelle back-announcement*<br /><br /><strong>The Ramones</strong> - I Wanna Be Sedated<br /><strong>Zea</strong> - I Wanna Be DeletedBianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-36112082956432873892009-08-15T00:47:00.004+00:002009-10-05T23:29:11.950+00:00UnjazzHello.<br /><br />i realise that this blog is now just a place for me to store mixes, but i will at least try to make it a place for me to store mixes more often.<br /><br />Today's particular mix is entitled Unjazz and it is dedicated to <a href="http://christt.com/">Chris</a> and <a href="http://brightonreiki.co.uk/">Rifa</a>. The word Unjazz has been playing on my mind since it was announced that there might be a future EP by Chris T-T of that title, comprising of his improvised piano recitals that in other variations recently delighted those attending his joint headline show with <a href="http://www.mjhibbett.net/dinosaurplanet/">MJ Hibbett's Dinosaur Planet</a> a few weeks ago. It makes sense to me that Chris might want to call what he's doing Unjazz, seeing as i once mentioned jazz in an interview with him and he became so appalled that he couldn't even bear to repeat the word back to me. Thing is though, now that i've heard the word Unjazz i believe it's something that actually exists, maybe not simply as a genre or movement, but a description of an attitude as vague and disparate as jazz itself. Maybe, like punk once claimed those that foreshadowed it, suggesting that the Stooges and MC5 were singing from the same hymn sheet when it yet had a title, perhaps one day unjazz will become the umbrella term for something much more subtle and yet incredibly potent. In my mind's eye i can't imagine it being the opposite to jazz, just like anti-folk isn't the opposite of folk per se, and i can't see it having shaken off the burden of jazz itself, just as post-rock hasn't - and can't - liberate itself from rock. i can imaging something that is largely undiluted funk, or beat poetry, or minimal techno or maximal house or swing or bluebeat can be unjazz, but unjazz is not all of these things. You dig?<br /><br />Well maybe not. i might be closer to explaining myself properly by playing you some things i could, if needed to, consider unjazz. <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?dxzw2v5wgy2">Delicious cold, disgusting hot? <b>You decide.</b></a><br /><br />Tracklisting:<br /><b><a href="http://www.peoplelikeus.org/">People Like Us</a></b> - Sing With Melodious Inarticulate Sound...<br /><b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/acousticladylandmusic">Acoustic Ladyland</a></b> - Thing<br /><b><a href="http://www.thebadplus.com/">The Bad Plus</a></b> - Velouria<br /><b><a href="http://leaf.greedbag.com/asachangandjunra/">Asa Chang & Junray</a></b> - Hana<br /><b><a href="http://www.delia-derbyshire.org/">Delia Derbyshire</a></b> - Ziwzih Ziwzih OO-OO-OO<br /><b><a href="http://www.soundsoftheuniverse.com/releases/?id=11471">MRR-ADM with Malcom Catto</a></b> - B1<br /><b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/tracyishotandtheclap">Tracy Is Hot & The Clap</a> </b> - Cat Power Is Fucking Rubbish<br /><b><a href="http://www.davidshrigley.com/">David Shrigley</a></b> - Don'ts<br /><b><a href="http://www.raymondscott.com/">Raymond Scott</a></b> - Manhattan Minuet<br /><b><a href="http://www.myspace.com/grandmastergareth">Grandmaster Gareth</a></b> - Lovely Cellos<br /><b><a href="http://www.gilscottheron.com/">Gil Scott-Heron</a></b> - B Movie<br /><b><a href="http://squarepusher.net/">Squarepusher</a></b> - The Modern Bass Guitar<br /><b><a href="http://www.drukqs.net/">Aphex Twin</a></b> - Avril 14th<br /><b><a href="http://www.schneidertm.net/">Schneider TM</a></b> - I Dream Of Chomsky (High Llamas remix)<br /><b><a href="http://blur.co.uk/">Blur</a></b> - French Song<br /><b><a href="http://www.davidschafer.org/">David Schafer</a></b> - Forever In Love In Forever Part 1<br /><b><a href="http://www.bonzodog.co.uk/">The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band</a></b> - Rhinocratic OathsBianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-88067492520644310472009-01-16T22:55:00.003+00:002009-10-05T23:49:32.419+00:00Annals retentive: Two Thousand And Latei realise i'm a few weeks behind schedule with this, but here's a mix i made of some of our favourite tracks of 2008. i started this tracklist thinking i wouldn't have much to pick from but there was loads i had to leave out for the purpose of time & space (hopefully it all fits onto one cd, give it a go).<br /><br />Hope you're having a happy 2009 so far. <br /><br />Link for the download <a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?bzmjol1ywml">resides here</a>.<br /><br />Los Campesinos! - My Year In Lists<br />MGMT - Kids (Soulwax Nite Version) <br />The Bug - Poison Dart (Skream remix)<br />Telepathe - Chrome's On It (the Mae Shi remix)<br />Germlin - thrash'r<br />Women - Lawncare<br />Beyoncé - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)<br />Hot Chip - One Pure Thought (Toddla T remix)<br />Applicants - Pocket Dictionary<br />Warren Myles - Mountains<br />Errors - Toes<br />Yung Nate & Charles Hamilton - Stutter<br />Pagan Wanderer Lu - 2.0///The Bridge Of Sighs<br />Soko - I Will Never Love You More<br />The Chap - Surgery<br />Oxynucid - Keys and Lighter<br />Wiley - Wearing My Rolex<br />Neon Neon - I Told Her On Alderaan<br />Kylie - The One (Freemasons Vocal Club mix)<br />Gas - Konigsforst 4<br />Marble Krusher - Cat Power Hijacks a Train and Drunkenly Crashes It into Portsmouth in a Idiosyncratic and Wasteful Tribute to Tracy Is Hot & The Clap<br /><br />xxxxxBianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-83688826682968597572008-10-11T00:00:00.002+00:002008-10-11T00:21:53.404+00:00John Peel Day mixtapeApparently it was John Peel Day this week? Or it will be next week. The Beeb don't seem to have devoted many shows to the day or indeed even mentioned it, but i'll press on regardless.<br />While working for The Man over the past few weeks i decided to fill the time between waiting for data to process by making a special mixtape-compilation-type thing for the occassion. It's the same length as the Peel shows i grew up listening to (two hours) and features bits that i remember fondly at the time, most of them being peel sessions or performances from Maida Vale or Peel Acres. It's by no means an 'ideal' show i've cobbled together - no Pig's Big 78 for a start - but it does feature some of my favourite artists and some older stuff as well.<br /><br />Anyway. <a href="http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9X5W1FAG">The link is here.</a><br /><br />If you don't want to know the tracklisting (you might like the element of surprise, i know i do) then look away now:<br /><br />- Cowcube - Itchy Cut<br />- The Damned - New Rose (Peel session)<br />- Delia Derbyshire - The Voice Of John Peel<br />- X Booty (Dan The Drummer) - O Superman<br />- The Black Keys- Hard Row (Peel session)<br />- Listen With Sarah - Cuntry Music<br />- The Magic Band - Diddy Wah Diddy (Live at Maida Vale)<br />- Party Of One - Shotgun Funeral<br />- dj /rupture - High Resolution (live at Maida Vale)<br />- Culture - Two Sevens Clash (Peel session)<br />- Son House - Death Letter (Peel session)<br />- Pavement - The Classical (Peel session)<br />- The Fall - Groovin' With Mr Blo / Green Eyed Loco Man (Peel session)<br />- Galactic Symposium - YMCA<br />- Half Man Half Biscuit - The Light At The End Of The Tunnel (Is The Light Of An Oncoming Train) (Peel session)<br />- The Would Bes - My Radio Sounds Different In The Dark (Peel session)<br />- Napalm Death - The Kill (Peel session)<br />- Jeff Mills live at Maida Vale <br />- People Like Us - Abridged Too Far (Peel session)<br />- Pico - Speed (Peel session)<br />- Belle And Sebastian - Roy Walker (live at Peel Acres)<br />- Orbital - Doctor ?/Chime (live at Maida Vale)<br />- Grandmaster Gareth - Dr Dre Buys A Pint Of Milk<br />- Hyper Kinako - Tokyo Registration Office<br />- Lightning Bolt - Dracula Mountain (live at Maida Vale)<br />- The Cuban Boys - The Nation Needs You<br />- CLSM - John Peel Is Not Enough (Fergus Mayhem remix)<br /><br />Turn it up and keep it peel xxxxxBianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-60249113741063630092008-05-10T20:02:00.002+00:002008-05-10T20:04:34.836+00:00dodecahedmix #1 : good grief<a href="http://download.yousendit.com/9B3232F622426CF2">Here</a> is an mp3 mixtape i made for you. It's got twelve songs in it. They are:<br /><br /><br />People Like Us - Sing With Melodious Inarticulate sound...<br />The Pointer Sisters - Pinball Number Count<br />Jason Forrest - My 36 Favourite Punk Rock Songs<br />Santogold - L.E.S. Artistes (XXXchange remix)<br />Bolt Action Five - Tree Friend Tree Foe (The Cleft Palettes remix)<br />Robyn - Handle Me (Chewy Chocolate Cookies remix)<br />CSS - Rat Is Dead (Rage)<br />Napoleon IIIrd - Hit Schmooze For Me<br />Napoleon XIV - They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!<br />Sebadoh - Yellow Submarine<br />Yung Nate & Charles Hamilton - Stutter<br />Elastica - Stutter<br /><br />i'm wondering whether to do this more often.<br /><br />Enjoy, anyway. <br /><br />ttfbxxxxxBianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-26881907543140003792008-02-29T00:32:00.000+00:002008-02-29T00:33:55.420+00:00Coping with Los<embed src="http://www.fabchannel.com/embed/player.swf?ap=artist.los_campesinos" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="350" allowFullScreen="true"></embed>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-43795941914982667602007-07-11T07:44:00.001+00:002007-07-11T07:47:45.364+00:00i was born bald with no teeth<img src="http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i114/productnineteen/happybirthday.jpg"> <br /><br />On this day - hello, happy Wednesday - Hey Charlie! founder, loving chum, <a href="http://www.go-betweens.net/">Go-Betweens</a> fan, teacup specialist, devoted soul gardener and official Greatest Person Ever, Bianca Ferguson, celebrates her birthday. i hear it's ungentlemanly to reveal a lady's age (and if there's one lady i'd want to be gentlemanly to, it's her) but rest assured she's yet to reach even halfway to <a href="http://www.lwiii.com/">Loudon Wainwright III</a> levels when he wrote this:<br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/D257068C7C7180D1">Loudon Wainwright III - The Birthday Present</a><br /><br />i realise that in terms of birthday-related tracks <a href="http://festivefifty.blogspot.com">Teenage Kicks</a> is already a step ahead of us this week, and i appreciate that my lover isn't really a big fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sugarcubes">The Sugarcubes</a> anyway, but it's blogging tradition and i'm willing to accept that not all traditions are bad. Plus i reckon this is a pretty neat demo, probably surpassing the single itself, if shoehorning an indier-than-thou statement of approval into proceedings is acceptable at this juncture of course.<br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/4400E5C83F00BE3F">The Sugarcubes - Birthday (demo version)</a><br /><br />But anyway. All it leaves me to say, hoping that any other readers we have don't find their breakfast revisiting them, and yet in the sincerest most affectionate way:<br /><br />Happy birthday Bee. You are fabulous and i love you.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-10504549125450327932007-07-09T22:13:00.000+00:002007-07-09T22:19:58.803+00:00View Monday: only a quick reminder to buy all the recently re-released Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band albums this week.<object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BahaL_JwgUQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BahaL_JwgUQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gorilla-Bonzo-Dog-Doo-Band/dp/B000PITXY6/ref=sr_1_3/026-0744095-4948452?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1183807197&sr=1-3">Gorilla</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doughnut-Grannys-Greenhouse-Bonzo-Band/dp/B000PITXZA/ref=sr_1_1/026-0744095-4948452?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1183807055&sr=1-1">The Doughnut In Granny's Greenhouse</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tadpoles-Bonzo-Dog-Doo-Band/dp/B000PITXZ0/ref=sr_1_2/026-0744095-4948452?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1183807055&sr=1-2">Tadpoles</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Keynsham-Bonzo-Dog-Doo-Band/dp/B000PITXYG/ref=sr_1_6/026-0744095-4948452?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1183807197&sr=1-6">Keynsham</a>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-81434362730049445242007-07-01T23:12:00.000+00:002007-07-02T00:24:56.813+00:00View Monday, in a post-Fopp malaise: Glastonbury special with added Mistys.People are still going on about last weekend’s Glastonbury festival, and there’s nothing like jumping on a bandwagon a week late. So here we are. i can assure you that this first entry is the only time i will mention the word <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tims/588636732/">mud</a>. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ud3k_wXKJSQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Ud3k_wXKJSQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />The only performance that i’ve seen from the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/glastonbury/2007/watchandlisten/">abundant internet Glastonbury audio-visual material</a> that looked particularly exciting is <a href="http://www.myspace.com/canseidesersexy">CSS</a>, which is <i>particularly</i> good because of…balloons! Look! Balloons all over the stage! Oh and that they’re a great band. But still. <u>Balloons</u>! Check out also how it obviously takes three burly men to wade in and manhandle a petite and be-leotarded Lovefoxx from the adoring grasps of, ooh, half a dozen people? Obviously for her own safety. Three big blokes. With big hands. One small lady. Yes. Also, note the close up of her bum as well. But only because it’s got mud on it. No other reason. Nope.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Khc6mEaVmjU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Khc6mEaVmjU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Back a year (we think), this is <a href="http://www.billybragg.co.uk/">the bard of Barking</a> singing the greatest Billy Bragg song he never wrote. With <a href="http://www.billbailey.co.uk/">the person who wrote it</a>. We ought to do a post about Mr Bailey at some point. Remind me. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/J0307j2XmBQ"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/J0307j2XmBQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />If you didn’t think we could get more self-indulgent, here’s <a href="http://www.belleandsebastian.co.uk/">that band</a> my lover likes a lot. Just because she likes them and i love it when she’s happy. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DgsAah2cAm0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DgsAah2cAm0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />More balloons! And two perpetual suns! And a dolphin! And a tiger! And several thousand other things! Those <a href="http://www.flaminglips.com/">good ol’ boys from Oklahoma</a> really do put some effort into it, and this was before Wayne decided to travel to gigs in <a href="http://www.reviewjournal.com/living/vegoose/images/vg-flaming-lips.jpg">a bloody massive inflatable ball</a>. There’s a large chunk of the rest of this set <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=flaming+lips+glastonbury&search=Search">online</a> if you’re interested, which you probably ought to be.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kHX4I__9onI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kHX4I__9onI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />And back in the real world – oh okay, away from the countryside then – this week saw the sudden yet unsurprising end to <a href="http://www.fopp.co.uk/down.html">Fopp</a>, making another big weapon in the music industry’s arsenal when arguing value for money doesn’t pay. (This of course being the same week that the music industry were <a href="http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2114557,00.html"><i>furious</i></a> that <a href="http://www.npgmusicclub.com/">Prince</a> would do anything as innovative and relatively selfless to his fans as give away his new album for nowt, although they seem to have ignored that the real reason to get mad is that in order to get your mitts on a copy you’d have to actually purchase <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">the worst newspaper in Britain</a>.) One thing that Fopp were good at – obviously not making much profit, or treating their employees with dignity and respect by actually paying them for their final month’s work – was in-store performances, and although they varied in quality they at least re-ignited in some way the notion that going out and buying records could be an experience and actually, whisper it, <i>fun</i>, rather than something you did in Tesco between choosing the shortest till to queue at and picking up some Tic Tacs. Here’s one of the in-store performances from <a href="http://www.ifyoudontgivemyfootballback.co.uk/">Jim Noir</a>, which as you’ll be able to tell is really rather badly out of synch. Bye Fopp, i’m sorry i didn’t buy that cheap reissue of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/After_the_Gold_Rush">After The Gold Rush</a> as a way of saying farewell. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8VmHNfZunHc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8VmHNfZunHc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />And finally, some added <a href="http://www.mistysbigadventure.co.uk/">Misty’s Big Adventure</a>, who this week at last saw the fruits of a video shoot for <a href="http://www.slrecords.net/music_downloads/Mistys_Big_Adventure_nighttime_better_than_the_daytime.mp3">‘Night Time Better Than The Day Time’</a>…which came out as a single on <a href="http://www.awkward-records.co.uk/">Awkward Records</a> in, uhm, 2004. You’ve got to hand it to director <a href="http://www.fortmarkfilms.com/">Marke Locke</a>, he’s pretty nifty with the camera, and at least this use of his (generous) talent didn’t languish in a vault for evermore. <a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=13068879&blogID=281734693">Funny Times</a> due soon too, thankfully.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-77668813903017909182007-06-29T08:59:00.000+00:002007-06-29T09:13:07.561+00:00The CompactNow. I’m in a bit of a shit mood. I haven’t left the house today, I am wearing yesterday’s clothes and I’m sick of watching the news because it reminds me that people like to pour hydrochloric acid on other people’s faces. There is a muscle having an epileptic in my left forearm, and I can feel the fat cells gorging themselves on my lunch. I’ve got my ring stuck on the wrong finger. I have the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mean_Reds">mean reds</a> (and if you think that means my period, you can just stop reading now). <br /><br />I know most people come here expecting music. Well, today I woke up expecting to be 5’10 with thick wavy hair and a waist roughly two thirds my own. I have a feeling that today you and me both will experience some disappointment. <br /><br />I do have something serious to discuss. The Compact. It’s old news I know, <em>I know</em>, but I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and have decided my position on it. <br /><br /><a href="http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/">The Compact</a> started some time ago, at least 18months, but probably a bit longer in San Francisco. Quite basically; they do not consume. They buy nothing new , and only buy second-hand what is necessary. They do buy food, although, you see, people need food to live. Organisations like Freecycle are supplying this demand for non-consumerable living, by providing a forum for people to trade their goods. There are free markets in San Fran, like normal markets, but free. <br /><br />I like The Compact. I love The Compact. The Compact is maybe what the world needs to stop its disgusting self combustion and might just stop us from vomiting dust and smoke and rubbish enough to choke ourselves. Might. <br /><br />Although you see, here’s the tricky thing. Shopping makes me happy. Buying silk blouses at extraordinary prices makes me happy. Checking the time on my Longines watch? Yep, happy. Even imagining myself making tea in Limoges tea cups makes me happy. And I know other people, people I admire and love and like, I know people who can be made happy with material things. In the very purest sense, beautiful objects hold joy.<br /><br />So you see, my gripe with consumption, is not consumption per se, but rather, the mindless trash that is produced for the mindless public. Cheap, ticky-tack, poor quality and in poor taste annoys me more than Comsumers. For example: killing innocent children in the street is wrong, but, if I had the choice, alone in a room with a man (or woman) who abused an animal, or child (but especially an animal), I would, had I the strength, beat him to the end of his life. Killing is wrong. Some people are worth the effort. Mechanical consumption is dangerous, and more than certainly immoral. A chair by Charles Eames is a work of art. A shoe by Marc Jacobs. A dinnerset by Kate Spade. Even an Elle McPherson bra for His sake. You can get veritable beauty in bought objects. Yes - not all my clothes are works of art, I’m sure if I sat my (generous) bum down right now on a city corner and put up a sign ‘HUNGRY’ not a passing person would think about doubting I was homeless. I usually buy second hand books, for monetary reasons, and the rest of my books come from libraries. I prefer to eat what I’ve grown, which means I spend a lot of the winter months eating broad beans, but that’s ok. I don’t eat meat, I do buy leather, I drive a car but I never take plastic bags from shops. I recycle everything. <br /><br />So. Here we are, I’ve run out of steam, and all I want to say is this. I can’t give up everything. I can give up a lot, but not everything. If you can Compact, do it. Try not to buy. Try not to buy new. Try to grow your own food. Try to buy local produce. These are some good people and I respect them. Ideally, we don’t need to stop buying, we just need to stop buying so much. But really, in reality, some people are too thick to understand that. So these Compacters are giving up things on their behalf. On your behalf. They’ve given up everything that I still can’t manage to. They’re stronger than me. If you’re strong, then please, do what you can. Or think about it at least. I know, if you’re here, you’re probably music people. Music is good. Buying music is fine. But just think. Sometimes. Please.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-51468630982184821252007-06-24T22:23:00.000+00:002007-06-24T22:34:24.385+00:00Still (y)our new favourite band<embed src="http://lads.myspace.com/videos/vplayer.swf" flashvars="m=2039128899&type=video" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="325"></embed><br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/tracyishotandtheclap">w00p!</a>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-80268274879908683762007-06-20T22:49:00.000+00:002007-06-20T23:11:28.059+00:00Annals Retentive: 2004 (part one)<img src="http://usability.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/john_peel.jpg"> <br /><br />2004 was a bad year for music.<br /><br />Of course, every year has great music in it – don’t believe anyone who’ll tell you otherwise, they’re just not looking, or listening, hard enough – and 2004 was hardly an exception. <a href="http://www.bearsuit.co.uk/">Bearsuit</a> released <a href="http://www.kittenpainting.co.uk/recordreviews/bearsuit.html">‘Chargr’</a>, for instance. <a href="http://www.65daysofstatic.com/">65daysofstatic</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/WneDU-K3Sww">‘retreat! retreat!’</a>. <br /><a href="http://www.artbrut.org.uk">Art Brut</a> released (the superior <a href="http://www.roughtraderecords.com/">Rough Trade</a> version of) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qryAwfpHG8o">‘Formed A Band’</a>. <a href="http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com/">Fiery Furnaces</a> released (the superior <a href="http://www.musicimport.biz/product.php?productid=174449">EP</a> verion of) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ERSf4aAcimo">‘Tropical Iceland’</a>. <a href="http://www.theconcretes.com/">The Concretes</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/?v=np7TlcXSYyw">‘You Can’t Hurry Love’</a>. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/eskiboywiley">Wiley</a> - who is currently gracing front pages of <a href="http://www.thewire.co.uk/">The Wire</a>, <a href="http://www.planbmag.com/">Plan B</a> and <a href="http://www.oneweektolive.com/">One Week To Live</a>, all worth checking out even if you have given up on the printed music press – finished what <a href="http://www.dizzeerascal.co.uk/">Dizzee</a>’s <a href="http://arts.guardian.co.uk/mercury2003/story/0,,1039140,00.html">Mercury win</a> starting by dragging grime kicking and screaming overground with <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBvhx_QBniI">‘Wot Do U Call It?’</a>. <a href="http://www.cornershop.com/">Cornershop</a> introduced <a href="http://www.tunetribe.com/Artist?artist_id=39194">Bubbley Kaur</a> and released ‘Topknot’. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/helpshecantswim">Help! She Can’t Swim</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff7SREKlEBU">‘Bunty vs. Beano’</a>. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikara_Colt">Ikara Colt</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzr4jn68eRY">‘Wanna Be That Way’</a>. <a href="http://www.biffyclyro.com/">Biffy Clyro</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP0Xu-9uJ30">‘Glitter & Trauma’</a>. <a href="http://www.thebrokenfamilyband.com/">The Broken Family Band</a> released <a href="http://www.thebrokenfamilyband.com/press/jesus.htm">Jesus Songs</a>. <a href="http://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~abatko/unicorns/">The Unicorns</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qutcmPmYUpg">‘I Was Born (A Unicorn)’</a>. <a href="http://www.toopure.com/mclusky/">Mclusky</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o66g12emwE"> ‘She Will Only Bring You Happiness’</a>. <a href="http://www.eightiesmatchbox.co.uk/">The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster</a> released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A__pEAYoMs8">‘Mister Mental’</a>. &c. &c.<br /><br />But 2004 was the year that <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/index.shtml">John Peel</a> died. And, <a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2007/06/more-songs-to-learn-and-sing-7.html">as you can probably tell</a>, i’ve never really gotten over it.<br /><br />There is an immense number of Peel-related weblogs about that either started before he went (<a href="http://homepages.inf.ed.ac.uk/gsteel/radioplus/">Radio Plus</a> being a personal favourite), or, more frequently, cropped up in tribute after his death (<a href="http://johnpeeleveryday.blogspot.com/">John Peel Everyday</a>, <a href="http://festivefifty.blogspot.com/">Teenage Kicks</a>, <a href="http://www.jonhorne.co.uk/jptapes/jptapes.html">Right Time, Right Place, Wrong Speed</a>, <a href="http://kats-karavan.blogspot.com/">Kat’s Karavan</a>, <a href="http://theperfumedgarden.blogspot.com/">The Perfumed Garden</a>, <a href="http://fadesinslowly.blogspot.com/">Fades In Slowly</a>, <a href="http://furtivefifty.blogspot.com/">Furtive Fifty</a>, <a href="http://my.opera.com/JohnPeelsRecordBox/blog/">John Peel’s Record Box</a>, <a href="http://peelacres.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/">Peel Acres</a>, <a href="http://johnpeelpages.blogspot.com/">John Peel Pages</a> and so on). But, although i can’t really speak for Bianca, my entire outlook on music, let alone my record collection, owes pretty much everything to him, so you can add my share of this blog to that list too. It’s quite frightening really, thinking of the bands that i really truly love, and realising how they were, with very little exception, either bands i first heard on his show (and, in many cases, nowhere else), or only gained access to wider exposure because of his patronage. He was the only person in Radio 1 – and, really, national broadcasting in general – with the courage, audacity even, to play whatever the hell he wanted knowing that the right people will eventually catch on, and genuinely caring about his listeners to boot, which was understandable given his immense belief in what he broadcast. But it is still very, very scary that alternative music culture (not alternative in the sense of ‘alternative’ music now, packaged and sold back to you, but alternative in the sense that it disregarded trends and market research for sheer throw-it-to-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks embracing of anything good, regardless of background) relied on one person so heavily. And now that one person’s gone i still feel lost.<br /><br />Anyway. Rather than babble on about how much i like Peelie – which, i must admit, i’m considerably prone to doing – here’s a couple of absolute corkers that i first heard on John’s show in 2004. They’re both pretty epically lavish slabs of neo-psych-rock, in case you’re into that sort of thing. And both bands have particularly ace monikers too.<br /><br />First is by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/huwcostin">Earth The Californian Love Dream</a> with a song that i remember hearing John play a couple of times but somehow on both occasions – possibly because i was drifting in and out of slumber, although considering my sleeping pattern since then that’s unlikely – i managed to miss the name of both the band and the song, possibly even on nights when the highly useful <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/tracklistings/">tracklistings</a> weren’t being written. Then, a few weeks later <a href="http://www.thisistruck.com/">caked in mud on a farm near Pilton</a> i heard the song again, only this time on a massive soundsystem in a tent as music to watch bands set up by. i rushed over to the sound desk and enquired, with some urgency, “do you know what this song is?”<br /><br />“Earth The Californian Love Dream”, he said, for some reason not looking best pleased that someone was taking an interest in what he was ‘playing out’.<br /><br />“…<i>what?!</i>”, i replied.<br /><br />It turned out that <a href="http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=299805">this particular song</a> featured on the staple of the festival, the annual <a href="http://truckrecords.com/releases/compilations.php">Truck compilation</a>, and hence was played regularly all weekend – also acting neatly as a reminder to catch their set. In a way, i’m kind of disappointed i did, as it turned out to be their only song of any considerable merit – the other songs just weren’t really that memorable, or were memorable for all the wrong reasons, like, for having lyrics such as <i>“women fighting is what i like to see”</i> and <i>“fuck Ozzy, fuck The Queen”</i> or having titles like ‘Porn Star’. But at least there was one very shiny gem in the middle of it all. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.colly.com/images/uploads/earthinterview.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/0D57A1E00AF495D9">Earth The Californian Love Dream – In The Garden</a><br /><br />The other is by equally well-named psych-punk overlords <a href="http://www.soho-net.ne.jp/~ohr/">Marble Sheep</a>. i remember Peel both starting and finishing a show with this track, which, somehow, kicks in with a tremendous amount of gusto, and yet seems to remain as energetic and charged all the way through, if not more – to the extent that you don’t realise it’s been going for eight minutes. i managed to pick up the Marble Sheep album (<a href="http://www.aural-innovations.com/2004/january/marsheep.html">‘For Demolition Of A Spiritual Framework</a>, released the year before in their native Japan) a matter of days later in a London record shop – for some reason, i remember it being the same day i bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Will-Hair-When-Were-Gone/dp/B0000DJEMK">Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?</a> and <a href="http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk/reviews/vsnares_box.htm">Huge Chrome Cylinder Box Unfolding</a>, although that’s probably not very interesting – and believe me when i say that eight minutes is bestowed with a virtue of brevity compared to some of the other tracks. Apparently they’re ‘veterans’ of the Eighties new-psych improv scene, although seeing as they’re churning out tunes like this in the twenty-first century i’d say they’ve still got it. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.themusicchannel.de/img/marble_sheep.JPG"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/F46F02FF4E904177">Marble Sheep – Fla Fla Heaven</a><br /><br />i would also like to draw your attention to another song that i first heard John Peel play in 2004, and another track that opened one of his shows. For that, though, i feel i should alert your attention to (for the second time this week) <a href="http://festivefifty.blogspot.com/">Teenage Kicks</a>, and in particular <a href="http://festivefifty.blogspot.com/2007/05/here-come-planes.html">this post</a> because it holds within itself probably my favourite track of 2004. As you can see from my comment at the end of it, i really really was rather excited to be able to download this version of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhm0NHhCBg">‘O Superman (For Massanet)’</a> by the divine <a href="http://www.laurieanderson.com/">Laurie Anderson</a> (remind me to do a blog entry on her at some point, she’s a fascinating artist and it’s a shame that her one big hit is remembered as a ‘novelty’ rather than the beautiful piece of music it is. It’s also a shame that a lot of her other work is so often overlooked, but it gives bloggers an excuse to complain about it, which is always useful.) Although John credits the track to ‘The X-Booty Crew’, i have a sneaking suspicion that <a href="http://www.discogs.com/label/X+Booty">X Booty</a> is actually the label and that the remix is by Dan The Drummer, who i can’t seem to find the website for. Darn! Anyway, i was so excited about hearing it at the time that i remember writing a gushing blog entry elsewhere, claiming that it was a piece of such perfect simplicity, sticking Anderson’s sublime vocals over the thunderous <a href="http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF1242420-02-01-01.mp3">‘Funky’</a> by <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Henry+Cullen">Henry Cullen</a> and <a href="http://fp.club414.f9.co.uk/julian_liberator.htm">Julian Liberator</a>, that it rivalled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Duchamp">Duchamp</a> going and <a href="http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/Literary_Criticism/psychoanalysis/monalisa.JPG">painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa</a> (although, in hindsight, it feels a bit more like the Mona Lisa is painted underneath the moustache, if Anderson represents the painting and Cullen/Liberator represent the rebellious act of ridiculous, almost eccentric aggression). Of course that’s debatable, but i think in terms of the bastard pop/bootlegging craze that had pretty much died out in terms of fashion/invention by that point, it was one of the finest meeting of minds. Anyway, get over there and listen to it already.<br /><br />(And also, if you head over to <a href=“http://ill-ec-tro-nic.blogspot.com/”>the ill-ec-tro-nic</a> blog right now you can download the new remix by <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/M.A.N.D.Y.">M.A.N.D.Y.</a> and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Booka+Shade">Booka Shade</a>...sweet.)<br /><br />i’ve decided to do this Annals Retentive in two parts, as 2004 was a year that i also spent a great deal of time ligging around my hometown of Southampton, growing for itself as it was a rather envious local scene that seems to have withered considerably over the pas few years (with the exception of the forever ace-core <a href="http://www.ejectorseat.co.uk/">Ejector Seat</a> promoters), so i’ll save some of the better lesser-known tracks for then. But i will leave you with a track from another more celebrated geography-based scene of the time, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Cross">New Cross</a>, which despite also fading away still sees its band offspring running amok in the playgrounds of pop. Nice to know that some of the bands (or ‘friends’) mentioned have gone on to greater things – i’m looking in particular at <a href="http://www.thelongblondes.co.uk/">The Long Blondes</a> but i also think that <a href="http://www.friendsoftheheroes.co.uk/reviews/music/week59b.html">The Boyfriends</a>, <a href="http://www.ciccone.co.uk/">Ciccone</a> and <a href="http://www.luxembourgband.com/">Luxembourg</a> have made particularly brilliant records since, not to mention <a href="http://www.cdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=1270">The Violets</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rhesusmusic">Rhesus</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/japaneseintelligencemindcontrol">Japanese Intellgence Mind Control</a> and <a href="http://www.drownedinsound.com/user/view/7392">Since Last Summer</a>. Oh and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/artbrut">Art Brut</a> have a <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?q=http://www.foxy.co.uk/Its-A-Bit-Complicated-Art-Brut-CD/6688625/%3Ffriend%3Dgooglebase&e=14823&fr=AFClP811Y9cCvmd6C80p4wK0F3im8MtKYAAAAAAAAAAA&sa=X&oi=froogle&ct=result&cd=1&usg=AFQjCNHE4h_vikRcO5nKLEL1q-oopZPiUg">new album</a> out of course. It’s rather a shame, though, that since this recording <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/totp/">the programme that they love</a> has <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5099894.stm">died</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.avclub.com/content/files/images/ArtBrut.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/AD63A20862BD164C">Art Brut & Friends – Top Of The Pops</a>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-72233745912801486442007-06-17T21:02:00.001+00:002007-06-20T23:12:11.741+00:00View Monday: posted Sunday night so you get it on Monday. We ain’t feeling fashionable.Hello. Wasn’t <a href="http://beeandchick.blogspot.com/2007/06/miss-hilton-you-must-be-worth-trillion.html">this</a> simply delightful? Yes, yes i think it was. <br /><br />My laptop’s thrown a wobbly and won’t let me get to stuff i’ve written for this blog, or a lot of songs for that matter, or the internet, so you’ll just have to watch some stuff again. Sorry.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0dtnydaaA88"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0dtnydaaA88" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Here’s a collision between two subjects that two of my personal favourite blogs have written about this week; <a href="http://festivefifty.blogspot.com/">Teenage Kicks</a> wrote a commendable piece about <a href="http://festivefifty.blogspot.com/2007/06/not-in-it-almost-grindcore.html">grindcore</a>, while <a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/">Sweeping The Nation</a> made me go all misty-eyed with Britpop nostalgia about <a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2007/06/this-would-be-rubbish-with.html">mid-Nineties Radio 1</a>, back when the station really was the nation’s favourite. (Really like the black and white Peelie footage.) You’ll notice of course that another annoying Chris was at the helm of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1">Wonderful Radio 1</a>’s breakfast show back then, and while the television programme that ultimately made him leave the station, <a href="http://www.tfifriday.com/">TFI Friday</a>, was often a monstrosity, anyone who puts <a href="http://www.napalmdeath.org/">Napalm Death</a> on teatime Friday night <a href="http://www.channel4.com/">Channel 4</a> isn’t doing everything wrong. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UIDmrLwsdo0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UIDmrLwsdo0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Meanwhile, it’s scary to think that something still as brutal and rarely-surpassed in the extreme rock scene as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scum-20th-Anniversary-Napalm-Death/dp/B000N87ZDO/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_k2a_2_img/103-7581716-1864653">‘Scum’</a> is twenty years old, but at least there have been many holding the heavy flame aloft. It’s often mentioned that they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-lxwlgyhhA">stamp on their fans’ heads</a>, and of course there was the time that they <a href="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1702872.html">chucked their own faeces at them</a> as well. But under it all <a href="http://dillingerescapeplan.com/">Dillinger Escape Plan</a> are proof that math metal still carries the thrash heart pumping and bloodied in its tightened fist.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EEzKBUsyGYg"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EEzKBUsyGYg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />This’ll be the new single from <a href="http://www.bloodredshoes.co.uk/">Blood Red Shoes</a> then, which – understandably, given the years they must have slugged it around Brighton’s narrow and ever-decreasing toilet circuit – is called <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Its-Getting-Boring-Sea-VINYL/dp/B000PHX186">‘It’s Getting Boring By The Sea’</a>.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gS2tdVY9tdk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gS2tdVY9tdk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Apparently <a href="http://www.muse.mu/">Muse</a> kicked it at Wembley this weekend, but did they destroy their instruments? That’s what i want to know. They may have been going since 1994 but when they hit their stride in 2000, i remember an interview where they winced revealing the bill for the amount of equipment they'd already completely obliterated, rocketing as it was into the tens of thousands. Nowadays i’d probably think it was a <a href="http://www.thewho.net/">Who</a>-copyist hollow statement of false showmanship, despite the strength of the songs, not to mention a waste of money and craftwork. But at the time i just thought: <i>cool</i>.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/jKkghvMwQC0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/jKkghvMwQC0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />…and here’s what i think about every time someone mention’s buying <a href="http://www.npgmusicclub.com/">Prince</a> tickets, apart from the time i was lost and lonely and staring at a drawing of a unicorn in <a href="http://www.ents24.com/web/venue/31917/Brighton/The_Penthouse.html">The Penthouse</a> and suddenly, as it blasted through the speakers, i finally ‘got’ <a href="http://www.zoogstercostumes.com/products/cc00724.html">Purple Rain</a>. But i can’t really embed that. Thankfully.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-40198438164339820732007-06-15T06:52:00.000+00:002007-06-15T07:50:24.207+00:00Miss Hilton, you must be worth a trillion bucks<a href="http://www.overtheweather.com/dollymixture/pictures/dollymixture1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://www.overtheweather.com/dollymixture/pictures/dollymixture1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Now. Before I begin, I realise that I have been, until this time, the silent partner. Which may be in the interests of my darling Hey Charlie! to be honest, because I’m not the most inspired person, I can’t even begin to loop a series of words together appropriately, and, really, I don’t have anything that comes even <em>near</em> to acceptable taste in music, what-so-absolutely-ever (Although I do have Thomas. He <em>is</em> Acceptable Taste In Music). Also- I lie. Like saying just then that I have no taste in music? That was a little porkie. I have no taste FULL STOP. I am currently watching The Simple Life with Paris and Nicole. And I’m up to my second episode. And I'm onto first name basis with Paris and Nicole. And I’m loving every trashy, tanned and plucked and rather slow minute.<br /><br />Now: here’s the irony. I am watching Paris, who seems to be being eaten by a baby blue coloured fur sole (I’m being silly of course. It’s not EATING her. Someone’s killed the darling thing and REMOVED ITS FACE). Paris is having a 'serious' meeting with her publicist, or media relations manager, an orange man with blond tips and shiny nails and he says to her, “Paris, you need to hide your love away”. Very tactful. <br /><br />And so we arrive at The Beatles (and Oasis, if you swing that way. They do a lovely cover). I don’t want to talk about The Beatles. They're just the bridge. They get us to who I do want to talk about. Not Paris. Not Paul, Ringo, John and George. But Hetty, Rachel, and Debsey. Is there a greater name than Debsey? If there is it’s probably Hettie and if there isn’t, then I’m glad we agree. And now we’ve arrived I don’t really have anything a lot to say about Dolly Mixture, except I love them, you’ll love them, and how come you’re such a hit with the boys Jane? <br /><br /><br />Oh. I’m lazy too. Here are links to the nutritional content of Dolly Mixture. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.overtheweather.com/dollymixture/"> The Band </a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/dollymixture1"> Their Space</a><br /><br />Songs:<br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/B1EBF3E53CA223D8 "> How Come You're Such A Hit With The Boys Jane? </a><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/DB02C32776249B71 "> Baby It's You </a><br />I love this version of this song. Apparently the girls didn't though, they thought the record company was trying to clean them up and sell them off as bright eyed, squeaky clean, come-home-and-meet-my-mother-dearest type girls and they disapproved. It is strange though, because when you listen to Dilly Dolly Dally that is exactly what they seem. All knitting and warm mince pies and firesides.<br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/443B7D0B0EF45794 "> New Look Baby </a><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/6F4756863A73E549 "> Dilly Dolly Dally </a><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/A3B144040B7A6B63 "> Will He Kiss Me Tonight? </a>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-15069530969156636492007-06-11T18:58:00.000+00:002007-06-20T23:12:41.196+00:00View Monday: Stuart Murdoch interviews a hatstand and other stories.<object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VeHzQ9IO40M"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VeHzQ9IO40M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Quite.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/06Qm-Z5OsHw"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/06Qm-Z5OsHw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />A bit of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeto_Pascoal">Hermeto Pascoal</a>, evidently adored by them <a href="http://www.theavalanches.com/">Avalanches</a>. (No, not <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/7419647/a/Ski+Surfin'.htm">these</a> Avalanches.)<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NiduNJG-Ltk"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NiduNJG-Ltk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.franksidebottom.co.uk/">Frank Sidebottom</a> and famous pals doing justice to <a href="http://www.thefall.info/fallsite/index.php">this lot</a>. i've been waiting ages for an excuse to show this but now i realise i don't need one. However, tickets for Frank's gig at <a href="http://www.workersplaytime.net/">Bethnal Green Working Men's Club</a> should be on sale by now, if you fancy it. There is yewchoob footage of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaUDeyVM0eI">another Frank</a> doing <a href="http://cheek.blogspot.com/2005/04/how-he-wrote-how-i-wrote-elastic-man.html">'How I Wrote Elastic Man'</a> but frankly (arf) it's not as good. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nj6SO_yKMe8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nj6SO_yKMe8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />The new <a href="http://www.loscampesinos.com/">Los Campesinos!</a> single. Out last week. <a href="http://www.hmv.co.uk/hmvweb/simpleSearch.do?simpleSearchString=los+campesinos+You+Me+Dancing">Buy it</a>. Go on. <br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9kqPtGZDwVs"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9kqPtGZDwVs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Finally (for now) something from <a href="http://www.ash-official.com/">fuggin' Ash</a>, who apparently announced they've <a href="http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2071331">called it quits</a> this weekend. i know it's like going to the wake of a childhood friend you've managed to avoid for six years - <a href="http://www.musicomh.com/albums/ash.htm">Free All Angels</a> was the last time i ever considered them a properly exciting prospect - but the part of my pre-pubescent self still lingering inside, still finding immense joy in destroying floorboards to <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ash/_/Jack+Names+the+Planets">'Jack Names The Planets'</a> and still believing the act of <a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20010401/ai_n14525013">burning 300 Westlife CDs</a> to be an overtly political statement rather than an obtusely rockist one, is silently weeping, knowing that all things must pass.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-52342847547368933192007-06-11T18:36:00.000+00:002007-06-12T20:01:46.887+00:00Banks and banks of humming machineryIt’s a shame, really, how long some things take to reveal themselves. It’s been nearly a year that i’ve been residing in the seaside town of <a href="http://www.brighton.co.uk/">Brighton</a>, feeling like the live music scene is not as impressive as its counter-culture aesthetic likes to make out (despite looking for it), and yet all that time there was such a fervent and thriving noise scene right on my doorstep. This time last week, for instance, saw another gig put on by promoters <a href="http://www.myspace.com/psykickdancehallbrighton">Psykick Dancehall</a>, who also happen to be some parts of Brightonian free-range scatter “crude actionists” <a href="http://www.myspace.com/getinvolvedwithonfire">On Fire</a>. <br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MmvSZQP961o"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MmvSZQP961o" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/9A5DADAD17843482">On Fire – Oh What A Shitting</a><br /><br />(Apparently, though, they’re going to change that name, not only because when you Google it you just get <a href="http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=on%20fire&btnG=Google+Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi">a list of things on fire</a>, but also because there is <a href="http://www.setitonfire.net">a band from the Netherlands with the same name</a>. They also appear to have the catchphrase “get involved!” which, each time it was uttered, would remind me of this…<br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/55FC9DFE2B733D98">Grandmaster Gareth – Party Pooper</a>)<br /><br />Anyway, back to the gig, which was in a rehearsal space obviously not designed for dozens of perspiring young persons on a summer’s evening – the bands requested an ice bath, quite reasonably yet unrealistically – but it’s really quite perfect for the aural abstractions presented that night, with its maze of corridors and acute attention to acoustics. First on were <a href="http://www.myspace.com/madeoutofwool">Made Out Of Wool</a> who came across, it must be said, as a band enjoying themselves more than the audience, which is a shame really because they nailed the whole freeform drone experimentation thing pretty niftily. i was assured, though, that this may have been because about half of the ensemble weren’t regular members, which various nervous glances during the never-knowingly-structured set attested. Admirable though, and pretty in the ear-bleeding sense. In marked contrast though was <a href="http://drownedinsound.com/bands/8598">Ack Ack Ack</a> who, with their distort-drenched yelping ferocity made <a href="http://laserbeast.com/">Lightning Bolt</a> sound like <a href="http://kennyg.com/host.htm">Kenny G</a> and had a natty gasmask microphone contraption to boot. Their drummer, a recent addition who also finds home in <a href="http://www.myspace.com/charlottefield">Charlottefield</a>, manages to be astoundingly good and yet look like one of the most bored musicians ever at the same time. Go <a href="http://www.runningriotrecords.co.uk/">here</a> for more.<br />The headliners though were Portland, Oregon’s rightly-respected experimental kings <a href="http://www.myspace.com/yellowswans">Yellow Swans</a>, who after six weeks of touring the UK were not only (understandably) shattered but also polite, warm and tremendously humbled by the positive reactions that they’ve been receiving. They decided to do a completely improvised set, split right down the middle, but if they hadn’t told everyone then we’d probably be none the wiser as their complex, cavernous, bone marrow-meltingly loud sounds already lend themselves to a thrillingly instinctive spontaneity. There was one point during the set where a guitar solo so electrifying flew out above the abrasive beats and concrete atmospherics, where it felt you were feeling this music rather than hearing it; it probably a bit of a wet, hippy-ish thing to say, that the noises they make are ‘experienced’ rather than heard, but it does apply as much to the way in which they engulf you as well as batter your body’s vibrating patterns something rotten. Anyway, try for yourself: <br /><br /><img src="http://www.releasethebats.com/ysdys2.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thewire.co.uk/mp3/yellowswansiwokeup.mp3">Yellow Swans – I Woke Up</a><br /><br />(Un-expertly placed here from <a href="http://www.thewire.co.uk/index.html">The Wire</a>’s mighty <a href="http://www.thewire.co.uk/web/mp3.php">mp3 library</a>.) <br /><br />And yes, we realise that the superlative <a href="http://20jazzfunkgreats.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20moon">20 Jazz Funk Greats</a> has already done <a href="http://20jazzfunkgreats.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20moon">a post about this gig</a> this month, but that was before it happened. You should go and look at them anyway.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-28336905792409226192007-06-05T07:31:00.000+00:002007-06-24T22:35:56.920+00:00(y)our new favourite band<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/BqpW5wgpsy0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/BqpW5wgpsy0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/tracyishotandtheclap">i'm not even being ironic.</a><br /><br />EDIT:<br /><br />You can now see this video and others at <a href="http://www.brainlovetv.com/">Brainlove TV</a>, including the stupidly good <a href="http://www.myspace.com/fuckbuttons">Fuck Buttons</a> and the stupid-and-good <a href="http://www.myspace.com/classinsecta">Insectoid</a>. Believe.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-65740150189518701242007-05-30T00:22:00.000+00:002007-05-30T01:40:00.913+00:00You're not cracking up, you're just getting older<img src="http://www.worldofkitsch.com/music/images/kylie003.jpg"><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/0F26F95E0DBDF1CD">Elizabeth Banks - Beach</a><br /><br />Anyway, back to today’s procedures, we have a few belated birthdays to deal with. Yesterday, for instance, <a href="http://www.oasisinet.com">Noel Gallagher</a> turned forty years old, while, on Monday, <a href="http://www.kylie.com/">Kylie Minogue</a> 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 <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ywd00tNiB20">this</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ncsgBrbmj9I">this</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=sAu8kPI-CLw">this</a> and <a href="http://www.worldofkitsch.com/music/images/kylie003.jpg">this</a> as proof that perfect pop music does exist – although i suppose you can really, but you’d be arguing against me.) <br /><br />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, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=V7Y7fMbbaP8">this</a>. And similarly <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=ti4ip8zQyrc">this</a>, 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.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ti4ip8zQyrc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ti4ip8zQyrc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />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 <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=piLc32K4uNU">reasonably exciting</a>, but i’d much rather he teamed up with <a href="http://www.cornershop.com">his mates</a><br />to do fourteen-minute guitar solos while battling a sitar over an insanely funky neo-bhangra freakout. Like so:<br /><br /><img src="http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en-commons/thumb/0/03/320px-Noel_Gallagher2.jpg"><br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/3B9C9C114E12C7D4">Cornershop feat. Noel Gallagher – Spectral Mornings</a><br /><br />And if i had to include a cover version of a song That Band did, well, i’d play you something that makes <a href="http://www.mikeflowerspops.com/">Mike Flowers Pops</a>’ rendering of their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/?v=Vy1ueZf1WMQ">'art'</a> sound positively ferocious. The natural progression is to go from the lounge to…the <i>cocktail</i> lounge! <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/D9E99A4A714EC7DC">The Lance Gambit Trio – D’You Know What I Mean?</a><br /><br />And whilst we’re doing many happy returns, it turns out that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_the_Club">At The Club</a> by <a href="http://www.kenickie.com">Kenickie</a> became ten years old while we were away. Yes, we feel old. Just in case you missed it…<br /><br /><img src="http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000024R9J.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg"><br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/DE38C861134F2897">Kenickie – Come Out 2nite</a><br /><br />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 <a href="http://www.youtube.com">YouTube</a> of course.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-54010772209207993672007-05-08T23:43:00.000+00:002007-05-08T23:46:34.505+00:00Together at last: two Brians and a Jim<object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFGBZRprwKI"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFGBZRprwKI" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />There's not really much to add is there?<br /><br />Thanks to Mirri.Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-10373447427534967502007-05-07T14:06:00.001+00:002007-05-07T14:14:52.829+00:00We’re just a bunch of buffalo getting slaughtered<img src="http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a392/facemag/Crimea-large.jpg"><br /><br />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. <br /><br />Anyway, where were we? i can’t remember, let’s just start here by saying that <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thecrimea">The Crimea</a> have a new album out. Principally because they do. <br /><a href="http://www.thecrimea.net/">The Crimea</a> formed after the demise of <a href="http://www.inaudible.co.uk/crocketts/">The Crocketts</a>, 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 <a href="http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=278110">‘On Something’</a> 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 <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/anniemac/index.shtml">Annie</a>) and one <a href="http://www.maryhopkin.net/">Mary Hopkin</a>, who is not only <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Hopkin">reet famous</a> but was also signed to <a href="http://apple.relocution.com/ukcatalogue.html">Apple</a> for a bit. Sweet <i>and</i> crunchy.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.hopkin.is.nl/images/Mary_Hopkin_and_The_Crocketts.jpg"><br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/3EF8A7526D284DFB">The Crocketts feat. Mary Hopkin - Host</a><br /><br />However by the tail end of 2002 <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/exposed/crimea475p01.shtml">The Crimea</a> had been formed by the aforementioned male MacManus and Owen Hopkin (any relation?), a year after The Crocketts were dropped by V2. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/tracklistings/peel_archive_shtml.shtml?20021212">Peelie</a> started playing <a href="http://www.discogs.com/release/610322">Lottery Winners On Acid</a> with fervent admiration as soon as it was released on Shiny Beast, as well as the follow up, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Russian-Galaxy-Crimea/dp/B00009NJ5V">‘White Russian Galaxy’</a> - unfortunately he didn’t live to see them play the song on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPSVtA21VFE">Top of the Pops</a>, or sign to <a href="http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=88005">Warners</a> and release their debut album <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Rocks-Crimea/dp/B0009I7NQ2">Tragedy Rocks</a> 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.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.yellowmelodies.com/e-zine/numero6/portadas/Crimea7.jpg"><br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/555174D92AE860F9">The Crimea – White Russian Galaxy (Shiny Beast version)</a><br /><br />And now, not only is it ready, but you can download the new <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crimea_(band)">Crimea</a><br />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. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecrimea.net/download/tabid/62/Default.aspx">The Crimea – Secrets of the Witching Hour (LP)</a><br /><br />Enjoy.<br /><br />(Also, while we’re here, having that last blog entry featuring <a href="http://www.wordsfromreuben.co.uk/index2.php">Reuben</a> gives me adequate reason, i feel, to mention that they have a new single called <a href="http://www.wordsfromreuben.co.uk/2007holding/index.php">‘Blood, Bunny, Larkhall’</a> 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Very-Fast-Dangerous-Reuben/dp/B000AZ79EA">last album</a>, but i’d advise you not to watch the video while eating dinner, particularly if it’s spaghetti.)<br /> <br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-z1YvmwJ76I"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-z1YvmwJ76I" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5218254871939146257.post-25797336923423357842007-04-04T22:11:00.000+00:002007-06-20T23:13:20.082+00:00Shop What You’re Doing: i’ve got the Elm Street Blues<img src="http://www.scfnw.org.uk/image/prestonshop.jpg"> <br /><br />Hi my name is Thomas, i love <a href="http://dalstonoxfamshop.blogspot.com">Dalston Oxfam Shop</a> and, i might as well admit now, i’m about to rip off their idea. Even though i don’t have any cassette-to-mp3 facilities just now. Sorry.<br /><br />i’ve been travelling the country visiting my family for the past few days, which also doubles up as the chance to pick up a few long-unheard CDs and vinyls. My record collection is divided amongst various residences on the South coast of England, you see, with a few hundred in my Dad’s loft in Southampton, a few hundred more in my mother’s study in Bournemouth and a handful here in my room in Sussex. So, in order to make sure i had some choice cuts to upload soon (for variation) i’ve lugged home a delightful bunch of songs to play and a load of tapes in case my technological incompetence is eliminated to the extent i can put some of the various <a href="http://johnpeeleveryday.blogspot.com/">Peel</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions/">sessions</a>, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/stevelamacq/">Lamacq Live</a> and tracks and festival coverage recordings up on here. i’m afraid that, as i looked upon all the compact discs teetering in mountainous towers as i unloaded them from plastic crates to read the tracklistings, i wanted to play most of them to you. So. We’ll all just have to wait.<br /><br />[Edit: You remember, for instance, i said i’d play you ‘£1500 And A Bus Apology’ by Kid Carpet if i had it on me? Well now i do, so:<br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/C9DD1BBB102425DD">Kid Carpet - £1500 And A Bus Apology</a><br /><br />Hope it was worth the wait.]<br /><br />Anyway. As well as getting to see my family and the larger part of my record collection, i also got to see some of my hometown and find out how it’s changed. When i left Southampton two years ago one of the local independent record shops, <a href="http://www.touchsouthampton.com/business/list/bid/4453373">Essential Music</a>, was threatening to close down. Once a <a href="http://www.fopp.co.uk/">Fopp</a> had opened at the top of the road, the faeces smashed into the fan with tremendous force and now they’ve been replaced by a <a href="http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/">Save The Children</a> charity shop. And their selection of second-hand CDs is, i feel, rather great, considering that the stuff i left included a load of promos by the likes of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/helpshecantswim">Help! She Can’t Swim</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cranebuilders">Cranebuilders</a>. So i’ll play some of what i picked up for you here, if that’s okay?<br /><br /><img src="http://www.thesinkingcitizenship.com/images/sc_lr_002.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/497D8CD126A2967E">The Sinking Citizenship – Last Minute Intervention</a><br /><br />Whoever donated the bulk of the promotional singles and EPs in this shop must have been in good contact with <a href="http://www.fantasticplasticrecords.com/">Fantastic Plastic</a> considering the sheer volume of artists present on their label, such as <a href="http://www.thesinkingcitizenship.com/">The Sinking Citizenship</a>. i’d not heard this lot before but it’s quite good and petulant, at times a bit <a href="http://www.coopertempleclause.co.uk/"> Cooper Temple Clause</a>-y and a little <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansun">Mansun</a>-like, plus it’s always a treat to have that FP logo on a disc in your hands.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.scopitone.org/IMG/jpg/Vive_La_Fete-2.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/B6619D7D5B8095D4">Vive La Fête – Petite Putain</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.vivelafete.be/">Vive La Fete</a> are a group from Belgium that i recognised the name of because it was one of the names Peelie used to say (and play) a lot, they even made the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/festive50s/2000s/2003/">2003 Festive Fifty</a> with their track <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puo3GiK9cQU&mode=related&search=">‘Noir Desir’</a>. Part of the reason i’d not looked for them sooner is i wasn’t really sure what he was saying, even though i studied French and could have worked it out by translating the English ‘Long Live The Party’. i’m just a bit dim like that i suppose. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.exercise1.net/roster/jeremy_warmsley/jw.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/600DBFD357965165">Jeremy Warmsley – 5 Verses</a><br /><br />i’ve only seen <a href="http://www.jeremywarmsley.com/">Jeremy Warmsley</a> live twice now, and i’m not really sure they count because one was an instore for <a href="http://www.resident-music.com/">Resident</a> and the other was flanking <a href="http://www.emmythegreat.com/">Emmy The Great</a>, so essentially i’ve only seen an acoustic set. But anyway live he is mesmerising, especially in the pin-drop atmosphere that his astounding voice often creates, but recorded he goes into intriguing electronic excursions that incorporate his bold harmonies and weepy storytelling. There was a copy of the <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Jeremy+Warmsley/5+Interesting+Lies">‘5 Interesting Lies EP’</a> which, happily, contains five great tracks.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.ticketrush.co.uk/publishing/cms/staticfiles/90180_66.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/9BC3140246B80587">Reuben – Freddy Kreuger</a><br /><br /><br />There also fantastically happened to be two copies of the promotional sampler for <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racecar-Backwards-Reuben/dp/B0002CA3F8">‘Racecar Is Racecar Backwards’</a>, the debut album from <a href="http://www.wordsfromreuben.com/">Reuben</a> (so hurry up and you might be able to buy the other one). Ah, Reuben. Have i got some stories about Reuben. Yes actually i have (thank you for asking), seeing as they were the favourite band of two of my best friends in college. On one occasion, around about the time they’d just released <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Hq-MUXh60">‘Let’s Stop Hanging Out’</a>, my mate Wellie had begged her mother to drive us to <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/6521603.stm">Portsmouth</a> to see them headline an outdoor one-day ‘festival’, which was essentially a handful of screamo (snort!) bands throwing themselves about in a park near the docks. The forecast was for rain and, with clouds looming, it all seemed quite surreal really, sitting on a grassy bank watching local bands shout embarrassing Americanisms as cruise liners floated away behind them. The penultimate band, who i did review but completely forget the name of now, were halfway through their set when the rain suddenly became torrential and the organisers had to rush plastic sheeting over the equipment while the audience rushed to their cars. i remember returning back as the rain cleared slightly, watching said band risking electrocution to play their final, quite haunting song under circling clouds, as lightning forked on the horizon. It was really quite beautiful, until one of the promoters came out, pushed them off stage and then did a comedic fist-fight with the sky for pissing on their parade. We did get to speak to Reuben though, which was nice, and ask when the hell their album was going to be ready. i think <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVVEDpo-n3Q">‘Freddy Kreuger’</a> came out about a year later, and i’m still unsure how you spell it. i’m also still unsure whether there really is a member of <a href="http://www.junkplanet.co.uk/">Junkplanet</a> in the video or whether i just imagined it. <br /><br /><img src="http://www.music-dash.co.uk/siteimages/news/hoggboy.jpg"> <br /><br /><a href="http://download.yousendit.com/17EECF5A7387A2B8">Hoggboy – So Young</a><br /><br />Har! This find made me more elated than probably necessary, but still, i think <a href="http://www.setantarecords.com/php/artist.php?art_id=18">Hoggboy</a> were BRILLIANT! For those of you not chuckling into your keyboards, Hoggboy were one of those bands tipped for international indie-rock stardom and yet, despite the promise, languished outside the Top 40 continuously and prevailed as the support act in the <a href="http://www.pub-explorer.com/wmids/pub/flapper&firkin.htm">Flapper & Firkin</a> for the rest of eternity. i even remember running to the local newsagent one Wednesday during school lunch-break, finding that ver Hogg were front page in <a href="http://www.nme.com/">NME</a>’s ‘On’ section (yes i feel a bit old now) and reading in the interview that the group said, “we aren’t like other bands”. To which the journalist with them added, “Then again, other bands are shit.” They were to <a href="http://www.thevines.com/">The Vines </a> what <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/terris/">Terris</a> were to <a href="http://www.coldplay.com/index.php">Coldplay</a> (only two years later) and, considering the Antipodean’s progress since, that’s saying something. It’s a shame really, because i think they would have fitted in well as the more melodic contemporaries of, say, <a href="http://www.thehorrors.co.uk/">The Horrors</a> or <a href="http://www.xeroxteens.com/">Xerox Teens</a> of now. When the aforementioned Lamacq was broadcasting his final Lamacq Live programme he played <a href="http://eil.com/shop/ExtSearch.asp?DiscArtist=Hoggboy">‘So Young’</a> and said that they were just ahead of their time - which may or may not be much solace to a band lumped into a scene (with No Name) that included the much more successful/revered <a href="http://www.toopure.com/mclusky/">Mclusky</a> and <a href="http://www.eightiesmatchbox.co.uk/">Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster</a>. [i’ve just found out the single is now deleted too, so download while you can i guess.]<br /><br />i was at this point going to leave you with a track by <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southeast/sites/music/pages/artists_liftinggearengineer.shtml">Lifting Gear Engineer</a> (primarily, i should confess, because of the title), from a compilation that i also picked up at the STC shop called <a href="http://www.normanrecords.com/records/53536">‘A Step In The Left Direction’</a> on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/boobytraprecords">Boobytrap Records</a> but the CD won’t upload onto my computer. Oh well. All it leaves for me to say then is remember to support charitable thriftiness.<br /><br />…Unless you want to stay here and watch the new <a href="http://www.myspace.com/vonsudenfed">Von Sudenfed</a> video instead? Okay!<br /><br /><object width="400" height="325"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iG-CLFPU6RY"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iG-CLFPU6RY" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Bianca & Thomas Fergusonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346377731265053852noreply@blogger.com1