Victory

Rage hard. Enjoy the victory.

Victory

War

With Andy Peters on stand by in a secret pressing plant in the hidden lair, on Sunday evening the evil Cowellman ordered another calculated attack at the Christmas number 1. His poisonous chemical attack with the deadly 'Factor X' or something has reeked havoc over the charts in the past.

While for 51 weeks of the year, no one with pubic hair gives a toss about the charts, this Christmas it has become the singular most important issue in the nation. One we must defend to the hilt.

And so, with social media as their weapon the masses go to war with the festive A-Bomb that is Rage Against The Machine's 'Killing In The Name.'

Reports from the front line suggest that the Rage Brigade are winning valuable ground. But it's early days. This is a powerful enemy. Pick up your mouses people. Use your 79p wisely. Or even, 29p. After all, when your grandchildren look up to you with admiration in their eyes and say, 'Grandad, what did you do in the battle of the X-Factor?' Do you want to say to them, 'Nothing, I did nothing. I'm so sorry.'? Your country need you.

Whichever way it ends, cries that Simon Cowell has taken the fun out of the charts couldn't be more wrong.

War

Radio 1

One day I may make a film about how The Soundtrack to... gets compiled. Or not.

Radio 1

November 2009

It’s that time of year when everyone’s thinking about presents. Or what they’re going to wear to the party. Or how they’re going to fit everyone around the table for dinner. (Will we need to get that stool out of the loft?) Ok, so there’s a lot to think about. But when they’ve thought about all of that, they’re thinking about the best albums of the year.
And as a helpful reminder November saw a timely airing of a lot of them with single releases.

Bombay Bicycle Club’s ‘It Had The Blues But I shook Them Loose’ is certainly amongst them. Jamie T rides high is a whole load of Top Tens with ‘Kings & Queens’. Then there’s the XX album, ‘Islands’. But with one of the singles of the year, a blistering tour, outstanding performance at the Electric Proms, you’d struggle to find a more fitting recipient for album of the year than Doves’ ‘Kingdom of Rust’.

It’d certainly make a glorious Christmas present, if you’re thinking about that.

The Soundtrack to 2009 will be with you by Christmas. In the meantime, enjoy November.

November 2009

Try and Turn Off

Merry Christmas, everyone. Well it might as well be. The telly ads have lazy jingle bells all over them, the supermarkets are stacked to the rafters with twiglets and the only albums to get released from now till the end of the year are greatest hits and compilations.
Of the few sneaking exceptions to the rule is the Hidden Camera's
Origin:Orphan. An album I, unusually, found myself listening to the whole way through. And when was the last time you listened to an album the whole way through? And I don't mean left on in the background or left on your iPod and fell asleep to on the train. I mean listened to. The Hidden Camera album is impossible to turn off. From Ratify The New to the closing Silence Can Be A Headline, you'll be hooked. Try it on Spotify now, I guarantee or your money back.*

*Doesn't include Spotify Premium listeners. Or any guarantee at all really, it's only writting, isn't it.

Try and Turn Off

October 2009

While half the nation goes looped-upside down mental for the karaoke vote-off joke factor, music valiantly battles on with a wonderfully eclectic month’s worth of ‘200% yes.’

If you’re time-troubled be sure you at least check out The XX, Sway, The Phenomenal Handclap Band, Boys Noise, Death Cab For Cutie and Girls. Oh, and Fanfarlo. The Vitalic track is not to be missed either. And Imogen Heap too. What’s more, you have to listen to Thom Yorke, because it’s Thom Yorke. The same goes for Massive Attack. Ah, just listen.

You can get the full track listing at the wonderful sharemyplaylists.com.

October 2009

Last Summer

This track was all over the underground during the summer. Loud, pumped and driving that 45 King track headlong into the next generation, I've been searching for Sway's Mercedes Benz for months. I blitzed Blogdom, the YouTube, even 'record shops.' I searched everywhere. They did an awesome job of hiding it. But whaddaya know, now it's on Spotify. It's now got an official release. And it's here. A bit late, but first time round, this was the soundtrack to the summer.

Last Summer

Squelchy Bliss

Atlas Sound produce the kind of squelchy blissed-out tunes best supped at about 4am. So laid back it’s almost horizontal it’s hard to imagine watching the solo project of Deerhunter's lead singer live and managing to staying awake. But at the right time and the right place tunes like Attic Lights and especially the dreamy The Light That Failed leave you as putty in their hands and a bit like that bloke in the picture. Too chilled to type anym

Squelchy Bliss

Sesame Street 2009

Yeah so it sounds like Sesame Street Pin Ball Song, so what. The Phenomenal Handclap Band smash it with 15-20.
It's been around for yonks but is fresh on Spotify so will be sneaking into the Soundtrack to October, bought to you by the letters 'P', 'H' and 'B' and the number '1'.

Sesame Street 2009

Anytime But Now.

What time is it? I mean, like now. It may be a bit early for this. Unless it's so early it's still the night before. And if that's the case what the hell are you doing here? Get to bed and definitely don't listen to this, whatever you do; it'll do you no end of damage.
'The Power' is the new album from Boys Noize, the dirty German remix genius. The album's a bit heady on a wet workday, so for general listening, head for 'Drummer' or euphoric 'Gax'. But stand back. You may go off.

Anytime But Now.

Beauty

While you weren't looking, the Horrors got good. Over-hyped and distinctly underwhelming, the first incarnation of these Iowa funsters probably left you questioning your distinguished musical taste or despairing at the salivating media surrounding the band. And I'd have joined you in that beery debate.
But the Horrors v2.0 are here, because we weren't paying attention properly the first time. And 'Mirror's Image' is everything right about this fresh incarnation. And while that track steals a momentary glance, look on and have a squint at the entire Mercury nominated album.
Should that be music to your eyes (not sure where I'm going with this), I heartily recommend you feast them (phew, back on track) on the Horrors live, they're far from horrific and definitely worth a look.

Beauty

The Single of the Year?

I'd heard this song less than once when I excitedly twunted something along the lines of, 'Has Ian Brown just released the single of the year?' In the sobriety of a tenth or seventeenth listen I'll say it's Top 5. If you've not heard it hold your bladder as you wag your tail like an excited puppy to 'Stellify'.

The Single of the Year?

A Conversion

Six weeks ago I vowed never to return to the venue I found myself standing outside on Saturday night. The last time I was at Wembley Stadium - to see U2 - it was a truly lack-luster experience. Sat too far away in 'fan club ticket seats' I said, never again. So imagine my surprise to be back beneath the scaffold arch. Adamant that we got standing tickets, or nothing, we struck a deal with the devil's helpers outside and found our way in. Inside Wembley felt strangely intimate: whether it was the stage, the crowd, the lighting, the sound, the screens; come to think of it, it was probably all of the above; I could feel a conversion coming on. But I wasn't expecting a second one. Jay-Z tore up the stage with the best hip-hop sound I've heard. Oh yeah, and I've heard hip-hop. Ahem. 99 Problems... yeah, yeah, naturally amazing. But it was a track from his new album, The Blueprint 3 which totally blew me. 'Empire State Of Mind' was accompanied by an epic back drop of the Manhattan sky-line. And the epic vocal of Bridget Kelly, in place of Alicia Keys. Jesus wept, she can sing. Moved by hippety hop. Who'd have thunk. And to top that, at the end of the gig, Mr Z started to thank the audience individually. Like Les Dennis and Dustin Gee used to do. Sweet.

Oh, yeah, Coldplay were pretty spesh too. But I'll leave that for another time.

A Conversion

The Fly Tonight

'Truelove's Gutter' is released on Monday. It's the new album from Richard Hawley. Who he? He's the syrup-toned Yorkshireman who you'll have heard playing with the Longpigs back in the day, famously with Pulp and more recently with Elbow. That you may know. What you may not know is he also played on tracks with Robbie Williams and All Saints? 'For Your Lover Give Some Time' is delicious. And I may just melt when he plays it tonight at the Fly.

The Fly Tonight

The 80s. Through Psychedlic Eyes

Lush. Sublime. Twisted. I could go on. Have a listen to Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarves and, without looking at the title of the track, see how long it is before you recognise the song they're covering. I bet it's not less than a minute.

The 80s. Through Psychedlic Eyes

The Mercury 2009

My choice from 'Speech Therapy', 'Spinnin''. By Speech Debelle. Speech, speech, speech we cried as she took to the stage to collect her award from Mr Boogie Woogie. 'Whooooooooooo?' was the cry of many others. Of course if they'd been listening to The Soundtrack to July 2009, as I'm sure you were, they'd have known all about Speech a long time ago. Though the album only came out then...

The Mercury 2009

The Monday After The Weekend Before

Massive Monday downer. So what better way to wake up the week than with a spot of Radiohead? Not since its release have I listened to 'Amnesiac'. Not all the way through, certainly. Just over halfway through, I've got to say it makes a lot more sense post 'In Rainbows'. And a much more listenable listen. Still way ahead of their time. It's as if the albums were released in the wrong order. If you've not been there, since, do go now. I think you'll be filled with wonky-eyed surprised.

The Monday After The Weekend Before

The Hole Death In Vegas Have Left

This is Neon Snakes, 'Fontan' (the 'a' has got a couple of dots over the top of it but I don't know how to keyboarderise them.) It's great. Really naughty bass kicks off the track which slowly builds to an epic instrumental - bar the occasional woo woohs - more than vaguely reminiscent of the mighty Death In Vegas. No bad thing. Very possibly the opening to the Soundtrack to September.

The Hole Death In Vegas Have Left

80s-based Euphoric Indie

'This Momentary' by Delphic. Not as good as 'Counterpoint' but if you like Friendly Fires, LCD Soundsystem, or going back further, New Order you want to be listening to this right now. Now.

80s-based Euphoric Indie

August 2009

An ever schizophrenic mishmash for August. From the angry drool of Alice in Chains, a record I must add may take your head off. To the happy-go-lucky Duckworth Lewis Method. From the euphoric, energy-injected elation of Felix da Housecat, back back back; to the so-laid-back-they’re practically horizontal, Dan Michaelson & The Coastguards.

Tuck in at sharemyplaylists.com

August 2009

A Summer's Evening in Wembley

Las time I saw them, they were striding the roof of Broadcasting House, tonight - Wembley. U2 live is a truly awesome experience. Like 'em or not they put on one hell of a show. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that when I saw U2-3D, their IMAX movie, as in not a real gig. A film. On the cinema. it was better than a lot of gigs that I've been to.
Last time I was at Wembley for U2 was about 1998. Tonight will be stunning. It better be, tickets cost enough...

A Summer's Evening in Wembley

Near Genius

They're clever monkeys those Oxfordshire boys in Radiohead. We've just lapped up the sublime 'Harry Patch (In Memory Of)'. Then there's a whole storm of press around them not releasing an album for a long time. Indeed if again, ever. And then, as if by magic, comes a new track. Leaked by the band themselves through encrypted messages on message boards. These Are My Twisted Words is it.

Near Genius

The Rock

Dave Grohl. Josh Homme. John Paul Jones. Does Rock get any more rock than this? Them Crooked Vultures.

Myspace ready to go.

Facebook filling up.

Twitter tweeting.

Site bubbling.

And today YouTube tantalising.

The Rock

John Hughes Films aka a generation in film

John Hughes passed away last night. The Breakfast Club; Ferris Bueller; Pretty In Pink; National Lampoon; Trains, Planes..., and yeah, sure Beethoven and Home Alone 4. But forget about them. Here's Total Film's John Hughes Playlist - http://bit.ly/24rMO Don't you forget about him.

John Hughes Films aka a generation in film

Filth

This is naughty. 'Fist of God', the new MSTRKRFT albm. Wrap your lug 'oles round 'Vuvuvu'. Or the title track if you're going out. Alternatively enjoy the single, 'Heartbreaker' if you want something a little more mellow, slightly. Poppy, certainly.

Filth

July 2009

The Soundtrack to July is up and doing storming business over at Share My Playlists. Have you seen? Up there in the recommended again. Which is pretty special. Another eclectic, carefully considered, cocophony of poprockelectrofolkhouse it makes rather pleasing listening. Even if I do say so myself. If you've got three and a half hours - yes, it's bulging - of listening you need to plug. And want to bring yourself crash bang up-to-date with everything you need to know about who's making what noise at the moment, clicky here. No, here.

July 2009

Eternity

Timeless dance tracks don't come around too often. In fact of all the genres 'dance', and I use the term in its most generic form, you understand, suffers at the hands of the aging process in the most cruel ways. autoKratz's 'Always More' looks like it'll be keeping itself fresh with aural skin-cream for decades to come.

Meanwhile Druamatic Twins actively embrace the aging process with 'Back To The Old School' (Note the correct spelling of 'School', tick).

Well done both.

Eternity