It's strange what sometimes creates to motivation to listen to an album from start to finish. As my internet connection flaked out whilst listening to Warwick Avenue, I decided it was about time I did the same with Rockferry, Duffy's album that was an entire three years in the making. Plus, for good measure, it links in with the most recent Unsung looking at Soul music.
It's been hyped. There's more reviews of this album going around (mainly from it's release back in March) than there are tattoos on Amy Winehouse. Which is ironic, as the Welsh star has been dubbed as a "Winehouse-alike" by many elements of the press.
Personally, I think there's drawing much too broad a comparison. Both are soul stars, yes, but I feel that Duffy's are much closer the the classic 60s soul 'roots' from Motown. It's probably completely unintentional, but listen to the opening of some tracks, and you can draw a direct parallel to some 'originals' - sampling, but not really. Think I'm talking nonsense? The "big hit" of Mercy (how long was it number 1 for now?) - it's Stand by me by Ben E. King. Stepping Stone - see Walk on By.
This isn't a bad thing, by any stretch of the imagination. It's not a poor cover, or sampling a song to appeal to a different market. Leave that to Sean Kingston. What it does, however, is show that there is pure soul music at work here.
But anyway, Rockferry has been hyped. And the hype machine is certainly a bad thing - it imposes pressure, and often creates a fad that's short lived. And for this to happen with this singer would be a great shame.
What I find is a rare occurrence nowadays, you can listen to the album from start to finish as a 'story'. Mercy explains that "I'm under your spell", then you listen to Delayed Emotion explaining a breakup, and including the line "I'm no longer under your spell". It's then impossible not to mention the conclusion of Distant Dreamer, described by the BBC as "a sonic waterfall of strings so uplifting you emerge drenched in hope"
It shows a variation of styles - all definitely being soulful though. Northern Soul encouraged danceable numbers like Mercy, simple acoustic things with Syrup and Honey, to the classic ballads like current single (and TOTW18) Warwick Avenue.
Through and through, it's an authentic soulful album - but it's not a copycat. I'm left hoping that the follow-up isn't another three-years away, I want to hear more before then. Duffy
It's difficult for B not to stand for 'Baby'. But when you think about it, lots of songs start with "Baby", and many more feature it in the title.
So, when looking at "The letter B", it's impossible not to consider Baby, it's cold outside and Baby Love.
Of course, a baby comes from being born. Born Free and Born in the U.S.A. two suggestions there.
B is also for Ballad, and there's lots of ballads around. Such as The Ballad of John and Yoko.
There's also several names that begin with B, Baba O'Riley for instance; or Billie Jean.
Despite all of that though, my vote is for Bohemian Rhapsody.
Any other suggestions, if I've missed something really obvious? Remember, I'm looking at the song - various ones have been covered, so it's not the artist...
This is the first Saturday I've been able to write this post on the Saturday itself without needing to schedule for what seems like ages. As a result, there's an extra few days to listen to an extra few songs - and a bumper shortlist once again.
I'll start with the standard "should have mentioned these before" tracks, as in they've been out since the 19th May the lot of them: From the forthcoming EP, DVNO is a nice funky track by Justice. Daft Punk influenced almost certainly, but not bad at all. Sounding awfully like Embrace, Soul on Fire is the moody one from Spiritualized. Although, as Chart Blog points out - it's horribly familiar. And, I mentioned it last week, but I'm still enjoying it - Turn Tail by The Young Knives is a very catchy number.
As the opening lyrics of Turn Tail are "These are my hands", I can do a very a poor Radio2-esque link to this Handsfree (If you hold my hand). The last time I mentioned Sonny J in TOTW, he was called Sonny Jim. The new single, out on 9th June, is of a very similar vein to Don't stop moving - which last year I suggested could be a summer smash. Being once bitten, I'm not going to say the same again - but it's distinctly retro characteristics aren't growing repetitive and boring, so I could be happy listening to it throughout my holidays.
I last mentioned Laura Marling when she was on TOTW13 with Mystery Jets, but now she warrants a mention of her own with Cross your fingers. There's not much to the song that I can see, but it just comes together very well. It has got enough speed to not get turgid, without being overly buoyant. More to the point, it changes pace throughout the song, but not in an annoyingly quirky way. It's out on June 9th.
Julian Velard has been 'introduced' by BBC Radio 2. Which, falling into the same category as Adelle and Duffy, should put him in good stead. Jimmy Dean and Steve McQueen is a bouncy number, released on 16th June, and is good enough to appeal to the MOR sort of folk that listen to R2 (such as myself); and yet isn't very 'samey'. I certainly rate it. Final nominations with a quick mention, otherwise this post will get too long: Supergrass - Rebel in You Goldfrapp - Caravan Girl (is it me, or are they releasing a lot of singles in a very short space of time?) The Music - Strength in numbers (9th June) Does it offend you, yeah? - Epic Last Song (2nd June - and I love the lyric "I loved you long time". Mail order brides for Morgan Quaintance and the guys perhaps?) Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights (26th May and another one for the lyrics. Chart Blog is prepared to forgive the CBeebies video with "I was not looking for arty farty love") Morrissey - All you need is me (2nd June) We are scientists - Chick Lit (9th June. Not a fan of the title though)
And onto the Tunes of the Week themselves. As you know, I show the videos of the 2 'chosen tracks', but that's not so easy today.
For starters, Electric Feelhas several videos. On the basis that's it DIY. If you go to MGMT's website, you can download an interactive video. In the interim, here's the default one that will inevitably appear of MTV etc
Perhaps it's a bit repetitive, but it's not really that noticable. I think that, critically, the tune matches the lyrics. It feels electric - it's certainly made up of electronic instruments. It's not a hyper dance track, but it's not a slow number - it sits in the middle in perhaps its own little genre. I feel like I should be able to dance to it - but it's too slow. Perhaps it's unique?
What is certainly unique though is Sigur Rós. The Icelandic band have a bit of reputation for speaking gobbledigook in their minimalist sounding music, so have decided to title their first track from their new album exactly that. You might say that Glósóli is nonsense, but this really is Gobbledigook Important note - the other problem with videos today is that this video is definitely for the over 18s only. Parental guidance advised, etc, etc - don't blame me, blame the band.
The album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English: "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly"), is out on the 23rd June - featuring the first ever Sigur Rós track in English. Gobbledigook is available for free download on the band's website, and is very different to their previous output. It's pretty well tribal music (see the video), and their own press release is pretty accurate:
[W]ith its shifting acoustic guitars, playful vocals, time signature swings and swirling percussion, while "inní mér syngur vitleysingur" ("within me a lunatic sings") sparkles as one of the most anthemic songs sigur rós have ever written. (sigur-ros.co.uk)
I've always said that I love the different, and today I think the two tracks really do meet that characteristic. It's so difficult to be different - every musical taste has surely been covered now? It's also bold to venture away from the established successful trends such as indie rock. Credit to everyone that tries it, and manages it with something quite as good as the two TOTWs this week.
Or should that be miserable pretty girls? A pair of album reviews from me here.
Firstly, we're one month away from the nominations for the Mercury Music Prize - and it's time to look back at a previous nomination.
It's hard to understand what this particularly accolade offers over than a sudden jolt of sales for some artists - like a NASCAR Race fot the Chase for music?
Back in 2002, one of the runners up (the winner being Ms. Dynamite unfortunately), Gemma Hayes - an irish female singer-songwriter, whose guitar driven album, Night On My Side, got a reasonable amount of press attention for all of about two months that year.
Having suffered writers block, it took 3 years before her follow up album, The Roads Don't Love You was released quietly in 2005. Now, her third album, the Hollow of Morning, has been released after a few distribution problems to almost dead silence (so quiet, even her own website doesn't mention it's been released!).
A very downbeat affair. The Hollow of Morning features acoustic guitar, some old fashioned synths and here and there some layered electric guitar as well. A relatively short ten-tracker, weighing in at just under 37 minutes - Gemma's distinctive voice works a treat over the moody melodies.
The album opens with a Lloyd Cole-esque acoustic hook, with whispering vocals for This Is What You Do. The more pop ready single follows, Out of Our Hands (with some similarities to her prior albums single, Happy Sad) as the album alternates between electric and acoustic guitars by track.
January 14th drifts nicely past your ears, and then Home, a shoegazing style song sneaks in. In Over My Head, a built up dirge featuring Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine on guitar marks the albums mid-point.
Chasing Dragons is another catchy miserablist acoustic number - then Don't Forget, a chugging guitar track, sounding similar to the Rentals raises the noise level briefly - and then back to acoustic and lo-fi synths for Sad Old Song.
At Constant Speed is a brilliant rising epic to end of the songs with lyrics, as oddly an instrumental closes off this album.
It's a great album that probably should have been released in the winter, but hey! Gemma Hayes - Out Of Our Hands & In Over My Head Live
On to miserable girl #2.
And to link it in, Kevin Shields recently produced some new tracks for this artists movie breakthrough a few years ago - Lost In Translation.
Yes, another movie star has dared make an album, and this time it's Scarlett Johansson, who concretes her standing as the Hollywood misfit with this outing.
Let's put it this way, J-Lo, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan won't share the same shelf with Scarlett on anyone's collections here.
After you get past the first track, Fawn, which is also an instrumental like Gemma's closer - we get introduced to Scarlett's baritone singing voice. If you've seen Lost In Translation, you can see we've clearly been sold a dummy - as Scarlett drops an octave (or two) and battles with the blokes for notes for Town With No Cheer. Scarlett Johansson - Brass In Pocket from Lost In Translation
The third track is the single, Falling Down, with the first of two appearances by the thin white duke himself on backing vocals.
This musical format stays in use for the whole album. Keyboards, bells, whistles, chiming guitars make a very dirgy effort on this album of - since I didn't mention it, - Tom Waits covers.
Similar musical styles appear from Mazzy Star, to Slowdive to Saint Etienne by the time we get to the slightly dancable I Don't Wanna Grow Up. It only becomes really evident that it is a covers album when you hear Scarlett voicing fears about her hair falling out.
This is an incredibly brave release, and could probably be my favourite musical release from a movie star ever. The concept is just so insane, it's brilliant. There is an original track hidden in there in Song For Jo which blends in secretly amongst the brilliance of Wait's penned numbers.
Scarlett Johansson (feat. David Bowie) - Falling Down
Simple acoustic stuff, with a wide selection of talents. Simple Life for instance is comparitively heavy, with Lost found a melancholy melody. It's clear that many of the tracks are not professional recordings - and things do suffer as a result. But, ignore the production values - there's some good quality musicianship behind it.
I think the "acoustic" part of the Jason Reeve's description is the predominant part of his music, the songs are quite simply meaningful and emotional songs. There is a bit of variation in their styles and how much instrumentation they've got - Honestly with a bit more of a beat and electronic organ background, Treefall having the simple drum kit and guitar (and sounding very familiar for it), but the nervous mind of love has hardly anything.
Overall, it does exactly what this sort of music does - it passes by almost unnoticed. It could be part of a movie soundtrack in one of the "scene setting" moments or "reflection", and builds the atmosphere without you needing to immerse yourself in the song. It's just there, and it really emotive stuff. It is "soulful" in that it stirs the soul, and a brilliant discovery.
It took my efforts to find a British act to find a proper soul act. Which I'm sure isn't the right way round. But, it took only a few notes of What Girls want to recognise the music as what I was expecting - and hoping - to find. A full band, complete with backing singers; funk, chorus with variation, reprise - it's classic soul music, and there's no other way of describing it in quite as much detail.
By that same token though, I've got to say I'm not a fan of Last one to leave. It's a bit too cabaret for my taste, there's not much in terms of background instrumentalisation, and I think it's a bit too high for Esta's alto voice.
Miss Daley's voice is different to 'classic' soul, I don't think it's as powerful, perhaps it's a bit smoother than what I'm used to. But, it's a very good voice regardless, and still suits the music. Proof of a good singer is a capella singing, so just listen to Soon I Will be done (on myspace) to hear the voice 'in the raw'.
Perhaps in this "Amy Winehouse Era" soul music is growing a new limb. But, similarly, it hopefully means that more traditional soul gets some good appreciation - such as this.
It’s a bit of an annual tradition. I know full well that it’s wrong – but many of us still do it. Yes, I watched the Eurovision song contest on Saturday.
OK, I didn't watch it in the alcoholic styling of a Eurovisionparty this year - but still had had enough wine prior to make it an acceptable way of spending an evening.
Everyone moans about the block voting. I'm not saying political voting-as it's public voting. Perhaps it's just that they enjoy the same style of music. Perhaps..... - either way, it was easy to see which country was going to get the full "douze points" from certain countries. And it meant that songs like Baila El Chiki Chiki not only got some points, but beat the British entry.
Surely it was the worst song of the final. And the singer just scared me - there was a passing resemblance to Rolf Harris of all people.
It does mean that, whilst watching the contest, you sort have two scoring systems. You pick your favourite song; and then you pick the song most likely to win considering it's geographical location. For the latter, I actually went for the Ukraine, where Ani Lorak keeps her dancers in mirrors.
I'd even say it's not a bad song. Catchy beat, quirky (see the computer beep), understandable lyrics -so I wouldn't have been that distraught if it had won.
Similarly, I think Secret Combination by the American born Greek entry could easily have won, and I did find myself shouting Qele, Qele at certain points in proceedings - so given that they were 3 of the top 4, my decision wasn't that far out.
However, that has to be balanced by the fact that I didn't like or even particular rate for voting aspects the Russian entry that, of course, eventually was the winner.
I also thought that the Swedish entry would have got more votes from Scandinavia, given that it is most definitely dance anthemic (if that's a word).
Anyway, that's entirely different to what I liked. For some strange reason that I can't quite figure out, I didn't mind JeminiEuroband (the Icelandic entry) at all; but my favourite was Artful dodger meets Keane meets Ben's Brother Simon Mathew who was representing Denmark.
It's fairly simple, with a sing-along chorus, and is definitely much better than Lionel Richie. OK, it's not "go and buy it" material, but none of the entries ever were going to be. It's just an enjoyable tune, without pirate or geriatric rapper gimmicks (why am I not surprised the UK gave plenty of votes to Latvia?).
It's all over for another year then, with the UK entry the tail-end charlies despite what was definitely a good song.
I can now return to listening to some good music. For the good of humanity no doubt.
Asp's Musical Bites is the offspring site of Asp's Bites. Tunes of the Week: Every weekend, Asp looks at songs that are getting radio airplay and from a shortlist of good songs, picks two songs to be the "Tunes of the Week". All of these songs, along with one tune a month as the 'last chance track' go forward to the "Tunes of the Year" run down at the end of the year See the Tunes of the Week from 2008 See the Tunes of the Week from 2009 Unsung: Once a fortnight on a Wednesday (plus occasional special issues), discover some talent that you may not previously have heard of - unsigned, foreign, as long as they're unknown and are worthy of some wider praise. Asp selects the tracks once a month, a variety of guest bloggers assist on the other week to ensure a broad spectrum is obtained Music Year of the Week: The Top 5 best selling singles (not necessarily the best in anyone's opinion) of a certain year. Features: Album reviews, Gig reports, and a range of other feedback from the full team at Musical Bites
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It's strange what sometimes creates to motivation to listen to an album from start to finish. As my internet connection flaked out whilst listening to Warwick Avenue, I decided it was about time I did the same with Rockferry, Duffy's album that was an entire three years in the making. Plus, for good measure, it links in with the most recent Unsung looking at Soul music.
Duffy
Justice
Spiritualized
The Young Knives
Sonny J
Laura Marling
Julian Velard
Supergrass
Goldfrapp
The Music
Does it offend you, yeah?
Alphabeat
Morrissey
We are scientists
MGMT
Sigur Rós
