TOTW9: Kings of Leon - Revelry

Nice quick post this morning, as I'm off exploring later. Also means that last chance will not appear on the 1st March, but the first chance I get thereafter - probably Wednesday. When I'll hopefully put the finishing touched to something special for you all....

Last track of Feb though - U2, Kings of Leon, Pet Shop Boys, or Ting Tings?

Definitely a tough call - there's the 80s trend there. Could have gone any way, but without justification I'm picking this one:

Technorati Tags: U2,Kings of Leon,Pet Shop Boys,Ting Tings

Unsung: Lion O'Brien

It's been a while since I've featured a band since hearing them on Tom Robinson's show, but occasionally you hear a song that you immediately fall in love with. Well, that happened with This Life by Lion O'Brien. Sample lyrics:

"I've got a massive unpaid loan / and impending legal action

They might repossess my home / They might force my eviction

But I won't piss and moan / No Crying in the kitchen

'Coz I don't have no right to moan when I got this life"

All accompanied with a bouncy, pleasant out-looking melody. Just the sort of thing to pull you out of a bit of doom and gloom. With recessions and all that junk.

I have to be honest, listening to the rest of the myspace track listing, it's a real standout track. That's not to say that the other tracks aren't good, they're totally fine. Robot Love is different, I'd love to see it out of demo - and overall they are definitely, as Tom said, a real sing-a-long band. Just makes This Life all the better really...

Now available in audio form...

It's all very well talking about the music on this blog, but as it's music it's much better to listen to my ramblings with a bit of a track listing.

In one of my "great ideas", I offered to become one of "Steve's Stringers" for The Cat's Radio 1 show. Incredibly, despite my ramblings, you can now listen to Asp via the BBC iPlayer for the next week falling over his words with The Joy Formidable.

Hopefully, if there is a next time, I'll plan a bit more when praising the next band.

TOTW8: La Roux - In for the Kill

I just started watching the video for La Roux's In for the Kill and am immediately worried about a cameo by "The Hoff". Come on, jump in my car...

Putting those thoughts out of mind as far as possible, and just listening to the music, it's that unusually modern-retro sound that we've heard before. The chorus doesn't quite seem to fit with the rest of the song, a bit smoother than the rest; and then there's the futuristic cadenza near the end - but it still works. It's got that "get up and go", without being so overly "dance music" I won't like it.

Similarly different, and similarly from Sound of 2009, is the debut offering from Passion Pit - Sleepyhead. It's so unusual, I can't really describe it. High-pitched wailing sounds derogatory, but it's the most obvious theme to draw. It certainly took a few listens to decide I like it - which is perhaps a flaw - but I'll definitely rate it as a "grower".

Whilst iamundernodisguise might be a classic example of a malfunctioning space bar, the music by School of Seven Bells is classic in a different. Think monastic chanting, add a beat from a drum kit, and you're pretty well there. Yet again, from that description, it sounds horrible - but it really isn't. I wouldn't rate it as music for any particular occasion or mood - you wouldn't here it in "the club" for instance - but it's very well written.

For something completely different, Happy up here often reminds me of a computer game background music. Particularly the bit where the recurring theme drops a tone at a time - classic Nintendo. I doubt that was the influence for the Norweigan band, but it's quite a talent to pull of electronica whilst it still sounds nice and gentle.

Technorati Tags: La Roux,Passion Pit,School of Seven Bells,Röyksopp

Time for a long one...

Lots and lots and lots of songs begin with the letter "T". Even discounting anything that starts with "The".

I'm not really able to comment on everything in this week's playlist therefore, but I do want to draw attention to Smokey Robinson. I don't think I've even featured one artist twice in one 'alphabetising' playlist. I could have done it - even with ABBA this week - Take a Chance on Me was chosen over Thank you for the music. But, it was impossible to chose Tracks of my Tears or Tears of a Clown. Both are gorgeous. Both are fantastic. Both are deserving of playlisting. Enjoy the lot:

The letter T

Technorati Tags: Smokey Robinson,ABBA,Soft Cell,The Undertones,Electric Light Orchestra,Sarah Brightman,The Isley Brothers,Michael Jackson,The Beatles,The Specials,Frank Sinatra,KC & The Sunshine Band,Otis Reading,Mike Oldfield,Chubby Checker,John Denver,Tim Curry

Unsung - Flashguns

Way to tease me into listening to a band. The e-mail I received letting me know about Flashguns told me "they've just been in the studio with Stephen Street (The Smiths/Blur) working on the single".

He should know what he's on about then...

Surprisingly, once again, I then catch up on my RSS and find that Lammo's got there first

"A few days later I was back in north London to see Flashguns, whose '80s references lie more in the Postcard camp. In one of those strange moments of musical synchronicity, there seems to be a rush of bands at the moment who sound - to me at least - like spikier versions of early Orange Juice or maybe like the demos Rough Trade probably got sent in 1987 (have they all been reading Simon Reynolds book Rip It Up And Start Again?)."

-Steve Lamacq's 6 music blog

For once though, I'm not as enthusiastic as Steve. Listening to the band's myspace, I wasn't immediately bowled over by the music I heard. It was fine, I will listen to them again. But, the music, as The Cat says, is very "twisted". For me, it doesn't seem to end up going anywhere. I can't feel any beat. I can't find the tune. I can't sing along. I like music that I can feel. Maybe it is just a bit "too much".

Unsung - Shelly Still

My inbox is now getting steadily fuller with myspace "friend" requests and other e-mails suggesting I listen to a new and potentially up-and-coming artist.

I can still stand by my promise that I will listen to every request that comes in - so please do keep them coming.(1) However, it may take a while, given that I have a 9-5 job nowadays (together with my set of extra curricular activities).

So, I'm no longer going to have "unsung" every other Wednesday, I'm just going to post something when I get time to listen and write something down. Starting this week, with Shelly Still.

Writing this as I am on a Sunday morning, it's clear that the gentle acoustic charms are perfect Sunday morning hangover music (although, yesterday being Valentine's Day, I avoided the city centre at all costs and only had a couple of drinks at home so haven't been able to put that theory to the test). It's getting quite rare nowadays that you hear such soothing folk music, save for specific events. It's not 'radio friendly', which is a great shame. I suppose this is why Shelly will never make it big. But I like it. And there's a free mini-album to download from her myspace too, so there's no reason why anyone can't like it (as Shelly said to me, "Free is good"). It's music for the sake of being music. And we really don't see enough of it.

1 - And, as an aside, if you've heard about a new band and want to "tell the world", feel free to write it yourself. An even if not, there's enough e-mails now I can just forward you details of "Band Z" and let you decide how good they are. So, if you are interested in joining the writing team here at 'Bites, just e-mail.