Recent Entries in Music
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YouTune no.38: Ron Sexsmith
I was turned on to the blazing talent of Canadian singer songwriter Ron Sexsmith earlier this week when finally getting round to watching the Love Shines documentary screened on BBC4 a little while ago (there's a trailer for it on YouTube here). The central theme of the doc is that Ron is popular music's chronic underachiever; initially you find yourself wondering just how fair a statement this is of someone who counts Elvis Costello, Steve...
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YouTune no.37: It's A Shame About Ray
Classic nineties American college rock today (for a change): The Lemonheads and It's A Shame About Ray from the 1992 album of the same name. For some reason I've always loved the line 'I've never been too good with names, but I remember faces'. And the video features Johnny Depp! There's a cracking live version from the David Letterman show here, but who let the bald dude with the comb-over into the band of handsome...
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YouTune no.36: Babies
If ever there was a song without need of a music video, it's Babies, by Pulp. But tradition dictates that a link is supplied, and here it is; you're better off listening with your eyes closed. I love the way the other official video knowingly refers to this, with captions prefacing 'narrative', 'setting' and so on. I actually, honestly think this is one of the best songs written, in the last three decades at least....
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YouTune no.35: Feel Good Hit Of The Summer
This week's YouTune brings back heady memories of my first year at university. I was in charge of 'bar entertainment' (y'know, quizzes and stuff) and used this role - a sinecure position if ever there was one - as an opportunity to mercilessly inflict my musical tastes upon others. Much like YouTune, really. So, with a shitty CD player hooked up to a substantial PA system, I systematically cleared the bar, week after week. But...
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YouTune no.34: Rocket from the Crypt
I have a tendency in making my YouTune picks to apply what one might call a 'vanity filter'. In what kind of light will this song show me? That of music scholar? Arch lover of self-knowing kitsch? Unabashed stadium rock aficionado? Twat? But then occasionally, rarely, an unfiltered ray of pure tunefulness shines through. After all: this series is all about the tunes. So without further framing, please lean in and enjoy... da-da-DA... da-da-DA... dada-dada-dada-DA......
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YouTune no.33: Couldn't Call It Unexpected
YouTune was started by Rich way back in July 2008 (those halcyon days of not yet impending doom) with the stated purpose of providing links to 'music videos of songs both well known and little heard' accompanied by 'occasional commentary'. Or, as it quickly became and Rich noted at the time: 'my reminiscences of music that meant a lot to me as a teenage boy'. There's a teenage boy within all of us, readers, and...
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Man walks into a column, no.9: Music
Writing about music is like etching about sex: ultimately pointless; you always wind up wanting to do the real thing. Only the very bestest of writers can capture a little of the experience of listening to a song, and even then: best to just hit play. Most album reviews, for instance, take this form: [establish historical precedent for new release e.g. how long it's been since band member X left band] + [situate 'in the...
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YouTune no.32: Not A Protest Song
I have three abiding memories of Billy Bragg. The first: hearing his sonorous, utterly distinctive tones ringing out from the radio at my parents' house in Swindon. I must've been about eleven and it was the first time I'd heard the Braggster and the last time I'd ever hear anything like it. It was on John Peel's show, and I can remember the song: one of Bill's absolute finest, Between The Wars (check out this...
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You Tune no.31: Brendan Benson
For anyone who may be feeling blue, having a crappy week or, in fact, waiting for a girl to 'make up her m-i-i-i-ndd', I offer you this tasty slice of forging power-pop from Brendan Benson's lovely Lapalco album (Benson: the frontman from The Raconteurs that isn't Jack White). Unfortunately there's nowt but shaky live recordings on YouTube, so you'll have to make do with this. Apparently it's an 'unofficial' music video: I'm glad they pointed...
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YouTune no.30: Kristin Hersh and Michael Stipe
The first YouTune of 2011 (yes, I know it's now February), and a special one at that: classic vocal harmonies with a difference, from Kristin Hersh's debut 1994 album Hips and Makers. Starts off and you may be thinking: pretty unassuming. But then.. the cello! Then... the Stipe! With hair! Haunting (ho ho) and really beautiful, even if the syncing seems to be out. Kristin Hersh - "Your Ghost" (featuring Michael Stipe)Laura | Myspace Video...
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YouTune no.29: Brett Domino special
I'll put a warning on this one straight away: if you haven't heard or seen Brett Domino yet, and you have a slightly off sense of humour (like I do), then I recommend you come back when you have a couple of hours spare. Once you've seen the videos below, you'll want to get some more. Quite aside from the brilliance of the idea, the ability to execute these medleys in the way they are,...
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YouTune no.28: Chicken Bones
It's a mix of emotions, being a johnny-come-lately to a music party: on the one hand you feel stupid and annoyed at yourself for missing out, but on the other hand you're full of happiness that you've finally arrived. That's exactly how I feel about John Grant and his astonishingly good Queen of Denmark album. On the face of it an utterly bizarre mix of balladry (some of it so camp it wouldn't be out...
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Here comes another winter... but where are the protest singers?
As recent events herald the opening of a new chapter of protest and public dissent, a chance re-listen to one of my favourite albums caused me to stop and think: who will provide the soundtrack? The artist in question, The The - essentially, at least in terms of artistic vision, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Matt Johnson's one-man-band - and the album, 1986 release Infected. I hope this doesn't appear glib; it shouldn't, for the events of...
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YouTune no.27: Brothers in Arms (West Wing edition)
Apologies for the lack of proper posting over the last week. Work has rudely interrupted what was getting to be quite a nice blogging habit. Anyway, easing myself back into the driving seat I find myself reaching for the comfort of a YouTunes entry. I had always been a fan of Dire Straits, mainly because I was a keen guitar player in my youth. You may rightly ask the question: what kind of kid wants...
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Heathen children: Grinderman at the Coronet, 2nd October 2010
I said in a previous post that it's impossible to capture the feeling of being at a gig in all of it's sweaty, noisy glory, but just now and then you can't help but want to convey an experience, howevermuch a poor approximation; in this case Grinderman at the Coronet on New Kent Road. Watching Grinderman was like being hit over the head with a bearded sledgehammer. How do four men make such noise? A...
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YouTune no.26: Carrot Rope
Whilst I take a day or two to emerge from the funk of a week or more (it certainly felt like more) spent hauling a mammoth report together, and get my bojo working again (and with Rich and Stef both basking in the glow of their respective jobs well done), here's a slice of West Coast smashingness: Pavement and Carrot Rope. Marvellous. Giving Twitter a second chance @philblogs....
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YouTune no.25: Losing Sleep (and sitting in the bathtub)
A bumper edition of YouTune this: for the casual listener-viewer, the latest from Edwyn Collins, a cracking slice of old fashioned beat-driven melodic pop. I heard this previewed live when Edwyn played the Bloomsbury Ballroom last November, and it's nestled in my brain ever since. And then for those of you with a little more time on your hands (and not in an office: it's borderline NSFW) you really must check out the video to...
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YouTune no.24: Goin' Out West (where they appreciate me)
Highbrow? Me?! Yes, all right, perhaps Bruce Springsteen performing a spare rendition of the admittedly rather sombre (but soulful! wonderful!) The Ghost Of Tom Joad was a case of 'too much too soon' (some may say 'niche pursuit'). This, on the other hand, is fucking brilliant whichever way you look at it (and however much you like Hole): the truly incomparable Tom Waits and Goin' Out West from the stonkingly good 1992 album Bone Machine....
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YouTune no. 23: Worried About Ray
Some recent coverage about The Hoosiers's second album has been surprised in tone, since it is apparently actually good. I myself was surprised, because I didn't really see any problem with their first album....
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YouTune no. 22: Hash Pipe
Phil has done some sterling work on the YouTune front of late. All very highbrow, of course. It is thus down to me to bring it back to the level to which you're accustomed by sharing some Weezer with you. I tell you, it's hard enough choosing my favourite Weezer album, let alone the best song to enter into the YouTune catalogue. Purely for the video, Hash Pipe got the nod....
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YouTune no.21: The Ghost of Tom Joad
I make no apologies, none whatsoever, for worshipping at the altar of Bruce. And I'm rarely happier than when pumping my fist in the air at a Springsteen concert as the great man himself winds the magnificent E Street Band up for another pounding, soulful anthem. But it's a source of not inconsiderable frustration for us Boss-fans that Bruce's public image, at least for vast swathes of the popular press, is determined exclusively by the...
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YouTune no.20: Do I love you? Yes I love you...
Some music you can - and I do - deconstruct. Some songs can be easily broken down into their constituent parts: the percussive, the melodic, the lyric. Some songwriting you can admire on strictly cerebral terms. But now and again you have such a simple, deep and unquestioning relationship with a song, or an album, or an artist, that analysis is entirely redundant. The Blue Nile are, for me, this rare kind of band. What...
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Friday puzzle, no.27 (taking a breather edition) (updated)
There have been 22 posts since the last Friday puzzle, which is remarkable. For that reason there won't be a puzzle as such this week, though the normal collection of links will remain. First, the answer to the last puzzle: Two friends were driving from their home to Manchester, Kevin drove the first 90 miles, and Daniel took over the remainder of the journey. On the way back, Kevin drove to begin with, and Daniel...
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YouTune no.19: A master craftsman
A true master of the art; a genuine genius when it comes to the well-honed melody and the spare, graceful accompaniment; and amongst the absolute very best in the field of the wittiest, funniest and sharpest lyricists: Nick Lowe is one of my musical heroes. A mover and a shaker in the post-punk world of the late seventies/early eighties new wave movement, Lowe is best known as the man behind the man behind the heavy-rimmed...
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YouTune no.18: Our songs are sing-along songs
Friday afternoon... report finished earlier than expected... Rich too busy doing wonderful work solving complex social problems to blog (loser)... perfect excuse for a second post in as many days. But in the spirit of the pre-weekend: a musical one, and no stats either! The Hold Steady are my favourite band in the whole world. From the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, these fellas pump out joyfully positive, unabashedly anthemic, powerfully muscular rock 'n' roll....
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You Tune 16: Rihanna - Rude Boy (TC Remix)
So I'm sure that most of you think I'm just some kind of sweary political nerd. Which is true. However I am also almost as cultured as the esteemed Mr Watts and like a nice tune almost as much as a crisp think tank pamphlet. So to give you a insight into my tastes and to prove that Rich and I are both very similar and very different, here's my 'You Tune' for this Summer,...
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YouTune no.12: Lump
Being the feature in which I now no longer just link to YouTube videos of music videos of interest to me, but actually embed them here for your viewing pleasure. That's technology for you. The entries of YouTube1.0 are available in the music category. In this edition, Lump, by the Presidents of the United States of America: At age 17, I went with my school on a trip to Spain to play piano for my...
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YouTune no.11: Superstition
The occasional feature that is YouTune returns to arbitrary constant (all previous entries can be found in the music category). Where it previously became reminisces of my teenage years, I shall be disciplined and ensure YouTune focuses on what it should be focused on: links to videos of songs both well known and sometimes little heard of. This time, shake your booty to: — Superstition, by Stevie Wonder — Superstition, by Stevie Wonder (live on...
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Writers and musicians: not in it for the money
The romance of a life as a musician or a writer — even a pretty successful one — is punctured by the following articles: — The reality of a [New York] Times bestseller: To give you a condensed version of what all those figures mean, for the sale period of July through November 30, 2008. my publisher reports sales of 64,925 books, for which my royalties were $40,484.00. I didn’t get credit for all those...
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X Factor twins and voting systems
What might the continuing presence of the twins John and Edward mean for voting systems in democratic elections? Daniel Finkelstein, Chris Dillow and Sunder Katwala all offer their thoughts: — Daniel Finkelstein: The question is whether, as other candidates are eliminated, John and Edward's proportion of the vote has the capacity to rise much. And I am pretty sure it doesn't. They are the Marmite candidates. — Chris Dillow: Jedward raise an important point about...
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YouTune no.10: If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next
YouTune continues, and having travelled through the pinnacle of my adolescent life, we reach its teenage nadir: 1999: — If You Tolerate This Then Your Children Will Be Next, by The Manic Street Preachers All I'll say is that this was the first song on the album I played continuously whilst driving 3 hours from Kent back home, having just been broken up with. Everyone's got a story like this and a song to go...
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YouTune no.9: Lost Myself
YouTune continues, and reaches virtually the pinnacle of my adolescent life: 1997: — Lost Myself, by The Longpigs There was a brief summer when I was cool. It was amongst an admittedly small group of contemporaries in an area where no one knew me, but I was cool. For a bit, anyway. And during that hazy period, I listened to The Longpigs. My God — I love that song....
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YouTune no.8: I Want To Break Free
YouTune returns, being a regular feature which presents of videos of songs both well known and little heard of that are linked to, with occasional commentary (normally relating to childhood reminiscences). This time, we're camping it up: — I Want To Break Free, by Queen When I was 14, I received Queen's Greatest Hits (Volumes I & II) — on cassette — for Christmas. I promptly had an argument with my parents and was banished...
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Radiohead Shelter
Radiohead have given permission for one of their tracks to be used in a TV advertising campaign for the first time in a campaign for homeless charity Shelter voiced by Minority Report and Longford actor Samantha Morton. The TV campaign, which breaks later this month, is called "House of Cards" and aims to raise awareness of the fragile housing situation in the UK in the current economic climate. You can see the video here. (Aside:...
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YouTune no.7: Today
After a brief holiday, the feature YouTune returns, it being the presentation of videos of songs both well known and little heard of that are linked to, with occasional commentary (normally relating to childhood reminiscences). This week, Today by the Smashing Pumpkins, as well as other day-related songs. — Today, by the Smashing Pumpkins — Yesterday, by The Beatles — Is Yesterday, Tomorrow, Today?, by The Stereophonics When I was 14, the only bands I...
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John Martyn: the man in the station (updated)
I was really sorry to hear of the death of John Martyn, the songwriter and fantastic musician. The only album of his I own is Solid Air, but it's a great album and, for me, the standout track is Man in the Station: There's a man in the station and a train in the rain There's a face in the mirror that's showing the strain There's a woman in the dark that's standing apart There's...
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YouTune no.6: Harvester of Sorrow
Fast turning into my reminiscences of music that meant a lot to me as a teenage boy, YouTune returns in metal form with the fathers of thrash metal with pop chart appeal, Metallica. — Harvester of Sorrow, by Metallica That's from their classic album, ... And Justice for All. Not as famous as the Black Album (Enter Sandman) or Master of Puppets (title track) it shows off Metallica's musicality and, of course, their anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian,...
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YouTune no.5: Glycerine
Continuing the new feature, YouTune, in which videos of songs both well known and little heard are linked to, with occasional commentary. This time, grunge re-emerges from the 90s: — Glycerine, by Bush. Gavin Rossdale, the lead singer of Bush, went on to marry Gwen Stefani and become good friends with Roger Federer. Fact....
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YouTune no.4: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Now in its 4th edition, the feature that is YouTune — an attempt to link to well known and little heard of songs and their videos, with occasional commentary — continues. In this edition, Elton John makes a strong case against social mobility through: — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, by Elton John. — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (playalong version) — Honorable mention: Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word. Yes, Elton, it is, and we...
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Radiohead credits
Radiohead have written a closing track for a film before. "Exit Music (For A Film)" was the track; Romeo and Juliet was the film. Fight Club is a great film adaptation of a Chuck Palahniuk novel with an amazing track over the closing credits: Where Is My Mind, by the Pixies. Now comes the news that a Radhioead track is to close the latest film adaptation of a Palahniuk novel. What could be better?...
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YouTune no.3: She's Like The Wind
The new feature, YouTune, continues, in which videos of songs both well known and little heard of are linked to, with occasional commentary. This time, Patrick Swayze pretends, at or around the time of Dirty Dancing, that he knows what it's like to not get the girl: — She's Like The Wind, by Patrick Swayze. Obviously better than She's Got Wind, Swayze does a good job of singing on this one, though the real star...
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YouTune no.2: In The Air Tonight
Continuing the new feature, YouTune, in which videos of songs both well known and little heard are linked to, with occasional commentary. This time, a singing gorilla and a drumming Phil Collins, or any combination thereof: — In The Air Tonight, by Phil Collins. Oh Lord. — In The Air Tonight (drum interlude), by a gorilla. Oh Lord. — In The Air Tonight (Oh Lord). Oh Lord....
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YouTune no.1: Heartbeats
Here's a new feature on arbitrary constant: YouTune. In which videos of songs both well known and little heard are linked to, with occasional commentary. First up: — Heartbeats, covered by Jose Gonzalez — Heartbeats, actually by The Knifes Whilst double-tracking the vocals will get you a long way, Jose, they won't get you as far as a synthesizer....
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Creep(y)
Via Wrighty: — Creep by Radiohead — The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies...
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Radiohead, blogging
Here: — Exit music (normblog) — Anyone can write a blog (Harry's Place) — Radiohead: The escape artists (Word)...
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The show must go on
Nope: I'm not talking about Clare Short (frankly, I'm glad to see the back of her). Rather, I'm talking about the outcome of nearly a whole Sunday's thought, in response to the question "which is your favourite Queen song?" I was a huge fan of Queen as a young lad — a fandom that began when I was given the Greatest Hits I & II album for Christmas. For two weeks I sat and listened...
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Being ironic
I've been absolutely full-to-bursting with posts today, but I'm afraid a hectic day at work has put pay to my being able to write them all down. To make up for this disappointment, consider Bono's recent thoughts on his reasons for wanting to wear a Stetson hat all the time: It was always part of my idea of how I wanted to present myself to the world in an ironic sense. Which I can only...
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One rule for them, another for everyone else
In this case, the "them" is U2, as highlighted in a post today at Harry's Place: Bono, lead singer of Irish band U2, has a history of telling governments how they should spend tax revenue... But with [his] latest tax move Bono is essentially saying only the little people need contribute their share. For Bono, who never tires of telling Presidents and Prime Ministers what they should do with tax payers' money, has moved the...
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MPs with musical taste
By lots of mps naming their favourite album of all time to be Led Zepellin's II, politicians have shown themselves to be an astute lot, for II is an excellent album. Without wishing to read too much into the musical tastes of politicians as an indicator of either their ideology or personality (though that is a reasonable thing to do), three choices of favourite album stand out. First, George Galloway choosing Dylan's Blood On The...
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Thom Yorke: all messed up
The boundary between rock stardom and political activism, to my mind, should be heavily guarded so that no one may move between the two. To watch Bono (of U2) and, to a lesser extent, Chris Martin (of Coldplay) implore people to support causes that they support — as multi-millionaire rockstars — has on occasion made me feel very uncomfortable and wont to use the word "hypocrite" easily. For a long time, Thom Yorke of Radiohead...
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Dave Cameron: fake plastic music
Some sparse offerings from arbitrary constant of late are proof that the demands of the real world are nearly over and blogging can resume properly. Thursday will see everything return back to normal. In the meantime, arbitrary constant was extremely distressed to hear some of David "Dave" Cameron's choices for his appearance on Desert Island Discs. Not only did they include "Wish You Were Here" — a track requested to be played at my funeral,...
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Kula Shaker
Note: this is a guest post by Paul Wright As Kula Shaker take to the stage an apprehensive hush ripples through the crowd. Tonight marks the return of the band that disappeared seven years ago and this evening could go one of two ways, either they perform all the crowd-pleasers from K and have nothing to show for the interim period; or they launch into a flurry of new material and hope that loyal fans...
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Wish you were here
On David Gilmour's website (David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, I hasten to add), there's a great question and answers section, which contained a fascinating little bit of information about the amazing Floyd hit (and song to be played at my funeral) "Wish You Were Here". (I say contained because when I went back to check the details, it seems to have gone.) It goes that during the intro to the song, just before the acoustic...
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Counting crows on the pavement
Whilst walking today, I noticed the relatively rare sight of four magpies all happy doing whatever it is that magpies do. First thing I thought, obviously, was that a lovely girl may very soon appear, since that is what the old English poem says is likely to happen. Except, that isn't what the poem says; it actually reads:One for sorrow, two for mirth, Three for a wedding, four for a birth, Five for silver, six...
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normblog song poll
After submitting my 10 songs for Norm's song poll, I sat in desperate anticipation to see what would hit the top spot. The wait is now over: Norm has published the (almost) top 100, the top ten of which are below:01 - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones) 02 - Sympathy For The Devil (The Rolling Stones) 03 - Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys) 04 - Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) 05 -...
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Songs songs songs
As part of Norm's poll, I submitted the following ten songs, since I consider them my "ten (10) choices for the greatest songs of rock and pop music":"That's All I Want From You" - Nina Simone"Nobody Does It Better" - version by Radiohead"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" - Elton John"I Know It's Over" - The Smiths"The Show Must Go On" - Queen"Losing My Religion" - R.E.M."Solid Air" - John Martyn"Hallelujah" - version by Jeff Buckley"Romeo and...
