The comeback kids....

You have to love those artists that just leave you hanging for a few years and then come back with some incredible material. Okay, we don't get many of them... but this year it looks like it's about to change....

REGINA SPEKTOR - ROWBOATS

It has been three years since her last album and I am so glad to find that she hasn't lost her sense of self in her new material, like so many others do.I am actually really loving the fusion of old and new! If anything I'd say her sound has developed and with maturity the impact and impression she leaves lasts a hell of a lot longer. I really love this new song and if you haven't listened to any of her other stuff please do....

THE SHINS - SIMPLE SONG

First of all let me say what an amazing video this is! I really did love The Shins back when I was in college and I think it has been close to five years since they last released anything! Times may have changed since the original band were on the scene but now with a few new members the quality of this track just speaks for itself and I'm sure it'll have a place on most people's playlists! You can't deny yourself a sexy power-pop riff!

On repeat....

I know I have let the blog slip a little since I got my job so I thought I'd do one of those annoying here is what I have been listening to... and I think you should educate yourselves -post. lol! So here goes:

Cults - Abducted

You know as well as I do that you can give me an indie-pop track with a few xylophone twinkles and I am sold but add a scene-stealing percussive movement and some amazing vocals and I am in LOVE! 

I think the highlight in this song is the lyric "He tore me up because I really loved him" there is a rapturous longing in the vocals which transforms what could be just another love song into a twisted tale that screams with a wounded fervor. 

Imelda May - Inside Out

So I hear this song everyday... and nope not because it is on my ipod.... but because it plays in the office at least once a day! I did like it the moment I heard it but it wasn't until I heard it at a party/gathering that a new appreciation grew....

Anybody who tries to deny the happy simplicity of a traditional era rip off is seriously silly. Especially one that is this good! I have to hand it to Miss May that this has become one of those catchy tunes that plants itself in your head at stupid times of the day... the worst being just before bed. But... play it at a party and watch people come to life! 

Elkie Brooks - Sunshine After The Rain

Yes, when the chorus kicks in I can assure you, you'll probably wonder why it has been slowed down. But... fear not for this is the original that Berri used to make a quick 90's hit. May I warn you that the original sounds like it actually has some soul... so brace yourselves! 

Please do a comparison! It will make you laugh muchly... but it may also bring back some fond memories of being a tween! And we all love reliving those days don't we? 

Elbow Jane - St Teresa

I don't fully remember how I came across Elbow Jane but I just think that they are amazing. I think they need to get famous soon because there music needs to reach more ears than it is at present. I don't really know how to describe the sound its just pretty haunting. I have shared a video of a cover as they seem to make people appreciate an artist - I guess it gives people something to compare to?

I don't know what you'll make of this cover but I think its absolutely beautiful - amazing vocals which you wouldn't believe were live. Elbow Jane know how to bring country and folk to the masses. 

p.s: forgive me for my poor writing skills and my lack of effort. I just wanted to give you a blog-post dose to mend me missing a month of updating. Shame on me. 

Connan Mockasin - the new Bjork?

It is officially home time but as I wait for my final story of the day to be subbed I come across a very strange man... the kind of man you do not expect to come across whilst sitting at your desk at quarter to 6 in the evening.

It started with his name Connan Mockasin and step by step he intrigued me...his name, his face, his appearance and finally my search ended when I found this video.

It stopped because I knew I had to share it with you.

What starts as a simple scene of a painting ends up becoming a distorted post-modern juxtaposition/interpretation of culture, identity and love.

At first the variety of colours in the scene mesh together, creating an eerie portrait of blurred figures that appear sinisterly clown-like, yet animalistic. However, their movements are very soft which makes them even more creepy!

This opening scene slowly comes to life and then suddenly merges with the modern day, showing one man’s quest to find his love.

I love that he first sees his dolphin lover woman outside Liverpool Street Station.

Right, to the music…I was unsure about it to begin with. It sounded similar to The Dresden Dolls at first with a toy like piano/synth but it just kept changing it never stayed the same for more that a minute. This is one of the few music videos that uses lyrics and instrumentals to purely enhance visuals.

Anyway, I shall stop harping on and let you watch/listen for yourself! Enjoy! 

Designer Food... I kid you not!

... so fashion houses naturally branched off from clothes to perfume and cosmetics. The move was probably expected, after all a designer wants to create a perfect overall image. Thus, when brands such as Chanel found a significant market in luxury personal grooming products many other fashion houses jumped on the bandwagon.

Now designer brands can be found everywhere, so every man and woman can own a little bit of luxury. People mention the perfume they are wearing like they would mention the designer of their dress.

Designers have always been looking to expand business which explains the introduction of bed linnen and household goods but I for one never thought they would branch out into the fast food industry!

Yes! it's true. If you live and breathe high end designers and fancy the ultimate fast food treat you won't want to make a trip to The Gourmet Burger Kitchen when you could be tucking into a Burberry Burger, Hermes Fries or a Paul Smith desert.

So let the fashion weeks commence as these designer delights will probably be served at swanky after parties! I have no idea what kind of price we would be expected to pay for a Burberry Burger but I'm guessing it'll be more than the McDonalds 99p offer!

Ashish & Topshop Back Together Again!

Ashish Gupta is known in the fashion industry for his bold use of colour and prints, as well as those must have peep-toe boots that he designed for our favourite High Street Fashion Monster - Topshop!

Well... he is back! With a capsule collection that is fun and quirky. Ashish will be releasing a variety of oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts on the 10th of January 2011 in Topshop stores nationwide! It was a sweatshirt that got Ashish his first big break in fashion and I for one am glad that he has decided to hit us with some contemporary original designs 10 years later!

Ashish for Topshop Capsule Collection - January 2011

Why am I so excited about this range? Well its mostly to do with the inspiration.... JUNK FOOD! I love junk food! and those of you that know me will remember that... for my college textiles project I made a recycled dress out of crisp packets/coke wrappers so this collection really floats my boat!

The designs are bold and the prints have a fabulous sheen - Ashish has strayed away from the vintage/worn looking sweatshirts we have been seeing on the High Street recently. This collection is a breath of fresh air and affordable as prices will range between £40-60.

I have to say my favourite item has to be the breakfast smiley face! I dare you not to smile when you see it... its near impossible!

I'll be baking&shaking to the amazing....

BEN L'ONCLE SOUL

...and to put it nicely (if we are talking in terms of bakery goods) I would die for a slice of his pie! There is nothing like a talented man to get your bake on too! Feminists may shoot me now!  

He is a French soul singer who has certainly got a funky side and I am in love with his voice! And as you all know I am a sucker for cover versions and every single one that he has covered has been absolutely AMAZING! he is soooo talented it sometimes make me squeal a little! Well don't just take my word for it... have a little listen: 

     

MY NEW LOVE

NEW AGE FOLK BY FRAZEY FORD

If you are looking for something to listen to while you work/cook/do something that makes for some nice background music... let me introduce you to Frazey Ford!

I thought I would  review a few songs from her debut album 'Obadiah' which has a mixture of amazing Americana-sounding folk songs and here are my thoughts on my top 3 songs, in the order of preference: 

Blue Streak Mamma: - The song is introduced by a nice steady drum beat which carries it from beginning to end accompanied by the repetition of a beautiful riff that is locked on repeat. The structure and sound of Blue Streak Mamma resembles that of the down tempo soul and blues of the mid 60's.  The vocals start up pretty quickly and you are stuck by an extraordinary voice that is very similar to Adele but with a less commercial feel. This song is based on a lot of repetition- that locks you in and draws you closer. I honestly believe that a song you can sing along to whilst hearing it for the first time is one that is destined for great things - and Blue Streak Mamma has to be one of those songs! This song is sure to feature on some US drama and then become a big hit!

If You Gonna Go: - This song highlights what beautiful vocals Frazey Ford has. It is the kind of song that you could melt on your sofa to, whilst eating strawberry cheescake flavoured ice-cream and feeling sorry for yourself (not that I am speaking from experience -honest.) I could imagine Norah Jones doing an amazing cover of this for her next album. If you are a fan of Norah Jones' - Come Away With Me then I honestly think that this is the song you should be listening to from Frazey Ford's debut album. 

One More Cup Of Coffee: - This song has a lot of memories attached to it and it will always be one of my favourite songs. It is my favourite Bob Dylan track by far and Ford does a good job of covering it. I think covers of classic songs are a risk especially when they are sang with as much as passion and integrity as was the case of the original but Fazey Ford's cover is beautiful. I love the vulnerability in the verse but I find the chorus a tad soul-less - it lacks the authenticity that Dylan succeeded in putting across in the original. To some degree Ford's cover feels like it is heading to a great crescendo but it fails to deliver. 

 

  Bob Dylan - One more cup of coffee

- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

New Indie Band - Morning Parade!

MORNING PARADE INTERVIEW

Two years ago, Morning Parade were trapped in a variety of dead-end jobs. Their thoughts were of career advancement and growing up, but music had always been a cornerstone, a passion that stopped real life closing them in. Now they are releasing their new single ‘Under the Stars’ on the 22nd of November and I got the chance to ask the up and coming band a few questions...

Where did the name Morning Parade come from?
Morning Parade came about when we were having a fun night out - clubbers going home at 6 in the morning crossing the paths with people on their way to work doing their day to day things. It’s where something ends as another begins. It felt right at the time and it stuck.


How did you all meet?
Phil and Steve went to secondary school together and Steve met Chad at college while studying a music course. Ben and Andy were in other bands in the local scene.

Who would you say is the most creative out of all of you?
Steve is very creative across all the instruments, but we all work hard and are as creative as each other. We're always swapping instruments when we're jamming.

If you had 3 words to describe your sound which would you use?
Anthemic, Euphoric, Rock
There are so many Indie-Rock bands around - what makes you different to all the others?
I think its the massive blend of styles and influences that we share, we don't all share the same tastes musically, so it makes for interesting arrangements/arguments. I hope with the album we can show a good cross section of what we're into and what we can do. I think the blend of styles gives us a lot of freedom to go forwards in any direction we like... more guitars or more synths or something completely different...

What advice would you give to unsigned bands?
Stick to your guns, trust your gut and don't be precious with your songs, be brutal when judging your work and most of all make something you are proud of.

So we heard you are from Essex...have you managed to catch an episode of The Only Way Is Essex? if so what are your thoughts?
Haha, It's fast becoming a guilty pleasure...

If you could be anyone for a day who would it be and why?
Richard Branson- I wanna see what's up with that galactic thing he's up to. £100,000 a go.... chicken oriental.

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?
Literally no idea, things are happening so quickly at the moment that we can't really tell you what we're going to be doing in a year let alone 5. Most importantly we hope we're still enjoying making music and hopefully making music far superior to what we're doing now, who knows? An Ivor Novello would be nice.

Album Review!!!

Lyricson - "Messages" 

(released November 8th 2010) 

In recent years Reggae has focused less on its foundations as an outlet to voice political opinion and open respect for personal religion and instead has arguably focused on pleasing Western audiences. Lyricson turns this around by presenting Reggae in its purest form with his new album entitled Messages.

From the offset Lyricson introduces us to the world of Rastafari with mentions of Zion, Jah and Haile Salassie and lyrics that express his devotion and unalterable belief in his religion: ‘Protect me Jah... Rastafari love worth more than silver and gold.’

A classic Reggae base runs throughout this album which is matched with classic themes found in traditional Reggae music: love, religion, war and politically fuelled passion. Despite this over the course of a 16 track run we find many different influences permeating the tracks which is refreshing. It is rare to find a 16 track album nowadays but its almost impossible to find one filled with back to back great tracks, Lyricson’s is the exception. Messages will be released on the 8th of November!