December 2011 Playlist

So here it is, my playlist, it's really really fun. As one year ends and another begins, why not celebrate by getting all the songs on my playlist and having a darn diddly good time.

1) I Told You Once - Howler

2) What You Wanted - Spector

3) When The Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys

4) The Black Bird, The Dark Slope - Los Campesinos

5) Rocksteady - By The Rivers

6) Love Will Save Your Soul - Grouplove

7) Blinded By The Lights - The Streets

8) Your Father's Eyes Are Blue Now - Hail! The Planes

9) Do You Love Me - The Contours

10) A Case Of You - James Blake

11) Love Lockdown - Kanye West

12) Breaking Down - Florence & the Machine

13) 54-46 That's My Number - The Maytals

14) On The Run - Cerebral Ballzy

15) I Want It I Need It (Death Heated) - Death Grips

16) Banned In D.C - Bad Brains

17) Selena - Das Racist

18) Baby's Arms - Kurt Vile

19) Music When The Lights Go Out - The Libertines

20) Supreme - Robbie Williams

December has been one of those months where I have listened to an excessive amount of music, both new and old. Of the newer selection, I'd definitely recommend Spector. Made up of members of bands such as Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man , their back to basics approach makes for perfect pop. A few of the older ones seem like obvious choices, but this is mainly thanks to Chris Anstey ( @anstizzle ) for hooking me up with a large section of his I-Tunes. THX M8.  

Top Christmas Songs Ever

Well it's that time of year, and  what better way to celebrate than a countdown of my favorite Christmas songs. Obviously all Christmas songs are brilliant but I feel the need to whittle them down to a Top 5.

5) Mr Garrison - Merry Fucking Christmas
Ok, so not exactly one of the more "traditional" Christmas songs, but definitely one of the funniest. Equal parts festive and racist.

4) Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?
Mega Christmas guilt trip from all the best artists. Of course "there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas time" , but that doesn't stop it being a brilliant song.

3) The Darkness - Christmas Time
What more could you want for Christmas than ridiculous guitar lines and Justin Hawkins in a cat suit? All Christmas songs should have to belted in a falsetto as impressive as this.

2) Wizard - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
I thoroughly agree with the message of this song. It would be so awesome. However, it would add to Britain's recession and obesity problems, so maybe we should just keep wishing. 

1) Wham! - Last Christmas
The bells. The bitter-sweet lyrics. That video. All reasons why this is the perfect Christmas song and why it tops my list. I listen to this song all year round and it's still brilliant.


M3RI KRSTMZ EVRY1

Single Of The Year 2011

This is a bit later than I wanted it to be so I expect you're bursting to see this list. Considering my album choices these may come as a bit more of a surprise. In at number 20.....

20) Itchin' On a Photograph - Grouplove's  Lead single off their debut album showed us how much fun they were.

19) Shake It Out - Florence & the Machine  Technically the first single off her second album, this pop gem got rid of any doubt that she'd lost her magic

18) Micheal Jackson - Das Racist    Are they joking? Are they serious? I dunno, but this was both hilarious and brilliant. And had the most stupid chorus of the year.

17) All We Wanna Do - Two Wounded Birds   Another surf-punk band with sing-along lyrics and hummable guitar lines. This is definitely a good thing.

16) Garden - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs   Subtle and tender yet awesome to dance to, this synthy wonder has you hooked from the opening chords.

15) Dirt - WU LYF   The bands first big single with an incredible video. Hard hitting and beautiful.

14) Money - The Drums   Let's be honest, The Drums were not going to come back as a hardcore band. Smith-esque guitar lines balance out perfectly with Jonathan's mopey lyrics.

13) Hunger - Frankie & the Heartstrings   If this was their statement of intent, then they sure told us what they were all about. A good old indie-pop band basically. Brilliant.

12) Otis - Jay Z & Kanye West   From the moment that sample comes in, to Kanye's last verse, this cleared up any uncertainty what 'Watch The Throne' was going to sound like. Mega.

11) Under The Cover of Darkness - The Strokes   Containing one of their best guitar lines yet and with Julian Casablancas showing how much vocal work he'd done while away, this blew everyone away and sent the internet crazy.

10) Make Some Noise - Beastie Boys  Another come back single with a lot riding on it. Squelchy beats and brilliant rapping showed that they could still compete for the rap crown.

9) No Rest - Dry The River   It's chorus is awesome. The instrumentation is awesome. It is massive. They are not Mumford & Sons.

8) Hello Sadness - Los Campesinos   Well I wasn't exactly going to leave them out was I? Showed Los Camp at their self loathing, depressing best. Which is why it's brilliant

7) Still Life - The Horrors   With their new chilled sound, this was perfect from chillin. It had a brilliant chorus though as well with trippy guitar and synth to back it up.

6) Gold Dust - DJ Fresh   This is incredible. The rapping! The drums! The bass! Perfect when you're smashed

5) The Look - Metronomy   Unveiling their new sound with this brilliant seaside tune. Chilled organ and bassline making the perfect combo to make it funky as well. Plus you can definitely make up dance moves for it.

4) Weekend - Smith Westerns   Definitely the best song to air guitar to all year. The riff is brilliant, but coupled with the laid back vocals and chorus, it is incredible.

3) Yonkers - Tyler the Creator    The moment were Tyler went from a cult LA rapper to a voice of angry youth. The dark beat and darker lyrics showed us the man who was going to be annoying people all year long.

2) If You Wanna - The Vaccines    Clocking in at just under 3 mins, If You Wanna takes all the elements to make a classic pop song. It's fast, simple and has a brilliant guitar solo. This was soundtrack to the summer and helped them to conquer every festival.

1) Reach a Bit Further - Wild Beasts     This was not the first single from the album, nor the biggest selling, but was definitely the best song on it, maybe the best they've ever done. The lush guitar line and tribal drums provided the perfect backdrop for the interweaving vocals, made up of Hayden's fragile falsetto and Tom's smooth whisper, this is perfect. Best song of the year definitely.

Christian's Sound of 2012 Shortlist

The BBC caused much hoopla today with their announcement of their Sound of 2012 list. In retaliation, I have done my own. ENJOY

By The Rivers.

Leicester reggae band. May not be winning any awards for originality, but they sure are fun.

 Death Grips

If you thought Odd Future were "a bit dark" this really isn't going to be your thing. Genre defying beats with the scariest MC  ever (maybe).

Dry The River

Ok, so they were on the BBC's poll, but  that's because they're brilliant. Folky guitars and violin with massive chorus'.

Egyptian Hip Hop

They've been floating around for a few years, but after finally completing an album, this year will be theirs.

Howler

They're already set to apparently "do a Vaccines" and they definitely have the songs to back it up. What they lack in The Vaccines raw energy, they make up in more considered song writing.

King Krule

He's being compared to Joe Strummer, Ian Dury and Jamie T and is still only 17. Formally known as Zoo Kid, his slowed down (kinda) raps will not exactly conquer dance floors, but are perfect chillin' music.  

Outfit

Following in Wild Beast's footsteps, this Liverpool group locked themselves away to create their sound maaaaaan. And it really worked.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs 

Turns out you don't need stupid basslines to make dance music these days. Minimal and groovy

Tribes

They've been gathering support all year but with their debut finally being released, shit's gonna get real. 

Frank Ocean

Odd Future's crooner gets his debut re-released and his simple, sexy r'n'b will take over the charts.

Skrillex who?

Best Albums 2011

It's here. It's finally here. One of the reasons I created this blog, so I could force people to listen to the lists I make up in my own head. This list has had about a month in the making and has been very fun (for me). You can argue all you like but THIS IS THE LIST. So coming in at number 10...

10) WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

Once you get the vocals, this album is really good. Delicate guitar lines with manifesto like choruses.

9) The Strokes - Angles

Not what you'd expect from The Strokes, and obviously not their best, but still a very good album. Julian Casablancas at his vocal best.

8) The Drums - Potamento

The summer definitely ended for The Drums with an album taking on heartbreak and religion. Showed a darker side to the band.

7) Tyler, The Creator - Goblin

After a controversial year, Tyler went from nowhere to winning a VMA. This album was the jewel in the crown and contained some of Odd Futures best songs yet. He showed he wasn't just another horror-core rapper.

6) James Blake - James Blake

On first listen this whole album sounds out of time. Every other listen revels the brilliant post-dubstep album this is. The intricate vocal lines and minimal beats mark it out as brilliant.

5) Frankie & The Heartstrings - Hunger

Big tunes from a small band. Brilliant guitar pop taking influences from 80's indie bands whilst keeping it real maaaaan.

4) The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines

Well we expected exactly this. Reverby surf-punk with mega choruses became the soundtrack to the summer. Although nothing new, they did it so well that it felt like it.

3)  Metronomy - The English Rivera

Showed a lighter, more minimal sound to one of the best bands around. Dancey, yet demure, it was brilliant for chilling in the garden on a nice summers day.

2) Wild Beasts - Smother

Minimal and sexy, this was an album I kinda hated on first listening. But once you realise how amazing that falsetto is, things become a lot better. This was so close to being my number one, it is an amazing album.

1) Los Campesinos - Hello Sadness

Well, what did you expect. I love them. That said, it is a cracking album and show a band who have found their direction and ran with it. It shows them at their most confident musically, and most melancholic lyrically. Beautiful.





That's it. End of discussion.

November 2011 Playlist

Another edition of my brilliant playlist. I got a lot of new music this month so I have some nice new interesting bands. Without further ado...

1) Weights & Measures - Dry The River
2) Never Let Me Go - Florence & The Machine
3) Like I Love You - Justin Timberlake
4) All Falls Down - Kanye West
5) Can't Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons
6) Moon Hits The Mirrorball - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
7) Found Love In A Graveyard - Veronica Falls
8) Baby I Got The Death Rattle - Los Campesinos
9) Mirror In The Bathroom - The Beat
10) Cutting Class - Cerebral Ballzy
11) Vulture - By The Rivers
12) We Were Children - Tribes
13) Love On The Rocks With No Ice - The Darkness
14) This One's Different - Howler
15) Two Islands - Outfit
16) Fall Creek Boys Choir - James Blake
17) Bleak Bake - King Krule
18) Bed Of Nails - Wild Beasts
19) A Little Bit Cooler - Cool Kids
20) Let Me Entertain You - Robbie Williams

It's been a pretty mellow month really, but with lots of noise from Tribes and Cerebral Ballzy keeping me from sleep. Also, I LOVE ROBBIE. SO SO MUCH.

Outfit- Two Islands/Vehicles Single Review

Outfit are being touted as "Liverpool's most exciting new band!", but without much proof. This double A-side is their first proper single and so a lot of pressure rides on it. And do you know what, I think they just deliver. The band apparently house-sat some mansion where they were able to near constantly practice and refine their sound till they were ready to face the big wide world. But what do they sound like? Well the short answer is a Scouse Wild Beasts. Minus the wobbly falsetto. But they definitely have the same ideas. The songs are sparse, with simple drums, reverby guitar and drawn out synth. They're not quite as chilled as Wild Beasts and there seems to be an element of tension that Wild Beasts often. Two Islands has the slight edge with a frantic guitar line and sweeping bass notes that make it a landscape of weird noises. It's proper good.

8/10

WATCH: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kh1uxNKVBM

Dry The River- Weights & Measures EP Review

Getting off the UK's pub circuit and taking the step to the big time often takes more than just good songs and hyping from every blog. The way to really get big is clearly the "Play Every Gig Physically Possible" approach. In recent years this approach has had a revival, with Mumford & Sons excelling in this field. Dry The River have picked up the baton where Mumford left off, and have played for literally everyone. In vans, in shops, in woods, anywhere, Youtube-ing their name brings up tons of sessions, live gigs and interviews. This has all meant that they have become a well oiled live machine, wowing audiences all summer at the festivals.

"Weights & Measures" is the bands first proper EP after just a handful of singles. Nothing on the EP is a surprise and all bar one track have been kicking around in sessions and live for ages. The title track follows Dry The River's formula of starting quiet and building towards a fuck off chorus that'll BLOW YOUR MIND. They really know what they're doing with this whole anthem thing. The delicate falsetto of singer Pete is so distinctive, yet seems so natural. Gentle adding of harmonies, violin, guitar and drums lets his voice get louder till, The Chorus is upon you. Next track "Family" continues in the same vein. Previously called "Family Tree" a re-writes gives it a fresher feel and shows a band constantly pushing forward. Dry The River have been compared so many times to Mumford, but the only similarities seem to be the acoustic guitar. Bolstered by full drums and electric guitar, they sound heavier then any of Mumford's songs and their chorus's MAY even be better. "Bible Belt" is officially released on the EP, although it is only the "Field Recording" version. This is no bad thing however, and this striped back, acoustic version is what got the band noticed. It is a quiet, emotional song but still has that massive chorus. The last track "Thou Art Loosed" has a very different feel. The song feels like a proper country hymn. All of their songs seem to have this feel, but it's brought to it's logical conclusion. Backed only by violin, the song is sung almost as a round, with each member adding his layer of harmony. It's a subtle song that leaves you wondering what century you're actually in. 

The EP shows a band on the brink of possibly becoming huge, but also throwing out weird curveballs for their own amusement. They really deserve to get on bigger stages, the Reading's Festival Republic stage ain't build to hold chorus' as big as these.

8/10      

Hello Sadness- Los Campesinos! Album Review

WARNING: I really love Los Camp! Like super love.

I'll start this review at the beginning, about 2 months ago when I clicked the pre-order button on loscampesinos.com . Los Campesinos! are known as a band who really live the DIY ethic many bands claim to have. In the last year alone, they've created their own 'zine (each with a special 7"), done a free London show and also the AMAZING pre-order package Hello Sadness was sold with. I received this album in the post 2 weeks before it's official release, with a extra DVD, demo's CD and t-shirt, all for £20. I was excited to say the least. And all this before actually hearing the album! And what an album it is.

Me with my pre-order package.
I was well excited

Realistically, Los Campesinos! should be over their peak at scraping around to try and piece an album together. After losing their violinist, Harriet, after this album and this being their 4th long record (though 3rd album), you'd expect them to be a little down. WRONG! The album, LC!'s 3rd, picks up where Romance is Boring left off, seeping broken hearts, sexual frustration and death. These all sound like they should be a Fall Out Boy album, but LC! make them seem a lot more believable, and a lot less whiney. Gareth's lyrics are as personal and as confusing as ever, but some of his best. He's stopped worrying about putting the longest word he can in, and get's straight to the point. Well kinda. He continues his obsession with bodies and body parts, especially chests, on all songs, especially "The Blackbird, The Dark Slope", a song about being eaten by a blackbird. Phallic descriptions also feature  ("I draw a dick in the frost for every girl who wouldn't fuck me") so no change there. The best of this is "Baby I Got The Death Rattle" a song about sexual frustration and rejection culminating in the frenzied repetition of the line "Not headstone, but headboard s'where I wanna be mourned." He also carries on his obsession for football with "Every Defeat A Divorce (Three Lions)". The idea of having a song comparing the end of a relationship to every England world cup defeat sounds like a recipe for loutish disaster, but the soaring violins and picked guitar make it one of the more emotional songs. Prize for best song however, has to go to the title track. It just sums up all the things that make LC! so special and is one that really tugs at the ole' heartstrings. It see's Gareth at his lyrical best backed by a sweeping, soaring mix of violin, guitar and drums. It slowly build, bolstered by the vastly improved drumming, to a climatic end which leaves Gareth's voice straining to sing the last refrain. B-e-a-utiful.

The album balances the band at their most punk-like ("By Your Hand", "The Blackbird, The Dark Slope") and most tender ("To Tundra" "Light Leaves, Dark Sees Pt. II") perfectly. This definitely contends for one of their best and shows how much they've grown up and matured. It's really really awesome basically.

Plus I got a cool tee

BUY IT 4 DEFS

9/10      

Click here to stream "Hello Sadness"

The Specials- Brixton Academy 31/10/11

Halloween. A night of witches, ghosts and, of course, 70's Ska. So in line with tradition, we* set off down to Brixton for a Halloween better than collecting sweets. This is the third tour The Specials have done since they reunited with their original line up and the second time I've seen them. As with the first time, the audience is always really something special. You can't get much better than an audience made up of a mix of drunk 50 year old skinheads and their children. Believe me, you can't.

By The Rivers

The first support band, Stone Foundation, failed to excite the crowd with their mix of downbeat Northern Soul, but the crowd turned back on for the second support By The Rivers. One of the few bands around who can say they're a true Ska band AND under 21, it was brilliant to see a band play with such enthusiasm. They not only had brilliant songs (including new single "One Word") but were a tight live band who enjoyed supporting their heroes. Definitely have a little listen.

The fitting opening of a clip montage of news stories since The Specials formed set the tone and made you realise how relevant The Specials still are. The clips of 80's riots were so similar to that of the recent summer ones it's weird to watch. After fading out to a picture of David Cameron (to much booing) the band strolled on starting with the song that set it all off "Gangsters". The first thing you notice when watching the band, is how much energy they still have, despite approaching 50. They literally do not stop running around. You know how good you are live when your rhythm guitarist can do the running man whilst playing. This tornado of crazy Ska brilliance all centers round the calm, and grumpy, figure of singer, Terry Hall. Being the Jack Dee of frontmen, he literally does not move from his mic stand the entire show (Sample banter includes grumbling about the use of "Ghost Town" on Strictly Come Dancing and calling Bono a twat). If he does move, he drags his stand around with him like a prisoner with a ball on a chain. And it's completely brilliant and what you'd expect from him.

Things take a weird turn midway through the set when a string section walk on. It looks odd and seems completely unnecessary. They only seem to replace the parts the brass section would have played. It seems completely self indulgent and a result of a lot more income. It isn't the only thing that makes the tour seem like an excuse to fill their bands pockets. The snazzy new lighting rig and projector must have been funded from somewhere, and I have a sneaking suspicion it was from the live CD's they were flogging in the foyer £20. The new purchases didn't even seem to add at all to the show and instead seemed more to bemuse.

Having said all of this it all came together during "Ghost Town" arguably the bands best song, and definitely their biggest. Both brass and strings came on, creating a massive sound for the song, and a brilliant background projection of black and white skyscrapers all just made the song complete. It was definitely the high point of the show and made you understand why they had made all these changes. Had I forked out £20 for a live CD, I would be listening to that track on repeat.

My poor attempt at photography

This wasn't the only song that benefited from extra staging. During "Stupid Marridge" Terry Hall moved next to the drum riser whilst "Judge Roughneck" grilled him for "breaking his girlfriends property!" They acted out the courtroom the song creates. "Nightclub" used the new lighting rig to full effect, creating a perfect, well, nightclub. The extra thought and theatre really made these songs special.



Despite the slightly odd sections and relentless merchandise selling, this show was really brilliant, perhaps because of this new income. Their songs are such classics that simply performing them would have been enough, so the energy and brilliance of the performance makes it amazing to watch. They are such a tight live band and their experience shows, but also their want to move forward and not stagnate. The band still love playing together and they interact so amazingly. We're told half way through that "We'll still be doing this in 2030" and by this performance they're obviously still enjoying themselves and it's definitely not too late yet.


*we being me and William James who got me the tickets for my birthday because he loves me

Monthly Playlist- October 2011

I forgot to explain the rules of my playlists/ mixtapes last time, so here they are to avoid confusion. 

-20 tracks only

-I must have listened to the song a lot during the month

-No track can be on more than one months playlist

So....

1) Sherry- Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

2) Shake It Out- Florence & The Machine

3) Hello Sadness- Los Campesinos!

4) Cry Me A River- Justin Timberlake

5) I Need A Doctor- The Drums

6) Cross Your Fingers- Laura Marling

7) Somewhere Only We Know- Keane

8) Dust Bowl Dance- Mumford & Sons

9) A Case For You- James Blake

10) Loop The Loop- Wild Beasts

11) Hold It Now, Hit It- Beastie Boys

12) Garden- Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

13) Whitechapel- S.C.U.M

14) Statue Of Liberty- XTC

15) Monica Gems- The Horrors

16) Guillotine- Death Grips

17) All Falls Down- Kanye West

18) Nodding Off- Wavves

19) Judy Is A Punk- The Ramones

20) Praise You- Fatboy Slim

Some choices are obvious, but I'll do some explaining for the others. Basically, I love Justin Timberlake right now. I picked up "Justified" in Poundland, and haven't looked back. He's a genius. It's the same with Keane. Los Campesinos! have featured on pretty much every one of these I've ever made, and I've been doing this about 2  years now. I love them. 

Jersey Boys

This isn't new I realise, but is technically music related. I got taken to this as a birthday present (thank you Georgie!) and it was AMAZING. The story itself is just the story of "Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons" and so is a good story. It's surprising how much stuff happened to a fairly innocent looking and sounding band. The staging was brilliant with fast moving sets and nice placing to give the whole play a really fast pace. I spent most the performance with my mouth hanging open. Or of course, singing along. The music was incredible, although I expected that. What I didn't expect was how many classics Frankie Valli has. Personal highlights are definitely Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Beggin' and Can't Take My Eyes Off You. The songs were rarely weaved into the story and instead performed with a live band making it even better.

Oh and they played a lot of the songs on Fender Telecasters which made me jealous.

DOUBLE REVIEW! Garden- Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs AND Everybody Looks Better (In The Right Light)- Frankie & the Heartstrings

Garden- Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs maybe one of the worst artist names ever, but you can never judge a book by his cover. Or indeed on his home-made dinosaur stage costume or head-dresses. The name makes him sound like a poor 90's pop-punk band aimed at small girls, but TEED (real name Orlando Higginbottom) is anything but. He's remixed a lot of large chart hits recently (making Katy Perry's 'Firework' actually fun) but the solo stuff is much better. After you hear the first few bars of 'Garden' it does sound like a synth line from a chart smashing pop song, but it stays very minimalist and very simple. His vocals (both from him and guest vocalist Luisa from 'Lulu and Lampshade') are very soft and turn the song into something more than just a sparse House track. The emotion given from them and their simplicity is brilliant. 'Garden' sounds a lot like a more synth driven 'Metronomy' and that is definitely not a bad comparison. Now all TEED needs is a good album. And better name.

8/10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-1HNnxb0WE


Everybody Looks Better (In the Right Light)- Frankie & the Heartstrings

This was only announced today and hasn't actually been released yet, but you can stream it from the link below. F&TH have been playing this live for quite a while now (I've seen it twice, not that I'm bragging) and it sounds a lot better properly recorded. It's more in the vein of 'Hunger' or 'Possibilities' than their more downbeat songs, but just don't pack the same punch as the others. The chorus is lost in the verses, and the weird time change throws you after the first few listens. It sounds a bit too much like a B side really. Having said that, it is still a pretty good song, just no where near the standard of their album. Maybe the B side will be better...

http://frankieandtheheartstrings.com/2011/10/its-a-heartstrings-news-explosion-with-a-new-song/

6/10 (Sorry Frankie, I do love you)

Hello Sadness Single Review

This review will most likely be very bias as Los Campesinos are my favorite band ever. This was put up as a free stream today and so I thought it was only fit I gave it a little review. First single off new album "Hello Sadness", "By Your Hand" was not what you'd expect from Los Camp. For one thing, Gareth actually, properly sung. It was definitely in a grower and seemed a little too upbeat for Los Camp on first listen the single, "Hello Sadness" continues in a similar vein with Gareth singing again, but this time it sounds less forced and the lyrics have more of a flow to them, and are more typical of the band. It sounds a lot more like Los Camp than the last single and the song is more instantly likable. The return of the violin also makes the song soar along with more typical self-depreciating lyrics. It's everything I wanted a new Los Camp song to sound like, and they completely deliver.

To be honest they could release anything and I'd love it, but it's nice to review it anyway

9/10

Click here to stream song

James Blake-Enough Thunder EP

I'll start this by saying that if you didn't like James Blake before, it's unlikely you're going to "get" this. His new EP has not made any major leaps away from his debut album, but change isn't always a great thing. I mean, look at the new Maroon 5 song. Complete bollocks. What James Blakes new EP does show is a more ballady side to him. "James Blake" was hardly the heaviest 'dubstep' album ever and that's what made it great. Blake's subtlety and ability to manipulate the samples he worked with make him such a groundbreaking artist. Enough Thunder doesn't move from this manipulation of sound had use of silence and he's even kept the weird hiss from the album on ( I thought it was just my computer messing up). The opening track "Once We All Agree" could have come straight off the album, with his lyrics being backed by his reverb heavy piano and occasional bass sample. But unlike the album, the song doesn't build up in anyway and continues on a same sound throughout. "Not Long Now" does find a build up and it sounds better for it. The collaboration with Bon Iver is good, but not good enough to be the best on here. More was expected of this track and it just seems to lose direction, and like most the other songs, just ends.

Although not as groundbreaking as his debut, this is still a good EP and shows that James Blake still has ideas. He seems to be buoyed by his Mercury nomination and is trying to push forward in the same direction, but it just doesn't really go anywhere unlike the album.

7/10

Best Track: Not Long Now      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5sKFy1Cxzk

New stuff

Thought I'd do another little post to tell everyone about new things I'm excited about.

James Blake- Enough Thunder EP
His album was brilliant, so this will probably be as good. PROBABLY. The Bon Iver collaboration is brilliant so All the other songs will be awesome. I saw him at Bestival and he was brilliant live as well.

Dry The River- Weights and Measures EP
These guys are definitely my favorite new band right now. They're kind of folky, but as an ex-metal band they have MASSIVE chorus'. Again, I saw them at Bestival and managed to get front row, so that was pretty cool. I cannot wait for this.

Florence and the Machine- Ceremonials
Ok so she has gone a little power crazy, but her debut is still brilliant and her new singles don't seem to have strayed too far away from that formula, so I'm happy. This will be huge.

Los Campesinos!- Hello Sadness
Already got this bad boy on pre-order, that's how excited I am. They are pretty much my favourite band ever. I think you can already guess at how much I'm going to love this.

First post!!!

Just to let everyone (anyone?) know, this is my first blog. It will probably be a bit rubbish, not really updated very much and a bit rambly.

This is mainly going to be used as a place to let my musical opinions out where people don't have to actually listen. So without further ado, here's my playlist for this month:

1) No Rest (Live at I-Tunes Festival)-Dry The River
2) I And Love And You- Avett Brothers
3) My Manic And I- Laura Marling
4) Awake My Soul- Mumford and Sons
5) Book Of Revelation- The Drums
6) Lovely Cup- Grouplove
7) Changing The Rain- The Horrors
8) Whitechapel- S.C.U.M
9) Balloons- Foals
10) Bug- Wavves
11) Rhymin & Stealin- Beastie Boys
12) By Your Hand- Los Campesinos
13) Loving Arm- Metronomy
14) Plainsong- The Cure
15) Give Me My Month- James Blake
16) Plaything- Wild Beasts
17) Interzone- Joy Division
18) Want You Back- Frankie & The Heartstrings
19) Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)- XTC
20) Space Oddity- David Bowie

These aren't loads of "cool new releases" I know, but they are songs I'm listening to, so there.