Thursday 31 July 2008

What's Wrong With The Mainstream July '08

Five Years Time - Noah and the Whale

I've been dying to post this track, in fact I uploaded it and wrote this part of the blog on the 13th! It's a great, fun, summer track and just try to stop yourself whistling after you've listened to this.

MP3: Five Years Time - Noah and the Whale

I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked - Ida Maria

6Music have been playing Ida maria's music for a while but it's taken this great pop tune for her to break through on to big sister station Radio 1. What a great track, you can't help but shout along in your car.

MP3: I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked - Ida Maria

Acid Jazz Singer - The Fratellis

The Fratellis, gents who are never short of confidence but why should they be? We all secretly like a bit of arrogance when it comes to our lead singers and they don't disappoint. The track's nothing new for The Fratellis but enjoyable none the less. Thanks to Q Shoes for this one.

MP3: Acid Jazz Singer - The Fratellis

Cath - Death Cab For Cutie

Now I've known of Death Cab For Cutie for ages but never really listened to their music but Zane Lowe has been caning this song for ages. He has said their album will be in his top five albums of the year and has had this song in his top ten songs podcast for six weeks straight. Now I think it's an alright track but I'm not sure it's worth all that fuss. Let me know if I'm missing something.

MP3: Cath - Death Cab For Cutie

Can't Go Back - Primal Scream

Is it just me or have Primal Scream been messing around for years since Screamadelica and then finally got their act together with their last album. This song caries on the good work and leaves you wanting more. Sorry it's only a radio rip.

MP3: Can't Go Back - Primal Scream

GWB (F*** You Very Much) - Lilly Allen

Good old Lilly Allen, the happy go lucky lass has written another pop gem although I'm not sure how they'll release this without missing out the whole chorus. It's certainly not one for Jamelia's kids, she once asked Lilly Allen if she could have a version of her first album without the swearing on, Lilly told her to f*** off (that last bit might not be word for word what she said). Anyway the songs quite good. OK, actually it's really catchy, best not to listen to it just before you go to work, school, uni, prison...

MP3: Lilly Allen - GWB (F*** You Very Much)

Constructive Summer - The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady have been quite a while and the singer's voice certainly sounds like it, in fact he sounds a bit like Nick Cave. To say they've been around for a while I've never really listened to them but this songs not bad.

MP3: Constructive Summer - The Hold Steady

I Love You - Esser

Esser is from London and that's all I know about him (?). Anyway, it's something new, try it, you might like it.

Mp3: I Love You - Esser

Hideaway - The Ryes

Not usually my kind of song but it kept coming round on my iTunes as I played most recently added and now I quite like it. It's quite summer-y and catchy so why don't you give it a chance too. I think they're a British.

MP3: Hideaway - The Ryes

The Arm - Islands

OK, I've been on holiday and I can't remember what I read about this band before I went away. As always let me know what you think.

MP3: The Arm - Islands

Can't Stop - The Dirty Secrets

Big in Australia, big enough for iTunes to bother selling their music anyway. You can get their latest album now. It's not bad, I've been listening to it regularly, they sound a bit like The Killers but don't expect a Mr Brightside.

MP3: Can't Stop - The Dirty Secrets

Crawl - Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon and Cold War Kids are back, both with free downloads. If you like that genre you must be wetting yourself.

MP3: Crawl - Kings of Leon

Something Is Not Right With Me - Cold War Kids

Not bad, a tad repetitive but overall pretty good. (I'm getting good at this whole blogging thing aren't I?!)

MP3: Something Is Not Right With Me - Cold War Kids

Danny Callahan - Conor Oberst

The man behind Bright Eyes (Conor) goes it alone - I never really knew he had anyone else in the first place. Not as good as some of my Bright Eyes favourites but I'm interested to see where he's going with this project.

MP3: Danny Callahan - Conor Oberst

My Alarm - New Faces

A tip off from my friend Nick SM.

MP3: My Alarm - New Faces


I Wasn't Made For Fighting - Woodhands

Synth powered dance pop, from the eighties or from the future? It's a good disco track, I especially like the added robot voice touch.

MP3: I Wasn't Made For Fighting - Woodhands



Braindead - The Vines

Heavy return on this track but the album appears to be the usual mix of grungy rock and Beatles-esq tracks.

MP3: Braindead - The Vines

Paris - Friendly Fires

As I arrived back to England from Paris I downloaded my usual podcasts and Huw Stephens tells me this is favourite track of last year. Well it's not that good but they have the right idea, one day they will live in Paris. It's reeeyght good. Oh and they have a new track out at the moment.

MP3: Paris - Friendly Fires



Sigur Ros - Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

I'm going to have to buy the Sigur Ros album now as I really like this track and I like the last one. It sounds like Acrade Fire with beating drums and piano. OK so I find the lyrics totally offensive but you lot probably don't understand Icelandic and don't care about games played with kittens and lawn mowers but I do. Let me know if I've somehow translated it incorrectly. Thanks to The World Forgot for this, they've also posted about a band called Flipsyde who you may want to check out if you like OPM (Heaven Is A Half Pipe) and the Iglu and Hartly track I posted last month.

MP3: Sigur Ros - Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

The Way We Were - XX Teens

XX Teens or Xerox Teens as they were called have been around for a while and their lineup has changed a bit since they first burst on to the scenes their sound still stays strong (not bad alliteration). Previous song Darlin' made it in to the NME top 50 in 2007. This is a free download from their debut album.

MP3: The Way We Were - XX Teens

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

All downloaded and ready to go!

Anonymous said...

You see, I have this problem where I listen to tracks on random, then can never remember which tracks are which, so I may have these wrong, however:

New KoL track is superb, and I'm liking the Lily Allen one although the wife doesn't see the funny side!

Sigur Ros is a good, a bit Arcade Fire-ish in parts, and you are damn right about Noah and the Whale, very addictive! Are you're also right about Death Cab for Cutie, I didn't really get into it.

A great track from Primal Scream, and I thought the Fratellis was ok, if not overly different (doing what they do well?).

Finally, there's one that sounds like a bit more cheery Placebo, but the random-iser had left me in doubt as to which b and!

A great collection once again, JAL...

Anonymous said...

Finally got round to downloading these tracks Jal, and, if you want me to critical, after enduring the pap that is Noah and the Whale there are some real killer songs on here. Other than the ones already familiar to me through the wonders of 6Music, my current favourites have to be Conor Oberst (Em Pem's fav too!), Dirty Secrets, Islands, Ryes and Xerox Teens.

Just so you know, I've merged my favs with some other tracks (Santogold, Adele, Does it Offend You, Yeah?, Kills) to produce a bit of a tribute playlist to the Tinsley Towers, we will be listening on our way up to the Lakes tommorrow.

Last comment, I followed one of your blog rolls to one which had a few tracks by Motorama to download - if any of your followers like Interpol, Joy Division, etc, then give them a listen. My recommendation would be a song called Normandy.

Keep up the very good work!

John L said...

Thanks Schonberg, I have taken your comments as inspiration and finally uploaded my Sheffield Bands playlist as my own tribute to the Two Tinsley Towers. Enjoy the Lakes.