What's Wrong With The Mainstream November '09 Playist

Ah the last playlist of the year as December always gets devoted to best lists and Christmas tunes. This months playlist really came together in the final days as people start to post their end of year lists early. We've also got tracks from Sheffield Music Scene's birthday compilation give away, if you've not checked out this magazine you really should. As far as I can work out it's a not for profit online publication that is put together by music fans giving up their time to do the reviews and design work for free.

Anyway back to this months playlist. First up we've got Kalenko's latest release, recorded recently and this is the first mix they have made available. If you've read this blog before you're probably aware of my love of Kalenko's work and I will have another track for you next month so stay tuned...

MP3: Berliner Pt2 - Kalenko

When You Walk In The Room - Fyfe Dangerfield

The man behind Guillemots is blessed with a good, maybe even great name. Why he even bothered being in a group with a name like that I don't know. I always felt Guillemots were over hyped in the blog world and other than Trains To Brazil never really came up with the goods. In his solo project Fyfe keeps the jangling, bouncing along style of Trains To Brazil but his vocals are more raw, not dissimilar to that of The Cribs.

MP3: When You Walk In The Room - Fyfe Dangerfield

A Funny Thing - Penguin Prison

I think what attracts me to this track is something in it that reminds me of The Chemical Brothers track Golden Path. I'm sure it's just me and that it doesn't sound that much like it but let me know what you think.

MP3: A Funny Thing - Penguin Prison

Newest News - Color Radio

I think this track would make a good finale to Color Radio's album when it comes about. It's the first track on an EP they sent to me but dragged out a bit longer it could make an epic ending.

MP3: Newest News - Color Radio

Belated Promise Ring - Iron & Wine

I can't believe I've not bought an album by Iron & Wine yet, with such a soothing voice you are just drawn in to the music. I've had this track for a while and this is another one that's made Insound's top 50 free MP3s of the year.

MP3: Belated Promise Ring - Iron & Wine

Somewhere Near Oxford - The Bookclub

The first of two bands formed from now split Milburn, this one contains ex-Milburn member Joe Carnall plus an ex-Arctic Monkey in the form of Andy Nicholson, oh and you can tell but that's no bad thing...

MP3: Somewhere Near Oxford - The Bookclub

Lonely Tormentor - The Backhanded Compliments

Formed by two former members of Milburn and again you can tell. Obviously they all had a real passion for music, to be able to keep the enthusiasm going after having one crack at it. I hope they do well, there was obviously talent in Milburn, who brought it to the table I don't know. Maybe them all but it just didn't mix right, maybe.

MP3: Lonely Tormentor - The Backhanded Compliments

Dance Monkey, Dance - La Folie

Another Sheffield band and we've featured La Folie before, posting their excellent track Interlopers. Thanks to Sheffield Music Scene's birthday compilation we're now posting another quality track.

MP3: Dance Monkey, Dance - La Folie

That Look You Gave That Guy - Eels

Earlier in the month we featured Fresh Blood from Eels new album, now I have the recent single The Look You Gave That Guy. More of a mellow track than Fresh Blood and certainly shows the less rocky side of Eels.

MP3: That Look You Gave That Guy - Eels

Ledmonton - Clues

Another track now from the top 50 free tracks from Insound. Clues announced their presence last year with the Arcade Fire-esq Perfect Fit - I guess that's not a surprise as they have an ex-AF member in the band. Ledmonton is a sign that Clues wasn't a fluke and maybe I should reconsider buying their album.

MP3: Ledmonton - Clues

5 Steps / 7 Swords - Get Well Soon

I haven't had chance to listen to the lyrics properly yet to explain the songs title but I have heard enough to tell you Get Well Soon (German indie band) are back and on form. Previously we've posted their cover of Born Slippy and the excellent track If This Head Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting. This track has the essence of This Is Hardcore by Pulp.

MP3: 5 Steps / 7 Swords - Get Well Soon

I Heard It Through The Grapevine vs Feel Good Inc - Marvin Gaye vs Gorillaz

I was tipped off about this track on The World Forgot and as Billy points out the track is taken from DJ Hero. It's not a cover and it's not really a mash-up as such. Well not in my mind, Mash-ups for me are two songs that are laid over each other whereas this track mixes the two songs together, scratching at time. It works REALLY well.

MP3: I Heard It Through The Grapevine vs Feel Good Inc - Marvin Gaye vs Gorillaz

and that brings to the end the last playlist for this year. To finish off your playlist you just need to add the Wild Palms, Mansfield Holiday and thenewno2 and that should keep you entertained for a while.

Time To Cover

Wow I've just seen how long it is since I last posted and it's ages. Trouble is towards the end of the month I start concentrating on the end of month playlist and what with a new baby and new job I have less free time to listen to music never mind blog about it. I've been thinking about putting one of these covers on the end of the playlist for a while and they just keep mounting up. So I thought I'd let you all listen to the four, yes four covers of Time To Pretend by MGMT. Vote for your favourite on the top right hand side of the screen.

MP3: Time To Pretend - Knatterjack

MP3: Time To Pretend - Gareth Pearson

MP3: Time To Pretend - Paul Dempsey

MP3: Time To Pretend - Kaiser Chiefs

Lust For Life - Girls

I've not posted this track before as it's the lead track off Girls album and I didn't think they'd be up for giving it away for free. However I notice Insound have listed it in their top 50 free downloads so here you go, the third track from Girls we have featured on this blog. I guess that tells you about how highly we rate them.

MP3:
Lust For Life - Girls

Reverend Give Away Free Live Track

Reverend & The Makers are giving away a free live track to promote their 3CD package which they are releasing. The 3CD package has two live CDs and their latest album A French Kiss In The Chaos. The track was recorded in their home city of Sheffield and is one of my favourites off their first album. bandits tells the tale of a 'character' called John who is out gambling and drinking when he should be at home as they've got bills to pay. If you haven't got A French Kiss In The Chaos yet I think this is a great deal. The numbers are limited but if you do want it you can buy it from here.

MP3: Bandits (Live) - Reverend & The Makers

Confrontation - Mansfield Holiday

This band were recommended to us and so I thought I'd open it up for discussion. I think they show real promise so I thought I'd let Schonberg and Sas have a listen and see what they thought. Schonberg thought Mansfield Holiday had elements of Art Brut and Pigeon Detectives, perhaps lacking the wit and catchy choruses of those two. However he did say that "any band that quote The Wedding Present and The Smiths are alright by me." Sas felt they needed to work on their lyrics more, feeling no connection to them. I think they show potential and a band that are only just making their first steps in the world (2000 listens so far on Myspace) could surprise us when they hit that killer track. I look forward to you, Mr/Mrs Reader, adding your comments.

MP3: Confrontation - Mansfield Holiday

Over Time - Wild Palms

Quick one for you all today. This landed in my inbox last month and I've only just got around to checking it out. Wild Palms are releasing this track on Popular Recordings on 23rd November and it's a bit different from what I would usually post. It's got an eighties feel to it but beyond that I admit I don't know what I'm talking about. It's not an era that's a big favourite of mine but I like this track and I can feel the influences coming through. Anyway, I'm tired, that's all the gibberish you're getting today.

MP3: Over Time - Wild Palms

Fresh Blood - Eels

I think a lot of people from the UK will have a similar relationship to me as far as Eels go. After hearing Novocaine For The Soul and Susan's House in '96 there has not been much mainstream coverage apart from Hollywood film soundtracks - OK that's major mainstream but you get what I mean. The weird thing is you may think that from these tracks, such as Mr. E's Beautiful Blues, that Mark Oliver Everett (Eels is his project) is a happy go lucky kind of guy. Sadly this is not the case, he's had a tough time of it and this comes across in his songs. They tend to either be somber numbers or rocking out tracks. His story is something I may cover another time but let's stick with the music for now.

I had a friend who lent me a lot of their early stuff and I promptly went out and bought Soul Jacker, the 2001/2 release is rammed with tracks that you would enjoy and probably recognise as a hell of a lot of Eels tracks are used in TV and film sound tracks. I enjoy the rock side of Mark's mind and that's where Souljacker excels. The new album, Hombre Lobo, has a few of these tracks, Fresh Blood being one of them. While it may not hit the highs of Souljacker it already has me excited about the next album which is due to be released in 2010.

MP3: Fresh Blood - Eels

P.S. If you don't have Souljacker your music collection has a hole in it...

New Band - Hans Island

The manager of this unsigned band recently got in touch and claims to manage "the best unsigned band". I asked him to send me their signature tune and he had a problem, he couldn't decide from all their new material which is their best track. He eventually came around to this track and it's certainly a good introduction to the band.

MP3: In The Irwell - Hans Island

Yomp - thenewno2

Dhani Harrison is the main man behind thenewno2 but you may be more familiar with his late father George. Dhani and Hecks, co-founder of the group, chose the name so the band weren't always associated with Dhani's famous surname (sorry boys). I read somewhere that Dhani had a big hand in The Beatles version of Rock Band and the Yomp track was available as a download as part of that. As a person who was in to The Beatles when Anthology came out I was interested to hear what sound a Beatle son would create. Once I heard the track I could see why they wanted to be anonymous, the sounds good but the hype does it a disservice.

MP3: Yomp - thenewno2