Thursday 26 March 2015

The Big Country

On holiday in a foreign land (OK, it was only Wales) and I could hear a track getting played over and over again. I looked up and saw it was coming from a wild west style shooting game. I wandered over and really liked the tune, I couldn't quite place it but knew I recognised it. Could Shazam identify a tune out of a pay and play game? It sure could. The theme tune from The Big Country became the theme to my holiday. You've probably heard it from many adverts.


Sunday 22 March 2015

A 3WTM Playlist

It's been sometime but I'm finally back with a playlist. Since I used to do them regularly modes of getting music have improved and have only got cheaper. There may not be any free downloads but even when I did have permission to post them they still got take down so YouTube and Soundcloud will have to do. How you get those on to your generic MP3 player is up to you.

They may not be all songs outside of the mainstream but they're new songs to me since I've taken up Spotify Premium. Thanks to Chris and Neil (Schonberg) who gave me the gentle nudge towards streaming which has been around a good while but has been truely set free with more recent smart phones.

I've been listening to the likes of Foo Fighters, Blur, The Wombats, Mumford and Sons, Jamie T,  Paolo Nutini, The Go Team! and Noel Gallagher but these tracks below are the ones that have repeated play after play. I hope you like them too.

Cigarette Dreams - Cage The Elephant



Having revisited Reef's album Rides again recently it's clear that some bands don't have a real range to their music despite the excellent I've Got Something To Say and Sweety, how the later didn't make it on to their "Best Of" albums I don't know. Anyway Cage show on this track that they have that range that I didn't expect. I really like listening to this in the car, probably that he mentions driving in the rain. Great to enjoy another track of their's after the stonking track Shake Me Down.

Figure It Out - Royal Blood



I'm as late to this party as Greece with their loan payments but at least I could say I knew who they were when they performed at the Brits not long back.

Lampshades On Fire - Modest Mouse



Having enjoyed Float On all those years back, I've listened to a few of their tracks recently and Lampshades is the most upbeat one I've enjoyed the most.

Live For The Moment - The Sherlocks



I was surprised to hear these guys were from Sheffield after hearing the lead singer's voice. If I didn't know better I would have said this was The Courteeners by a different name. While they may trot out a cliche (not Liam Fry's style according to his lyrics) other than that they could from Manchester and on their fourth album - outdoing The Courteeners at their own game. I like it, shows promise.

Nasty - The Prodigy



With the new Prodigy album due out at the end of March I've been exchanging emails with my friend Simon who has been a fan for years. I think we both agree this, the lead single, is the strongest track we've heard out of the three released so far. The album is lining up to be good rather than spectacular but a welcome return nonetheless - previous album Invaders Must Die is/was an excellent album to run to.

Trainwreck 1979 - Death From Above 1979



When you get something like Spotify (other streaming providers are available) you're suddenly spoilt for choice and don't know where to start. Schonberg pointed me in the direction of Death (as well as suggesting I listen to Royal Blood again). Thanks Neil, I'm enjoying both.

Bathroom Tile Blues - The Orwells



In a recent blog I mentioned The Orwells who have been featured on the Apple advert. Having listened to their album I thought I'd point out one track I've been enjoying, Bathroom Tile Blues. Apart from the one I mentioned before this is the next stand-out track.

Let Go - The Very Best



Having someone from The Vaccines and Vampire Weekend play on your album is certainly a way to get you notice - well it worked for me. Senegalese / Malawian influences are on the album and there's certainly a Vampire Weekend feel to this.

Oh! Whiskey - Jim Goodwin



I have a friend who likes Doves, a bit, and whiskey, a lot. He should like this. I do.

Pedestrian At Best - Courtney Barnett



Recommended by my friend Steve and, first listen I thought it was average but I can't stop singing it after I've listened to it.

Take Off With You - LIFE



Hopefully you've kept up with this blog over recent times and have noticed I really like the band LIFE, still yet to release their debut album they do have a few tracks out there and a new EP due out in May. I'll bring you more about the song Go Go Go nearer that time but until then enjoy yet another strong track from this East Yorkshire band. Hopefully they'll make it to Bristol at some point as Hull is a hell of a long way to travel.

The Hunter - Slaves



I feel too old to like this band, not because older people shouldn't listen to this kind of music, more that it makes me feel like I kid. It makes me want to shout, to turn the volume up, to drive fast or even better to (snow) board fast. I'm enjoying Slaves, if you like this also check out Feed The Mantaray, another good track.

Psycho - Muse



A foot stomping return for Muse, nothing really new from them but a good strong track and a fair few listens in I would say it's better than anything on the last album.

Handsome - The Vaccines



I'm told that The Vaccines are all right to like, according to The Guardian. I think that puts some people off but I don't care. If they said they were uncool I'd still like them. A strong new track along side Melody Calling, I'm looking forward to the next album

All The Sad Young Men - Spector


Probably the first band I discovered through Shazam, and again as I heard the track (Chevy Thunder) again still not realising it was them. The album sadly was disappointing but their latest track above, alongside Don't Make Me Try means they've moved on a bit since then, sounding closer to White Lies which makes me excited to hear what the rest of the album will be like. I wait with baited breath.

I hope you enjoy the new tracks, comments always welcome, positive or negative about the tracks would be great.

Friday 20 March 2015

Friday Night Dinner - The Music

We've really enjoyed the first three series of Friday Night Dinner. A sitcom about a modern day Jewish English family who get together each Friday Night, you've guessed it, for dinner.

The two main tracks used, the title music and a track used half way through most episodes have a similar feel to them and one certainly has a familiar feel to it having featured on this blog some years ago.



I tend to steer clear of most remixes, I found them a waste of time and generally adding nothing, only taking away from the original. This certainly takes Miike Snow's Animal in another direction and creates a new, better track. Would I think that without having heard it many times on the programme? Probably not. I hope whether you've seen it or not, you enjoy it.



This you may recognise from the past, featured way back in 2009, worth revisiting as Friday Night Dinner have. Check the show out, very funny at times.