White Lies News

White Lies have finally announced details of their debut album and their next single. This is the info that came through on email recently.

'To Lose My Life' Video Exclusive on MyspaceWhite Lies' new video for To Lose My Life will premier on My Space today. Go to myspace.com/whitelies to check out the video now. The video was shot by band friend and collaborator Andreas Nilsson, who also directed the Death video.

Debut Album and New Single out in January

The debut album To Lose My Life... will be out on January 19th, preceded by a single of the same name. Released on CD and 12" vinyl, we can confirm the album tracklisting as follows:

1. Death
2. To Lose My Life
3. A Place To Hide
4. Fifty On Our Foreheads
5. Unfinished Business
6. E.S.T
7. From The Stars
8. Farewell To The Fairground
9. Nothing To Give
10. The Price Of Love

The To Lose My Life single will also be out in January on the 12th. Label mates Filthy Dukes and Yuksek have provided remixes with the 3rd B-side being a brand new track Taxidermy."

As you can guess by the song titles they're a bit death obsessed but the two tracks I've heard from them so far have got me very excited. They're touring with Glasvegas at the moment but have their own tour in the new year, I might just check them out.

They're back!

The Sunshine Underground are back! Well kind of, they have posted two new songs on their myspace site www.myspace.com/thesunshineunderground but we might not get a new album until May of next year and for a major tour we'll have to wait until early next year. The new stuff sounds good but I've not had chance to listen to it much yet.

If you're sat there wondering "who are The Sunshine Underground" then get writing to Santa and ask for their fantastic debut album for Christmas, you can't go wrong. Have a listen to Borders or Commercial Breakdown on their myspace site.

Ray Gardner Is My Hero

When I was a kid I loved adverts, I spent far too much time in front of the TV doing nothing and I would often play the advert game. What you had to do was guess the product before the brand or product was shown. I got so good at it I used to be able to win even if I hadn't seen the advert before. My technique for winning was to not tell the other person we were playing until I'd got the first advert and then I was always one up!

Anyway, if you're from the UK I'm sure you remember the "You've been Tango'd" adverts where a fat guy painted Orange would walk up to someone and smack them on the chops. This caught on in school and everyone was smacking each other around the chops and saying "you've been Tango'd". Schools soon banned that, they spoiled all our fun.

As time moved on Tango tried to come up with a new advert and they came up with Ray Gardner and our friend Sebastien. Sebastien was a French exchange student who had tried Blackcurrant Tango (or BCT as Ray moves on to call it) and didn't enjoy it as much as Tango's other flavours. As a spokesperson for Tango, Ray replies to Sebastien as we'd all like to reply to petty complaints at work.



The music featured in the advert is Don't You Want Me by Felix and despite having been remixed and released many times before it was again released, this time with Ray Gardner on it. I remember by now I was going to clubs and every time this song came on blokes would (hilariously) pretend to strip down for a fight like Ray does in the video.

The track with Ray took a lot of finding but eventually I managed to track it down on eBay and so here it is for your listening pleasure.

MP3: Don't you want me ('96 pugilist mix) - Felix

Halloween Playlist

Sorry it's a bit late for some of you but we've just discovered Prison Break and stayed up late last night watching that instead.

MP3: Adams Family Theme
MP3: Psycho Theme
MP3: Ghostbusters
MP3: Munsters
MP3: Monster Mash
MP3: This Is Halloween - Danny Elfman
MP3: Beetlejuice
MP3: The Exorcist
MP3: The Halloween Song

Hopefully you can guess their links to Halloween, other suggestions that I haven't posted:

Thriller - Michael Jackson

Monster - Automatic

Shallow Grave Theme - Simon Boswell (that's really spooky)

(Waiting For The) Ghost Train - Madness

Ghost Town - The Specials (you could try the Prodigy version I posted yesterday)

Happy Halloween!

What's Wrong With The Mainstream - October '08

Having a holiday in September meant I was behind with my blog reading when I got back. The good news is that meant I had a wider array of songs to choose from for this month's playlist. I hope I chose the right ones.

I've added a couple more sites to the list of blogs I read down the right hand side. Added are The World Forgot and Neon Gold (that has replaced Good Weather For Airstrikes). Quite a few songs this month are from these sites so don't be shy, nip over there and see what they have to offer.

One Night In October - Little Comets

Des Lynam used to do it, in fact you could rely on him, Gary then continued the tradition and then all of a sudden it stopped. We sat there one Saturday night and suddenly it was missing. This year it was just the same. The confusion it must have cause the next morning must have been on a national scale. What am I talking about? Well the timely reminder that the clocks go back. Thankfully the Little Comets are here to remind us that the clocks go back.

MP3: One Night In October - Little Comets

Meccano - Red Light Company

Red Light Company are getting quite a lot of air play with their current single Scheme Eugene (getting a lot of play on my iPod at the moment). I'm excited as I'm going to see them at the tiny venue of The Louisiana in November. Enjoy this, their previous single.

MP3: Meccano - Red Light Company

Bitch Went Nuts - Ben Folds

This is for my good friend Q-Shoes, nothing to do with his ex (who's a lovely lady) but because he's a big fan of the piano playing maestro. I always thought he had issues (Ben not Q-Shoes) and this song just backs up my theory.

Sorry he uses the 'C' word in this, no not Christmas but funnily enough I have been called both C words on a football pitch, not sure where the guy was trying to say by calling me a Christmas tree but I was suitably offended.

MP3: Bitch Went Nuts - Ben Folds

Daylight - Matt & Kim

Another great piano based song that's doing the rounds on most blogs. Terrible band name but the song fits perfectly between the Ben Folds track and the Spinto Band song. You just thought I put these songs up in random order, shame on you! If you like this you can head over to RCRD LBL as they've got another Matt & kim song going for free.

Link: Daylight - Matt & Kim

Pumpkins & Paisley - The Spinto Band

From the band that brought you the fantastic Oh Mandy (not got it? download it Now ) a new album and not as much fuss this time. The songs alright but I've got a feeling they might not reach the heights of Oh Mandy again :-(

MP3: Pumpkins & Paisley - Spinto Band

Killer - Machines

I believe Machines have split up but that shouldn't stop me posting this song, after all "it's all about the music dude". I have to apologise as I can't remember which blog I got it off but they described them as sounding like Franz Ferdinand.

MP3: Killer - Machines

Casting Agents & Cowgirls - Busdriver

I can't put my finger on who these guys remind me of, I think at the start they sound a bit like Cypress Hill but after that I'm lost. It's something more friend Jimmy List would be in to and he like the Wu-Tang Clan.

MP3: Casting Agents & Cowgirls - Busdriver

UITC - We Plants Are Happy Plants

A track that wouldn't feel out of place in the War of the Worlds soundtrack. No words, just a dance track that's got an epic feel to it.

MP3: UITC - We Plants Are Happy Plants

When You're Not Around (Boys Noize Mix) - Frank Musik

I'm told the unremixed version of this is going to be massive. A new version of The Stranglers Golden Brown track but instead of "Golden Brown" it is "When You're Not Around". I look forward to hearing the single version.

MP3: When You're Not Around (Boys Noize Mix) - Frank Musik

I'd Be Lying - Greg Laswell

Singer-songwriter alert! I heard this the first time and wrote it off as another singer-songwriter song. It's not my type of music and James Morrison sits uneasily on my iTunes thanks to my wife. However, and it is a big however, if you don't want to walk around singing this song all day, don't listen to it. It's really catchy and much to my dismay I really like. Then again I try not to be a music snob so I hope you enjoy it too.

MP3: I'd Be Lying - Greg Laswell

Spaceman - The Killers

New material from Brandon et al. It's taken from a live performance they did on TV but I think it sounds promising.

MP3: Spaceman - The Killers

Ottoman - Vampire Weekend

MP3: Ottoman - Vampire Weekend

Paper Planes (Dskotek Remix) - M.I.A.

I've really got in to this track and I thought I'd post a remix to give you something a bit different from what the radio has been playing every five minutes.

Mp3: Paper Planes (Dskotek Remix) - M.I.A .

I Need A Life - Born Ruffians

Thanks to Winnie Cooper for this track (a blog not a character out of the wonder years, although I'm sure they're related). I actually heard an acoustic version of this on another blog first. If you like this version it might be worth you tracking the other version down.

MP3: I Need A Life - Born Ruffians

Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun

A blog I was reading described this as the track of 2008 so I had to give it a listen. I don't know whether it's because a lot of blogs tend to blow a lot of hot air or because every one's tastes are different but I wasn't surprised I was unimpressed by this song. Don't get me wrong it's a nice enough track but it wouldn't make my top ten of 2008. It sounds a bit like Fleetwood Mac or Midlake if you want a recent reference.

MP3: Walking On A Dream - Empire of the Sun

Back To Black (The Rumble Strips Remix) - Amy Winehouse

I believe this version's been around for a while and yes I know this songs been done to death but I thought it was worth posting. It brings a different slant on the song and it surprised me where The Rumble Strips went with it. I keep listening to it so that's a good sign.

Mp3: Back To Black (The Rumble Strips Remix) - Amy Winehouse

Ghost Town - Prodigy

I've been after this song for a while so I was grateful when Check The Availability posted it recently. Not a bad remix of the original classic.

MP3: Ghost Town - Prodigy

Mingus - I'm From Barcelona

I like songs with cities / towns in the title (they make playlists
easy) but I'm not sure about band names with Cities in them. Anyway this band talk about having a job you hate and getting home too late. Surely none of us feel like that. Oh and just because they're from Barcelona doesn't mean you can leave rude messages on their answerphone (sorry non UK readers that's a not so funny current affairs reference). Thanks to the not so differently titled "Mainstream Isn't So Bad...Is It?" blog for this track.

MP3: Mingus - I'm From Barcelona

Boneless - The Notwist

Right it's getting near 12 and it's getting near November. You'll have to wait until tomorrow for my Halloween playlist. Bet you can't wait. Anyway, enjoy The Notwist, a relaxing track that somehow gathers speed despite feeling slow.

MP3: Boneless The Notwist

Free stuff:

http://www.u-download.co.uk/ Is Universal's site for free downloads, you might want to pop along and see what they've got. There's remixes of Paris Is Burning, a Black Tide track and a Morrissey track for Schonberg and The Music remixed for Sillsy. Also a Courteeners live track and a couple of Noah and The Whale tracks. Oh and a Sugababes track, we're printing leaflets for one of their gigs at work at the moment. Wow I have an exciting job, not quite as exciting as when we printed Nelly's Pimp Juice posters but things will never be that exciting again.

The Hours are back and they are bringing in the heavy weights. Well the tall weights anyway. They have got Calvin Harris to remix their new track, not only that but they are giving away their biggest single off their first album Ali In The Jungle (can you guess who it's about?). To download it all you need to do is go to their home page and register to get their emails http://www.thehours.co.uk/

Long Blondes don't last so long

I have just read that the Long Blondes have split up, a shame as they took some time to grow on me, in fact I featured them in my Sheffield Bands post here.

I Missed A Couple

I'm hoping I've missed loads of good b-sides and you're all about to point them out to me. Just before you do I thought I'd better say that I deliberately didn't go for covers as I'm going to do a post of those in the not too distant future. However, I did forget to post a couple so here they are. The Stereophonics' song is from their early days and sounds just like Local Boy In The Photograph. The Lemonheads one I've been after for ages as my sister had it on a compilation tape and the person who made that only had the song on 7". I have since discovered the electric version which I think is fantastic.

MP3: Carrot Cake and Wine - Stereophonics
MP3: Different Drum (acoustic) - The Lemonheads

The B-Side Is Dead

Did I miss the day when the headlines were full of the fact you can no longer get your hands on a hard copy of a single? I trudged around Taunton last week trying to find the latest Courteeners single only to be told everywhere that they no longer sold singles! Even Woolies who used to have 25% of the singles market no longer sells them. Then again that was kids spending their pocket money on the cassette singles (even years and years after CDs came in).

So what does this mean? Well not a lot I guess, if I'm impulse buying a song I download it as I want it there and then. However, when it's a new band or a band I REALLY like I'll buy the single as I like to hear what they've got to offer from their b-sides. Usually it's not much but occasionally (and as I tried to put this post together I realise how occasional) there is an absolute gem on the b-side. Does this mean with singles being downloaded as a song on it's own we'll no longer get b-sides? Take White Lies latest single Death, all we got as a b-side was a remix, is this the shape of things to come? I hope not. Remember all those fantastic early Oasis b-sides, maybe we would have never heard Masterplan or Acquiesce. By the way, Sister Lover is another good Oasis b-side but like all their Be Here Now era music it's twice as long as it needs to be (hence why I went for the earlier song).

Below are a selection for you to enjoy some are great hidden gems, some are a bit of fun and ended up on Greatest Hits even though they were only a b-side (Space). I think that's more a reflection of Space than the quality of the song...

MP3: Jacket - The Courteeners
MP3: Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts - Arctic Monkeys
MP3: Snowed Under - Keane
MP3: D'Ya Wanna Be A Spaceman - Oasis
MP3: Valley - Doves
MP3: Sleeping Sun - Coldplay
MP3: Being Around - Lemonheads
MP3: Broken Window - Arcade Fire
MP3: We Are Monkeys - Travis
MP3: Spiders - Space
MP3: Huckleberry Grove - Ocean Colour Scene
MP3: Let Me Know - The Enemy
MP3: Hit By A Car - The Wonder Stuff
MP3: You Don't Amount To Much This Time - Embrace
MP3: It's A Boy - The Bluetones

All Yousendit links as Zshare wasn't working as I was trying to upload them.

Free The Pigeons

Over at rcrdlbl.com (RCRD LBL) they are giving away a b-side from The Pigeon Detectives. As they've asked for people to not rehost the song but instead point you in their direction, here is the link. (You only have to ask)

http://rcrdlbl.com/artists/The_Pigeon_Detectives/track/Get_Up_Get_Out

Who Keeps Deleting My Posts?

Someone or something keeps deleting my posts. If anyone out there knows why it's happening please let me know either by sending me an email or posting a comment.

Ta

PS I back them all up so I'll keep posting them until I find a reason why they are being removed.