Christmas Soundtrack - Elf

If there is one thing we love in our house it's Christmas. As soon as December 1st arrives we're straight out to get our real tree and it's up with the decorations. Then it's weekends full of Christmas shopping with family as they all visit to enjoy our Christmas wonderland. We even plan out our choice of films and high on the list is always Elf. It is such as light hearted, wonderful Christmas film with my favourite line "I like smiling, smiling's my favourite"

This track is taken from the scene where he is hit by a taxi, sorry if I've spoiled the film for you if you've not seen it before. A real jingle bells, piano tinkling version of the classic.

MP3: Sleigh Ride - Ferrante and Teicher

Bristol Scene: Dr Meaker

What happens if you blend Massive Attack’s progressive beats with Amy Winehouse’s soulful sounds?
You’d get latest musical creation coming out of Bristol, Dr Meaker

Well that's what there press release says, I feel Dr Meaker has more of a reggae influence than anything else but, thanks to their promoters you should be able to listen to his music on the player below.

How do I know Dr Meaker? Well I don't, I know the gentleman who deals with promotion via texts and emails.

Bristol Scene: ElektroOrganik

Elektroorganik are Dave Fellows (left) and Dean Gardner (right) and they produce soulful, funky, house music (my description not theirs). Again, not the kind of music that gets great coverage on my blog. They've recently kitted out their own studio and are going from strength to strength.

"Over the past year they’ve had releases on Queep, Double Shock Recordings and their latest track "Revolutions" on Duffnote, featuring a host of soulful remixes. "Revolutions" is the 4th ElektroOrganik release to feature the musical talents of Christian Fontana, a singer/songwriter from London who regularly teams up with the boys to deliver their unique sound. Revolutions also appears on Ministry of Sound’s Stereo Sushi Volume 11 compilation. Recognition of their work has been proved through remixes by the likes of Richard Earnshaw, Danny Jones, Roberto De Carlo, MIAR, Tim Richards and Tom Belton." - taken from their MySpace site.

How do I know ElektroOrganik? I'm friends with Dean through a friend of my wife's.

Bristol Scene: Chikinki

As the bands get better the link between myself and them becomes more tenuous but more of that later. Chikinki are a great band who are currently holed up in Germany where I believe they are having some success. They are a quality guitar band with an electronic mix, well that's the best way I can describe them anyway. I saw them play in Bristol a few years back and their extrovert front man is at sharp contrast to his shy guitarist but it makes for a great mix. I definitely recommend Assassinator 13 which is off their debut album, Lick Your Ticket which is a lyric from that song. Below is an acoustic version of Ether Radio, also from their first album, which was used on a Saab advert.

MP3: Ether Radio (acoustic) - Chikinki/

How do I know Chikinki? Well I don't directly, my wife's boss is the brother of the guitarist Ed. So we buy their singles and albums to support them but to be honest that's not a hardship as they're a great band - even the guy in Virgin (as it was then) was complimenting my choice when I bought the first album.

Visit their web site at http://www.chikinki.co.uk/ or their Myspace site www.myspace.com/chikinki.

Bristol Scene: Call The Doctor

Following on from Laid Blak, we now have Call The Doctor. A very new, unsigned band who I have just managed to get my mits on a few of their demos. The band includes former front man for The Vigin Stages, Rob Hallworth who is now concentrating more on writing and only adds backing vocals and guitar to lead singer Rachel Aberhart. Rachel's vocals are really strong and judging by the pictures she looks a great lead singer.



Sadly I can't bring you a picture of the band as a whole but these pics are taken from their MySpace site. Below is a demo from the band and also a demo from The Virgin Stages limited edition demo CD. They played at The Louisiana don't you know. Visit Call The Doctor's MySpace site.

MP3: 4 Leafed Clover (demo) - Call The Doctor.

MP3: To Never Know - The Virgin Stages

How do I know Call The Doctor? My wife is a former house mate of Rob's (and two of the other band members of The Virgin Stages).

Bristol Scene: Laid Blak

When reading other people's blogs I get a bit envious, there's music journalists, people setting up labels and friends of bands. I'm just a music fan writing about music I like / have heard. Or am I? When I started to think about it I know more people involved with making music than I originally thought. Soooo I thought I'd write about the people I do know and point you in their direction.

Laid Blak

"Laid Blak takes it's inspiration from city street life. From people, from history, from the good and bad in everyone, from humour, from heavy weight musicians through the years, from the blak and the white, from harmony and from the fight.

Whether your thin or fat or white or black, don't worry about that, just let your body rock nonstop." (Joe Peng - Lead Vocalist)

"Laid Blak represent 'good vibes' street music. The central influences come from Reggae, from RnB, from Hip Hop and Soul. The music has been described as 'Street Soul'. It is Bristol Music, where JA meets UK. As a group of musicians and vocalists we have been brought up on Marley, Studio One, Stevie Wonder, Carnival Music, Marvin Gaye, Gospel and church music....so we just mash it all up and see what comes out......" - take from their MySpace site.

As you can read above their music isn't the usual kind of music that appears on this blog but I recommend trying the track below, it's a two minute taster, if you like it they're on iTunes.

MP3: Red (sampler) - Laid Blak

Or get a full length free mashup by DJ Bunjy

MP3: http://www.zshare.net/download/12781672dfa7bde7/

How do I know them? I play football with Bar, their guitarist, or as I know him, the Maradona of the Downs.

Best of '08: Best Album Goes To...

... The Courteeners - St. Jude

Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised to find out that my favourite album of 2008 is The Courteeners' St. Jude album. So much music gets over hyped on the internet and when you only have a few songs to go on it is difficult to know whether the album will be any good when it finally comes out. This album didn't disappoint, in fact I had to take it out of my car to stop me over playing it.

The album starts off strongly and doesn't stop. The album's upbeat, has guts and puts you in a good mood when you listen to it. Opening on Aftershow you can't help but shouting "thin" as Liam describes his ex's new bloke as "only average looking and a little bit too... THIN".

Then there is a run of three absolutely fantastic songs, Cavorting, Bide Your Time and What Took You So Long? Over the next eight songs the band take you through relationships with lovers, music and so called friends. A great modern day album, if you haven't bought it yet I definitely recommend you do.

MP3: Aftershow - The Courteeners

Best of '08: Best Freebie - The Charlatans

By far and away the best freebie of '08 has to be The Charlatans "You Cross My Path" album. It can be risky giving away hours of work, thousands of pounds spent in the recording studio and blood, sweat and tears no doubt. However it has made me a fan again of The Charlatans and don't feel too sorry for them, they released a BBC sessions album shortly after to take advantage of any new fans as well as those ever so loyal fans. The album is no longer available free on XFM's web site I am told so if you've not got it yet I recommend buying it.

I've posted one song from this album already (This Is The End), I'm not sure which is my favourite but Bad Days always sticks in my head after I've listened to it.

MP3: Bad Days - The Charlatans

I would say the only freebie that can even come close is White Lies giving away Unfinished Business. Such a good track to give away, it certainly worked with me, I can't wait for the album.

Best of '08: Most Played Album - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) by Cloud Cult

I was first made aware of Cloud Cult back in February by All Things Go and slowly over time I grew to like the song Zack had posted. I then searched out a few other songs by Cloud Cult and then in September, yes it took that long, I bought the album. My wife and I haven't stopped listening to it since. It is such a beautiful album, it is such a shame that their music is the reflection of tragedy. The lead singer and partner lost their child back in 2002 and speak of their grief in their songs. This, the final song on the album is written as if it is their son saying goodbye (that's my interpretation). A friend of mine recently lost his son and it always makes me think of him and hope he's OK. Sorry if that's just depressed everyone.

MP3: Love You All - Cloud Cult

Best of '08: Best Parody - Somerset Boy

My Best of '08 continues with my favourite parody of '08. Now you have to remember that for the past four and half years I have been working in Somerset and it's unique, in a good way. Most of the money is from the land and so you get this real mix of small town people and farmers. The local boy racers drive Landrover Defenders and Bristol (45 miles from Taunton) is considered a real day out. This parody by Chris Moyles and Dave Vitty hits it right on the head.

MP3: Somerset Boy - Carrie's Cousin and Kanye Westcountry

Thanks again to chrismoyles.net for this.