YI And His Special Music Corner

[RPS]

New Cadence Weapon is alright. The first single, In Search Of The Youth Crew, is pretty ace but everything else is meh. I agree with the Pitch4k review.

[YI]

Coming a day early this week as I'm awake, and don't have to be in work until 12, when I originally thought it was 10...grrr.

10 ALBUMS YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING WITH...TRACK DOWN...USE AS A BEERMAT...FEED TO HOMELESS CHILDREN...THIS WEEK

1. "Sink Or Swim" by The Gaslight Anthem - 2007 - Punk-Rock

I absolutely adore this album. I absolutely adore this band. Great fusion blues-rock and punk, with a singer that's been described by many as the punk-rock Springsteen. Not sure I'd go that far. But his vocals are amazing. So much passion and intensity in every word he sings. It's one of those albums you can just go back and listen to over and over again. As all the songs are so anthematic and each time you go back you just can't help but sing along more and more. Yes. Literally sing along. It's just one of those albums that's still so fresh after about a year of listens, I truly feel that it could go down as one of the great albums of this generation. Absolutely nothing pretentious about it in the slightest. Just amazing rock music. Every time I go back to it, the songs I enjoy the 'least', I find myself enjoying more and more. "Boomboxes & Dictionaries" was my least favourite (probably still is), but I still love it. And "1930" has went from one of my least favourites to one of my favourite 3/4 tracks on the entire thing. It's such an epic release.

2. "Colma" by Buckethead - 1999 - Prog-Rock

Well, after the whole Slash/Buckethead debate. I decided to delve back into my Buckethead catalogue. Not something I do anywhere near enough, but it's just so big and epic, you don't really know where to begin. I mean, "Colma" is my favourite album, but it doesn't really 'ease you into' any of his other work. And that's what sets Buckethead apart from a lot of the other guitar virtuoso's for me. For those who think he's all guitar wankery, get this one (and some of the Death Cube K stuff) in your ears. Quite possibly the most beautiful music I've ever heard. The melodies are so fucking good. Just...what an album. Even the 'solo' parts, such as "Big Sur Moon" are done in such a way that it's still so atmospheric and beautiful. It's stuff like this why I appreciate guys like Buckethead and Pat Metheny etc.

3. "KYTE (EP)" by KYTE - 2008 - Post-Rock/Electro

This band has so much potential. One of the best things coming out of England in a long time. A great blend of sweet melodies, dreamy vocals and sweeping electronics. The mixture of live band and electronics is generally quite a tough one to do. I mean, tossing in a 'synth' is one thing. But having a band unit, mixing in full electronics is hard to do succesfully, but they've managed it rather well. For such a small band, putting out what I believe is their first release, the production is AMAZING. Last year so a hell of a lot of post-rock releases, most of the bands sounding suspiciously similar (track down an album by a band called "From The Sky"...actually don't, it wasn't great...it is 'literally' "Explosions In The Sky"), and I could probably say in short that KYTE are Explosions In The Sky with vocals, but that would be undermining their talent. As what they've done is put together their own distinct style with influences from the likes of Sigur Ros, iLiKETRAiNS etc. Definately a band to look out for.

4. "Searching For The Hows And Whys" by Get Cape Wear Cape Fly - 2008 - Acoustic-Electro/Indie

Such a beautiful album. I've given it a lot of a listens since I first commented on it last week, and right now, I'm ranking it as a better album than his debut. Granted, it's not as easily accessible. It doesn't have the tunes that 'stand out' to the level of "Once More with Feeling", "I-Spy" or "Call Me Ishmael", but as a whole the entire thing is absolutely amazing. You've got the bittersweet "Moving Forward" where Duckworth utilises soft, whispery vocals similar to "Honey & The Moon" by Joseph Arthur, to great effect. You've got the likes of "Young & Lovestruck" which blends in his electronics, and is basically keeps going at 100mph throughout. Then the incredibly catchy first single, "Find The Time". All the way through he has variations on his 'formula' to keep this sounding incredibly fresh, which I was worried about coming into this album. And you've also got the well worked cameo from Kate Nash, on "Better Things". Which hands down should be a single.

5. "Catch Without Arms" by Dredg - 2005 - Art-Rock/Prog-Rock/Indie

"Look what I have found/A seashell in a sea of shells".... Absolutely amazing album. And one I've totally forgotten about. Most fans seem to prefer "El Cielo", but for me, I think I'm all about "Catch Without Arms". Dredg are part of that 'prog-rock' group that aren't like the heavier...'metal'...side, but are instead the more artsy-fartsy, sweet melodies kind like Mew and Moving Mountains. I remember getting this album on its release and be blown away. From the powerful 3 opening tracks, with the insanely catchy "Bug Eyes". To the beautiful tracks like "Sang Real" and "Spitshine". To the more rock tracks like "Hungover On A Tuesday". It's such a great album. Maybe a little too much on the 'U2 guitar effects pedal', but for the most part it actually sounds good, and not borderline ridiculous like it did with Angels & Airwaves.

....I can't be arsed to write anymore.

6. "Broken With No Hope" by Mike Hale - 2008 - Acoustic/Singer-Songwriter

7. "Brain Thrust Mastery" by We Are Scientists - 2008 - Rock/Indie

"When we fight, it's not about things you think we'd fight about, like music. It's about like, I'll wear Joel's socks and he'll be like, 'Dude...dude...I told you not to wear my socks, dude...you know I like my socks...Benji...dude, oh are those my boxers, too??Dude ooh...ohh...do you have to go there??? Dude...dude!!!' And then we're like in the studio in this really important part of the song and I'll be like 'What do you think we should do??' I don't care...are those my boxers?? DUDE!!!"

Benjamin Madden of Good Charlotte

8. "Nothing's Lost" by Styrofoam - 2004 - Electro-Pop

9. "I'm What's There To Show That There's Something Missing" by Styrofoam - 2003 - Electro-Pop

10. "Putting Two And Two Together" by Scallywagon - 2002 - Punk-Rock

Edited March 5, 2008 by YI

[IAceI]

Does It Offend You, Yeah? leaked and I got hold of it. I have to say, after one full listen to it I'll definitely be going back to it.

My first instinct is that it's fucking good. Which isn't normally my first instinct on many albums, but I definitely like this one and will going back to it more than once for sure.

Lots of good stuff on there, "Being Bad Feels Pretty Good" was good, and so was "Weird Science". "With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)" was awesome and it was just really really good.

Plus they have a track named "Attack of the 60 ft Lesbian Octopus", what's not to love?

[Cactus Drags]

I meant to mention them a while ago, but anyone heard of Minipop? They're ace, singer's got a really nice voice.

[YI]

Random, semi-drunk ramblings (actually relatively sober by the time I finished ).

As far as free music goes. Electric President/Radical Face/Iron Orchestra buy whose name I cannot remember has a shitload of free downloads of random stuff on his site;

http://www.radicalface.com/downloads.html

I haven't got anything yet. Although the thought of him using "MTV Music Generator" to sequence 'real' music is fucking hilarious. If you go around his site you can also 'stream' a lot of songs too, from his 'major' projects (Electric President/Radical Face/Iron Orchestra).

Oh My God! Zero To Sixty..90's style punk-rock....it's like having 88 Fingers back...it's....beautiful. Glenn Porter's voice is actually sounding much better now than it used to be in his 88 Fingers Louie days. The songs are unashamably catchy. You've got "Catastrophe Awaits" wouldn't sound amiss on Rise Against's "Revolutions Per Minute". It even sees Porter putting in his best Tim Mcllrath at the start. The rest are generally 'slower' style songs. Incredibly catchy. They've got a bit of an Avail/Jawbreaker feel to them. It's a breath of fresh air when a lot of punk-rock bands/fans think you have to be 'fast' to be good. I've basically had "Give In To This" on repeat for the best part of half an hour. This is epic.

And everyone should listen to "Hand Grenade Serenade", it literally sounds like an electric Against Me!, but recorded by 3 blokes in a 5x5 shed.

On a similar note, check out "Rain Over Battle" aka. Bennett Wales. His demo EP, "Bennett Wales Is Starting The Battle"...amazing. It wont be to everyones tastes, purely for the fact it's one guy strumming an electric guitar, screaming his fucking lungs out...but christ almighty. It's bloody marvellous. The kid's only 16 as well!!! His voice is absolutely amazing. http://www.myspace.com/rainoverbattle - "A Multiple Party Perspective" is an awesome tune.

"(Stand By Your) Manatee" off the new Nerf Herder album is one of the best named songs in a long while. Really catchy tune too.

Still no fucking Styrofoam about...niggers...

After a discussion tonight, and about half an hour of trying to remember the bands name...what the fuck happened to Hot Action Cop?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubxf3F0CULE

That song was fucking bitchin'. Total 'one hit' wonders though.

About 6 months late, but the story of some 'fan' yelling "Get your muff out" at Kate Nash, only for Ryan Jarmin to throw a pint glass at his face, his amazing...if not purely for the use of the word "muff", vastly underused.

"I think it's woken me up to a few things, and you do become complacent. As well as being anti something, you've got to be pro something. So you're anti racism, so what are you pro? You're pro community. I would put my hand on my heart and I'd attach myself to socialist ideas. Because I believe in society. And it's bollocks that black people have any less worth in society than white people, which is basically what people like the BNP say."

Pete Doherty of The Libertines

The new Headlights release, "Some Racing, Some Stopping" has started to grow on me a bit. I was listening to it yesterday morning. A lot more laid back than the first album. "Cherry Tulips" is one hell of a song. So 60's pop.

Teenage Bottlerocket make me miss "Screeching Weasel" so much.

"Chick Lit" by We Are Scientists is still so good it nearly melts my face off.

I think it's important to note that at this point, I did in fact fall asleep for about 20 minutes.

What order would you do Los Campesinos!?

Ginger > Brunette = Bassist (Although bassist looks fittest in "Tweexcore" video..and there she looks nice...she's hit and miss more than the other brunette, especially in 'real life' shots...and she's more rotund) > the singer (he has pretty hair. )...the other three can watch.

Oppenheimer are fucking class;

Can't wait to see them with Frank Turner and hopefully pick up their CD.

Can someone explain why the relatively attractive girl hangs out with the rest of the knobs in Hadouken!?;

How sexy is Jenny Lewis?

Edited March 6, 2008 by YI

[IAceI]

Los Camp!

1. Aleksandra or whatever, the russian lead singer chick

2. the violinist, Harriet is it?

3. the bass player

4. the skinny, scruffy guitar guy - he seems funny so i'd deep dick his arsehole ¬_¬

5. the singer (Gareth?) for his hair

6. the drummer - Tweecore - he looks gay in that pic

7. the other one

Hadouken are cool, and the lass is alright. I like them anyways >_<

Jenny Lewis is a Goddess and I sent you that picture and I demand credit.

[YI]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n0JPNlr75-A

Alex Turner of the "Arctic Monkeys" joins forces with Mikes Kane of "The Rascals" and Owen Pallett/Final Fantasy to present, "The Last Shadow Puppets". That's the first single, "The Age Of Understatement".

DAMN! It took me a while to get used to Turner outside of the 'Monkeys, his voice seems weird elsewhere, but as the song went on I started to enjoy it more and more. Epic sounding track.

The album drops April 21st.

[ADG]

And the video's already deleted

The song is here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=47aaF9cJMrA

Edited March 6, 2008 by ADGray

[YI]

That's gone too...lets all just stare at Jenny Lewis for a while then;

New link...thanks Ollie;

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dlPVuIDsCag

Edited March 6, 2008 by YI

[Dan]

www.theageoftheunderstatement.com

Or you can just watch it on there.

[YI]

BACK AGAIN...BACK AGAIN...BACK AGAIN...BACK AGAIN!!!

Death Cab For Cutie's first single off forthcoming album "Narrow Stairs", "I Will Possess Your Heart" will be released March 18th. The album version of the track clocks in at the best part of 8-minutes, and is cut down for the radio edit. This means that alongside "I Will Possess Your Heart" there's also the 9-minute opener "Bixby Canyon Bridge", which is just weird for DCFC. But it's really refreshing to see a band really changing things up with each record. They had the nice 'light' record in "Plans", which was awesome, but I'm hoping/sensing a more "Photo Album"+ feel this time round.

MTV News have already given the album a favourable review, which hopefully means the thing might find its way to leaking soon ();

In short, it's the album on which Death Cab make the leap, graduating from one of indie's premiere acts to one of the best bands in the country, a formidable and fearless outfit existing at the exact intersection of critical acclaim and commercial success. This kind of thing only happens when bands stop trying to be all things to all people, shut themselves off from the outside world, and simply play. If they're good enough — and clearly, Death Cab are — then greatness follows. It's what happened to Radiohead on OK Computer, or Beck on Odelay or even the White Stripes on Elephant. And now you can add Death Cab for Cutie to the conversation, and whether Narrow Stairs has the same cultural impact as any of those other albums remains to be seen — I'm not even sure any of their fans are gonna buy it — but suffice it to say, it deserves to be heard by as many people as possible.

Edited March 7, 2008 by YI

[The Chief]

Death Cab For Cutie's first single off forthcoming album "Narrow Stairs", "I Will Possess Your Heart" will be released March 18th.

[The Chief]

that article also describes the single - "Like the first four-and-a-half minutes of "I Will Possess Your Heart," a propulsive whirl of stalking bass line, spindly guitars and stabbing piano."

sounds like whats on the promo video on the homepage?..

DeathCabforCutie.com

[YI]

that article also describes the single - "Like the first four-and-a-half minutes of "I Will Possess Your Heart," a propulsive whirl of stalking bass line, spindly guitars and stabbing piano."

sounds like whats on the promo video on the homepage?..

DeathCabforCutie.com

[The Chief]

hmm im not seeing it on .com or .co.uk

edit>

found

http://www.amazon.com/I-Will-Possess-Your-...t/dp/B0015BXI7U

Edited March 7, 2008 by The Chief

[YI]

It's official. "Machine 15" by Millencolin is the biggest pile of fucking shit put out this year, and I've heard Soulja Boy. Seriously, when the best song on an album is 51 seconds of what sounds like a bloke banging a pipe in an abondoned warehouse, you know you fucking suck.

All the songs are so slow, there's no drive, and they totally lack the Millencolin charm. "Detox" has somewhat of the 'bouncy' Millencolin vibe, but it sounds far too much like "The Young & The Hopeless" era Good Charlotte...in fact that's a recurring theme throughout the album.

Pile of fucking shite. Which is a shame seeing as I felt like "Kingwood" was a great album, a lot better than people gave it credit for.

I hate to say this about 'legendary' bands...but pack it in fellas, or stop writing wank material.

Edited March 7, 2008 by YI

[YI]

As revealed by the band on some radio show;

"Letter Home" is going to be the new Strung Out single and video!

Edited March 8, 2008 by YI

[IAceI]

Four Year Strong are awesome. And they can be very FOB and very screamy too, they could theoretically be played mainstream but still get away with heavy riffs and screaming voals at times.

They need to pimp Bada Bing! Wit A Pipe! more though, that's immense.

[Steeb]

Fuck yeah! New CTTS? Awesome

Non-Objective Portrait Of Karma is THE best screamo song ever.

[Gazz]

What order would you do Los Campesinos!?

Ginger > Brunette = Bassist (Although bassist looks fittest in "Tweexcore" video..and there she looks nice...she's hit and miss more than the other brunette, especially in 'real life' shots...and she's more rotund) > the singer (he has pretty hair. )...the other three can watch.

Ginger's an ignorant bitch though, totally ignored me when I tried to talk to her.

The Bassist (Ellen) for the win, especially with her new short, blonde hair and girls + bass = hot.