Now That's What I Call A Music Thread: 2009

[probablyoliver]

The Magnetic Fields cover on the ATQ album is fantastic, as is Cleveland, Untitled and Underwater. Pretty decent for a random find.

[METALMAN]

This will probably result in me being banned from posting in this thread ever again but I think that John Legend song is really good. Green Light I think it's called.

[YI]

John Legend is great. "Ordinary People" especially is a fucking tune.

And people hadn't heard of All-Time Quarterback? Jesus Christ. Walla used to do "Martin Youth Auxiliary" too, where he used to release material for free, some of it was really, really good.

Okay...2 songs into Franz Ferdinand...sounds like they've been listening to a lot of Hercules & The Love Affair. First tune is pretty awesome though.

Edited January 11, 2009 by YI

[Skummy]

ATP-wise, checking the line-ups again, I'd probably agree that the second one is a better overall line-up; though admittedly last time I saw The Breeders they really weren't very good, and I've already seen CSS, Holy Fuck, Shellac and Kimya Dawson too. Throwing Muses and Gang Of Four are selling me on that one.

The Fans Strike Back line-up, though, has better "one-off" acts; I'd give a limb to see Sleep, and Devo, Spiritualized, Jesus Lizard and Grails wouldn't go amiss either.

It looks like a couple of my friends are definitely going to the first, and a couple might be going to the second, and one or two maybe going to both. Currently for me it depends on if I can get the time off, and if I can afford it. At the moment, though, I'd be happy to go to either, although Vs The Fans still has the better upside for me.

[YI]

Hey, Clawson;

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...endID=104587194

Age?!?!?!!?!?! I don't think I want to know.

[TheRossWalker]

They're between 18 and 20, apparently.

I refuse to believe any of them are over 14.

[YI]

I'd let the drummer stretch my ball bag out over a snare and hammer out a drum solo....or you know...I'd just fuck her.

[probablyoliver]

kinky.

[Turbo Yannis]

They've got the token ugly member thing going for them...

I think I'm in love.

[YI]

They've got the token ugly member thing going for them...

She could breast feed a creche though.

[Regia]

Has anybody heard Japanese Cartoon?

and if they have, what do people think about the whole 'Lupe Fiasco is the front man' rumour?

[probablyoliver]

I haven't, but now i'm interested.

[Regia]

apparently this new band 'Japanese Cartoon' has Lupe as the front man, doing a Faux-British accent. both the band and Lupe have said he isn't, but have also said he is close friends with the band and is a producer.

But if you listen to 'Heirplanes' it sounds quite a lot like him, with a Faux-British accent.

[Dan]

I don't know where else to put this...but holy fuck.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kL3enVPDuF0

[YI]

:::ALBUMS OF THE WEEK:::

It's early days in 2009, but there's been a few really solid albums doing the rounds in the early going. Let's see what they are;

1. "STAY HOME" by TRANSIT

http://www.myspace.com/transitma

A 7-track EP from this American punk-rock outfit, who are already being hotly tipped among the scene as a potential breakout band for the forthcoming year. It's rocking stuff, and they even pull out a solid cover of legendary Get Up Kids' track, "I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel". Only thing I'm not feeling is the token acoustic number, doesn't really suit their style. I do really like the singers voice, especially when he's not being that 'gruff' and singing higher, reminds me of early days Jesse Lacey at times (especially in "Stays The Same").

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Stay Home", "Riverside" and "Nameless (Songs To Static)".

IF YOU LIKE: "Polar Bear Club", "A Wilhelm Scream", "Lipona", "The Swellers", "Hot Water Music" etc.

2. "REFORMATION" by LUCCA

http://www.myspace.com/djlucca

Okay, I admit, I only listened to her because she was hot, but her stuff is amazing. IDM sometimes runs the risk of being too far up its own arse and weird, turning it into the kind of shit nobody could dance too, defeating the purpose of it to begin with. Techno is sometimes too cheesy and 'over the top' with no real feeling of substance to it, meaning that outside of a few times, it has no real staying effect. DJ Lucca manages to blend the two together perfectly making an album that makes you want to dance, but still holds material that you can appreciate whatever mindset you are in.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Crank", "Teleport", "Woodblocker" and "Bodydance".

IF YOU LIKE: ...fuck knows, I tend to not really listen to stuff like this, normally all about the Trance ('FULL ON!').

3. "THE MUSIC MAKES ME SICK" by IT'S A MUSICAL

http://www.myspace.com/itsamusicalberlin

This actually leaked in the summer of last year and was released on Morr Music, a label that is home/has been home to the likes of; Styrofoam, Electric President, Bobby & Blumm etc. But it's receiving a UK release this year, so it counts to be part of this (¬_¬). It's A Musical are an obscenely cute twee-pop band from Berlin, their electro twinged tunes are some of the cutest I have heard in a long-long time. The title track especially has the most fantastic, highly cheesy, piano lead line, which if you don't fall in love with on first listen, you clearly have no soul. One of those albums that makes you reflect on the fact that at the end of the day, music is meant to be fun.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "The Music Makes Me Sick", "You Make Me Real", "Lazy" and "Ball Of Joy".

IF YOU LIKE: "The Bird and The Bee", "Headlights", "Bobby & Blumm" and "The Submarines".

4. "TONIGHT: FRANZ FERDINAND" by FRANZ FERDINAND

http://www.myspace.com/franzferdinand

Okay, Franz Ferdinand have been listening to too much Of Montreal and Hercules & The Love Affair, recently. But it seems to work for the most part. I absolutely detested the 2nd album, but as a whole this is probably the best overall release that they've put out (but it's been a while since I've revisited the first album, so I may be wrong). There's some absolutely quality tracks on here, where they're really pushing the boat out. A great amount of variation on here. I'm really loving the acoustic closer, and then there's the weird and wonderful 8-minute epic "Lucid Dreams" too.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Twilight Owens", "Lucid Dreams", "Katherine Kiss Me" and "Ulysses".

IF YOU LIKE: "Of Montreal", "Franz Ferdinand ()", "Hercules & The Love Affair" and "Hot Hot Heat".

5. "TO LOSE MY LIFE" by WHITE LIES

http://www.myspace.com/whitelies

I've been waiting for this release for the best part of a year now, and I finally got hold of it. And I guess, I'm a little disappointed. I mean, it seems like a solid album, but that's it. When I heard them play a bunch of these tracks (or, well, tracks, can't particularly remember them or if they made it on here) at Leeds, they seemed a lot better. The re-recordings of "Unfinished Business" and "Death" aren't that good too, the ending to the new "Unfinished Business" is shit, all the drive is gone, and taking out the female part ruins it. They sound too 'busy' I guess, like there's just like a 'mush' of sound in the middle, it doesn't feel haunting anymore. It's kind of "Agony & Irony" by Alk3 feel, in that the 'darkness' seems far too manufactured (albeit nowhere near as bad), so it loses its edge. Still a selection of solid songs and I'm happy to finally have an album, it just could have been so much better.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Farewell To The Fairground", ""E.S.T.", "Unfinished Business" (give me the original version back ) and "A Place To Hide".

IF YOU LIKE: "Interpol", "She Wants Revenge", "Joy Division" and "Echo & The Bunnymen".

And while he's having his personal problems, I'm sure we'd all like the remember Gazza at the high point of his career...his illustrious music career as guest vocalist for Lindisfarne;

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=T1urq4Vb0XM

Edited January 12, 2009 by YI

[METALMAN]

White Lies is shite. Massive disappointment. It's A Musical look good. I will be checking them out.

[probablyoliver]

www.myspace.com/championsofhistory

www.myspace.com/cannonstheband

the two bands to come out of Bear vs. Shark, they're both wonderful.

[Regia]

I don't know where else to put this...but holy fuck.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=kL3enVPDuF0

That has to be the best cover of it I've ever heard. Sounds kind of haunting though, but that adds to its greatness.

[YI]

[TheRossWalker]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00gk...he_Live_Lounge/

This was the first time in fucking ages I've listened to Radio One, and it was purely by accident (well, by Galaxy being even more wank that usual), so when I heard the words "Frank Turner" I wasn't going anywhere. Caused me to miss afternoon registration, but I'll live. The bit with Frank starts at 2:13:08. He talks for a fair bit, including a bit about the Gaslight tour, and says he's coming on tour again in September, and he sings "Reasons Not To Be An Idiot" and covers Take That's "Greatest Day", which is epic. Good listen.