A nice little shuffle

It's the question that music obsessives hate even more than, "do you really need a fifth copy of that?" It's the moment when the brain melts and it becomes impossible to act rationally. It's the moment when somebody says, "so, what are your top three songs of all time."

How are you supposed to be able to answer that off the top of your head? It depends on the weather, time of year, the bloody time of day on some occasions. You can't just nail three songs on, can you? Or can you? I try from time to time and get abso-bloody-lutely nowhere. I keep using bloody today. I'm trying to avoid too much fucking near the start of the piece. Ah well, not to worry.

Anyway, the good lady wanted her mp3 player filling up prior to a long journey and was sat alongside me as we scrolled through a quite disturbing number of tracks in iTunes. Now, I still don't find this anywhere near as satisfying as rummaging through the racks for hours on end, but it offers a different perspective on the collection. What it's really good at is throwing up odd songs that you'd pretty much forgotten about. 4 Non Blondes anyone? Clarence Carter's 'Patches'? Oh yes, just two of the delights I heard again this afternoon.

As these long-ignored tracks blare out, you suddenly find yourself thinking how good they are. Before long you're vowing to listen to them regularly, only for them to slip into oblivion as quickly as they came forth.

So, rather than do a 'my favourite tunes' piece, I thought I'd embark on a shuffling project. I know it's not a new idea, just look at most music based message boards right now and you'll see this topic with umpteen replies. But, as I find it makes me dig out old records and influences my listening habits for the week, it might make interesting reading. Where possible, I'll include the opportunity to hear the songs I refer to. Right then, let's get this going with...

1. Maximo Park - Nosebleed

Loved 'Our Earthly Pleasures' more than I could ever have imagined. I'd written Maximo Park off as another one of those 'famous for fifteen' indie types. I was, quite unreservedly, wide of the mark on that one. Both of their albums to date have the feel of a 'Greatest Hits' collection about them, and this is a fine example of why. Any album that can overlook this, and yet still release four singles as fan-fucking-tastic as 'Our Velocity', 'Books From Boxes', 'Girls Who Play Guitars' and 'Karaoke Plays' must be doing something right. Can't recommend them enough, and from what I've witnessed of them on telly and in print they seem like truly splendid chaps.

This performance of the track is from the Glasto 2007 footage that convinced me of their genius once and for all. Enjoy.

2. Super Furry Animals - Y Gwyneb Iau

I have to be honest about this one. When it first started I couldn't be absolutely certain what it was. It is, it transpires, a lovely little tune. I'm accustomed to taking 'Mwng', the album from which this is taken, in one sitting as a result of having little understanding of the song titles, and thus the lyrics. Any Super Furries fans reading this who don't have this little gem of a record should set about rectifying that oversight. It catches Gruff et al just before everything had to be quite so BIG. As close to a bare bones record as they've ever done, it contains some splendid moments, in particular Ysbeidiau Heulog. Listen here.

3. Bill Wells and Isobel Campbell - Somebody's On My Mind

A recent addition to the collection, this one. Weirdly, the death of Kevin Greening over Christmas (see my other, more specialist, blog) brought about my interest in pretty much everything Bill Wells has ever done. I was listening back to a tape of Kevin filling in on Xfm's 'X-Posure' show and he used a track from 'Also In White', Wells' 2002 album in the background. Further exploration of his back catalogue led me to this little beauty. Combining minimalist beats and ethereal bleeps, the mini-album from which this comes, 'Ghost Of Yesterday' is a slow-burning collection of rather fragile pieces of music that serve to underline Isobel Campbell's quite magnificent talent as a singer. Recommended, although nab Bill Wells' 'Also In White' first. Listen here.

4. Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello & The Brodsky Quartet - Eleanor Rigby

Hmm. Not sure about the origins of this one. It's labelled as 'A Royal Performance', although that could mean anything. It's rather nice, in the sense that pretty much anything with The Brodsky Quartet involved tends to be. It's a little bit ponderous, and the presence of Sir Thumbsaloft ensures the usual amount of teeth-itching. In fact, Costello doesn't appear to be on the bloody thing at all. It's sparse and beautiful thanks to the Brodskys, but I'd rather have heard Costello having a go at it. If you wish to subject yourself.

5. The Innocence Mission - Now The Day Is Over

This band came to my attention as a result of that lovely, lovely man, Richard Hawley. He has quite a regular presence on his own forums over at his website, and in amongst many other topics he'll occasionally mention music he's enjoying. He refered to the heartbreakingly delicate, 'Tomorrow On The Runway' by this band last year and over time I've added a number of their albums to my collection. This is the title track of one of their latter day albums. It's not their best, but it's still pretty decent. Karen Peris' lead vocals remain as eerie and slightly juvenile in their delivery but the overall sense that you're hearing something special remains throughout. Go get 'Tomorrow On The Runway'. This, on the other hand, is here.

Dealing with all the Hoo Ha

Predictably enough, the new Supergrass album has split critical opinion. Every time they loom back into view the sheer quantity of fence-sitting causes creaks and splintering to be heard the length and breadth of this fair isle. As each critic finally decides which camp to settle in, the predictable dusting down of the phrases 'return to form' and 'hardly essential' ensures that anyone reading more than one reviews section will have no idea what album is actually like.

As it happens, this isn't their finest work. Sorry, I should point out that I'm being serious at this point. It's better than I thought when I first listened to it, but it's just not up to their exacting standards. It's not that it's a bad album; it's actually rather good. It's just that it's not a great Supergrass album. I adored 'Road To Rouen' and, come to think of it, each of the four studio albums prior to it. Each one was different but you never got the sense that there was a pre-planned objective behind them, other than to make great music.

'Diamond Hoo Ha', as the new album is rather unpleasantly titled, is comparable to The Divine Comedy's 'Absent Friends'. Now, bear with me on this, as it doesn't seem an obvious comparison. 'Absent Friends' was the album that followed the indie-kid, Godrich-influenced delights of 'Regeneration'. Now, 'Regeneration' was supposed to be the big springboard to success via Parlophone's wads. As history records, that wasn't entirely the case and Neil Hannon fired the rest of the band and weirdly enough went back to wearing a suit and using orchestras. The resultant album was 'Absent Friends'. And so to the point. 'Road To Rouen' was the departure, the sales were hardly phenomenal and so the quick dash back to familiar territory occured.

'Diamond Hoo Ha' is a balls-out, polished pop-rock album. It's very seventies in its makeup and much of the album blends together into one satisfactory, but not particularly outstanding, chunk of music.

I really want to like this. I have adored this band for nearly thirteen years now, and the idea they could make something that's only good is almost beyond comprehension. I'm persisting with it and, I should say, certain tracks are growing on me, but I can't see where the all-important spark is suddenly going to leap out from. As is the case with all of their previous albums, the vinyl of this is the best way to hear the album, avoiding the slightly mashed sound of the CD, and it's a decent pressing.

I'm not suggesting that you definitely shouldn't buy it - if you're a Supergrass fan, there's enough here to like - but proceed with caution.

***

It's amusing to look back over the last posts on this blog before it entered into hibernation and see how my tips regarding Laura Marling and Adele have proved pretty much spot on. Sadly, Adele's album turned out to be a still-born turd of the highest order. Sorry about that. If I had any influence in you purchasing that, I apologise unreservedly.

However, Laura Marling has produced an album that is truly adorable. Unassuming, subtle yet complex and hugely accomplished, 'Alas I Cannot Swim' is better than I'd actually hoped for. Let's get the one problem I have with it out of the way first. It doesn't have 'New Romantic' on it, which is a wonderful little tune. Yup, that's all that I have to moan about.

The Joni comparisons have already done the rounds, but I also heard elements of Beirut and early, song-based Tim Buckley in the beautifully constructed musical backdrop of these songs. I can't really do her justice with mere words.

Here's the aforementioned 'New Romantic'

And this is the most recent singles, 'Ghosts'

Finally, on the subject of Laura Marling, this is the latest Mystery Jets single, 'Young Love', on which she provides guest vocals. Don't bother with their album, mind. This song's the highlight.

***

I guess this is the point where I should point out other great music I've heard recently that you might wish to have a listen to. And why not? If the hype surrounding MGMT has passed you by, then you owe it to yourself to purchase a copy of the album 'Oracular Spectacular' at the next opportunity. Even Sainsbury's are selling it. The sound is, to use a technical term, fucking bonkers. They're a bit like the Chemical Brothers remix of Mercury Rev that was knocking about a few years back, but with better vocals.

You can see high quality copy of the video, and thus hear the song by clicking here

Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut is well worth a punt. It's indie with a world-music influence, or at least that's what those really big papers you can't read on a train are telling us. It's a chaotic collection of three minute pop brilliance, done in a very different way to pretty much all the indie that's out there at the moment.

Here's recent single, 'A-Punk'

Elbow's 'The Seldom Seen Kid' has been mooted as a 'career best' in some circles, and I wish to associate myself with said circles. If it's possible to associate yourself with a shape, that is. Anyway, one of the most under-rated bands in Britain have delivered an album with tremendous story-telling, phenomenal basslines and a musical landscape so intricate that after many, many listens I'm still discovering new things each time I play it. I adored the last record, 'Leaders Of The Free World' and the two prior to it were almost as wonderful and yet Elbow are very much a C-list band who drift into the public conciousness every now and then, only to drift back out again pretty much immediately thereafter. Fuck knows why.

Current single, 'Grounds For Divorce', is splendid, although not much of an indicator of what the rest of the album sounds like. Still, a line like 'I've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce' deserves some recognition.

The new Billy Bragg album has its moments, but is hardly a revelation. That said, lead single, 'I Keep Faith' is one of the most beautiful things he's ever done. I can only find a solo version via Ver Tube, but the one you need to hear is the band version. I can only imagine a world where you could click here and find an mp3 of it.

Other things of note to emerge recently include the latest Nick Cave album, 'Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!' which sits somewhere between the 'Abattoir Blues / Lyre of Orpheus' set and Grinderman. Splendid, although the limited edition isn't worth the extra cash.

Lightspeed Champion's 'Falling Off The Lavender Bridge' is a fine collection of folksy indie and the new album by The Charaltans, 'You Cross My Path' is the best thing they've done in a while. You can download it for nowt via Xfm.co.uk

And finally...

Everyone's already salivating over this, but it would seem rightly so. I knew that Alex Monkey and Miles Rascals had collaborated but beyond that knew nothing else. However, when Zane Lowe was being Chris Moyles on Easter Monday, the debut single was played and I fell in love immediately. The main reason for this is, I would imagine, the fact that the song uses the drum beat so loved by Scott Walker on his 'Scotts 1-4' series, that was plunded equally splendidly by The Divine Comedy on a regular basis. Anyhoo, they are The Last Shadow Puppets, and the sublime single is 'The Age Of Understatement'.