Mixtape...blah, blah, nostalgia, blah...

I was about to start with a profound and incisive statement, but that new Bloc Party single really is fucking dreadful, isn't it?

I've spent a thoroughly enjoyable day rearranging bits of the record collection and ripping assorted tracks to the computer in order to refresh the content of my mp3 player and contruct a decent mp3 CD for a long car journey that's coming up. It's wonderful just browsing through the tunes that have, at various times in the last few years, meant rather a lot to me. I did the slightly embarrassing, but hugely popular, swivelling-a-little-bit-in-a-computer-chair dance to Stardust's 'Music Sounds Better With You' earlier and it was hugely satisfying. And what about 'Forever J' by Terry Hall? A beautiful, beautiful song which was sampled on 'Life In Mono' by Mono, which I've also ended up digging out. However, whilst finding out more about it I stumbled upon the Emma Bunton cover version. Eugh. Now, I actually really liked that soul-pastiche album she did a few years back. The one with pink cover. But this is not good. At all. The original is, however, and it would seem you can still buy it via the iTunes empire.

The mp3 player will soon be receiving a number of albums that I can't believe I haven't felt the need to put back on there since reformatting it a few months back. Most of Supergrass' back catalogue is still absent, as are the first two Portishead albums and Thom Yorke's 'The Eraser'. Not for much longer. Also going on will be Madness' wonderful track, 'NW5' that came out as a one-off single a little while back, but which will feature on their forthcoming concept album, 'The Liberty Of Norton Folgate'. If you've not heard it, I would put it up there with pretty much anything else they've ever done. It's great.

And with that cunning link (that's great and so is this) I should probably say a few words about the Jamie Lidell record I was on about the other day. Gilles Peterson has started offering a splendid service via TellJack that allows you to hear albums, in full, before deciding whether or not to purchase. You don't download anything, it's all done via high quality streams, but it's splendid. That's how I got to hear 'Jim', by Jamie Lidell. I keep calling it 'Son of Stevie' because it sounds like that sort of record Stevie Wonder would be making now if he was a) younger and b) as good as he used to be. To me, this album slots in quite neatly alongside 'Innervisions' and 'Talking Book'. High praise, I know, but it really is the best soul album I've heard in yonks. And, I've heard Sharon Jones and the new Al Green. Anyway, there's a track on the newly updated Mux (click on the tape in the right-hand column) along with a chance to hear the Terry Hall track 'Forever J' and the Mono track that sampled it. Plus other stuff. Stuff you'll like, I'd imagine.

I remember now what it was that I was going to talk about when I was going on about mp3 compilations. I was listening to Jeremy Vine's show on Radio 2 yesterday (the outraged voice of middle class Britain©) as he discussed the possible charges for broadband customers in the UK. Apparently, devious downloaders will be receiving angry letters in the near future, explaining that what they're up to is illegal. Assuming, of course, that they are downloading illegally, that is. They wouldn't make any mistakes, would they? Judging by some of the calls to the programme, mistakes have already been made and there will be more on the way. Predictably, one of the 'I ain't paying for it, why should I? I've ten CDs over the last twenty years and they were, like, £16 each, so why should I pay now?' brigade got on air. I've never really had a strong opinion about it one way or another, but with the number of independent record stores dying on their arses and bands failing to keep hold of their record contracts, you do have to wonder. Ok, so it's a symptom of a jaded industry, rather than the cause, but surely nobody who loves their tunes thinks it's a long-term approach? Weirdly, I've just noticed that the good folks at Norman Records are having a similar debate on their blog.

And finally, the nominations for the Mercury Music Prize came out t'other day and I was amazed by just how many I've actually heard and liked. The list is as follows:

Adele - '19'
British Sea Power - 'Do You Like Rock Music?'
Burial - 'Untrue'
Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
Estelle - 'Shine'
Laura Marling - 'Alas I Cannot Swim'
Neon Neon - 'Stainless Style'
Portico Quartet - 'Knee-Deep In The North Sea'
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset - 'The Bairns'
Radiohead - 'In Rainbows'
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - 'Raising Sand'
The Last Shadow Puppets - 'The Age Of The Understatement'

It's only Portico Quartet that I need to do any real research for - and I will, I'm sure. I can't think of a time when I've been so in line with the Mercury choices. It could just be that I've bought far too many records recently, and therefore whatever they'd gone for I'd have been in this position, but I'd like to think not. From my perspective, it's got to be between Elbow, Laura Marling and Radiohead. Radiohead are getting a bit of negativity thrown their way regarding this because of how established they are, but 'In Rainbows' really is one of their best albums and definitely one of the best albums of the last twelve months. Laura Marling is someone that I've raved about on here for almost a year now and I certainly don't intend on stopping. 'Alas I Cannot Swim' will be in my end of the year list and it's a near-perfect folk-pop album. It's an exercise in measured understatement, and it's all the more beautiful because of that. However, I think it should probably go to Elbow. They went off, not in possession of a record deal, and did it all themselves; recording a record that they would want to listen to. It's a wonderful, wonderful collection of songs and 'One Day Like This' could well end up as one of my all time favourite songs.

Any thoughts? Perhaps the blog will get spammed again by the vinyl collectors of Idaho. (See comments for previous post) I'm with Neil Hannon on Idaho.

Like I said, have a listen to the Muxtape.

Wonders of the web

Just found this and figured the discerning folk that frequent this here corner of the interweb would enjoy it. That's you, by the way. If you still don't have Laura Marling's album, 'Alas, I Cannot Swim' then improve your weekend immediately by doing so now.

Sunday Shuffle - Take Five (more)

1. Jimmy McGriff - Cash Box

Funkier than the proverbial Mosquito's tweeter. Whatever that mad-as-a-table songsmith Nina Simone was on about, it's a cracking phrase and damned appropriate for this swinging bit of organ work from the really rather splendid McGriff. You only really need one album of his and, rather splendidly, 'The Best Of The Sue Years 1962-1965' was release a couple of years back at a bargain price. All the tracks match this hip-shufflingly high standard and never fail to raise a smile. Even when your rugby team has been booted out of the Heineken Cup by Toulouse. Smile along.

2. Freddie Hubbard - Hub's Nub

Cards on the table, I'm not sure I've ever played this before. I got myself a bulk load of jazz not all that long ago and I'm still working through it. Classy enough from the get go as it hails from the Blue Note stables and thus can't be anything other than good and is likely to be great. My foot's tapping at a fairly swift rate. Splendid trumpeteering throughout, although I'm finding it hard to passionately care one way or the other about this. I hate to say this about any piece of music, but it's, ahem, nice.

3. Radiohead - Something To Hate

From a bizarre Radiohead rarities collection that I dug up over at atease.com, this is nothing to write home about. In fact, it's an absolutely dreadful piece from the early peroxide days. What were they thinking. Thankfully, it's only 1:15 long!!

4. Laura Marling - (Interlude) Crawled Out Of The Sea

Technically, the next track was a Nick Abbot phone-in programme from 1998, but I've decided against including those. The next musical track was this, a brief moment of musical majesty from Laura Marling. To understand just how great she is, feel free to scroll down through this blog to see me rhapsodising at length about her on numerous occasions. Here she is performing it in a Brighton record shop, although it comes after 'Cross Your Fingers', as per the album tracklist.

5. Paul Weller - I Wanna Make It Alright

Quality tune from the somewhat overlooked, 'As Is Now'. After the somewhat bloated 'Illumination' and the pleasant enough covers album, 'Studio 150', this album was a surprisng return to form from Weller and this one is a lovely, Swinging-Sixties style piece that demonstrates what a wonderful, soulful voice Weller has.

Here's a live performance to enjoy

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'.

I was, er, 'on board'

Two great artists were played on last night's Zane Lowe programme - the first of which being Laura Marling. The new single, 'New Romantic', is what won me over, but here's the last one, 'London Town':

The second spiffing piece of musical niceness came from Adele. Again, it was her new single, 'Hometown Glory', that grabbed my attention, but here's a performance of a track called 'Daydreamer' from Later.

P.S. You may remember that some time back in June I alerted you to the podcasting efforts of Nick Margerrison, a DJ and now stand-up who offers something a little different in the increasingly muddied waters of British radio. Well, the fine chap has got himself a brilliant gig which'll start in October. Nick's going to be doing late nights on Kerrang! Radio in Brum. Bearing in mind the kind of show he's replacing, it's safe to say he should have enough freedom to produce a show as great as the Hallam FM triumphs that converted me some years ago. Info here.