What becomes of the broken hearted? They head here...

Last year's Anti-Valentines session at the Keston Lodge was a hell of a lotta fun with drinking, dancing and just generally sticking two fingers in Cupid's direction by playing a selection of 'fuck love' and done-me-wrong songs throughout the course of the evening.

(My personal favourite of the night? This one)



So this Thursday the 14th we're going to do it all again from 8pm till late. Joining my good self on the wheels of rubber, steel and plastic will be Beez and Becca, aka World of Proper. Having seen those crazy kids last play at their Christmas records bash at The Mucky Pup, I'm guessing that Thursday should be -

a) a lark
b) quite silly
c) full of pardeeeee breaks
d) probably quite messy


There will also be a ban on Joy Division tunes (seriously, that's just way too obvious for an Anti-V Day bash) and, despite what it states on the flyer above, I'm sure couples can sneak in as long as they stop holding hands for at least one millisecond whilst walking through the Keston doors. Oh, and no pashing like randy students sneaking a quickie behind the cricket nets/bleachers. Right? See y'all there.

Now, back to our (ir)regularly scheduled blogging

* A quick shout out to footie blog Angle of Post and Bar which skewers the hyperbole of the cash-grabbing Premier League and big time football quite nicely. If you're a fan of When Saturday Comes then Angle is certainly one to bookmark.

* While watching the Eng-er-land vee Switzerland match this week (if only to gaze at the sartorial smoothness of Don Capello of course), my flatmate Will decided that the name of Swiss goal scorer Derdiyok was a fine replacement for the title of Maria Vidal's 80s hit Body Rock

'Derdiyok, get your body into music...'



This led to a good hour's worth of amusement watching clips from the flick of the same name, an unintentionally hilarious cash-in on a crazy new street culture known as 'hip-hop'. I'm tempted to pick it up on Region 1 DVD for a fiver just to experience the full, camp, body popping Lorenzo Lamas experience. But for now, I guess these clips will have to do (Oh, and I'm changing my name to Chilly D).







'Yo, this cut? Very big in Europe this season....'

* Forget Sony's colour ads. Honda continue to make clever and unique commercials that never fail to raise a smile. Rubiks cubes and jigsaws. Gold.



And the making of.

2008? Already? (2007 faves)

Happy New Year and all that jazz. So I've been tardy with the blogging of late (again). Eh, whaddya gonna do. Anywayze, quite a few people have asked for my musical favourites from last year. Let's see if I can remember them.....

Top 'gee, I don't know, 3?' albums

1. Midnight Juggernauts - Dystopia


Midnight Juggernauts - Road to Recovery


2. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver


LCD Soundsystem - Time To Get Away

3. Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs


Pinback - How We Breathe

Why 3? Well, that's because I looked at my iTunes and these are the albums I've played the most. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it dammit. Actually, it's more that the albums below were all of a similar standard and I couldn't really rank them (or be bothered to as it's now February, OK?)

The Juggers debut was a perfect mix of pop, emotion and beats (or as someone once said 'ELO meets Daft Punk') that stood out from the electro crowd. LCD were EVERYWHERE last year, and too bloody rightly. As for Pinback, a great follow up to Summer In Abbadon with Rob Crow's vocals sounding even more frantic and emotional than before (and his solo album was a cracker too) while Zach Smith's fretwork continued to provide the ballast that made Seraphs a mainstay on the stereo.

As for the rest? Well, these were the ones that stood repeated plays.

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Good Shoes - Good Shoes
Justice - Cross
Mirrored - Battles
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Burial - Untrue
Feist - The Reminder
Digitalism - Idealism
Kanye West - Graduation
PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

A few words about the selection above? The Spoon album was 2 tracks short of being a career best (and sadly enough the Jon Brion track was the weakest one on it. Odd that). Good Shoes was the most refreshing 'indie boys with guitars and floppy haircuts' release I'd heard in a long time with clever songwriting and hooks by the bucketload. Burial's second album made me pine for two-step, yet was still as haunting as his first, and just as scary to listen too while walking home at 3am. Most hip hop in '07 was shite (sad but true). PJ's album was so bleak on the first spin that I had to stop it halfway through the last track as I couldn't handle it (well, it's not exactly music for a tube journey into work is it?). However, when I finally had the nerve to come back to it I found I just couldn't stop pressing play again to become immersed in such a haunting and fragile world. And Kanye? Not even Chris Martin could spoil that LP.

Top single of 2007

UGK featuring Outkast - International Players Anthem



Despite what I said above about the poor standard of hip hop in 2007, this track towered above everything else. Andre 3000's lazy rhyming at the track's start was on second glance a splendidly sweet and effortless cameo which left the three other rappers with plenty to aim for if they were to match it. Which of course they did with aplomb. Both Underground Kingz bump the beat while rhyming about the joys of pimpin', and the cautionary finale from Big Boi signs things off pefectly. Add to that a great sample from Willie Hutch, a bumping 808 beat that kicks in just after Andre passes the mic to Pimp C, and a great clip ('Why's he dressed like Rowdy Piper?') and this collab was easily the year's finest.

(And RIP Pimp C too. A damn shame)

Gigs gigs gigs.....the best 10 of 2007 (in order this time from top to bottom)

Daft Punk @ Wireless festival, Hyde Park
Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation @ Koko
Arcade Fire and Patrick Wolf @ Brixton Academy
Pinback @ 229
The Jesus and Mary Chain @ Royal Festival Hall
Interpol @ Astoria
T-Model Ford @ The Spitz
Air @ Hammersmith Apollo
Shellac @ Koko
Murcof @ The Luminaire



Daft Punk were amazing. Simple as that. A visually stunning lightshow, a great setting with thousands going mental as the sun went down on a warm summer night, and of course the music (the finale of Together, Music Sounds Better With You and One More Time was just a wee bit special). Wonderful.

Can I go now?

Just for one day

Seriously kids, if you haven't seen Heroes yet (either on Sci-Fi channel or through nefarious tinterweb-assisted means) then this Wednesday on BBC2 at 9pm is your chance. Normal peeps suddenly discovering they have super powers which enable them to fly, read minds, heal, walk through walls and time travel. Plus, it's got Conor Oberst in the lead role! Well, maybe not.....


Who's your favourite cast member?


* This week I have mostly been listening to.....Black Sheep. A throwback from 1991, Dres and Mista Lawnge's easy, laidback rhymes are recommended for anybody bored of the current state of hip-hop (I mean really, have there been any must have longplayers this year? Jeez, I though last year was bad...)

Black Sheep - The Choice Is Yours

Architecture in Helsinki / Meltdown 2007

* New Architecture In Helsinki? Now that's something to get excited about. 'Heart It Races' is the first single from the band's new album, Places Like This and it's a calypso-tinged tune that strolls up to you in a charity store college b-ball tee, skinny black jeans, and Chuck Taylors before pulling back your hair and whispering in your ear, 'Hey man, let's get some cider, grab a frisbee and head to the park'. Summer all over.

Hear it at AIH's MySpace page.

As a special treat, I've been sent the DJ/Rupture remix of 'Heart It Races' featuring Lee G, and it's even toastier. Buss it.

Architecture in Helsinki - Heart It Races (DJ/Rupture's Ital Hymn remix feat Mr. Lee G)

Pre-order 'Heart It Races' from Polyvinyl.

Jarvis (taken by Phil Sharp)

* Motorhead, Melanie or Gonzales? Jarvis, don't make me choose! This year's Meltdown festival, at the refurbished Southbank centre in June, is being curated by Mr Cocker himself and it's certainly an eclectic collection of artists who've been invited by the ex-Pulp singer to perform. The first evening features Lemmy and the gang, a folk icon, and the quirky pianist/MC/singer. Three wonderful acts, but in three venues and all on the same night! And on June 18 there's another difficult decision - Sunn O))) or ex-13th Floor Elevators singer Roky Erickson? Thankfully, JMC will be performing solely on Friday June 23rd (well if you reform you've got to have a MySpace, let alone a website...).

Then there's Devo, John Barry, Don Letts, Clinic......oh Jarvis, you do spoil us. Tickets on sale from Thursday May 3rd (click here).

Jarvis Cocker - Black Magic

The 13th Floor Elevators - You're Gonna Miss Me (available on The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators)

The Jesus and Mary Chain - Reverence (Live in New York, 1992)

* What's the time? It's time....for another Beastie Boys record.


Instrumental too, as The Mix-Up is sans vocal if you know what I mean. Here's the tracklist.

1. B For My Name
2. 14th St. Break
3. Suco De Tangerina
4. The Gala Event
5. Electric Worm
6. Freaky Hijiki
7. Off The Grid
8. The Rat Cage
9. The Melee
10. Dramastically Different
11. The Cousin Of Death
12. The Kangaroo Rat

What's with the rat fascination anyway? The Mix-Up drops on June 18.

* And it's bye bye to the Special One and the Blues.

Number six in Athens?

Hip Hop Sgt Peppers?!?!

Although I've always been in the Revolver camp instead of the Peppers camp, I've got to give props to this. Solid gold. Well done DK.

Not sure about Speakerboxx/The Love Below being one of the top 20 hip hop albums, and indeed some of the other choices that made DK's list (Blue Lines hip hop?) but you can't argue with The Low End Theory's place (and yes, it's better than Midnight Marauders, no questions asked. Read this blog's motto, listen, and learn)

A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime

It's all a Blur really...

Now, back to our regularly scheduled blogging.


* While the quest to fill all 30 GB of my newly acquired Pod of Joy continues, I began uploading Blur's 1999 10th anniversary Singles box set. Yup, all 22 CDs of it. What has surprised me while listening to many of the odd's and sods that accompanied the band's CD1's and CD2's are the hidden gems that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Modern Life Is Rubbish or Parklife. For every hodge-podge instrumental or Kinks rip-off, there are genuine moments of quirky brilliance or thrilling live cuts that make you realise that Blur may have been a tad under-rated, especially on the commercially slept on 13. Here's some of the best cuts.

Blur - Mr Briggs (from the There's No Other Way single)
Blur - Bonebag (from the For Tomorrow single)
Blur - My Ark (from the Chemical World single)
Blur - Young & Lovely (from the Chemical World single)
Blur - Magpie (from the Girls And Boys single)
Blur - To The End (French version) (from the Parklife single)
Blur - The Man Who Left Himself (from the Stereotypes single)
Blur - Popscene (live at Peel Acres) (from the On Your Own single)
Blur - Tender (Cornelius remix) (from the No Distance Left To Run single)

* Simian Mobile Disco are playing in your house, your house....that is if you enter the competition on their website. You can also check out the mighty fine 'Sleep Deprivation' (the opening track to the duo's debut album Attack Decay Sustain Release) on the site's media player.

* Carl Newman, Neko Case and the rest of the insanely talented gang of skilled musicians known as The New Pornographers are back with another smattering of dynamite power pop, with confirmation this week of an August 20 release date for the band's fourth album Challengers. Newman has already hinted to Billboard that the new album will contain six minute songs (gasp!) and, in a longer interview over at Pitchfork, different instruments (string quartets! flutes! trumpets!).

The NP's are playing Glastonbury in June, plus three sold-out club dates in London as a warm-up to Micheal Eavis's country hoedown. The fact that they've managed to reach album number four is quite surprising given the number of projects each band member is involved with outside of NP duties, so those who haven't seen them live before should obtain a ticket by any means possible before the inevitable end (Oh, and peep the Pitchfork interview, if only for the Newman's pull quote suggestion!).

* There goes the last shred of Ben Lee's credibility.

* Wynton Marsalis - is there anything he doesn't hate? If it's not modern jazz (yes, that's you Mr Davis!) it's hip-hop today. Oh dear.

* Shout out to Mr Moon and crew for the ridiculous house party last Saturday night. I've never played in such a small room before to such an up for it crowd. Tune of the night? Well, I'd have to say Ol' Love Symbol's classic was a nice way to end the night.

Prince - Raspberry Beret (12" version)

Now, I'm off to the Tate Modern to look at the Kinshasa 'Populist Party' art exhibition again. Stunning.

Where you gonna run too? Ah...the shops to get Lemsip I believe...

Ahem....well, I had promised a post yesterday but I partied way too hardy on the weekend and turned a light cold into something worse, the only remedy being copious cups of tea, vitamin C and bad tv. Luckily though I had something new to distract me (which I can't believe I had resisted buying for so long). So I began filling it with tasty treats like these.



Holy Hail are a band from the States who have just released their new single this week through Adventures Close To Home (in fact, it's also ACTH's debut release too!). Comparisons to Tom Tom Club and a 'make up a genre today' label of 'gospel-hop-electro-country' are wide of the mark, although I can see why comparisons to the former abound. What I do know is that Born Of A Star is by the far the best single out this week, so get your mitts on it now from here or here.

As an added treat, the Adventures lads have turned in a great remix of 'Born Of A Star' that isn't on the 12 inch release. No, it's here instead.


Also high on rotation this week, and straight on to the Pod of justice is Mr Timothy Mosely's new album, Shock Value. It's not all club bangers or bass driven 'where the f**k did he steal that from' sample laden classics, but there a more than enough tracks on there to make it worth shelling out a tenner for. However, it's all about the opening cut for me, with Timbo taking Nina for a spin in his souped up De Lorean DMC-12, and making her fruit turn mighty strange indeed. 'Roads? Nina, where we're going we don't need roads'

Timbaland - Oh Timbaland

Whack? No, just wiggida wiggida whack... / Arcade Fire

* As you may well know, Saturday March 17 is a special day for some. It's a day to raise a glass in tribute with others around the world, a day to look back on a moment in history, a day where iconic images from a foreign land will be embraced. Around the world, countless parties will be held in bars, clubs, college dorms and living rooms whilst listening to songs of our youth, dressed in suitable attire for such a special occasion.

F**K St Patrick's Day though, because on a week later the real celebration starts. Yes, it's time for the 12th Annual International Kris Kross Day!


Kris Kross - Jump

Go on, wear your threads backwards just for one day in tribute to the Mac Daddy and his partner in rhyme, the Daddy Mac. But what ever happened after their last album? Anybody know?

* It would be amiss of me not to mention the small matter of last night's Arcade Fire gig at Brixton Academy, the first of four sold out dates at the London landmark. I don't think I've been to a gig in recent years that drew such a level of audience participation, despite these collective moments being few and far between. The whole crowd enthusiastically sang along to 'Wake Up', 'Rebellion (Lies)' and 'No Cars Go' (already the firm fan favourite from Neon Bible - how's that for alliteration?), which isn't exactly a hard task when the hooks are simply well timed oooh's and aaah's (which are always preferrable to nah nah nah nah nah's in my book).

What did impress me though was the way every member of the band, as well as the additional violinist and the two brass players, sung along to each song as if their lives depended upon it. It's a frenzied passion that I've never seen on stage before, adding to the romance and mystique surrounding the group. Add impressive visuals, a pipe organ, and a criminally short support slot from Patrick Wolf, and I doubt if anybody left the Academy disappointed.

The clip below isn't from last night's gig, but it's worth watching anyway whether you've seen the band or not just to get a sense of how good this band are at the moment.


Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (live at Judson Church, NYC 15/2/07)

* This week's Friday night dilemma - Kavinsky and the Ed Banger Crew (Mr Oizo, Justice, Sebastian, Busy P and DJ Medhi) at Sin? Bright Eyes at Koko? Arcade Fire's third night in succession at Brixton? Or Air at the Forum? Well, it's a toss up between the two Francophile nights, with the Kavinsky and friends winning by a whisker.

* Speaking of all things French, the Saint Etienne kids have got their monthly Turntable Cafe night on April 4th featuring the debut UK performance of Pravda (and yes, they've got a few tunes here so you can practice your French beforehand). Like most Turntable Cafe nights, it'll sell out long before the broadsheets mention it so grab your tickets now.

* Fans of Stuart Price, or whatever he's called himself this week, c'mon over here.

* Friends of Major Leaguer, and impeccably attired men-about-town Punks Jump Up have a splendid single 'Dance To Our Disco' (finally!) coming out on super-tasty, always-reliable Kitsune in the next few weeks, and to celebrate they're having a launch pardee this Monday at Magic Circle. Get down to Bar 54 in Shoreditch where the lads will be joined by two of the track's remixers - Nightmoves and Baseball Furies, as well as the Magic Circle residents themselves. Oh, and I swear I've heard that vocalist on 'Dance To Our Disco' before....

* Finally, first it was her odd behaviour at the Brits, now this - Joss Stone finally cracks. Introducing Joss Stone lies 12th in the midweek charts too - that'll learn her for working with thespian-thugs.

Ding Ding! Round Four: Scott Storch vs Timbaland

I've heard of beefs between rappers, but beefs between producers? Timbaland vs Scott Storch seems more of a case of handbags at dawn than Jay-Z vs Nas, or Fiddy vs The Game. The whole shebang kicked off after Storch claimed in recent interviews that he should have got more credit for his work on Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me A River', claiming that not only did he produce the majority of JT's Britney-baiting hit instead of Timbaland, but was also the song's sole writer. Mr Mosely bit his tongue for a while, before slating Storch on 'Give It To Me', the first single off Timbaland Presents Shock Value.

"When Timbo is in the party everybody put up their hands
I get a half a mill for my beats, you get a couple grand-d-d-d-d...
I'm a real producer and you just the piano man
Your song gonna top the charts, I heard em, I'm not a fan-n-n-n-n..."

Not exactly in the league of Jay's diss against Nas on The Takeover is it?

"Youse the fag model for Karl Kani/Esco ads
Went from, Nasty Nas to Esco's trash...
So yeah I sampled your voice, you was usin it wrong
You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song"

So how did the one-time Roots member (and Paris squeeze) respond? With one of the worst diss tracks of all time.



Oh dear. Cheap video, bad rhyming, and a terrible beat to boot. However, Timbaland must have been riled and had to retaliate (if only for Storch's 'pack of franks at the back of your neck' line) with this cut fronted by Mosely Music Group's newest signing, D.O.E.

D.O.E. - Piano Man

Looks like Timothy's winning it on points, but it's not exactly a classic feud is it? Why can't we all get along like these guys?

* Kanye likes curry. But from Wales?

* The first big new release day of the year? Tomorrow sees new long players from Arcade Fire, Air, Nick Cave's side project Grinderman, Willy Mason, !!!, Ry Cooder, Joakim and Tracey Thorn. Phew.

* Two upcoming nights out that regular Major Leaguer readers would be fools to miss. This Friday at Our Disco, the special guests will be from across the channel, and are known to bang once in a while. Last Friday's guests were 2 Many DJs, so it seems after a long absence Our Disco has once again claimed it's spot as the premier Friday night spot for London's clued up clubbers.

The following week, watch Marty McFly's trilogy from start to finish as preparation for a trip back to the 80s as Kavinsky previews tracks from his new EP, 1986, alongside a gamut of fellow French knob-twiddlers. It's gonna be hype, as the kids say. Tickets here.

(NB: other cinematic suggestions for getting in the mood include Tron, Blade Runner, and Total Recall. Oh, and did you know that Eric Stolz was the original choice for BTTF? Yup, they even shot the whole thing twice!)

RJD2 bent my Wookie

Next month sees the return of RJD2 with his first album for XL, The Third Hand, out on March 5. It marks a shift towards a poppier, commercial sound, yet still has enough of the quirkier beats that have made him one of hip-hop's most slept on producers. While 'Beyond The Beyond' features his trademark synth sounds, 'You Never Had It So Good' is a full-blown verse and chorus affair that while a departure from the rest his catalogue, still has a great loose break behind it. Both tracks also carry vocals from the man himself, and aren't too shabby at all.

RJD2 - Beyond The Beyond
RJD2 - Never Had It So Good

* I forgot to marry her, and now I'll never get rich: Anna Nicole Smith dead, aged 39.

* The fight to stamp out ticket touts continues, but the big question remains unanswered: who in their right mind would pay for this?

*Yes, Major Leaguer has had a facelift. Nice huh?

Nasty Nas brings it all back home

So kids, it looks like the general consensus of Hip Hop Is Dead is that Nas has really got things back on track, although those expecting Illmatic Part 2 should just keep on waiting - it ain't gonna happen. However, let it never be said that Nas doesn't have respect for those who came before him, hence a trio of drool-worthy white label remixes of the album's title track.

The will.i.am produced cut is jumped upon by the likes of Kool Moe D, MC Shan and Grandmaster Caz (the 80s remix), Rob Base, Mike Gee from the Jungle Bros, Monie Love (the 90s remix) and Ice-T and Sir-Mix-A-Lot (the West Coast remix). Head on over to Recidivism to catch 'em all. Personally, I think the 80s rub pips the other two at the post.

* This month's electro-pop startlets seem to be Dragonette, the Canadian group who have already started to build a buzz thanks to name checks from Popjustice and Popbitch. They're playing the Macbeth on February 16, and again two weeks later at Notting Hill Arts Club's fine soiree YOYO on March 1. Work For It and Fluxblog have a few tasters, and you can buy the band's debut EP here.

* Head to Call Me Mickey for a listen to 'We Danced Together', the first single from The Rakes sophomore effort Ten New Messages, out March 19th.

* Speaking of spikie indie pop, here's the new video for Maximo Park's 'Our Velocity'. It's out on March 18, followed by parent album Our Earthly Pleasures on April 2.


* If you're staying in tonight, catch the BBC Four documentary 'Alchemists of Sound' about the work of the Radiophonic Workshop.

'Alchemists of Sound traces the rise and fall of the Radiophonic Workshop, an in-house department established in 1958 to provide extraordinary sounds and music for the BBC's TV and radio services. Best known for its theme tunes to Blake's Seven, Blue Peter, Open University and The Body in Question and, of course, Doctor Who, this documentary reveals the complex techniques deployed by the Workshop long before synthesisers were invented.

The programme is narrated by Oliver Postgate, the voice behind the childrens TV classics Ivor the Engine, The Clangers and Bagpuss'

It's on BBC Two tonight at 11.20pm.

* Oh, and this Friday sees the return of the Mindie hussies and their gang at 93 Feet East. As a Mindie crew member, you know I'll be there with bells on. Let's meet the hussies themselves.



Here's the line-up.


Later gators.

A bundle of truffles

* Mixtape of the week? Has to be Jus Ske's re-rub of Pharrell's less-than-exciting offering from last year, 'In My Mind'. In a classic case of 'name as many sampled artists as you can', My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me teams Skateboard P with U2, James Brown, Eric B & Rakim, Nelly Furtado, Radiohead and a stack more wax. There are more hits than misses on MMIPTOM, which certainly couldn't be said about Mr Williams debut. Nice artist website too.

Peep My Mind Is Playing Tricks On Me at Discobelle


* Indie boys rejoice! Feist, or Leslie as she's known to her mom and pop, will release her second album, The Reminder on April 23 (and a week later if your sitting Stateside). If that's not enough, she's touring these isles as well the week before.

April 16 - Komedia, Brighton
April 17 - Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

Boom Boom Boom, Mushaboom indeed.


* Indie girls rejoice! Also swinging by with a new album and tour is Mr Conor Oberst, or Bright Eyes as he's known to whichever indie moppet is staring deep into his peepers this month. He'll be at London's Koko on March 16, no doubt playing tunes from his upcoming album Cassadaga, which has guest appearances from Gillian Welch, and Sleater Kinney and Quasi holder of 'banging sticks' Janet Weiss (*sigh*). Those who can't wait that long should snap up taster EP Four Winds, out on March 5. Here's a taster.

Bright Eyes - Endless Entertainment


* Dilla died a year ago this week. Pitchfork has a nice piece here, while those of you who missed the tribute concert at London's Cargo last Saturday should head over to Stones Throw's interweb home to download J Rocc's stellar Dilla podcast, and turn your speakers up.

Review: The Roots - Game Theory

The Roots - Game Theory (Def Jam)

It's a dark, dark world where The Roots reside right now, but that doesn't mean there's no light at all. Album number eight for the Illadelph crew sees their first outing for Def Jam, a worthy home for a band many consider to be true to the essence of hip hop (ie. The music comes first, the beats are tight, and the less bling the better). Many fans were skeptical of what would happen to the band, one of the first signings for the label's new president, CEO, and all-around head Hovito, Jay-Z. Would the band succumb to the pressure brought on by the greater exposure Def Jam would bring? Cave-in and dilute their essence with a slew of big-name cameos ('Come on down Snoop, Kanye, Pharrell, the water's fine!')? Retreat into their shells and bring out 79 minutes of drawn out jams that make Phrenology's 'Water' tame by comparison? One of these paths might just have been taken by a band who have never really broken into the big leagues; that is, if Hurricane Katrina hadn't torn through New Orleans last year, and changed the game completely.

Bristled by the lack of an immediate response shown by the Bush government, and the issues raised in Katrina's aftermath (such as the racial divide in New Orleans, assitance in Iraq vs assistance at home, and healthcare prior to, and especially after, Katrina's impact to name just a few), the gestation of Game Theory suddenly became more clouded. Indeed, no one would have expected a Def Jam debut to be this dark. Or that the mood created by Katrina, the US military's involvement in Iraq, and the general air of unease in the US over the last few years has prompted the band to make their most cohesive, if not best, album to date.

While there's no single track that will garner heavy rotation on MTV ('The Seed 2.0'), no killer 'group jam' (the J Dilla tribute 'Can't Stop This', while touching, is too long and drawn out to demand the listener reach for the repeat button), or no hold-the-phones cameos (nope, Hov thankfully didn't get a guest spot), what Game Theory has in spades is a strong flow that warrants listening from start to finish. Indeed, the aforementioned 'Can't Stop This' is really the only average moment here, and even then it still succeeds in ensuring Dilla's legacy won't easily be forgotten, the track built on one of the rough gems that came from the Detroit native's Donuts LP (released earlier in 2006 just days before his death).

The brooding one-two of 'False Media' and the title track show that this ain't no block party. Black Thought is often unfairly overlooked when it comes to discussions over rap's great MCs, but on Game Theory it's the tension surrounding affairs that really brings the best out of Tariq Trotter. On the booming, brooding 'All In The Music', featuring a welcome return spot from prodigal son Malik B, Thought paints a vivid picture of the darker side of the streets ('They say the city make a dark impression, the youth just lost, and they want direction, but they don't get the police, they get protection, and walk around with heat like Charlton Heston'). 'Long Time', backed by a backdrop of strings and Motown harmonies, sees Thought delve into personal memories of family struggles and survival, 'making something out of nothing, because everybody 50 cent away from a quarter though where I come from'. It's stirring stuff, easily the album's highpoint, and one of the band's best recorded moments.

Elsewhere 'Here I Come' sounds like the perfect backdrop music for a good ol' fashioned car chase, 'Clock With No Hands' is a slow jam made all the sweeter by the presence of Mercedes Martinez from the Jazzyfatnastees, while 'Atonement' (complete with a sample from Radiohead's 'You And Whose Army') ensures that the mood of Game Theory's final minutes is one of reflection.

So where does leave Philly's finest? Well, given the air surrounding much of Game Theory's subject matter, don't expect this to be the unit-shifter the band deserves. The promotional budget weilded by their new label will help expose them to a much wider audience, and initial press reviews have been more than favourable (although critics have usually been kind to The Roots). What Game Theory does indicate is that eight albums into their career, The Roots may have succeded in their fulfilling the inital request made to them by President Carter before signing on the dotted line - 'I want the real Roots album'. Well, Jigga, you got your wish.

Return of The Roots

Roots + Peedi Peedi = Hawwwwt. Looks like Game Theory's going to be a good un'. Check out new track Long Time Coming at XXL (and if the strings at the end don't give you goose bumps then you're just not human. Yup)

It's never been like that, it's never been like that

2 posts in 24 hours? That's more like it.

* Now, there's this football-dealy-thingummy going on in German land at the moment and the Argentine lads didn't look too shabby yesterday. How's this for a goal? (keep an eye out for Diego's special 'moves' at the end - priceless)

* Those clever people at Adidas have done it again. First Adicolor, now this. It's not easy being green...

* June issue of Subter is up and running. Check out Brad's summer tips for your hi-fi.

* If you're not out and about enjoying the summer sun (sorry Southern Hemisphere peeps!), then why not have a Block Party in your home?

Major Leaguer Chart - June '06

MSTRKRFT - Street Justice
Phoenix - Long Distance Call (25 Hours A Day remix)
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler
Jamie Lidell - When I Come Back Around (Freeform Reform)
Audio Two vs Air - Top Billin
Annie - Crush (And The Lefthanded - Original Version)
Zongamin - Bongo Song
Mystery Jets - You Can't Fool Me Dennis (Good Books Remix)
The Shangri-Las - Leader Of The Pack
Shy Child - Technicrats
The Chalets - Theme From Chalets
Brakes - All Night Disco Party (Graham Sutton Remix)
Tiga - Far From Home (Speed Of Sexor Reprise)

Evolution of man / ATP / Tandem @ Bar Music Hall

After a week of carting boxes from one house to another (and getting a sore back in the process), what better way to relax than to watch last night's Letterman. How? Thanks to this baby!



Sigh. Truly the human race has evolved, and the TV Hard Drive is the pinnacle of our progress. Yeah....now that we've conquered this hurdle, peace in the Middle East should be a piece of piss.

* Tandem at Bar Music Hall next Tuesday (14th March) with elin and myself. Rekkids, rekkids, rekkids, and Belgian beer. The fun kicks off at 8pm.

* Apparently people who like Tribe Called Quest also like DMX (so says Windows Media Player. Mr Gates, you don't know me very well, do you?)

* Last year's best quasi-festival is back. All Tomorrow's Parties presents Don't Look Back 2006, and to wet your whistle, here's the first gigs to be announced...what, Low playing Things We Lost In The Fire? I think I've just creamed my pants.

* Speaking of gigs that make you drop your bundle, this is the only place to be on May 16th.

* 'Industry rule number 4080, record company people are shady'. That's my favourite. What's yours? (Slight hitch. VH1 have already picked 100 lyrics, and you can only choose from that list. Huh?)

'This. Is. How. We. Move' chart for 11/3/06
(oh, speaking of Fiddy, has anyone else heard the 80 Cent mixtape? Hit and miss, but the Many Men/Take On Me cut-up is priceless)

General Echo - Rapping Dub Style
J Dilla - The Diff'rence
The Nu People - I'd Be Nowhere Without You
Caetano Veloso - Alfomega
Ghostface feat. MF Doom - Charlie Brown
Mark Ronson feat. Alex Greenwald - Just
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Gold Lion (Diplo remix)
Wonderland Avenue - White Horse (Mike Monday remix)
The Presets - Down Down Down (Digitalism remix)
Uffie - Pop The Glock (SebastiAn remix)
Hot Chip - Over And Over (Nuam Gabo remix)
Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart

R.I.P. Jay Dee

Damn. R.I.P. Dilla Dawg. You'll be missed.