Let the Arctic Monkeys wave of hype begin again. By now 'Brianstorm' is out in the ether of the interweb so I'm not going to post it, but if you really want it then head over to here, here or here. I'd rather post the booty-shaking, flash-as-f**k video that premiered this week.
Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm (out April 16th)
So if Domino have all this FranzMonkey moolah to splash, can we expect a big Hype Williams clip for Bonde Do Role? Oh c'mon, imagine the Brazilian kids hogging the fish eye lens while Diddy and Missy make 'unexpected' cameos. Sigh...one can but dream. Guess this will have to do for now.
Bonde Do Role - Solta O Frango
Here's something to get you ready for the weekend. Listening to the splendid new LCD Soundsystem album this week reminded me of the first time I saw James Murphy DJ at Trash. The End was rammed to the rafters due to the NME Awards gig earlier in the evening with Murphy's band, Soulwax and The Go! Team, and the DFA man chose to start his a memorable set with this damn fine choice. Best Trash ever?
* 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.
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.
Here's some good things that float my boat right now.
* Lionel Messi's performance last night, although not entirely brilliant, was well timed and deserving of a hat-trick. 1, 2, 3. Thank God that the mighty 'Pool knocked Barca out last week (bring on PSV!) (actually, I tell a lie. That third goal was a true Roy of the Rovers stunner!)
*Justice at Our Disco on Friday were better than I expected, yet their skills behind the decks again gave weight to my theory that producers aren't always brilliant DJs. The fucked up mix of Daft Punk's 'Crescendolls' though was pure genius (although I wasn't too sure about them closing their set with 'The Butterfly Ball'. One of my most hated childhood songs!)
* Mr Max Tundra is out on the road again soon. Here's one of his tastiest remixes to date, spreading cosmic pixie dust over those Futurehead lads from oop north.
*So close, yet so far: Arcade Fire denied a number one album by the Kaiser Chiefs and their Tesco fans.
*Shellac? I'll have some of that thanks. Albini and mates confirm a May 17 Koko gig two days before their appearance at ATP. I'm sure the drums will sound heavy, yet the bass almost non-existent in the mix. A bit like his work with these guys.
Liverpool duo To My Boy have been blazing quite a trail in the last few months, with the release of their debut single 'The Grid' last November garnering a flurry of favourable reviews across the usual rags, as well as cementing a place on the playlists of numerous DJs across the country. Add to this their stellar remix of 'Gravity's Rainbow' from fellow fresh young things Klaxons, plus a growing reputation as one of the best live acts around (seeing them support Max Tundra and Silverlink at the Old Blue Last was one of the best unexpected gigs I've seen in recent years), and 2007 should see the lads conquer all before them.
Swiss collective Audioporno have had their wicked way with the band's new track 'Model', creating a squelchy, chopped up pop treat.
* Tough choices for tonight. Our Disco with their latest secret guests? Computer Blue with The Duloks? The Yo Yo room at Fabric with Busy P and DJ Medhi? Shoot.....
* If you missed it on Monday, BBC 4 are repeating the fantastic New York documentary about the emergence of disco, punk and hip-hop in the 1970s. Once Upon A Time In New York is on tonight at 10pm. There's not too much new information for those familliar with the period as numerous books and documentaries have been made on the three scenes, but as a basic introduction it's a handy primer. Plus, it's worth catching just for the interviews with the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Nile Rodgers, David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls, and seeing Blondie's Chris Stein walk around an empty CBGBs shortly before the venue's closure in October of last year.
* Funny how the Hendrix estate are complaining about unlicensed images used on Hendrix Electric Vodka when they've been happy to use his name and image to market countless other tacky products.
As you can tell, I've decided to give Major Leaguer a spring clean since it was beginning to look quite tired. So far, the response has been positive, with most readers finding version 2.0 much easier to read and navigate through.
The main change I've decided to make is to post more MP3s on the site. Why? Well, it seems like a majority of my online time is devoted solely to finding new music, whether looking for new tracks to play out whilst DJing (that is, after tracking down physical copies at the neighbourhood rekkid store. Erm, yes...), making mixtapes, checking out artists for future gigs, or just for the thrill of finding a new favourite band/artist. So why not share the wealth with everyone else?
Guidelines for MP3s found on this site are in the column to your right. If you like the site, and think you've got some music that might float my boat, contact me at majorleaguermusic@googlemail.com.
Here's a couple that haven't left my head the last week. Being a December boy, this first one certainly seems appropriate. Having got into Alex Chilton (and Big Star) quite late, I'm starting to voraciously explore his back catalogue, and this song is one of my favourites (it was later faithfully covered by The Bangles twelve years later). Fans of classic power pop should look no further.
Now for something new. London's Chow Chow have a new single, 'Dear Francis', out on March 26. If you head on to the band's demo/download page you can pick up a few exclusives, including this remix of 'Skeleton With Hair' that seems to be wedged firmly in 1990, complete with an Italo house perm and baggy puffer pants. What's not to love?
Australian readers of this site will no doubt be familiar with Rage, the staple 'post-pub' music video program shown every Friday and Saturday night on ABC. For teenagers growing up in the backwaters of country Australia like myself, years before the belated introduction of cable TV, Rage introduced us all kinds of artists that never graced the airwaves of local radio, let alone the local record store.
(Sample dialogue from record store clerk in country town: 'Mudhoney' No, I don't think we've got any Mudhoney. Would you like the new John Farnham instead?' This isn't from personal experience, but you get the general idea)
Moving from the small country town of Orange to the slightly larger city of Canberra meant that access to the artists featured on Rage was much easier to come by. At the age of 12, I spent hours after school hanging around the local record store of choice, the sadly departed Impact Records. When my friends and I weren't reading comics, looking at laser discs (which I had never seen in my life before, and three years later never saw again), or using what was left of our lunch money to buy trading cards (either Upper Deck basketball, Spiderman or Simpsons), we hung around the ten CD changer listening posts, soaking in whatever aural pleasures were deemed 'Albums of the Week' by Rob, Dick and Barry.
After seeing the clips shown on Friday night's Rage, I'd note down any of the ones that I simply had to hear again, and go into Impact the following Monday afternoon to occupy the listening posts for an hour or two before grudgingly trooping home to make a belated start on my homework.
Friday night's Rage played only new videos, with the first clip usually reserved for the latest pre-release video of the week. I can still remember vividly watching clips such as 'Beetlebum' and 'Smack My Bitch Up' for the very first time (the later which I taped, then gave to a friend to play at a house party the following week. For five minutes, everyone stopped drinking and watched the Jonas Ackerlund video, before letting out a collective 'What the f**k?') and making sure I'd chuck a tape in my stereo in case they came on the radio, as having a taped copy of the songs would be my only chance of listening to them whenever I wanted before the official release date, which was usually a good month away.
Saturday nights though were even better, as that's when Rage handed over the controls of the night's playlist to the artists. Usually it would be either a well known overseas band that was touring Australia at the time (Beastie Boys, Trent Reznor, Faith No More) or a local rising talent. They'd be handed a big red book of available videos to choose from, and pick forty of them to comprise the evening's viewing. This would then be followed by the complete videography of the selected artist (indeed, the three artists I've mentioned all have a stellar history of fine music videos which are easily available on You Tube).
One particular evenings viewing, which I still have on VHS back in Australia, was programmed by Custard, who were I guess Australia's answer to Pavement, although slightly more radio friendly.
Custard - Pack Yr Suitcases
At the time, I was probably slightly obsessed by this band, to the point where I swapped mixtapes with fellow Custaro (as the band referred to themselves) fans, and even got a prompt fan mail reply from lead singer Dave McCormack on the back of a postcard from an American fast food chicken shop. Class.
While I was more interested in making sure I recorded the band's video collection later in the evening, what really made the night worthwhile was the forty clips Dave, Matthew and Paul from the band chose from Rage's red book. The next two and a half hours introduced me to more undiscovered music than I had ever encountered before, or since. On one evening in September 1996, I first heard Devo, Wall of Sound, The Pixies, Frank Black, Pavement, and countless other artists who made me stop listening to grunge and start delving into more underground fare. Here's the list in full, with thanks to Craig Latham, and some of my favourite clips from the night.
# Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies
# Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
# Devo - Are You Experienced?
# Kraftwerk - Telephone Call
# The Fauves - Everbody’s Getting A Three Piece Together
# The Hummingbirds - Two Weeks With A Good Man In Niagara Falls
# The Go-Betweens - Head Full Of Steam
# Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
# Pere Ubu - Love Love Love
# Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
# The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
# Frank Black - Men In Black
# The Fauves - Dogs Are The Best People
# Pavement - Rattled By The Rush
# David Bowie and Bing Crosby - Little Drummer Boy
# The Fauves - Misguided Modelling Career
# Snout - Cromagnoman
# You Am I - Jewels And Bullets
# The Pixies - Digging For Fire
# The Pixies - Alison
# Presidents of the USA - Peaches
# Devo - Freedom Of Choice
# Soundgarden - Jesus Christ Pose
# Beasts of Bourbon - Psycho
# The Rolling Stones - Faraway Eyes
# Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz
# The Hard Ons - Girl In A Sweater
# The Saints - Stranded
# The Pixies - Alec Eiffel
# Pavement - Gold Soundz
# John Kennedy - Big Country
# Dinosaur Jr - Going Home
# Tom Waits - 16 Shells From 30 Ought 6
# The Jesus and Mary Chain - April Skies
# Kiss - I Was Made For Loving You
# The Reels - Quasimodo's Dream
# Mental as Anything - Beserk Warriors
# Frank Black - Headache
# Bobbie Gentry - I'll Never Fall In Love Again
# Sonic Youth - Sister
# Joy Division - She's Lost Control(note the Rage logo at the start!)
Wow. Some mighty fine selections there, and certainly I'd argue if it wasn't for Custard's choices that evening, music wouldn't play such an important role in my life as it has since (which went from being a mere listener to getting involved in music journalism, community radio, working in record stores, DJing, promoting club nights, and boring people to death with whatever remix/b-side is preventing me from sleeping, working, or having normal relations with friends/family/partners). Wait a minute.... now I know who to blame too. Bugger.
(NB: One of the fond memories of watching Rage late at night with my sister was the 'one more clip' mantra. As in: 'OK, one more clip, and if it's shit then I'm off to bed'. Of course, the next clip was usually something brilliant like Aphex Twin's 'Come To Daddy', which would bring about a repeat performance of the mantra. 'OK, one more clip....' and so on, until you were awoken at 3.30am by the sound of My Bloody Valentine's trademark wall of noise chosen by Thurston Moore. Whoa!)
* Bonus - As a tip from man about town Will Kane, here's Japanese J-pop band Drumkan's cover of one of The Pixies songs selected above.
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.
* 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!)
Fans of Spectoresque 60s pop looking for something new should be at The Luminaire this Saturday for The Actionettes night, Motown A-Go-Go. Headlining are one of my favourite bands, Lucky Soul, who have put out three stellar singles in the last year, with 'Lips Are Unhappy' being the pick of the bunch. They're polishing off their debut record right this moment, The Great Unwanted, and if it's anywhere as good as their recent singles it'll be in quite a few critics 'Best of 2007' lists in December.
Here's the video for new single 'Add Your Light To Mine Baby', out March 19.
* MSTRKRFT, Ajax, Modular DJs, and Casper C. Booze. Tonight. In Shoreditch. Damn. See you there. (No, I'm not telling you where, unlike other blogs! It's supposed to be a secret!)
* Super fanboy indie news: ATP have announced the first three bands taking part in Don't Look Back 2007: Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation, Slint performing Spiderland, and House Of Love performing House Of Love. Get your tickets here, here and here.
(At the time of writing it looks like the Sonic Youth gig has sold out, but the other two performances have plenty of tickets available. I'll see y'all at the Roundhouse on August 31 for Thurston, Kim, and a frenzy of feedback)
How's this for a way to finish a set? Jarvis Cocker ended his NME Awards show at the Astoria on the weekend with two covers. Not content with taking on Talking Heads 'Heaven', he then finished his performance with Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. Yes, but is it as good as this version?
* Shhhhh....the kind folks at Modular are having a secret party this week featuring MSTRKRFT and Ajax, days before their joint bash with Together this Saturday at Turnmills. Not going to spill the beans on where it is, but I guarantee you'll kick yourself if you miss it. Hit me up for details, or just do a lil' interweb research, and all will be revealed.
* As I won't be making pancakes this Tuesday due to the pull of Trail of Dead's infamous twin-drumming attack at Koko, I whipped some up tonight following the easiest recipe in the world. Now for the filling: Nutella and bananas, or lemon juice and sugar?
* Track of the weekend? Well, this slighty cheesy yet cheeky cut from Sneaky Soundsystem got a damn fine reaction at Keston Lodge on Friday night, so it'll be a record bag staple for a while. Grab it here (plus the new !!! picture disc too!)
It's Valentines Day yet again and for those who want to stick two middle fingers up to Cupid, Hallmark, and the general giftage industry here are three suggestions for alternative ways to spend your evening.
* Head on down to the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes in Tavistock Square for Sean Rowley's "I'm Not In Love" night featuring The Laundrettas, The Lovers, Erection Section (Bugged Out's Johnno), The All Star Porn Star DJ Squad and Mr Guilty Pleasures himself, Sean Rowley. Tickets are may be sold out at the time of writing, but there may be some at the door for 8 of your English pounds, and an extra 4 if you feel like a bowl.
* Not strictly an Anti-Valentines night as such, but 'So In Love' at The Old Blue Last may fit the bill if you're after a dose of something a lil' different. Live sets from David Viner and tip-for-the-top Kate Nash, whose lovely debut 7" you might still be able to find here, and Shit Disco plus the deck talents of Team Megamix, Casper C, Skull Juice and Elplate.
* Finally, yours truly will be throwing his bleeding heart on the floor while playing records of hurt and hate (ie. Phil Collins, Marvin Gaye and Violent Femmes) at Keston Lodge in Islington from 7 till 12. I'll be the one with the black rose in his mouth.
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.
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.
* 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.
* 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.
In a way though Prince really isn't your average guy. After giving a career sustaining performance at easily the best Superbowl halftime show in years (in the middle of what was a pretty one-sided game), Prince decided he wasn't ready to put the guitar away for the night. Class.
Gee, I'm actually looking forward to his next album now.
* Surely the best of the recent Justin Timberlake remixes for 'My Love' has to be Diplo's bootleg with LCD Soundsystem. Peep it at ChazOlogy, along with a slew of other JT goodness.
* AITBF's first Fabric shindig for the year is shaping up nicely if the early line-up is any indication. Taking place on Thursday April 5th, acts confirmed so far include Digitalism, Louis Austen, Para One and Friendly Fires amongst those playing live, plus Surkin, Filthy Dukes, DJ Herve, and heaps more yet to be announced. No excuses for missing this one, especially as it kicks off the Easter long weekend.
* So will Anfield now be known as 'Pizza Hut Park'? I've been worried about a takeover of my beloved Reds for a long time know, but it really was inevitable. I guess this means there's more chance for a seat on match day now, although the expected hike in ticket prices is surely just around the corner. Just don't sell Harry, ok?
Unless you're in a delightful Manc band called New Order. So were things so bleak for the band after the release of Republic that they had to promote their album on Dave and Pammie's show? I guess so.
New Order - Regret (mimed...sorry, performed on Baywatch)
* Something I don't regret (ahem) is pointing out Causin' A Commotion, a new celebridee blog run by my good friend (and DJ extraordinaire) the delightful Miss Becca. Bookmark it for all your Trousersnake gossip. I didn't know Seth and Summer broke up!
* The best music news of the weekend was surely not Glenn Frey's attempts to add more cash to his mattress stuffed full of dead presidents, but a new song 'Hearts On Fire' on Cut Copy's MySpace page, which you'll never see the Melbourne lads perform on Home and Away (unless Alf invited them, a request they'd be fools to knock back. Flamin' galahs!). Anyway, expect 'Hearts On Fire' to arrive on shiny 12 inch vinyl in March, with a Joakim remix to boot.
* Saw Dreamgirls on Saturday thanks to the wonders of 3 for 10 pub-bought pirate DVD deal (nope, I didn't buy the offending discs, but let me just say that if Blockbuster ever went into business with Clapham's car boot sale kings, then I'm sure they'd make a mint. What, it's illegal? Well I'll be damned....). Eight Oscar nominations? Well, I think Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson deserved their nods, but the songs? Three nominated songs, and all three were utter shite (although it seems to be a particularly weak year with the only other competition being Melissa Etheridge and Randy 'Pixar' Newman). Hell, give me Three Six Mafia anyday.
* February '07 playlist
Chemical Brothers - Electric Battle Weapon 8
Teenager - Alone Again (Van She Tech Remix)
New Young Pony Club - Descend
LCD Soundsystem - Time To Get Away
Mark Ronson feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard and Tiggers - Toxic
Bonde Do Role - Gasolina (Radioclit remix)
Amy Winehouse feat. Ghostface Killah - You Know I'm No Good
Dr. Alimantado - I Killed The Barber
Justice - Phantom (Part 1)
Los Campinos - You! Me! Dancing!
Little Barrie - I Love You
Nas feat. (ready for this? OK, here we go...) Grandmaster Caz, MC Shan, Raheem, Doctor Ice, Kangol, Kool Moe Dee, Sha Rock, Tito, Lin Que, Dana Dane, Pebblee Poo & Just Ice - Where Are They Now? (80s remix)
So technically this is the first MJ post for 2007, and in Mac-assisted glory too!
(Sorry Mr Gates, but Vista's hard sell didn't grab me after I found out about how your new operating system takes the 'person' away from the 'personal' PC and into Microsoft's hands. Oh, and at least now Ableton and other memory heavy software won't crash on my machine and leave me with a clicking hard drive....click....click....click)
January has been quite a relaxed month with highlights including * Lovely walks along the Southbank under the winter sun * Heaps of new music to listen to (and share) * News of a best friend's engagement which means a return trip Down Under to see friends and family (Tim, got a date for this shindig yet? Not that anyone's rushing you!) * Speaking of Down Under, receiving two fantastic packages of provisions of food and music from the familia and Mr Nash. Smoked macadamia nuts from Queensland....amazing. * Sleeping in all the time. 10 hours sleep on consecutive nights? Unheard of! * Walking around town with a bag that promotes one of my favourite record stores in the world (thank you Nash, and thank you Blake and Byron!) * Snapping up an Arcade Fire ticket (thanks Marie!) * Great no-brain TV when you need it (the return of America's Next Top Model and The OC) * Great brain-TV when you need it (Expedition Borneo, Battlestar Galactica)
Lowlights? * No contact from rubbish people. Grrrr. * The windy windy day that knocked over trees in Stokey. * Snobs. * The last night of Trash which was impossible to get into due to poor bouncers, no queue barriers, people pushing in, and wankers all around. Shame it had to end like that. * The regulation January cold. * Paying for cable sport channels, and what do you get? One sided cricket matches and heartbreaking buzzerbeaters in NBA games on Martin Luther King day. Curse you Gilbert Arenas!
All up, not a bad month. What's in store this month?
1. Cat Power - The Greatest 2. Bonnie Prince Billy - The Letting Go 3. TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain 4. Charlotte Gainsbourg - 5:55 5. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat 6. Fujiya Miyagi - Transparent Things 7. CSS - CSS 8. The Roots - Game Theory 9. Hot Chip - The Warning 10. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Top 5 Gigs of 2006 1. Seu Jorge @ Koko 2. Radiohead @ Hammersmith Apollo 3. Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins @ Shepherds Bush 4. CSS @ 93 Feet East 5. Ryan Adams & The Cardinals @ Shepherds Bush
Top 10 'record bag staples' of 2006
1. The Futureheads - Worry About It Later (Switch remix) 2. Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve remix) 3. Plan B & Epic Man - More Is Enough 4. TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me 5. Simain Mobile Disco - Hustler 6. Hot Chip - Over And Over 7. Peaches - Downtown (Simian Mobile Disco mix) 8. CSS - Let's Make Love and Listen To Death From Above 9. Cassius - Jack Rock 10. Tie: Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out/Bonnie Tyler Total Eclipse Of The Heart (always, always, always!)
ZZZZZZZZZZZZ....what? December already? As you may be aware, Major Leaguer has been pretty quiet lately due to:
* my broken puter * crazy busy work schedules * X-mas and all it entails * playing records on a semi-regular basis * getting tipsy on a regular basis * immmersing myself in all cricket related matters (Ashes to Ashes...)
So apologies to you, the few regular readers who have been seeing the same damn posts for the last 3 months. 2007? I swear kids, I'll shape up (or ship out). Maybe.
To make up for this slack bloggery (is that even a word?), I'll post the usual best of the year lists in the next week or so, and any other general pieces of niceness that have caught my eye in recent times. Like getting kissed by Petula Clark on my birthday!
* So, like, my favourite hussies at Mindie have made some noise about yours truly on their brand spanking new website (which was launched in style at 93 Feet East a few weekends ago. I may have been spotted playing records, or drinking their stash of Rolling Rock dry. Or both). It's totally awesome, bitchin', and gnarly. Check out the slanderous lies here! Oh, and the rest of the site is mighty schmick too. 'Brap brap', as those Mindie kids say.
* The very fine clubbing institution known as Trash is coming to an end. Say it ain't so Erol!
* World Domination? Yeah. Y Not? Yes, it's bad grammar, but it's also a new night kickstarted by the lovely Nicole Popscene and some guy called Euan. The first Y Not World Domination? will take place at The Oakford Social Club in Reading (sister boozer to the ace Lock Tavern) on December 30th. Or, New Years Eve Eve! More info when it comes to hand.
Just a quick post to say that I'll be playing records at the 1-2-3-4 Records night this Thursday 14th September at The Old Blue Last pub in Shoreditch (the label that brought you Whitey amongst others).
All these people will be lurking about too (some even playing music on instruments...crazy!)
GLUE THE IDLE LOVERS THE SVENGALIS DOT AND THE DASHED
Plus DJS: SEAN MCLUSKY / PERCY PARKER / CAZALS JUKEBOX / GOODY TWO SHOES / BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR/ THE WHOREMONES
It's free too, so if you're in the area of the 'Ditch, come along and say 'hej'!
Otherwise, you'll find me at Keston Lodge in Islington the following night (ah, Friday if I remember the days of the week correctly) playing even more records, possibly in a drunker fashion. Other highlights of this day will include...ahem...
1) Meeting David Hasselhoff. Oh yeah. 2) Seeing everyone's lovable moody Irishman Dylan Moran perform at Hammersmith Apollo. 3) Sleeping in.
Imagine Lou Reed singing over images of Ewan MacGregor in a scrubby squat and you're almost there (except without the Trainspotting visuals. No, I'm only high on life....and occasionally CD marker pen fumes)
* October 6th. Keep it free. Pleasure Unit. Bethnal Green. Something Secret. Got it? More info in the next few days.....these guys will be there. Will you?
* Air + Cocker and Hannon + Godrich + Campbell + daughter of Serge = Possibly the pop album of the year. 5:55 is loveliness indeed. Francophiles need look no further for their next hit of pure Gallic bliss.
* A quick shout out to Lee and the gang for inviting me to play rekkkids at their End Of Summer bash at City Golf last week. Twas a pleasure fer shure. Anyone want to play FFR Pokemon? (Mr Metcalfe, I'm looking at you)
* Stereo goodness below. A mixed bag really this week, especially since Dylan's 'Nettie Moore' isn't exactly a rump shaker. Unless hearing Mr Zimmerman sing of sweet love makes you wanna 'zoom zoom zoom and a boom boom' (Trivial Pop Fact: This contained one of Pharrell's first recorded verses)
Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancing (Erol Alkan's Carnival Of Light Remix) Justin Timberlake feat T.I. - My Love The Rapture - Don Gon' Do It Beyonce - Freakum Dress Kelis - Fuck Them Bitches Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cheated Hearts (Peaches Remix) The Roots - Living In A New World Pulp - Cocaine Socialism The Dears - I Fell Deep Charlotte Gainsbourg - Everything I Cannot See New Young Pony Club - Get Dancey J Dilla feat. Pharoahe Monch - Love Bob Dylan - Nettie Moore Damn Arms - Test Pattern (Darlin and Belgium remix)
* Speaking of Damn Arms, they've been on the road back home in Oz supporting electro-rock compadres Midnight Juggernauts whilst taking a break from recording their debut album. Rumour has it they might even be back in the UK before Christmas as well. Yeeee-ah.
* It seems half of London's indie community were crammed into 93 Feet East last night for CSS's 'oh-so-sexy-if-initially-beset-by-sound-problems' UK debut performance. If you missed out then I'd urge you to try and wrangle a ticket for this Sunday's sold-out gig at Dingwalls alongside fellow highly touted youngsters The 1990s, because these Brazilians won't be playing small venues like 93 for much longer. Oh, and did anyone manage to get one of Lovefox's mangoes? (no gutter humour intended)
* Finally, why are all the larrikin Australians suddenly heading upstairs to talk to the bloke/sheila at the pearly gates? First Steve Irwin, now Peter Brock. As my friend Tristan said, 'Paul Hogan must be shitting himself'. RIP Brockie.
Ramblings from a London writer, DJ and professional idiot.
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