Yet More of the Best Tracks of 2024 – So Far

With any luck, my friend from yesterday will be tentatively tiptoeing out into the world again today after avoiding black cats, ladders, and all other unlucky things yesterday.  I would check on him but its about two weeks before the 29^th as I write so I can’t tell you.  If you read strange stories about UFO’s shooting beams of lights onto a specific house in the Rushden area this morning, then you will at least know why.  Then again, if I hear nothing I’ll be even more concerned.

Anyway, lets have some more of what I am currently considering to be the best tracks of the year and we are going to start rathe appropriately with this,

Hello – Girl and Girl (2024, Sub Pop Records)

There are two reasons why Sub Pop band Girl and Girl should be your new favourite band, well three if you include the fact that they are signed to Sub Pop Records.  The first reason is that the drummer in this band is the aunty of the bands singer Kai James.  Aunties rock, especially ones who drum in bands signed to Sub Pop Records.  The second reason, if a drumming aunty isn’t enough, and by the way, it should be, is that the single version of ‘Hello’ steals the chorus from a well known standard from the Sound of Music and turns it into an indie banger instead of the schmaltzy turnip it usually is.  File under bloody amazing folks.

Talking of bloody amazing, here’s City Parking with a song about that lady who presents the program about painting on Channel 4 (probably)

Hannah – City Parking (2024, Third Eye Music)

I’m talking about Hannah Gordon for those of you under the age of 35.  Anyway, I think I said most of this at Christmas, but its not changed so I’ll repeat myself in case you didn’t hear me the first time round.  City Parking get compared a lot to bands like Dry Cleaning – and when you listen to them you’ll realise why, their sounds are similar.  But, and this is the only bit you ever need to know, despite only having about five songs commercially available, City Parking already have more essential songs that Dry Cleaning have managed in two albums. 

Next up a band with a not one but two obliques in their name and we definitely need more of that sort of thing.

Man/Women/Chainsaw – What Lucy Found There (2024, Big Richard Records)

Man/Women/Chainsaw have been causing quite a buzz for a little while now, particularly up in the big smoke, where they have been wowing music fans with some incredibly raucous live shows.  ‘What Lucy Found There’ is their first single an newly expanded six piece and it is genuinely something a bit special.  It sounds a bit like Foals did before they kind of disappeared up themselves, all taut guitars that build before crash landing head first into a swirling crescendo of art rock noise.

Finally today, some shouty indie pop from Seoul from Sailor Honeymoon.  ‘Bad Apple’ is a punky sonic onslaught that is heavily influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, The Ramones and Bikini Kill.  I mean what’s not to like about all that.

Bad Apple – Sailor Honeymoon (2024, Good Good Records)

Tomorrow sees May roll in which brings in another new theme and here is a clue to what that is going to be all about (possibly).

For Tomorrow (Visit to Primrose Hill Extended Version) – Blur (1993, Food Records)

Some More of the Best Tracks of 2024 – So Far

If my records are right, today is April 29^th.  A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless because he sometimes reads this nonsense, refuses to get out of bed on April 29^th.  He claims it is the unluckiest day of the year and as such remains in bed where it is safer (as long as discount things like bed bugs and rogue shelves).  He’s probably over reacting I hear you say, well possibly, but let me explain as briefly and as sensitively as I can, and maybe you can see his point.

His troubles started in 2011, when he was 38 years of age.  In 2011, he was involved in a car crash on April 29^th, a drunk driver rammed into his car just outside Oxford and left him with a broken leg.   Which is probably enough to never want to make you get out of bed – but surely that was a one off and the date is irrelevant.  Read on my friends.

In 2013, on April 29^th, he came home from work one lunch time because he had forgotten some notes that he needed for an afternoon meeting.  He walked in the unlocked back door and found his wife on the sofa with the chap from up the road, he accepts that they might have been looking for spare change or something but their clothes appear to have fallen off.

In 2016, on April 29^th, he got made redundant from his job.  In 2017, on April 29^th, he genuinely broke his ankle slipping on a banana skin and in 2021, on April 29^th he ended up in hospital with Covid complications.  So he might have a point. I’m scared to phone him on April 29^th in case his curse gets transferred to me over the telephone frequencies.

So instead of all that, I’m going to talk about some of best tracks of this year that haven’t already featured on this blog so far (and by that I mean the recent singles by Dog Race, Kim Gordon and Catching Flies).  Right, let’s start with this shouty little slice of Irish language hip hip.  Yes you read that right.

Better Way to Live – Kneecap (featuring Grian Chatten) (2024, Heavenly Records)

Kneecap are a three piece from Belfast who sing (or rap in this case) in both Irish and English who controversy has followed around for all their careers – largely one suspects because of their staunchly Republican views and the fact that they curse throughout their songs (‘Better way to Live’ by the way drops the C-Bomb about two thirds of the way through).  They say their lyrics reflect everyday Belfast life.  I say they are terrific and you should all listen to them on repeat.

Right next up this

Velvet – Royel Otis (2024, Ourness Records)

Royel Otis are a duo from Sydney who earlier this year released their debut album, the evocatively titled ‘Pratts & Pain’ which sounds like the worse firm of accountants in the entire world (its actually a pub in London around the corner from Dan Carey’s studio).  Musically they make a kind of psychedelic indie pop, a bit like what MGMT would sound like if they listened to more Dinosaur Jr records, and that’s no bad thing at all.

You might want to stand up for this one,

Wendorlan – Squarepusher (2024, Warp Records)

I promised myself that after almost going deaf in a Squarepusher gig in a tent in London in the summer of 2022 that I wouldn’t listen to his records again, but then he released ‘Wendorlan’ and I changed my mind.  ‘Wendorlan’ is utterly bonkers, breakneck techno at its absolute finest.  Just don’t try and dance to it if you are aged over, 25.

Last up today, if you are lucky enough to be a member of the Musical Jury I may have mentioned this lot to and they are something of a teaser for what is coming in June, but here is a track from Geneva Squat Rock Punks, Bound by Endogamy – who are the third best band with the word DOG in their name to have emerged this year (behind Fat Dog and Dog Race).  Its released on Bongo Joe Records, a label that is fast becoming my favourite label.

Cogs – Bound by Endogamy (2023, Bongo Joe Records)

Fifty Twelves Inches #42

Unbelievable – EMF (1990, Parlophone Records)

The twelve inch that is selected today belongs to my wife.  Something she is keen to point out when it is dragged out of the cupboard. This is because there are three copies of this record in the vinyl cupboard and so statistically speaking at least, this record was bound to appear in this series at some point.  We know its her copy because it has a tiny tear in the top left hand corner (caused by her cat – one assumes the cat was more of a Jesus Jones fan)

Anyway, this song being featured is probably no bad thing, ‘Unbelievable’ is a great record, unashamedly pop, infectiously catchy and when it first came out in 1990, a fifteen year old me thought it was one of the greatest things ever written. I remember having a picture of EMF taped inside my GCSE physics textbook (back in the days when you were allowed to decorate text books).  I used to sit next to a girl in physics, who I was slightly infatuated with and I think I must have asked out about twenty times in a single year when I was fourteen or fifteen.  

She said no every time by the way, and every time she said no, I shrugged and carried on talking about whatever we talked in physics class.  It certainly wasn’t physics though.  Our physics teacher was a rake like man called Watson, who knew his stuff but sadly for him and us, his stuff was delivered in long monotonous blasts. 

Anyway, a few years back when trawling through LinkedIn I stumbled across the girl from physics who in the thirty years since I last saw her (which was in 1993, at a mutual friends eighteenth birthday bash) had become a member of the Conservative Party, something she openly boasted about – there were pictures of her and Teresa May and her with Jeremy Hunt and had recently announced her engagement to a chap whose occupation is stated as ‘Hedge Fund Manager’.  I’m pretty sure he is wearing braces in the photo of the two of them. 

So I probably had a lucky escape, but if only she knew that in thirty years time the lad that sat next to her in physics and wrote her soppy notes on orange paper, would be in charge of the 715^th most popular Internet blog with the word Badger in the title, how different and better her life would have been.

None of this of course I told my daughter because she’d probably laugh at me and call me a loser.  What I did of course was tell her about how great EMF were when they first came to the worlds attention.  They were one of a select band of groups or artists that could find themselves on the front page of Smash Hits and the NME and that was very much their appeal.   EMF would have almost certainly have been massive on You Tube had that been a thing back in the very early nineties.

After ‘Unbelievable’ and the follow up single ‘I Believe’ both shot into the UK’s Top Five, EMF looked set to become one of the biggest bands of the planet, their debut album ‘Schubert’s Dip’ followed that and for a while they rode the hype. 

I Believe – EMF (1990, Parlophone Records)

In 1992, they released their second album, ‘Stigma’ which was a radical departure and very few people bought it and EMF’s time in the spotlight had faded.  Their third album, the excellent ‘Cha Cha Cha’ was a sort of return to form, but by then, their audience had moved on.

Perfect Day – EMF (1990, Parlophone Records)

The band split and new projects arrived, James Atkins, the singer with the band formed the big beat act Cooler and their techno rock track ‘Teknog’ was something of dancefloor smash when I was a student. But that is not on Songwhip or surprisingly You Tube so here is the follow up single,

Disco Sucks – Cooler (1997, Polydor Records),

Here is the no more than five words review

“Mums records are better”

And here to celebrate the new Taylor Swift album, which has made at least one eleven year old’s week, is a track from it

So Long London – Taylor Swift (2024, Republic Records), which to be fair is better than anything on the second EMF album.

Here in pale comparison is something by Been Stellar a band from New York who I like quite a lot.

Passing Judgment – Been Stellar (2024, Dirty Hit Records)

Nearly Perfect Albums #108

1000 Hurts – Shellac (1998, Touch and Go Records)

I don’t know you wait 105 weeks for No Badger Required to post an album of tortured art noise rock and three come along in the space of four weeks, welcome then to those of you who may not have experienced it before, to the sound of Shellac, a band that were famous before they’d even released a record because they contained Steve Albini amongst their ranks.  A man who is almost as famous for the records he has produced (‘Nevermind’, ‘Surer Rosa’ to name just two) as to the ones that he hasn’t.

It also transpires that Songwhip doesn’t appear to have ‘1000 Hurts’ in its ‘substantial music library’. So all the links will be You Tube today I suspect. How very punk rock of me.

Anyway, Albini’s records have never been an easy listen, and ‘1000 Hurts’ (perhaps the most in joke album title ever) isn’t really any different.  It opens with a track called ‘Prayer to God’ which has a spoken word bit before distorted guitars, bass and drums smash the songs to smithereens.  Then, and only then, does Albini rage about wanting to kill his ex and her new lover or rather what he actually wants in God to do it for him in some righteous act of revenge.  It’s kind of cool, but kind of primal at the same time, but hey it’s Steve Albini and you are not going to get him going all Longpigs on our asses (although I would pay hard cash to hear that).  

Prayer to God – Shellac (1998, Touch and Go Records)

The rest of ‘1000 Hurts’ takes a similar slant, its not quite as ferocious but it is a gloriously visceral experience.  If you want to know what that might sound like before diving in – well imagine an Earthquake measuring more than 7 on the Ricjter Scale hitting your town, the music tplaying under the ground when the tallest building is ripped apart by the force of nature will be something of off ‘1000 Hurts’.  Guaranteed.

So Albini may not be calling for his ex and her lover to be murdered by a higher being on every track on this album, but he does rage at them an awful lot, some might say that is repetitive, well think again, on the track ‘Canaveral’ Albini sings about blasting the new guy into space and incinerating him over China and that’s totally different to being killed by God.

Canaveral – Shellac (1998, Touch and Go Records)

‘1000 Hurts’ isn’t just about Albini though (Ok, it is all about Albini, but humour me), the bass playing of fellow producer Bob Weston is melodic, the perfect foil for Albini’s icy and vicious guitar.  The drums of Todd Trainer pound away marvellous and sound like he thumping them with tree trunks.

It’s an exhilarating album, one full of electrifying energy that pumps so much urgency into every song that it becomes an album that you can’t just dip in and out of.  It does have its lighter moments, thankfully, ‘Song Against Itself’ for instance, where Bob Weston takes over the vocals, perhaps Albini was busy kneeling on some broken glass for light relief or something.

Song Against Itself – Shellac (1998, Touch and Go Records)

But those lighter moments are soon forgotten, the brooding and prowling guitars are back.  They swirl around like musical fists and that drum feels like the cymbals are literally crashing over your head at times.  Its unflinching, aggressive and possibly one of the most vital sounding records you’ll ever hear, which makes it incredible and essential even via You Tube.

Mama Gina -Shellac (1998, Touch and Go Records)

A Month of Nearly Nearly Perfect Albums (#39 and #40)

We end on controversy times two.

39. Degeneration Street – The Dears (2011, Dangerbird Records)

The purpose of this series was to bring together all the albums that I culled from the Neary Perfect Album Long list.  I did the cull because about six months ago in a pique of self-reflection I realised that no one in the world would believe me if I tried to tell you that ‘Myths of The Near Future’ by Klaxons was a Nearly Perfect Album.  Largely because it isn’t and fearing for my credibility I made a second list of what I called Nearly Nearly Perfect Albums that as you have seen over the last months sometimes stretches that definition to breaking point.

I tried to make sure that no band who have already featured on the Nearly Perfect Album Series or will feature in that series, featured in the Nearly Nearly Perfect series.  Now, the third Dears album, the marvellous ‘No Cities Left’ currently sits on the Nearly Perfect List and so by rights I should have removed ‘Degeneration Street’ from the playlist.  Boys and girls, I failed and I can only apologise for the lack of standards that continue to plague this blog. 

Easy Suffering– The Dears (2011, Dangerbird Records)

I will therefore be in the town square of Market Rasen next Thursday in the stocks, where regular readers are invited to throw sharpened Toploader CDs at me as punishment. I think Mick Hucknall is doing an acoustic set of Cramps covers as well, but don’t let that put you off.

Anyway, as we are here, let’s briefly talk about the fifth Dears album, ‘Degeneration Street’, which is almost as wonderful as the one that preceeded it, but not quite, mainly because it relies too much on stadium rock to be truly great.   That said, it does contain a track called ‘Thrones’ which is possibly the finest actual pop song that Murray Lightburn has ever written (even if it does borrow slightly from an Elbow song).

Thrones – The Dears (2011, Dangerbird Records)

There are several highlights on display here, opener ‘Omega Day’ sounds briefly when it starts like a Streets track, until that guitar riff fires into earshot and then grows into a full on chugging beast of a song. 

Omega Dog – The Dears (2011, Dangerbird Records)

The stadium filling chorus appears to be key to this record and sometime The Dears try and fail to deliver that, but when they get it right, like on opening single ‘Blood’ they really get it right.

Blood – The Dears (2011, Dangerbird Records)

Ok, lets give that playlist one final shuffle before it is resigned to the great playlist in the sky.

40.  Black Holes and Revelations – Muse (2006, Warner Bros Records)

A long time ago I got in a bit of grump because of Muse.  I didn’t understand their popularity, what with them being an essentially Queen obsessed Radiohead tribute band and all that.  Once I even contributed through gritted teeth to an ICA on Muse for another blog and even then I said “Muse only have four good songs” and got slightly ribbed by the bloggerati because of that number being quite so high.  Well.  Strap in because I’ve changed my mind on Muse.  Or at least I’ve changed my mind on their fourth album, ‘Black Holes and Revelations’.

Yeah, I hear you.  A man can change his mind.  Pipe Down.

You see, ‘Black Holes and Revelations’ is overblown, theatrical and at times utterly bonkers and preposterous, but it’s a kind great preposterously overblown bonkerness.  It opens with what sounds like a trance beat, until Matt Bellamy’s guitar comes hurtling in from stage left, probably surrounded by flames, and proceeds to explode all over your speakers smacking you around the head as well just because it feels like it. In then segues seamlessly into ‘Starlight’ with barely a pause for breath and so after, what eight minutes, any pretentions about Muse being a low grade Radiohead are long gone.  For the record, Radiohead have never written a song as flamboyant or beautifully simple as ‘Starlight’ – and deep down you know I’m right.

Starlight – Muse (2006, Warner Bros Records)

It’s more than brilliant flamboyant glam rock though, ‘Black Holes and Revelations’ is also an overtly political record.  The band take on George Bush and his puppy Tony Blair, they also take on those who are trying to destroy our eco system, with their massive stadium rock shows with thousands of lightbulbs, electronic flames, strobes and several miles of cables. 

Exo – Politics – Muse (2006, Warner Bros Records) – sample lyric, “When disease fills the skies, it’s just our leaders in disguise”.  Even now, twenty years after its release, when Bellamy hollers that through your speakers at your you want to punch the air and call Grant Shapps a bastard, not that you really need an excuse to call that trumpet faced bellend, a bastard.

There are two (well three if you include ‘Starlight’) real standout moments of sheer beauty on this record.  The first of those is ‘Invincible’ which is a slab of goosebump inducing excellence, full of disco beats, pomp and a chorus that U2 would have literally bankrupted a third world country for.  It’s marvellous, ‘Invincible’ and your life will be better just for listening to it.

Invincible – Muse (2006, Warner Bros Records)

The second standout moment is the album closer, ‘Knights of Cydonia’.  I say stand out I mean jaw droppingly amazing.  ‘Knights of Cydonia’ is how, in a perfect world, every album ever made would end.  Galloping horses, Spaghetti Western style musings, massive riffs, and a chorus so loud it sounds like an army is singing it as in marches across the plains to defend the earth from an evil race of killer Tories.

Knights of Cydonia – Muse (2006, Warner Bros Records)

“No one’s gonna take me alive!” and the incredible thing is, I utterly believe him.

‘Black Holes and Revelations’ is as daft as it is serious.  Its entertaining, rabble rousing, defiant, and best of all, its fantastic. 

(and if I wrote that at the start of the month you would have never believed me)

A Month of Nearly Nearly Perfect Albums (#37 and #38)

On offer today retro punk rock, and a tale about a gentleman’s club.

37. The ’59 Sound – The Gaslight Anthem (2008, Side One Dummy Records)

The last time I saw The Gaslight Anthem, was back in 2011, at the Shepherds Bush Empire in London town.  They finished with a rousing version of the title track of this album.  A song dedicated to a friend who is no longer around, the lyrics echoing around the venue, full of reflection and wondering and as the song reaches it almost fist pumping crescendo, the crowd are whipped into a frenzy and then the music falls back to a gentle strum and there is singer Brian Fallon, just stood repeating the closing line, to nobody in particular

“Young boys, young girls, ain’t supposed to die on a Saturday night.”

It was brilliantly effective and if there was a soul in that building who didn’t understand just what a song ‘The 59 Sound’ is, they did after that.  It was amazingly poignant, and then Fallon channelling the very spirit of Springteen punches the air and leaves the stage.

The 59 Sound – The Gaslight Anthem (2008, Side One Dummy Records)

The Gaslight Anthem play punk rock, but not as we know, this isn’t hardcore guitars, sneering, spitting and pogoing down the front.  This is an old school breed of punk rock back from a time when the rockers were as much into the music of Loretta Lynn as they were the Ramones.  Or punks that were comfortable making records that were considered emotional (see above) but would rather retire to seaside and wear cardigans than ever be called ‘an emo’.  If punk rock existed in the early sixties, then it would probably sound exactly like The Gaslight Anthem.  I mean even their songs titles evoke imagery of drive in theatres, diners and greaseballs.

Here’s Looking At Your, Kid – The Gaslight Anthem (2008, Side One Dummy Records)

And they do it very well of course, because rather like yesterday, ‘The 59 Sound’ is one of those records that when I first heard it, I played it pretty much non stop for a week and declared to anyone that was listening that they were amazing and immediately lent it to anyone who might be remotely interested in music.   

Great Expectations – The Gaslight Anthem (2008, Side One Dummy Records)

There are of course, obvious comparisons to Bruce Springsteen, especially where singer Brian Fallon is concerned, he has that sort of voice, one that can carry a song on it own, a voice that can croon, yelp and roar when it needs to and at times, like on ‘Old White Lincoln’ it can do that chest beating, foot stomping chant that Springsteen has perfected. 

Old White Lincoln – The Gaslight Anthem (2008, Side One Dummy Records)

The songs are mostly simple, but it’s the way that they are performed that make this such a great listen.   It’s the way that Fallon growls or it’s the way that the guitars go from jangly to that soar before the chorus’ kicks in.  Brilliant stuff.

The Patient Ferris Wheel – The Gaslight Anthem (2008, Side One Dummy Records)

Ok, one more I think…..

38. Manners – Passion Pit (2009, Frenchkiss Records)

I once went on a stag do to that glamourous beach resort that is Blackpool.  We had a nice evening (well nice for Blackpool), a decent meal, a few beers in one of the many chain pubs that litter the sea front and then a short walk back to a frankly pisspoor bed and breakfast.  A bed and breakfast where the landlord told us all that if “we wanted to bring a lady home, it was £20 extra on the bill”.   I made a mental note of that in case I happened to meet a young lady who like rooms with peeling wallpaper and bathrooms with really dubious stains on the floor, a lady who really likes to be spoilt I would imagine.

Anyway, we took a different route home and just around corner from the bed and breakfast was a club.  Loud cheesy dance music was pumping out of it and we all decided that we could stomach one more drink.  That was until we saw the large neon women shaped light that shone down on you as you entered the car park.  This was not a club in the late night drinking sense of the world.  This was ‘Roxie’s Gentlemans Club’ and there was no way on earth I was stepping a foot inside it.

The Reeling – Passion Pit (2009, Frenchkiss Records)

A discussion ensued and four of the group decided that there was nothing wrong in going inside for ‘one drink’, the rest of group (including me and the stag) – decided that there was a lot wrong in that and said we’d see them in morning.  Which is what we did. 

Now two things happened after we left that car park.  The first thing is that when we reached the edge of the car park we bumped into the landlord of the bed and breakfast, who at twenty to one in the morning, had decided that “he needed some more milk” – to be fair there was all night shop around the corner so he could have been telling the truth, he could have just been a seedy old perv, not for me to say.

Little Secrets – Passion Pit (2009, Frenchkiss Records)

The second thing that happened was about twenty minutes later as we were all climbing into our respect beds, the other members of our party returned from their late night drinking club.  It was about a six minute walk so we reckon they were in there for about fifteen minutes.   They were probably just tired.

Sleepyhead  – Passion Pit (2009, Frenchkiss Records)

At breakfast, Sam, the best man, gives us the gory details.

“So it wasn’t a lap dancing club at all, the waitresses walk around in their pants but that is about all that is happening.  Lots of really menacing looking Eastern Europeans sit and stare at you whilst this DJ plays the greatest hits of Mark Morrison.  Oh and the bar bill, we had one round of drinks, three Jack Daniels and Coke, One Vodka and Coke.  £62.” 

It is never mentioned again.  Sort of. 

Let Your Love Grow Tall – Passion Pit (2009, Frenchkiss Records)

Here is the final, rather surprising, lyrical clue for this series

“No one’s gonna take me alive.  Time has come to make things right”

A Month of Nearly Nearly Perfect Albums (#35 and #36)

Today Post Punk Funk and Post Dubstep (already, I know!)

35. Echoes – The Rapture (2003, DFA Records)

Anyone out there remember the short lived punk funk scene of the eighties, I mean I don’t obviously I’m far too young.  For those that don’t, it fused new wave guitars with disco beats and occasionally gave a nod in the direction of jazz.  It was short lived like I said.

At the very start of the century The Rapture sort of recreated that sound with their excellent cowbell bothering single ‘House of Jealous Lovers’.  A breathtakingly track that was full of jerky guitars, funky basslines and relentless disco beats and it was all great.  The fact that they were also signed to DFA Records, which was at the time, the most innovative and refreshing label around only added to their brilliance. Shortly after that record was released hipsters, and music fans alike all decided that they’d all really been into punk funk back along and had been calling for a revival for years. 

House of Jealous Lovers – The Rapture (2003, DFA Records)

Of course, The Rapture came along with a fair bit of hype.  The press unfairly dubbed them ‘The Disco Strokes’ because of their love of skinny jeans and style over substance, but then the debut album ‘Echoes’ arrived, and stupid comparisons were forgotten as a brilliant combination of guitars, house music, bass and gently entrancing electronica pushed all that aside.  Blending guitars with house music raised eyebrows, but here on ‘Echoes’ it worked very well.  At time ‘Echoes’ was thrilling in fact.

I Need Your Love – The Rapture (2003, DFA Records)

But, its not quite the sum of its part.  Vocalist Luke Jenner for instance, has an alienating yelp rather than an actual voice.  The sort of yelp that wants to sound like Robert Smith did around the time he was making records about Saturday nights, all sudden surges in volumes and tones that sounds distressed.

At times, Jenner seems to actually forget the words to the songs, or replace them with his yelps and shrieks, like someone is jabbing him in ribs with a pencil when he gets to the chorus.   It does make the record slightly intriguing I suppose.

Echoes – The Rapture (2003, DFA Records)

At times, ‘Echoes’ sounds like a long list PiL record, certainly vocally at the very least, which may or may not be a good thing, depending on where you stand on Mr Lydon, regardless, it remains at times an innovative album that when it is good, it is very good (‘House of Jealous Lovers’, ‘Sister Saviour’) and when its not so good, it is entirely skippable (there are three ballady sort of tracks that add very little).

Sister Saviour – The Rapture (2003, DFA Records)

Let’s having something else shall we,

36. SBTRKT – SBTRKT (2011, Young Turks Records)

Yesterday we explored dubstep, today, we will explore an album that is these hailed as the first ‘post dubstep’ album.  A daft phrase considering that it came out about six months after ‘Magnetic Man’s excellent debut.  Still, the debut album by mask wearing, vowel hating producer and DJ ‘SBTRKT’ is an excellent listen, the sort of record that you play half to death when you first get it and then every now and again return to with a smile on your face. 

‘SBTRKT’ has moments of exquisite beauty, where you can just get lost in the songs.  It brings in a number of guest vocals such Sampha (and that’s never going to be awful), Jessie Ware and Yukimi Nagano from Little Dragon and each one brings something to the tracks that they feature on and whilst this maybe an experimental dance record, the production and the focus on the vocals, the beats and the music does give it a slightly pop feel.  If it that pop feel is slightly wonky

Wildfire – SBTRKT featuring Little Dragon (2011, Young Turks Records)

There is a great blend of styles of offer throughout this record.  For instance, ‘Wildfire’ is pop perfection all squelchy and heaving with Timbaland like sentimentality, whilst other tracks like the excellent, Sampha sung ‘Trials of the Past’ is much more moody and slower paced.  It works here because of Sampha really.  His voice is built for RnB and the music that backs hi here and on other tracks have that stuttery drum n bass (sort of) feel to them.

Trials of the Past – SBTRKT featuring Sampha (2011, Young Turks Records)

The thing about this record is that it is accessible, where as dubstep was considered too inaccessible (too bass heavy, too grime-y etc.) and trip hop and all those other new electronica genres were just that little bit too leftfield for mainstream tastes perhaps.  It mashes together different styles and makes it something different because of that.  Album opener for instance, has all the glitchiness of a trip hop track, without the iciness.  ‘Hold On’ gives you some downbeat speed garage, and the brilliant ‘Sanctuary’ contains the sort of synths that are all the rage these days.

Hold On – SBTRKT (2011, Young Turks Records)

Sanctuary – SBTRKT (2011, Young Turks Records)

It is a tremendous record, a broad, eclectic and extremely listenable collection of songs.  That broad range maybe its selling point.  The dance music market is usually one where the focus in on the beats, the bleeps and the bass, but to make an album where the focus is very much all about the song, seemed a brave move, especially on a debut record.  To focus on that and pull it off is very close to extraordinary.

Ok, here is tomorrow’s lyrical clue,

“Well, I wonder which song they’re gonna play when we go.”

A Month of Nearly Nearly Perfect Albums (#33 and #34)

One of todays records features Miss Dynamite, you’ve been warned.

33. Magnetic Man – Magnetic Man (2010, Columbia Records)

Ah dubstep.  Remember that?  No….Well then read on dear reader.  Dubstep was back in 2010 the latest in a long line of underground sounds that went overground (in this case much to the chagrin of so called dance purists who immediately called it out accusing it of selling out and cheapening a genre that they loved).  Right at the centre of everything dubstep were Magnetic Man, a supergroup if you like, formed of three of its pioneers, Benga, Skream and Artwork, who teamed up and produced perhaps the only essential dubstep record – saying that I know very little about dubstep – it may well be one of many essential dubstep records (and I’m looking in the direction of Burial here…).

Not that ‘Magnetic Man’ is necessarily just a dubstep record.  It is judging by album opener ‘Flying Into Tokyo’ an album full of dark and expansive electronica that is happy to throw in string sounds and other deep sounds on its journey.

Flying Into Tokyo – Magnetic Man (2010, Columbia Records)

Further examples of this albums non dubbiness can perhaps be seen in the groups first single ‘I Need Air’ which has almost no bass on display, the wonderful vocals of Angela Hunter, combine marvellously with an almost trance foundation that builds and builds until exploding about half way through.  It’s excellent and threw Magnetic Man into the Top Ten.

I Need Air – Magnetic Man featuring Angela Hunter (2010, Columbia Records)

Elsewhere, the third single ‘Getting Nowhere’ which features soul man John Legend, again features virtually no bass and actually surprisingly for something containing John Legend, weakens the record slightly by being slightly formulaic,

Getting Nowhere – Magnetic Man featuring John Legend (2010, Columbia Records)

If you just concentrated on the singles that came off of ‘Magnetic Man’ you might come to the conclusion that this is an album of watered down drum n bass designed to appease beard trimming hipsters who take thirty minutes to make one cup of coffee, whilst they grease the wheels of their electric bikes, but you would be wrong in that conclusion

Because, there is plenty more going on elsewhere.  For instance, it contains a track called ‘Fire’, which features Ms Dynamite, and contains the sort of vocal delivery that made everyone so excited when she first started making record.  It also contains at least two tracks where the bass is front and centre, the second one ‘K Dance’ in particular is moody and menacing and sonically invigorating, especially if you have had to wait an age for your coffee in the morning.

Fire – Magnetic Man featuring Miss Dynamite (2010, Columbia Records)

K Dance – Magnetic Man (2010, Columbia Records)

Ok, let’s see what’s next,

34. El Camino – Black Keys (2011, Nonesuch Records)

Before my daughter came along, my wife and I used to ski.  I say ski, sit around in mountain cafes, drinking hot chocolate and then slowly plod down a mountain trying not to fall over is more fitting really.  Anyway, those of you who go skiing will know that when you get to the ski lifts, which are either big chairs, little button seat things or massive cable cars, you are normally greeted by cheesy Euro Disco music, its nearly always terrible, songs like ‘Hey Baby’.  Its really hard to ignore it as the wind sort of blows it up the mountain after you.

From what I could tell there was one exception to this and that was on a ski run called ‘Henry’, a fairly tame blue run about half way up the Trois Valleys in Tignes, on the French/Italian border.  That ski lift, a fairly short button lift, played nothing, or at least the day I was there it did, but the album ‘El Camino’ by the Black Keys and that is why I spent a good two hours going up down that lift when I was there and which is why is popular with snowboarders (that and it lead to the small pipe park).

‘El Camino’ is of course the album that spawned ‘Lonely Boy’ the all conquering hit single by Black Keys, one that also came with a quirky video, that was as it happens also being played on constant rotation by music channels on all the TVs as well.  ‘Lonely Boy’ remains wonderfully catchy and as a good a track as you will ever need with its dirty fuzzy guitars, pounding drums that make way for a huge chorus. 

Lonely Boy – Black Keys (2011, Nonesuch Records)

‘El Camino’ is I think the seventh Black Keys album and it was one saw them finally reach rock superstar status.   This is probably because everyone expected the whole thing to sound like ‘Lonely Boy’, which of course it doesn’t.  It immediately saw the band compared to bands like the Kings of Leon, largely because journalists are lazy and signpost their readers to names that they might recognised. 

On that, ‘El Camino’ also saw the Black Keys labelled ‘The New White Stripes’, despite sounding very little like them, again the comparisons were simple there was two of them, and they made a racket and had a colour in their name.

As a record, ‘El Camino’ sounds nothing like The White Stripes or the Kings of Leon for that matter. Yes there are elements that if you covered one of your ears you might just about liken to either of them, this track in particular you might hear on a Leon album, although I think it sounds more like Led Zeppelin, when it eventually bursts into life.

Little Black Submarines – Black Keys (2011, Nonesuch Records)

The band will tell you that ‘El Camino’ is heavily influenced by The Clash and The Cramps.  But again, you’ll struggle to find that on the record, they haven’t made or even tried to for that matter, to make a half reggae half rock record and there is no psychobilly to found either – if that is what the Cramps play – the closer to both of those is this,

Hell of A Season – Black Keys (2011, Nonsuch Records)

All that said, ‘El Camino’ is a great record, full of massive rocky riffs, that is as happy in a saw dust bar in the Midwest as it is in a stadium, which is its exact charm.

Stop Stop – Black Keys (2011, Nonesuch Records)

Ok, here is tomorrows numerically correct, lyrical clue,

“One (one!), Two (two!), Three (three!), Four (four!)”

A Month of Nearly Nearly Perfect Albums (#31 and #32)

Todays albums near a bit of a hug.

31. /// – This is Shit (2020, Upton Park Records)

Now.  Firstly, it isn’t.  Its wonderful, but no one came here for a lecture on self confidence. Secondly, this might be, thankfully for you lot, a short piece because again like when Tobe Nwigwie fell out of the hadron super randomiser, I know very little about This Is Shit.

So this is what I do know.  I was introduced to This Is Shit by Steve Lamacq.  I have actually met the current lord of indie, twice as it happens, once when I was drunk in Guildford University, so drunk that when I asked him to play me some China Drum, I tripped and knocked over a pile of CDs he had stacked ready to play and secondly a few years later, backstage at a Carter USM gig, which sounds awfully impressive but I was only there because the guy at reception gave me an access all area pass by mistake and I legged it before he’d realised his error. On the second occasion I reminded Lamacq of the first occasion and he said “Oh Yeah” and walked off swearing.  So me and Lamacq are ‘tight’.

Anyway, Lammo, (its ok, his mates call him that), played This Is Shit on one of his radio shows, referring to them as “That was ‘Transition 1.2 by a band called This Is and then I’m afraid there is a word that I can’t say but rhymes with Hit, let’s leave it at that”. 

Transition 1.2 – This Is Shit (2020, Upton Park Records)

Now with a name like This Is Shit, and with a record label named like that, you would expect them to be a shouty punk rock band from East London, but you’d be pretty wrong, This Is Shit are a trancey krautrocky dance act from France or Italy or both, I can’t remember which it is. 

‘///’ is I think their debut album and it came out in the middle of lockdown and its bloody marvellous.  A fine collection of bleeps and atmospheric beats that chime away majestically.  Here are three of its highlights, but the whole thing is perfect late night listening.

Ecstasy – This Is Shit (2020, Upton Park Records)

Amphetamine – This Is Shit (2020, Upton Park Records)

Transition 1.3 – This Is Shit (2020, Upton Park Records)

Right, on to the next record, which I do know a little bit about.

32. Honeyblood – Honeyblood (2014, Fat Cat Records)

I’m not quite sure what happened to Honeyblood or where it went wrong (if indeed it did).  When they emerged in the latter part of 2013, with the excellent ‘Bud’ they seem to tap into a small gap in the market and looked primed for major success but that never quite materialised.  Back in 2014, when this debut album came out, they were an interesting prospect, two women who were already in bands, that bonded one evening and set out as duo.  Those early tracks (which are included on this debut) placed them somewhere in the gap between the Throwing Muses and PJ Harvey, nothing particular new was on offer, but it was the energy, the general earwom nature of those early tracks and that fact Stina Tweeddale possessed an incredible voice that drew comparisons as far ranging as Kim Deal to Harriet Wheeler, that caused such a buzz around them.

Bud – Honeyblood (2014, Fat Cat Records)

It is easy to see why those comparisons were drawn.  One of tracks on offer here, ‘Choker’ does if you close your eyes and forget that you’d pressed play on an actual Honeyblood album could easily pass off as a Breeders song, another one, ‘No Spare Key’ sounds a lot like Tanya Donnelly.

Choker – Honeyblood (2014, Fat Cat Records)

No Spare Key – Honeyblood (2014, Fat Cat Records)

Both of which are no bad thing at all, and it doesn’t take anything away from the record, which is essentially a very good record.  It files itself perfectly in that collection of records that contain songs about men who aren’t very good people (‘Super Rat’ – more of that later), or about being exasperated as the complexities of relationships.  Its part riot grrrl part lovelorn youngsters if that makes sense and those contrasting themes clash a little through out it.

Take ‘Super Rat’, which is an outstanding song.  It manages to do that sweet but angry vocal style very calmly with guitars that sort of dance around a sweet vocal, but the songs escalates into a ripping yarn that spits and shudders with utter contempt shouting out insults to the super rat “SCUM!, BAG!, SLIME! BALL!”.  Its wonderfully done.

Super Rat – Honeyblood (2014, Fat Cat Records)

In contrast the album opener ‘Fall Forever’ which starts relatively angrily with lashing hooks aplenty before it eventually dissolves into a placid and lovelorn tale, its one of the best moments on the album as it happens

Fall Forever – Honeyblood (2014, Fat Cat Records)

Its aging well, ‘Honeyblood’ and still comes highly recommended around these parts.

Here is tomorrows lyrical clue, which appears to be stating the bleeding obvious.

Electrify my body and you’re makin’ me feel like I’m so electric

Fifty Twelve Inches – #41

Funny How – Airhead (1991, Korova Records)

Oh.  I forgot I owned this jaunty slab of beige coloured indie pop.  Airhead came from Maidstone and I sort of knew one of their brothers as he went to the same college as me, but hung out with the cool kids and not the sad sacks like me.  He liked Soundgarden if I remember rightly.   Anyway, back in the day Airhead were very nearly something, until the comedy DJ, the late Steve Wright announced live on radio 1 that they were his new favourite band and before the band could yell “Stop, were not bland, we can be cool, we sound like Jesus Jones” their street cred legged it quick smart in the direction of the horizon, never to be seen again, but not before they’d had a very minor hit with their fourth single, the terminally dull, ‘Counting Sheep’, the sort of record that even Toploader would perhaps turn down for being a “bit crap”.

Counting Sheep – Airhead (1991, Korova Records)

Still, a minor hit it was. 

Airhead were not called Airhead when the first started out, they were called The Apples, until a terrible indie dance pop act of the same name made them change it.  Which they did to the wonderfully stupid Jefferson Airhead, under that name they released their debut single, ‘Congratulations’ which I owned on 12” from which the sleeve folded out into a comic.   It was ok.

Congratulations – Airhead (1991, Korova Records)

That was followed by a second single and a second issue of the comic, called Scrap Happy, which was pretty much more of the same jingly indie pop which saw the band momentarily lumped into the Madchester sound (or Madstone, as the NME called, rather wittily Airheads efforts).

Scrap Happy – Airhead (1991, Korova Records)

After ‘Scrap Happy’ came ‘Funny How’ but not before the band wisely dropped the Jefferson bit from their name.  That rumour has it is because the much more successful Jefferson Airplane took umbrage to it, and issued threats, but in reality, their record company probably said “Look chaps, there is a chance that you might sell some records, and Jefferson Airplane will probably sue us, so lets drop the Jefferson bit, as it makes you looks like twats”.  So they did.

‘Funny How’, which despite being catchy and radio friendly, starts to grate after about two plays.  It’s not quite as clever as it thinks it is, and the chorus about the girls you fancy not fancying you back is also really, really irritating,   Oh hang on, the daughter has a question.

“Did the girls you fancied, fancy you back?”

Interesting question, not one that I’d ever thought I’d be discussing with an eleven year old, “sort of” I tell her and try to rapidly change the subject.  The real answer is not always, but when you are younger there is this kind of indescribable feeling that hits you when you realise that you fancy a girl and that feeling gets all sort of weird when the feeling appears to be mutual.  That feeling is lovely. 

It sucks when its not mutual though and I suppose we’ve all been there more times than we care to remember.

“Did mum fancy you back?”

“Eventually” I tell her.  Which is true, it took, two bottles of K cider, countless cups of tea, half a cherry cake and some free tickets to see Chumbawamba and Back to the Planet at the Shepherds Bush Empire before she decided that I might be worth investing some time in.  I think I might have lent her a book on youth culture as well.

Here is the no more than five words review

“I quite like it”  – which on reflection would have probably done their careers more good than them being Steve Wrights new favourite band.

Here is the eleven year old review, and I’m genuinely not sure what to make of this,

Made You Look – Meghan Trainor (2022, Epic Records) – when I say I’m not sure.  I’m not sure if its ghastly or really ghastly.

In comparison, here is a new track by Eels, which I’m sure you’ll agree is marginally better than anything else you have heard this week.

Goldy – Eels (2024, Play It Again Sam Records)