The Album Zone for November...

I forget I've got this blog! Anyway, new Album Zone show up on Mixcloud...

Part 1

SimonG, November 2011 - part 1 by The Album Zone on Mixcloud

and Part 2

SimonG, November 2011 - part 2 by The Album Zone on Mixcloud

15 Albums

You've probably come across the '15 Albums' challenge out there on the internet, on a forum, email group or on social network sites. You may have even done it! Here are the rules:

Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. 

Here's my latest take on it in a streaming mixtape stylee via 8trcacks. Only one album has changed since I last did it a year ago. I like to be consistent.

Brian vs. Bryan - The Mixtape

ROUND 1
Brian Eno - David Byrne - Regiment (1981)
The sound and groove found its way onto Avalon (the album). Eno invents sampling.

Roxy Music - The Space Between (1982)
...but at least Bryan bothered to pen some lyrics.

ROUND 2
Brian Eno - John Cale - The River (1990)
Eno uses some Omnichord presets and writes a rather lovely song...

Bryan Ferry - I Thought (2002)
...and many years later, recycles it and gives it to Bryan, resulting in one of the best solo Ferry tracks ever! But that cheeky scamp Eno had already reused the idea for U2's Johnny Cash collaboration in 1993. Tut tut.

INTERMISSION
Andy Mackay - Time Regained
A little breather from Andy, bringing some balance to the proceedings... But wait! It's an Eno collaboration! Ouch!

ROUND 3
Brian Eno - The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1975)
Eno's takes a leaf from Ferry's book and does a cover version, taking on a rock 'n' roll/yodelling classic. Irony optional. One of only a few cover versions released by the domed one.

Bryan Ferry - Don't Ever Change (1973)
Ferry takes on a classic rock 'n' roll ballad, and in the process finds the comfort blanket of his career. How very snug!

ROUND 4... The gloves are off!!!
Brian Eno - Dead Finks Don't Talk (1973)
Ferry-baiting put downs a-plenty. And Eno says he didn't realise what it was about when he wrote it. Yeah right!

Roxy Music - Casanova (1974)
Bryan pokes Brian in the eye! Take that!

Nothing to report...

I haven't got anything to get out of my system at the moment, but I'll let you know when I do.

The Album Zone on Mixcloud

There really is no excuse not to miss it! The Album Zone's Mixcloud archive can be found here. And below is my latest show. As previously mentioned, two hours of musical goodness featuring The Ramones, Primal Scream, The Stranglers, Lou Reed, Wild Beasts, Clock Opera, Bonaparte and The Cure.

SimonG, June 2011 - part 1 (of 2) by The Album Zone on Mixcloud

SimonG, June 2011 - part 2 (of 2) by The Album Zone on Mixcloud

Mixtape: Out Of My System #2

Some recent discoveries (and a couple of old ones that I've been listening to lately) that were begging to be put together.

Music from The Kills, Cashier No.9, Art Brut, Motorifik, Girls Names, William Fitzsimmons, Miles Kane, Coma Cinema, Papercuts and Young Knives.


http://8tracks.com/simongmusic/out-of-my-system-2

The SimonG Radio Experience... (some shameless self-promotion)

It's the event of the month! Yes, tonight at 21.00 (UK time) my latest Album Zone show airs on Replay Radio and also Bondi Tunes. Two hours of musical goodness, this month featuring The Ramones, Primal Scream, The Stranglers, Lou Reed, Wild Beasts, Clock Opera, Bonaparte and The Cure (but no David Bowie).

If you want to know more about The Album Zone, there's a Facebook group. There's also a streaming Album Zone archive on Mixcloud. Feel free to 'join' and 'follow' (or whatever it is).

Tune in if you can.

Free Music: KEXP Song of the Day 'podcast'

A little tip for discovering good new music (mostly good anyway).

Seattle radio station KEXP have been doing their 'Song of the Day' podcast for quite a few years now, although I wouldn't really call it a podcast as it's just the song with nothing added (i.e. jingles or DJs).

I've been subscribed to this via iTunes since 2007 and each weekday a new song is automatically downloaded. I've come across several great artists and good songs through these downloads. And it's all free! Not every song is a winner, but the strike rate is pretty high. Looking over what I've accumulated over the years shows some pretty impressive names - Bon Iver, The Notwist, Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, MGMT, Four Tet, Caribou, Teenage Fanclub, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart... I'm sure you get the idea.

Click here to subscribe via iTunes.

Click here for the KEXP feed.

It's definitely worth a look.

Mixtape: Hello Sunshine

Self explanatory really. Music from Super Furry Animals, The Velvet Underground, Doves, The Kinks, Spanky Wilson, Caribou, Sex Pistols, The Uglysuit, Julian Cope, Family and The Dears. Go on... let the sunshine in!

Mixtape: protest/riot/revolution

Here's mix I did a while ago but have just added a song to. You'll get the idea as it goes on. Music from Christophe F/Black Sheep, The Dears, Nina Simone, Sonic Youth, The Last Poets, Bjork, Vice Versa (that's ABC before they were ABC), The Style Council, Gil Scott-Heron and Jarvis Cocker.

If the embedded player won't work, here's the direct link - http://8tracks.com/simongmusic/protest-riot-revolution

Mixtape: Songs for Bob Dylan

A quick mix to celebrate Bob's 70th birthday. A selection of covers, a couple of Bob originals and a sprinkling of songs showing a Dylan influence featuring David Bowie, Them, Solomon Burke, Manfred Mann, Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger & The Trinity, The Byrds, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Beck, The Beatles, The Turtles and Mr. Zimmerman himself.

If that embedded player won't work for you, try this link instead - http://8tracks.com/simongmusic/songs-for-bob-dylan

Earworm: Can't Shape Up - The Wonder Stuff

From the 1989 album 'Hup' (and their best too, for my money). I remember I got the CD in the sale from a well-known high street music retailer many years ago (whose name may or may not use three initials) and swapping the price sticker for one with a lower price! Naughty.






And here's a reliable Wikipedia entry explaining what an 'earworm' is, for those who aren't aware - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earworm

New Music: Art Brut - Brilliant! Tragic!

I've not actually heard all this album yet, but I want to... It's produced by Frank Black, and the song 'Axl Rose' has some world-class swearing in it. Give it a listen.

http://www.artbrut.org.uk/

Radio: Strangeways Radio

Currently my favourite internet radio station. I keep bugging the guy who runs it with emails suggesting bands they could include on the playlist. He says he doesn't mind, but I've apologised all the same.

Listen here: http://www.strangewaysradio.com/

Reviews: Timber Timbre and Wild Beasts

Not by me, I don't have time for that sort of thing and there are other people who do that sort of thing far better than me anyway. But here's a couple of good reviews for a couple of albums I've bought and enjoyed recently (there's also a song from each in the 8tracks mix below).

Timber Timbre - Creep On Creepn' On (review on Neon Filler)

  

  

Wild Beasts - Smother (review on For Folks Sake) 

Mixtape: Out Of My System #1

Here's a new mix to launch my little blog. Some new tunes and stuff that's been in my head lately. Music from Bonaparte, Clock Opera, The National, The Dears, Discodeine (with Jarvis Cocker), O Children, Wild Beasts, The Leisure Society, Timber Timbre and British Sea Power. Enjoy!

http://8tracks.com/simongmusic/out-of-my-system-1

Podcast: Loud Noises

Just directing your attention to a regular podcast put together by my old friend Dan and his mate Justin. The latest one is on Soundcloud now - http://soundcloud.com/loudnoises/loud-noises-podcast-6 - and is also downloadable. How convenient!

They've also got an archive on Mixcloud - http://www.mixcloud.com/_loudnoises_/

And not forgetting the Facebook group.

Go check it out!

New Music: Clock Opera

Stumbled across this one yesterday. Echoes of Talk Talk and Elbow. A beautiful song, a very good video and quite an impressive beard. Here's their website.

This single is on Moshi Moshi, here's their biog if you want to know more:

Clock Opera make extraordinarily accessible electronic pop music. They may draw from such esoteric sources as the systems music of Steve Reich and Philip Glass and have played their second ever gig at the Queen Elizabeth Hall backing the Ballet Rambert, but you don’t need any special qualifications to enjoy what they do - just an appreciation of idiosyncratic electronic and organic sounds.

Guy Connelly, the vocalist, guitarist, sampler and master machinist behind Clock Opera can be placed in that small but select pantheon of distinguished male pop vocalists that also includes Billy Mackenzie of Associates, Haydon Thorpe of Wild Beasts and Antony Hegarty of Antony and The Johnsons, all singers unafraid of expressing themselves in an unguarded, emotional way.

Andy West (bass, guitar, synths), Che Albrighton (drums, samples) and Dan Armstrong (samples, synths, keyboards, backing vocals) join Guy on stage and make guitars sound like harp glissandos and keep the pace with his constantly evolving ideas and methods of chopping up sounds into smithereens and fiddling with them sonically and in terms of pitch and rhythm.

Together, Clock Opera are a studio unit who push the recording process to the limit, but who are also a fully functioning performing band able to reproduce the intricacies of their music while gaining a new urgency and energy with every show.