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.