Five Things I Must Remember About Blondie

In the spirit of todays earlier post here's a list of five things.

1) Debbie Harry is 64, she does not look like this anymore, no matter how much I wish for it.



Blondie - Heart Of Glass - 1979
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2) Just because Debbie Harry can dance like that does not mean I should dance like this when it comes on on my iPod on the way home.

3) Maria might be one of the greatest comeback singles ever.



4) I must remind myself that my first exposure to Blondie was this extravagant cover.



5) Blondie also enforced this horrible song on us. (I'm sorry I hate it)

Lists Lists Lists Lists Lists Lists

It's that time of year again when people start going list crazy. It's the end of the year, lets list everything, albums, films, songs, gardens, vegetables, shampoos, toe nail clippings of ex-Eastenders stars (well maybe not the last one).

For some inexplicable reason lists dominate pretty much every single music publication at the end of the year, and for the casual music listener it gives them an idea of what is "good/cool". However because 2009 is ending that means we are going into list overdrive. We have to list all the best albums from this year and we have to list all the best albums from this decade. But do we, honestly?

As much as I love a good list, and I will be doing one for albums of this year and decade, essentially they lack insight and could be considered as lazy journalism. Yet they seem to be a mainstay in music media. Famous independent online music webzine Pitchfork Media is the current king of lists for me, if you currently got to their home page at http://pitchfork.com/ on the left hand side there is ironically a list of fourteen lists about albums and songs from over the past fifty years in different categories. The fact that these lists are still at the forefront of this website shows just how important and influential they can be. They encourage debate, people can look back at them with nostalgia and change their mind.

Essentially lists might be insanely simple and a way of putting the December or January issue of a magazine on the shelves, but I can guarantee people will talk about them, argue about them, agree with them, glass other people over them. They are talking points.


Los Campesinos-My Year In Lists:

Lack Of Updates-Sorry

First off, i apologise about a lack of updates since last week. I've had a bit of a mental block and just general apathy but that's all over now so lets listen to/write about/watch some music which ever one I can be bothered to do. The fact is I'm feeling very lazy so here's some music videos of my top artists from last fm this week.

1) Beastie Boys-Rap and hip hop music gets its fair share of stick from my mates back home. However one thing we can all agree on is that The Beastie Boys although being a huge multi million selling rap group seriously fucking rock.









2) Ryan Adams-Oh Ryan you've got me through those ups and downs I have. As long as I know that you've felt just as crap. It helps a lot. (P.S. I am not a Smallville fan just the only video I culd find).









3) Stars-Amy Milan's soothing vocals are just what is needed to intertwine with Torquil Campbell's slightly deeper impassioned voice. Heartbreaking.









4) Stereolab-Nowhere near known enough sadly. Partially due to having a huge discography which can be daunting and the fact that they have never really had that one massive hit. :(. Oh well.










5) Bob Dylan-Enough words have been writen about our dear Bob over the last 40 odd years so let's just have a listen.










Lazy I know but all the best people are.

The Blood Brothers-Album Reissues

Exciting times ahead for fans of The Blood Brothers. The post-hardcore band who amicably split in late 2007 are having all of their albums (except their debut 'This Adultery Is Ripe') reissued on the 17th of November through the legendary punk label Epitaph Records.

Each of the albums will be packaged with different extras starting with 'March On Electric Children' which will be a standard reissue mainly due to the label that originally released it 31G having folded and the album is currently out of print. '...Burn, Piano Island, Burn' will recieve a couple of bonus tracks along with the video for 'Ambulance Vs Ambulance'. It will also be packaged with their Jungle Fever DVD. Third album to be reissued and fourth overall 'Crimes' will be packaged with a bonus disc of offcuts from that album and a series of live songs from Reading Festival 2005. The fourth album to be reissued is their last album 'Young Machetes', the additional material will be the b-sides from the albums singles, live cuts from a KLXU session and the videos to 'Laser Life' and 'Set Fire To The Face On Fire'.

Original story and full tracklistings can be found here:
http://www.punknews.org/article/35664

If you have no idea what they sound like here's the video to the awesome 'Love Rhymes With Hideous Car Wrecks' from their fourth album 'Crimes':

Missing Things

Being away from home is always going to make you nostalgic for things that you are 200-odd miles away from. Now tonight I have had little sleep due to falling asleep at about three pm. Now usually when I was back home if I had trouble sleeping I'd get up and have a root through my CDs and records. However I am currently without 99% percent of them and listening to music through my iPod in bed isn't quite the same as crawling out of bed, making a coffee and flicking through a shoebox of seven inches. Oh Well. I knew I'd miss them.

These two pictures show most of my sevens from A-L on the left and V-Z on the right.

Below is any 12" records from A-O

CD Racks from A-P. (I remember when the first one was only just full)

Below, a byproduct of, spending too much money on CDs leading to the fact that I have no money to buy anything to store them in, and laziness.

Finally, the crux of it all, where all these records and CDs have all been played.

I suppose this'll have to do for the moment.

Annie-Don't Stop

Ok I've been awake for nearly twenty four hours now and frankly I feel rather shit and I need a shower. However in the name of music I am still awake. As earlier on today I bought the long delayed second album, by Norwegian popster Annie, Don't Stop.

Now first off I realise that the tracklisting isn't quite as same as the for the planned original release on Island Records but a majority of the songs are still there (and the others are avaliable on the special edition's bonus disc, including the fantastic 'I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me'). Firstly I would like to know what the Island Record labels head honchos are smoking as this album is absolutely pop-tastic full of bubblegum pop songs mixed with slightly slower groovier numbers that weave their rhythms into your head slowly but assuredly.

This album did not need extra promotional time, well certainly not this version. Its a bona-fide pop album and maybe the last great pop album of this decade.


I Know UR Girlfriend Hates Me Video (Apologies but this is not the offical video due to Island Records disabling embedding on the offical video):

Proper Pop Music-Ye Ye Girls

I don't really feel like writing at all today so instead I'll give you all some youtube clips of music that makes my heart fly, brings a smile to my face no matter how I am feeling. The music of the Ye Ye girls is exactly how pop music should sound.

Francoise Hardy- Tous Les Garcons Et Les Filles



Francoise Hardy-Comment Te Dire Adieu




Brigitte Bardot-Moi Je Joue



Jacqueline Taieb-7 Heure De Matin



Karina-Tu Seras Mi Baby



Sylvie Vartan-Comme Un Garcon



France Gall-Poupee De Cire Poupee De Son



Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg-Je T'aime Moi Non Plus



Also I have made a Spotify playlist which has some more tracks from these lovely ladies:

http://open.spotify.com/user/dis/playlist/7i7o5HclqeOKFUvsiKM7oU

ATP curated by Pavement (Who Else Might Be There)

This blog was supposed to come a lot earlier than it has done however it takes hours upon hours to transfer nearly thirty thousand songs onto an iPod. However enough of my rambling, on Monday I bought tickets for me and my coursemates Alex & Rob plus another to be confirmed member for the recently announced ATP Festival curated by legendary indie slackers Pavement. The fact that we have bought tickets based on that only Pavement themselves have been announced for it shows a) our love for this band and b) how much we trust them to choose a sensational line up.

Earlier today we were speculating who they would pick and here are four acts that I think will make the cut. (And if they don't who cares its fucking Pavement).

1) Sonic Youth- An ATP festival regular either as Sonic Youth or Thurston Moore on his own there is a lot of love for ATP from this act. Also Sonic Youth's current bassist is Mark Ibold, Pavement's bassist. Based on this I have high hopes and I reckon there is a 90% chance that the Yoof will be playing.

2) Dinosaur Jr-Very much in a similar vein to Pavement but with a little bit more feedback are Dinosaur Jr. Part of that fantastic late 80s early 90s scene of slacker rock tht we all hold in our heart very deeply. If you want more on similar bands read a book called 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' its a fantastic read.

3) Yo La Tengo-Quite possibly the greatest alternative act of the last twenty so years, Yo La Tengo put out albums at a very regular rate with absolutely no drop in quality from the three minute baroque flavoured pop ditties to their twelve minute drone outs they cease to amaze me. Oh and the reason Pavement will pick them, both bands were on Matador at the height of their fame/critical success.



4) Silver Jews-Although recently split I have a feeling that Silver Jews may make an appearance at ATP due to them being Stephen Malkmus's (Pavement's lead singer & guitarist) and Bob Nastanovich's (Pavement's drummer) other band. I don't think their set would be anything big however a small little one off show in the afternoon might be on the cards.

Well there we go maybe we'll see one of these with Pavement maybe we'll see all four, who knows. I certainly don't but I can guarantee that whoever they pick it'll be one hell of a party.

Apparently having a blog is pretty important these days if you want to become involved in music journalism or any sort of journalism really. You can use one to make a name for yourself, give yourself a platform to air your views and about three hundred million other reasons.

As someone who must have started at least seven or eight blogs prior to this, many of them far into cyberspace now, I have lacked any commitment to any of them except the one with illegal wrongdoings (which only lasted until wordpress took it down). Yet this blog I AM going to keep up regularly with as many music updates as possible. Be this news, record reviews, general ramblings or just posting of random music videos or what I have bought in the last week.

So to keep anyone who will read this entertained here is a video of the name of this very blog. A beautiful 'Daniel Johnston' song covered by 'Karen O and The Kids' for the fantastic new 'Spike Jonze' film 'Where The Wild Things Are' in cinemas on October the 16th.