Spotted Dick: Week 1
With the invention of innovative, new technology comes the invention of innovative, classy little blog posts. One Ms. Lauren Evett has had the brilliant idea of creating a weekly spotify playlist on It’s Not For The Cock and calling it Spotted Dick! Best feature name ever?
The idea is to make a playlist of new bands/music we’ve discovered/band’s who have recently been in the news/songs we just like/what we’ve been listening to/whatever the hell we wanna put in it.
So, without further ado, what follows is the first of many, hopefully, in the Spotted Dick period.
http://open.spotify.com/user/g-town/playlist/0tSYGeMQIXPrIaesM9fIvn
1. The Skatalites- “Ska Ska Ska”
After seeing this legendary Jamaican Ska band at Womad festival last weekend, I feel it fully appropriate behaviour to whip out this little gem. As I’m writing this it’s horribly grey and rainy outside, as it has been for hours, and the brass in this song makes me feel upbeat in a sort of grumpy and begrudging way. It should soundtrack those kind of adverts selling supermarket meat which celebrate “British summers” and feature familys trying to have a barbeque in the rain while smiling and rolling their eyes in a “what you like…you cheeky weather,you!” type way…
2. Bombay Bicycle Club “Ghost”
This band’s recently released debut album, “I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose”, is something of a pleasant surprise, kind of like the woft of a sunday roast greeting you form the kitchen while you are trying to beat away the hangover goblins. “Ghost” shimmers along sounding like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah fronted by the delicately warbling tones of Jack Steadman and ends in a suitably reverberating peak. Mmmmm….
3. Danananakroyd “Chrome Rainbow”
This week, Dana have been particularly relevant to us. Not only have we been bumming them just about as much as the day we first heard them, we’ve also been told off about posting their songs online by their record company. For the record, I have usually posted tracks they’ve sent us and the band themselves have always given us permission to post their songs. Now, apparently, their record label is threatening legal action! Well, stick this spotify playlist in your legal, fully regulated pipe and toke on it!
Seriously though, we’re sorry and it won’t happen again and please, please, please don’t sue us. Please.
4. Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney “The Girl is Mine”
Probably the finest example of pure fucking pop cheese from two of the cheesiest pop stars of all time. I love every God damn sweeping violin drenched, passionate but playful second of it.
5. Arctic Monkeys “Crying Lightning”
At first this new single from the Arctic Monkeys is slightly underwhelming. But then something happens. It seems to lull you into a false fairly disappointingly standard indie sense of security and then craftily sneaks up on you. From Alex Turner’s slightly more sombre delivery to the woozy, chaotic guitar solo, this is brilliantly crafted stuff.
6. The Horros “You Could Never Tell”
The Horrors have had their, frankly fucking fantastic (FFF?), album “Primary Colours” nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, are set to take Underage Festival and Field Day by storm this weekend and are generally set to continue their current form of brilliantness. This, a b-side for “Who Can Say”, sees them go possibly even more My Bloody Valentine than before in a glorious, swirling, E’d up race hoarse of a song.
7. TV On The Radio “Province”
After seeing them recently at their one off Brixton Academy gig, a gig which smashed their previous London date for six, TVOTR have been occupying the happy place in my head. “Province” is a beautiful and typically epic song by the band which, of course, went down a storm when they played it live.
8. Four Tet “A Joy”
Playing Field Day and is awesome. All you need to know really. This is track is pretty damn intense so just watch out. Don’t have a seisure.
9. Errors “National Prism”
From the “British Battles” comes this amazingly awkward but elegant sample of their recent album “It’s Not Something But It Is Like Whatever”. Perhaps the meeting ground between Metronomy and Mogwai?
10. Mad Professor “The Nyabinghy Chant”
Another Womad one. This hugely set resident of South East London likes his reverby echoes and his bowel shaking dub basslines. So does this skinnier, part time resident of South east London. Enjoy.
11. Los Campesinos! ”A Song With A Big Title”
Los Campesinos are releasing another album soon. Of course they are! They fucking love releasing albums all the time! To celebrate, here’s a classic- from the way it creeps in part by part to the woeful, crashing ending, this is LC! at their best.
12. The Mae Shi “The Melody”
Lastly, we pay tribute to a great band who recently split up. The Mae Shi inspired scenes of great carnage, always provided great entertainment and will be sorely missed. On the plus side, I may have done the last interview with them ever..so swings and roundabouts…
"You only get to appreciate what you do when you're not doing it," says bassist Rob Canning, slurping on a tea. "and now we're back, we're buzzing to go."
PART ONE: WELCOME TO 2008
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