Monday 30 September 2013

Malcolm McLaren - Madam Butterfly (Un Bel Di Vedremo)

Joe writes: I'm not sure I'd heard this track until today when I saw it mentioned in a list of Peter Hook's favourite ever albums. It reached no. 13 in the UK charts in 1984 but I guess it's too weird to get much airplay nowadays. What a brilliant, imaginative record though. Over six minutes long but never boring. Another YouTube uploader says "Malcolm McLaren's masterpiece". Quite.

Sunday 22 September 2013

Helloween are playing Rock In Rio and trending on Twitter

Joe writes: There aren't many power metal tunes that I know and love but Power by Helloween is one of them. Such a big tune. I reckon it would be fun to watch them live at Rock In Rio.

Friday 20 September 2013

Ben Pearce - What I Might Do

Joe writes: I can't believe I haven't posted this before now. It's a great tune that has already been a hit in Italy and is now, finally, breaking in the UK after months of underground love (I'm not sure anything is really underground anymore but you know what I mean). It's signed to Chase & Status's MTA Records.



For a while I assumed Ben Pearce was the vocalist - always a mistake with electronic music. Of course it's a sample - from Anthony Hamilton's fabulously named Cornbread, Fish and Collard Greens:

Thursday 19 September 2013

R Kelly - Genius

Is R Kelly a genius? No, but he has as good a claim on that word as any musician to have emerged in the nineties or since. His greatest hits album would be longer and better than other artist of his era. Genius isn't his best song but it is a great record, a typically bonkers lyric, and generally streets ahead of the competition.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

Mary Margaret O'Hara stars in a new film, Museum Hours

Joe writes: which is excuse enough to post her greatest hit Body's In Trouble (OK, it wasn't a hit but it is great). Mary Margaret is generally agreed to be a Canadian national treasure despite having only released one studio album, 1988's Miss America. Reading between the lines, an unsympathetic experience with her first record company may be the culprit for her limited musical productivity. Such a shame. Body's In Trouble has a wonderful vocal delivery, melody and guitar riff.

Tuesday 10 September 2013

Bastille cover We Can't Stop by Miley Cyrus

Joe writes: Every band who comes into Radio 1's Live Lounge is made to do a cover, and it must be something known to current Radio 1 listeners. Often the bands don't have time to prepare properly which leads to some uninspired results. But Bastille have clearly put the time in, and they have done something genuinely musical with We Can't Stop, which highlights what a good song it is. But I will never be able to forgive the Molly lyric.


Friday 6 September 2013

Etta Bond x Raf Riley

Joe writes: In terms of the brave honesty of the lyrics and the vocal delivery, Supposed To Say Goodbye reminds me of Lily Allen, and I mean that as a big compliment.



Then there's fighttothedeath. Etta's lyric is uncomfortable in a good way and the production is all over the place in a good way. Exciting.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Hayden James - Embrace

Joe writes: Great little tune from the buzzy but poorly named Australian electronica label Future Classic