music like dirt

MP3: Coldcut feat. Lu Grady “The State We’re In”

Video: 10 min Ch.4 making of “Sound Mirrors” documentary

If you’re going to join the download generation, and hand over 79p for a little MP3 file then please don’t do it with HMV. Life really is too short!

I’d somehow managed to avoid the tantalizing prospect of paying the same money as I would for a CD for a DRM riddled sound file until today. Regular readers of this site (I think thats plural but I could be deluding myself) will know that I’m a bit of a Coldcut fan-boy so when HMV offered “The State We’re In” and “Just For The Kick (Version)” two exclusive tracks not on Coldcut’s latest album I had no choice but to hit download. If only it were that simple. First as a Mac user I had to find a PC and then download HMV’s digital store software. Over at HMV it says “this should take a few minutes”… so why 30 minutes later am I still sat watching as .net protocols, and DF658HYI9 frameworks slowly move the progress bar from one side to the other? To be fair once installed, its easy to find the tracks you’re after.

However fast forward an hour and a half and I’m ready to stove the screen in with frustration, stuck in a never ending loop of adding the file to my basket, and then “We’re sorry but the connection to HMV has failed”. Retry, Reboot, repeat, repeat Reboot, Retry, again and again until finally there they are nestling safely on the hard disk.

Of course the 79p doesn’t allow me to transfer the files to my computer, and even if I managed it they’re not compatible with itunes so its on to CD they go to be reimported, but at least then i’d actually have them. Well… sort of… it turns out “Just For the Kick (Version)” was mislabeled and is in-fact just the album version!

So 3 hours, 2 x 79p, 1 x CD, one install, and emphatically one uninstall here it is: Coldcut featuring Lu Grady “The State We’re In”. Download it here, skip HMV, and go sit in the sun.

“And you don’t want to know what that fuck is that damn smell
Its all the water on the ground like gun shells
these are the choices daily thats going on
these are the decisions that we make when we go to war
God damn so much of its in gods name
we go to hell like dante its a damn shame
good lord these rich folk have really lost it
divine like the land mines..they walk across it”

Another excellent track from ‘oldcut. I don’t think the chorus with its bendy synths is very strong, and the “we just turned off the turntable” ending is a bit naff, but the lyrics, beats, cowbells and Lu Grady rapping(who he?..anyone?) are top notch. All looks good for a Sound Mirrors DVD, and probably a Sound Reflections (the remix album)?
Top moment: Lovely little Prince “uh-huhhh” at 2′13

Six alternative non HMV Digital ways to waste three hours:

1. Leave your front door, go to a record shop, buy a CD (Coldcuts “Sound Mirrors” for example”). Import onto computer if required.
2. Learn Japanese… order “Sound Mirrors” (Jap Edition) from Smashstore including both bonus tracks (buy me a copy… please).
3. Read the history of HMV - “His Masters Voice”
4. Learn about Francis Barraud, his painting, and more importantly his dog Nipper. A design classic.
5. Learn how to cross stitch, make your own Nipper
6. Moan and whinge about it to yourself on your music blog.

Ok, so my Camden Crawl (review here) involved Supergrass, AKD, Lethal Bizzle, and The Rumble Strips, but what did I miss out on by holing myself up in the Dublin Castle all night, and why does my free double CD have a hidden surprise:

“why, when I put Disc 1 into my computer, does it come up on iTunes as titled Bukkake Ruined My Carpet, the songs are all by Cocknocker, and the song titles include ones such as ‘Rusty Rim Licker’ and ‘Hillbilly Rectum Swap.’ Methinks someone is in trouble”.

Fair question Meredith, incidentally my favourites so far are “Timeshit” & “Your Phone Up My Bum”, although the title alone made me want to like “Jamie Oliver is A Big Gay”.

Futureheads: Gigwise reported that “the new material is as punchy, spiky and vocally pitch perfect as the favourites which are received to delirium”. Artrocker and Satyrica both did some “Camden Crawl trademark” social queueing for 40 minutes before giving up and going to bed / the pub. Finally Steph had a perfect view at the front and loved Man Ray… but was less keen on vomit and being touched up:

“It was so mad for The Futureheads. Allie somehow got sick up her jeans.and no it wasnt hers. We were dancing around in someones puke gross! Allie also fell over, bless her! We had some guy touching us both up, haha retard!
We went to the toilets looking a mess…..someone chucked a cup of beer all over us,our hair was such a mess!”

The curmudgeonly lot at Londonist seemed to get the wrong end of the stick about the 10 minute powercut:

“They hauled their inflated egos onto Koko’s stage to squeeze out three half-arsed mediocre songs and then, without warning, flounce off. For ten minutes. When they finally bother to return to the stage, they mumble some excuse about “some sort of fire alarm”. Obviously the sort of fire alarm that only requires band members to evacuate the premises. To hell with the audience - let them burn. Their performance continues its lackluster and uninspired progress… only soaring to the lofty heights of adequacy with ‘Hounds of Love’. There is no doubt that The Futureheads are by far the most over-hyped band of the evening”

If you’re looking for some decent pics of the night:

My pics from The Dublin Castle inc. Supergrass, Lethal Bizzle, Akira The Don & The Rumble Strips

Simon Leak: Superb shots of Futureheads, Forward Russia, the very cute Delilah’s, Elle Milano, Young Knives, Lethal Bizzle & Sway.

Elsewhere The Londonist were even less impressed by Guillemots: “a band totally dwarfed by their stage and barely holding the crowd’s attention. They may sound rather pretty on CD, but don’t really cut it live just yet. The singer’s head needs to be attached to his body more firmly, lest it fall off with all the silly side-to-side wobbling that’s going on.” MusicOMH said bollocks to that they were magical:

“This is a band that shouldn’t be confined to a mere 35 minutes… when they left it almost felt like a close friend abandoning you.”

Indie MP3 set off on the trek to catch legendary punkyreggae act The Slits at the Oh Bar, and was impressed by the new songs as well as singer Ari Up’s “incredible charisma and a full tank of humour!”, and apparently with a absolutely stunning daughter too. Satyrica had them as a highlight too, “an entertainingly unhinged multi-national all-female outfit; I’m not sure I’d rush out to buy their CDs but I’m certainly glad they exist”.

The Good Books seemed to receive nothing but universal love. Deleteaa thought them “magnificent beyond a degree which could reasonably be expected… almost every song instantly awe-inspiring”, while Gigwise sympathized with their battle against constant irritating bar room chatter.

When 65 days of static finished their set “a silver glow of sound was left in their wake. Magic!” said Artrocker. While Mahoney enthused “pretty damn good, frenetic synths, drum sounds coming from all over the place and loud guitars. The drums are hit with such aggression it’s surprising that they even last a single gig without being destroyed”.
Craig Jones rated Wolfmother as owning the crawl “My God! They f*cking rock!”, but lost a shoe crowdsurfing to Carl Baratts Dirty Pretty Things, and finally over on Gumtree a plea for a lost beauty:

“you (long dark hair, beautiful blue eyes) walked up and asked if you could barge in the queue…
i said yes and stupidly carried on talking to my mates instead of you!
saw you a bit later at dirty pretty things… get in touch…”

After a triumphant return last year “The Crawl” is permanently back on the list of must do’s for any music lovers in the capital. Its a mini festival with two key features. 1: great music, 40 bands, 10 venues, etc, etc, and 2: great queues, huge snaking will sapping ones, and as I punned last year (and I see no reason not to reuse a gag) a unique chance to miss 37 bands in one night. With that experience in mind, coupled with a heavy dose of lazyarse-itis off to The Dublin Castle it was, and there I stayed, totally failing to enter the intended spirit of the “crawl” but equally keen not to enter into a fruitless queue of hundreds.

In 2005 Graham Coxon was the main squeeze - and i mean squeeze - at the Castle, this years worst kept secret were Supergrass playing probably their smallest venue in a good dozen years. I thought arriving for the first band at 7 was perhaps over cautious but if blog land is to be believed it wasn’t a bad call. Mahoney & Palacefan were but two who arrived early but too late, with Meredith there at 9.30, two hours before Supergrass were due to play but still greeted by a queue of 100+ desperately trying to shoehorn themselves in.

Pics from Dublin Castle - Camden Crawl 20/04/06

While I wouldn’t claim to be a Supergrass fan as such, they have a great live reputation and a back catalogue bursting with classics, and frankly if you’re going to see them where better than in a pub with 150 people? By the time Gaz and co slowly squeezed through the middle of the crowd, struggling to even make it onto the stage the place was buzzing, not to mention very very cramped. Even celeb mate Rhys Ifans was left craning for a view in the door way (apparently he couldn’t be arsed to push though… yeah right if he’d tried a lynching would have followed..some people had been here a long time and weren’t budging an inch).From the off the place went mental, beers were thrown, sweat was sweated, and classics were belted out, with the crowd gleefully singing along. Somewhere in the middle of it all was a very happy me, loving every second but also mildly concerned at the safety of my camera amidst the carnage, and attempting to get something more than a beer soaked blur of a shot.

“We just want to say this is a special night, and it means a lot to us” said a sweat drenched Coombs.

Playing a 50 minute set, with some new material, but also classics like “Caught By the Fuzz”, “Lenny”, and winner of the make the crowd go fucking mental award for the night “Pumping on your stereo”. Finishing up with “Strange Ones” Danny Goffey flung himself into the audience, crowd surfing his way to the exit, losing a shoe in the process, but departing triumphant if slightly ungainly. Artrocker perfectly summed it up:

“we’re all feeling like lucky little piggies to have witnessed it. I won’t go on about it. You’ll only wish you’d been there.”

although the cheeky wee bastards did nick one of my pics without asking.

As if Akira The Don didn’t have enough stacked against them being “the band before the one everyone wants to see” they also had technical problems which seemed on the verge of forcing an Akira unplugged session. Growing numbers of techies gathered around the ailing keyboard/sequencer with increasingly exasperated expressions. The poor keyboard player at one point had his head in his hands, and was so stressed he dispensed with both parka jacket, and jamiroquai hat. Just as all looked lost, machines sprung back into life, with the keyboardist giving his best “oh thank fuck for that expression”.

Reactions were at best mixed with The Guardian finding them “weird, wonderful and utterly compelling”, while the group of lads behind me commented not so quietly “get off the fucking stage you’re shiiiitttt, FUCK OFF!!”. Over on their myspace site there are positive posts a plenty with Bearded Jesus Freak moaning about having to put up with

“a load of uneducated fuckwads that clearly do not understand politeness. I mean fair enough if you aint into the music, go chill at the bar and have a few brews b4 some hasbeen indie boys come on, i mean show some fucking respect!”

They were joined on stage by the rapping hordes of Why? Lout for by far the highlight of the show “Boom”, a mad future terrace anthem. Its Elastica samples, and maddeningly addictive “BOOM! NeeNorNeeeNor” chorus almost won over a generally hostile crowd (even typing it guarantees I’ll be wandering around neeenoring for the rest of the day).

You can read Akira’s full account of the gig over on their site…(well worth it for a laugh):

“It was pretty rah. Pritty, pritty rah. My managers were concerned I was too drunk, and tried to sober me up with pizza, but pizza had so much chili in it my nose nearly imploded and I thought I might never rap again. Ho ho.

We played, and were amazing, and you lot were amazing. Supergrass played ‘Caught By The Fuzz’, and all their other records that weren’t as good as ‘Caught By The Fuzz’, and people tried to get me to get them cocaine for “Jude Law’s ex” in return for an invite to their party, and I really must be lame, because I didn’t have anything to do with it.

What I must have missed out on! I so always wanted to bum Danny Goffey!
Rhys Ifans chatted Mary up…”

MP3: Boom(feat. Why? Lout) / Gitmo (Feat. Nastie) / Genocide Is Coming

Akira also perfectly summed up Lethal Bizzle “Lethal B was on before us, and he was fucking ace. Dude is mad loud. Him and Ozzy B did ‘Oi!’, that was highlight.”

The Bizzle certainly knows how to work the crowd, kicking off his show by repeatedly stopping the first song in its tracks, and demanding more volume and vocals.. the dj span it back, only to be told again…”No…cut cut it cut it.. More vocals..more noise from the crowd”. Who could tell if he wasn’t actually happy with the sound or if it was designed to get the crowd going (which it 100% did).

As Akira said Oi! was a highlight, but almost everything he did had the crowd pogoing like mad, and the new track “Boy” featuring Pete Doherty has - as Lethal himself commented  - an absolute killer beat. It was in short, loud, party sing-along hip hop/grime at its best. He well and truly rocked the Castle.

MP3: POW Forward / Check out Myspace for Boy feat Pete Doherty

Opening my evening, but ending my account The Rumble Strips have already been eulogized about far too much by me already. They were as always on good form, although I didn’t think their sound was quite right. Debut single “Motorcycle” not reaching the Top 10 remains a travesty, and they have at least half a dozen other gems, making their soon to come album one to look out for.

Do yourself a favour, visit The Rumble Strips MP3 site, and help yourself to some future classics with Hate Me, Motorcycle, and No Soul in particular being must haves.

As Easter treats go Rough Trade managed to beat them all - no, not a free Kinder Egg with every purchase - but a free lunchtime gig by the genius that is Micah Paul Hinson.
His 2004 debut was easily my album of that year, and back in October 04 he narrowly missed out on claiming gig of the year too (beaten by two breathtaking Kraftwerk shows). Second on the bill but backed by most of the headlining “Earlies”, Micah put on a performance of such intensity and passion that the Scala audience was left in a kind of hushed awe by the close. Duet “I Still Remember” in particular had the hairs on the back of my neck tingling. It really was THAT good. (review)

Bizarrely Rough Trade was barely half full, which has only two explanations, either the world has gone mad, or I suppose possibly most people have other pressing obligations on an Easter Sunday.
The few dozen that turned up were treated to a preview of tracks from his eagerly awaited new album (Sept 06), and very good they sounded too, but his version of Tim (oops got my Buckleys mixed up) Jeff Buckley’s “Yard Of Blonde Girls” was the highlight. Micah pointing out afterwards that since recording it for the Tim & Jeff Buckley tribute album “Dream Brother”, he’d discovered it wasn’t even penned by Buckley in the first place.

Before the gig Micah talked about “The Late Cord” his side project with The Earlies John Mark Lapham. Their debut mini album “Lights From The Wheelhouse” is scheduled for release on April 24th, and according to Micah their aim was to make a record that didn’t sound like either Hinson solo or The Earlies. With that in mind he only played piano on some tracks, deliberately limiting the number that he sings on. The promotional bumf says:

“Though not religious – at least, not in any conventional sense — Lights from the Wheelhouse, is certainly prayerful, a deep, contemplative blend of the acoustic and electronic, the traditional and experimental, the lyrical and abstract”

Luckily you can judge for yourself as 4AD are sharing the brilliantly morbidly titled “My most meaningful relationships are with dead people”. Download MP3 here.

Music blog “The Daily Growl” is hosting another MP3, and a more detailed review: Visit them here

Micah P. Hinson info:
Website: Micah P Hinson / Myspace / “The Late Cord”
MP3’s:
Yourself Asleep Again
Caught In-Between (demo)
Possibilities (demo)
The Leading Guy
As You Can See

Buy the stunning debut album: Micah P. Hinson & The Gospel of Progress / Pre-order The Late Cord LP

Polka-dotted popstresses The Pipettes graced Rough Trade Records last Saturday for a lunchtime freebie gig. It was a case of breathe in and prepare for the squash as hordes of Pipettes fans (is there a plural for that… Pipette-ettes?) crammed themselves in to catch the most intimate of gigs.

With the girls themselves looking fantastic in trademark polka dots and the female half of the audience following suit, the number of retro dresses per square metre made Rough Trade resemble the set of “Heartbeat” but thankfully without Nick Berry.

They played a short but rapturously received performance of six or so numbers with Top 40 hit “Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me” and “I Like a Boy In Uniform (School Uniform)” going down particularly well.

“Lets have some more dancing” cajoled The Pipettes…unfortunately there wasn’t enough room to breathe let alone boogaloo!

In the spirit of spontaneity they didnt bother with a set list, seemingly randomly pulling out ABC, Because It’s Not Love, Your Kisses, One Night Stand, Pull Shapes, We Are The Pipettes, and School Uniform.
I’ve never quite understood why The Pipettes are so often dismissed as a Phil Spector/Supremes novelty act by the same people who will quite happily come over all “Life On Mars” proclaiming the current crop of 1970’s sound-alike guitar bands as a “New Rock Revolution“.

The Pipettes are pure pop fun, and as such always a pleasure, and not even a guilty one.

Website: Pipettes.co.uk / Myspace

Video: Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me / Dirty Mind

MP3: Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me / Because It’s Not Love
Buy: Dirty Mind / Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me / KarmaDownload the singles / T-Shirt

Pics: Pipettes Rough Trade 08/04/06 / Pipettes pics on flickr

A quick visit to Mama Shamone’s MySpace page tells you this:

“This is a band that makes real songs. Sex, obsession, depravity, bitchiness and coprophilia. You’ll find them all in Mama Shamone – set to irresistibly catchy tunes”. 

Living a sheltered life and not being au fait with my philia’s, “coprophilia” was immediately googled… ah I see… as a one hit wonder once sang “I’m the Scatman… scoobie oobie doobie scoobie”. Not a search to try at work, and a lyric I must have inadvertently missed, but that aside Mama Shamone certainly have the tunes, and are a must see live act.

Even in a half empty Rhythm Factory on a Tuesday night there is a certain buzz about Mama taking to the stage. Following “Hobo Exile Hotel” a band surely named by some kind of random bad band name generator (press here to randomise… Sausage Tree Avenue… nah no good next… Hobo Exile Hotel… Genius! Thats the one!). To be fair they weren’t bad in a Sabbath-esque way (MySpace here).

The arrival of Mama (Vocals), Flip X (Guitar), and Ru man Chu (Bass) saw the numbers grow as the Mama fans hiding in the bar made their way through, led enthusiastically by a yeti in a parker jacket dancing like mad right from the first note. Imagine Bez if he’d been born in Hoxton, and youre someway there, although to be fair having only ever mastered the left foot right foot shuffle I’m probably only jealous, and he did buy Mama a shot midway through the set.

The first track “Heartbeat” didn’t grab me to be honest (this might have been down to initial problems with the sound mix) but the set got better and better as it went on and Mama is certainly a master of both stage and audience. “Over” and “You Got Me” are currently being recorded as a double A side with Babyshambles/Bloc Party producer Robert Harder, and they stand out as future hits. “You Got Me” in particular has been stuck in my head for weeks, and as Headphonesex put it “has more hooks than Barry McGuigan”.

Lead singer Mama is clearly a star in the making, cool as you like whether strutting the stage or dragging members of the audience up on stage with her (she even took falling off the stage with said member of audience in her stride). Tall, leggy, sexy and tonight dressed as Sinitta’s naughty big sister, she’s got the perfect combination of magazine shoot looks and a superb voice, not to mention enough “attitude” to keep the crowd transfixed.

Visit their Myspace page to download tracks, and to work out when youre going to catch them live.

MP3 (click rather than right click to save): You Got Me / Over / More available from Myspace (The demos don’t quite match the live Mama experience)

Pics: Rhythm Factory 04/04/06

Interview: Interview with PhoenixFM