Inbox Blues Pt.1

Ping… another email arrives and the count of unread messages ticks over the 1,000 mark.  You’ll never hear me complain about being sent music by either email or post but keeping on top of it, and sorting the wheat from the PR chaff  is near impossible.
In a bid to end my guilt I hope to be able to sit back by Sunday evening with a big fat zero unread mails and an empty PO Box.

12:300PM…
Last week while scrolling forlornly through the vast unread list, a name from Music Like Dirt’s past grabbed my attention.  Way back in June 2006 I developed an unhealthy obsession with a John Gregory/Jeru/Snoop bootleg called “Earthshaker (MP3)“.
A few months later the man behind the mix Jez Proctor was kind enough to indulge in a little bit of “Listen To This” musical banter during which he recommended a band called Hercules & The Love Affair… who obviously never amounted to anything!

So when Mr Proctor sends an email saying “I LOVE this track, it just has to be out there and be heard” you’d be foolish not to give it a spin.
Radio 1’s Gilles Peterson first picked up on the fantastic bass squelch of Don Froth’s “10,000CC” back in October so its a surprise that a limited run of 444 12″s is only imminent now (in the next month or so on the Phonica White Label).

Don Froth – “10,000CC” (MP3)
Don Froth Myspace / Twitter / Youtube / Facebook / Soundcloud
Also check out Jez’s blog Innersounds for more inspired selections

13:30PM Apologies, I got a bit distracted by a sending off at Anfield…

14:00PM Getting a lot of “This link has now expired” from emails… sorry for taking so long to have a look.
Fortunately Primary 1’s ultra chilled remake of Alex Metric’s “It Starts Again” is still online. Having enjoyed their upbeat “Hold Me Down” single back in 2008 I wasnt expecting such a lush sound.  Largely underpinned by an almost steel pan keyboard sound its far mellower than the original. The subtle guitar and building multi-layed vocals towards the end are lovely.

Alex Metric – “It Starts Again (Primary 1 cover)” (MP3)
Primary 1 – Myspace / Facebook
Download a FREE 15 track collection of demos and early work of Primary 1
Alex Metric – Myspace / Twitter

14:45PM Perhaps it wasnt a good idea to do this on a day 10 man Liverpool defeat Everton 1-0. Concentrate!

15:00PM My brother arrives bearing chicken and informs me the piano on “Black The Colour of My Heart (Demo)” by Monarchy is “well Beatles-y“.  My initial disappointment at it not being a Nina Simone cover are quickly dispelled by the mixture of almost Air like slick production and pure pop chorus.  That chorus had me wondering if the single was a reverse racist, declaring  “She’s everything that I want…but black“… the long pause is thankfully followed by “has always been the colour of my heart“.

Monarchy – “Black The Colour of My Heart (Demo)” (MP3)
Myspace / Twitter / Download their Fyfe Dangerfield remix

15:50PM Jack Morgan
One from the postbag now (well ok small pile), and Jack Morgan was kind enough to send me his debut release “Sleep In Heavenly Peace“.  Looking at his influences on myspace I was initially a bit sceptical about the influence of Radiohead, Blur and Sigur Ros but half way through a mildly sarky opening sentence I started to pick up a hint of Albarn in some of his phrasing and a touch of Yorke in the despondent yet strangely uplifting sound.

Recorded by 21 year old Jack in a variety of Leamington Spa and London bedrooms, he’s managed to generate a quality of production that wouldnt sound out of place on a Jose Gonzalez release. Jose being the person this track most reminds me of.
5 tracks into the CD and there’s two gems already, so definitely one I’ll be returning to for future listening.

Jack Morgan – “Furtherance” (MP3)
Check out his Myspace / Buy /  Watch a live version of “Furtherance”… but sack the cameraman 😉

My brother just chipped in with the observation that Jack’s sound was a little different back in the 1970’s. Watch “Reggae Man” below from Look Around You’s “Music 2000” special (also well worth watching the first televised recording of rap music).

16:40PM
The 4AD label deliver some fiery Norwegian Alt-Rock courtesy of Serena-Manesh, also known as S-M. There are touches of the Prodigy about the snarling bass guitar line and clattering drums but there’s much more of edge, agression and avant garde than anything Liam and co have recorded in the last decade. A wall of noise builds up over the riff, with bleeping electronics and distorted vocals collapsing in on themselves before dropping back again to just the beat.

Serena-Manesh – “Ayisha Abyss” (MP3)
Myspace / Catch them live on the 8th of March at The Lexington, London

17:29PM Mercenary Publicity would like me to know Jamie Cullum has covered Rhianna’s “Please Don’t Stop The Music” for his new single. Hmmm time to stop the music for today I think, while I go cleanse my ears.