bandwagon-jumping-type end-of-year-roundup thingymajig :: part the second
Okay. So I'm back with some more comments on what I thought might have been some good music from last year. You will probably disagree. In fact, I hope you do! So there! Go and listen to your Portugal. The Man. records, see if I care!
Mercury Rev - Secret for a Song (yousendit)
I loved The Secret Migration, another wonderful, ethereal experience from Mercury Rev. I have the same kind of otherworldly sensation from these guys that I do from Sigur Ros; and while this record may not hold up to the giddy heights of All is Dream, and there may be no standout track like Goddess on a Highway, this is certainly, to my mind, a more coherent whole than Deserter's Songs. The first record I bought in '05, and certainly one of the most well-played.
No, not a folk-rock-bastard-cut-down-cover-version of Steps' 5-6-7-8, but a rather wonderful, plaintive melody from the King's awesometacular, witty, whimsical, and thoroughly beautiful KC Rules OK! Another Fifer, King Creosote (aka Kenny) used to run (The Best) music store in town, before it went, erm, bust, because the music he sold was much better than the numpties in this town (who'd rather go to the cheap CDs in Tesco) realised. Now leader of the mighty Fence Collective, you wouldn't go wrong in acquainting yourself with his work.
Maybe it's just been a great year in British music, or maybe I'm just a nationalistic twat. But today I'm posting this Brighton band's homage to 80's kid's motorbike-timetrial show Junior Kickstart (presented, fact fans, by Peter Purves, companion to the original Doctor Who, that silver haired devil, William Hartnell!). But I love Thunder, Lightning, Strike; I love the title, I love the big cat on the cover, I love the fun, and most of all, I love the music. 
It's a tremendous, life-affirming, big-trumpets-and-bigger-ideas example of everything that's good about music.
Did I say I like this band?
Mercury Rev - Secret for a Song
King Creosote - 678
The Go! Team - Junior Kickstart
Low - Cue the Strings
Mercury Rev - Secret for a Song (yousendit)
I loved The Secret Migration, another wonderful, ethereal experience from Mercury Rev. I have the same kind of otherworldly sensation from these guys that I do from Sigur Ros; and while this record may not hold up to the giddy heights of All is Dream, and there may be no standout track like Goddess on a Highway, this is certainly, to my mind, a more coherent whole than Deserter's Songs. The first record I bought in '05, and certainly one of the most well-played.------------------------
King Creosote - 678 (yousendit)No, not a folk-rock-bastard-cut-down-cover-version of Steps' 5-6-7-8, but a rather wonderful, plaintive melody from the King's awesometacular, witty, whimsical, and thoroughly beautiful KC Rules OK! Another Fifer, King Creosote (aka Kenny) used to run (The Best) music store in town, before it went, erm, bust, because the music he sold was much better than the numpties in this town (who'd rather go to the cheap CDs in Tesco) realised. Now leader of the mighty Fence Collective, you wouldn't go wrong in acquainting yourself with his work.------------------------
The Go! Team - Junior Kickstart (yousendit)Maybe it's just been a great year in British music, or maybe I'm just a nationalistic twat. But today I'm posting this Brighton band's homage to 80's kid's motorbike-timetrial show Junior Kickstart (presented, fact fans, by Peter Purves, companion to the original Doctor Who, that silver haired devil, William Hartnell!). But I love Thunder, Lightning, Strike; I love the title, I love the big cat on the cover, I love the fun, and most of all, I love the music. It's a tremendous, life-affirming, big-trumpets-and-bigger-ideas example of everything that's good about music.Did I say I like this band?
------------------------
Megaupload links (in case the yousendit ones have expired):Low - Cue the Strings
I wasn't going to post this, 'cos I thought I should stick to three songs, and for some reason thought that The Great Destroyer was an '04 record; but no! According to iTunes it was released in January. So that's okay then.
I'd never heard of Low before I bought The Great Destroyer; it was one of those impulse buys from reviews. And it's one of the best things I bought all year. Songs like California (an up/downbeat, almost poppy number) reign supreme at the top of my 'most played' in iTunes, while the absurdity of Monkey (Tonight you will be mine / Tonight the Monkey dies), set against a rich, absorbing and almost threatening musical backdrop fills me with glee with every listen; and since buying this record I've been investing heavily in Low's back catalogue. Cue the Strings is more in keeping with the rest of the album, and perhaps with the rest of their output, a downbeat, yet utterly uplifting piece of music with an almost hymnal quality. Along with The Secret Migration, this is one of the real highlights of 2005 as a musical year.
Back tomorrow. Perhaps.
------------------------I wasn't going to post this, 'cos I thought I should stick to three songs, and for some reason thought that The Great Destroyer was an '04 record; but no! According to iTunes it was released in January. So that's okay then.
I'd never heard of Low before I bought The Great Destroyer; it was one of those impulse buys from reviews. And it's one of the best things I bought all year. Songs like California (an up/downbeat, almost poppy number) reign supreme at the top of my 'most played' in iTunes, while the absurdity of Monkey (Tonight you will be mine / Tonight the Monkey dies), set against a rich, absorbing and almost threatening musical backdrop fills me with glee with every listen; and since buying this record I've been investing heavily in Low's back catalogue. Cue the Strings is more in keeping with the rest of the album, and perhaps with the rest of their output, a downbeat, yet utterly uplifting piece of music with an almost hymnal quality. Along with The Secret Migration, this is one of the real highlights of 2005 as a musical year.Back tomorrow. Perhaps.
Mercury Rev - Secret for a Song
King Creosote - 678
The Go! Team - Junior Kickstart
Low - Cue the Strings
Labels: king creosote, low, mercury rev, portugal. the man, the go team
posted by skye | 6:05 PM
3 Comments:
I adore than Go Team track! So are you a UK blogger? I've never stumbled on your blog before! Bookmarked now!
i heart LOW as well.
of all things, i saw them open for radiohead twice.
Oh, I'm so jealous Matt! I'd love to see Low live - the best I can manage is the live material on the DVD that comes with the Lifetime of Temporary Relief box set. Turn the lights off, pretend I'm just in the space at the back of the gig, that kind of thing.
Just got the new Kate Bush record, can't wait to listen to it!
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