The Cold Cut

Unfortunately, this post is going to have come and gone before you know it. Chemistry rules my life at this moment, but all this toil and trouble will be done (FOREVER) in a mere 36 hours. How fucking scary is that? You will actually have my undivided attention and focus for the summer.

Interpol- Rest My Chemistry

Went out this afternoon to buy some 'supplies' for post exam partying. Top of my list was a bottle of champagne (it just felt 'right'), and I was closely followed by my friends. One of whom, I might hasten to add, has promised me he is going to spray me with his champagne, just as in F1. I can be Lewis Hamilton for a few minutes, before getting off my face.

Shaggy- Intoxication

Walking out of the exam hall for the penultimate time today, I saw a guy in front of me literally doing a crotch grab and shouting 'FINISHED', a mere 10 metres from the door. Hilarious, and I can totally see where he is coming from. I can't kick the feeling that I'm going to cry when I walk out of that exam hall on Thursday: when having a conversation at lunch today, we decided that finishing exams was almost tear worthy, whereas leaving school would be emotional, but not too bad- friends stick around (if you are all willing to make the effort), whereas those are the final set of exams were I am actually forced to sit in that seat. From Thursday, my life is in my hands.

And I am looking forward to it. School has become difficult over the last few years, and my motivation almost completely dissapeared recently. However, I think I've regained a bit of face and I hope I can leave this school on a high, with a good set of grades, friends and achievments alongside me.

The Flash- All The Tunes.zip

Enough pondering: on to the tunes/news (download all: above, as promised!). Coldplay have been accused of copying Creaky Boards 'The Songs I Didn't Write' on 'Viva La Vida', their latest single. Our reply? Bullshit- listen to the two songs if you don't believe me: and even if Coldplay did copy them, 'immitation is the sincerest form of flattery'. Get over it! They did it better than you could? Nice publicity stunt, anyway...

Creaky Boards- The Songs I Didn't Write
Coldplay- Viva La Vida

Lil' Wayne continues to dominate in the rap world, with an official remix of 'A Milli' featuring both Jay-Z and Chris Brown. His songs seem to have the common trait of 'remixability'. 'Lollipop' has been tricked to death, and 'A Milli' is next in line.

Lil Wayne- A Millie (Remix Ft. Jay-Z & Chris Brown)

Oh, and Ratatat are getting remixed as well. Tres strange.

Ratatat- Falcon Jab (Them Jeans Remix)

I've just added a Skribit widget to the right: do leave a note if there's anything you think I've missed or need to write about. The aim of the blog is to keep both you and I informed, so share the knowledge and love.

Next time I write, I will be free. I imagine you can all sypathise with me. I'll catch up with comments/submissions soon!

Hello hello. I've really missed this over the last few days (free will, that is)- over the course of 48 hours, I've had 4 A2 Modules, and a complete lack of time and choice.

Now, with the weekend ahead of me, I'm taking a few hours off to compose myself and generally have a bit of fun. Loads of cool stuff has happened over the last few days, and whilst the focus of this blog is music, I'm sure that you are all interested in other stuff as well.

First things first, music. It's been an exciting week, with many album releases and anticipated releases. Before I start reeling off the tracks, I wanted to point out my latest addition to The Cold Cut: zips. My main aim is to provide you with as much fresh music as possible, and to keep the user experience simple and enjoyable. So to reduce time, at the beginning of every post, I'm going to zip all the music (yep, ALL of it) and upload it, instead of uploading multiple copies of each file. So if you're the kind of person who wants to have your cake and eat it, download the zip file, and get a small taster of this weeks music! I hope this makes things easier! Individual files will still be available for download, but in limited quantity.

The Return- All The Tracks In This Post.zip (Link 2)

Pharrell, Julian Casablancas and Santogold- My Drive Thru

Converse have continued their onslaught on the music world, except this time around, they're having an impact. Coupled with their uber-cool advertising campaign- Connectivity (see a few sheets below)- they recently commissioned a new song involving Santogold, Julian Casablancas and Pharrell. In doing so, they've assembled three of the coolest people in the public eye (look at the photo above and tell me you don't wish you were Julian?).

This is exactly the kind of image they want to present, and the song is great too. 'My Drive Thru' is a nice change for all three musicians- Pharrell mostly stays behind the mixing board, but the vocal combo of Julian and Santi is ree-diculous, with a nice chiming bell/guitar riff. In short, I love it, for its unabashed energy and bravery. And for all those grumbling about how 'I've lost all respect for Santogold', I ask, 'why'? These guys have to pay the bills, and I for one wouldn't turn down the chance of working with such talented musicians.
Lightspeed Champion is steadily moving into the limelight: please take the time to watch this incredible SXSW performance, and keep your eyes open for some new tracks no doubt arriving over the next few weeks. Watch the full concert at baeblemusic.comncert at baeblemusic.com

Lightspeed Champion- Xanadu

Coldplay's new album was brought forward and released yesterday. It frustrates me that there has already been a great deal of Coldplay bashing, mostly by the newspapers. The whole situation is confusing, as it appears the critics can't make up their mind: in the run up to the album, I read numerous articles stating that the only way Coldplay could win would be to change their sound. And they have- their reward is a generally unimpressed reaction.

Coldplay- Viva La Vida (Telemitry Mix)

Nas buckled. Big style... he changed the name of his forthcoming album (which you will know, and I will not write) to 'Untitled', but then released a mixtape with the original name. How confusing, and pointless. The statement isn't quite so large if the name is confined to a teaser, Nas! His first single, 'Hero', was released, and its a nice introduction to the new album. However, it doesn't stand a chance of dethroning Lil' Wayne from rap album of the year.

Nas- Hero (ft. Keri Hilson)
Lil Wayne- Let The Beat Build

Apple's 3G iPhone has also had a lukewarm welcome. I for one will be getting my hands on one: the main issues being brought up are no front facing video camera, no 'true GPS functionality' and the same 2MP camera. These are fair points, but technology is subjective. I hardly ever use my phone's camera, as it's crap, and if I had an iPhone, I wouldn't take it anywhere where I wouldn't take my dedicated digital camera- concerts, for example. Using an iPhone to take pictures would make you a huge target to the thieves who go to gigs solely to steal wallets, phones and anything else they can get. However, I would agree that I feel slightly cheated by the 'new' iPhone. Sure, it's got 3G, and a few tweaks, but to be honest, the main draw is the new application store. That's the main reason I will be purchasing one asap.

Mystery Jets- Two Doors Down (Duke Dumont Reconstruction)

The summer film season is finally kicking off- Iron Man was heaps of fun, and my top five remaining releases are The Dark Knight, Wanted, Wall-E, The Incredible Hulk and Hellboy 2. All action orientated, and almost all (The Dark Knight is a bit... well... dark?) heaps of fun. If your inner child isn't brought out by these little Wall-E vignettes, then the feature film won't be for you.

Fleet Foxes- He Doesn't Know Why

Oh, and a little thing called sport. Over the last few days, the sport has been sublime. From Holland (come on boys) caning in Euro to Nadal edging past 6 foot 10" Ivo Karlovic, I'm finding it hard to draw my eyes away from the screen. And with Wimbledon, F1 and more coming up, this is looking to be an enjoyable summer! Any die-hard supporters here? Whose your money on for Euro 2008? My top four: Germany, Holland, Spain and Portugal. Croatia might edge their way in there!

N.E.R.D.- Yeah You

And that's it- I've run out of energy, and things to talk about. More updates tomorrow! Nice to be back.

PS Leave a note if the links go down!

Okay, so my time this evening is limited (AQA Chemistry revision is dominating at the moment), but I wanted to be one of the first to let you guys know about these new tracks.

Coldplay- Lost (Link 2)
Coldplay- Life In Technicolour (Link 2)

Yes. Two more Coldplay tracks have leaked, weeks before 'Viva La Vida's release. 'Lost' is another brilliant track, although not quite as unexpected as 'Viva La Vida'. It's more reminiscent of their older work, with a piano driven chorus. 'Life In Technicolour' is supposedly the opening track: below is a low quality (not my work- I apologise for this) recording of the track- I thought you would be interested, regardless of quality.

'Viva La Vida' can be pre-ordered here.

Lil' Wayne- Lollipop (Official Remix Ft. Kanye West) (Link 2)

This is absolutely crazy. Bringing together two artists who haven't shared the same beat before is a nice touch, and makes the prospect of that 'Tha Carter III' collaboration worth waiting for. 'Lollipop' is a work-horse: that beat seems to fit every situation, and that factor alone justifies its reign at number 1.

I must apologise for not being able to reply to your comments: it's out of my hands. My school has blocked my blog, for some ridiculous reason, apparently 'pornography', or so the filter says. Anyway, I can't see, read, or comment on my blog: I am solely limited to posting and reading your comments through my email account. Anyway, there has been so much unbelievably catchy and amazing music recently, so here's me scratching the surface. If anything goes drastically wrong, be sure to let me know.

Regardless, I can continue to blog, so here is a comprehensive list of the great music released over the last few months.

Discuss: Can you name the best new band at the moment?

Coldplay- Viva La Vida (Link 2)
My faith is restored. Coldplay have really outdone themselves here: 'Viva La Vida' is superior to 'Violet Hill' in every respect, even on the first spin... and who knows how dear it could become many more plays? Epic strings, no audible piano, and a sound that wouldn't fit anywhere smaller than a stadium. This is the 'new' version of Coldplay I was expecting.

The National- Mansion On The Hill (Live Bruce Springsteen Cover) (Link 2)
In my honest opinion, The National are one of the best American bands out there. 'Boxer' and 'Alligator' are work-horses, giving and giving, and I've been waiting for a new track for ages. This more than justifies the wait, even if it is a cover...

Phantom Planet- Raise The Dead (Link 2)
Phantom Planet- Do The Panic (Link 2)
Wow... Now this, I really wasn't expecting. Remember 'California'? Of course you do... well, it seems in the time between the O.C.'s expiration and the present, Phantom Planet have been busy. Busy rebuilding their image, that is, from a teen pop group into an Americanised Arcade Fire. This is a much more mature and developed packaged than they previously offered.

Madonna- Miles Away (Link 2)
I've said more than enough about Madonna...

Busta Rhymes- We Made It (Ft. Linkin Park) (Link 2)
Busta Rhymes- Don't Touch Me (Throw Da Water On Em') (Link 2)
Busta Rhymes always works best when backed up by a wacky, overblown beat. Surprisingly, he eschews that route here, instead opting to blend rock and hip hop. Sounds rubbish, doesn't it? Sometimes, the most grating of combinations produce miracles (see DNA- hint 'keeping it in the family').

His other track- 'Don't Touch Me'...-is classic Busta- balls to the wall, high octane verses, with barely time to breath. And in true fashion, he really pulls it off.

The Ting Tings- Shut Up And Let Me Go (Link 2)
How time flies. Last time I posted about these guys, they were just getting off the ground after releasing 'Great DJ'. And now, they going stellar, after Apple featured them in their new iPod adverts. A little face might be saved by the fact that the song used- 'Shut Up And Let Me Go'- isn't their best, and thus they will always have a crowd pleaser ('That's Not My Name') for the end of their sets that hasn't been 'played to death'.

Weezer- Pork And Beans (Link 2)
Okay, so I'm a few weeks late on this one, but sometimes I can't go without posting a good track. Classic Weezer, plain and simple.

Santogold- I'm A Lady (Link 2)
Santogold- Say Aha (Link 2)
Santogold really crept up on me. To be honest, I didn't give her the time of day, until I saw her album art. For some strange reason, that gold sprinkle effect triggered a fond memory of my childhood and I was instantly won over. Simply put, Santogold is doing for rock and dub what M.I.A. did for hip hop and dancehall, blending cultures, styles and genres into a accesible music.

Metro Station- Shake It (Link 2)
The first time I heard this, I found myself retching at the cheesiness. However, as I walked away from my room, the chorus: 'Shake, shake, shake, shake... I shake it' played over and over in my mind. Really, though, Metro Station need to work out who they are- cheesy American poppers or something a little bit deeper? My money is on the latter; a rebranding (and re-titling- terrible) could be in order.

Lil' Wayne- A Millie (Link 2)
A new TV advertisement proclaims Lil' Wayne as 'the most controversial man in America'. I sincerely doubt this, but you cannot knock him for his cojones. His new album, 'Tha Carter III' is widely expected to be an opus, led comfortably by his first number 1 single, 'Lollipop'. Genius artwork, too- Wayne mimics both Notorious B.I.G. and Nas by using a baby photo as his album cover (a metaphor Wayne? Deep...). We all know Wayne thinks he's great, but soon, we might just have proof.

Lil' Wayne- Lollipop (ft. Static Major)

In a post a couple of months ago, I stated that 'Showtime' would be the first single off of Lil' Wayne's upcoming album, 'Tha Carter III'. Thankfully, this isn't the case. Instead, a new cut, entitled 'Lollipop', is being put forward as the lead track. It's not instant by any stretch of the imagination, but the track is a definite improvement...

He is certainly clearing the floor for his new sound. Lil' Wayne has been experimenting with the use of effects and filters for 'Tha Carter III'. Just as with the fairly mediocre 'Showtime', Wayne employs the use of a vocoder, to greater effect. Not an original move, but the track- as a whole- is. The sound is chopped and layered, until a dense, 'cold' sound is achieved. Its a nice move, and this song has 'club' written all over it- the spins will no doubt rack up.

Tha Carter III is out on May 13th.