The Cold Cut

It just occured to me that I was sailing past the 2000 visits mark; it was only a couple of weeks ago when I broke 1000. Again, I would just like to say thanks, and I hope this makes interesting reading... the only reason I keep doing these "X visits" posts is because I so badly want this blog to become big. If you like my writing and the music I post, please promote this blog by recommending it to your friends. I am also always happy to take comments and recommendations: good new music is hard to come by nowadays, so if you have any tips, please tell me.

It has happened to all of us: you turn on the radio or MTV and that song is playing. Yes, that one: the one that has been the bane of your life for the last month, that song that penetrates your conscience due to the fact that it is radio-friendly and annoyingly memorable. Recent examples include Mika's Grace Kelly and Nickelback's How You Remind Me, but the latest one and the subject matter of this post is a band called Air Traffic. Their name might not be familiar to you, but you would have to be removed from society in order to not hear their hit single "Shooting Star", a song which at first seems blissfully innocent with its lovely piano and high vocals. After a while, though, it becomes unforgettable: I know the words to this song even though the only time I've heard it is through the wall separating me and my next-door neighbour at school!

Shooting Star: The Recorded Version

The thing is, Air Traffic are actually a really good band: they've just released debut album Fractured Life to generally positive reviews: initially comparisons were made between Air Traffic and the likes of Keane and Captain due to their music being piano driven... after listening to a few tracks, I can say this is definitely not the case. Whereas bands like Keane and Captain produce music that whilst being quaint isn't actually that good, Air Traffic produce songs like Shooting Star that are actually quite heavy, despite featuring piano. To top this off, most of the tracks on their album aren't half bad- this is probably due to the fact that the band are all in all very musically competent (see the comparative videos below of live and recorded performances of Shooting Star). Their singles- Just Abuse Me and Never Even Told Me Her Name- are two of the best piano driven pop-romp songs we've heard in a while: head over to hypem to hear them

I think it would be right for me to let you make up your own mind about this band: head over to the hype machine to hear some tracks; there are also two Youtube videos below. Please comment on your feelings about this band: I would like to know the readers of this blog think about my posts!

Shooting Star: The Live Version

You can buy their new album, Fractured Life, here

As usual with albums, I'm fairly late on this, but I only just listened to my Dad's copy of the new Editors album, An End Has A Start, which sees them changing their sound and turning dark in a big way. If you can't be bothered to listen to the tunes, you only have to look at the titles of some of the songs, which are mostly pessimistic: An End Has A Start, The Weight Of The World and When Anger Shows to name a few. If you delve a little deeper and listen to the album a few times, you will notice that whilst being good, there is a noticeable tail-off in quality as it progresses. The first three tracks in particular are brilliant, and the improved musicianship of the band is most evident here as they summon up moody choruses with piano-twinged refrains. The album starts on a massive high with the epic first single (check out the video at the bottom of this post), and the first few songs show signs that the band have progressed in both sound and their songwriting skills. Tom Smith, vocalist, is the real driving force behind this initial greatness: his baritone has developed, and he shows signs of improved songwriting, as well as a new hairstyle.

However, it's not to be; after the first few good tracks there is a moment when they revert back to their old ways: messy lyrics and unmemorable songs. I think the main problem is that on this album the band is taking themselves way too seriously: I can't remember an album with as many songs about death, disease and terrorism as this one.

All the tracks are available for download at the following page, or you can download them separately by clicking the links below:

Editors- Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors
Editors- An End Has A Start
Editors- The Weight Of The World
Editors- Bones
Editors- The Racing Rats

It appears that Justice have the smarts to match their seemingly endless ability to remix tracks and make them sound much better than the original; their new video for D.A.N.C.E.-their hit single- uses a frustratingly simple idea to great effect. Before I reveal too much, just watch the embedded video below, which features some cool t-shirts which I wish were real!

The new Interpol album Our Love To Admire was leaked in good quality yesterday. I had an inkling this might happen, and I manged to get most of the 11 tracks through various means. The verdict? Its very, very good; I'm going to include a selection of the best songs, but this is only in order to promote the album before its release (not reduce sales) on the 9th of July. Please be sure to pre-order or buy the album on its release here. If you want to download all the files below from one page, visit this page, and you can also get their excellent single, The Heinrich Maneuver, at the same time.

Interpol- Rest My Chemistry.mp3
Interpol- Pioneer To The Falls.mp3
Interpol- No I In Threesome.mp3
Interpol- Who Do You Think?.mp3
Interpol- All Fined Up.mp3

Never in my life has a band tortured me this way... Whilst doing work experience at Comic Relief last week, a little email popped up stating someone in the office was offering two excellently positioned standing tickets to Muse's opening night performance at Wembley Stadium. And the price? £45 each. That might seem expensive to some, but considering the prices for tickets on eBay are £300 a pair they were actually very cheap considering the gigs were literally days away. I was so tempted to ditch going back to school the next day in order to see these guys again; I really thought that the cheap tickets were a bit of a sign.

Well, of course I ended up turning down the tickets and traveling back to boring old Cheltenham the next day. But this hasn't stopped me from watching numerous Youtube videos and listening to live recordings of the two concerts. I've read people's thoughts on the performance and most quotes have been along the lines of "the best gig I've ever seen in my life" or "unbelievable". The thing that makes Muse so different is their sound is no different playing in a small venue of 1000 people as they are playing in stadium venues like Wembley to crowds upwards of 20000; of course stadium performances are more of a spectacle (see image at end of post) but this band is just as comfortable in either situation. I've watched many of the songs featured in their 2-hour long set and I can't wait for some good quality footage to be shown on TV. Anyway, I've included a live recording of Map Of The Problematique during the Saturday performance, which is being released as a single later this week.

Muse- Map Of The Problematique (Live At Wembley).mp3

I kind of missed a large event on this blog a couple of days ago, but I can't really let 1000 unique visits to this site pass by without saying anything. Thanks very much to those of you who have been coming back to this blog frequently, and I would just like to urge you to tell anyone and everyone about it. As a gift to those who keep coming back, I hope to put some exclusive tracks up over the next week or so. Also, please don't miss out the opportunity to subscribe by RSS. Again, thanks, and I hope this blog continues to grow. Finally, please feel free to comment on my posts; its nice to know that there is someone on the other end...

I was browsing NME.com when I was lucky enough to find a link to the excellent new video by The Strokes for You Only Live Once. Please take my recommendation and follow the link below to watch this great video for a great song. I have loved The Strokes since their genre defining debut, Is This It? , and if you are even slightly interested in popular or indie music you should listen to all 3 of their brilliant albums.

Click here to watch the brand new video for The Strokes- You Only Live Once

Finally! The Stills have returned! My wait is over!

These were the thoughts running through my mind when I clicked on two of the latest songs by The Stills, Oh Shoplifter and Helicopter, releases which I have been anticipating for 4 years. When their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, was released in 2003, I became an avid follower of this band, along with many others (the album was in many people's top 20 that year): I loved lead singer Dave Hamlin's sleepy vocals, and the characteristically American guitar licks which accompanied him. I loved their album from start to finish: the lifting Lola Stars And Stripes to Still In Love Song, it was a fantastic album. The only problem was after listening to the album 20 times I was craving something new, or different, but The Stills just seemed to disappear. I waited anxiously to hear something... anything that would give me a sense of what the band's plans were. But nothing came.... I didn't hear anything about them until about a month ago, when I was reading a blog which was detailing the most exciting upcoming releases. And there it was... The Stills- Without Feathers. The album came out on the 9th May, but I haven't got around to buying it yet. I have, though, got two tracks off the album, both of which are excellent, if a little different from the bands original stuff. Click the links below to get the two tracks:

The Stills- Oh Shoplifter
The Stills- Helicopter