Pretty self explanatory really. Like everyone man and his dog has done, here’s my favourite albums of 2009. Little mentions should go out to: The XX, 5 Years of Hyperdub, Bombay Bicycle Club, Atlas Sound, Fanfarlo….your albums are very good. But not top ten good.
Not content with eating cheese and doing the washing up, my Christmas holidays have already led me to write a blog post on a couple of bands and artists I’ve been sweating happiness over recently. These guys aren’t particularly new and have no real string of affiliation connecting them, other than they’re all absolutely fantastic and should get on with 2010 like a house on fire. Ya dig?
Although this is the blog’s fourth edition of Spotted Dick this is my first contribution to a feature which has unarguably taken the music world by storm since it’s conception and put a previously little known music application firmly on the map. Click to read more …
I recently did a phone interview with Orlando Weeks from The Maccabees and while he literally couldn’t have been nicer, it was slightly frustrating to see the interview printed in The Nottingham Evening Post as a very edited, fragmented and watered down version of the original. So here is the interview with him in all its original, more music geeky form. It is pretty Nottingham-centric but suck it up and deal if you’re not from the lovely city Robin Hood and Brian Clough and other such duckehs.
Simian Mobile Disco- Temporary Pleasure
After releasing their debut album Attack Decay Sustain Release in 2007, Simian Mobile Disco have gone on to become the unlikeliest pair of geeky superstar DJs in the world. While that album might not have quite been ingrained into the minds and dance floors of a generation in the same way as, say, the debut from Justice, it definitely occupied a firm and happy place in many a hardcore clubber and music fan alike.
Whitest Boy Alive – Rules
‘Rules’ is, Berlin based four piece, Whitest Boy Alive’s second album since their debut ‘Dreams’ was released in 2006. This record sees their Royksopp-esque laid back electro develop into a much more individual style. Click to read more …
Favours for Sailors interview
With the credit crunch, the recession, the worst winter for two decades and, probably, the imminent end the world being shoved in our faces and down our throats pretty much relentlessly by the media, anyone creating music in these dark times could be forgiven for coming across a bit bleak and depressing. Not Favours For Sailors though.
Gavin: A lot happened in 2008. It seems so long ago now. Like any blog worth it’s salt and peppa though, we have decided to put together our best/worst gigs and albums of the year and used our clever little thinking boxes in our heads to have a guess (/dictate?) who will be floating boats in the next twelve months or so. Have a read and put us in our place about your favourite albums and who you think will storm 09…
Dananananaykroyd, Tubelord and Favours For Sailors/The Lexington/12.11.08
Gigs where even the local support band are something to get excited about are few and far between but on this non-descript Wednesday night The Lexington is hosting one and London based four piece Favours For Sailors are most certainly that band. Click to read more …
Brontide Interview
Brontide are a new band who, although all originating from various different places, reside in Brighton and create a stomping, mathy web of complex guitar lines, intricate bass stabs and monstrous drums. They may have only been going “seriously” as a band for a few months, but have already carved out their own particular sound and all the members have experience from various other projects. Drummer William Bowerman, formerly of (sadly fairly short lived) Nottingham band, I Was A Cub Scout, was kind enough to answer some of my questions via email after a failed meet up. Consume the words…