three word album review : "Ladyhwake" by Ladyhawke

Pretty fucking fantastic.

[Next single : 'My Delirium' - the best one yet.] :

fun with promo blurbs

The following is taken from the little promo blurb sticker on the back of the 'The Bones Of You' 1-track CD promo - the only physical format of the single "available" :

'Elbow's fourth album is their masterpiece' SUNDAY TELEGRAM
[correct!]

New Single - Physical 29th Sept / Digital Available Now
[incorrect!]
TAKEN FROM THE MERCURY MUSIC PRIZE NOMINATED ALBUM 'THE SELDOM SEEN KID'
[correct - but now we know they won. hurrah!]

Elbow contine the most successful year of their career with a new single on 29th September. 'The Bones Of You' follows the massive success [???] of 'One Day Like This' and has been a live highlight through the band's sold out UK tour in April and their highly praised sets at Glastonbury, Delamere Forest and Latitude. The band make their final festival appearance of the summer at Scotland's Connect Festival on 31st August. Elbow's fourth studio album, 'The Seldom Seen Kid', from which the single is taken, has been one of the critical hits of 2008 and nominated for the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize, the second time the band have been nominated during their career. [I thought all four albums got nominated, but apparently I was incorrect.] The band embark on a full UK tour in October, including three shows in London and two in their native Manchester due to an overwhelming demand for tickets.

Then there are tour dates. So what have we learned?

- At one point, there were plans for a physical release of 'The Bones Of You', but apparently actually winning the Mercury Music Prize means "CANCEL ALL FURTHER PROMOTION FOR SAID ALBUM!". Yuck. [PJ Harvey got a third single when "Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea" won - beating Elbow's "Asleep in the Back", actually - so why can't the boys?]
- Barely scraping into the Top 40 for a band that generally hits it with no problem is apparently "massive success" - such success that they CANCEL ALL FURTHER PROMOTION FOR THE ALBUM. Grr.
- I'm 100% positive that "Asleep in the Back" was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize as I remember being torn that year as it, the aforementioned PJ Harvey album, and SFA's "Rings Around the World" were all up and I couldn't decide which one I wanted to win. But I swore that at least "Cast of Thousands" was nominated as well.

Hrm. Oh well. Here's a[n old] picture of Guy waving:



*swoon*

oh. my. god.

infinity's not as fast as me

I'm having a bit of a love affair with this album at the moment.

It might sneak up and be a surprise spoiler when the 2008 list comes around. We'll see.

"Swords of Truth":

the kids on the street

After being a bit underwhelmed with "Yours Truly, Angry Mob" - it's no "Employment", is it? - I was having a hard time drumming up excitement for yet another Kaiser Chiefs album in 2008.

First single 'Never Miss A Beat' is out there, and at first I wasn't impressed...however by the end of the video - complete with a group dance routine! - I'm feeling cautiously optimistic.



We'll see. The album is out October 28th in the US, the week prior in the UK....of course.

I hate myself and want to die

So I was thinking the other day: "Hey, isn't it about time for another Rogers Sisters album?" Then I promptly forgot that thought and went on my merry way.

About 2 minutes ago, I had the same thought. So I popped on over to their myspace, only to find the headline reading "BYE BYE" and a blog entitled "FINI" dated June 25th stating that they had retired.

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK. :( All the good ones die young.

In their honor:

'Why Won't You' from 2006's "The Invisible Deck" :


A live version of 'Song For Freddie' [the song that made me fall in love with them] from 2002's "Purely Evil":


I never got to see them live. :(

maybe I should have been more specific with my wish

Three pieces of Elbow:

1 - Old news now, but they [finally!] won the Mercury Music Prize for "The Seldom Seen Kid". Huzzah!

2 - To celebrate, 'The Bones Of You' is getting a single release. Huzz...wait, what's that? It's a UK iTunes only release with merely a live version as the b-side? Boo! This is the one that should've been the single all along, and all we get is a piddly digital release? I want another proper single. :(

3 - To ease those wounds, their recent appearance on Live from Abbey Road has shown up on YouTube. Since there's no US airing in the foreseeable future, check em out:

'The Bones Of You':


'One Day Like This':


'Grounds for Divorce':


The official 'The Bones Of You' video is also out there, but they've disengaged embedding at YouTube. Just do a search and it's the first thing that pops up. It is - of course - wonderful....although, I'll take any excuse to stare at Guy Garvey, so there you have it.



Drool. Have I mentioned how much I fucking love this band?

By the way, it's September now and still no word on the b-sides album. :(

trying to get rid of the friends that I've got

Still fucking brilliant.

should I still love you?

Let's talk about "Pablo Honey".

It is one of those albums that's been essentially disowned by not only the band who created it but also the core of said band's following. But oh, how wrong they are!

True, it is not a very accurate representation of the band - even as soon after its release as "The Bends", it was very clear that the newer album was more what Radiohead was all about. That said, it is probably their most honest record, the one where they wear their hearts on their sleeves and embrace them, warts and all. There's a lot here to be embarrassed by - blatant hero worship, half formed ideas as lyrics, etcetera - but for me, that's why the album is so easy to love.

On a basic level, it's such an honest record, and maybe because if brings me back to a place and time so well, but I just love how it sounds when I put it on.

I'll just come out and say it - it is my third favorite Radiohead record behind "The Bends" and "OK Computer". It does way more for me than the purposely difficult "Kid A" and "Amnesiac", the snorefest of "Hail to the Thief" [talk about a band sounding like they're trying too hard!], and whatever the hell "In Rainbows" was supposed to be but clearly isn't. Accuse me of not moving on with the band - fine. This is the Radiohead I fell in love with, and this is where I want to stay.

'Creep' [of course] :



'Anyone Can Play Guitar' :



*sigh*

yes, but where's the techno album?

According to this nme.com article - which itself is sourced from a BBC 6music interview - the next Super Furry Animals album is going to be instrumental. I'm intrigued, though am hoping for more along the lines of '[A] Touch Sensitive' than 'Cowbird'.

No idea when it's going to come out - I swear I read somewhere they are contractually obliged to put out an album a year for the three years from 2007-2009 for Rough Trade, but I might have made that up - but I think it would send 2008 out in lovely fashion.

The aforementioned '[A] Touch Sensitive', one of my favorite Furry tunes and videos - and a song I wish they'd reintroduce to the setlist: