Well January went quick didn't it, the next month is the shortest but it holds a lot of the big ones as far as album releases are concerned. So armed with nothing but Play.com's release schedule, lets see what we have here shall we?
NME review scores are in (brackets) where available.
February 5th
Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
Fall Out Boy - Infinity On High (7)
Cold War Kids - Robbers And Cowards (8)
Lady Sovereign - Public Warning (7)
The Noisettes - What's The Time Mr Wolf?
The Decemberists - The Tain
February 12th
The Fray - How To Save A Life
Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson In Crime
Various Artists - The Triptych (7)
Dartz - This Is My Ship
(Note: Dartz are playing the Hereford Herdsman on February 14th)
February 26th
Kaiser Chiefs - Yours Truly, Angry Mob
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Several essential buys there.
Next Month
Air and Idlewild return, the second coming of Willy Mason, Axl Rose feat. Guns 'n' Roses, Enter Shikari, Good Charlotte and James Murphy in the form of LCD Soundsystem.
We're being spoilt this year.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Still On The Bloc
Sorry but I just can't get it out of my head. I'm giving more and more time to the MySpace stream of the album which seems to have recovered from the initial rush. I gave the track namechecked in the NME interview (which I've now read 3 times to make sure I wasn't seeing things the first time) a few listens and after looking up the lyrics to make sure I was hearing what I thought I was, the track is #8 on the album and is called 'I Still Remember'. While not explicitly about 2 guys (or 2 girls) its one of those songs that puts that sort of image in your head. All I know until later (confidence grows with experience) is that I want this album on my player. Monday afternoon its the first thing I get.
You Don't Know Jack January 31st 2007
Category: I've Gotta Go See A Man About A Horse
Score: $1,403
Yeah it was poor. Look for Albums Of The Month later tonight, if I plug the new Bloc Party album anymore I might be guilty of whoring.
Hmmm, twin thoughts that somehow work.....
You Don't Know Jack January 31st 2007
Category: I've Gotta Go See A Man About A Horse
Score: $1,403
Yeah it was poor. Look for Albums Of The Month later tonight, if I plug the new Bloc Party album anymore I might be guilty of whoring.
Hmmm, twin thoughts that somehow work.....
A New Fantasy
The 3 features in this week's NME are on 3 of my favourite bands, Klaxons, CSS and Bloc Party. Needless to say I went straight into the Bloc Party interview with relish, but I wasn't quite expecting to see one of the subjects that came up. I know BP are the most intelligent, vital and downright best looking band in the world (only rivals being the aforementioned Klaxons and CSS) but when I thought of the issues to be addressed in their new album I thought of drug abuse, racism, cultural fear and the misused power of the media.
Never in my knowledge of their existance had I ever entertained the thought that Kele Okereke might be gay. Never.
Russell wouldn't have been surprising (hello bloc head), Gordon maybe a bit of a shock, Matt would've been a downright no brainer, but Kele? There's just nothing there that even hints at it, he dodged the question in the transcribed interview and that just makes me wonder more. I seriously doubt we'll know the truth in public this side of a 3rd album though. If he is though, it could change the UK indie landscape forever. Existing BP fans would be unlikely to care, they have the intelligence to accept that it doesn't really affect them. It will drag a sensitive issue out into the open though, potentially there's a massive debate waiting to happen and I for one will watch it intently if it happens.
Bloc Party show a disillusionment with modern life and British society that the other 'voice of Britain' bands like The View and Arctic Monkeys just can't get. For the mainstream fan those 2 do embody modern life, go out, get pissed, get laid, come home and do it all again the next weekend. That's not real for a lot of people, think of those at a younger age, 16-17 or maybe older. From experience I know this a lot better than probably a lot of people, that's not modern life. Modern life is a struggle against established ideas, ideas that A Weekend In The City challenges from what I've heard of it. For anyone who doesn't subscribe to the ideals of getting wasted, forgetting the whole night and sleeping with whoever was at the bar at the right time modern life is a lot different from the picture painted by the Arctics on that first album, I said it at the time and I say it now. That is Britain, but not for everyone. I only hope that the mainstream fans buying AWITC listen to it properly and realise the message its trying to send, so many concept albums like this fall on deaf ears to people who only use music as background noise.
Damn, the albums of 2007 lists are going to be tough to do this year. How do you choose a #1 from what's out and what's set to come?
Never in my knowledge of their existance had I ever entertained the thought that Kele Okereke might be gay. Never.
Russell wouldn't have been surprising (hello bloc head), Gordon maybe a bit of a shock, Matt would've been a downright no brainer, but Kele? There's just nothing there that even hints at it, he dodged the question in the transcribed interview and that just makes me wonder more. I seriously doubt we'll know the truth in public this side of a 3rd album though. If he is though, it could change the UK indie landscape forever. Existing BP fans would be unlikely to care, they have the intelligence to accept that it doesn't really affect them. It will drag a sensitive issue out into the open though, potentially there's a massive debate waiting to happen and I for one will watch it intently if it happens.
Bloc Party show a disillusionment with modern life and British society that the other 'voice of Britain' bands like The View and Arctic Monkeys just can't get. For the mainstream fan those 2 do embody modern life, go out, get pissed, get laid, come home and do it all again the next weekend. That's not real for a lot of people, think of those at a younger age, 16-17 or maybe older. From experience I know this a lot better than probably a lot of people, that's not modern life. Modern life is a struggle against established ideas, ideas that A Weekend In The City challenges from what I've heard of it. For anyone who doesn't subscribe to the ideals of getting wasted, forgetting the whole night and sleeping with whoever was at the bar at the right time modern life is a lot different from the picture painted by the Arctics on that first album, I said it at the time and I say it now. That is Britain, but not for everyone. I only hope that the mainstream fans buying AWITC listen to it properly and realise the message its trying to send, so many concept albums like this fall on deaf ears to people who only use music as background noise.
Damn, the albums of 2007 lists are going to be tough to do this year. How do you choose a #1 from what's out and what's set to come?
New Rules
As my new player can do images (w00t for yaoi everywhere) and set them as backgrounds I've decided that every time someone gives me some hassle for whatever the background is it'll get more graphic. So I've gone from fairly safe SasuNaru to borderline shota molestation.
The scale goes all the way to full blown tentacle. Hopefully it won't get that far by the end of the day.
The scale goes all the way to full blown tentacle. Hopefully it won't get that far by the end of the day.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A Weekend In The City
ITS ONLINE!!
www.myspace.com/blocparty
Get over there, the whole album is now on there for your streaming pleasure.
Tracklisting
Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
1: Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
2: Hunting For Witches
3: Waiting For The 7.18
4: The Prayer
5: Uniform
6: On
7: Kreuzberg
8: I Still Remember
9: Sunday
10: SXRT
www.myspace.com/blocparty
Get over there, the whole album is now on there for your streaming pleasure.
Tracklisting
Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
1: Song For Clay (Disappear Here)
2: Hunting For Witches
3: Waiting For The 7.18
4: The Prayer
5: Uniform
6: On
7: Kreuzberg
8: I Still Remember
9: Sunday
10: SXRT
NME Awards And Download
Take the biggest rock festival in the UK. A utopia for those who dispise everything seen as impure in rock, a haven for those who hate the genre tagged as 'emo'.
Now announce My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park as headliners.
Result: Endless bitching on forums and NJ laughing his head off.
Now, the 2007 NME Awards. Here are the nominations, my predictions and who I'm voting for.
Best British Band
Arctic Monkeys
Babyshambles
Kasabian
Oasis
Muse
While the field is tough, no other band has the sort of fanbase that Bellamy's space rockers have. Muse should walk it.
My Vote - Muse
Best International Band
CSS
The Killers
My Chemical Romance
The Strokes
We Are Scientists
A straight fight between The Killers and MCR here. CSS don't have the fanbase to take it and The Strokes and WAS have been too quiet to rally the troops.
My Vote - CSS
Best Solo Artist
Lily Allen
Jarvis Cocker
Jamie T
Thom Yorke
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
The NME readership won't go in for Miss Allen, the nomination alone should be prize enough for her. Jamie T splits opinion like Thom Yorke, Jarvis may be too heavy, Get Cape has his haters. A tricky one to call but I reckon Jarvis will take it through respect.
My Vote - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Best New Band
The Horrors
The Fratellis
The View
The Kooks
Klaxons
The View, The Horrors and Klaxons all have extremely devoted fanbases. Be extremely surprised if The Fratellis or The Kooks get it, a popular vote would mean I have to call it for The View.
My Vote - Klaxons
Best Live Band
Kasabian
Arctic Monkeys
Babyshambles
Muse
My Chemical Romance
Muse have stormed every best live act award they've been nominated for in the last few years. Don't expect anything else.
My Vote - Muse
Best Album
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Kasabian - Empire
Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
The Killers - Sam's Town
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Only The Killers can steal this from MCR.
My Vote - My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Best Track
Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead
The Killers - When You Were Young
Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
The View - Wasted Little DJ's
Atlantis To Interzone was w00tworld's track of 2006. I stand by that decision, though When You Were Young, Supermassive and Wasted Little DJ's all provide worthy competition.
My Vote - Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone
Best Video
The Horrors - Sheena Is A Parasite
Kasabian - Empire
The Killers - Bones
Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
And the winner is...
OK Go - Here It Goes Again.
A complete no contest really.
My Vote - OK Go - Here It Goes Again
Elsewhere
Gonzo looks set to claim Best TV Show again and Zane will probably gain total Radio 1 bragging rights in the Best Radio Show category. Borat will probably fend off Casino Royale for best film, Youtube has to hold off MySpace for best website and if there's any justice Kate Jackson will take the Sexiest Woman award.
You can vote for the awards at www.nme.com/awards and watch the ceremony on Channel 4. It takes place on February 28th.
Bloc Party are playing live on Radio 1 as I write this, why aren't you listening?
Now announce My Chemical Romance and Linkin Park as headliners.
Result: Endless bitching on forums and NJ laughing his head off.
Now, the 2007 NME Awards. Here are the nominations, my predictions and who I'm voting for.
Best British Band
Arctic Monkeys
Babyshambles
Kasabian
Oasis
Muse
While the field is tough, no other band has the sort of fanbase that Bellamy's space rockers have. Muse should walk it.
My Vote - Muse
Best International Band
CSS
The Killers
My Chemical Romance
The Strokes
We Are Scientists
A straight fight between The Killers and MCR here. CSS don't have the fanbase to take it and The Strokes and WAS have been too quiet to rally the troops.
My Vote - CSS
Best Solo Artist
Lily Allen
Jarvis Cocker
Jamie T
Thom Yorke
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
The NME readership won't go in for Miss Allen, the nomination alone should be prize enough for her. Jamie T splits opinion like Thom Yorke, Jarvis may be too heavy, Get Cape has his haters. A tricky one to call but I reckon Jarvis will take it through respect.
My Vote - Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Best New Band
The Horrors
The Fratellis
The View
The Kooks
Klaxons
The View, The Horrors and Klaxons all have extremely devoted fanbases. Be extremely surprised if The Fratellis or The Kooks get it, a popular vote would mean I have to call it for The View.
My Vote - Klaxons
Best Live Band
Kasabian
Arctic Monkeys
Babyshambles
Muse
My Chemical Romance
Muse have stormed every best live act award they've been nominated for in the last few years. Don't expect anything else.
My Vote - Muse
Best Album
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Kasabian - Empire
Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
The Killers - Sam's Town
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Only The Killers can steal this from MCR.
My Vote - My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade
Best Track
Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You're Dead
The Killers - When You Were Young
Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone
Muse - Supermassive Black Hole
The View - Wasted Little DJ's
Atlantis To Interzone was w00tworld's track of 2006. I stand by that decision, though When You Were Young, Supermassive and Wasted Little DJ's all provide worthy competition.
My Vote - Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone
Best Video
The Horrors - Sheena Is A Parasite
Kasabian - Empire
The Killers - Bones
Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
And the winner is...
OK Go - Here It Goes Again.
A complete no contest really.
My Vote - OK Go - Here It Goes Again
Elsewhere
Gonzo looks set to claim Best TV Show again and Zane will probably gain total Radio 1 bragging rights in the Best Radio Show category. Borat will probably fend off Casino Royale for best film, Youtube has to hold off MySpace for best website and if there's any justice Kate Jackson will take the Sexiest Woman award.
You can vote for the awards at www.nme.com/awards and watch the ceremony on Channel 4. It takes place on February 28th.
Bloc Party are playing live on Radio 1 as I write this, why aren't you listening?
That Kind Of Day
Bill Gates was on The Daily Show yesterday, go watch at the Comedy Central site.
You Don't Know Jack January 30th 2007
Category: It Was That Kind Of Day
Score: $2,303
Today's game is all about luck. I took my time so that could've been a better score.
You Don't Know Jack January 30th 2007
Category: It Was That Kind Of Day
Score: $2,303
Today's game is all about luck. I took my time so that could've been a better score.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Expanding
Bored and with the house to myself yesterday I decided to try something. The results of about half an hour's playing proved something to me. I was very happy with the results of the whole experiment, even if I might need new lube sooner than expected.
You Don't Know Jack January 29th 2007
Category: Pulp Friction
Score: $434
I don't really want to talk about that.
You Don't Know Jack January 29th 2007
Category: Pulp Friction
Score: $434
I don't really want to talk about that.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Shuffle
Though the idea of a recap series fills most people with dread, the hardcore fans will always lap it up. In the case of Shuffle Memories I am one of those hardcore fans. Episode 1 dealt with reintroducing the characters and setting up the scene, episode 2 followed the first part of Kaede's story (starting with her downright sadistic treatment of Rin as a child).
But episode 3 was my favourite characters turn. Asa. The green haired girl who ended up getting the guy (an outcome I said on a forum I would bet my life on not happening) and who went from a side character to the best of the lot. This episode covered from her first 'solo' episode (where she was the central focus) where the first seeds of her partnership with Rin were sown to the moments just before the trip to rescue Primula. A lot of ground covered in 21 minutes, some of my favourite and most touching moments appeared in there, part 2 should be excellent. Though it will crossover Kaede's storyline.
But episode 3 was my favourite characters turn. Asa. The green haired girl who ended up getting the guy (an outcome I said on a forum I would bet my life on not happening) and who went from a side character to the best of the lot. This episode covered from her first 'solo' episode (where she was the central focus) where the first seeds of her partnership with Rin were sown to the moments just before the trip to rescue Primula. A lot of ground covered in 21 minutes, some of my favourite and most touching moments appeared in there, part 2 should be excellent. Though it will crossover Kaede's storyline.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Shave
While the status of the trip is uncertain, preparations must continue as though its happening. While Paypal stealing £450 is undoubtedly a massive issue I've worked out it is not an obstacle I can't overcome.
To that end, in my ongoing mission to rid myself of hair, I have a beautifully smooth chest and for the first time in years I am devoid of my happy trail (which isn't often used by people in search of happiness). I'm also wearing my old Speedos due to shaving elsewhere, its a collateral problem which I'm searching for a way of preventing. Normal pants worked well so hopefully the circulation preventing tightness of a pair of swimming trunks I wore when I was 9 should work better.
Oh, and The Colbert Report from yesterday (which I watched properly through TVU at 7am) was full scale ROTFLOL. Go check it out at the Comedy Central site along with the preview of Sunday's stand-up feature performer to mark the end of the Stand Up Showdown contest. I voted for Carlos Mencia but Jimmy Carr is on the list.
Just a thought.
To that end, in my ongoing mission to rid myself of hair, I have a beautifully smooth chest and for the first time in years I am devoid of my happy trail (which isn't often used by people in search of happiness). I'm also wearing my old Speedos due to shaving elsewhere, its a collateral problem which I'm searching for a way of preventing. Normal pants worked well so hopefully the circulation preventing tightness of a pair of swimming trunks I wore when I was 9 should work better.
Oh, and The Colbert Report from yesterday (which I watched properly through TVU at 7am) was full scale ROTFLOL. Go check it out at the Comedy Central site along with the preview of Sunday's stand-up feature performer to mark the end of the Stand Up Showdown contest. I voted for Carlos Mencia but Jimmy Carr is on the list.
Just a thought.
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