Sunday 14 February 2010

Wednesday 3 February 2010

Monday 14 December 2009

Phrazes...


Julian Casablanca’s-Leeds Review

The man is an idol. I could leave the review at that in all honesty. I have been blessed with seeing a few of my hero’s on stage before Madness, The Specials and even the Maccabees but having sadly never seen The Strokes live before I had never seen Julian Casablanca’s in the flesh until now.

What can I say! He has more coolness in his little finger than NME’s new bands of 2010. Some people are just born that way. I wasn’t really expecting much having not really listened to his debut album ‘Phrazes for the young’ and expected a bit of a one band show with a backing band but instead the 7 piece were all in their own right brilliant musicians and eager not to let The Strokes front man take all the limelight.

This album and tour has been around 3 years in the making, Albert Hammond Jr has managed to knock out two albums, a gossip girl appearance and date the world’s biggest super model in the time that this album was produced, but quality defeats quantity.

The problem that Casablanca’s has is that he is the voice of easily the best band in the last decade and unless he made a country album with Hannah Montana’s dad it would be impossible to escape The Strokes similarities and that is just the way it rolls. But what I saw was someone who has brought together a band of considerable talent and produced quite a few very good songs. The stands outs were of course the single 11th Dimension with its synth laden backing beat and Out of the Blue which is a joy to see live.

My favourite song of the night was the stripped down version of ‘You only live once’ and it wasn’t just me singing every single lyric back at Casablanca’s and it is nights like this that you wonder why the hell The Strokes haven’t got their ass into gear and brought out another wonderful and heart-warming album. The music world may have been taken over by Kings of Leon and The Killers but I know who I would rather be right now and that man has just left fans across the world awaiting with baited breath any new songs from The New York Hipsters.


Julian Casablanca's Myspace

Saturday 28 November 2009

Our native Fellows


It seems like they appeared out of nowhere.

They probably didn't, they may of been blogged about since someone overheard them doing their first ever band practice.

I certainly would of if I had known these boys had so much god damn talent.

Blessing our shores with their layered and heartwarming songs Local Natives seems to be everybodys new favourite band and I for one couldn't agree more.

The great thing about the new album 'Gorilla Manor' is the fact you could press shuffle and be instantly wrapped in cotton wool and be wooed into a slumber by the vivid lyrics that hit you.

Stand out tracks from the album come in form of 'Airplanes' which starts with a chorus of boo's and then unravels a story in which many listeners will relate to, the dreaded 'wanting the ex back feeling' heartfelt and beautifully rolled out this was the turning point for me.

Other stand outs are Camera Talk and dare I say it A fleet foxes sounding 'world news' but hey! with a voice that amazing we can forgive and forget!

Gorilla Manor was released on the 2nd of Nov on infectious Records and they hit our shores in early 2010 where I will be welcoming them with open arms!

Nath

Local Natives Myspace

oh to be youveful...



So it seems like forever since I first saw this band in Worcester on the back end of what was a lovely summer.
I'd never heard of any of the bands playing the free Worcester all-dayer and if I was to be truthful I wasn't expecting much until Youves hit the stage.

They were exactly the band that I enjoy seeing live, bursting with energy and looking like they are having the time of their lives.
The crowd obviously fed off this as it was getting a little riotous to say the least.

So two months down the line and in very different circumstances I luckily caught them again before I started Work at Leeds Cockpit.
Although there was by far a smaller turnout they didn't let it phase them and showed that you don't need many people to get the party going.

Playing trademark songs such as the jittery and cow bell lined Aladdin's Rave and the infectious Bigorexic they reasserted how much potential they have if they are caught by the right sort of people.

Having already toured with successful bands such as Rolo Tommasi its only a matter of time before they are dancing around with their shirts off(the lead singer is hence) and invading your mind.

Nathan x


Youves myspace

Tuesday 28 July 2009

CRZY CRZY COLABRTN..


Less than cooly named Mstrkrft..seriously??? its only a few letters guys...

Always making good music however since the sad demise of Death From Above 1979 they have now brought out a classic with...drum roll...John Legend. I kid you not. Always sucker for 'Just Ordinary People' its understandable in a sense as the man has some talent.

And in fairness the song works, strangely complimenting the duo's beats it caught my attention straight away and ever since has been in my playlist.

While I am on the topic of guest vocals a massive massive song at the moment is funnily enough by the normally talentless button pusher's Flithy Dukes.

Orlando Weeks from The Maccabees has his lyrics chopped up and moved around from the song 'William Powers' which features on the new album 'Wall of Arms'

It works, and really really well. No credit taken from The Original as it is my favourite song on a brilliant album. In all fairness it dosent even sound anything like the original and it would take a Maccabees fan to notice the lyrics

So...two brilliant brilliant new songs with guest vocals..

What next then?

Lady Ga Ga staring on Madonnas's new album? how ironic..

Big Boots to Fill...


So its been a while...actually it feels more like decade since I last spoke my free mind on this wonderful blog. Summer it seems has brought about quite a few changes ranging from me actually having a job to buy and actually do things. I am in a stable relationship which seems to be going somewhere...and last but not least Man City and Real Madrid have spent about the same amount of money that it will cost me to finish university and it’s pretty obvious that they will finish in the same position next year.

However good as come musically and in the form of Bombay Bicycle Club. It seems that for some reason they have bypassed me for a long time now and it was only until they released ‘Always like This’ that they finally caught my attention. In all fairness they never seemed to have much about them, a poor mans Good Shoes if you will. However after watching them at Live at Leeds and playing their E.P’s ’ How we are’ and ‘The Boy I Used To Be’ I fell in love with Jack Steadman’s shakey vocals.

In all fairness it would be easy to say that I have loved this band since they started and try and blag that I have ‘watched them grow’ into their new sound that they have on recently released ‘I had the blues but I shook them loose’ but I haven’t and instead found out about a wonderful band at the right time. It seems critics wise they haven’t found many friends with numerous reviews slating the album and ridiculously giving it 5 out of 10 or 2 out of 5. This all comes about in a period in which the most lyrically talented artists such as Little Boots and La Roux are being rewarded with success. Give me a break please. ‘I’m gonna take you out tonight, I’m gonna make you feel alright’ she’s no Bob Dylan that’s for sure.

Album wise BBC are pretty tip top with ‘Lamplight’ and ‘Cancel on Me’ being standouts. The whole concept of the album is brilliant in a sense that no one song sounds the same. They should in all fairness be awarded for having the steel to be able to not just get a safe sound and stick with it which seems a common pattern of late.

Highlights for the summer easily come from The Maccabees, Passion Pit and Animal Collective with a sneaky little number from the Virgins(only one song mind) in the form of ‘Love is Colder Than Death’ at least they have musical talent for 5 minutes.

Next Goal Wins will be vacating our not so sunny shores in a few weeks to visit the Rhineland and maybe catch Hasselhoff on the Berlin Wall...or not. So expect tales a plenty as well as some fabulous holiday snaps.
Nathanial Day-Lewis (Thanks Andy)

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