Showing posts with label Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Show all posts

Sunday, 30 June 2013

Albums of the year (so far)

Well, June is now ending (scary) which means it's officially halfway through the year. This year I have absolutely loved for music so far. I think it's been one of the strongest years for music in a while actually. This year we've had great comebacks and great new talent. I've already found more albums I've loved this year than I did in the whole of 2012. The best part? Not only is there a half a year still to go - I haven't even heard all the albums already released that I want too! But - my albums of the year so far are:
  • Jagwar Ma - Howlin (best)
  • David Bowie - The Next Day
  • Fitz & The Tantrums - More Than Just A Dream
  • Disclosure - Settle
  • Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
  • Capital Cities - In A Tidal Wave Of Mystery
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mosquito
  • Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of The City
  • Hurts - Exile
  • Little Boots - Nocturnes
At 10 albums, I've been left suitably impressed with this year. In fact, only three albums this year didn't make the list: Palma Violets, Phoenix and Daft Punk's latest offerings. And that's not counting the albums that have been released that I haven't heard yet: OMD, Johnny Marr and Primal Scream for instance. And there's still plenty of new albums to come this year that I can't wait for: Alunageorge, Pet Shop Boys, MIA, Foster The People, Goldfrapp and Nine Inch Nails. I'm still holding out hopes for Friendly Fires too. Not to mention other various musical releases like New Order's live album and Sound System boxset for The Clash. Cannot wait to see how the year progresses musically!

Sunday, 9 June 2013

Sound of the week: albums

Hello all from (yet again) a Belfast that spent most of the day spent drenched in glorious sunshine. I've actually knuckled down and listened to some new albums this week. There's not much point in doing a sound of the week song this week - it would just be another post on Nine Inch Nails new single Came Back Haunted and it basically would be a reiteration of all that I've said in my previous post on it (which would make for very dull reading). These aren't the only albums I'e listened to this week - just the new ones I've enjoyed the most

So - the first album I listened to this week was Settle, the hotly anticipated debut offering from Disclosure. Disclosure are receiving a lot of hype here in the UK. They were actually playing a club here in Belfast yesterday or the night before. I had only heard one song of theirs, but I had really liked it. Not to mention that they collaborate with two of my favourite current artists: Jessie Ware and Ed McFarlene (Friendly Fires). Not to mention that they also have collaborated with Alunageorge (who's debut album I'm eager to hear). I have to say I really like their style of soulful house! And at the risk of sounding controversial - I prefer it to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. I think its because Settle is more of what I was hoping Random Acess Memories would be like. Nevertheless, definitely an album I will be purchasing!

 So, another album I've (finally) heard that's newly released is Yeah Yeah Yeah's fourth album, Mosquitos which came out in April (on my birthday actually). I've tried to listen to this album about three times and every time I've made it roughly halfway through before being interrupted. This week, I finally listened to the whole thing! I have to say I really liked it, particularly Under The Earth, Subway, Buried Alive, Mosquito and Sacrilege. Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a band I've been meaning to listen to for a while, and they've impressed me with Mosquito! I've definitely got an increased urge to listen to their previous three studio albums now, I just hope they match up to the quality of Mosquito!




Now a trip back in time for this one, I've started listening to the back catalogue of Nine Inch Nails. Only one place to start, with the debut album. So far this is the only album I've heard in full. I did start listening to Downward Spiral earlier on but I only got three or four tracks into it before having to do something - Sundays can be a bit of a busy day for me. Anyhow this was an album I really liked - sadly the opening tracks of Downward Spiral didn't hit me quite as much. I've got a feeling Nine Inch Nails will be a slow burner for me, but we shall see. Anyhow, I liked all the songs on this album, particularly Ringfinger. I'm still very much deciding whether to go or not to their upcoming Belfast show... as I know so little about their music at the moment it's very much undecided and could go either way to be perfectly honest.

So another week is over, time flies eh? I've no doubt this coming week is going to be another busy one on the blog: my new purchases are due anyday now (most likely Tuesday) and I've no shortage of music related material to discuss anyway, so thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Sunday, 5 May 2013

Sound of The Week: Stiff Little Fingers - Alternative Ulster

Sunday (and the week) is nearly coming to an end here in the UK. I've been busy today finishing Prison Break (I felt Final Break was just needless) and starting The Walking Dead. Today has gone in so fast I very nearly missed my first post in a new little series for the blog: The Sound Of The Week. It's basically me highlighting a track that's been getting frequently aired this week by myself.  So, this is the track that's been getting the most plays from me this week. I've got to admit - I was tempted to post Some Kinda Love by The Velvet Underground. Alias, I went for Stiff Little Fingers.  I've known this track for around a year and I hold it in very high regard. In my view it's one of the best songs (from one of the best artists) to come out of Northern Ireland. Not only that but one of the best punk songs (and bands) also. The Clash will always be my favourite punk band, but Stiff Little Fingers aren't far behind them for me. I know I am biased given that I live in Ulster so there's obviously a local connection at play here, but I do honestly feel Alternative Ulster is better than anything Sex Pistols ever recorded. It was a song written about very real issues. It was written about life in 70's Belfast. A place that was very dark indeed. I wasn't alive then, but based on what I've seen of it in retrospective footage etc I'm glad I missed out on those days. Dark, paranoid and desolete seem to be three words that sum it up aptly. Many of Stiff Little Finger's songs were essentially about how the young people of the time were disenchanted living in such a negative place. I still think it holds a lot of relevance today even. Obviously not to the same degree, but elements of the lyrics still ring true for me. Belfast has moved on so much since the 1970s (long may it continue in that vein) but its still got a long way to go. I was born in 1994 and believe me - I get fed up living here sometimes. For me though Alternative Ulster I find more inspiring than anything. It's motivational, and makes me want to contribute to the postitive growth of my city. The music is also rousing: I just love the chug chug sound of the guitars nearing the song's outro. I've been listening to the song a lot lately because at this moment in time I'm trying to think of ways I can make my future job (hopefully) of music journalism benefit Belfast as a whole. A brilliant song by a very underrated band.

The Runners Up
  • Madonna - Oh Father
  • The Velvet Underground - Some Kinda Love
  • Little Boots - Confusion
  • Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege
  • The Beatles - Love You To