BAT FOR LASHES WOZ ROBBED.

credit: amazing photoshop skillz by me.

the bitch is back?

whilst waiting for my jeans to finish in the tumble dryer, yesterday i fiiiiinally got round to listening to that new Britney track, 'Gimme More'. everyone seems to like it, and fair dos. it's not a good song, but it definitely belongs in your collection. probably alongside your secret stash of Rihanna and Girls Aloud. i'm waiting for some hot shit remixes!

find 'Gimme More' here. it's also streaming on Perez here, as if you didn't know.

speaking of remixes. check out Pixxxels (Dan from Sir Yes Sir's blog) for all your guilty pleasures made completely unguilty.

also! can someone pleeeeease dispel the rumour that it is Phil Collins inside the suit in this advert? i'm scared if it's actually him.

extra extra, read all about it

Headlines are a five piece from Manchester. i first came across them at D Percussion and was instantly hooked on their infectious brand of spiky guitar pop. think Assembly Now, Video Nasties and Awful Sparks and you kind of have an idea.

they got together three years ago after parting ways from two other bands. they came together under the name 'The Headlines' and just recently changed that to 'Headlines' when "it was written on a ticket by mistake once and we thought it looked shit hot!"

their next single, 'Takeover', is literally one of the most addictive songs i've heard all year. it's brilliant, and i can't get enough of it. they played yesterday as part of the New Islington Festival, however, due to some bad timing by moi, i managed to miss their set completely and was a bit gutted.

they really are fantastic, and well worth a listen. expect big things!

their inspiration?
"In terms of lyrics i [Duncan Wallis] just try to be as neurotic as possible so in that sense i'd say having a shit repetitve job for two years in an empty rural pub has brought alot of character to the songs so far."

their ambitions?
"At the moment i'd say we're all craving for a van (3 cars just isn't very Green of us!). But there's always that "lets write the next 'pet sounds' or 'marquee moon' for our generation" kind of bollocks swimming through our heads on the album side of things. But another ambition would be trying to hold off university as well, cos we cant be arsed."

what we can expect over the next 12 months?
"Definately more singles. We released our first single very early on and it took about a year for us to be happy with a second one. So this time i'd say alot more singles, with whacky b-sides! like adapting the a-side into 3/4 so its got more swing! And also, proper touring."



'Takeover' video, the forthcoming single, out September 17th.

the band are playing at 5th Avenue with Orphan Boy on September 18th and The Social in London on September 24th, as well as The Enterprise in London on the 26th.
hopefully i will be dancing away at both the London dates!

Headlines Myspace, where you can download 'A Long Process' for free.

LEEDS FEST 07. pt 2

SATURDAY

first i went to see Tim Minchin the comedian who wasn't that comedic. his jokes about Israel and Palestine kind of put a dampener on the lovely weather.

Blood Red Shoes - an amazing set from an amazing band. i love these guys so much. bring on a full album please please please!

i wanted to be at the front and nowhere else for Patrick Wolf (who, by the way, is NOT quitting music - yaaaaay) so i went down to the Carling Stage and hung around there for a good few hours.

1990s - i was quite impressed by the Scottish rockers. i wasn't expecting great things but they did well to deliver. definitely want to try and see them again some time.

Reverend And The Makers - what. is. this. band. even. about. absolute shite. i thought my ears were bleeding from all the yorkshire accent singing/talking at one point. band with a message? please fuck off. just because you can get lairy louts in awful shirts to jeer along with you doesn't make you 'man of the people'. do one (preferably off a hilltop).

Cajun Dance Party - a lovely set from the young'uns. topped off with balloons everywhere, CDP put on an energetic performance. the crowd wasn't as lively as i would have expected, despite me being possibly one of the oldest ones there.

Jack Penate - was suffering from a sore throat but still gave a valiant effort. it went down very well.

Patrick Wolf - now, i know absolutely everyone has been saying that he was the highlight of the weekend. it's pretty much because it's 100% true. minus him not playing 'Bloodbeat'. i was screaming like a fangirl and waving my arms outstretched for most of the set. but so was everyone else. the atmosphere was electric, and Patrick was witty and pretty and just completely brilliant. i loved him lots already but that performance has pushed me over the edge.

after this i walked past Razorshite with my fingers in my ears, skipped back to my tent and didn't go to sleep until 7pm on Sunday. nothing like a Wolf buzz to keep you up at night, haha.

SUNDAY

the first band i saw was Eagles Of Death Metal lolololol. there was no Josh Homme and that made things very disappointing as i really needed to fill my "sexy man who shouldn't be sexy but still is" quota for the day. i got bored and headed over to see Good Shoes.

Good Shoes - were on form, however i'd liked to have heard some new material or something to make their performance to stick out.

Metronomy - enjoyable for a Sunday morning. i can't help feeling they would have been better suited to a nighttime slot so i could have danced in the dark drunkenly. their music is music to be listened to in the dark.

Foals - not as impressive as i would have hoped!

then i went to bed.

and came back to see Battles who were rockinggggg. i loved every second of their performance and they turned what happened to be quite a dreary Sunday into something much better.

yaaay no more leeds fest blogs.

Battles - Tij (right click, save as!)
Patrick Wolf - A Boy Like Me (ditto)
Blood Red Shoes - Try Harder (ditto again)

if anyone's having any problems or got any complaints about me switching to hotlinkfiles, please let me know. because of this move i'm going to have to start deleting files after 7 days, so get them while they're hot! (if you want anything re-upped, or put on sendspace just drop me an email).

LEEDS FEST 07. pt 1

leeds festival 2007. in summary: more disappointing than 2006's fest, but a top weekend nonetheless.

i managed to avoid numerous bands i had really really wanted to see due to several reasons such as time clashes, the carling tent being moved FIFTY MILES AWAY (move it the fuck back!), not sleeping for 48 hours, and huge queues for the toilet/to get into the arena.
some of the bands i missed but wanted to see were: Interpol (i know, i know), Maximo Park, Arcade Fire, Sky Larkin (on both days!), Bombay Bicycle Club and Crystal Castles. bit rubbish when you think about it.

i am a walking disaster and managed to lose my ticket after i'd set my tent up but before i'd exchanged it for a wrist band. going out of my mind, i was distraught at missing the 'warm up' performances by several bands on Thursday put on by Dance To The Radio. luckily enough for me, one of my friends found a ticket a few hours later (not my ticket, so some other poor bastard went without) and i managed to catch the last song by Shut Your Eyes.. and the entire ¡Forward, Russia! set, which was, even though i have now seen them live 12 times, very impressive.

FRIDAY:

Late Of The Pier - kicking things off properly were the boys from Doninngton. they managed to blow away the cobwebs and slightly hungover feeling from the night before with their excellent electro pop. i've always heard mixed reports of LOTP's performances, however, having now seen them all of three times, i have not yet been disappointed.

Pull Tiger Tail - last time i saw them i wasn't impressed. this time i was killing time and still not that impressed.

I Was A Cub Scout - delectable! i loved this set.

Operator Please - absolute QUALITY. how they manage to be so good at such a young age is beyond me. it actually makes me feel really old. i am looking forward to seeing them again loads and loads and loads.

The Maccabees - good, but not any better. i'd have liked to hear new material perhaps.

Cold War Kids - one of my favourite performances of the entire weekend. gave me shivers up my spine with their haunting voices. massively enjoyed it. i've been wanting to see them for just over 18 months and that was not disappointing at all.


Gallows - i had to go and check out the madness that is Gallows. it was very mad. but enjoyable. maybe not if you don't know the songs but singing "MY NAME IS CASANOVA AND I'M BASICALLY A MAN" along with the other insane people in the tent was intense. if i could guarantee safety, i'd go and see them again in a smaller venue although they look set to get pretty big. although us northerners missed the onstage tattooing, we were treated to lead singer, Frank Carter deciding to climb the rigging holding the tent up and jump onto the crowd from a ridiculous height. ouch!

LCD Soundsystem - good, very good, BUT. not as good as Leeds 2005 (not even close), and the crowd was full to bursting with complete idiots going "OOH OOH" when it didn't even match the rhythm of the song.

Smashing Pumpkins - not really my thing to begin with, and it seemed like they weren't anyone's thing. there was a constant stream of people coming away from the stage, and at one point i could have managed to get along the barrier at the front. very disappointing as i expected to be blown away by such legends.

my friend's verdict on Smashing Pumpkins was: "i was born to see that performance, and it was shit! 18 years of anticipation and all for nothing". gutteddddd.

Late Of The Pier - Random Firl
Operator Please - Get What You Want
Gallows - Orchestra Of Wolves

pt. 2 coming!

i said oh oh leave us alone.

i can't believe in my M.I.A. post yesterday i forgot to mention my argument with a shitty DJ in Manchester's "legendary" 42 Second Street "indie" nightclub. first of all, i am rather argumentative with the average joe public when it comes to music. pour a few (okay, a lot of) vodka redbulls down me and i'm worse.

i asked the DJ, "do you have any M.I.A.?" and he replied by screwing up his annoying mainstream loving face and said "ugh, she's not indie". i think my jaw hit the floor at this point. i could have said 'you are a TWAT' or various other rude things but i didn't. instead i started rambling on about XL and how they are an independent label and therefore an 'indie' label and that M.I.A. is on XL and that therefore makes her an "indie" artist. does it not?
he just replied by saying "that's not what indie is. anyway i'll put some Pigeon Detectives on".

it made me so angry. plus, they didn't even know who Foals were. not going back there unless i'm completely skint. haha.

Blah Blah Blah - Death To The Indie Disco

it seems as if there's tons and tons of albums floating around right this minute that i haven't listened to. i have just had a copy of Harrisons' debut, 'No Fighting In The War Room' land on my computer desktop.

it starts off catchy, which is always a good thing. but there's a little something missing. although the two are different styles of bands, i am kind of hoping that Harrisons can fill the now empty Dead 60s shaped hole in my musical life. it's fast paced, it's northern, it's 'boys in bands', it's catchy, it's complete with 'gruff' vocals.

'Man Of The Hour' could be The Pigeon Detectives, but it isn't. so i won't make too many more lazy journalist statements.

i remember hearing 'Wishing Well' on the radio and literally falling over myself to go and buy it. even though it came out some two years ago (two years tomorrow to be exact), it's still as catchy and brilliant as ever. good move keeping that song on the album.

overall: hmm. worth a listen. it's a grower.

Harrisons - Man Of The Hour
Harrisons - Monday's Arms

also: OH MY GOSH. you know that Robyn song? yeah, the one that is eeeeeverywhere allllllll the time? well. i did amazingly to avoid listening to the thing the whole way through. that is until yesterday! i was minding my p's and q's (what does that even mean?) on myspace with the TV on in the background. and that song came on. now i am addicted to the last 1 minute and 33 seconds. ugh, i hope there's a cure.

Robyn - With Every Heartbeat

god this was long.

buy one song get one free.

M.I.A's second album 'Kala' hits the shops todaaaay. i've reviewed the album for High Voltage but it mysteriously has failed to materialise on the website. it's probably due to my complete foaming at the mouth enthusiasm about this album. here's the review and a couple of tracks.

Nobody can ever accuse M.I.A. of being unoriginal or uninspiring. With 'Kala', her second and forthcoming album, she takes music to new levels and combines sounds that wouldn't work so well if it was anyone else.
Opening song ‘Bamboo Banga’ is incredibly infectious and sets the tone for the remaining tracks with heavy dancehall beats and the quick and clever poetry turned lyrics from the offset.
‘Jimmy’ is a slice of Bollywood turned accessible to the rest of the world. ‘Hussel’ featuring Afrikan Boy is almost unbearably catchy with its simple rhymes, “ooh”s, “ahh”s and electro infused beats whilst telling the politicised story of people from Africa to India to London.
There’s a dark undertone to this album that, although simmering beneath the surface, is all too poignant to miss. M.I.A.’s first hand experiences of poverty, politics and the streets are never far from her lyrics, providing a realistic, modern and hard hitting insight into the things she sees happening in this world.
‘Paper Planes’ is the highlight of the album. Bringing together the sound of gunshots, children’s singing and the sound of money being registered into a till makes for haunting work. Rapping over a fluffy melody, this track is the fun side of serious yet nothing short of powerful.
Despite sounding nothing like 'Arular' this album is M.I.A. all over, even with other artists such as Timbaland featuring on tracks. An extremely impressive second album from the Sri Lankan who has deservedly come such a long way from recording tapes in her bedroom. M.I.A. certainly is coming back with power.

4 out of 5

M.I.A. - Hussel (Featuring Afrikan Boy) [my favourite song this entire month!]
M.I.A. - World Town

BUY the album!

eeee eee eeeee!

i've just got my hands on Let's Stay Friends and would be jumping around with excitement if it wasn't for the slightly dodgy feeling i still have in my stomach from the other night. there's a review of the album on Turn The Page.
i bought my ticket to see Les Savy Fav at the Scala the other day and i'm actually scared that i will pee myself with anticipation when October 22nd comes around. i just hope i don't do it at the gig, that's never a good look and especially not when you're on your own in a crowd.

Les Savy Fav - Raging In The Plague Age (from 'Let's Stay Friends', due out 18th September in the US and October 1st in the UK).

in other news! my friend is at Greenman Festival and sent me a text message saying "it has rained all day, Joanna Newsom was great and showed more than a bit of leg" which is a bit cryptic and creepy at the same time. all this talk of festivals is getting me hyped up for the Carling Weekend. and has reminded me that my tent requires some duct tape action.

in other other news! Dan from Dirty Hands has started a music blog. it's called Shattered Satellite and is already shaping up to be ace so go and check it out. there's a Modernaire on Dirty Hands remix up for grabs too and it sounds amaaaaazing.

result!

well well well, i got into Roehampton University. and have come to accept the fact that i am absolutely appauling at losing. i got a B in psychology, C in english language and a big fat hairy D in politics. am i gutted? yes and no. yes because a D is a D is a D. no because i beat my dad (he got BDD for his A levels) and i got into my first choice university.
this whole exam-result-exam-result process has been awful. thank god it's over!

Elle Milano - Swearing's For Art Students

"what are economics, the constraints of social politics? it's not for me honey..."

also, you will see a big vote for me! button on the right hand side of this page for the BT awards. please do! also, don't forget to vote for other very deserving, well written and entertaining blogs.

oh dear oh dear..!

so The Dead 60s forthcoming album has leaked. ALREADY. it's due out for release in January. it's a bit sad for the band but i suspect it'll be brought forward and released on download much earlier.

it's titled 'Time To Take Sides' and i have definitely chosen a side.

the album is wank. end of story. incredibly disappointing seeing as they were a treat to see live, and their previous material has been good. a great shame! i feel quite sad about it really. they've had so long to work on it and make it brilliant but everything has gone down tempo and there's none of the haunting punk/ska vibe left. there's one passable track and one good one:

The Dead 60s - Liar (passable)
The Dead 60s - Seven Empty Days (good)

to cheer myself up i will be listening to phenomenal amounts of Dirty Projectors and their forthcoming album 'Rise Above' which is the best thing i have heard all year. fact.
this band are probably an acquired taste but a taste well worth getting at. they are currently touring with YACHT and Vampire Weekend to give you a brief indication of their amazingness! try them and see.

Dirty Projectors - Depression
Dirty Projectors - Jolly Jolly Jolly Ego

speaking of all things dirty, Dirty Hands have a new track up on their myspace called 'Desire Desire Desire' so go check it out. don't forget the single, 'Get On Your Bike Charlie', is out on 7" at the beginning of September.

oh, and keep nominating!