Remember The XX? Yea you do. You were crapping your pants all over them two years ago, how dare you forget. The instrumental introduction to their Mercury Prize winning debut self titled record was a fantastic bit of music that seemingly declared ‘you are about to listen to a great album’. The bit of music has been used as intro for many fascinating things since it’s been released, including this especially effective introduction to the amazing reality series about the Penguins/Capitals on HBO called 24/7, watch this:
Now having listened to that, did you ever think .. man, I wished that version was slightly longer?
If you ever did that, then today you are king, for your wish has been granted.
Kenny Burke’s remix of “Intro” is an eight minute slow burning remake of the XX intro, and it’s slick and smooth. Check it out.
For the second time in ten years, Welsh rock band (and person fave) Manic Street Preachers will be releasing a best of/singles compilation. Obviously, this time around, the compilation will also consist of tracks from the four albums they have released since their last compilation Forever Delayed.
National Treasures will be released on October 31st aka Halloween and will contain a new track – This is the Day, a cover of a song by the band The The. Given The Manic’s penchant for playing covers, this should come as no surprise. The video for this song is quite amazing if you are a Manics fan as it contains many archival footage that spanned the groups career, including yes, footage of long lost member Richey Edwards, who some die-hards still believe is happily working away as a cashier at a Sainsbury in some small Welsh village.
The video makes me feel old, as the realization that I’ve been following some of my favorite bands for almost twenty years now. Watch as James Dean Bradfield go from skinny, sharp jawed military wearing anarchist to slightly chubby, happy with himself rock star. You’ll get what I mean.
Here is the track listing
Motown Junk, (Heavenly) 1990
Stay Beautiful, Generation Terrorists 1991
Love’s Sweet Exile, Generation Terrorists 1991
You Love Us, Generation Terrorists 1992
Slash ‘N’ Burn, Generation Terrorists 1992
Motorcycle Emptiness, Generation Terrorists 1992
Suicide Is Painless, Theme From M*A*S*H 1992
Little Baby Nothing, Generation Terrorists 1992
From Despair To Where, Gold Against The Soul 1993
La Tristesse Durera (Scream To A Sigh), Gold Against The Soul 1993
Roses In The Hospital, Gold Against The Soul 1993
Life Becoming A Landslide, Gold Against The Soul 1993
Faster, The Holy Bible 1994
Revol, The Holy Bible 1994
She Is Suffering, The Holy Bible 1994
A Design For Life, Everything Must Go 1996
Everything Must Go, Everything Must Go 1996
Kevin Carter, Everything Must Go 1996
Australia,Everything Must Go 1996
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
The Everlasting, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
You Stole The Sun From My Heart, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
Tsunami, This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours 1998
The Masses Against The Classes 2000
So Why So Sad, Know Your Enemy 2001
Found That Soul, Know Your Enemy 2001
Ocean Spray, Know Your Enemy 2001
Let Robeson Sing, Know Your Enemy 2001
There By The Grace Of God, Forever Delayed 2002
The Love Of Richard Nixon, Lifeblood 2004
Empty Souls, Lifeblood 2004
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough, Send Away The Tigers 2007
Autumnsong, Send Away The Tigers 2007
Indian Summer, Send Away The Tigers 2007
(It’s Not War) Just The End Of Love, Postcards From A Young Man 2010
Some Kind Of Nothingness, Postcards From A Young Man 2010
Postcards From A Young Man, Postcards From A Young Man 2010
This is the Day, National Treasures 2011
Toronto – It took me awhile to get used to Ladytron‘s new album Gravity the Seducer – the slower, darker more methodically paced sound of the album was not what I was used to expect from the group. However, once I warmed up to it and started giving it a closer listen, I was still able to identify the parts of Ladytron I have come to love. The vocal interplay of Helen Marnie and Mira Aroyo, the semi cold-often detached feel of their synthesizer hooks and just the general industrial/technological feel of their songs all part of the quintessential Ladytron experience.
“White Elephant” is the first single off the album and is a good illustration of the bands new direction, check it out.
Here’s the video
Ladytron plays Toronto at The Phoenix on October 5
Always was surprisingly enough, my introduction to the UK electro pop band Erasure. What? you say, what about A Little Respect or Chains of Love or Sometimes? those tracks were chart topping dance floor popping doozies from the 80s. Well, my dear, I am a 90s child and Always was one of Erasure’s most popular tracks. I remember liking it in junior high and thinking ‘why am I liking this?’ because I typically listened to rap or grunge or Can rock (read: Moist/IME/OLP) at that time. Here’s why I liked it – it’s got an amazing hook, great harmonies and it’s great vocals by Andy Bell. The hook in this song is just magnificent – completely dramatic yet triumphant at the same time. How good is it, you ask? Two different people have made 8 bit/nintendo versions of the track. Check that out here
