THE HIT PARADE – The Return Of The Hit Parade (CD Album)

JSH Records JPEW002: 31st July 2006
1. Ode To A Footballer’s Wife
“You came to me like a new toy, gift wrapped and price tagged”
2. The Queen Of Mousehole
“And so at midnight when I’m shipwrecked, and I’m down here on my knees”
3. My Stupid Band
“Hey Stoker, what you want, to rock ‘n’ roll or to career”
4. Intermission
“Instrumental”
5. The New Woman
“Born again at the shooting party ball, with a man she thought was called Hugh, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall”
6. Lonely Girl
“Oh I love to see you standing in the rain, looking lost and like you’re advertising pain”
7. Born In St. Ives
“I just can’t wait, to see you, heaven’s here and there’s stars above you”
8. You’re Bloody Rubbish
“You’re bloody rubbish, and you don’t know what you’re good for, you’re not my girlfriend anymore”
9. Sugar
“I couldn’t wait up for the phone to ring, but Christmas never comes for the boy who stands there staring up the chimney”
10. Westbourne Terrace W2
“The fridge is empty and I haven’t got a plan, and I can’t fix you up like Coldplay can”
11. It’s A Dream
“I could take you away, I could make you a bet, and I’d win but I know that I’d, that I’d always regret”
12. You’re The Girl Who Always Gets Her Own Way
“How was it then, when you were young, when you were given the taste of ice cream, by your fantastic mum”

This album incorporates all the best moments of Pop and Rock like Thin Lizzy, The Ramones, The Beatles, The Sex Pistols and Belle & Sebastian into one snappy Indie package. Peculiarly English culture references abound such as place names, objects and persons. Lyrically, it’s like Billy Bragg sans politics and none more so than on ‘The New Woman’.

The best track is their last single ‘My Stupid Band’ with its finely balanced mix of frustration with and love for the same thing. But there are other potential Pop singles like the riff-tastic ‘Ode To A Footballer’s Wife’, ‘You’re Bloody Rubbish’ and ‘Westbourne Terrace W2’. The album is also stuffed with quieter treats like ‘Lonely Girl’, ‘Sugar’ and ‘It’s A Dream’. The loveliest moment is on the magical and wistful ‘Intermission’ instrumental.

Perhaps this isn’t the most groundbreaking album you’ll hear this year but it’ll sure be one of the most enjoyable. This is their sixth studio album, so if it’s anything to go by, I’ll be spending allot more time in the company of The Hit Parade.

The Hit Parade Website / The Hit Parade MySpace Page

LILY ALLEN – LDN Remix Competition / Promo CD

“You might laugh, you might frown, walkin’ round London town”

Lily Allen has just launched a Remix competition to win a pair of special shoes. You can download all the separate tracks that make up ‘LDN’ as a huge 262mb Zip file… for free! Then Lily will pick the best Remix, around mid-September time, so you’ll have to be quick.

Click here to get the Zip file.

If you pop onto Ebay you can get a new promo CD that has an exclusive Instrumental version of ‘LDN’. Stripped of Lily’s ear catching vocals you can explore the layered wonders of this track’s production. Calypso Guitars, triumphant Horns, summery acoustic Guitars, beautiful Piano and deft use of a Triangle all add up to one of this year’s finest Pop tunes.

Also here’s a link to watch the incredible second video for ‘LDN’ on YouTube. The “Punky Electronica, kind of Grime, kind of like New-Wave Grime but maybe like broken beats… etc” bit is a classic.

Lily Allen Website / Lily Allen MySpace