Weekly Last FM Chart
In between watching Wallace & Gromit, gorging on ten pounds of Turkey and quaffing flagons of alcohol over Christmas, I’ve still managed to find ten exciting sounds for your delectation (By the way, Stop Me’s world-famous (Possibly???) ‘Top 100 Tracks Of The Year’ coming soon!):
‘Slipping Away’ is the latest single in a long line of jangly scouse Guitar-Music going back to The Las. Like that Lee Mavers band, The Aeroplanes proffer up Pop of the most irresistibly sunshine soaked variety.
Portugal’s Buraka Som Sistema have not only managed to get a guest vocal from M.I.A. on their LP but they’ve got Kano to add some distinctive rhymes to their sensational cut ‘Skank & Move’. Burbling Bass and twitchy Beats combine make a high energy cushion for Kano’s laid back lyrics.
Last week I had a track from Jape but seven days later I’m back with a mind-bendingly awesome Remix from the man. Cap Pas Cap’s ‘We Are Men’ gets shoved in a blender, beaten to a pulp, shuffled, cut up and then polished into one of the remixes of the year.
Dead Kids’ ‘Arm’ is the sound of Mark E. Smith guesting on a Tubeway Army record. Then suddenly it changes halfway through and it’s like Mark E. Smith singing on a Kraftwerk track.
If you liked the rubberised beats of that D-Frost Beats cut I had up a few weeks back then you’re gonna like this new track from Mangrove. ‘Mental Metronome’ is all bouncy Bass and sounds of clattering metal and shattering glass.
Mick Boogie’s new ‘Adele88’ Mixtape is the sound of Adele’s hit LP Remixed in a late Eighties Rap stylee. Potentially awful (Like these kind of projects usually are) but in-fact brilliant from start to finish. The standout cut has to be ‘Chasing 1988: The Intro’ which is (You’ve guessed it) a reworking of ‘Chasing Pavements’ with guest rhymes from 6th Sense that could be off any classic Hip-Hop album of the period. Oh yeah, it’s totally free too, if you click here.
I could’ve chosen any track from Moodymann’s new ‘Det.Riot 1967’ EP but after much indecision I plumed for ‘Heaven’. It’s like Andre 3000 on the vocals, Santana on the Guitar and Portishead providing an atmospheric soundscape… drooling yet?
Mooqee Vs Beatvandals bring some vibrant Motown-ish Hip-Hop called ‘Back Up’. Complete with “Say Ho!” samples, it’s guaranteed to get you movin’.
MoO’s Remix of ‘Vortex Cookies’ has to be the best track from Robot Koch Vs Cerebral Vortex’s new EP of the same name. It’s packed with superb rhymes and inventive beats.
The Puppini Sisters’ clever 30’s Jazz style cover of Beyoncé Knowle’s ‘Crazy In Love’ gets even better thanks to The Real Tuesday Weld’s new Remix. They manage to seamlessly blend ‘Crazy In Love’ with music inspired by Irving Berlin’s ‘Puttin’ On The Ritz’.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE TEN TRACKS IN A ZIP FILE.
Buraka Som Sistema MySpace / Purchase
Cap Pas Cap MySpace / Purchase
Dead Kids MySpace / Purchase
Mangrove MySpace / Purchase
Mick Boogie MySpace / Purchase
Moodymann MySpace / Purchase
Beatvandals MySpace / Purchase
Robot Koch MySpace / Purchase
The Aeroplanes MySpace / Purchase
The Puppini Sisters MySpace / Purchase
Here is the ever-so-slightly creepy animated video for Cap Pas Cap’s ‘We Are Men’:
First up is a track from Amazing Baby’s free-to-download ‘Infinite Fucking Cross’ EP. ‘Supreme Being’ is a lethargically wasted epic bringing to mind Spiritualized moving in a new Psychedelic Prog direction.
If all you’ve heard of ‘Bruises’ is the catchy 30 seconds used in one of the latest iPod adverts, then you’re missing out. Chairlift deliver shimmering Guitars, wounded Victoria Bergsman style vocals and a keyboard bit that could break even the hardest of hearts.
Emmy The Great’s ‘We Almost Had A Baby’ is all sweetnes and light on it’s Pop-Folk surface but beneath are her lyrics recounting the demise of a relationship.
Franz Ferdinand are back in the new-year after what seems like an absence of several centuries (In fact more like three years). You can listen to the new album on their MySpace page in a cool record-box-diggin’ player. ‘Ulysses’ sounds like classic Franz and I love the way Alex whispers the line “Last night was wild!”.
The Glimmers’ cover of Olivia Newton-John’s ‘Let’s Get Physical’ is from a new album that features nothing but recordings of said song. They turn it into a minimal Hot Chip style Funk workout.
‘Asleep On A Sixpence’ is from Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan new EP ‘Keep Me In Mind Sweetheart’ (Comprised of outtakes from their last album). Naturally their voices are gorgeous and the beautiful closing Piano rendition of ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks’ makes it a wonderful listen at this time of year.
‘Phil Lynott’ isn’t quite a tribute to Thin Lizzy’s Phil Lynott, it’s more about the way music can take you back to a place and time. Jape keeps the acoustic production sparse to give his lyrics room to breath.
Next up is Of Montreal’s cover of M.I.A’s ‘Jimmy’ which itself was a reworking of ‘Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja’ by Parvati Khan. They smooth out M.I.A’s technicolour beats and disco strings for a sprightly Indie take on the song that showcases her lyrics.
Parov Stelar takes Piano-Jazz out on to the dance floor with his track ‘Blind Alley’. Guest performers Sax Max and Lylit provide brilliant Saxophone and vocal work.
‘Dumb Terminal’ is a schizophrenic collision of Indie, Jazz, Electronica, Pop, Folk and any other genre you can think off. Odd doesn’t even start to describe this track from Simon Bookish.
Cee-Lo contributes more than just his soulful vocals to Chicago rapper Common’s ‘Make My Day’ as he also brings in some Gnarls Barkley style Pop sunshine. If only Gnarls Barkley had had a tune this good on their second album.
The Dodos bring a bit of Banjo picking Folk introspection on ‘Walking’. It’s the opener to their new ‘Visiter’ LP which I’d recommend to any Magnetic Fields fan (i.e. any sane people).
‘Oh My Gosh’ sounds like a track by the street urchin offspring of The Specials. Man Like Me combines arcade-machine Electronics with funny lyrics.
Each single that Milk Kan releases is an event and another song to add to my list of favourite tunes ever. His long anticipated LP isn’t far off and ‘God With An Ipod’ is one more reason to get excited about it. It’s got funky Brass, Breaks and namedropping lyrics to rival Scroob and James Murphy.
On Mr Ozio’s ‘Two It Takes’ a crowd-pleasing sample of Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock’s hit single to stunning effect. Add on Disco strings and Carmen Castro’s thrilling rhymes and you’ve got a new classic.
Plugs’ ‘Imaginary Friend’ is part pulsing Electronica and part delicate swirling symphony. The music-box interlude in the middle is simply gorgeous.
‘Rock The Joint’ is Dance meets Country without thankfully sounding the least bit like ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’. Wild Rumpus create a Psychedelic Hoe-Down backing for Beardyman’s grizzled cowboy rantings.
Liverpool Funk group 6ix Toys have got in the vocal talents of Yarah Bravo on their track ‘Wanna Ride’. I love the seductive way she purrs the line “Come on over here and talk to me a little longer”. Add on burning Guitars, slinky Bass lines and smouldering Sax and you’ve got a potent brew.
The music on ‘Runaway Pram’ is like a cracked Lo-Fi Indie Bond theme, while David Cronenbergs Wife’s vocalist Tom Mayne delivers some superb sneary lyrics.
Lastly, Sweden’s Cornelia delivers a track called ‘Coming Home’ with an ghostly Electronica sound-scape to match Björk with an angelic vocal to match Kate Bush. Pools of echoing silence seem to surround every beat and word to create a deep dark mysterious cavern of noise.
Here are ten more new sounds to cast out that chilly weather from your heart:
‘Ghost Feeder’ is the sound of Keith Moon grabbing a couple of wooden spoons and going wild in the bake-ware aisle at Tescos. Add on some burbling sub-sonic Bass and you’ve got an enthralling instrumental from Arcadion.
Brakes have just made a track from their forthcoming 2009 album available. If it’s anything to go by, they’ve eschewed the quirky Country influenced Pop-Rock of previous records in favour of pursuing the Epic take on The Velvet Underground favoured by Jason Pierce. ‘Crystal Tunings’ is Cathedral like in it’s scale, beauty and majesty.
‘Dixiefied’ is a thrilling Rock-a-Billy stomper from the brilliantly named band, The Fabulous Penetrators. If you loved Soledad Brothers (The Fabulous Penetrators are actually on the same Stag-O-Lee label as Johnny Walker’s new band) then this lip twitching Rock ‘n’ Roll beast is sure to satisfy. Don’t forget to buy their new “Double B-side” single ‘The Hump / Oh My Soul’.
I guarantee that ‘Civilisation’ will remind you of The Fall (No bad thing) with it’s brooding Blues and spoken-word rantings. Joe Gideon & The Shark have reams of other songs just a good, so check them out.
The seven-minute acoustic protest song ‘Preaching Revolution’ forms the second side of Julian Cope’s new 7″ EP. It’s a song quietly seething with anger but still chocked full of wry humour. Coming hot on the heels of his acclaimed ‘Black Sheep’ album he’s clearly got fantastic songs rushing out of his head at the moment.
‘Boots Of Spanish Leather’ is a cover of a track from Bob Dylan’s 1964 album ‘The Times They Are A-Changin”. Justin Jones’ velvety voice and the echoey production make it sound like he’s playing directly in your head.
‘Wah Wah Wah’ is from Marc Hype & Jim Dunloop’s ‘Point Blank’ EP. It’s Jazz, it’s Dance, it’s Funk, it’s Hip-Hop… it’s bloody good!
I love Mister Modo’s brilliant track ‘Girl Scouts Cookie’ mainly due to the exquisitely beautiful Spanish-Guitar sample. If anybody knows what it’s from, let me know.
‘Half Full Glass Of Wine’ has that rough hewn Psychedelic Garage-Rock vibe. Tame Impala could’ve slipped this onto a Cream rarities Compilation and nobody would’ve noticed.
The Welcome Wagon is the latest project from the ludicrously talented Sufjan Stevens (He’s in the producer’s chair). ‘Sold! To The Nice Rich Man’ is not unlike his usual brew of magical folk, warm Country and finely crafted lyrics.
Here’s a new Compilation/MixCD I made based solely on the theme of spoken word music. I call it ‘The Art Of The Spoken Word’ and it actually features some of my all-time favourite tracks. Like Luxembourg’s ‘Making Progress’, The White Stripes’ ‘Hand Springs’ (Possibly my number one favourite track!), Ironweed’s ‘Down To My Grave (Audio Suspects Remix)’ and Dexys Midnight Runners’ ‘Reminisce (Part Two)’.
Stop Me If You Think You\'ve Heard This One Before 