Hosanna!: The YEAH YEAH YEAHS Save Christmas!!!

“This is for the people we love…”

At the eleventh hour, when I thought this was going to be a sad Christmas bereft of even a single decent Xmas tune, Two Kings & One Queen have come from afar (New York City) bearing a gift of great joy for all man kind!

It’s called ‘All I Want For Christmas!’ and it’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ new completely-free gift-tastic Xmas song.  It’s a sparkly, warming, winter delight complete with sleigh bells, handclaps, Karen O singing like an angel and a superb Nick Zinner solo.  All you have to do to get this song is give the Yeah Yeah Yeahs your contact details (Not too much to ask).

Click this link to download ‘All I Want For Christmas!’.

Now that I’m all in the Christmas spirit, here’s a few seasonal treats…

The ending from ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’:

A Santa slaying episode of Judge Dredd (Zip file).

The hilarious Blackadder’s Christmas Carol:

One of my favourite Xmas songs ever:

The Flaming Lips – A Change At Christmas (Say It Isn’t So) mp3

And lastly here’s Adam Sandler’s celebratory Chanukah song for anyone who’s feeling left out:

Adam Sandler – The Chanukah Song (Live) mp3

THE REAL TUESDAY WELD – Last Words (Video)

I had to post the new video for The Real Tuesday Weld’s song ‘Last Words’.  It’s a powerful and beautiful clip that works wonderfully with the song:

Click here to buy the deluxe version of their latest album ‘The London Book Of The Dead’.

Click here to download the video in the .mov format (So you’ve got a copy to keep).

The Real Tuesday Weld MySpace

GET CAPE. WEAR CAPE. FLY. – The Bigger Picture mp3

“A higher purpose gives an easy way, to wash away the guilt and numb the pain” 

I just got the new single from Sam Duckworth (The album’s on it’s way in the post). I’m a bit unsure about the A-side ‘Find The Time’ since it goes a bit Beatles-pastiche in the middle. However, the B-sides are great including a big Coldplay-ish song called ‘All Falls Down’ and a fine cover of Jimmy Eat World’s ‘Praise Chorus’. But the best of them is a stark acoustic song called ‘The Bigger Picture’ directed like a personal letter to the Christian architects of the “War On Terror” questioning how their faith could lead them to such actions.

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. – The Bigger Picture mp3

Hopefully the album will be as good as the free taster track ‘Waiting For The Monster To Drown’.

Click here to buy the album.

… and click here to get the free sampler track (DRM Free!).

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. YouTube Channel

Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Website / Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. MySpace

NICK CAVE & THE BADSEEDS – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (CD Single)

Mute CDMUTE377: 18th February 2008

“He ended up like so many of them do, back on the streets of New York City,
in a soup queue, a dopefiend, a slave, then prison, then the madhouse, then the grave”

Sometimes I love Nick Cave’s angelic side and sometimes I dislike the devil in his more acidic recordings. New single ‘Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!’ manages to be everything that’s great about Nick Cave. A murderous lyric, violent Blues and a spoken word vocal reminiscent of ‘The Gift’. ‘The Gift’ is a great song but you couldn’t imagine it being played on the radio, where as ‘Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!’ could be Cave’s biggest hit.

The video for ‘Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!’ is thrilling, while still looking cheap as chips. B-side ‘Accidents Will Happen’ is damn good too, making this a fine package to spend your coppers on.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Video) on YouTube

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Accidents Will Happen mp3

Nick Cave MySpace

WOJTEK GODZISZ – The Moon & The Yew Tree (7″ Single)

Tigertrap Records GRRR15: 22nd October 2007
1. The Moon & The Yew Tree
“Down we go, into the fog below, yeah down we go, so keep your head down low”
2. Time Of The Wolf
“I feel that we can be, what we should be, there’s more to you and me”

‘The Moon & The Yew Tree’ is an eccentric shanty with all the muscular force of Elbow combined with the aggression of The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. ‘Time Of The Wolf’ is like Foo Fighters exploring their Psychedelic side. This is a single for those that like their Folk with added violence or those who like their Metal to sound that extra bit weird.

Click here to buy ‘The Moon & The Yew Tree’ from HMV.

Wojtek Godzisz – Light Over Dark Earth mp3
Wojtek Godzisz – December Will Be Magic Again mp3
Wojtek Godzisz – A Rush & A Push & The Land Is Ours mp3 (Smiths cover)

Click here to watch the wonderfully bizarre video for ‘The Moon & The Yew Tree’ on YouTube.

Wojtek Godzisz MySpace / Tigertrap Website

AL FINGERS – What’s Going On / War (7″ Single)

Al Fingers SF001: 22nd October 2007
1. Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (Truth & Rights Remix)
“Father, father, we don’t need to escalate, you see, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate, you know we’ve got to find a way, to bring some lovin’ here today”
2. Edwin Starr – War (The Buzz Remix)
“War I despise, ‘cos it means destruction of innocent lives, war means tears to thousands of mother’s eyes, when their sons gone to fight and lose their lives”

‘What’s Going On (Truth & Rights Remix)’ is a clever mashup of the vocal from Marvin Gaye’s eternal Soul anthem ‘What’s Going On’ and the melodic Reggae music from Johnny Osbourne’s ‘Truth & Rights’.  It’s a blend so inspired and seamless that I even started imaging Marvin’s voice had had a Jamaican accent all along.  It’s not dissimilar to ‘Police & Thieves’ and perhaps even better than Marvin’s original, which is some achievement!  ‘War (The Buzz Remix)’ isn’t better than the original or as good as the A-side but it’s still a damn fine bootleg.  Edwin Starr’s muscular vocals are laid over a funky instrumental called ‘The Buzz’ (From a compilation of the same name).

Click here to buy the 7″ from Juno Records.

Here are the ingredients of this delicious recipe:

Johnny Osbourne – Truth & Rights mp3
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On mp3
Troy Rami – The Buzz mp3
Edwin Starr – War mp3

Click here to buy the ‘What’s Going On’ album from HMV for the criminal price of £3.99.

Click here to buy this great Edwin Starr double CD (Featuring ‘War’) from HMV.

Click here to watch a truly spellbinding performance of ‘What’s Going On’ via YouTube.

Click here to watch a video of Edwin Starr’s ‘War’ on YouTube.

While you’re at it, check out this superb mashup video featuring Edwin Starr.

Al Fingers MySpace

THE INDELICATES – Sixteen (CD Single)

Weekender Records WEEK0046: 15th October 2007
1. Sixteen
“Drop ace drum ‘n’ bass feat Hitler and Chairman Mao, if we don’t do it now then someone else will, it’ll be so funny, it’s the power not the money”
2. The Sequel To Peter Pan & Wendy
“The ghosts scream at the sound, as your body hit the ground”
3. Fun Is For The Feeble Minded
“You can’t have the sixties, without the war, you can’t have the rose, without the thorn”

A different version of ‘Sixteen’ first appeared as a B-side on March’s ‘The Last Significant Statement To Be Made In Rock ‘n’ Roll’ EP. I described it as “Sparkling Pop” and an “Assault against cynical bands who aim their music at the lucrative teen market”. It’s a song addressed to every act that ever pandered to “Disaffected” youth, exploited a teenage trend or filled their videos with American kids (Despite being in their thirties and from Pontypridd). ‘The Sequel To Peter Pan & Wendy’ has a similar sound to the ‘The Last Significant Statement To Be Made In Rock ‘n’ Roll’ single with added delicate Piano. ‘Fun Is For The Feeble Minded’ is an angelic ballad about our tendency to rose-tint the past and the Spanish-Guitar style solo is gorgeous. The Indelicates are steadily amassing an essential discography, and I can’t wait for the album (Or failing that another brilliant single).

Click here to buy Indelicates records from HMV.

The Indelicates – Fun Is For The Feeble Minded (Demo) mp3
The Indelicates – Vladimir (Demo) mp3
The Indelicates – New Art For The People (Demo) mp3
The Indelicates – Waiting For Pete Doherty To Die (Demo) mp3

Click here to download a whole albums worth of alternate versions of ‘Sixteen’ (They did the same for last single ‘Julia, We Don’t Live In The ’60s’)

Click here to watch the video for ‘Sixteen’ on YouTube (Or click here to watch the making of).

The Indelicates Website / The Indelicates MySpace

RICHARD HAWLEY – Serious (2x CD Singles)

Mute CDMUTE385/LCDMUTE385: 15th October 2007
1. Serious
“There’s a kindness in her eyes, there’s no darkness and disguise”
2. Poor Boy
“Ain’t got a crust, ain’t got a cent, can’t buy a jug, cant pay the rent, I got a heart full of dreams and a lot of memories, and that’s enough for me”
3. Water Boy
“Water boy, water boy, can’t you hear me calling, you’ve been down by the river, can’t you hear me calling”
4. Let It Come Slowly Towards You
“Instrumental”

I’ve been a little disappointed with Richard Hawley’s new album because the production is often overblown and syrupy (Something he’s come dangerously close to in the past). Thankfully ‘Serious’ is a relatively minimal recording with an echoey Rock-a-billy sound enhancing a simple, catchy tune. ‘Poor Boy’ is a cover on an Elvis Presley song which sounds hideously cheesy, complete with fiddles and spoons (If Richard is taking the piss, then it’s quite funny). Traditional folk song ‘Water Boy’ is the polar opposite, like a slow funeral march, it’s sumptuously melancholy and totally intoxicating. Last up is a tranquil desert-island-castaway instrumental called ‘Let It Come Slowly Towards You’ (Almost a companion song to another B-side called ‘Kelham Island’).

Click here to buy Richard Hawley albums from HMV.

Richard Hawley – Kelham Island mp3 (Old jaw-dropping B-side)
Richard Hawley – Vickers Road mp3 (New jaw-dropping B-side)

Click here to watch the side-splitting video for ‘Serious’ on YouTube.

Richard Hawley Website / Richard Hawley MySpace

DAVID E. SUGAR – Chelsea Girls (12″ Single)

Brikabrak BRK008: 15th October 2007
1. Chelsea Girls
“Did you know that guy, the one covering both his eyes, well yer I knew him too, plastic folders hiding the truth”
2. I Still Like Your Clothes
“Even though you screw up, I still like your clothes, I like your look”

I saw David E. Sugar supporting Example a while back and I was totally blown away by his songs which sounded like classic hits on the first listen. His band was such a tight Funk unit, particularly his feather-in-hat wearing Bass player who cranked out solid Bass-lines one after another. Now when it comes to hearing him on record I have to confess to a twinge of disappointment. ‘Chelsea Girls’ is fantastic in an LCD Soundsystem/Chromeo way but it sounds like a soulful song hemmed in and constrained by affected, monochromatic Electronica.

‘I Still Like Your Clothes’ is much more like it, featuring a dirty Bass line purloined from Deep Purple that’ll make you screw your face up, move your body and play air Bass. It’s six minutes of bliss, complete with a woozy Acapella bit and David’s electrifying squeals of “Ooo!”. Your gonna love this record, but go see him live and hear what David E. Sugar is really capable of.

Click here to buy the 12″ from Rough Trade, click here to download ‘Chelsea Girls’ from 7Digital or click here to download the ‘Coin Op Rocker’ EP from Tunetribe.

Click here to watch the ingenious video for ‘Chelsea Girls’ on YouTube.

David E. Sugar MySpace

ABDOMINAL – Abdominal Workout (12″ EP)

Antidote ANTTW1023: 1st October 2007
1. Abdominal Workout (Original / Instrumental / Acapella / Natural Self Remix / Natural Self Remix Instrumental)
“Well they say that ya never get a second chance to make that first impression, if that’s the case man, come on just give me you’re unadulterated attention”
2. Satan Music
“Circle Research, made the beat first, promptin’ these words, to fall like trees burn”

I’ve been listening to ‘Abdominal Workout’ on a constant loop since I first encountered the considerable talents of Abdominal five months ago, so it’s nice to see it get the single release it deserves. It’s one of those tracks where a rapper proclaims his superiority to the competition. They only really work if the skills of the performer justify the bragging, which of course in Abdominal’s case they do. The ‘Natural Self Remix’ has a live-funk-band sound and the production is warmer than the minimal Funk of the original. The EP is expanded with the inclusion of instrumentals of both versions of ‘Abdominal Workout’. Last up on the record is the down and dirty groove of exclusive new track ‘Satan Music’, which is every bit as good as the A-side (Plus it’s got an hilarious Darth Vader wank gag!).

Click here to buy Abdominal’s ‘Escape From The Pigeon Hole’ album from HMV.

DJ Format (Feat. Abdominal) – Vicious Battle Raps mp3

You can buy the 12″ from Phonica Records by clicking here or download the EP from TuneTribe by clicking here.

Click here to watch the wonderful ‘Abdominal Workout’ Video.

Abdominal MySpace