Category Archives: british

no wonder the armada lost…

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One of my goals (let’s not call it a resolution, ok) for the year to is try to stay a little more timely with what I’m reviewing. I often felt like I was behind the ball last year, reviewing albums weeks after they’d been released and after you’d probably read a million other reviews already. For 2011 I’ll do my best to write up albums closer to their release date if possible. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t have fancy connections that give me promos to listen to or anything, but I’ll try to make it work.

In the spirit of this new approach, I got my hands on Valhalla Dancehall, the upcoming release from British Sea Power. It’s good. Pretty damn good. Let’s just jump right in with a track:

British Sea Power
Click to play British Sea Power – Georgie Ray

Am I the only one hearing some Bowie in there?

I have to admit I never gave these guys much of a chance before. I’ve heard random tracks here and there but never followed up to see if I actually liked the band. What I can say about this album is that it’s driving and full of energy, yet loaded with hooks and introspection; a mix only the British seem to be able to actually pull off. The moods and genres shift a bit along the way but it all works. It’s enough to spur me to go back and check out the rest of their catalog, which is one of the best compliments I can give. So to those of you saying, “kilter, I’ve been a fan forever and I think you’re pretty much a big loser for not being one yourself all along,” I hang my head in shame. You’re right, I was wrong. I hope you’re happy now.

Valhalla Dancehall drops this Tuesday, the 11th. I definitely recommend giving it a listen. I mean, of course, beyond what I’ve posted here for you.

Click to play British Sea Power – Baby

Click to play British Sea Power – We Are Sound

 

Hot Damn! New Hot Chip!

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Oooooh. New Hot Chip album is coming! February of next year, according to their site and the first single is the same as the album’s title, One Life Stand. So how does this one sound? Well, this all depends on what you think of Hot Chip. These are guys that make solid blippy electro pop that simply makes you want to groove. If you don’t want to groove? You’re probably white. But that’s okay. I’m not here to judge you. That’s what your mother is for. Here’s One Life Stand, their newest single.

Download Hot Chip – One Life Stand

Anyhow, their last album Made In The Dark featured a video that helped promote The Dark Knight. The song was “Ready For The Floor”, and despite the wooden features of their lead man Alexis Taylor, it’s a pretty cool video. That vid? Is below.

Well that song had a remix I had completely forgotten about by Jesse Rose. While I do love Rose, this remix starts off strong. Aaaaaand gets repetitive. Very quickly. It’s in essence nothing more than a glorified DJ tool, but that’s not such a bad thing. If you’re a DJ. Or have a short attention span. Here’s that nugget of goodness.

Download Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor (Jesse Rose remix)

Now go buy stuff. The lord commands you. And he left it a little “l” for a reason. Because if you need to be scared shitless to do good? You’re a moron.

And now for something completely different……

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Remember Cornershop? No? Yes? Who cares? Well, I just felt the need to post a couple songs of theirs. The first one is the first track off of When I Was Born For The 7th Time. The latter? Well, you may recognize it from the overkill it got on the radio a good 12 years ago. It’s not the original, however, but the Fatboy Slim remix of their massive hit “Brimful of Asha”. All-in-all, the album could be one of the most underrated albums of the ’90’s, not to mention one of the best from that decade. It took time to grow on me, but now every so often I have to take a listen and be reminded just how good this one was. Enjoy.

[Download Cornershop – Brimful of Asha (Fatboy Slim remix)]

[Download Cornershop – Sleep on the Left Side]

And yes. I want you to buy something. Stop cheaping out. I’m watching you. Like Santa Claus with a bad meth habit and a restraining order. Or something like that. Either way, it’s scary.