Withered Hand - New Gods

Withered Hand are a band who should be much more successful than they are.  They (or rather main man Dan) write great pop songs with great hooks and instrumentation in the style of Teenage Fanclub.  I've seen the band play once and Dan play his solo stuff once.

New Gods came out a couple of years back and I've listened to it a lot.  I can't really understand why it's not all over the radio and I really recommend it to anyone.

Acoustic ladyland - skinny grin

I'm really crap. I totally neglect this blog. It's a shame because I think music is amazing and that good music is one of the best things in the world that you can share with other people and I like to get goddamn evangelical about the whole thing. I should put in more effort because I hear amazing music all of the time.

Which brings me to acoustic ladyland.

Acoustic Ladyland are four piece modern jazz band from London led by Pete Wareham on sax with support from genius drummer Seb Roachford among others. Their sound is a mix of jazz, hardcore punk, Napalm Death, Madness and Massive Attack. They are very good. Skinny Grin is their third album.

The album features guest vocalists on several tracks. Track4 'paris' is one of the best. It is sung by a woman whose partner appears to be trying to recreate an uncomfortable scene from 'last tango in paris' (maybe it's just my sick mind). The dynamic noise of the first trck is also great.

The band are part of the F-IRE collective and more can be found at www.acousticladyland.com

Polar bear are good too. I saw them by accident in Bath. I wrote about that on the main Drphunk blog.

happy listening

phunky

Metarie by Brendan Benson

This blog has been neglected like a red-headed stepchild in recent months (b.t.w my head was bright red when I was a kid but I've never been a stepchild). That been due to poor internet access and a general lack of being arsed. However I'm now using blogger beta so my inspiration is renewed.

My musical muse today is a song by Brendan Benson. It is the second track on his 2002 Lapalco album. Another version can be found as an uncredited secret track at the end of the CD.

The song is a Teenage Fanclub style slice of gender politics about a guy who introduces himself to an attractive woman before being shot down in flames by the girl who is worried about what her friends may think.

It starts with an acoustic guitar -

met a girl,
introduced myself
asked her to go with me
and no-one else
Then female backing vocals come in
I'd really like
to see you everyday
but I'm afraid of what my friends would say
You need a bath
and your clothes are wrong
You're not my type
We wouldn't get along

Back to solo male voice

I just laughed
What else could I do
Then her friend chimed in
Get a clue
Get a life, put it in your song

Then it all kicks of in a George Martin/Beatles style climax

There's something I've been meaning to say to you

The main protagonist home is pissed off so he storms off and buys porn mags, wine and a pack of cigarettes before going home to watch TV. He fantasises about leaving town and changing his name and just generally being much more chilled out.

It's a great song - funny, well-produced with good dynamics. Should have been number one and it will appeal to any guy who's had a knock-back (believe me, I've had fucking millions)

Check it out

funky

music is alive, sometimes it grows on you - KC rules ok by King Creosote

Music is amazing. It's one of the best things about being alive. It's a mixture of art and science. Chord changes are like maths but they can have an emotional impact as real as a slap in the face or a hug. The same music can affect one person in different ways at different times in their life. I hated Jeff Buckley the first time I heard him and now I think he is a genius.

I didn't really like King Creosote the first time I heard him. I knew who he was. Weirdly, I had heard his old band the scooby doo orchestra (it's not spelt like that but I can't remember how it should be spelt) and liked them. I also knew that his brother was Gordon Anderson (a.k.a lone pigeon)who had been an original member of a prototype Beta Band before leaving for health reasons. I bought the album but I did not fall in love with it immediately. It was not love at first listen.

Music needs space to breathe.

I picked up the KC rules OK CD again today and this time it worked. Everything clicked into place. I'm in the right mood for it today (a sorta happy, chilled mood having just passed a stressful exam and not working too hard right now).

It's a chilled out record. Very acoustic and lo-fi with some good songs on it. Highlights include not one bit ashamed and bootprints. There is a more conservative Beta Band feel to a lot of the stuff. It's been out for a while so you might already own it.

phunkee

Lily Allen - Alright, still

This is a summer-sun style cheap throw-away pop record. Lily Allen is like a female version of the Streets. A private school educated, London based, female of the Streets.

The songs are funny, bitchy and catchy. The music borrows from the Specials and the Happy
Mondays. Much better than Girls Aloud or the Spice Girls or whatever the young 'uns listen to nowadays.

funky

Recent records that were not too good

I've been really lax with this blog. Partially my laziness has been because of being busy with work, etc. That has not been the only problem. At times I have lacked inspiration. A few dull albums have been released that I hoped would be good.

Time to quickly name and shame.

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium - Nearly 3 hours of boredom. There is probably a good 40 minute album in there somewhere but nobody I know can be bothered to find it. I'm not sure that i have ever managed to sit through the entire thing. It's a monster. I thought this album would be good cos Rick Rubin has worked with them in the past to good effect (bloodsugarsexmagic) but it just didn't happen. Avoid at all cost. Just listen to bloodsugar.... and californication as you cry in the corner of your room.

2. The Raconteurs - Broken boy soldiers. Good single. Good pedigree. High hopes (this album was hailed as the 'next nevermind' for a year before it came out). Dull album. Next!

3. Muse - Black holes & revelations. Stick your queen records up your arse! I only like some of their stuff a bit but not this. It just annoys me in an existential way.

4. Primal Scream - Riot city blues. Not really that crap but just not amazing. They wrote Screamadelica. And Vanishing Point. I've seen them 8 times. They can do better than this. C'mon.

Life is not all despair. I have heard some great records recently. These include;

The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional
TV on the Radio - Return to cookie mountain
The Smiths - strangeways here we come
Fatboy Slim - hits comp
Johnny Cash - American V
The Verve - Northern Soul (for nostalgic reasons - holds up)
Nuggets - classic '60s psychadelic punk comp

Check them out

I might write about some of them if I remember

Funky

TV on the radio - desperate youth, bloodthirsty babes

http://www.hotfreelayouts.com/music.php

This album is great. I picked it up a couple of years back. Just added it to my ipod tonight. the second song on it can be heard at my myspace profile (www.myspace.com/dr_phunk) It's a mix between barbershop quartet style vocals and indie noise. A bit like my bloody valentine at times and in some ways totally unique. It's an album that can always make me smile.

Opening track the Wrong Way is amazing as is Staring at the sun and dreams. This album will take you to different places. lie back and stare at the sky.......

brilliant

phunky