Song of the Day: Year of the Ox by Fucked Up

The song of the day today is the latest offering from Fucked Up's chinese zodiac. Basically, they aim to release a single for each year in the Chinese zodiac, and the results push even this most destructive of musical acts to their limits, allowing them to experiment far off the musical beaten track. And for me, this is their finest hour so far.
The thirteen-minute epic isn't out until September 28th, but you can stream it in full here. Alternatively, you can watch a live version they did for CBC Radio 3 below, complete with guest appearance from the crazy lady from Duchess Says.

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Underrated Albums from 2009

I know it’s over halfway through 2010 and all, but I feel that I’m only just beginning to come to terms with 2009 musically in retrospect. Undeniably, it was a good year for music- even going in, new material by heavy-hitters such as Animal Collective and Yeah Yeah Yeahs had bagsied their rightful places in Top 10 Lists. Yet, the fallout from this was that fresh, new voices and more obscure sounds that were equally worthy of great acclaim slipped under the radar. My end-of-year list has gone through many mental alterations since then- and here are some of the best albums you may not have heard about.

1. POLAR BEAR CLUB- CHASING HAMBURGAfter releasing this near-perfect album, I honestly think PBC deserve to take their rightful place amongst the greatest punk/post-hardcore bands of this generation. The opening track ‘See the Wind’ is an aggressive, visceral hardcore outing with a clear message- expect the unexpected from this band. It proves that they not just capable of the catchy hooks and math-rock riffs fans came to expect of them, but can also compose devastating breakdowns with dexterity. A ferocious and flawless sophomore effort, and one that deserves to be cherished.

2. TURBO FRUITS- ECHO KID

Turbo Fruits is led by ex-Be Your Own Pet member Jonas Stein, and appear to have been judged solely on this. Critics have argued that Stein’s vocals cannot keep up with the brattish snarl of Jemina Pearl (of BYOP), credited the guitar-playing, and dismissed it as a 6/10.
Yet, even when judged against their previous BYOP carnation, Turbo Fruits for me still come up trumps. Comparing ‘Echo Kid’ to Jemina Pearl’s new stuff, you see where the talent lay in Be Your Own Pet- Jemina’s own sound is bland, whereas Turbo Fruits is a frenetic, drug-addled, sun-drenched frenzy.
When judged on their own, you can’t deny the ridiculously brilliant guitars in ‘Broadzilla’, Stein’s Dylan-esque swagger in ‘Get Up and Get Down (Tonite)’, and the stoner-rock poignancy of ‘Mama’s Mad ‘Cos I Fried My Brain’. In some places, the childish lyrics let down the instrumental prowess, but you cannot deny this is a stonker of an album.

3. DANANANANAYKROYD- HEY EVERYONE!There are two things to be said about this band:
1. They’re utterly unique.
2. They’re immense.
What makes them unique? Well, the fact they’ve had to coin a phrase themselves to try and describe their sound is a dead giveway. ‘Fight pop’ is a bizarre mix of twee indie and melodic post-hardcore, and is probably best demonstrated by the fact Dananananaykroyd concerts don’t have Walls of Death, they have Walls of Hugs.
‘Hey Everyone!’ is a boisterous joy ride between chants and screams, melodic even in the face of perfectly-played musical chaos. In certain places (‘Song One Puzzle’, we’re looking at you), comparisons could be drawn with, say, Los Campesinos! ; in others (‘Some Dresses’), the only accurate comparison would be a punch in the jugular. A thrilling and joyous ride from start to finish.

4. BLUE ROSES- BLUE ROSESLaura Groves’ debut album appears to be a reflection on her- dainty, pretty, seemingly romantic. And yet, there’s something in this album- largely consisting of romantic tales and Debussy-esque piano stylings, eloquently accompanied by layered harmonies- that says more. In amongst the tenderness, there’s a sense of playfulness and adventure, a tinge of theatricality- the sort of elements that make this beautiful album stand proudly above many other singer-songwriter works of 2009. Sit back, listen, treasure.

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Song of the Day: Broadzilla by Turbo Fruits

Are you- like me- still suffering relentlessly from the break-up of Be Your Own PET? Do you wake up at night in a cold sweat, wondering when fresh indie-punk-rock tuneage will come to take your cares away?
Fear not, my dears- I have a cure.
Turbo Fruits- a punk trio led by Jonas Stein (yes, the very same Jonas Stein of former BYOP glory), are my new fixation. And, although it hasn't received the mass attention it deserved, there is one track on their 2009 album 'Echo Kid' that has become my summer anthem, and is fast becoming my new favourite song.
It's called 'Broadzilla', and it's 4 minutes and 7 seconds of thrashing, grooving, pyschedelic, punk-rock awesomeness. Hit play. Go on- you know you want to.

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Playlist 11: Sex

So, for this month's playlist, we've decided to trawl our music libraries for the very best songs about, umm, sex. It may be a little risque, but it's the subject of alot of very awesome songs. So, here goes nothing:

Playlist 11: Sex Look! Gummy Bear Porn!

1. JULIETTE AND THE LICKS- Hot Kiss
‘Ooh, your little girl wants to f-f-f...’
Because is there any better way to kick off a super-naughty playlist than with the gravelly-voiced Juliette Lewis’ sexual fixation?

WARNING: The content from here on in gets a little blue. Giggidy giggidy.

2. DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979- Sexy Results
‘Woman friend, take me to the bedroom, let me show you how I am full grown’
Because is there anything more dirty than that bass playing? Also: don’t watch the video if you’re easily weirded out-it features a woman who has mouths for nipples. Kind of like in Angela Carter, only that was eyes for nipples. I digress...

3. HOT ACTION COP- Fever 4 Da Flava
‘Do you think that I get some, chicky chicky, maybe just a little finger sticky sticky’
Because as depraved as the lyrics may be, this is fast becoming one of my favourite songs of all time. And because it was on the soundtracks for ‘Grind’ AND ‘American Pie 3’- y’know, the one with the wedding, where Stifler eats dog poop. God, those films are classy.

4. BIKINI KILL- Anti-Pleasure Dissertation
‘How punk-fucking-rock my pussy smelt’
Because the lyrics are ridiculously vaginal. And (more than) slightly off-putting, but very, very sexual.

5. MELODY GARDOT- Lover Undercover
‘Come to your lover undercover and I will turn your mood around’
Because despite the song being about having a secret saucy affair, Melody Gardot still manages to keep everything PC and above-board. She’s a classy dame, with an incredible voice.

6. THE DARK HORSE PROJECT- Dark Horse
‘You want it and you ride and you ride and you ride your way out of me’
Because this song is so sensual, and so underestimated. I truly love it- and it has such filthy undertones, I kind of want to blush.

7. SOHO DOLLS- Stripper
‘You get me girl when you're nervous and when your hand is in the thong.’
Because who can resist a little bit of lady-lovin’ from everyone’s favourite kinky burlesque group (so-called because the lead singer gets her tits out all the time). WARNING: the spoken-word in this song will make you feel like you called an upmarket Soho sex hotline. Seriously.

8. FUCKED UP- He’s So Frisky
'He's frisky for you!'
Because the only thing that could possibly make this pop classic (originally by Dolly Mixture) any better is if it were sang by a big hairy man. Wish granted.

9. BRAZILIAN GIRLS- Don’t Stop
‘Don’t stop, just keep on going, until I come’
Because it’s so filthy, yet so beautifully sung. Oh Brazilian Girls- I never know whether to be in awe or slightly uncomfortable.

10. HEAD AUTOMATICA- Cannibal Girl
‘Cannibal girl, you’ve been eating me alive.’
Because it’s important to remember sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. Like when you get second-degree burns on your Johnson, for instance. You may also find interesting to know that I have a recurring dream where I do a weird suggestive tap dance to this song.

11. THE DONNAS- Take It Off
‘Stop staring at my D-Cup; don’t waste time, just give it to me’
Because I don’t care if they hardly ever receive any good press, I freakin’ love The Donnas. I get the whole ‘harking back to the Golden Age of rock n’ roll’ thing, I do. Sex seemed to be alot more prolific then.

12. STARS- The First 5 Times
‘Now I’ve got to ask you more one thing: keep doing that forever’
Because sometimes sex and love get caught up in one glorious, snuggly mess. Aaw.

13. THE BEATLES-Come Together
‘Hold you in his arms yeah you can feel his disease’.
Because it’s THE SEXIEST SONG OF ALL TIME. It properly gets me every time- that month or so where this song was on every advert for ‘Beatles Rock Band’ was not a good time for me. If you want to seduce me, stand outside my window playing this. I fully give my guarantee I’ll throw myself naked out of my window at you.
DISCLAIMER: This is unlikely, for health and safety reasons.

I’m having a few internet problems, but I’ll try and get a listenable version of this whole playlist up soon, so you enjoy it all, preferably with a lover ;) Read More......

3 Degrees of Separation: Bobby Pickett to Of Montreal

Happy Halloween, kids! Hope you're all dressing up like demented monsters at some point today.

Now, since I've already done a Halloween playlist (in June, because I'm strange like that), I thought I'd bring you the 4th installment of 3 Degrees!

3 Degrees (noun): A series of posts in which I link three bands by cover versions. Sounds easy, but when you throw in a Halloween theme, things get a little trickier...

1. BOBBY 'BORIS' PICKETT AND THE CRYPTKICKERSThe Monster Mash (Click for MP3)- I'm sorry, but there's no way you can mention Halloween and not slip in a Monster Mash reference. Even Elvis slated the song, calling it 'the dumbest thing I've ever heard'. But for many, this is Halloween. Well, this or 'Thriller', but aren't we all a little Jackson-ed out of late?
Also: Bobby Pickett died in 2007. Did you know this? I didn't- I'm actually quite upset now. Moving on...

2. MISFITS The Monster Mash- Not sick of the Monster Mash yet? Then you should check out this cover by Misfits. The Misfits are quite easily my favorite horror-rock band of all time (a pretty lucrative market, but there you go)- and although this isn't exactly their best work, it's still damn fun.

Where Eagles Dare- FUN FACT TIME! The Misfit's primary source of inspiration are movies- 'Where Eagles Dare', for instance, is based upon a 1968 film of the same title, starring Clint Eastwood. I'm just a fountain of knowledge, me.

3. OF MONTREALWhere Eagles Dare- Of Montreal have taken a thrashing punk song, screaming of rebellion, and turned it into a tiny slice of electronic, catchy joy. Also, if you like what you hear, this blog has 80+ Of Montreal covers, and is generally a top-notch read.

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Art of Rock

If you, like me, love exploring the connection between music and art, 'Art of Rock' (which is currently at the StolenSpace Gallery, London) is not to be missed. Each piece from the exhibition was inspired by a track from Green Day's latest offering, '21st Century Breakdown'- admittedly, not my favorite Green Day album, but a pretty awesome concept for an art show nonetheless.
Featuring art from Ron English, Will Barras, Christian Guémy (who's the dude behind '!Viva La Gloria!', above) and Chris Stain, amongst others, the show will be running until the 1st of November. Find out more here >>>

MP3: Green Day- Viva La Gloria

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Review: Eastpak Antidote Tour

I. GHOST OF A THOUSANDI'd love to grace you with a review that sung the praises of this band, and whole-heartedly agreed with Kerrang (who gave them 5 K's on their live performance). Unfortunately, I can't.

Firstly, because I got horribly lost on the mean streets of Birmingham, and missed a large portion of their performance. Luckily, one of the Street Team found me and escorted me and some other kids to the O2 Arena- post-hardcore fans aren't great with directions, it seems.
Secondly, what I saw sounded reasonable- the band attacked the stage with a suitable amount of gusto, and the sound they made was pleasing, if a little shambolic in places. But that's as far as it went- they haven't quite found that fine line between unbridled rage and musical finesse. I do have high hopes for their future, mind.

II. FOUR YEAR STRONGAs this motley crew of big, beardy types descend upon the stage, you think you know what to expect. Screaming (lots of it), raging guitar solos and lyrics that can go from nought to riot in sixty seconds. Well, you'd be wrong.
Four Year Strong have a strange yet enchanting blend of pop punk and hardcore that you'd never expect from such hairy chunks of masculinity. And from the general nods of approval emanating form the slightly nonplussed audience, it was a sound they were working. This is definitely a band I'll be checking out again soon.

III. ANTI-FLAGAppearances were once again deceptive with Anti-Flag- for such weedy looking dudes, they sure are furious about something.
You always know what you're going to get with Anti-Flag- angry, political tracks- and with tracks such as 'Turncoat' and 'The Press Corpse', they didn't disappoint in that respect. The music itself has alot to be desired- nothing spectacular, nothing amiss- but what I found most off-putting was their rapport with the crowd. They stressed- between every single bloody song- how they were all about peace and love, and how they would remember this night for the rest of their lives, and how stupid the government was, and how they wanted everyone to go in the circle pit. Seriously, give it a rest.
They did get a bunch of people on stage, which I thought was quite nice of them, but I know there were those who'd argue they'd paid to see Anti-Flag, not to see some kids get up on stage and sing Anti-Flag. Matter of taste, I suppose.
Reference must of course be made to their drummer, who is up there with the scariest dudes to ever have lived- he just looks so demented. He has that crazy look in his eyes- the look that says 'I've definitely worn a straight jacket at some point in my life'. Yikes.

IV. ALEXISONFIREThe main event- and I wasn't disappointed.
I was a little confused when they only set up three stands- I thought there were five guys in Alexisonfire? Of course, my naïveté was soon put right- the fourth guy up front, bassist Chris Steele, had no stand, due to the fact he couldn't stand still for more than two seconds. He bounded around stage in a state of insanity for the entire performance, in a whirlwind of his own sweat and saliva. He went absolutely mental, and so did the crowd- I must admit I was happily dragged into the furore, pulling shapes like I was demented- even being slammed into the railings by a tidal wave of Dallas Green fan girls didn't dull my appetite for frenzy.
This pandemonium was matched by the rest of band, who not only managed to command the stage with manic prowess, but also deliver soaring, clear vocals, and guitar playing to a standard I have yet to see matched in a live performance.

All in all, pretty damn awesome. I you're considering going to this concert, you should definitely pick up a ticket: you won't regret it.

MP3: Alexisonfire- This Could be Anywhere in the World

Photo of Alexisonfire courtesy of martybell on deviantART

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