Twenty Subsequent Songs
Twenty Songs, 26th February 2006
It's pretty much a full turnaround from last week. Normally it's just a case of come Sunday sit down and try and remember what's been playing most the past week. The past couple of week'sIintroduced a proper system of monitoring throughout the week so it's pretty good. And it is a case of what was actually listened to this week not just what was probably listened to or what was new and pretty decent. Hence the shift.
Kano, still, populated the charts pretty heavily, his Beats + Bars album taking up a lot of our time and being on the old personal a fair whack. 48 Bars for some reason went from being an anonymous track to just feeling right, that plinky little intro getting pretty regular rewinds. Belle & Sebastian's recent review also kept them in the charts, as we needed to really listen to the album to get any idea what to say about it. It was tricky believe you us but if nothing else one thing emerged from that process was the sheer beauty of Dress Up In You, one of the only full strength Melle & Speck tracks.
Gil Scott-Heron also made an appearance as we finally got hold of This Is Jazz. It was a slightly cursory showing as we didn't play This Is Jazz as much as, say, Nothing Long by Kano but the Twenty is, like most things Unlixes, based only on Songs We Own The Receipt For and up 'til now I've only ever had Soulseek downloaded copies of This Is Jazz. Now, finally, I have one I've paid for, even if it is the live version. It's a work of art. Seriously. Love Gil Scott-Heron when he's in this mood. We own one of his best of collections and to be honest it never gets played. When he's doing luscious acid jazz, though, he is pure heaven to the ears. If anyone knows where I can get hold of We Almost Lost Detroit. Ah. I will have, like, a million of your babies.
A few reviews this week have just rolled off the tongue. Belle & Sebastian's didn't, that was pretty meaty. Arab Strap's didn't. Whenever we've had to be critical of existing and well loved acts, especially when we well love them and especially when the albums aren't actually that bad (just, not as good as you want), I guess it's more difficult. DK7's album, however, has no such excuse. It just took forever to write. However, again, the added time and involvement brought back a great deal of love and as such the Massive Attack referencing Life Is Everywhere crept into the chart, along with One Of The Best Songs Ever, The Difference. Magnétophone are owed a review but in the meantime ...And May Your Last Words Be A Chance To Make Things Better continues to refuse to fit on one line all over the shop. Rhymefest's fun Brand New and Amusement Parks On Fire's grim Blackout also kept a slight footing, along with Extra Slu by Lioness.
Creep, one of the new old purchases this week (Pablo Honey was bought along with Michael Jackon's Number Ones), was in by default being another song I've longed to own. Field Music's brilliant If The Moon Were Only Up was another that kept my attention after arriving late last week but we've mentioned them recently. Which leaves the Kray Twinz should-have-been classic What We Do and...
This Et Al. Who have a massive four tracks in the charts, three in the top ten alone. They make up 20% of the chart, people, to put it in more explosive terms. We just love them. They were in our The Next Radiohead feature but we were only really messing about at the time. Turns out, no, seriously, they could well be. They're melodic and inventive, taking risks without leaving people behind. They're hooky and exploratory, explosive and subtle, while being both engaging and not making a whole heap of sense. This week we received the Bus single (You've Driven For Miles But Not Remembered A Thing) and downloaded Catscan and He Shoots Presidents. It's weird, I bought Pablo Honey this week and it's an alright album but in a way, Creep aside, doesn't prepare you for majesty of The Bends. This Et Al, despite being a stellar talent, do have off key moments. You've Driven For Miles But Not Remembered A Thing sounds like a band still finding their feet which means they have the potential for even more greatness. However He Shoots Presidents is just, the finished article as far as I'm concerned. The type of record that, if you made an album of it, you could put your hat on its hook and call it a day, content in the knowledge you've left behind something the world should really be paying attention to. Owning it again now on a clearer copy (vinyl's lovely and all but my the sound quality's shit) just proves it. Catscan and some of the other releases just point to the same greatness but it's the standout which makes the suggestion irrefutable.
he shoots presidents and she sells insurance
but his isn't full time work
he shoots presidents and she keeps insuring
that he doesn't work that well
and he needs to get a new job
and she needs a holiday
It's pretty much a full turnaround from last week. Normally it's just a case of come Sunday sit down and try and remember what's been playing most the past week. The past couple of week'sIintroduced a proper system of monitoring throughout the week so it's pretty good. And it is a case of what was actually listened to this week not just what was probably listened to or what was new and pretty decent. Hence the shift.
Kano, still, populated the charts pretty heavily, his Beats + Bars album taking up a lot of our time and being on the old personal a fair whack. 48 Bars for some reason went from being an anonymous track to just feeling right, that plinky little intro getting pretty regular rewinds. Belle & Sebastian's recent review also kept them in the charts, as we needed to really listen to the album to get any idea what to say about it. It was tricky believe you us but if nothing else one thing emerged from that process was the sheer beauty of Dress Up In You, one of the only full strength Melle & Speck tracks.
Gil Scott-Heron also made an appearance as we finally got hold of This Is Jazz. It was a slightly cursory showing as we didn't play This Is Jazz as much as, say, Nothing Long by Kano but the Twenty is, like most things Unlixes, based only on Songs We Own The Receipt For and up 'til now I've only ever had Soulseek downloaded copies of This Is Jazz. Now, finally, I have one I've paid for, even if it is the live version. It's a work of art. Seriously. Love Gil Scott-Heron when he's in this mood. We own one of his best of collections and to be honest it never gets played. When he's doing luscious acid jazz, though, he is pure heaven to the ears. If anyone knows where I can get hold of We Almost Lost Detroit. Ah. I will have, like, a million of your babies.
A few reviews this week have just rolled off the tongue. Belle & Sebastian's didn't, that was pretty meaty. Arab Strap's didn't. Whenever we've had to be critical of existing and well loved acts, especially when we well love them and especially when the albums aren't actually that bad (just, not as good as you want), I guess it's more difficult. DK7's album, however, has no such excuse. It just took forever to write. However, again, the added time and involvement brought back a great deal of love and as such the Massive Attack referencing Life Is Everywhere crept into the chart, along with One Of The Best Songs Ever, The Difference. Magnétophone are owed a review but in the meantime ...And May Your Last Words Be A Chance To Make Things Better continues to refuse to fit on one line all over the shop. Rhymefest's fun Brand New and Amusement Parks On Fire's grim Blackout also kept a slight footing, along with Extra Slu by Lioness.
Creep, one of the new old purchases this week (Pablo Honey was bought along with Michael Jackon's Number Ones), was in by default being another song I've longed to own. Field Music's brilliant If The Moon Were Only Up was another that kept my attention after arriving late last week but we've mentioned them recently. Which leaves the Kray Twinz should-have-been classic What We Do and...
This Et Al. Who have a massive four tracks in the charts, three in the top ten alone. They make up 20% of the chart, people, to put it in more explosive terms. We just love them. They were in our The Next Radiohead feature but we were only really messing about at the time. Turns out, no, seriously, they could well be. They're melodic and inventive, taking risks without leaving people behind. They're hooky and exploratory, explosive and subtle, while being both engaging and not making a whole heap of sense. This week we received the Bus single (You've Driven For Miles But Not Remembered A Thing) and downloaded Catscan and He Shoots Presidents. It's weird, I bought Pablo Honey this week and it's an alright album but in a way, Creep aside, doesn't prepare you for majesty of The Bends. This Et Al, despite being a stellar talent, do have off key moments. You've Driven For Miles But Not Remembered A Thing sounds like a band still finding their feet which means they have the potential for even more greatness. However He Shoots Presidents is just, the finished article as far as I'm concerned. The type of record that, if you made an album of it, you could put your hat on its hook and call it a day, content in the knowledge you've left behind something the world should really be paying attention to. Owning it again now on a clearer copy (vinyl's lovely and all but my the sound quality's shit) just proves it. Catscan and some of the other releases just point to the same greatness but it's the standout which makes the suggestion irrefutable.
he shoots presidents and she sells insurance
but his isn't full time work
he shoots presidents and she keeps insuring
that he doesn't work that well
and he needs to get a new job
and she needs a holiday