TRACKS OF THE WEEK 23/02/2014 - Night Beds, Little Dragon, Angel Olsen, Foster The People, The Presidents Of The USA

TRACKS OF THE WEEK 23/02/2014 - Night Beds, Little Dragon, Angel Olsen, Foster The People, The Presidents Of The USA

Angel Olsen Foster the People Little Dragon Night Beds The Presidents Of The USA Tracks of the Week

Five tracks that swept us away this week....

London Scouser:-

The Presidents Of The United States Of America - 'Poor Little Me'

I've been a fan of PUSA as they are often abbreviated to since I first heard 'Lump' way back in 1995. They hail from Seattle, but are different to most of the other bands from there that I'm into (Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam to name just 2). They always sound like they're having a good time and don't appear to take themselves too seriously. 'Peaches' the follow up single being a good example of that. After 2000's 'Tiny Explosions' they seemed to have disappeared as far as I could tell so I was pleased to see they had a new album out 'Kudos To Me' this week. Poor Little Me sounds like a typical PUSA track with some Hillbilly thrown into the pot and I think it's great. They are currently in the middle of a tour of the UK, if I'd known I would have tried to get the time off work and go see 'em. Poor Little Me

Old Pa's Corner :-
Angel Olsen - Hi-Five (2014)

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There is a bit of a buzz about this young American lass. There are names like Leonard Cohen (check out White Fire) and Black Francis (check out Forgiven/Forgotten) are being bounded about. There seems to be a sort of new category instantly made up to describe her music 'Grundge Folk',  which really is quite good if you listen to the rest of the album. It has been on my playlist all this week, You must check out  Burn your Fire for no Witness (2014) her second solo album. The tracks mentioned above feature on this album.

Flycasual:-
Little Dragon - 'Klapp Klapp' (2014)

Sweden's Little Dragon have been one of my favourite bands over the last few years. Maybe it's feisty singer, Yukimi Nagano's voice or their distinct quirky Electro sauce, either way, like meatballs and lingonberry jus, it's all very tasty. 'Klapp Klapp' is the new appetiser from the forthcoming album Nabuma Rubberband out May 12th. Cor...listen to that double bass too.!

Little Dragon's official website....

Sfw:-

Night Beds - Head for the hills (2014)


Night Beds were one of my discoveries of last year. Their debut album, Country Sleep was compelling listening and a spellbinding debut and their track, Ramona, got into my top five tracks of the year. They have recently released Head for the Hills, I like it so much that I'd climb mountains to see them live.

Shell Hunter:-
Foster The People - 'Coming Of Age' (2014)

The 80's are back in town in this new single from Foster The People. Okay, so its no Pumped Up Kicks but I love that guitar. This song should feature in a 80's teen soundtrack (one of my specialist areas might I add), I can just see a young unpopular girl, making friends with the new girl who also happens to be a teen witch. Guess what?! A life changing make over transformation or 'Coming Of Age' if you will! Joking asides, some may feel this is a luke warm effort but I think it was meant to appeal for the very reason it does to me, to evoke nostalgia, feel familiar and safe. Well done lads, you can check them all off! You can also check off The Beach Boys-esque wooooooo too! The new album Supermodel will be out following this single in March!

Listen or even better, subscribe to our tracks of the week playlist here...

sfw Pada 04:12 4 Komentar

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 16-12-12 - Big Boi and Little Dragon, Tom Odell,Paul Banks, Winterhours

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 16-12-12 - Big Boi and Little Dragon, Tom Odell,Paul Banks, Winterhours

Big Boi Little Dragon Paul Banks Tom Odell Tracks of the Week Winterhours

Four tracks that were like 'Taste the Difference' brandy butter deep filled mince pies....I want another!

Flycasual:-

Big Boi - 'Mama Told Me' feat Little Dragon (live on Jimmy Fallon) (2012)

This is a great a track, smothered in 80's style funk all thanks to Big Boi's Southern Charm and Little Dragon's quirk. Sweden's Little Dragon are probably one of my favourite bands from the last few years. I don't really know what it is that would make me gladly share a sauna with them, maybe their style or lead singer Yukimi Nagano's voice, either way they push my buttons. So I was suitably excited when I read that they have contributed several tracks to Big Boi's 2nd solo album (3 if you include Speakerboxxxx, released as Outkast along side Andre 3000), 'Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumours', of which 'Mama Told Me' is the first single. However, I was disappointed when I found out that Little Dragon had been dropped from the album cut of this song, only to be replaced by Kelly Rowland. Apparently due to record company 'suits' disagreeing business terms, a real shame as this song is perfectly suited to their style. The original, as seen above is taken from the Jimmy Fallon show on Dec 9th, so they are still friends....you can't stop the music.

SFW:-
Tom Odell - 'Can't Pretend' (2012)

Tom Odell is one to watch in 2013.  He's been included on the BBC Sound of 2013 long list.  Its not quite the Mercury Prize, but previous winners will often become household names - Winners include Adele, Jessie J, Ellie Goulding and Michael Kiwanuka. The male singer-songwriter genre is very crowded house at the moment, but as a fan of this a genre, I'd happily build an extension.

Old Pa's Corner:-
Paul Banks - The Base (2012)

 

Paul Banks the voice from Interpol has a solo album out called simply Banks. This track reminds me in bits of Genesis but I can't remember the song. Nevertheless this is a nice taster from that the album. Paul has such a distintive voice. Time to get these Interpol albums out I think. 'Hey Rosemary'

Shell Hunter:-
Winterhours - 'Ocean Heart' (2013)

It's great to know that there is already going to be some killer tunes out in 2013. When I saw this video for the new Winterhours track 'Ocean Heart' due for release on 7th Jan next year (see their official site here www.winterhours.co.uk), it really struck a chord with me! I recently went to Brighton with my other half and we did all the traditional fun things you should do by the seaside, the open top bus tour, playing on the arcades on the pier and a few drinks followed by another few drinks. Whilst I wish it ended up with us romantically sharing a swig or two from a bottle of wine watching the sunset from the pebble beach like in the video, it was more us stumbling out of a chav infested Wetherspoons pub. Sigh, will we never learn? That asides, I love this track and get all the best elements from it similar to other faves of mine such as Dry The River and The Doves. I really hope 'Ocean Heart' launches these guys into the big time because after seeing them live at an intimate venue The Boileroom in Guildford last year, I know they've got a lot to offer. Check out our 30 Second Interview after that gig with the band here!

sfw Pada 07:11 2 Komentar

FLYCASUAL'S Best of 2011

FLYCASUAL'S Best of 2011

Beastie Boys Best of 2011 DJ Shadow Little Dragon The Horrors Tinariwen Wild Beasts

It's always an unenviable task, trying to streamline your favourite songs into a playlist, but 5, outrageous! Oh the sleepless nights, who gets left behind?? I felt like I was the chopper pilot in the scene in Platoon where Willem Defoe's, Elias gets left behind.

Oh well, there goes Ghostpoet

Yeah, OK anyway, 2011 has been a great year for music but more so since the creation of this blog. One of the points of this blog was to find out what my friends/family were listening to and if they had any anecdotes about the songs as to why they liked them. I don't get to see them as often as I'd like to and like SFW said in his intro, "recreate the listening sessions of the past". So what better way than to conceive a blog where you can do just that!! As a result of the Guest Spots and my fellow contributors, who in turn have different tastes to mine, it has been a bumper crop! So a huge thanks to all of you!


Little Dragon - 'Ritual Union'
My favourite song, album and band/artist of the year for me, their Lo-Fi Electronica ticking all the right boxes, prompting me to get hold of their back catalogue. Ritual Union's a fabulous track (featured here), it's flavour encapsulated the summer for me, great voice and complete with synth sax break (there's not enough sax at the moment). Little Dragon's collaborations this year were exceptional too, including 'Wildfire' with SBTRKT (featured here too) and this beautiful piece, 'Scale it Back' with DJ Shadow.

Beastie Boys - 'Make Some Noise'
"oh my god just look at me grandpa been rapping' since 83". Great back to form old skool flashback from the Beasties with their silly witty rhymes and fresh beats. Trademark outstanding video too, with Hollywood cameos aplenty and if you have a spare 29:55 minutes, check the full video here....

Wild Beasts - 'Reach A Bit Further'
Fabulous vocals and melody, with happy memories of a perfect day spent on the beach with my wife and my little boy.

The Horrors - 'Still Life'
Epic retro 80's stomp fest, I can just picture a Miami Vice cut scene with a jilted Don Johnson tearing shit up around Miami. Would definitely feature on the soundtrack to the remake of The Breakfast Club.

Tinarwiren - 'Tenere Taqqim Tossam'
Unfortunately they didn't take up my offer of a cup of tea at my house (what??) when they were touring last month so I went to see them instead and I was not disappointed. Top, top tune from the desert rebel rockers, The Clash, Santana and Hendrix rolled into one (erm, if they were all Bedouins).

sfw Pada 22:00 6 Komentar

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 31/07/11

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 31/07/11

Lindsey Buckingham Little Dragon Neil Young SBTRKT Tracks of the Week

Three tracks that 'buffalo-ed our wurzels' this week. Do you have any? Let us know!

Flycasual:-
SBTRKT - 'Wildfire feat Little Dragon'

Oh dear, I'm not sure what the etiquette is here but it's twice a month now Little Dragon have featured on the Tracks of the Week posts. Perhaps not as controversial as having two tracks by the same artist on your C90 mix tape but still a bit naughty, it's my ball anyway.

I just can't help it though, as this track as has been buzzing around my play list for awhile now before I finally took the little sucker in for the attention it deserves. This time though Little Dragon features on UK DJ/producer/re-mixer, SBTRKT's self titled debut album, which was released earlier this year. Like many of the dance artists who don masks, Daft Punk, Deadmau5 and ..erm.. Altern-8, SBTRKT also uses a moniker to allow people to focus on the music as opposed to artist. He has nothing to hide on this form, it has a great Electro feel about it with a wobbly, distorted buzz saw bass all smoothed over by Yukimi Nagano's voice, then of course I just love those sirens. The video is a bit creepy too but then again, I'm a woos.

Sfw:-
Lindsey Buckingham - Seeds we sow

I wouldn't usually listen to this normally, but my not-so-generic MP3 player keeps on playing this whilst on random. Every time I hear it, I can imagine it perfectly fitting on Fleetwood Macs 'Rumours' album, which is a complement as it's one of the biggest selling albums of all time.  For those who don't know, Lindsey was the guitarist for the Mac'.

Old Pa's Corner:-
Neil Young - Amber Jean

WARNING : IF YOU DON'T LIKE COUNTRY BEWARE

This is from Neil's new album 'A Treasure'. Well, although a new release, it is from live performances during his 1984/5 tour. 'Treasure' is definitely the correct choice for the title.

What a fantastic video this is with Neil being accompanied by the International Harvesters ,some of the greatest artists in the history of country music, including the late, great Ben Keith on steel and slide guitar and Rufus Thibodeaux on fiddle. Along with living legends, Spooner Oldham and Hargus “Pig” Robbins on piano, Tim Drummond and Joe Allen on bass and Karl Himmel on drums, among many others.....I love when Neil  goes all country and the fiddle playing here is a real joy. You can't get more country than this, unless Patsy Cline was sitting on Hank's knee singing a duet. Sit back and enjoy.

Wurzel 'buffalo-ed' enough? No? Then click here for more TotW

sfw Pada 01:19 4 Komentar

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 10/07/11

TRACKS OF THE WEEK - 10/07/11

Little Dragon Philip Selway Tracks of the Week Wilco

These are our tracks of the week. Do you have any? Let us know!

  

SFW
Philip Selway - Running Blind by Bella Union

This is a great track from Radiohead drummer Philip Selway and features on his new EP Running Blind (Last year he released an album called "Familial").   It's all acoustic niceness and a world away from the beats and rhythms of Radiohead. So if you like Radiohead you'll be interested, though if you don't but like acoustic singer-songwriter stuff, give it a try. It's a bit like steak, it's good with a glass of vino.

Flycasual
Little Dragon - 'Ritual Union' (2011)
Not the official video but still ball achingly entertaining nonetheless!

Apparently the band acquired their name by giving singer, Yukimi Nagano, the nickname Little Dragon as she was prone to throwing tantrums whilst recording! The petulance has paid off, as Ritual Union is a great piece of laid back electronica from the Swedish four piece's forthcoming album of the same name. I first heard this song late at night, probably the perfect time to be receptive to it and it reminded me of bands like Portishead or Morcheeba. They've been just below the radar for around 4 years now, despite having made a number of high profile collaborations, notably with Gorrilaz and more recently SBTRKT. But I think all that is about to change now as I am pretty sure they are about to blow up this year and finally get the recognition they deserve.

Old Pa's Corner
Wilco - 'I Might' (2011)


This track is from Wilco's new album, out, I believe in September called the 'Whole Love'. A pretty good taster, I think and the Album will be eagerly awaited. I first got into Wilco in the late 90's with the 'Summer Teeth' album and I have followed Jeff Tweedy ever since. I still have to say that they have never bettered  'Yankee, Foxtrot Zero' for consistency and I did like that low key stripped down sound. I was a little disappointed, personally, in their last album and hope the new effort will be a return to form. Maybe its me, but do you not think there is a hint of Joy Division's 'Dead Souls' in the backing?

sfw Pada 02:21 3 Komentar