Our Seven Inches

The XX - Crystallised

2009-09-27T21:49:00.006+01:00

Despite being only 20, The XX are the band who everyone is talking about. They're the best new 'best new band' around and I suppose that means that we should have a listen to them. To be honest we had been put off this band before partly just because they have been so built up but also due to their use of a drum machine rather than a real drummer, nooooooooooooo!

However, despite all these reasons that I should dislike them, they're frustratingly good. I'm not sure if its the effortlessness in which they seem to be nonchalantly creating music which sounds like nothing else or the refreshingly clean sound of the guitars against the droning lyrics but there is something about The XX which makes them likeable.

Crystallised is their most recent single having been released on the 18th August, only a fortnight after their debut single. It features a fairly characteristically sharp, repetitive melody with Oliver and Romy's joint vocals slowly progressing over the top. Its very simple and stripped down music but it works and I think that everyone should at least give them a try. The XX are an exciting new band who have a truly unique sound. That's something which doesn't happen very often at the moment and perhaps why they've attracted so much attention. They're not the best band you'll ever hear but they're definitely original and worth a listen.

You can hear the single Crystallised HERE

Speech Debelle

2009-09-08T22:34:00.004+01:00

Well what do we know about the 2009 winner of the Mercury Prize? The answer. Not very much to be honest. Our first glimpse of her was in the little run up to the mercury prize announcement and we both thought she sounded good though neither thought she would win. She is reminiscent of Lady Sovereign but has a fantastic jazz band behind her. Yes, believe it or not she is what R&B should be! This is R&B before Kanye West decided he wanted as many gold chains as Mr T and a home that rivals the white house. Its a lovely mix of gritty south london lyrics and vocals with the background sound of a New Orleans Jazz Club.

Unfortunately we haven't heard the album yet though if we get a chance then I would love to write a review for here. Lets just wait and see if her popularity rockets like Elbow or if she fades back into obscurity like Antony and the Johnsons.

Mercury Prize Winner 2009 - Speech Debelle

2009-09-08T22:19:00.002+01:00

For the second year winning we are announcing the Mercury Award winner as soon as it is announced.

And the winner for 2009 is Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy

More coming soon.

Barclaycard Mercury Prize

2009-09-05T21:34:00.003+01:00

WOW I didnt realise it had been practically a year since we last posted. But the Mercury award is here again and due to be announced on tuesday. This years nominees are:

* Bat for Lashes – Two Suns
* Florence and the Machine – Lungs
* Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires
* Glasvegas – Glasvegas
* Kasabian – West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
* La Roux – La Roux
* Led Bib – Sensible Shoes
* Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
* Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy
* Sweet Billy Pilgrim – Twice Born Men
* The Horrors – Primary Colours
* The Invisible – The Invisible

We're both hoping for a very deserving Natasha Khan to pick up the award after being piped to the post by Klaxons a few years ago. I however have a horrible feeling that La Roux will win. Not only is her music not good enough but when we saw her live (supporting Lily Allen) we were convinced that she was miming and thats just not right for a Mercury award winner!

However, if Kasabian win then I might just cry!

Are we alive?

2009-09-05T21:28:00.003+01:00

Yes...

Though in severe risk of swine flu. I think i might invest in Strepsils with the amount we're getting through.

Anyway lots has changed since the last post on here, though we never did find the Glasvegas review that vanished and ended our blogging career. This year we have been to Download and Reading festival though the gigs have been very few and far between.

I'm going to try and start writting on this blog again, and if Pri feels like it then maybe both of us will.

What the hell!

2008-09-19T21:46:00.002+01:00

Where has our review for Glasvegas' debut album gone!!!!

Mercury Music Winner - ELBOW

2008-09-09T22:24:00.002+01:00

Congratulations to Elbow for winning this years Nationwide Mercury Music Award. A full review will be following in the next few days.

Mercury Music Prize

2008-09-06T11:43:00.004+01:00

Just a few days before the arguably most prestigious award in music is given out for 2008, I thought we should remind you of the nominees. Will Alex Turner get his second award after being nominated three years in a row? Will Radioheads method of releasing their album push them to the top of the pile? Can Burial or Elbow fulfill their prize winning predictions? Who knows. Personally I would like to see Laura Marling win and I know Pris soft spot for Alex Turner will guide her towards The Last Shadow Puppets. But I think we can all agree that it wont be Adele!!!

Adele '19'
British Sea Power 'Do You Like Rock Music?'
Burial 'Untrue'
Elbow 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
Estelle 'Shine'
Laura Marling 'Alas, I Cannot Swim'
Neon Neon 'Stainless Style'
Portico Quartet 'Knee Deep In The North Sea'
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset 'The Bairns'
Radiohead 'In Rainbows'
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss 'Raising Sand'
The Last Shadow Puppets 'The Age Of The Understatement'

The Nationwide Mercury Prize will be shown on at 10pm on Tuesday 9th on BBC2 for all the UK readers. For everyone else I expect it will be shown at www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

We Are Scientists - Impatience

2008-09-06T10:57:00.004+01:00

The latest single from the comedy/rock duo of We Are Scientists comes in the form of a much toned down version of their older songs. The powerfull riffs and strong drum beats have mostly left with Michael Tapper, but all is not lost for We Are Scientists. When I heard this single for the first time I found it pretty boring, but after listening a few more times you realise that its actually quite a good song. I'm sure it wont have the same lasting power as songs like 'Great Escape' but never-the-less, its not bad. The video is great and typical of the We Are Scientists humour as Chris turns into a misunderstood werewolf, though it seems an unhappy theme that the last two singles have both had videos better than the song itself(note... find better songs to review!)

After 'With Love And Squalor' broke WAS into the mainstream their career has been full of many amazing moments. They've provided us with some great singles and some equally good comedy. There was even a hint of a proper comedy tour last year as they toured some colleges with their "Brain Thrust Mastery" lectures. Unfortunately this never came to fruition. Part of me wants all of their new songs fail so that they may feel the need to properly launch their comedy career, which would no doubt be brilliant. But, amongst some of the less exciting songs, We Are Scientists do come up with great pop/rock songs such as, last but one single 'After Hours' ... Maybe we will have to wait a bit longer for the comedy tour after all.

After promoting the vdeo over the song, HERE it is for all your viewing pleasure

On a very exciting note, Glasvegas' debut album comes out on Monday, and as soon as we get our hands on a copy there will be a review coming asap!

Young Knives - Dyed In The Wool

2008-09-01T18:01:00.004+01:00

As the main, if not only band championing the "geek rock" label, Young Knives (now without the 'the') have decided to enhance this image by releasing thier latest single as a download only. Though it might have been a good idea to not release it on the digital medium either. Since i got my hands on a copy of "Voices of Animals and Men", I've always supported Young Knives and thought, as great as thier image is, theyv'e never let it eclipse thier music. However with this song maybe it does. Dyed In The Wool seems as considered as thier video suggests.

The epic 9 minutes 25 seconds of thier video is probably the best bit about this single, though possibly is symbolic that less than a third of this is concerened with the song, whilst the rest rambles on about crisps, tampolines and tea! Overall this isnt a bad song, but its just not what I and so many other people have come to expect from this band. It seems very much like a simple song they did indeed put together whilst paying more attention to thier cup of tea.

Instead of downloading this song, I would suggest watching the video which is here

Na na na na, don't you leave me?

2008-08-28T14:38:00.015+01:00

MySpace Music Tour Brazil
Ecos Falsos + Mallu Magalhães (16+)
Studio SP, São Paulo, Brazil, 27th of August @ 8PM

9.5 out of 10

Bloody impressive. That's the right sentence to describe Mallu Magalhães' live performance.

Obviously the fact that the venue was small and it wasn't that busy (well, we have to consider that Brazilian tube closes at midnight and it was a wednesday, when normal people are studying, working or resting at their homes - if i'm honest, we don't go to gigs during the week, that's the real truth!) made her performance even nicer. But, wow, it was just great.

I got there about 8.10pm (it was meant to start at 8pm) all worried thinking "oh dear, it will be all full! oh dear! oh dear!". I got there, stayed for about one hour in this huge queue and finally got in.

About 9pm, their support band, Ecos Falsos was on stage. First of all, it was just strange that they kept swapping instruments all the time. They played the first song, then the bassist started playing the guitar, the guitarist was playing an acoustic guitar, and the other guitarist was playing the other guitarist's guitar. All confusing, I know. They kept doing this until their last song. I think they should stop changing instruments between them and start learning a bit more about each one's . The two guitarists were also the vocalists and, well, they have to have some singing lessons as well. The lyrics were awful ("I'm just sentimental when I'm fucked up") and... ew. They were rubbish, that's it.

It was 10pm and there was me: all worried about how to go back home. 15 minutes later, Mallu Magalhães and her band started playing. An amazing guitarist, an okay drummer, keyboardist and bassist were with her. I particularly find the bass useless (I actually heard his instrument in one or two songs!).

All happy and pretty, Mallu sang some great songs such as "Tchubaruba", "J1", "Don't You Leave Me" and "Don't Look Back". Also, some new ones which will probably be on her debut album soon and Johnny Cash, The Beatles and Caetano Veloso's cover songs. I think her voice was a bit lower than usual, but she was still singing with her brilliant techniques. Talking to the crowd all the time, she kept smiling. The nicest thing is that she is really confident on stage and her English accent (even with it being a bit American, in my opinion) sounds like a native speaker most of the time.

Her last gig with 15 years old (sweet 16 tomorrow for her) was amazing. I don't know why but people kept taking pictures of my friends and I. They might be on MySpace soon and I hope they are not too embarrassing!

Can't wait to see Mallu again on her biggest performance ever at Planeta Terra Festival, on the main stage before Kaiser Chiefs (woohooo!). Also, I'm also looking forward to see Foals in it (sorry, Jamie! I know you hate them, but well... they are good!)

Listen to Ecos Falsos:
http://www.myspace.com/ecosfalsos

Listen to Mallu Magalhães:
http://www.myspace.com/mallumagalhaes
http://www.myspace.com/musictourbr

Cheers!

Credits: Má Panhota, for the picture at flickr.

MySpace-what?

2008-08-26T19:44:00.001+01:00

I have no idea why do I do these things to myself sometimes, but well...

we've got a MySpace address now. Have fun :)

It's evolution, baby!

2008-08-26T15:02:00.007+01:00

I can't deny: I was really disappointed last year when I saw Lily Allen in a festival in São Paulo. She isn't as nice live as she is in her debut album "Alright, still". On the other hand, when I heard her new songs, even with they being incredibly different (calmer but with strong beats and great melodies), I got shocked. They are just really nice!

"I Don't Know" is my favourite song of hers at the moment. The keyboards in it are just fantastic and lines like "And I am a weapon of massive consumption" or "And I don't know how I'm meant to feel anymore" are really clever. It clearly describes mixed feelings about being famous.

Maybe the Lily I saw drinking and smoking while singing on stage is now growing up. I have no idea if this song is her confession or not, but I'm absolutely sure that she won't talk about her toy brother who smokes weed and pull her head all day or how she is having the time of her life in this album. Let us just wait then...

DOWNLOAD: Lily Allen - I Don't Know (Demo)

Also, check Ms Allen's MySpace and listen to some other new songs.

The Indelicates - America

2008-08-26T13:23:00.005+01:00

"This little England, it's dingy and it's mean" snarls Simon Clayton after the minute long intro to The Indelicates forth single. This bleak view of the USA being the force you must tie yourself to in which to be successful rings poignantly through the song and, as soon as the riff starts to build and become more and more powerful, you can feel the passion that The Indelicates put into thier music. This is not simple, 'paint by numbers' rock but intelligent, considered rock where you are just as likely to see the band reciting a poem at an open mike session as headlining the barfly.

This was the final single from the Brighton five-some before releasing thier fantastic debut album and set the stage perfectly. After previously releasing a uniquely titled single "We Hate The Kids" as well as the joyous pop single "Sixteen", this shows the darker side of the band, full of resentment and dissalusionment at modern politics. This is revolutionary music for those not quite ready for Rage Against The Machine, pop music for the cynical. Although the lyrics are possibly the best part of this band, they have plently of songs which prove they have the musical talent and, if you havent already, you should definately give them a listen!

Heres a taste of this great band off a selection of demos Simon put together
DOWNLOAD: The Indelicates - Rebel Angels (Demo)

They call it "beginning"

2008-08-25T14:47:00.008+01:00

Hi everyone!

First of all, it's really nice to have somewhere to share my opinions and (ehh kind of?) reviews about albums, singles, gigs, festivals and bands in general. Let me just say that my taste for music is eccentric (a better for word for "strange") and that soon you'll all notice how obsessed with Mr Peter Doherty my dear Jamie is.

Well, on wednesday I'm seeing Mallu Magalhães, a Brazilian 15-year-old girl who got famous through MySpace. She sings in English and her voice is quite nice. I'm really looking forward to the gig.

Give Mallu a listen!

DOWNLOAD: Mallu Magalhães - J1
http://www.myspace.com/mallumagalhaes

Cheers!

Welcome!

2008-08-25T14:00:00.000+01:00

The first post on our new music blog! Pri and myself are going to try and reguarly update this with as many musicy posts as possible. We'll try and keep on top of any new and exciting bands as well as looking at older ones. Basically letting you know what we think is good at any time. We'll talk about whatever we are listening to and what we think, so feel free to agree or to tell us how hideously wrong we are!