The XX - Crystallised

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

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

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

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?

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!

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

Mercury Music Winner - ELBOW

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

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

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

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