"If you're a member of the BNP, don't bother listening."

If all goes to plan, the new Bloc Party album will sit snugly on my hard drive in a little under nine hours. What's more, I'm pretty excited. LP2 didn't really have anything on the modern indie classic that is Silent Alarm (at least as far as I'm concerned), but "Flux" was a fun and thoroughly danceable twist on the regular BP formula. "Mercury" made me frown at first - are Kele and co. merely being experimental for the hell of it? Then I remembered that Kid A is a strong contender for Radiohead's best album, and a few listens later the new single grew on me.

As a result of all that, I'm confident that the new album should be damned good. Bloc Party wouldn't be the first band to hit upon a masterpiece with their third LP, but perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself..

As before, I'm not so sure about the title (Intimacy), but hey, with previous titles like "Waiting for the 7.18" I guess I should just be grateful we didn't get something like "I love romance and tenderness but isn't it just so hard to get it right in this suffocating modern culture?" The post title is a suggestion for Intimacy's liner notes. Believe me, I am emphatically not a member of the BNP, and in fact would be all too happy with such a bold-faced statement.

Anyway, since I've been listening to a whole lot of Bloc Party the last couple of days in preparation, I figured I'd knock up a quick list of 5 of their best songs. Not in order, 'cos that's just too bloody hard to decide. If somehow you've never heard these folks, I recommend you start with these.

Ahem, you may have figured out I like lists by now.

"Helicopter" (from Silent Alarm)
The first Bloc Party track I heard, and a perfect example of a song I initially found irritating becoming a favourite. Some people reckon it's about George W. Bush, but I'm not so sure about that. Political subtext aside, it's a storming track with awesome, quirky guitar lines. Great fun to sing along to as well.
However, I could love this track 'til the day I die and I doubt I'd ever crack it on Guitar Hero.

"Flux" (standalone release, later included on a re-release of A Weekend in the City)
I guess Kele and pals (I'm running out of different ways to say Bloc Party, so guess I may as well use up awesome foursome now before I embarass myself) got tired of twisting drums and guitars into tracks you can move to, and instead opted for a full-blown dance number. Luckily, they pulled it off with aplomb, and also achieved the admirable feat of changing their entire instrumentation while retaining their signature sound.
Lyrically, "Flux" is fairly standard stuff. On the instrumental front however, it's sublime. A 4-minute adrenaline rush that practically demands you to get jumpin'.

"SRXT" (from A Weekend in the City)
Being a big fan of Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Bright Eyes and the like, I've been accused more than once of being into depressing music. I'm never been quite witty or clever enough to come back with anything more than mumbling "hmm, well they're only depressing if you don't listen to them properly.." However, there's no denying that the closing track of AWitC is a thoroughly morbid and downbeat affair. That's right folks, it's about suicide! Tricky territory to cover without sounding overwrought or, at worst, whiny (I do love a bit of alliteration). Bloc Party's effort is instead sparse and lonely, featuring some of their most affecting lyrics to date.

"This Modern Love" (from Silent Alarm)
I chastised Kele Okereke earlier for going down the romance route in his lyrics a little too often. On the other hand, he can do it very well indeed on songs such as this. Further proof that Bloc Party are very handy indeed at getting more from less, "This Modern Love" gently teases out a tale of frustration with modern romance. Accompanied by drums and guitar slowly building, the layers of instrumentation stack, then finally collapse. "This modern love breaks me". He's given up.

"So Here We Are" (from Silent Alarm)
My only problem with what I consider to be the highlight of Silent Alarm, is that it sets such a high benchmark that it can be hard to enjoy the following three tracks. Such is my love for this song that I firmly believe it could be a contender for my Desert Island Discs. I'll never detail the others in the same post, as I'd run out of superlatives fast.
Often I find it hard to accurately describe why a song is among my favourites without resorting to woolly stuff like "oh, well this song just soothes my soul" (a very difficult sentiment to pull off in everyday conversation without sounding like a complete and utter twat). However, it's pretty simple here. Bloc Party are one of my favourite bands, and "So Here We Are" displays them at their best. Spare, abstract lyrics, Kele's voice at his strongest yet most delicate, thickly atmospheric, layered guitars, and a beautiful culmination of all these elements at the close.
Plus, it provided the basis for a quite excellent remix by Four Tet.

Yawn, I'm really quite tired. Hope the post was enjoyable. I'll be away from teh internets over the weekend, but will hopefully have time to digest the new album over several bus and train journeys, and will post my thoughts next week. Fingers crossed they'll be uber-positive.

Until next time!

d-d-d-d-d-d-DJ!

August was really a terrible time to start a music blog. I'm penniless, haven't written anything creative or constructive in weeks, and I'm way out of touch of any live music "scene" (OK, so I only live in Winchester during term-time, not Toronto or anything like that.. but, still, it's been a while since I went to a good local gig). Nevertheless, I shall press on one way or another.

Talking of local gigs reminded me of their similarly inconsistent counterpart - the DJ set. Winchester's hardly club central, but I know a couple of places that throw down a good alternative mix. What's the key to a good DJ set, I hear you ask? Well, I don't really know. I've done a grand total of two sets in my life, and they were small pre-gig affairs, not the thumping night of floorfillers you might have heard at your local Liquid. As a discerning listener (though I still dance like a twat), however, I could easily, talking to the DJ, name some things that make me enjoy a set more.

#1: You don't have to play what everyone knows.
Alright, so a lot of people will gripe when a track they've never heard comes on. Those people need to be more open-minded. Seriously, it's awesome discovering a band like Crystal Castles, Justice, or hell, even The Flaming Lips via a dancefloor. Any music fan loves finding a new band, and there are better places to do it than MySpace.

#2: Throw in a classic every now and again.
Yeah, I know. I come on all preachy about music to dance to and then throw a fat contradiction right in your face. Deal with it!
Anyway, despite what I said about avoiding the standby floorfillers, there isn't anything quite like a.. ahem, blast from the past to get your dancing spirit soaring (didn't mean to sound like a gay dance instructor then). May I suggest "Take On Me"?

#3: Throw a curveball.
I don't mean you should literally start throwing stuff into the crowd, though that would make it a very unique set. What I mean is be inventive! As far as I'm concerned, if you can dance to it and it's a little different to the mainstream (remember, I'm talking about alternative clubs here), throw it in and mix it up, in that order. I can almost guarantee a couple of music geeks in the corner will woop at some of your more left-field track choices. If it's Aphex Twin, that'll be me.

#4: Don't talk. Ever.
Seriously, just play the damn music.

At the end of the day (or, indeed, night) atmosphere is key. You could be listening to the best playlist in the history of music, but it means little if you're stuck in a room with a bunch of arseholes. A good set always helps, though.

I'll be back soon! Will try my best not to do a list next time, but no promises.



Man, did I really say "throw down"?

02

Although, in 2008, the music world hasn't seen anything quite like the explosion of awesomeness that cinema has been privy to, we should still be thankful for some pretty fine albums. Here, in no particular order, are some highly recommended gems from the first half of the year:

Antidotes by Foals
It seems people have been talking about Foals for an awfully long time. Personally, I never much bought into the hype back when NME were raving about them (mostly because NME rave about any and every new British indie outfit). I only really sat up and took note when nonsensical but irresistible single "Cassius" started making the rounds.
Oddly enough, as soon as the album landed, everyone decided they'd had enough of Foals and promptly labelled them as "nothing special". I, on the other hand, was intrigued enough to go buy the album.
I remember hearing, sometime before Antidotes came out, that the band had binned the original mix (done by Dave Sitek) as it sounded "too empty and spacey" or something. Now I don't know what they did to the mix after Dave was done with it, but the finished product sounds pretty damn spacey to me. Funnily enough, that's what I like best about it.
Antidotes is a largely minimal, but gorgeous, record. Singles "Cassius" and "Balloons" turned out to be terrible choices as far as representing the whole album goes, although the abstract lyrics pop up in pretty much every song. In many ways it reminds me of early Bloc Party, which is no bad thing at all. "Big Big Love (Fig. 2)" in particular feels like a stripped down, more lyrically ambiguous "So Here We Are". Other standouts include "Olympic Airways", which features simple yet melodious guitar and a - genuine - yearning in Yannis' voice, and "Heavy Water", which builds to an instrumental climax that your ears will thank you for.

Saturdays = Youth by M83
While Foals debut is spare in its instrumentation and shy with emotions, the oddly-titled Saturdays = Youth is positively brimming with heart-bursting teenage soundscapes. Before you recoil in horror, this isn't a troubled emo boy bent over an acoustic guitar. Rather, it's an electronic album, its sound a tribute to '80s teen movies, with whispered vocals in the style of shoegaze.
OK.. I guess you're still shaking your head. Trust me, it's awesome. From the sombre and hushed opening of "You, Appearing" leading to the euphoria rush of stellar single "Kim & Jessie", right through to the midnight whisper that is "Too Late". The 11-minute closing track is a bizarre misstep, but hey, good to fall asleep too.

Ringer by Four Tet
OK, a bit of a cheat here. Ringer is a 4-track EP, but it's about half an hour in length so better value than most albums. Ringer sounds much like a stripped down, futuristic vision of Four Tet's earlier work. Any "folktronica" trappings have all but vanished, replaced by something more akin to minimal techno. Make no mistake, the old Four Tet is still easily recognisable. Hebden's love of clattering percussion and seemingly random (but no less wonderful) electronic squiggles are both present and correct. After several listens, it becomes apparent that Ringer has more in common with semi-ambient music such as Boards of Canada, as these tracks tend to settle into a comfortable groove and remain there, swimming along very nicely. A fairly major change from the constant shifting and shaking of a track like "Slow Jam".
Make no mistake, Ringer is a fine EP. Track titles like "Ribbons" and "Swimmer" are very appropriate for music that is ideally suited to getting lost in.

Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend
I can't help but feel that NYC-based quartet Vampire Weekend were unfairly sneered at from the start. To begin with, they're American, and considering the British music press pretty much ignore anything from beyond our shores, that's not a great start. What I also kept hearing was that these guys went to an Ivy League university, so hey, they must all be massive snobs. It took quite a few months for everyone to realise they just made great music, and - guess what - that's actually the most important thing.
Considering their eponymous debut landed in January, the album itself is a very summery affair. In particular, the rollicking (man, I love that word) drums of opener "Mansard Roof" and the breezy "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" are the perfect soundtrack to a summer stroll (if, indeed, anyone still goes on summer strolls in 2008).
Frontman Koenig turns out to be handy with lyrics too, spinning handsome yarns about student life and beyond. Short and sweet "A-Punk" is a highlight in this regard, telling a tale of two uni friends who lose touch and become separated by distance once they graduate.
Plus, keyboard player Batmanglij has the funniest name since David Ngoombujarra.

Well, if anyone is reading this, I hope my thoughts were of some use to you! It is very late now and I am well and truly knackered. I will return very soon to the interwebs!

P.S. If you're wondering, I will come up with more original post titles eventually. The numbering is simply what I'll use when I'm feeling lazy or devoid of ideas.

01

Welcome. This is a blog about music. Or at least it will be as soon as I write more posts. First, of course, I need to introduce said blog. So, here we go.

I love music. I love listening to music, reading and talking about music. Thus, in theory I should also love writing about it. I'm writing this blog to find out. Also, I'm hoping to write something entertaining, interesting, free of snobbery and funny.

I should point out now that I'm not, and have never been, a musician (well, except for when I played recorder back in Year 3). So I'm not going to be discussing tracks in terms of time signatures and double quavers or any of that jazz.

Another thing I should mention is that (in case you hadn't twigged already) I'm not a professional reviewer or anything like that. I'm just a student, and like the stereotypical student my pockets are empty. I can't afford to buy all the albums that come out, and nor do I have the time to listen to all of them on my own. Basically what I'm saying is I'll write about anything I happen to be listening to, not necessarily what's newest.

With all that out of the way, enjoy!