My Top 10

Personally this year is already off to a flyer, posting this on the night entering into May, so much has been released, so much quality and so many albums i'm yet to even pay my attention to. With artists like Weezer, Death Cab for Cutie, Conor Oberst and the Hold Steady with follow up albums just around the corner, there's so much to look forward to. Here is my scathing list of songs i've paid a great deal of attention to thus far.


1. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Hopscotch Willie

Throwing out his most jammiest set of songs yet, I can't go past HW, just bouncy and great throughout.

2. British Sea Power - No Lucifer

Simon summed it up well, brilliance. I'll be listening to this for the rest of the year no doubt.

3. Constantines - Million Star Hotel

Slow burning rock opus, the grunge guitar sound returns as does the enchanting gravely voice. No one seems to care much about these guys though I've noticed. The Feist song aint too bad either.

4. Destroyer - Plaza Trinidad

Dan Bejar will be rememberd for his songwriting no doubt, and this is no exception, terrifc melody and magical guitar work.

5. Hot Chip - Out at the Pictures

Great rocknroll electronic song, probably only rivaled by LCD. If you're not dancing by the 1st 30 seconds you have no soul.

6. Death Cab For Cutie - I Will Possess Your Heart

Delivering immensley on the long winded krautish style jam as promised this see's DCFC in a different light altogether and i've definitley eaten it up, have you? it'll be interesting to see how fans feel about the upcoming album I hope it follows in the same vein of this song. Consider me impressed.

7. Wolf Parade - Call it a Ritual

The album is out soon and this is the first snippet, and what a fine snippet it is. The pianos just bend. I wonder how many mobile phones Mr Krug has.

8. Cut Copy - Feel the Love

An opening track I just can't seem to skip. With a bunch of great Aussie albums still to be released this year, this will be hard to top.

9. Atlas Sound - Recent Bedroom

Can't get enough of that Deerhunter sound, this is the next best thing. Thanks Mr Cox

10. Tapes n Tapes - Blunt

Not a massive fan of this band but there's a few tracks on the new album "Walk it Off" that i really dig and this one has been of my most played of the year. Incoherent rock and roll, i dig.

Feature - Top 10 Songs Of 2008 So Far

Due to the initiative shown by Mr. Beardmore, we’ve (or rather, he) decided to knock this little feature together so that things don’t get too stale from our end.

Thus far in 2008, there’s been a profusion of quality on the song front and with four months of the year almost passed, here are some of our respective favourite songs, thus far. Sean may number his top 10 beauties, however due to my mind changing like the English weather, I’ve decided just to give you 10 without any preference. Enjoy!

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Baltimore

It seems Mr. Pavement has been hanging out with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and he's used the time quite usefully, aspiring to the jam tendencies his alternative rocking hombre has made his own over the last 25 years. For six minutes and 37 seconds, this tracks has fuzzy guitar jams, lo-fi bass lines and those trademark vocals from Malkmus whose never called a spade a spade. Definitely the epicentre of what Real Emotional Trash is all about.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – More News From Nowhere

Was Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! a surprise to any of you? Probably not! Nick Cave has always been capable of closing albums in jaw-dropping fashion and he may have just reached the pinnacle of doing just that with this track. “And it’s getting strange in here, yeah it’s getting stranger every year”. I don’t want to reek with sentiments towards the man, but you know; some things just have to be done.

Constantines – Life Or Death

There’s so many highlights on the new Constantines album, so I thought I’d go for the most climatic song out of the bunch, which is what the above essentially is. Hospital beds and patients are often the topic throughout Kensington Heights, and with the intensity this track portrays, things do point to towards an autobiographical nature. Either way, this is a great track that needs more listeners holding an ear to it.

British Sea Power – No Lucifer

Single of the year (okay, I said I wasn’t doing the number thing, but you know). Whatever people begrudgingly say about British Sea Power’s new album trying to follow the shadows of The Arcade Fire, to me, they can use the highway. This song has the pulling power like a salesman who could sell ice to Eskimos. The melody is just something else and puts their UK contemporaries of today to absolute shame.

Atlas Sound - Bite Marks

With the production very reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, this song best represents what Bradford Cox has set out to achieve with Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. The bass line hides under a looped synth and Cox's slow vocal drawl that all comes out in the wash with a brooding effect, but indeed a catchy one at that.

A Silver Mt.Zion & Tra La La Band – 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons

“I just want some action” screams Efrim Menuck. Quite ambiguous in an unambiguous way, if that makes sense? Some people just can’t build a relationship with this band, due to Menuck’s highly unconventional vocal wails. But like I said in my review, there’s a nice bridging in gap between the music and vocals with this album, and the title track is the peak out of the bunch, which I believe is the band’s finest yet.

Cut Copy – Heart on Fire

The crowd this Melbourne trio caters for are one of my personal disdains of the modern music society. Scarves and t-shirts, anybody? However, fair's only fair and after all, you can't choose your fanbase; they do make a killer pop song, and this one is just that. The melody is pop redefined and is destined to reach a wider audience. For a band that has made music that’s always threatened to move down the more popular paths, the threat is no longer.

Daturah – Vertex

Germany’s finest post rock band may not be on many peoples radar, but as far as post rock goes, this tune is right up there. With swelling grooves and climatic guitars, this one is a must hear. Do yourself a favour, folks; if you don’t want to indulge in instrumental music for an hour, then at least do it for 15 minutes by listening to this track. You’ll not be disappointed!

Destroyer – Introducing Angels

Maybe the most simplistic track on Trouble In Dreams, but you know what they say; simple, but effective. The repeated lyrics delivered by Daniel Bejar and his nasal like vocal are met with a neat rhythm that gives a fitting outcome indeed. Not to mention that the track itself fits well around the others on the album.

Boris – Next Saturn

After seeing the Japanese rock ‘n’ roll extraordinaire live, my appreciation for Smile has grown immensely over the past couple of weeks. By saying that, this song has prevailed and made it to the list. The samples make this a brilliant listen, while Takeshi’s vocals follow the music, much like a lot of the vocal work on this album does. Like the Constantines record, I could pick various other tracks, but this is the one that’s pushing the right buttons at the moment.


By Simon K

Album Review - Portishead

Portishead – Third
[Island; 28/04/2008]

To say it’s been a while between drinks for Portishead could be the understatement of the century (it’s up to you, Axl!). We all know the effect that Dummy had on the world all those years ago, while Portishead’s sophomore self-titled affair also left many of their contemporaries in a sense of awe. So, a new era, a new sound and it’s no better place to unleash the beast that is Third.

Due to the band’s idleness with the music world for so long, Third could be described as something that’s gone full-circle. With Beth Gibbons leading from the front with her moody vocal splendor, this is the only trait that – at times - seems familiar with previous sounds we associate with the band, as the instrumentation drastically takes a more upbeat shift from time to time. ‘Silence’ begins with subtle guitar work and syncopated beats that starts off this diverse trend, however in saying that, ‘Hunter’ is more of what we’d expected from the trip-hop pioneers, with somber ripples of sound dictating proceedings.

The guitar twang through ‘Nylon Smile’ is a nice undercurrent for Gibbons to shed her vocal grandeur, while ‘We Carry On’ could pose as the busiest track on the album, led by a guitar riff almost hand picked by Bernard Sumner of his Joy Division days.

If anyone doubted Portishead’s so called “return”, then ‘Machine Gun’ is to prove the doubters wrong. With Geoff Barrow producing a swelling industrious loop that overshadows Gibbons’ vocals, it could rank as one of the best tracks the band has penned yet.

Some artists just have an edge that will always be with them no matter what, and Portishead are undoubtedly one of those acts. 11 years is too long in anyone’s book and to be honest, no one is worth waiting for in this amount of time. However, Portishead weren’t asking to be waited on. They’ve seen various music scenes come and go over the past 11 years, equally brushing it all aside and creating their own thing, equating with something worthy and once again groundbreaking.

By Smon K

Album Review - Constantines

Constantines – Kensington Heights
[Arts & Crafts; 28/04/2008]

The Constantines brim with solidarity and this has been the case since the opening note off their self-titled debut album. With a sound encapsulated with abrasive grooves, acutely wrangled guitar riffs, rumbling bass lines and a gravel throated delivery from front-man, Bryan Webb, their template manages to embed itself in the hearts of many music followers. Thankfully, their fourth opus, Kensington Heights continues the trend.

Due to the quality of these songs, it’s evident that natural progression has prevailed within the band. They’ve made so much awe-inspiring music that it’s hard to believe they’ve flown under the radar for so long. If they were the World’s best kept secret, then that could soon change.

‘Hard Feelings’ is a raucous opener and lead single, with a disjointed drum line and Webb’s uncanny way of just letting the words roll out of his mouth without even caring about the rhythms his band-mates knock out. ‘Trans Canada’ possesses a bass line that beings like a motor running, only to be cut off at the pass by those intricate guitar pieces this band has made a living off by delivering. The short and sweet flow of ‘Credit River’ is modern music delivered at its finest, while ‘Life or Death’ is an epic notion that’s almost too much to handle.

If you take the charisma of Bruce Springsteen and the crushing tempo shifts of Fugazi and throw them into a bull ring then you’d get the Constantines. Kensington Heights is arty so much that it’s poetic, while the raw edge of rock ‘n’ roll that gauges at your ears is about as working class as music in 2008 could possibly be.

By Simon K

NME FUTURE 50

50. Nova Dando & Petra Storrs (Designers)
49. eMusic
48. Franki Chan (DJ)
47. Ian Rogers (Software developer)
46. Adem
45. Spank Rock
44. Owen Pallett (Producer)
43. James Rutledge (Remixer)
42. Strange Place Club (Promoters)
41. The Hype Machine
40. Honey Owens (Atlas Sound/Valet and Rad Summer)
39. The Horrors
38. David Brewis (Producer, Promoter, Field Music)
37. Mike Skinner
36. HeartsRevolution
35. NASA (Supergroup)
34. Tony Allen (Percussionist)
33. Ladyfest (Festival)
32. Diplo
31. Sam Kilcoyne (Founder Underage Festival)
30. Huw Stevens (DJ)
29. JME
28. The Futureheads
27. Bjork
26. Samuel Dust (Late of The Pier)
25. Tetonik Kids of France
24. Alex Hancock (Head of music for Skins)
23. Danja (Producer)
22. James Ford (Producer)
21. Santogold
20. Jonathon Ive (iPod designer)
19. The Canadian Government (Subsidies to bands)
18. Kate Moross (Designer)
17. Dirty Projectors
16. Last.fm
15. Geoff Barrow (Portishead)
14. Italians Do It Better (Label)
13. Wiley
12. Dev Hynes (Lightspeed Champion)
11. Club Smell
10. Crystal Castles
09. Alex Turner
08. Damon Albarn
07. Rick Rubin
06. Saam (Video director)
05. Burial
04. Fucked Up
03. Radiohead
02. MIA
01. David Sitek

In the latest issue, NME have concocted a list of sorts upon the future of music. Some I totally agree with, some are WTF? and then I think about all the possible artists they've deliberately missed. I'm not sure Dave Sitek deserves a number one slot but I'm pretty fine with that.

What do you think?

Album Review - Sleepercar

Sleepercar – West Texas
[Doghouse Records; 22/04/08]

Jim Ward has always threatened to dabble into the World of alternative country music. Although releasing his debut solo EP last year, his Sleepercar project has been in the works since the days of At The Drive In. The results end in the band’s debut album, West Texas.

With the sounds of Wilco heavily in the mix, Sleepercar is Jim Ward’s way of an outlet from the rigours of his main priority these days that is Sparta. Jeff Tweedy is all over ‘Heavy Weights’ and ‘Wednesday Nights’, despite Ward delivering the respective tracks with gusto. His band mates get into the action throughout the album, too with ‘Wasting My Time’ and ‘Fences Down’ decreasing the tempo bringing more of a country feel towards things.

In terms of quantity, Jim Ward’s Quiet EP has more of an alt-country feel to it as apposed to Sleepercar’s West Texas, with the latter sounding like a Sparta off-cuts album from time to time. Opener, ‘A Broken Promise’ and ‘Sound the Alarm’ both lead this notion, with Ward’s vocals along with the top-heavy chord progressions rising to prominence.

Overall, there’s something in this for followers of Sparta and At The Drive, but personally, I’m much more intrigued in what Ward has to offer on a solo front as apposed to throwing a couple of various El Paso hombres into the studio like he has done to release this latest batch of songs.

By Simon K

Film Review

Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 3/5 (Released 17th April 2008)

That's a solid 3 by the way. Another notch on the Apatow production belt continuing in the tradition of his latest "dramedy" films.

The film never reaches levels of massive awesome but it was great fun all the way through. Awesome TV Cast, Nick Andopolis (Segel, who also wrote it), Veronica Mars (Bell), Jackie Burkhart (Kunis), Kenneth Parcell (McBrayer) with the regular alum of Paul Rudd, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill and Carla Gallo etc with a special appearance by Jason Bateman. English comedian, Russell Brand was pure awesome.

It's kind of cool to see the Freaks and Geeks guys get some spotlight even if nobody really knows about it/or them. Basically a familiar plot filled out with good jokes, plausible characters and a predictable but somewhat sweet ending.

lol on the Segel nakedness.




Gone Baby Gone - 4.5/5 (Released 17th April 2008)

First I'll say how long i've anticipated this film but damn, it's a rare occasion I give films this score but I think this film earns it for many reasons. For one, Cudos for Affleck on a brilliant directorial debut.

The film never dull or lacking in intrigue, you can really feel the authentic Boston dialect, plus exceptional performances all round but mainly to Casey Affleck, dude is massively brilliant.

The end approaches and as the story untangles you may either be surprised or unphased by the twist but it's the ending that is heartbreaking. The last scene is one I'll remember for a long time.


Sean