Justin Vernon & The Roots

So while many are still watching the throne (and racing all over East London to find it) here's something a little different. Two 21st century legends jammed for the sake of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon featuring the trademark auto tuned vocals of Justin. The performance was a more ambient take on Perth than the original courtesy of The Roots and ?uestlove's drumming (and head bobbing) set the tone as he always does. It may be a litte presumptuous to say history was made in that room, but I'm going to say it anyway.

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James Vincent McMorrow

His name may sound like he's a Victorian poet writing sonnets in his attic, but he's actually a singer-songwriter from Ireland. His voice is refreshingly gentle, so much so that the wind could carry away his words at any second. The notes melt into each other, leaving you wishing that they lasted longer so you could savour them. If  you'd like comparisons (which I hate but seem to use frequently) he's a cross between James Blake, and the rustic, folkier cousin of Justin Vernon. Most importantly, he's a beautiful storyteller. Granted, anything he sings sounds good anyway.

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Sweet, sweet music

James Blake & Bon Iver. There are so many thing I could say, but I'll just let the music do the talking.

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Albums that deserve a listen

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Bon Iver is that band that makes you want to wear checkered shirts, become a lumberjack and move to a cabin in a secluded Alaskan wood. You may not want to feel this way in summer, but somehow it fits in perfectly well with traipsing around London, sightseeing in Paris and the flights that come in between. This album has been out for approximately two months and it's one of the best albums of the year.

Watch The Throne - Jay Z & Kanye West
I'm a hip hop fan. Far from obsessive but close enough to appreciate. I wrote an article on how I wasn't sure it was revolutionary (I post it up soon) but I think I've changed my mind. Hip hop has grown stale and boring. It may be because it's such a hyped up project and it features 4 amazing artists, but Watch The Throne makes me excited to listen to hip hop again. If that isn't revolutionary, I don't know what is.

SBTRKT - SBTRKT
He could have easily done an album that would be popular and continued to rinse the ever popular sounds of European dance and dubstep. Instead he stuck with the two-step and house that those at Plastic People know him for. It features Sampha, Little Dragon, Roses Gabor and Jessie Ware; three of whom are homegrown London artists who may or may not become incredibly famous but have masses of talent and even more credibility. He hasn't changed, whether he's playing with Drake for OVO or in an underground party in East London.

Frank Ocean - Nostlagia, Ultra
I've played this album an excessive amount to the point where the line between love and hate is becoming blurred. He's just different. He samples every genre under the sun and he has forever returned r'n'b to a place that doesn't just have to talk about clubs and sex.

Metronomy - The English Riviera
A gig or festival is sometimes the kick in the backside you need to listen to the album of a band you love but are too lazy to bother with. Unfortunately, it took Wireless to remind me that they are what I love about British electro/pop. They unashamedly make you feel like you've been transported to the place where all the unwanted musical ideas from the 80s are, only this time they're acceptable. Expect saxophone solos. Then they have this whole different game with their lyrics. It's poetry Tennyson would be proud of. Well not quite...

Of course I know from my own experience that someone telling you to listen to an album may send you in the opposite direction. If that's true for you, DON'T listen to these albums.

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I’m ever open ears and open eyes

New Bon Iver my lovelies. For Emma, Forever Ago was the last album, way back in 2007. Prepare for a beaut. With 'mainstream success' people at least know he exists because of Kanye and Birdy. (Obviously 'true fans' have liked them since they started, pre-mainstreamity.) Hop over to Hype Machine.
First Perth, then Calgary, then Towers. Expect more tear-jerkers and profound lyrics. Let's be honest, Justin Vernon wants us all to sit home on saturday nights constantly refreshing tumblr pages through tear filled eyes and listening to his music. It's made to be bittersweet and depressing. We love it that way.
His label, Jagjaguwar, released all the lyrics on their website, so get learning super fans.

Album is out 21st of June.

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New Music

With artists like Rebecca Black (I don't care if it was a Bob Dylan cover) getting credible air play on our radios, I almost agree with my Dad about the fact that there was nothing greater than his generation. Everything was new and original. People didn't sample the crap out of songs, and when they did, it at least sounded good *take note Black Eyed Peas.

But then I hear people like Ghostpoet, Zoo Kid, Aloe Blacc, MNEK, Bon Iver, OFWGKTA, Anisa, Ellie Goulding, Foals,  Laura Marling and Adele and I sit and think 'Are you mental?!'

If music gets better than this I will explode. We're in an era where it's okay to fuse indie and rock influences with rap without being a gangster who 'smacks up his hoes'. It's okay to love music that is chopped and screwed with until it's totally unrecognisable. You don't have to sing. Gil Scott-Heron and Scroobius Pip taught me that.You can mash up as many songs as you want and still call it music. Finally British artists are realising they don't have to put on an American accent. Kanye made it acceptable. Dubstep can be in the charts without sounding too 'mainstream'. Jamie XX can and will work with Drake, and I'm pretty sure Florence already has (see Drake live post).


People have to accept the noughties. They happened. They were mostly crammed with horrible pop bands such as A1 and Aaron Carter (Spice Girls are still legends). Towards the end they were a little less terrible. Foals or White Lies or half the urban music scene would have ever seen the light of day had they never happened. A fair few would miss the face melting bass of Katy On A Mission. After all, good must come from the bad. Especially the really bad.

So maybe the UK and the rest of the music industry in general had a little bad patch. I'm pleased to announce we have entered the Golden Era.

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2011

My dearest readers, (though I'm not sure I have any) I have blogged ridiculously so far, and I hope to be just as annoying this coming year. I've decided to calm it down a bit though. I mainly posted so much in these first few months because I felt I had to prove I have a semi-decent taste in music. Bit bored of that, therefore I'm going to go for quality rather than quantity. Especially with these A levels. Hope you have a good year. Speak to you soon, if a little less often.

Here's a late Christmas present. Got a little bit obsessed over the holidays.

And two for the price of one. An oldie but a goody.

P.S. Check out the Madbury Club's 2010 run down. It's the best you'll find.

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