Look, I'm now all playstation 3-d up, so let's not take too long about this.... hey! No need to look quite so upset about that, eh?
“Never Miss A Beat” – Kaiser Chiefs
I was reading an article on the Guardian today about bands who sold millions of copies of their first album or two and then just seemed to drop off a cliff. Perhaps not coincidentally, many of the bands used as examples were what you might describe as "landfill indie".... who probably disappeared because everyone realised that they weren't all that good in the first place. The Kaiser Chiefs feature, of course, because their first album sold 2m copies, their second 800,000, their third 200,000 and their fourth almost nothing (but that "choose your own album" thing they tried with that always stank of desperation, didn't it?). The article (or one of the commentators, I forget) point out that their singles were great at the start and then... probably from "Ruby" onwards, dropped right off. An immediate counter to that, someone else pointed out, is this song, from their 3rd album. Hmmm. Well, it's catchy, I'll grant you that, but it's no "I Predict a Riot" is it? I finally saw them live at Glastonbury this year, and in spite of their much vaunted reputation in concert, I found them decidedly meh.
“Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros” – Flight of the Conchords
They call me the Hiphopopotamus
My lyrics are bottomless...
errrrm.
Love the Conchords. Saw the guy who robs them in this episode in something on the telly the other night, and it immediately made me:
a) earworm this
b) want to watch the episode.
“Stripper Vicar” – Mansun
I've been meaning to get this album for ages. I was living in York when it came out, and my weird housemate Dan really liked them, so it sort of put me off. It seems to have been reclaimed as a classic. Well, I'm not sure about that, but it does have a couple of brilliant songs, and they did have a bassist called Stove, so....
“The Trooper” – Iron Maiden
Because you can't beat a bit of Maiden.... especially when you could do with a bit of a lift when you're out for a jog and it feels like you're running in treacle. You're still running in treacle, but now you have the zombie armies of the Crimea chasing after you. Great motivation.
“Station Approach” - Elbow
Because Elbow are amazing, and I think that this remains my favourite album by them. The new one has definitely grown on me, but it's still not my favourite album of 2011. Still Noah and the Whale, kids. Even if I want to punch them every time I see them on TV. Does that guitarist look like he's joined the wrong band or what?
“Tender” – Blur
Blur at Glastonbury playing this song in 2009, and then having a bit of a moment as the crowd sing it back in spades. Best live moment of any gig I have ever been to anywhere, I reckon. Genuinely an emotional moment.
“Kingdom of Rust” – Doves
I was in Manchester this week. Apart from seeing a lot of light blue football shirts, I heard an absolutely awful version of "This Charming Man" on a store PA and started earworming Doves. A lot. I love how downbeat and lovely this song is. Suits Manchester to the ground. Even the shiny, new bits.
“The Opener” – The Courteeners
"Falcon" is still a brilliant record. I doubt they'll get much credit for it, but it belies their early laddish reputation by being really quite good without any (well, much...) of that bullshit Kasabian swagger.
“United States of Eurasia” - Muse
Why split these states
When there can be only one?
Yeah, alright... so it's
“What She Said” – The Smiths
Purely for the lyric:
It took a tattooed boy from Birkenhead
To really, really open her eyes
I've been listening to "Vauxhall and I" this week. The last time Morrissey really had it, do you think?
“My Star” – Ian Brown
I've been earworming this more or less non-stop. I loved the Roses when I saw them live, but I have to say that on the three occasions that I have seen King Monkey, he's been awful. He strikes me as a decent sort, but he's been unbearable onstage and apparently unable to carry a tune in a bucket. Good luck to you if you've got tickets for their gigs in the summer, but it has to be a risk. And, oh my goodness, can you imagine the crowd? Still, I think this was Brown's first solo single, and I remember listening to it in the car as I drove down to watch James at Oxford Poly on a Thursday night in June 1998.
Space exploration for nuclear stations
NASA corrupters, jewelled abductors
Space exploration, an excursion to the stars
On a military mission, on a military journey to Mars
I've no idea what he's on about, but I can't deny that it's been stuck in my head all week..... good record. God Speed John Glenn....
Right. And that's your lot. Have a good weekend. I'm off to try and find where the iPlayer option is on my Playstation. I don't want to use it now, like, but I know it should be there.....
Have a good weekend, y'all.
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