Parlophone now UK's Most Viewed Youtube Channel!

Parlophone was the first record company that started giving me promos back in the day... and at least a couple times they were nice enough to give me the "jump" on everyone else which helped establish this blog a little quicker. I didn't start posting their stuff to climb the ladder though... I posted it because a large portion of my favourite bands are on it! See for yourself below and remember some of the high points in Parlophone's esteemed career :) Check out more here.

Peter Doherty- "Broken Love Song"


The Verve- "Bittersweet Symphony"


Blur- "The Universal"


Radiohead- "No Surprises"


Pet Shop Boys- "West End Girls"


Hot Chip- "Ready For The Floor"


Late Of The Pier- "The Bears Are Coming"


Supergrass- "Alight"


Big thanks to David Lennon. Be back soon!

In Search Of Arcadia: Best Of 2008

Well this is a little impromptu... but as things have been going lately I'll be coming BACK to finish this post a little later. Right now Hype Machine wants my URL :)

EDIT: I'm almost done as the year is ending... BUT DON'T BE SURPRISED if it keeps changing right up until NYE lol!

I initially wrote that I wasn't pleased with music this year. Then I realized I was just in a god awful mood and remembered the boat loads of albums and singles that I loved this year! Suddenly there were more and more albums I was remembering and stuff I forgot about... so instead of being bitchy and writing about how lame things were, I'm perking up and trying to remind both you and myself how dope 2008 was...

British best of...
EDIT: Ok, I wasn't sure about this... but... I thought Radiohead didn't count because the digital version of "In Rainbows" came out like September last year. Then the boxed set came out in December 2007. Then I suddenly realized that the physical release actually came after the beginning of 2008! So if you recognize "In Rainbows" as being a 2008 release then that's my number one. If not then the list stays the same...
1. Portishead- "Third"
2. Hot Chip- "Made In The Dark" (download Hot Chip- "Sensual Seduction (Snoop Dogg Cover)")
3. The Black Ghosts- "S/t" (download Black Ghosts July 2007 Mini Mix)
4. Bloc Party- "Intimacy"
5. The Streets- "Everything Is Borrowed"
6. Foals- "Antidotes"
7. The Last Shadow Puppets- "Age Of Understatement"
8. Metronomy- "Nights Out" (download Metronomy - "A Thing For Me (Sinden Remix)" from the single of the same name)
9. Dizzee Rascal- "Maths & English" (came out in the U.S. this year which is fair play)
10. Benga- "Diaries Of An Afro Warrior"


Honourable Mentions:
The Chap- "Mega Breakfast"
Friendly Fires: "S/t"
The Whip- "X Marks Destination" (download The Whip- "Trash (South Central Remix)")
Supergrass- "Diamond Hoo Ha Man"
Late of the Pier- "Fantasy Black Channel" (not out in the U.S. til 2009; download Late of the Pier- "Space And the Woods (South Central Remix)")

Best Single:

Bloc Party's "Mercury" was my favourite single of the year. Not just because of awesome remixes from CSS and Flosstradamus but the mesmerizing b-side "Idea For A Story" (which was included on the 'indie retail' version of "Intimacy" in the U.S)... the song's tense anxious strings, it's menacing chorus, and perfect production made it stand out amongst a lot of good tracks this year. What really made it my fav though was the verse...
"When I saw you last night, I wanted to say,
`Run away with me, away from the cynics
That this could be the start of something truly real`
But all that I could say was, `hey`,
Was, `hey`, was, `hey`, was, `hey`"
...which is totally fucking brilliant in my opinion. Fantastic stuff. Now if only I could get my Bloc Party Pioneers account to present the right profile info lol...


Best Compilations: This is very difficult because pretty much everything that Fabric released was really really good. Perhaps... I'm gonna go with Fabriclive 42: FreQ Nasty and Stanton Warriors: Sessions Volume 3. There isn't a way to say one is better than the other because they were both phenomenal.
Here's a taste of that Stanton Warriors...


Best 'Best Of': Chemical Brothers: "Brotherhood" album (which came with the amazing 'Electronic Battle Weapon' tracks they've been releasing on vinyl for the last few years) was really awesome. I think I'm giving import copies of this away for Xmas lol... (download The Chemical Brothers- "Electronic Battle Weapon 8")

Best British labels: Hyperdub for sure. They haven't had one release that was anything less than bangin'... Fabric of course makes the list because they're outdoing what they did last year and keep expanding the scope of what they're doing.

Best U.S. label of the year: Ghostly International/Spectral Sound

Ghostly International/Spectral Sound for having released Michna, Osborne, Kate Simko, Tycho, School Of Seven Bells, JDSY, The Chap, and just about every other electronic or avant-pop record that you should have listened to at home or in the club.

Best E.P.s both U.S. and U.K...
Frankmusik- "3 Little Words EP"

JDSY- "Understander EP"

The Cool Kids- "Bake Sale EP"



Best of the rest... of the world...
Kanye West- "808s & Heartbreak"
Osborne- "Osborne"
JDSY- "Adage Of Known"
Sébastien Tellier- "Sexuality"
The Presets- "Apocalypso"
Flying Lotus- "Los Angeles"
Lil Wayne- "Tha Carter III"
T.I.- "Paper Trail"
Cut Copy- "In Ghost Colours"
Crystal Castles- "S/t"
Satnogold- "S/t"


Albums I'm still waiting on (that I wish would have come out this year lol)...
Kid Sister- "Dream Date", The BPA album, and of course the Frankmusik's debut full length...

And even though we only JUST saw and EP this year out of him... ARTIST OF THE YEAR (and probably next year) easily goes to Frankmusik!

Vincent Frank is the summation of everything I've hoped I'd see in an electronic pop artist in my lifetime. His favourite film is Blade Runner (which obviously informs his aesthetic and his songs)... he does his own take on streetwear culture looking like an accessible dude you'd hang out with at Fabric... and at the same time can turn around and look, not just respectable in a gray wool coat, but enigmatic and distant. He can put out a cheerfully frustrated song like "Confusion Girl" and within months give us the wistful longing of "Done Done". With Stuart Price (aka Jaques Lu Cont/Les Rythmes Digitales) working with him on his full length album, after being at the helm for grip of very successful Madonna tunes, it's obvious that he will not just be 'one to watch' but he very well may be one to change the course of crossover pop music as we know it. Unlike some of his peers (if you can even call them that) who will only be remembered for one song, Vincent Frank will endure, and by my estimation end up being one of the most important and successful songwriters of our generation. So while his output was relegated to remixes, and freebies, this year he still outperformed nearly every new British artist in every way. From how he handled the press, to how you can't pin down what he's doing next, to the fact that I haven't met a person who didn't enjoy his music, he's without question the artist of the year. This typically enthusiastic review isn't because Frankmusik is a friend of Arcadia but because he is a much needed breath of fresh air in a sometimes dismal musical landscape. Check him out at The Heaths Of Thornton. So hats off you to Vincent...

Here's Frankmusik's remix of Teef...
Teef- "Take Em Out (Frankmusik Remix)"

Best Festival Of The Year: Is very obviously Lollapalooza.

I mean... how could it not be? We got to see Radiohead and KanYe rock the pants off insanely huge crowds, saw Spank Rock get like 10,000 college ho'bags nearly dropping their pants, Flosstradamus (on Curt's birthday none the less) and Franki Chan (and our once upon a time friend? Dani Deahl) wreck the dance tent, see Foals play to a group of people so large it was most likely unsafe and then have a chat afterwards about Ghostly International, and so many more awesome moments I can't even try to write about them. Believe it or not the only thing that sucked about it was that I was ripped on Morphine (due to a tooth infection, don't get it twisted) and some of the intensity of how cool it was disappeared before my tiny pupils could transmit the info to my brain. Even then we still had a ball! Veronica of Cream Team fame put the wife and I up for the weekend, which lead to going to Todd Kane's b-day party, watching an insane show with Hollywood Holt, Mic Terror, GLC, Skyler, and then chatting with the above people... we also got to avoid the velvet rope all weekend, even finding our way in to the sold out Battles/Foals show (for an interview that never materialized). And the only bad bits were that we were 3 feet away from my ex and her best friend at the entry gate on the first day (yeah, close one, as far as I can tell she didn't notice), that interview never happened, and I got a $100 parking ticket. But all things considered it doesn't get better than that. And I got to drink for once lol...

Best Concert: Bloc Party

Apparently Bloc Pary did well this year as far as this blog is concerned lol. Bloc Party in Royal Oak (around Detroit) was amazing. It was the first official show to tour in North America for 'Intimacy' and it was blazing. Charles (of 'The Spirit Of Albion' fame) and I stood really close to the stage and got to see all the kids mobbing Kele when we jumped into the crowd. Much different than their Lollapalooza gig but in a good way. The band were at their very best and of the three times I've seen them this was the one that proved they had their live show perfected. Runner Up: Hot Chip at The Metro.

Keep your eye on this page... I'm not quite done with this 'best of' thing... but I'm working on it!

Max Tundra covers Hot Chip's "Playboy" plus throws in free mixtape!

I was mentioning well written press releases and THIS has got to be one of the best ever. As unique as the artist I'd say. Max Tundra's "Mastered By The Guy At The Exchange" became a fav of mine after running into the amazing Franz Ferdinand remix he did (which Pitchfork also gave a favorable review). It's gonna be hard for me to top the press release so enjoy the free tunes and don't sleep on "Parallax Error Beheads You"!

"Max and I met in Barcelona in 2005 at Primavera Sound. His slot was at 4am. He put on a mask, wrapped himself up in tape, and played forty minutes of music made mostly using Amiga sample tracker software from the late 1980s. There was virtuosic melodica playing, Pointer Sisters-style singing, and an eight-minute version of “So Long, Farewell” from The Sound Of Music. I was wasted and ended up passing out on a beach in my underwear. When the sun rose, I woke up with dried meringue and sand glued to my hair, and in a daze, I realized that I had just witnessed nothing less than the best music performance of my life."
--Owen Pallett, Final Fantasy

Owen's talking about Max Tundra, ever heard of him? Perhaps it was that scintillating Pitchfork review that ran yesterday, bestowing a rating of 8.5 on Parallax Error Beheads You (which, by the way, is out today in North America, in case you were caught unawares)

Maybe, it was the video of Max (Ben Jacobs to his mum and dad), talking about why it took six years to make the follow-up to Mastered By The Guy At The Exchange while whipping up the family recipe of chicken and matzoh dumpling soup that made your stomach grumble:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckacMFFCI_Q
(EDIT: The chicken soup looks good btw)


So kids you gotta check this one. It's getting a big thumbs up from me on the radio front :)

Max Tundra- "Playboy (Hot Chip Cover)"

And you have to download this or you... you... a goofy! HA! THERE! No, seriously though, it's really dope... look at the tracklisting!

Max Tundra Promo Mix

Tracklist:

Max Tundra: Orphaned
The Funky Worm: Hustle!
Jensen Sportag: Cocktease
Set The Tone: All Tied Up
Ark: Le Magicien D'Os (Mr Oizo Mix)
Linda Scott: I've Told Every Little Star
Soundhack: Rodeo
Roberto De Simone: Secondo Coro Delle Lavandale
Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer: Like Children
Skeletons & The Girl Faced Boys: Git
Von Südenfed: Fledermaus Can't Get It (Max Tundra Mix)
Mr Oizo: Patrick122
Louchie Lou & Michie One: Shout (Acapella)
Frank Zappa: Night School
The Art of Noise: Snapshot
Funk D'Void: Jack Me Off
Basti: Man At CIA
Trans Am: Cold War (A Grape Dope Mix)
Royal Trux: Money For Nothing
Thomas Bangalter: Ventura/Into The Tunnel
Ivor Cutler: The Railway Sleepers
Mint Royale: The Effect On Me (Max Tundra Mix)
George Duke: Stand
Ronnie Hazlehurst: Sorry! Theme
Busta Rhymes: Gimme Some More
The Flying Lizards: Gyrostatics
Eskaton: If
Max Tundra: Which Song
Scritti Politti: Small Talk
The Jammers: Be Mine Tonight
Gentle Giant: Interview
Mr Oizo: Skatesteak
DJ Brokenwindow: Hair, Nails, Percolator
Dominique Leone: Nous Tombons Dans Elle
The System: Now I Am Electric
10cc: Clockwork Creep
Trans-X: Digital World
Harry Merry: Bye Bye, Here's Some Stuff
Kimitaka Matsumae: Dekanime Theme
Slick: Space Bass
IQ: Beef In Box
Max Tundra: Glycaemic Index Blues
Neil & Iraiza: Wasted Time
Devo: Theme From Dr Detroit
Patrick D Martin: I Like Lectric Motors
Manfred Mann: Can't Eat Meat
Ride: Leave Them All Behind
Brandy: What About Us
Illreme: Kyou Wo Tou
Prince: Let's Go Crazy (12" Mix)
Steely Dan: Bodhisattva

There are more ideas crammed into the 41 minutes of Max Tundra’s third album than most bands manage in their whole careers. Parallax Error Beheads You, the third Max Tundra LP and his first since 2002’s Mastered By Guy At The Exchange, is a masterpiece of micro-melodies and sound-bytes; a triumph of splicing, dicing and editing. It’s an intricate mosaic of sounds and styles, some of which you might recognise from the last 30 years of pop, rock, prog, disco, funk, techno, rap, metal and soul, but many of which are completely new: either from a startling recombination of existing genres, or from Max inventing an original one himself. The attention to detail, and the sheer speed at which ideas whizz past you in the mix, will leave you stunned.
“Each song contains many facets and genres, and the starts of songs are often stylistically extremely different to how they each end up, touring via a few styles along the way,” says the man himself, going some way towards explaining why there are multiple, simultaneous or sequential, melodies during each of the 10 tracks on Parallax, and why one song can sometimes sound like seven different bands from totally different worlds playing at once—”Glycaemic Index Blues”, to name but one of the songs on the album, is like Yes playing glitch techno with Pharrell Williams fighting Todd Rundgren at the controls while Green Gartside offers his creamiest falsetto. Just call it cosmic glitch-pop R&B.

Wow. Seriously. What a press release. Go and see him and make him food kids. It's the right thing to do!

Hot Chip autographed vinyl for me :)

I mentioned in my previous post that there was some confusion with me being on the list for the amazing Hot Chip show in Chicago. Well, that was the biggest blessing in disguise ever :) As you can see from the picture above I just about fainted when I got the mail last night... big thanks to Gabby and the Hot Chip boys!

Since I'm on cloud 9 because of this perhaps I should do something to put you in the same frame of mind. If this legendary remix doesn't do it I don't know what would!

Hot Chip- "Colours (Fred Falke Remix)" YSI

And here's another more rare one for you... off the "All Filler, No Killer" tour cd...
Hot Chip- "So Free" Rapidshare

If somehow you STILL don't have "Made In The Dark" I suggest you go to record store right now and get it because you're really missing out! Also while we're on the same subject go cop the "One Pure Thought" 7" with a fire ass remix from Toddla T! It's on blue vinyl too with a sleeve that's really really really dope. In fact the sleeve is like this video for the song...


Ok, as I said I've got loads of interviews I'm working on... I'd expect Dead Kids and Adam Ficek next... keep checking back!

Hot Chip in Chicago 29/9/08

So Hot Chip was fucking crazy awesome. I had missed them coming around town like 10 times so I figured it was time to haul my ass down to Chicago and see them no matter what...

Problem was, somehow I was not on the list... now, after driving 3 hours, that'll make you a little pissed. But it has since been resolved with a lot of tact and understanding so I can't be a bitch about it... I've since been taken care of :)

The audience was way into everything, they played everything you could possibly want to hear and it was amazing... what was most amazing was this new song!

This isn't the best quality video because, like all concert videos, it distorts... but you can still get a very good sense of what this song sounds like.



Since you stopped by I imagine you're looking for some music, so here's the oft passed around cover of Snoop Dogg's "Sensual Seduction (aka Sexual Eruption)"...

Hot Chip- "Sensual Seduction" YSI

Hot Chip- "Sensual Seduction" Rapidshare

I'll be right back... as I've mentioned I have loads of stuff I need to get you guys. I'm just sort of sick which is making it difficult...

STOP THE PRESSES! WHAT? NEW HOT CHIP?!?!?

So, I'm my way to work... and what comes my way? A JESSE ROSE REMIX OF A NEW HOT CHIP TRACK...

Thought bubble: Bwahhhh???

Yeah, it made my head spin in 12 different directions too!

Here's the info...

‘READY FOR THE FLOOR’
RELEASED 28TH JANUARY ON EMI RECORDINGS

‘Ready For The Floor’ is the first single to be taken from Hot Chip’s forthcoming album ‘Made In The Dark’ released 4th February.

Hot Chip created a huge buzz earlier this year when they released the very limited Todd Rundgren sampling 12” 'Shake A Fist'.

As a firm live favourite it has been a staple of the Hot Chip set for some time, so much so that it has taken over from ‘Over and Over’ as the show closer.

For the video they have once again collaborated with Nima Nourizadeh, who directed 'Over and Over' and 'Colours' from last years’ ‘The Warning’.

Ready For The Floor features Remixes from Jesse Rose and Soulwax, Diplo remix of Shake A Fist is available on commercial formats.

To herald the release of their new album and in keeping with their tireless work ethic Hot Chip will be taking their thrilling live show all over the UK throughout the month of February.

February

14th – University, Leicester
15th – University, Leeds
16th – Academy, Manchester
18th – Pyramid Centre, Portsmouth
19th – Academy, Oxford
20th – UAE, Norwich
22nd – Wulfun, Wolverhampton
23rd – 53 Degrees, Preston
24th – Academy, Bristol
26th – ABC, Glasgow
27th – University, Newcastle
28th – Corn Exchange, Brighton
29th – Brixton Academy, London

Hot Chip - "Ready For The Floor (Jesse Rose Remix)" Rapidshare

Hot Chip - "Ready For The Floor (Jesse Rose Remix)" YSI

Hot Chip - "Ready For The Floor (Jesse Rose Remix)" zShare



Pre sale tickets for those gigs are available now at Gigsandtours.com

Make sure you pop by www.hotchip.co.uk and their Myspace.

Leave comments if you would... I'm interested to see what you guys think!

Sorry about my absence... here's THE ALIENS (Hot Chip Remix)!

My personal life has been rather turbulent recently. Can't really go in to detail but it's the type of thing that makes you stop updating your blog.

So... here's the good news... Hot Club de Paris are going to do an interview with me here soon, as they are working on their new album in Chicago at the moment... so you have something to look forward to! And I want to get an interview with both Kash, and South Central up soon too... just depends on how much energy I have I guess...

In the meantime I'll post an mp3 I was waiting for the "green light" on but I'm pretty sure has been released at this point. It certainly has made the rounds at least. Nailler 9 posted it 100 years ago, so I assume it's safe to post.

Just in case you didn't already know, this secret song I had been talking about posting was the Hot Chip remix of a song for The Aliens... The Aliens are three of the founding members of The Beta Band so they're pretty hot shit without the Hot Chip remix... Click on their name above and that will send you to their Myspace... or read more below to get an idea of what they are all about!

Here's a little bio on The Aliens for ya:

Armed with a bottomless bag of psychedelically inclined rock and acid dipped electronics, The Aliens bring a freedom of spirit and a certainty of intent that immediately sets them out from the current crop of guitar slingers. Inspired by Sergio Leone and Serge Gainsbourg, Brian Eno and Brian Wilson, Larry David and Ol' Dirty Bastard, their songs in the key of Fife reference the past whilst belonging resolutely to the future.

Their Leader is the mysterious superhero Nighthawk - a melodic refugee from the future, sent back to the 21st century from a time where health and safety have deemed his music hazardous. Hiding from several government agencies under the inconspicuous name Gordon Anderson, his self assigned mission in this cetury is to fight the melodic crime that is mainstream pop.

Some time ago, John Maclean AKA Eddie Candles was unearthed from an Bronze Age camp where he had been languishing for anything upto 4000 years. Undergound, he kept himself entertained mainly by humming to himself. Now awake, aware and renamed (twice) he is busily transferring his refined oral melodies to keyboard.

Pungous Nightbread began life as a member of high society, Born unto Cardinal Nightbread and the Duchess of Leith. However, his fortunes soon took a turn for the worse as his parents entrusted his wellbeing to a goose, after learning to comunicate with his guardian using tapping... he became something of a drummer/goose hybrid...casting aside his human name to become Robin Jones...GooseDrum

And here is the most awesome track you'll hear all week (if you don't already have it)!


The Aliens- "Robot Man (Hot Chip Remix)" YSI

The Aliens- "Robot Man (Hot Chip Remix)" Rapidshare

Here's the video for "Robot Man"... get the song while you can because I'm not going to keep it up long! You should go out and guy their album "Astronomy For Dogs"... it's constantly in my cd player in my car right now...
The Aliens - Robot Man

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Have a good one. I'll try to post again soon, and in the meantime I'll be getting that Hot Club de Paris shizznit ready... Talk to you soon!

OH YEAH... Don't forget to visit ASTRALWERKS... the greatest label in all of America! I love them very dearly and they put out a LOT of the music that ends up on this site! So check them out and fall in love with something new (or something you forgot about... Photek anyone?)




P.s. Joining eMusic by clicking on the above image makes me money and give me more time to post quality stuff for you guys. Check it out! They've got more awesome shit that you could even dream of... If you like dubstep? You better sign up NOW! Show the record industry that we WILL buy digital records! Thanks guys... oh yeah... and please leave comments!

The Neverending Download Queue

So I finally figured it out... how to get any and every song ever in the history of the world.... and now my hard drive is filling up so fast I don't know what to do. There is no way in hell I will ever be able to listen to all this music if I keep downloading at the pace I've had for the last couple of days.

In the last two days I've found albums I'd lost YEARS ago that I've been dying without and I couldn't be happier to have them back. I'd be lying if I said I didn't nab some pre-releases as well but you guys know I end up buying them anyway so it's all good... It's hard to decided whether I should post some of that stuff but... I figure I might as well. The point is to get you guys hyped to buy the album, right?

I don't need to give an into to NYPC... I've posted enough about them already... they have a new album coming out called Fantastic Playroom... if you liked their other stuff you'll love this. You can buy it the day it comes out... don't even need to hear what it sounds like.. trust me... well then again if you don't just download this!

New Young Pony Club- "Grey"



I take pride in the fact that, as far as I can tell, I'm the first person to post this so far on the internet... To My Boy rock... nuff said... er... buy the album.. it's called Messages.... and if that's not enough info refer to earlier posts... I'm in a hurry and I'm tired!

To My Boy- "Eureka"



And this may not be the NEWEST thing on the block but it's baller... I fucking love this guys and I'm sure you do to... I hope their record company gives me the album early (pretty please!).... Hopefully you all caught the Black Ghosts mixtape last week...

The Black Ghosts- "Any Way You Choose To Give It (Playgroup Remix)"

And instead of something new... how about something really old... like something off the 2001 Hot Chip Sanfrandisco E-Pee?

Hot Chip- "Making Tracks"

Ok, I'm done for the night... I've got DEMF all weekend and I can't be bothered to keep typing... hope this whet your whistle for all these awesome upcoming albums.

P.s> OH.. before I forget... even though this isn't British... when the Matthew Dear album comes out? Buy it. It's amazing.

WHOO HOO!!! PARTY!!!

OH yeah... how you like these apples. I've had a counter up for roughly 2 months (give or take a day) and I broke 20,000 hits this morning. That is totally mental to me... 20,000 hits in such a short period of time! Since I couldn't have done it without you (well I suppose I could have but that would have been pretty crazy) so I'm going to try to give you the BEST British "BEST OF" I can come up with! I haven't quite finished my list so instead it's just going to be a rough overview of the best bands/tracks of the year...

LET'S GET IT STARTED (shoot the imaginary stereo for playing BEP.. cause they suck... and WILL leave wet spots on your couch!)

I would say my favourite song of the year is probably "Boy From School" by Hot Chip... it's perfect mixture of Simon & Garfunkle melancholy and filter house grooves was the most amazing musical combo this year (next to Timberlake/Timbaland but that's another story... here's the Erol Alkan Rework...

Hot Chip- "Boy From School (Erol Alkan's Extended Rework)"

Then we have a track from The Streets... it's pretty obvious that "Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living" is going to make a lot of people's lists this year... but this track (which is an improvement on the already great original) will likely be overlooked...

The Streets- "When You Wasn't Famous (Professor Green Remix)

And of course Arctic Monkeys are the most important band of the year... the new 'Oasis'... and I don't need to tell you anything about them... here's a live one from KCRW!
Arctic Monkeys- "Fake Tales Of San Francisco (Live @ KCRW)"

I don't know a lot about Sunshine Underground other than the name is from a Chemical Brother's song... but they are pretty sweet.. here's a fun live track from the London Calling festival...
Sunshine Underground- "Commercial Breakdown (Live @ London Calling, Amsterdam 1.4.06)"

Guillemots (which I STILL do not know how to pronounce) wrote one of the most touching albums this year (in fact 'Trains To Brazil' easily will make it into my ten best songs of the year) and this is a beautiful b-side off their EP...

Guillemots- "Sea Out (B-Side)"

I wanted to post the video for "Trains To Brazil" as well... it's fucking awesome...


I know I mainly talk about Pete Doherty but his former partner Carl Barat, and his band Dirty Pretty Things, are just as relevant and just as exciting as the Libertines use to be... however without the drama that Babyshambles were surrounded by DPT were largely overlooked this year... and so was this bonus track at the end of their album... (if you buy the limited edition vinyl version this is on the bonus 7 inch.. sweet song)

Dirty Pretty Things- "B.U.R.M.A (Hidden Track)"

Ah the Kooks... my friend Lolly, who is mates with them, introduced me to them earlier this year just prior to the "THEY ARE FROM MUSIC SCHOOL" backlash... because of this I have no tainted view about them and really enjoyed their album... this is a wicked cover of Gnarls Barkley...

The Kooks- "Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover @ Radio 1 Live Lounge)"

...and speaking of covers, and speaking of The Kooks, Lily Allen hit both bases this year while taking the piss at the same time... after making a bunch of remarks on how worthless The Kooks were she went ahead and did this at Radio 1's Live Lounge as if to beat them at their own game... then to prove she was still indie friendly she dueted with Alan from The Rakes... game, set, match!

Lily Allen- "Naive (Kooks Covere @ Radio 1 Live Lounge)"

If you've been reading this blog you know I love dance music... and Klaxons were the biggest thing to happen this year in British dance music... this is a demo version of their cover version of the old rave classic 'The Bouncer' (that was a mouthful)!

Klaxons- "The Bouncer (Demo Version)"

Here is an AWESOME 2 part Klaxons performance... fucking ace...



This song is about a girl being raped and killed... I think... that's a bit dark for me so instead I just bop around not listening to the words.. works well.. you should try it... anyway.. Larrkin Love's skank funk was so successful they almost beat Babyshambles for the best white reagee influenced band this year! Here's a live rendition of the song from London Calling festival...

Larrikin Love- "Happy As Annie (Live @ London Calling, Amsterdam)"

Of course no 'best of' comp would be complete without the next Arctic Monkeys The View... they haven't quite taken the world by storm but you can TRUST they will be on my 2007 list as well.. these guys are going to take over the world.. and this song will help them do it! Here's a demo of their biggest track thus far... an homage to their friends the Wasted Little Djs...

The View- "Wasted Little DJs (Demo)"

The Fratellis are little lad rock-y for me... BUT I generally still dig them just because I like overly masculine bands with insane egos (Kasabian, Oasis)... and these guys have got that one nailed!

The Fratellis- "Dirty Barry Stole The Blackbird (B-side)"

Ahhhh... The Pipettes... the prettiest girls you've never met... this track was a refreshing step away from the norm with one of the most catchy choruses in 06... here's a live one from Radio 1's Blue Room...

The Pipettes- "We Are The Pipettes (Live @ Radio 1's Blue Room)"

...and why not just give you their super weird Austin Powers-esque video...


...and last but not least... my favourite midget Lady Sovereign... I think I already posted this but this is one of the songs that didn't make it to the album... I heard her do it live and it's a nice addition to any Sov collection (for all you completists out here)! This is actually from 2005 and got a 4 star review over at Pitchfork...

Lady Sovereign- "The Broom (B-Side)"

Actually here is sort of what that sounded like...


So that's that! I will (as I said) still be doing a 'best of list' before Christmas and will keep giving you more tracks from this years best artists until the 1st (if everything goes to plan)... so, thanks again for stopping by and PLEASE feel free to leave comments!

P.s. If we blow through a BUNCH of these YouSendIt links really fast I will throw some other sort of links up if you guys request them!