Trade all your heroes in for ghosts in for ghosts in for ghosts They’re always the one’s who love you most love you most love you most
Your love alone – is not enough not enough not enough It’s what you felt it’s what you said what you said what you said
You said the sky would fall on you fall on you fall on you Through all the pain your eyes stayed Blue they stayed Blue Baby Blue
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough by Manic Street Preaches feat. Nina Persson (The Cardigans) Taken from album Send Away The Tigers [2007] Single released 30th April 2007 Track length 03m55s
What's more depressing than a catch pop song about suicide? And interesting choice of guest collaboration by the band, the appearance of The Cardigan's frontwoman Nina Persson sure does give this track a little more attention that it should be getting. It's a nice song nonetheless.
Well, you told me about nowhere Well, it sounds like someplace I'd like to go
Oh, it could've been, should've been Worse than you would ever know Well, the windshield was broken But I love the fresh air, y'know (The dashboard melted but we still have the radio)
Dashboard by Modest Mouse [USA] Dashboard/Education/Little Motel 7"
Taken from album We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank [2007] Single released 13 March 2007 Track length 04m 08s
First single off Modest Mouse's 6th studio release - the rather ambiguous title: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank is brilliant single Dashboard. Depends how one choose to interpret the lyrics, but as Modest Mouse always do with their song, there's a lot than what's seen on the surface. Basically this song, really is pretty much about looking for the good in bad, shit happens but we all gotta move on. However, digging it deeper, this song is filled with sarcastic environmentalist undertones, with a lot of subtle references to current environmental issues. In fact, not only this song but the whole album's concept revolves around global warming.
到底想怎樣最近似乎每個歌手都很愛玩中國風﹐有些唱的真的很難聽﹐聽了會很想去死,啊就連一向吹著日本搖滾風格的F.I.R也認不住來了一點中國風。F.I.R. 一向來給我的感覺其實並不是很好﹐ 他們的音樂和造型包裝擺明就是在學日本的大無限樂團[Do As Infinity]。就連團名都要學 Do As Infinity 的。 D.A.I. (Do As Infinity) vs F.I.R. (Fairyland in Reality). 靠﹐ 什麼東西啊﹐台灣人還真的是很妙呢。 也許就可能是因為我還真的很喜歡DAI的音樂所以我不知道我是恨F.I.R. 好沒有創意還是我很喜歡他們的音樂因為咋聽之下F.I.R. 根本就是D.A.I.在唱中文。 無法否認f.i.r. 的確是有勢力的啦﹐要不然他們不會又紅又得金曲獎﹐有每年在發唱片。 對中文樂壇來說他們是新鮮的﹐他們是領類的。
You'll be damned to pining through the windowpanes You know you'd trade your life for any ordinary Joe's Well do it now or grow old 'Cause your nightmares only need a year or two to unfold
Australia by The Shins [USA]
Taken from album Wincing The Night Away Single Released 9th April 2007 Track length 03m57s
My care, my coat, Leave on a high note, There's nowhere to go but on,
My Moon My Man by Feist [CA]
Taken from album The Reminder [2007] Single release date unknown Track length: 03m 48s
First single of Feist's Polaris Music Prize (Canada's equivalent of UK's Mercury)nominated album, The Reminder, My Moon My Man is simply addictive. Ok, so I think this song is erotic, plus she's really hot.
before you jump, tell me what you find, when you read my mind,
Read My Mind by The Killers [USA]
Taken from album Sam's Town [2006] Single released 26 February 2007 Track length: 04m 06s
Brendon Flowers said their(The Killers) album, Sam's Town will be one of the best album in the last 20 years. Hm, well probably not even close, but they do make good commercial and glamorous pop. Sam's Town was nice, in general, with some good songs. Read My Mind is one of it, possibly my favorite of Sam's Town.
How can we wear our smiles With our mouths wide shut 'Cause you stopped us from singin'
I can't shake this feeling I've got My dirty hands, have I been in the wars? The saddest thing that I'd ever seen Were smokers outside the hospital doors
Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors by Editors [UK]
Taken from album An End Has A Start [2007] Single release date: 18th June 2007 Track length: 5m 00s
Sometimes, comparison is one form of flattery, in which I am referring to Editors - when mostly everything about them shouts Joy Division, and some might say Interpol although the only similarity between Editors and the latter is Tom Smith and Paul Bank's vocal. Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors sound very much like The Back Room's material only better. Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors opens the new album in dark sombre mood with beautifully written lyric about tragedy and lost - it's ironic how life ends, how we have no control over it and how hard it is dealing with lost, the desperation and not wanting to let go. They did a great work with the arrangements too, their trademark building guitar crescendo, layered with orchestral keyboards and strings driven by maturing Tom Smith's baritone vocal - made this song uniquely different from other bands in the genre. Did I mention they kinda make Coldplay amateurish? Oh, the music video is brilliant too.
23 seconds, all things we love will die 23 magic, if you can change your life Your tainted heart, my tainted love, repent now How many times ? As long as you live, how many times ? The world will go around
23 by Blonde Redhead
Taken from Album: 23 Single release date: 2nd April 2007
Ethereal synths, lush chamber-pop arrangements, riveberating piano opening, propelling drum tensions, effects driven guitar rock and new-level of high pitched shoegazing from front woman Kazu Makino - seems to be a rewarding product from Blonde Redhead after 12 years and 7 albums. First single, 23 from album of same title is Blonde Redhead at their finest, like it or not, they evolved into 23, and I personally think it's simply amazing.
Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover 9th October 2007
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin 9th October 2007
Matchbox 20 - Exile On Mainstream 2nd October 2007
Oceansize - Frames 1st October 2007
White Rainbow - Prism of Eternal Now 27 September 2007
José González - In Our Nature 25 September 2007
Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring EP 25 September 2007
Two Gallants - Two Gallants 25 September 2007
Scott Walker - And Who Shall Go to the Ball? And What Shall Go to the Ball? 24 September 2007
Fightstar - One Day Son, This Will All Be Yours 3rd September 2007
Watch Kanye West looses his shit backstage at recent MTV Music Awards.
extract from clip:
“**** MTV. Y’all heard what the **** I said… Five nominations. I ****in’ lost to Black Eyed Peas last year, man. I’m never coming to MTV. Ya’ll find Britney. Get Britney. Get a real ****in’ artist. Get Britney Spears. I ain’t ****in’ with this pop ****. God****. Give me a ****in’ chance. Give a black man a chance. I’m tryin’ hard. I got the ****in’ #1 record. I’m tryin’ man. I don’t even get a ****in’ chance. They don’t want a ****in’ black man in that position.”
Backstreet Boys is also plotting their come back sometimes this year. No, I am not a fan F.Y.I. but I am intrigued by the new promo pic shown above. The guy missing is Kevin something, which left the band sometime last year.
Hard - Fi Once Upon A Time in The West 03 September 2007 UK, Indie, Britpop
New material from Hard-Fi after two years, their sophomore release, Once Upon A Time in The West's current announced track listing as follow:
1. Suburban Knights 2. I Shall Overcome 3. Tonight 4. Watch Me Fall Apart 5. I Close My Eyes 6. Television 7. Help Me Please 8. Can't Get Along 9. We Need Love 10. Little Angel11. The King
Album cover of Once Upon A Time In The West will have a plain yellow background with the album title at the top, and NO COVER ART written in large white letters below. Their artwork for their forthcoming single, Suburban Knights, will feature a plain black background, with, EXPENSIVE BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO OF BAND NOT AVAILABLE written on the front in yellow writing. "We wanted to break the rules," said NME recently Richard Archer. "We don't need some airbrushed band shot just because it might be expected. Fuck that. This is about the music."[1]
[1] Source from Wikipedia.
Last Heard: Stars of CCTV[*] - Released 04 July 2005
"Our Love To Admire" Interpol * * * * * * 10 July 2007
01. Pioneer to the Falls 02. No I in Threesome 03. The Scale 04. The Heinrich Maneuver 05. Mammoth 06. Pace Is the Trick 07. All Fired Up 08. Rest My Chemistry 09. Who Do You Think? 10. Wrecking Ball 11. The Lighthouse
Artist: Sonic Youth
Album: Rather Ripped
Album Length: 51m53s (11 Tracks
Release Date: 13 June 2006
Country: United States of America
Sonic Youth has been around since the early eighties, and have released tons of great records from punk to hardcore to post-hardcore to new wave to alternative rock, whatever you want to call it, Sonic Youth is there to answer it and their latest studio album Rather Ripped is their most subtle and most mature record to date. Rather Ripped resembles 2004’s brilliant Sonic Nurse sound, sophisticated and elegant, smothered with 2002’s explosive rock-arena style in Murray Street. Having said that, Rather Ripped is as good as 1984’s Daydream Nation, only mellower, more subtle and more refined.
Opening track Reena is a trademark Sonic sound, quietly blasts through the entire track with multi layering of guitar and subtle chords change. This is a great opener to Rather Ripped, as it introduces sound that are so familiar but yet new that every Sonic fans would appreciate. “Incinerate” is yet another subtle track that shows their brilliant musicianship handling the instruments, layering them to make it sound ever so beautiful. “Rats” has and intriguing jazz vibe to it, blended with the heavy bass and the raw guitar sound, this song is a nice change to the previous songs in this album. “Turquoise Boy” is one of the main highlight in this album; with Kim Gordon’s yeaning vocals this song starts off with low-key Glen-Branca’s sophisticated guitar breakdowns before returning to a quick burst of distorted clamour that Sonic Youth is best known for. This album peaks with “Pink Stream”, which is probably the best track out of the album, caries a solid testament of their ability in layering the guitars and drums to create this intricate piece of solid 5 minute jams that resonance through the ear before the vocals kick in.
Every few years Sonic Youth throws out a record, that’s part of the deal in their contract with Greffen Records and having one last album before the contract ends, Rather Ripped was speculated to have made just to finish up with Griffen. Whichever the case was, Rather Ripped certainly have become one of their best record ever in their catalogue. Now Rather Ripped might not have the social impact of Daydream Nation or Murray Street, it carries a rather personal and intimate statement of Sonic Youth. Rather Ripped is a graceful, elegant way to end the story. It seems to almost complete a circle, of little bit of something they have done. It’s an instant classic.
In support of NZ Music Month, Export Gold Ignition was specifically designed to give emerging artists exposure within the local music industry. The competition, which ran over one month, attracted over 60 entries. Six finalists were chosen by a panel of music industry representatives and voted for on by over 1,700 people. Motocade, from Auckland and their track Live it Up had the most votes at the end of the competition deeming them the winner. Through the Export Gold Ignition competition, Motocade has scored the chance to have their single professionally recorded.
Motocade was formed in 2003 by brothers Eden and Will Mulholland, joined by bass player Scott Sutherland and guitarist Geordie McCallum. Their music sounds more british art-rockers than they do Kiwi. First single from their self titled EP, Spectacular Little Death is a captivating song of synchronized rhythms and spacious breaks. It's a style that works really well with the current NZ music industry that sought for more variety of sounds.
Album Reviewed: Ringleader of the Tormentors
Artist: Morrissey
Release Date: 02 April 2006
Producers: Tony Vinscoti
Label: Santuary Records
Length: 50m 04s
