the countdown to reading begins

So today is just 6 weeks until Reading Festival 2010!!  My favourite weekend of the year!  and this year will be extra special as it will make a decade of Reading for me :-)  Over the next 6 weeks I'll introduce the bands I'm looking forward to seeing this August bank holiday weekend, as well as reminisce about the years past!

In case any of you don't know, Reading Festival is the best music festival in the world (second to glastonbury if i'm honest).    The world's oldest popular music festival first started as the National Jazz Festival in 1961, before moving to Reading in 1971, by which time it had moved over to rock music.  It has gone from strength to strength ever since!

So the lineup this year is excellent (as usual) and as often happens the real fun is to be had away from the headliners (who this year aren't amazing).  The obvious stand-out name for me is the return of the Libertines, my favourite ever band, but i'll try to also give you a run down of the other must see acts.

So for all who know me, it will be little surprise that I'd pick Frank Turner as a must see.  The singer-songwriter from my hometown, Winchester, plays acoustic (almost folky) indie with a punk attitude!  I was first introduced to Frank's music at Reading two years ago, when a friend of a friend took us along to see him in the Lock up stage.  Before the set was even finished i was sold.  The lyrics, the music, the energy and the togetherness with the crowd won me over!!  Lyrics that make you think, inspire and comfort.  Here are the recent single 'Try this at home' and one of the most sad-yet-uplifting songs ever, 'Long love the queen', which was written about a friend who died of cancer, the chorus gets me every time!!

Try this at home - Frank Turner
Long live the Queen - Frank Turner

And here's a video of Frank from Reading last year.  Playing to a packed NME/Radio1 tent he blew everyone away and the crowd sing-along to set closer 'The ballad of me and my friends' was my personal festival highllight!!

Another must see for me is a band i saw at the festival last year, although at that point i hadn't heard any of their stuff before.  The Gaslight Anthem from New Jersey, sound a little like Springsteen for the 21st century (the Boss is a fan).  They exploded onto the music scene last year and have their third album out this year.  They should be epic!!

The '59 Sound - Gaslight Anthem
Miles Davis & the Cool - Gaslight Anthem

So who else is coming to Reading this year??  its gonna be fun!!

Friday's Forgotten Classic - 16th July 2010

So hopefully this will be the first in a regular feature of forgotten classic tunes. They may be great songs which were loved at the time, but have been forgotten since, or maybe ones which never got the recognition they deserved (as with this first one).

The first (which is the inspiration for this segment) is one of my favourite ever songs. Most people who know me will have heard this song, and most (i hope) have loved every second of it!! It also wins the prize for best title :-)

'You are the generation who bought more shoes and you get what you deserve' by Liverpool-based duo Johnny Boy, is (in my opinion) the perfect pop song!  Released back in august 2004, it reached only number 50 in the charts, but this wall of sound epic deserved so much more!  The beautiful melodies, jangling guitars and rising crescendos are combined with a message to make you think.  A true classic and i dare anyone to say otherwise!!

You are the generation... - Johnny Boy

grande musique

This time a trio of acts with a french connection. Two are french, but sing in english, the other is a canadian singing in french.

The Dodoz are a young act from Toulouse. They formed in the mid-00's but started to get noticed in the last couple of years and released their excellent debut album last year. Their raw indie-rock sound and cute female vocals combine with particularly brilliantly consequences on stand-out single 'Bet'.

Bet - the Dodoz

Next up is a lovely canadian singer-songwriter.  Coming from Quebec, Coeur de Pirate (or pirate heart), charms with her simple-yet-beautiful pop gems.  Sadly i understand little as languages were always a challenge, but you don't need to understand a word to be touched by her sweet voice and the twinkling melodies.

Comme des enfants - Coeur de Pirate
Corbeau - Coeur de Pirate

The last act are one you may well know already.  Nouvelle Vague cover punk, new wave and post-punk classics in a bossa nova style.  They are unique!  could they come from anywhere other than france?

Love will tear us apart - Nouvelle vague
Ever fallen in love - Nouvelle vague

s'amuses!

Sunshine pop!!

The first of these bands is spanish and what better way to celebrate a great spanish sporting summer than by listening to Polock's killer summer anthem, 'Fireworks'.  I must confess that I've struggled to find out much about these guys, but i don't care, this song is great!

Fireworks - Polock

Next are a band who are causing a buzz on the indie blogs across the pond in the US of A, Cults.  The New York duo seem to be turning out twinkling, joyous pop gems for fun.  Their lo-fi, 60's inspired music is set to make them one of the hottest bands of 2010!!

Oh my god - Cults
Go outside - Cults
Most wanted - Cults

Finally, a band very much in the same vein as cults, Tennis are a husband and wife duo who started writing songs whilst on a sailing trip.  Their sound is delightful throw-back, hand-clapping retro-pop.  If we get much more of this brilliant music we'll have to come up with a name for this growing scene....

Marathon - Tennis

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Three great debuts from the brits!

Trying to keep the ball rolling, here are three bands who people will probably already know.  But if you don't you definitely should NOW!!

Mumford & Sons, hailing from London, formed towards the end of 2007 and have been getting noticed ever since.  Their indie-folk can have you down one minute but then dancing the next.  A great album full of brilliant songs and apparently one of the finest live acts around (can't wait for Reading!).  Take a listen to the title track from the album and watch a stirring performance from this years Glastonbury (wish i'd been there).

Sigh no more - Mumford & Sons

Next are Two Door Cinema Club.  Now i first took notice of these guys about a year ago after hearing a "radio edit" of the excellent 'Something Good Can Work'.  The twinkling guitars and catchy beat made them stand out.  But then I heard nothing more for many months.  But finally their album, Tourist History, arrives.  Totally worth the wait.  Brilliant!  The only disappointment is that the album version of 'Something good...' is a mere shadow of the original.  The second half of the album is particularly strong, 'i can talk' 'undercover martyn' 'what you know', giving no break from the dancey indie-pop.  They definitely remind me a bit of the Wombats, awesome!!

Something good can work (radio edit) - Two Door Cinema Club
I Can Talk - Two Door Cinema Club

And lastly, a familiar face in a slightly different guise. Kele from Bloc Party returns with a solo album that whilst having hints of BP is a bit more electro. The lead single 'Tenderoni' is immense, whilst songs 'Everything you wanted' and 'Rise' probe the emotions with a drive and purpose we've been missing since the last BP offering. 

Tenderoni - Kele

Three must see acts for this year's Reading festival! The lineup just keeps getting better and better :-)

I'm back.........and this time i mean it!!

So I know that last time I said I was back for good.  Well this time I mean it!!  I would firstly like to say that it was not my fault, I blame my thesis!!  But with that now well behind me, I've recently been inspired to restart blogging about great new music, mainly by some excellent music blogs i have been reading over the past few months (see the side bar for some links).

Anyway, I've been trawling a bunch of music blogs and have uncovered some absolute gems, and i just couldn't resist sharing :-) I'll try to spread them out so here's the first few:

So first off is a new-classic summer tune from a four-piece from the north-east US, Ezra Furman & the Harpoons combine some whistful harmonic with my favourite item of clothing.....sunglasses!!  Its a winner!!

Take off your sunglasses - Ezra Furman & the Harpoons

Next up is a band who've been around for a while (since the heady days of 2005), but managed to evade my notice, Math & Physics Club.  Delivering perfect indie-pop, they have a new album out around about now and they are definitely a good summer listen.  Here's a new one (Jimmy..) and an old one (Lisa), enjoy....and if you like what you hear check out there older stuff too.

Jimmy had a Polaroid - Math & Physics Club
April Showers - Math & Physics Club
 

.....just time for one more for now.  A bunch of boys from Barcelona, Delorean, bring some sun-kissed electro-pop with 'Simple graces' from their new album 'Subiza'.

Simple graces - Delorean

Anyway, hope you enjoy! this is just the tip of the iceberg!!