Flashback Friday.. The Smashing Pumpkins - 'Disarm'

It appears that I'd almost forgot to do this post, whoopsee!

I kinda feel like I've fallen off the musical wagon lately; I've gotten into a bit of a rut of there being not-much-of-interest-that-I-felt-compelled-to-write-about and I-don't-feel-like-writing-anything-for-anyone-at-all-ever-again. Ah well.

This week's Flashback is a bit of a sad one (sorry world!); I was reviewing The Civil Wars' new (seemingly final, yet v. good) album which featured a surprise cover of 'Disarm' by The Smashing Pumpkins. It was very different to the original, very delicate and vulnerable, as opposed to Billy Corgan's inherent bitterness. That said, I doubt anything will ever beat the Siamese Dream original; it's a fantastic song that has a sombrely addictive quality that keeps you pressing replay.

I'm going to be a bit lazy now and just tell you to listen to the song, but really, sometimes the music really does do it all.

http://www.smashingpumpkins.com/
https://www.facebook.com/smashingpumpkins
https://twitter.com/SmashingPumpkin

Flashback Friday.. Smith Westerns - 'Weekend'

GUEST POSTAGE ALERT!

Yup, I thought I'd switch it up a bit! Occasionally on this blog, there will be guest posts from other writers of the musically inclined. If you class yourself as such and would like to get involved, drop me an email (electragrrl@gmail.com) with the subject title of 'Guest Post', a little about yourself, writing examples or your own blog and what you'd be planning on talking about, and I'll get back to you!

For now I'll leave you with my lovely boyf Huw, who blogs over at The Go-Slow. Over and out!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Ta Kay! If you aren't familiar with Smith Westerns, you could be quite easily forgiven. The Chicago trio may have slipped past most of the indie-obsessed crowd, especially those on this side of the Atlantic. UK tours have never existed for the band (unless you count a short support slot for UK giants Arctic Monkeys). Not to worry though, I've got you covered ;)

After a somewhat below-the-surface debut album in 2009, the band didn't really catch any (semi)mainstream media attention until their 2011 sophomore effort Dye It Blonde, after catching the eye of infamous US indie label Fat Possum Records. The sudden success seemed to base itself around two factors: 1. The band's strikingly young average age (with all 3 members yet to turn 20), or 2. 'Weekend'.

The track (and band) seemed to emerge from nowhere, becoming a sudden indie radio hit with pop hooks galore. With a recipe of guitarist Max Kakacek's George Harrison-esque riff of the insanely catchy variety (WARNING: Will have you humming it for the rest of your life) and Cullen Omori's romanticised lyrics 'Weekends are never fun, unless you're around here too', "Weekend" is a delicious piece of indie pop. Garnished with dreamy synths and a youthful video that sees the Chi-Town trio strolling around their hometown in jeans so tight your balls may cringe, it became a brief staple in indie disco playlists.

With third album Soft Will released last month, the band have taken their penchant for  80's tinged pop songs with mega riffs to all new grounds. Though critically acclaimed, the album hasn't picked up the interest of its predecessor, hopefully not a sign of the band fading away. For those interested, check out the band's latest singles "Idol" and "Varsity". 

Huw Woodward is a music writer, musician and lead singer/guitarist of the band Hollow. He has a somewhat obsessive knowledge of music trivia, Christopher Nolan films and Johnny Marr riffs. When he's not frightening elderly neighbours with late night drum sessions, he's most likely frightening his loved ones, friends and cats with his o̶v̶e̶r̶b̶e̶a̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ passionate musical debates. With regular single reviews and dogmatic feature articles, Huw maintains his own music blog at the-go-slow.blogspot.com.

https://www.facebook.com/smithwesterns

https://soundcloud.com/smith-westerns

https://twitter.com/SmithWesterns

Flashback Friday.. The Horrors - 'Who Can Say'

The eternal question folks: what have I been listening to this week?

Or should I say month, with that summer holiday/laptop malfunction/ridiculous shifts/no sleep debacle. I can sure get away with a lot atm, hehe.

This past week, I've been getting into some of The Horrors, a band that - I admit - I had readily dismissed as all style and no substance a good few years back. They looked far too art-school and/or pompous for me to take them seriously, after all, who really needs a mushroom hair cut with a fringe down to their nose (ever practical, me!), however falling in love with 'Still Life' a year or so ago and taking my fine time to get my grubby mitts on their albums, I can declare myself more than pleasantly surprised!

'Who Can Say' is probably one of their best known songs. Taken from their second album, Primary Colours, it is what can only be described as a tuneful cacophony of noise, laced with slightly eerie synths, and with singer, Faris Badwan's sombre recounts of 'And when I told her I didn't love her anymore, she cried' (actually a lyrical lift from Jay And The Americans' 'She Cried'), this is almost an experimental, indie interpretation of a modern day sonnet.

Higher, the deluxe edition of The Horror's third album Skying, featuring reworkings and rarities is out now.

http://thehorrors.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/horrorsofficial
https://twitter.com/horrorsofficial

Flashback Friday.. Spinnerette - 'Ghetto Love'

I have a bit of a girl crush on Brody Dalle. It's been around for a while, in a manner similar to Allison Mosshart, Kathleen Hanna, Gwen Stefani, Marina Diamandis, Lights, I can't help but admire these women and the persona that surrounds them, their music and their message.

If you've heard of Brody Dalle, then you know that she was formerly of a band called The Distillers, a punk band who had three albums - their self-titled 2000 debut, Sing Sing Death House (2002) and Coral Fang (2003) - and are probably best known for their song 'Drain The Blood'. The band split in 2006, leaving Dalle and co-Distiller Tony Bevilacqua to work on a new project that would later become Spinnerette. Their self-titled debut - and as of yet, only - album, is certainly a departure from the days of The Distillers, however whilst the album as a whole certainly begins to lag in urgency, there are some good songs dotted about.

Perhaps my favourite song on the album is the short and snappy 'All Babes Are Wolves', however it feels more fitting to showcase how much Dalle has departed from the sound of the band that made her famous. So here is 'Ghetto Love', the debut song from Spinnerette which, with its grooving stomp, shows a diffenet side to Dalle and her voice. She is more than capable of singing, with that trademark throaty grit of hers intact, and whilst Spinnerette itself garnered mixed reviews, I'd recommend you take a listen in order to make your own mind up.

http://spinnerettemusic.com/
https://twitter.com/Spinnerette
https://www.facebook.com/spinnerette

Flashback Friday.. Bjork - 'Army Of Me'

Whoops, is Saturday - oh dear! Onwards and upwards! 

The addition of Bjork on this blog may be a tad unexpected for you perhaps - indeed - I found it a bit unexpected also!

I find Bjork a positively fascinating creature. She is one of those few truly original artists that are always striving to push the boundaries of their chosen mediums. Her most recent album, 2011's Biophilia, was the world's first app album that allowed users to fully interact with the songs, even being able to create completely new versions of them. Yes, 'app', not 'rap', and as far as I am aware, it is not a feat that has been replicated since.

However, today we are discussing one of Bjork's earlier efforts. 'Army Of Me' is a song taken from Bjork's third album, Post, and album which she described as 'musically promiscuous'. This is an opinion that is most definitely relatable, as Post also contained what is perhaps Bjork's most memorable song, her cover of 'It's Oh So Quiet'. The song is very menacing, laden in dark and foreboding synths, and is easily my favourite Bjork song. Bjork stated that she wrote it with her brother in mind, daring him to improve himself to improve his life. The song was also used in the soundtrack to Zack Snyder's 2011 fantasy film, Sucker Punch, alsongside efforts by Skunk Anansie, Allison Mosshart and actress Emily Browning.

What are your thoughts on Bjork? Do you like 'Army Of Me'? Have you seen Sucker Punch?

http://www.bjork.com/

https://twitter.com/bjork

https://www.facebook.com/bjork

Flashback Friday - Marina and the Diamonds - 'Mowgli's Road'

Is it that time of week again already? It feels like barely five minutes since I did this post last week. Anyways, here we are and if you're British you'll know that our promising looking summer has dissipated into perpetual GLOOM. Perhaps I cursed us all by posting that summer playlist a tad too early.

This week, I've been listening to a lot of Marina because - let's face it - when is there ever a wrong time to listen to Marina? Those unacquainted with her pre-Electra Heart efforts will find themselves met with a less mainstream sound which, whilst still electronic, is far more piano based, as seen in songs such as 'Obsessions', 'Hermit The Frog', 'Numb' and 'Guilty'. 'Mowgli's Road'  - the first single taken from Marina's 2009 debut, The Family Jewels - is easily one of the singer's most bizarre, seeing her cuckoo (literally) her way through three minutes of cartoonish shtick that is reminiscent of a Noughties Kate Bush. As always, Marina's voice is her best asset which - though no doubt irritating for some - is capable of many feats, her whooping vibrato channeling many a character as she embodies her role as a lost Mowgli, stumbling along the path of life unsure of their aim, with the lyrics 'There's a fork in the road/ I'll do as I'm told/ Well I don't know (don't know, don't know, don't know)/ Who I wanna be' reinforcing this dilemma of being controlled - most likely by her label - in her quest for recognition.

Marina is currently touring the US in support of her second album Electra Heart (which is out now), along with support from  Charli XCX.

Do you like Marina? Which do you prefer - her first album or Electra Heart? What is your favourite Marina song?

http://www.marinaandthediamonds.com/
https://twitter.com/MarinasDiamonds
https://www.facebook.com/marinaandthediamonds
https://soundcloud.com/marina-and-the-diamonds

Flashback Friday.. No Doubt - 'Hey Baby'

12 years old.

12. Years.

That's a lifetime, yet it only feels like yesterday! Is this how it is from now on? Because it genuinely feels like but a millisecond ago that I was rapping 'Bountykilla an' No Doubt! Jump on da stage coz we goin' crayzaay!' etc etc at the TV and going cross eyed at Gwen's outfit. However, despite the time leap, 'Hey Baby' has stayed with me, and I'm almost shocked at how I still love every ounce of the song just as much as I did when I was 8 to 9 years old!

Their 2001 album, Rock Steady, may actually be my favourite No Doubt album; as ska and new wave as the band were and are, dancehall and reggae really suit them, and it's a testament to them that the album still sounds fresh and current; I'd love to see the reaction to this song had it been released in 2013!

I also have an irrevocable love for Gwen Stefani; that woman neither ages, nor loses her energy! Can I have some of that juice, please!

Are you a No Doubt fan? What's your favourite song and/or album?

http://www.nodoubt.com
https://twitter.com/nodoubt
https://www.facebook.com/nodoubt

Flashback Friday.. Daft Punk - 'Digital Love'

When 'Get Lucky', the new Daft Punk song (even writing that feels surreal!) featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rogers dropped last week, I went on the biggest of Daft Punk binges! It's almost a shame that it takes something to revive a longstanding love of a band or artist, but I'm glad it did. It's not very often that I pinpoint Daft Punk as my soundtrack of choice for the day, but I did, and Discovery was my weapon of choice.

The 2001 album is easily Daft Punk's masterpiece, though whether that continues to be so with the release of Random Access Memories, we shall soon find out. If you were to hand Discovery to a Daft Punk novice, they would be more than a little surprised to find that they probably knew a good portion of the songs anyway, they have been absorbed by pop culture/ used in TV advertisements and soundtracks that much. 'One More Time', 'Aerodynamic', 'Digital Love', 'Harder Better Faster Stronger', 'Crescendolls' are all immediately identifiable songs. For much of the album, Daft Punk incorporated samples of songs that they recalled from their childhood, reworking them into an addictive blend of electronic disco pop! The videos for the singles were all comprised using extracts of the corresponding anime film, Interstella 5555: the 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem, for which Discovery was the soundtrack. Watch the music videos in the order posted above to see a portion of the film.

In aiming to create an album in homage to the soundtrack of their own childhood, Daft Punk created the soundtrack to mine; the singles especially being instantly loveable. Above is the video for 'Digital Love', which persists in being one of my favourite songs ever! Enjoy ;)

Do you like Daft Punk? What is your favourite Daft Punk song? Are you excited for Random Access Memories?

http://www.daftpunk.com/
https://www.facebook.com/daftpunk

Flashback Friday.. Best Coast - 'Boyfriend'

Soo, it's been a good while since we've seen this feature on here, hasn't it? Ahh well, onwards and upwards!

This week, us UK residents finally saw some vague hint of summer hit our shores (yayayay!) and I could not be happier! Our winter has absolutely dragged this year (snow in March, anyone?) and I am far past the point of humouring it any longer. So, vicious wind aside, this past week has been glorious; it's amazing how much a little bit of sunlight can make you feel that much better ♥

Therefore, ladies and gents, it is time to crack out some relevant summer choons! Cue - Best Coast! I admit, for me these are a relatively recent discovery, and I'm well aware that I'm about 2 years late to the party, but since being introduced to Best Coast by my boyf, I've become more than a little bit obsessed with their slightly grungy surf-pop sound, and especially with the haunting voice of singer, Bethany Cosentino.

'Boyfriend' is my favourite song at the moment, with Cosentino singing longingly to the boy of her dreams and wishing that it was she, and not the skinnier, prettier rival who adorned his arm. The band's 2010 debut, Crazy For You, is consistently good and pushes that whole lo-fi retro surfer vibe to full effect; it is definitely an album that you will fall in love with, and would make a fantastic CD of sing-a-long driving anthems if you so have the privilege (or if, like me, your weapon of transportation is a dingy bus)!

PS. Check out the Drew Barrymore directed MV for the Best Coast single, 'Our Deal' starring Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl Kicks Ass!) and Teen Wolf, Tyler Posey, it's a treat ;)


http://www.bestcoast.us/
https://www.facebook.com/bestcoast
https://twitter.com/best_coast

Flashback Friday.. Ladyhawke - 'My Delirium'

I adore Ladyhawke. This Kiwi goddess drew from the Earth delicious retro inspired rock/pop songs that were then neatly tucked inside the treasure trove that was her 2008 self-titled debut.

For Ladyhawke was a brilliant album. Consistent from start to finish, it never wavered, only flirting with the repetitive, and to me, it feels like Ladyhawke could do with a tad more recognition, as one Pip Brown solely managed to resurrect a genre of music and float with it, unmatched, in her own little noughties bubble. The album is literally hit after hit, from my personal favourite, 'Magic', the love-struck 'Back of the Van' and dance-floor stomper 'Dusk Til Dawn', however it is the song of choice for this week's Flashback Friday that is perhaps most outstanding.

'My Delirium  is the album's iconic song. If you asked someone if they knew of Ladyhawke, the first song to be plucked from the air would be this one. As with the majority of Ladyhawke songs, in 'My Delerium' Pip  sings of her dilemmas in love, and her confusion whilst yearning for another. The chorus is a killer; simple enough for you to sing along to after hearing it twice yet carrying the longevity to prevent it from getting stale, the song is a rumbling roller-coaster of bubbling tension laced with '80's inspired dance-floor synths that are summoned to life in that euphoric chorus. The animation weaved into the video is a treat too, done by Brown's artist friend and collaborator, Sarah Larnach, whose watercolour artwork decorates both the aforementioned Ladyhawke album, and its successor, Anxiety.

http://www.ladyhawkemusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Ladyhawke

Flashback Friday.. Hurts - 'Better Than Love'

You may, or may not, have heard of Hurts. You should have heard of Hurts, as their brand of neo-New Romantic synthpop was applauded by many a music critic after the atmospheric single, 'Wonderful Life' was thrown around cyberspace circa 2009.

If you haven't heard of the Manchester band, I'll resist from spanking you; I've never heard them played on radio and only sporadically on music channels. Despite this almost hot and cold response from Brit music press, the band have practically blasted through the charts on the continent, with their debut album, Happiness charting in the Top 10 in twelve European countries. Their second album, Exile, is to be released on March 11th and the band have recently (and somewhat surprisingly, in my eyes) graced the front cover of NME. To give you a taster of what they are about, take a listen to my favourite Hurts song, 'Better Than Love'.

'Better Than Love' is, in my opinion, the most immediate Hurts song, slowly building with a forebodingly pounding beat juxtaposed with glittering synth riffs at the chorus before exploding in a euphoric crescendo, 'Better Than Love' is an ode to fear of loving but failing to live, and uncertainty and denial in a relationship. In short, it's a terrific song, a genuinely rare gem!

Hurts' second album, Exile is released March 11th.
The first single from Exile, 'Miracle' is released March 10th.

2013 European tour dates are as follows:

March 14 - Cologne, Essigfabrik 
March 15 - Munich, Theaterfabrik 
March 16 - Hamburg, Uebel & Gefaehrlich 
March 18 - Stockholm, Strand 
March 20 - Warsaw, Palladium 
March 23 - Zurich, Kaufleuten 
March 25 - Milan, Magazzini Generali 
March 27 - Vienna, Arena 
March 28 - Prague, Lucerna Music Bar 
March 30 - Amsterdam, Melkweg 
April 1 - Manchester, Academy 2 
April 2 - Glasgow, Garage

http://www.informationhurts.com/
http://www.facebook.com/hurts

Flashback Friday.. Frank Ocean - 'Thinkin' Bout You'

Is this song old enough to be classed as a 'Flashback'? When creating this section of the blog, I made a guideline rule that all of the posts in this section had to have been released over a year prior  to me typing this (aka. pre-22nd Feb 2012). Alas, this falls a tad short with a release date of April 17th 2012, but due to a post that I will be putting up shortly, I feel that to throw out a real blast from the past would be a tad ironic.

Channel Orange, the everywhere-acclaimed album by rapper/singer Frank Ocean has been my turn-to lullaby for the past week or so (Jamie Woon once held the prestigious title), but with Tame Impala's Lonerism losing its sleepy-time sparkle, I dug out this album and -  fell in love with it. I originally downloaded Channel Orange after it topped many a 2012 year's end poll, and as a general music fan, I had to see what all the fuss was about. With my only prior knowledge of Frank Ocean being that he was a member of the infamy inducing rap troupe Odd Future(Wolf Gang Kill Them All)/OFWGKTA, and with interweb denizens kicking up a fuss over the fact that a bisexual rapper could exist - even in this day and age, it is fair to say that Channel Orange was not what I expected.

First of all, it was subtle, and nowhere near as affronting or in your face as Odd Future or Tyler the Creator's music has been. Second, it was impeccably stylish and atmospheric, down to the very last detail, mixing R'n'B with movie soundscapes, creative lyrical metaphors and references to Cleopatra. You've more than likely been exposed to some of Ocean's songs already.  My favourite though, along with the epic 10 minute anthem, 'Pyramids', has to be the beautiful and delicate 'Thinkin' Bout You'. The song lulls mystically through 3-and-a-half minutes of raw emotion, love longing and loss. It really is beautiful, and manages to draw the listener in so close that they may share Frank Ocean's feelings with him as if they were their own.

http://frankocean.com/

https://twitter.com/frank_ocean

Flashback Friday.. Yeah Yeah Yeah's - 'Heads Will Roll'

What's this? A post? A Flashback - for Friday!?

I know, shocking isn't it?

Today I spotted that the Yeah Yeah Yeah's are doing a three date tour of the UK (Manchester O2 Apollo, Leeds O2 Academy, and London at Alexandra Palace), having recently announced the forthcoming arrival of their fourth album, MOSQUITO. As of yet, there doesn't appear to be an announcement in regards of a single, though Karen O has shocked my soul by bleaching her hair to a platinum blonde (!), so let's refresh ourselves of how AWEsome the Yeah Yeah Yeah's were in the years prior to their sabbatical!

Aside from Karen O's collaboration with Atticus Ross and Nine Inch Nails maestro Trent Reznor in their contribution  for the soundtrack for the western re-hash of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (they covered 'Immigrant Song'), the last we heard of the YYY's was 'Skeletons', the final single from It's Blitz!. The album was a departure from the YYY's of old, with Nick Zinner exchanging his guitars for keyboards on some of the tracks, and my favourite track from the album has to be a song where these aforementioned keyboards were used to full emphatic effect.

'Heads Will Roll' was a stomping indie dance-floor anthem, poppy, and perfect for club remixing (the A-Trak remix is very good!), and unlike anything that, at the time, they had done before. It's one of the standout tracks from the album, for me, along with 'Zero' and 'Soft Shock'.

Anyway, if you haven't heard 'Heads Will Roll' before, check out the creepy music video, and if you have - reminisce!

A reminder of the 3 UK dates:

1 May
Manchester
O2 Apollo

2 May
Leeds
O2 Academy

4 May
London
Alexandra Palace

Flashback Friday.. Nirvana - 'Come As You Are'

Again, lack of posts. Apologies, I've just been trying to blitz my workload before Christmas, because I do not want to be attempting to do it in that yummy few days between Christmas itself and New Year.

Currently, I can hear the One Direction/Ed Sheeran amalgamation, 'Little Things' coming through the adjoining wall to my neighbours house. Let's fight this!

Earlier this week, on the 12/12/12 fundraiser concert to raise money to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy, it was revealed that a certain Paul McCartney was to join Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and man for hire, Pat Smear in order to perform under what was being dubbed a 'Nirvana reuinion'. I admit, when I first read about this I found it hilarious had my reservations, as the mental concoction of a McCartney fronted Nirvana playing what would have most likely been 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was more than amusing, especially with McCartney's voice being a weak shadow of what it once was, wobble and all. Fortunately, they didn't play a Nirvana song, but instead attacked a new song entitled 'Cut Me Some Slack', and it far surpassed my expectations, as did McCartney's voice, which surprisingly held out (watch below)! Under this guise, I'd be intrigued to hear more, although if they do continue it would only seem right to drop the 'Nirvana' tag.

#

All this got me thinking about classic Nirvana songs, and whilst my favourite Nirvana song is probably 'Breed' today's post is going to be about 'Come As You Are'.  

The follow up single to their breakthrough song, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', 'Come As You Are' is far more moody. The swampy sounding main riff uncannily resembling that within the song 'Eighties' by industrial punk/metal band Killing Joke, and taken from their album Night Time, which contained some of their most well known songs such as 'Love Like Blood' (their own breakthrough hit), 'Europe' and the aforementioned track. The track also famously contains the line 'And I swear that I don't have a gun' which, post Cobain's suicide, carries an unsavoury sense of irony.

Flashback Friday.. Everything Everything - 'MY KZ UR BF'

Really quick one today! I know that I've not posted much this week, but I just haven't seemed to have the time. My deadlines are drawing closer and I still have a huge pile of work to do. I really don't want to be spending the festive period being a hermit in my bedroom, so I'm hoping to get it all done before Christmas. I've done almost all of my Christmas shopping by now, so I can almost begin my favourite part - wrapping!

Anyway, this Flashback Friday is Everything Everything. I know, it's not old at all (it was first released in 2009) but now that their second album is due out in early 2013, I feel that I can get away with writing about it in this section.

If you loved my previous post on the band for their single 'Cough Cough', then you'll definitely love 'MY KZ UR BF' - that's what I can only imagine to be 'My Keys, Your Boyfriend' in English. Whilst I feel 'Cough Cough' is a superior song, 'MY KZ, UR BF'  is less streamlined and more quirky, the song itself a heightened metaphor comparing an argument over a girl at a party to the impending apocalypse. As always, Jonathan Higg's quavering, pitch swinging vocals are more than impressive, as are the sheer amount of words that he somehow manages to fit into a sentence.

'MY KZ, UR BF' is taken from Everything Everything's debut album, Man Alive.
They are also going on a UK and European tour starting in Feb 2013.

http://www.everything-everything.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/EverythingEverythinguk/
https://soundcloud.com/everythingeverything
https://twitter.com/E_E_

Flashback Friday.. Oasis - 'The Hindu Times'

Love or loathe the Gallagher Bros., there is no doubt in my mind that, whatever generation you were born into - old or young, teenage to middle age - you have the lyrics of at least one Oasis song seared into the fleshy crevices encased within your cranium.

Perhaps somewhat subconsciously, out of the big '90's bands, Oasis were probably my favourite. Yes, I admit, I'm not a massive Britpop fan. In fact, it very nearly grates on my nerves. Sorry. Looking back, in the '90's you either worshipped Britpop or were just unashamedly pop. Even though I was incredibly young then, I was sufficiently aware of the last wave of Cool Britannic patriotism; the Union Jack was emblazoned everywhere - including Geri Halliwell's tea towel of a dress circa BRIT Awards 1997, and riding the crest of that wave was Oasis, the perfectly imperfect, hedonistic band that every newspaper and music magazine loved to adore and vilify alternately.

Fast forward to 2002, and Oasis come with an essence of nostalgia, but wafting that aside, Heathen Chemistry had some amazing singles; 'Little By Little', 'Songbird', 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out', and this forgotten gem, 'The Hindu Times'.

And it really is forgotten, as (in)accurately as YouTube viewing stats go, this video has only been watched 836,668 times, despite being uploaded more than four years ago. If you were asked to name an Oasis song off the top of your head, it most likely wouldn't be this one, but even though it appears to have become enshrouded within the abyss of space and time, it's still incredibly good! Evidently, the lyrics of the song have nothing to do with the song title, as 'The Hindu Times' was already decided upon prior to the lyrics having been written, most likely because of the sitar sounding guitar, although many would attempt to connect the two and result in 'religion = euphoric high'.

Oasis turbulently departed in 2009 after an apparent Gallagher altercation, and the band (minus Noel) currently exist under the new umbrella of Beady Eye, whilst Noel's solo venture is Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.

http://www.noelgallagher.com/
http://www.facebook.com/noelhighflyingbirds
https://twitter.com/NoelGallagher

http://www.beadyeyemusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/BeadyEyeOfficial
https://twitter.com/beady_eye

Flashback Friday.. The Clash - 'Rock The Casbah'

Everyone - even if you've only a fleeting ear for rock based music - must know this song!

'Rock the Casbah' has to be one of the most famous and widely known songs by English punk band, The Clash, and taken from their fifth album, Combat Rock. The album also spawned the singles 'Know Your Rights', 'Should I Stay or Should I Go' (an indie disco staple!), and 'Straight To Hell', which you may recognise as being heavily sampled in Brit rapper, M.I.A's song 'Paper Planes which addresses immigration issues and perceived reasons for immigration. But that's another story.

Similarly, the ethos of The Clash is consistently liberal and anti-establishment, although their message has been twisted in the past; singer, songwriter and rhythm guitartist, Joe Strummer was famously reported to have wept when he heard the phrase 'Rock the Casbah' was written on a U.S. bomb to be used in the First Gulf War in Iraq [1]. What the story of 'Rock The Casbah' really entails is a fictional account of an oppressive Sharif banning rock music but being defied by the country's citizens by proceeding to 'rock the casbah' anyway, and pilots ordered to bomb those who didn't comply defied the ban by listening to rock music in their cockpit radios themselves. 

Lyrics aside, the song is poppy with a fun beat and is easily my favourite Clash song - 30 years on and it doesn't feel dated! First released in 1982, it actually charted higher in the UK Singles Chart upon its second release in 1991, hitting a peak position of 15.

What do you think of The Clash and 'Rock the Casbah'? What's your favourite song by The Clash, and what do you think of how the message of the song has been distorted and applied to something completely opposite as to what was originally intended?

http://www.theclash.com/

http://www.facebook.com/theclash

[1]  Ty, Burr (9 November 2007). "Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten Movie Review". Boston Globe (via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_the_Casbah)

Flashback Friday.. Le Tigre - 'Deceptacon'

I've been slaving at a Kathleen Hanna biography for my university Life Writing module for what feels like an age, and naturally this has lead to me doing a load of research to do with the '90's Riot Grrrl movement and feminism. I say this like it's a chore - it's not, I've quite enjoyed the research, reading and watching material on Riot Grrrl et al.

Subsequently this led to this post! If you've not heard of Kathleen Hanna, she is the feminist punk singer of the bands Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and has recently restarted, The Julie Ruin, originally Hanna's '90's solo project and now a band. However, 'Deceptacon' is a Le Tigre song, and it is very addictive jarring and poppy dance punk.

It's largely believed that 'Deceptacon' is a response to the NOFX song 'Kill Rock Stars', where the band really tear into Hanna and the riot grrrl movement, although it is definitely worth pointing out that the lyrics include 'Don't dare tag me misogynist/ I thought the goal here was mutual respect' don't really throw the group in the anti-women pile. 'Deceptacon' itself references the 'Who took the bomp?... Ram-a-lam-a-ding dong' lyrics from the Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies - a cover band including Fat Mike from NOFX - who covered the song 'Who Put the Bomp', and it's worth noting that Le Tigre have altered the lyrics to imply having something taken from them/ being scorned in some way. With prior knowledge, the song is really is a double-middle-fingers-up to the original NOFX tirade.

Like I said, 'Deceptacon' is addictive, and there's really no point in getting all political and argumentative in music if it  doesn't actually sound good. But it is. So listen!

http://www.letigreworld.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LeTigreWorld
http://thejulieruin.com/
http://www.facebook.com/thejulieruin

Flashback Friday.. My Chemical Romance - 'I'm Not OK'

AND IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAAAYY!

But seriously, I guess it's time to mourn my youth because I am most definitely a little old lady destined for 10 cats from here on in! But looking back on a decade of music that I have loved and, quite often, no longer love, it seems fitting to pick one of my favourite songs to be my birthday Flashback Friday!

Music has been so important to me in so many big and small ways, from the places I go, the people I bond with, the way I dress, my view points on life - it really is important to not underestimate the power that music can have over your life! Going through my iPod, I really struggled over what to choose, it's impossible to just choose one song to encapsulate this past decade of my life. The song that I chose surprised even me, but it holds a lot of nostalgia.

'I'm Not OK' by My Chemical Romance was one of those songs that my group of friends in high school knew inside out - alas, even my one friend, who only listens to R'n'B, knew all of the words due to us always singing it. It brings back a lot of memories when life and friendships were simpler, before our separate paths in life got in the way, at a time where we weren't necessarily popular with our classmates for petty reasons, and it felt like us against the world. For a period of time, this was our anthem! I can still hear us singing it at lunch times and walks home, even acting out the video, because we knew it so well.

Post Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge, my love of My Chemical Romance waned. I really didn't like The Black Parade bar 'Famous Last Words' and 'I Don't Love You', and I especially detest the title song! But Three Cheers will always have a small space in my heart, I still own a CD copy, and it's never entirely left my iPod since it was first synced circa 2004 (8 years!!!). Quite amusingly, looking back, it was The Emo Age!

Anyways, if you're reading this, it has been projected forward, as at the time of writing my birthday is yet to happen! Hopefully, it will be a good one and a positive next decade! :)

http://www.mychemicalromance.com/news/
http://www.facebook.com/MyChemicalRomance
https://twitter.com/MCRofficial

Flashback Friday's.. Garbage - 'The World Is Not Enough'

Sunday this time! This is becoming a habit!

In case you've been living under a rock as of late, you may not have been subject to the symptoms of Bond Fever. The sensation (or illness, depending on your viewpoint!) has been clamping its jaws around Britain and in due course, the rest of the world. Humming Adele, hallucinations of spy adventures, and rabid foaming at the mouth of the sight of Daniel Craig in swim shorts.

OK, OK, I'll stop it now, but recently it has been everywhere, with whole shows dedicated to it (Graham Norton, I'm looking at you!). No doubt I'll be infected with Bond Fever when I go to see the latest film, Skyfall, on Sunday - according to my Bond fanatic friend, it's absolutely amazing!

With the Adele's Bond theme, 'Skyfall', gaining momentum on airwaves, it seems fitting to dedicate this Flashback Friday (Saturday!) to perhaps one of the more unusual Bond songs (aside from Jack White and Alicia Key's pretty awful 'Another Way to Die'). Garbage seem a quite an odd and unexpected candidate for the prestiege of singing a Bond theme song, but take a moment to listen to the video above and remind yourself. It's a classy song, reminiscent of the typical 'Bond theme', sexy and foreboding, and as a Bond theme song, it immortalised Garbage, who were never one of those huge bands, as part of a national institution forevermore. For many, it is considered an honour and a career highlight.

Garbage are currently in the middle of a world tour. Unfortunately, they've already passed through the UK, but there's dates left in South America, Europe, and Australia, with one date in California.

http://garbage.com/
https://twitter.com/garbage
http://www.facebook.com/GarbageOfficial