Category: New Tunes

Even with the artists I love the most – and Bowie is right up there, 2nd only to The Beatles – there comes a weariness as the artist grows older, less relevant, and each release becomes less special, more of a retread – until you want to shout, STOP! YOU’RE RUINING YOUR LEGACY. It’s certainly been true for McCartney for a very, very long time. And even when The Stones put out a half decent effort (like their recent single), you realise it’s only tolerable because it’s a pretty good impression of what they sounded like when they were good.

So maybe it’s just that Bowie’s been away for a long time, and the rumours that he was seriously ill made him all worried, and we’re just so glad that he’s back, but my god if he hasn’t just gone and released an absolute humdinger of a new single. Melancholy, and drenched in the weariness of old age, he explicitly sings about Berlin, calling to mind his Heroes/Low era – but now he sounds tired of it all. And that crack in his voice that age has given him – it’s almost heartbreaking.

I know you were all a little new to Bowie, but that’s changed now right? So what do you think? Talking of which, I should recommend some more of his wonderful back catalogue to you. In the meantime, enjoy this new slice of Dave.

Nostalgia: it ain’t what is used to be.

Cody Chesnutt was all the hype after the Roots re-did hir track “The Seed”; but he didn’t live up to the hype… until now! His album has become a late contender for my album of 2012. Worth checking out.

I’ve been waiting for a second Styles of Beyond album for over 10 years and it’s finally landed. The delay has been largely due to Warner Music. He’s a nice little pop at why their album wasn’t released…. 

A little something to tickle your ears…

Get Physical Music have always been very strong in their releases, though I seem to fall in and out of the direction they are going. That said, as of late I’m loving almost everything they are releasing. Amongst the gems from September there’s this little gem. 

There seems to be an on-going conversation on this blog about Hip Hop and it’s state; and the lack of being able to relate to it. 

I have slept on Killer Mike to say the least. Over all I don’t like Southern Hip Hop, but I’ve been getting into Killer Mike latey. With that he’s come through pretty strong with his latest single. It’s pretty heavey.

I recall we have a few Grizzly Bear fans on here. Has anyone got Shields, their new album? I’m a huge fan of Veckatimest, and heard this was more mainstream. It definitely is, but I like it for that. I’m only really listening to Yellow House now, which I’m enjoying, but I have to admit I’m really enjoying the direction they’ve gone into. Yes, the songs structures are more vanilla, but they’re still more ambitous than a lot of other bands around. There are some fantastic songs on there, one of which is Yet Again, below. Opinions, brothers?

This has become one of my tracks of the summer. Kendrick Lemar is tipped for some big things…. but you would be if you’re Dr Dre’s current project!

Come on. There’s an elephant in on the room blog. A certain album. You know, the ones that every publication, from The Daily Telegraph to Pitchfork, is wetting themselves about. You know, the one that gets mentioned in the same breath as mid 70 Stevie Wonder, early 70s Marvin Gaye and early 80s Prince.

Come on, guys. Let’s talk about Frank.

I saw Nolan recently and he said he and Joey had been chatting about it. That they liked it but it just felt a bit standard R’n’B noodley for them. I did my best not to splutter indignantly. After all, I’m one of those for whom I’ve listened to very little else since I bought it. It has blown my mind, nothing less. Hell, I think it’s probably even living up to the hype.

So why’s it so good? Well, he’s got a voice like honey. It’s not autotuned to fuck. It’s classy and it draws from the past while sounding incredibly contemporary. I love how it has the veil of hiphop hanging over it, but really it’s an out and out soul record. I’m not even sure I’d call it RnB.

Nolan, I know that maybe you feel it sounds a bit samey to start with, but stick with because my god the songs come to life. Oh my, the songs. Those SONGS. And those lyrics. He’s a fucking smart songwriter. He captures the loneliness and narrow lives of the rich, of crack addicts, he questions himself, his sexuality, his life, his relationships, and then he goes and sings a 9 minute epic starting in ancient Egypt and ending with a pimp now being forced to pay the woman he pimps to have sex with him. This is ambition turned up to 11, if you’ll excuse the Spinal Tap-ism.

But in the end, it comes down to that thing we’ve been talking about since we started this fine endeavour: authenticity, attitude, songs – and MEANING IT. The guy has got it all. He really has. Give him your time. There’s a reason this is getting praise: because it’s, hands down, the album of the year. I haven’t even heard the next 5 months releases and I’m telling you, the game’s over.