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Where and how do you listen to music? Silly question? Or important element of if/how we enjoy music? I’ll try not too bang on too much about having kids or not having a tv cause you’ve heard it all before … BUT ….

2 years ago I listened to music on my home system first thing in the morning till I went to or started work (at home). I used to drive long distances for work. This was 50% music time 50% podcast time. Evenings were then editing photos / webbing next to Stacey while listening to music. Basically, loads of time to listen to new things. When I was working at home I listened to instrumental or foreign language tunes as lyrics distract me massively. Hip hop being the worst culprit in the distraction stakes, lyrically and skit related.

Now I have a child, a TV and a new job with less long distance driving, much less. This means I have to fight to have music in the morning vs. Igglepiggle and Makapaka searching for the pinky ponk. I still struggle to listen to vocal music when I work and evenings are often catching up with work of flaking out in front of the TV.

My point is that this change has had a big impact on my music listening. Most of my car journeys are about 20-30 minutes long. This takes away my main showcase for listening to whole albums in one go, a real luxury these days. Trying to keep a calm relaxing environment at home means that child-unfriendly hip hop has almost disappeared completely. My main stay is instrumental or ‘vocals low in the mix’ (which admittedly represents about 80% of my CD collection) music which I can listen to while I work.

I have found myself making similar critical comments across the board on this blog and think the above is largely responsible. The Issues i have with First Serve can be largely explained by the issues above. When will I listen to it? When will I choose to hear 2 grown men pretending to be teenagers in the basement while ‘sweary mamma’ curses them? The tracks I would normally listen to in the car or perhaps while exercising.

I was in London for a wedding at the weekend. I have 5 albums that I always listen to on headphones while walking around London. This is not planned, its always the same 5!

My environment/lifestyle has a huge impact on my listening / critique of music. Does yours?

Reminds me of that kind of glorious late 90s/early 2000s RnB a la Lucy Pearl. It’s an absolute belter of a song. Brits too. Who’da thunk it?

This track is a bit special… 

Are we allowed to post about this, or is it Brother David’s kick off? Feel free to tell me to sling it and I’ll delete.

First impression, I’m really not sure. It’s pretty way out in terms of pop, even electronic pop. In fact it seems almost like an album of intersting electronic stuff where she’s a guest vocalist. The vocals are drowned in fx so much and sit back in the mix a lot so it’s difficult to to really work out what’s being said or what the sentiment is, so it’s not really connecting with me on the first listen. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some really cool sounds in there, and there’s a lot to love. I think it definitely feels like an album that needs some investment in time in order to appreciate it, but I thought I’d post this up either way, as first impressions are interesting when you look back. I’d go as far to say that I’m often surprised how much some I’ve abolsutely hated at first have gone on to be some real favourites (off the top of my head Hot Chip’s The Warning… yeah I know!).

 

Anyway, intriguing choice Brother David. I have read a few things about Grimes before I’d heard her music and I’ll be honest when I say some of it really grated. The whole “ooh, I’m so creative, and I express myself through my music, but I’m crazy and i’ve done lots of drugs and I make my own clothes… etc etc”. YAWN. So I’m fighting my own preconceptions here too.

 

I look forward to getting to know it better, and to see what everyone else thinks.

 

I like this. A lot. Instant first impression, and while I’m a fan of White Stripes, and know some of their stuff, I don’t really own it and have any allegiance to it. But this is much more – so far – than some of the brash unreconstructed stuff they did that I knew, so it’s refreshing. This is the single, but it’s not really the best thing on there either.

 

In short though:

1) I like

2) I wish I’d chosen this for my month!

 

This was the album I’d have given you if I’d had May. 

They’re a band with one guy at the centre, but really there’s lots of stuff on there. Guitars, piano, synth, electronic bits, interesting cut up vocals, and quite an epic feel to it. And unashamedly so, which I really like. No “oh, this sounds a bit much.” It’s just big sound, but there’s emotion and feeling there as well.I saw them live for a brief time last year and am gutted I missed them last week. Work, bloody work.

Their album was out last week and I’m really enjoying it so far. They also have good beards.

 

DISCLAIMER: A mate of mine looks after them, but I’d heard this track and an EP before I’d even realised, and still loved it. So there.

 

 

I’ve been waiting for the album for some time. This track was put out there a few months ago and I loved it. I am not looking for any sharing of that love here, I don’t think this will be a fave of us all but this is not far from a blue print for what I like. Its a single. Its 5 mins. 0-1min is an atmospheric build of dare I say it ‘soundscape’. As much as Brother David loves a tune, I love a layer and then 10 more, I love a texture, an atmosphere. All words that make you sound like a muso wanker … and I don’t care.

 

This isn’t usually my sort of thing, or at least not what I’d got after. But Aus is one of the most interesting labels around, certainly since I started writing, and Will (Saul)’s got some proper A&R skills. I’ve been into Simple since the beginning, but not everything they put out on the sister label was my cuppa before, but this is a fantastic remix of a fantastic original EP from Midland. Just really love the percussion, and it just builds and builds, never loses momentum.

There’s another mix from Motor City Drum Ensemble as well. There’s so much good house music I’ve listening to at the moment (Kate Simko EP on Leftroom is sensational), but this stands out.

Enjoy, digest, comment.

I don’t often get recommended the same album by almost eveyone I talk to music about down here, but this was the case with Alabama Shakes. Yews, Hold On has been rinsed on 6Music, almost to the point where it wore thin, but in terms of ‘sound’, I really think there’s something glorious old fashioned about this album. I’m still getting my head around it at the moment, as it’s only come out this month, but I’m looking forward to a good discussion on this one. It’s not blown me away at first listen, but then albums I love rarely do. I’m going to need to give this a good week or two.

Sorry for the lateness this month Brothers. It’s been a bit busy of late. Hope this is worth the wait.

It’s the best new tune I’ve heard in a long time. Need I say any more? SO much to like about this. Thoughts, brothers?