Prattle

Harlem Shakes - Sunlight
Now, this reminded me of Primal Scream. It’s mainly the vocals, I suppose, which are reminiscent of Gillespie in countrified/stones mode. You’ll disagree.

Southeast Engine - Black Gold
I find myself going off bands when it looks like they’re proud Christians. It’s harsh, but it just doesn’t sit right, for some reason. Don’t know if this lot are, but their album does contain quite a lot of Bible references. I should scrutinise their lyrics before hurling them asunder. This one reminds me of Ben Kweller (before his total transformation into a bloody country singer).

Art Brut - Summer Job
No. No, Art Brut. I liked the Pixies too, and perhaps 3 or 4 of Frank Black’s later albums. But his sound of late has been extremely drab. And now you’ve got him in to produce your new album. It sounds like Frank Black & the Catholics. You’ve ruined it. Still, crawling from the near wreckage come the songs Alcoholics Unanimous and this one, Summer Job. That wailing at the start isn’t Jack Peñate, is it? Don’t make me unfollow you on Twitter, Argos.

The Decemberists - The Rake’s Song
Most disagree, but my favourite Decemberists album is unquestionably Picaresque. Full of singles, and featuring an absolutely fantastic sea shanty. They seem keen not to return to such easy listening, but the new album (Hazards of Love) is certainly closer than the last. This song’s been around for a while now, but I still like it.

Doves - Winter Hill
Given that Elbow nicked Doves’ act, I don’t quite understand why I like Doves, but can’t warm to Elbow. I should like Elbow. I’ve seen them in concert twice, but was bored rigid. Anyway, Doves have returned with another almost brilliant album (may graduate to true brilliance with further listens), containing an excellent lead single. And this must be the next one, surely.

Goldie Lookin’ Chain - By Any Means Necessary
Yes, they’re a joke that, if ever it was funny, probably isn’t funny any more. However, this is has got a fantastic hook. Really addictive.

Dan Black - Alone
Pop. Yes, I suppose The Kids are liking Dan Black. Maybe not the cool kids, though. Anyway, this heavily-processed bubble of pop offers immediate satisfaction. Or your no money back.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
Hang on, this is “Take me, I’m yours” by Squeeze. Good, though. It’s an album full of this 80s synthpop, sounding fulsome and tuneful almost entirely throughout. Good album, I think.

Oops
I meant to put Polly Scattergood (Other Too Endless) here, but messed it up. Here’s some blah, along the lines of what I might have said if I’d included it - blah Joanna Newsom blah blah Brit school, blah blah, blah blah blah!!! Blah, Kate Bush blah blah, blah blah blurgh.

Mod Amish - September
Sounds like Biffy Clyro. No, wait. Come back. It’s only his voice, really. Nothing new, utilising the old loudquietloud technique, but I’m very much drawn to this. They’re almost entirely under the radar, it seems.

King Creosote - Coast On By
Whenever King Creosote put(s) out an album, I tend to really like one song. I’ll hear it on the radio, but I won’t remember what it’s called. And then I never hear it again, because I get confused by all the folk and fail to make it through entire albums. Tried harder with this new one, and ended up really liking this one. I like that it builds a bit.

The Lonely Island - Sax Man (featuring [cough]jackblack)
Hmm? Oh, nothing. Seems to be a comedy album from regular Saturday Night Live contributors. We all know that Saturday Night Live is only funny about 10-20 years after it was on, so if these blokes ever want to be any good, they’d better leave. If, in fact, they haven’t already. This was the only track on the album that I enjoyed, even if it’s childish. It’s a bit sweary, if you’re bothered by such things.

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Et la. I need a holiday or a better job. I’m sure now’s a great time to go job-hunting. I’ll doubtless have the pick of th… oh, the world appears to have gone to hell in a hessian bag-for-life.

Hot Lava - Apple + Option + Fire
Is that a tuba solo? This is lovely, and has been available in the US for a while, I believe. I think they’re putting the album out over here imminently, though this is by far the best track.

Melt Banana - If It Is The Deep Sea I Can See You There
Now bear with me… This is the first of two very noisy tracks. It’s over 5 years old, but I stumbled across it when listening to an old Stewart Lee radio programme. I think they’re Japanese.

Max Tundra - Orphaned
These computer-game-music type artists/tracks seem to be edging closer to the mainstream. There was always DJ Scotch Egg, who is mental, and Germlin. Then there was Dan Deacon (who, coincidentally, signed Hot Lava, I believe) and David E. Sugar. And now there’s Max Tundra, whose album doesn’t contain enough of this sort of thing.

Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene
OK, time to calm down a bit. They’re a bit Arcade Fire, a bit Polyphonic Spree, a bit everythingthat’sbeenaroundinthelast5years. Nothing remarkable, but it’s a memorable tune and I’m a sucker for references to other bands in lyrics. They were a bit crap when we saw them playing live, though, as they don’t yet have enough tunes.

Fight Like Apes - Something Global
Fight Like Apes are brilliant. They do pinch a lot from Mclusky, but they appear to acknowledge this openly by playing a Mclusky song at their gigs and on one of their EPs. The partly fantastic album is out in Ireland, but not in the UK. FOR SHAME.

Thomas Tantrum - Swan Lake
Are they honking like swans at the beginning? The girl’s toddleresque vocals almost drove me to bursts of inventive violence, the first couple of times I heard the album. But it’s possible that the middle 8 of this song turned it round. An excellently purloined piece of Pyotr Ilyich.

Tilly and the Wall - Pot Kettle Black
They don’t seem to be getting better as time goes on, but the new Tilly album contained this unusually raucous playground-friendly anthem.

Spinnerette - Distorting a Code
It’s Brody Dalle, formerly of the Distillers, and formerly Mrs. Tim Armstrong. Now she’s Mrs. Josh Homme, and she’s dropped the crusty punks in favour of… what is this? I think I like it. I don’t really know what it is, but it’s enjoyable.

Emiliana Torrini - Big Jumps
Sweet, yes. It’s great, though. And the Icelandic accent became an aphrodisiac again once I got my money back.

Chairlift - Bruises
This is everywhere now, I expect. Is it on an advert? If it’s not, it should be. It’s nice and warm though, and therefore appropriate for a December podcast.

Destroyer - My Favourite Year
He’s the bloke out of the New Pornographers. No, not that one. Not AC Newman. No, not Neko Case either. She’s not a bloke. This is the other bloke who’s scared of touring or something. I forget the tale. Anyway, you’ll recognise the voice when you hear it, if you’re a New Pornographers listener. It’s gentle and unadventurous, but this particular track has grown on me greatly.

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Chart of 2008 will be the next Podcast, I imagine.

Stephen Malkmus - JoJo’s Jacket
Saw him playing on Monday night, and enjoyed. Only played one song from his first solo album, and filled the rest of the set with his widdly and longer later stuff. Made me long for this.

Islands - J’aime Vous Voir Quitter
Booked to see Islands in a local club some time this year. It was an impulse, really, as I was just surprised to see them coming here. Turns out they’re in town on the same night as the Spinto Band. How annoying. Still, I thought I’d do some revision and listen to their 2008 album “Arm’s Way”. Bit of a surprise, as it turns out to be bloody brilliant. Some complicated, meandering songs on there, but it’s rather uplifting and multi-layered. Pitchfork reckon it’s a step back from their debut, as it’s more commercial. However, for most of us, this is good news. The first album was a bit too messy and light on memorable tunes. This one isn’t.

Jim Noir - Happy Day Today
I sang a Jim Noir song in the Karaoke palace in Tokyo, and bought his second album in the record shop round the corner the next day. It’s not as good as his first, but it does contain this anthem. SFA/Beach Boys harmonies and washy vocals. Summer. Where was that?

Phantom Planet - Leader
Another one I bought in Japan, not knowing that it was out. Since getting back, I’ve listened to the album a lot, and found it to be very enjoyable. His voice can get a bit tiring eventually, as he seems to be shouting everything, but I do like the riff in this.

Shortwave Set - Now til ‘69
This was on 6Music quite a lot when I last spent any time listening to it. Pleasantly New Pornographersesque, perhaps?

Bloc Party - Mercury
What? Never fully convinced by Bloc Party, but the new album at least shows a willingness to do something different. Maybe not different from everyone else (half of it sounds like the Chemical Brothers, or the Prodigy), but certainly different from the music that made Bloc Party a success. I like this a lot. Entertaining brass.

Manchester Orchestra - I’d Rather Have
Didn’t make it onto their debut album, a couple of years ago, but it’s just as well. The album was worse than the preceding demos/EPs, and they seemed to increase the Jesus presence when they recorded it. So I’ll still listen to the relatively Jesusless stuff from this time, but the later stuff makes me a little uncomfortable. He’s not in this one, so you don’t have to put on your special clothing.

Johnny Flynn - Tickle Me Pink
Look, I know. He’s smug and annoying. The couplets (indeed, the lyrics) in this are embarrassing. But I do get caught up in the tune. Oh, it looks like we’re going to see him as well. Whose idea was that? I’m not sure I’ll be able to stand the smugness.

David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones
How did this happen? It should be awful, but it’s great. I find it quite calming.

The Peth - Let’s Go Fucking Mental
Rhys Ifans and Dafydd Ieuan (SFA drummer) plus a number of other shitfaced coke-heads. Again, I expected this to be unlistenable crap, and you may still think it is. You’ll be wrong, though. Mark it in your Wrong column, so we can tot things up at the end of the year.

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And breathe. No gigs for a number of days, now. Time to enjoy the sunshine, if I can find a tall enough ladder.

Plus-Tech Squeezebox - Fiddle-dee-dee
Didn’t manage to see them in Japan, but listened to them a lot. This is a particularly manic track from their preposterous second album.

Dan Deacon - Okie Dokie
This album was in my chart of 2007, but it only really made sense once I saw him in the flesh. One of the great live experiences, perhaps, as Deacon took an admittedly willing crowd through a serious of singalongs, dance-offs and party games. All to the sound of a demented Nintendo Gameboy.

Oppenheimer - Look Up
Saw these two on the same day as Dan Deacon, and found that they made a lovely and full sound, while filling our ears with pop tunes. This one’s the finest, I think.

The Whip - Dubsex
Not sure why I’ve included this one. Nearly ditched it in favour of an Envelopes song, but it seemed to fit this list of songs. It’s good, even if it’s got a very crap name.

Frank Turner - Reasons not to be an idiot
Hadn’t heard of this bloke ’til we saw him at Dot to Dot. Very good, though very conventional. Wouldn’t be surprised if this was recorded “as live”, with minimal overdubs.

Lightspeed Champion - The Flesh Failures
I didn’t want to like Lightspeed Champion, but his live show is impressive and enjoyable. He’s tremendously talented, and brighter than both the name and music of his former band (Test Icicles) would suggest. This is an acoustic b-side, particularly enjoyable when sitting under a clear blue sky.

The Little Ones - Morning Tide
Oh look, it’s them again. This is from the album which refuses to come out. Like the band, who refused to turn up to Dot to Dot, for some reason. I was very disappointed by that, and was initially disappointed by the album. But it’s grown somewhat, and this single is particularly and characteristically jolly.

Ida Maria - I like you so much better when you’re naked
Brilliant. Saw her playing at Dot to Dot, and was utterly captivated for the half-hour set. The album has a couple of flat spots, but this is bloody marvellous.

Nada Surf - Whose Authority
The album came out ages ago, and I was a bit underwhelmed by it. But a few more listens, and the many understatements and whispers eventually tapped their way through. This is one of the most instantly appealing tracks, though I’m still not sure about the lyrics. It’s a glorious noise, anyway.

Death Cab for Cutie - Long Division
The new album didn’t impress, sadly. I liked the last one, and I still love the Postal Service album. He appears on the Nada Surf album, and perhaps he should’ve got them involved in his album. Perhaps he did. Doesn’t sound like it, apart from on this track. It’s in no way representative of the album, but certainly doesn’t suffer because of that.

Pendulum - Granite
Dancepopmetalrockno. They’re everywhere, of course. They weren’t when I first put this track into my podcast folder, but that’s inertia for you.

Miles Kurosky - An apple for an apple
Now, I’ll have no criticism of this. Miles Kurosky is something of a superhero, in my eyes. Responsible for some of the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard, he’s also had seven shades kicked out of him by the music industry and ill-health. Yet here he is, with this masterpiece (ripped from MySpace, hence the crappy sound quality). I may book a day off work to devote the appropriate attention to his solo album, when it’s released. He’s a king, and this song gets better and better with every listen, until it gets dangerously close to usurping some of his finest songs with Beulah.

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There. Now can everyone stop getting cancer, please.

Jakobinarina - This is an advertisement
Went to a 6Music-sponsored gig at the Fleece the other week, which was headlined by the amusingly dreadful Cribs. There were two support bands, of which Jakobinarina were the second and the best. They’re not likely to change the world, but they’re good fun and the album is 20% brilliant, 30% good and 47% OK (3% margin of error).

Soulwax - NY Excuse
An old one, but I seem to have been playing it at enormous volume in the car recently, so I think you ought to enjoy it for yourselves. I seem to remember the woman is Nancy Whang, of LCD Soundsystem (and possibly the partner of one of the Dewaele brothers). I’M GETTING LOUD WITH YOU!

Future of the Left - Manchasm
Hooray! Andy Falkous, out of Mclusky, is back with another noisy band. Ridiculous lyrics remain, including “Colin is a pussy, a very pretty pussycat” or something similar. Great song, I think.

Ting Tings - that’s not my name
Crap sound quality on this one, I’m afraid. I got a clearer version, but it’s a different recording/mix, which I think is weaker than this one. Great song, which only seemed to go out on 7″. No doubt it’ll reappear.

Hoover’s Ooover - something in Japanese
I don’t have a translation of the name of this song. Been listening to them a bit more, due to recent Japanese flight bookings. Liked them since they appeared on the outstanding Adam & Joe Go Tokyo a few years ago.

Little Ones - Lovers who uncover
This has been around for ages, I think. It’s worth it just for that shouty bit in the middle.

The Bravery - Angelina
I was fairly surprised they bothered with a second album. Not many people noticed it was released, it seemed. Among the OK songs on that album, was this rather popmungous tunefest.

Rooney - Stay with me
This came out years ago, and must’ve got some play on radio somewhere, because I remember liking it. Doesn’t do a great deal, but it’s got a nice feel to it. Rooney have returned with another album, which is pretty much 100% pop, and occasionally slightly embarrassing. Still, I’m going to see them play in a few weeks’ time, so I’m revising.

King Jacks - nothing lasts forever
I don’t think they’ve actually released anything yet, but this is a song by a new London band, who will doubtless flower into the latest Libertine Monkeys copyists. Anyway, this song reminds me of Milburn’s “What you could’ve won”, and I appear to be the only person on the planet who thinks that’s a very good thing indeed. Not sure if this is quite as good as that, but I like it anyway.

The Wannadies - Hit
I’m not going to have any argument about this. Hit is one of the greatest singles ever recorded. Its place in the historical pecking order varies on a daily basis, but it remains a brilliant, brilliant song. Included here for no reason other than it’s fantastic.

Pepe Deluxe - Mischief of cloud six
Er, what? (”I say yeahyeah”) Mmm? Sounds like Mike Flowers Pops. Ridiculous thing.

Eberg - Twinkle Tune
Icelandic man whose album features a song about moving to Wales. But it’s this one that really marks him out as being more than just another icelandic bleepyscratchysoundscape merchant. Some lovely noises, and the video features lots of Icelandic landscape shots. Have a look on youtube.

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Zaijian/Sayonara.

Black Francis - Threshold Apprehension
90 seconds too long, but this is the best thing he’s done since Bossa Nova. It’s shouty, tuneful and very silly. The rest of the album fails to match up to it, but is still largely good. I like to shout “Threshold, threshold, threshold, threshold” in the car of a morning. I’ve always done it, but now it makes more sense. hur. pfff.

Polytechnic - Won’t you come around
“Look. We need a bit more top in his voice.” is a sentence the producer of Polytechnic’s reed and nasal debut album will not have uttered during the mixing process. We saw them play, and his voice very nearly disabled the upper registers of my hearing. Still, the album is very good indeed. Reminds me of Pavement at times, were it not for that voice.

Modest Mouse - Missed the boat
They’ve been under-performing for ages, this lot. Many would disagree, but I like them more when they make their concessions to commercialism. The album’s better than the last one, and it seems that they and the Shins are moving in slightly different directions, but towards the same end point.

Voxtrot - Kid gloves
Yeah, I included a Voxtrot track last time, didn’t I? I said I’d dig around for the album, and that’s what I did. It took a couple of listens, but it was worth it. Vocal fragility, but some beautifully constructed songs, making it difficult to choose one for inclusion. But I’ve completely fallen for this one, so I had to share (even if it results in a unanimous reaction of shrugs and blank expressions). Give it a chance.

The Concretes - Keep yours
How will they survive without (”one of”) their lead singer(s)? They’ve pretty much carried on where they left off, only they’re not quite as good as they were last time. This is one of the better tracks on the new album, I think. I’ll give the album quite a few more chances, but it’ll be hard to shift that slight sense of misdirected betrayal.

Mark Ronson (featuring Paul Smith) - Apply some pressure
Let’s face it, this album is going to be everywhere this summer. Songs on adverts, instrumental tracks underneath sporting montages… It’s fun, though. Here Ronson fails to ruin one of my favourite songs of recent years. He makes it more summery, doesn’t really improve it a great deal, but neither does he ruin it. So I’m grateful for that.

Apples in Stereo - The bird that you can’t see
I know I’ve been pushing them a bit, but I’m tremendously excited about seeing them live next month. This track is from their 2000 album, “Discovery of a world inside the moone”. They don’t play it live, it seems, but I’ll be playing it in the car whenever the sun comes out, so I don’t really mind.

Patrick Wolf - The magic position
He supported the Arcade Fire the other month, and put on a reasonably good show, I thought. I was expecting to hate him, on prio reputation, but he seemed enthusiastic and genuine, with more tunes than I thought he’d have. His new album’s patchy, with the best tracks loaded into the first 15 minutes or so. This is one of them.

Art Brut - Direct hit
Fantastic. Art Brut are back, and I’ll be seeing them play in a couple of weeks’ time. Snippets of the new album point to slightly heavier and fuller sound, but they haven’t dumped their sense of fun.

Manic Street Preachers - Imperial bodybags
Talking of fun, the Manics could be making the most unlikely of comebacks, this year. Sample tracks from the new album suggest they’ve rediscovered the kind of form I thought they’d permanently lost. The current single, featuring vocals from the dreamy Nina Persson, as well as a well-placed couple of lines sung by Nicky Wire, is brilliant. They’ve always been pretentious and pompous, but now they seem to have found a sense of fun. It sounds like they’re enjoying themselves again, and are no longer afraid to show it.

I’m consciously restraining my language in relation to this album, because splurging out my unadulterated joy at hearing The Manics Of Old blaring through my speakers will only make you think I’m drunk. Basically, considering how long I’ve been following their ever-worsening career, this kind of quality is very nearly enough to bring a tear to the eye.

Richard Cheese - Welcome to the jungle
Silly. Been around for ages, but the woman taking a class at the gym a few weeks ago played a Richard Cheese track as a sort of cool-down thing at the end. Prompted me to go back and listen again.

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C’mon, the Ospreys.