Yes, as of the NME awards last night, it's happened.
The Brandon Flowers pornstache is gone. And there was much rejoicing.
...They also maybe won some awards and stuff. As did the Klaxons, which was pretty cool. The Boosh got robbed for best tv show...there's no counting on American taste, unfortunately.
I missed first openers Your Vegas, but Fiction Plane was energetic and entertaining. Their music comes across differently live; much harder guitar and rhythm section than on their album The Left Side of the Brain. The track Cigarettes, from an older album, is the live standout.
The Bravery put on a good show, very little fuss but solid playing. They mixed the set up with songs from their self titled debut and new tracks from The Sun and the Moon. Standouts included An Honest Mistake and set opener Fearless, as well as Sun track Every Word Is a Knife in My Ear. The crowd seemed more hyped about the older tracks, although Above and Below also got a good reaction. They also broke out old cut The Dandy Rock, with Sam Endicott letting his bandmate take over on vocals. Some of the newly remixed Moon tracks weren't as high energy as the rest of the set, but all in all a strong gig.
The band strangely bypassed the traditional leave-the-stage-and-return-for-the-encore break, telling the audience to pretend they left. Weird, but actually kind of nice, since everyone knows the band is coming back anyway.
After the twelfth consecutive issue of Spin which recommended me a British band I'd been listening to for four months already, I decided the time had come. To join the (massive) masses who have music blogs. I've often thought it would be nice if there was one for aspiring expatriate Americans like myself, who are tired of the US's tragic musical output (re: T-Pain). So here we are. I'm thinking a weekly post with my favorite tracks, old and new, and the occasional other post when I find something so excellent that I can't wait to write something about how awesome it is, and also how much better it is than T-Pain. (Damn, I really hate T-Pain.) Prepare yourself for lots of skinny jeans, Mighty Boosh references, and obligatory comments about how Pete really hasn't done anything that can rival What a Waster.
Songs of the Week (April 19)
1. Two Sisters- Fiction Plane
Just saw them opening for The Bravery and, unlike a lot of openers, they were quite enjoyable. Their sound is a little harder live; it ends up as a sort of Franz Ferdinand-Art Brut-ish mashup, with slightly more guitar solos. Fun fact: the lead singer is Sting's son.
2. Chateau- The Brute Chorus
Longtime favorites of Hawley Arms regulars, their album came out a few months ago and I'm shocked they aren't all over the place. Chateau builds slowly with a good beat and whispery vocals until the great crescendo at the end. The longstanding London tradition of underproduced, garage sound, but with something extra. Bonus points if you can track down the fab cut "Nebuchadnezzar," which has tragically disappeared from their Myspace.
Check them out here:
http://www.myspace.com/thebrutechorus
3. The Age of the Understatement- The Last Shadow Puppets
Everyone is writing about them this week. Believe the hype. Alex Turner's wordy Monkeys lyrics are recognizable in Understatement, the lead single from their new album, but the musical aesthetic is a definite change. Still some of the racing guitars that Arctic Monkeys fans are expecting, but with experimental touches like...Morricone-esque string sections? Yeah, it works. Can't say I really get the video though...see for yourself.
The Classic (one of my all time favorite tracks)
Love on the Dole- The Libertines
From the never officially released Legs 11 sessions. Not quite the speed-induced punk that makes Up the Bracket such a stunner, but still quintessential Libs. If you're a fan of Radio America or Pete's later stuff with Babyshambles, this is exactly what you're looking for. (Slightly shoddy) guitar melodies, Pete and Carl harmonies, and lyrics all about dreams of Albion.
Music and videos posted are for sampling purposes only. If you like what you hear, please support the artist and buy their album. Sample MP3s removed at artist's request.
