The James Blunt – Alan Partridge Syndrome
I was watching Alan Partridge the other day after writing James Blunt Comeback:
AHAR!
And I came to the weird decision that James Blunt and Alan Partridge are look a like extremes!
Not the best example, but watch them and revel at the new truth I have just laid upon you!
Comments please on whether you agree or disagree!
The Hottest Female DJ in Ireland
Welcome to the first of many polls on The Music Mag!
This poll is courtesy of the fine people over at Music Radio Dublin and is to find out their hottest female DJ!
So take a look and vote below!
SIOBHAN O’CONNOR
JOAN LEA
TRINA MARA
CLAIRE CONNELLAN
DAVID MOORE
Russell Joslin
Russell Joslin Myspace
Email – russell@russelljoslinmusic.co.uk
Download Russell Joslin – no ordinary girl
Information
Russell Joslin, a London based singer song writer, has a unique sound that you would not be able to duplicate. His unique voice and the backing of strumming, plucking and constant slides, create the package. A harmonica also makes an appearance from time to time to complete the one man band feel.
He released his first album, Dream Token, which included such songs such as Bleed (lyrics below), Dead Baby Blue, Dirty Company and more. The album was received well by a wide variety of sources and he received some air time on a few radio stations.
Constantly gigging his arse off, Russell also created Pretty Bricks, which is essentially him plus a drummer and a slightly heavier and rockier feel.
Russell Joslin has a way with words – that much is for certain. His lyrics are second-to-none in his genre of slightly dark, but qwerky tales of self involvement.
Bleed Lyrics
I’m not gonna like something just cos you say.
I’m not gonna run away. I’m not gonna go away that easy.The lion in you and the lion in me, they will come to blows, god knows.
Im not gonna fight in the way that you need.
I’ll break things, I’ll smash things up, I’ll bleed.And all your philosophy wont mean a thing.
I won’t let it win, I won’t let you win, unless you bleed.
Glastonbury 2009 Preview
A few hours time and I’ll be setting off to my first Glastonbury Festival.
I’ve been a regular festival goer for ten years now, although have previously mainly stuck to the more mainstream deals; I took a break in 2007 when a combination of being bored with V and Reading lineups (full of either decent bands who’ve been around for a while or hyped ‘next big thing’ artists) and submerging myself in electronic dance music (sic) saw my lass and make make our first pilgrimage to Ibiza instead. That in turn lead us to hit the less beaten festival path of Bestival in 2008 which turned out to be the most enjoyable five days sitting in a field with stinking toilets I’ve ever had, and that was despite the relentless rain four days straight and a gazebo that blew over after two hours of erection.
Festival tank well and truly recharged and refilled for 2009, Glastonbury had to be hit this year and in retrospect I’m glad I waited this long for my mind to truly be in the mindset to be completely open to everything that’s likely to go down…
So, the line-up.
Starting with the headliners, I consider myself a reasonable fan of Bruce Springsteen, although as soon as his mid-eighties albums hit I’ve not been able to get through an album without a dollop of Dairylea smacking me in the face – I’ve get to wipe it off to reach his later stuff. Can’t say I know a lot about Neil Young which is a shame, but I’ll certainly be there for Blur since they provided me with a musical awakening back in December ‘99.
Other highlights will be some of the new acts who will hopefully have long-lasting careers ahead of them; Glasvegas and Ladyhawke have both had excellent debut albums from start to finish and hopefully I’ll catch them. Spinal Tap will simply be unmissable, as will Nick Cave and the lovely Bad Seeds. Kasabian I’ve enjoyed live before and after a storming debut album and decent follow-up, I’ve liked what I’ve heard of their third offering despite the ridiculously wanky title.
Having seen them live before, I’m anticipating a ‘festival moment’ when Madness take the stage and hit “Nightboat to Cairo”. Prodigy and Pendulum always go down well live at festivals too. Having developed a bit of an angle on Miss Lily Allen over the past few months, hopefully she’ll make me Smile.
Where it really takes off though is the frankly ridiculous 7 dance stages in its own ‘Dance Village’. There the likes of Timo Maas, Tom Real, Stanton Warriors, Stereo MCs, Don Letts, Slam, Jim Masters, Scratch Perverts, Krafty Kuts, Erol Alkan, 2manydjs, Eric Prydz, Mr Scruff and Rob da Bank all whet my whistle, but the real standouts for me are Deadmau5 (who is about to become the next big dj to crossover into the mainstream popularity circles), Freeland Live (top notch kickin’ breaks) and Tom Middleton (funky extraordinaire). Far too much of a good thing, add that to the conventional line up and there’ll be far too much to hope to see.
I dare say though that this festival, much like Bestival last year, will be a 24/7 experience where the lineup is no more than half the attraction. Unlike the Vs and Readings of this world though where once the music stops at 11:30pm the only entertainment is a 6 pack, dodgy fag and some berk playing the little-known ‘Wonderwall’ by a fire (which I’m not necessarily knocking), the highlights and madness of the festival will probably only be about to begin.
I’m looking forward to a hazy homage at the Stone Circle, a vist to Trash City, the bizarre Shangri La and apparently a visit ‘to a pub’. I’ll be sure to post pictures to try and illustrate the probable frolics.
Anyhow, the sofa is calling and I’ve some CDs to burn, and besides, who the f*** would want to continue reading this lengthy diatribe?
Joy and love x
Created From Silence
Created From Silence Myspace
Email- createdfromsilence@live.co.uk
Download Created From Silence – Strong
Band Info
Created from Silence are a four piece, soft acoustic band that were formed in late 2008 and are based in central Scotland. Their writing influences include the likes of The Counting Crows, Matchbox 20, John Mayer and Damien Rice.
The four musicians within Created From Silence are committed to getting their music to anyone who has ever owned a pair of ears.
It was an ambition for all members to acquire a band of talented musicians that would make those tracks come alive through some hard work and an open mind. With the likes of MySpace and Gumtree at their disposal it was there and they managed to bump in to each other.
CFS have recorded a live 3 track demo which is available to listen to on their MySpace. Due to the popularity of this they have had various press articles as well as being aired on Tom Robinson’s Introducing show on BBC radio 6 which showcases the best in new music.
Recently the band won their Westsound Live radio heat to obtain a slot to play at this years Wickerman Festival.
Gigs
Gig wise they have played reputable slots across Glasgow and Edinburgh.Falkirk Town Hall, The Box and Barrowlands 2 in Glasgow are coming up soon.
To contact the band, please see the details at the top of this page.
James Blunt Comeback!
Now I have to admit that James Blunt is one of those embarrassing artists, that you secretly may like, but never ever admit.
James Blunt Comeback
Now I found Back To Bedlam a long time before it was released and pretty much fell in love with the album. I expected it to remain quite unknown but he took off and the songs were extremely overplayed and songs such as ‘Goodbye My Lover’ probably ranked up there with the most annoying songs I had ever heard.
Whilst randomly searching through some old bits and bobs I came across Back To Bedlam and gave it a listen. After not having his songs shoved down my throat for a couple of years, I really enjoyed it again.
Guilty Pleasure Song
The rest of The Music Mag will no doubt disagree with this, but I think his songs are nice and relaxing, but ah well! Everyone has their guilty pleasures in one form or another! Now Listen and cup your ears with hatred until I post a better video!
Oil On Canvas
Oil On Canvas Myspace
Contact – Rob/Rafael/Tom
Download Oil On Canvas – House Of Cards MP3
Oil On Canvas Info
Oil On Canvas are a multicultural 4 piece pop/rock/indie unsigned band based in London. They are made up of vocalist Rob, guitarist Rafael and bassist Tom. The band can be traced back to 2006 with their self-released self-titled debut album “Oil On Canvas”. This alternative rock album was met with encouraging reviews from national music magazines, acknowledging the musicianship such as Rafael’s beautiful guitar work in the instrumental “Chama-Me”. But it did not meet with the commercial success the band was hoping for.
A tough time of decision making lead the band to write more radio friendly anthemic rock tunes that appeared on the three song 2007 EP release recorded at Metropolis Studios, London. With the help of Rob’s vocals powering over the new songs like “Game On” and exciting live shows, a loyal following was building and word spread across England’s capital of an exciting new group. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the performances were the new “get up and dance” songs.
Read the rest of this entry »
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
You could listen to this album 4 or 5 times and still be unsure of the quality of the latest Dirty Projectors release and while the album has been getting rave reviews all over the internet, I’m still not sure if I actually enjoy it or not. 9 tracks, all with a determined drive to distort established pop song structures and push pop music into an all-together new avant garde direction, that bristle with invention and creativity, yet it all falls flat somehow.
Perhaps it’s the meandering nature of a lot of the songs; “Useful Chamber” runs for 6 and a half minutes and it’s difficult to find a central idea or an imbedded hook. While the harmonies are there, the song itself wanders away from itself, breaking down so often it feels like you’re listening to a musical version of a Skoda. It’s certainly odd and inventive but it’s inventive in the way that a jam session is but ultimately noodling. However, the album has its catchy hooks and vocals that remind you of its pop-aping ideas; the female harmonies on the album follow a similar trend to the diva-like sounds of Mariah and Christina and when these vocals work to their best, they manage to capture something special.
But, ‘Stillness is the Move’ is certainly the highlight. A rhythm section that bounds along like the very best art pop while the harmonies and vocals are their strongest, reflecting the very best in 00’s Chamber Pop. The guitar lines are tight, focused and complex and the song stands tall as an instant stand-out and a shining beacon of where this band can really take their idea.
As a whole though, it’s a unfocused but admirable idea but it misses more than it hits. The likes of St. Vincent and Grizzly Bear have achieved more innovative and complex pop records this year and retain the focused and catchy hooks that sadly go wandering away on this record. For all its faults though, it feels like the precursor to something special indeed.
10 Best Chillout Bands
This is a list completely done on my personal opinion. If you’d like to leave your feedback it would be fantastic to hear your views (most likely berating my opinions!).
Anyway, chillout music has always been a highly played category of music and there are countless albums such as ibiza chillout, ultimate chillout, the list goes on. The following is the list of the bands (that I have heard of), that I rank highest on my personal list.
10/ Röyksopp
- If you’re in to slightly trance/dancey sounding chillout then make sure to check these guys out. Sounds brilliant.
9/ LemonJelly
- Only recently discovered this band. All i know is that every song I’ve heard I’ve loved. Some nice beats in there but not too fast or hard to move it away from some great relaxing music.
Evolution Festival 2009 – A Bank Holiday of Sun, Bad Indie Bands and Underage Girls
Every Bank Holiday Weekend in May, Newcastle/Gateshead host the Evolution Festival, showcasing the best in local talent as well as a number of hot UK acts. With the state of British Music at the moment, the majority of them have the Arctic Monkeys debut album so engrained in their head, they may as well be covering “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor” for 40 minutes or bands are so desparate to emulate Dizzee Rascal, they’ll hitch on baggy jeans, speak like Dot Cotton and rap some silly bollocks about “bluds” or street crime. It’s all very repetitive and boring.
But, this year had the aforementioned Dizzee Rascal, the excellent Ladyhawke and two excellent upcoming acts in VV Brown and Marina and the Diamonds so for the low price of £10, I got myself a ticket, comforting myself with the notion that £10 for 4 bands is something approaching good value and somehow forgetting that 15 or so average bands for a tenner is approaching slightly-less-than-good value.
Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
Ever wondered what a song, in the form of a sexual transmitted infection would sound like? The Music Mag has your answer.
The raw yet mesmerising baseline, backed up by great rapping and melodic singing is enough to hook anyone. They performed it on American Idol, which ashamedly is where I caught it. That being said, this was the finale and had some great performances including the rock legends that are KISS and many others.
Anyway, without further ado, the Boom Boom Pow Live Performance on american idol. Please let us know what you think:
Godspeed You Black Emperor
Anyone heard of Godspeed You Black Emperor? They’re damn good. If you’re in to more contemporary instrumental music, you may like them.
I’m in to a lot of bands like this at the moment. Like Post-Rock i think is the “label” to put them under. kinda similarish to 65daysofstatic, who are another awesome band, but not quite as dancey, more instrumental with big build ups and large crashes, etc.
Their albums tell a v good story, i’ll post a youtube vid to check out a track:
