Something About Us - Shaprece Reprise

Very busy sorting out my monster set for New Years Eve at PA, some amazing remixes, some brilliant originals and no setlist; fully expecting to smash this one.

Quickly however, I'd like to point you to this incredible remix of one of my favourite Daft Punk tracks.
Certain tracks are difficult to touch, every now and then a song is simply so perfect in it's composition that it needn't be changed. At all.

Something About Us was one of those tracks until I stumbled across this remix a few months back. You may remember me posting Twin Sister performing this brilliant track way back at the beginning of the year.
However, this version blows that out of the water. Sit back, enjoy and may your 2011 be a happy, prosperous and stable one, to anyone that reads this.

Christmas TV

Christmas leaves me feeling extremely melancholy; it is a reflective time of year to process what has occurred and been learnt in the previous 365 days and what can be built upon in the next. Though I'm becoming increasingly impulsive, often to my detriment, I still enjoy those quiet moments alone to collect my thoughts and take stock of what has occurred.
Christmas for me personally is a brilliantly romantic time of year, the joy of an almost universal holiday period is palpable and the particularly wintry weather this year has lead to quieter trains, picturesque city scenes and an altogether Christmassy atmosphere. I also think I benefit from my birthday being so close to Christmas as while others are excited and then sick of Christmas by the beginning of December, I am yet to even think about Christmas and so the two weeks in between are still exciting and almost magical.

Anyway, in my low-key family Christmas, music plays a fairly small part. I will spend some money on music, I will be gifted some by others. The song that soundtracked my slightly upsetting Christmas last year is the brilliant Christmas TV by Slow Club and though I've listened to that album incessantly over the last 18 months, Christmas TV still takes me back to cold lonely nights in my old flat when the intensity of the song really struck me.
Now, if you haven't heard the song, please don't expect a ballad or choirs of school kids; this is a straight up boy/girl/guitar song that happens to talk about Christmas. It's also miles better than any of the Christmas songs you'll hear this winter.

Have a great Christmas people, thank you for all your encouraging words this year, all your supportive messages when times were tough and for making this year the most popular year I've ever had on this blog.

Say Hi to your mother for me.

This is probably what I'd do too...

MAKE THE GIRL DANCE [KILL ME] (official video)
Uploaded by placeblancherec. - See the latest featured music videos.

Hotflush takeover 1Xtra

Only 3 days left to listen to the Fantastic scuba take over 1Xtra for 3 hours and talk all things HotFlush/Bass Music/Dubstep/Electronica/You know what I mean.

Among other things, also features an brilliantly vibrant set by George Fitzgerald and very few 1Xtra tags

http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/wy78m/

Burial - Untrue

Best album ever made.
Science fact


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Friday Eargasm - Nujabes

Hip hop rarely makes it onto my iPod and when it does, it tends to be fairly obvious stuff. Anyone that knows me knows of my love for all things Beastie but I prefer my Hip Hop on the more chilled out side probably due to my minor addiction to Prefuse 73 during university.

One such artist is Japanese hip hop producer Nujabes who mixes Jazz, Disco and Big Band with Hip Hop to create songs with swing instead of swagger. This is no more obvious than in today's choice Thank You.

Modal Soul was Nujabes final release back in 2005 before he was tragically killed earlier in 2010 in a car crash. An artist that shied away from interviews, live appearances or any kind of general public attention, his reputation quickly grew from the underground Japanese Hip Hop scene into the more diverse world as his work became imported and spread over the internet.
Thank You is the perfect encapsulation of everything Nujabes strived for. Beginning with big brass stabs and double tracked drums, the track is purposeful without the typical Hip Hop aggression. Lyrics are provided by New York MC Apani B who talks of her gratitude at the opportunity to travel to Japan and do what she loves with Nujabes. Rarely in Hip Hop is there a genuine appreciation of the life stars lead but Apani B's honest and almost conversational style of rapping leaves you with a sense of genuine thanks. As expected, the production is smooth with reed organs and luscious strings forming a glisteny and sumptious canvas for Apani B's lyrics.

If you're not a Hip Hop fan, I think there'l be something in this song that you'll love; be it Nujabes wonderful compostion, the bold jazzy sounds or the touching lyrics, he will undoubtedly continue to be missed.

Chase & Status - Blind Faith

Remarkable new video for Blind Faith

There are no words to describe this...

2010: A Review

I will aim to keep this a musical review, I have no need or desire to regurgitate what a journey 2010 has been.
A quick statement though. There are people that read this who I have mistreated this year, for that I'm sorry. There are people that read this who have mistreated me, I apologise for my not always adult reaction. Most importantly, there are people that read this who are my friends and have helped me through a difficult year. My life has been pretty cushty so far but this has been one of the more difficult periods.
You mean more to me than this blog, the music I write about or my little black rectangle that contains all that music and fits in my pocket.
Thanks for everything.

2010 started off with a musical bang back in January (the traditional time to start a year) as I was struggling at the end of 2009 to summarise the previous decade's worth of output and eventually came to no conclusions. 2010 allows me to look back at just one year's worth of musical output yet I find myself as indecisive as I was this time last year.
You can't see my screen as I type this but below is a list of the albums that I've enjoyed this year, currently standing at 20. I know that I've forgotten albums. 20 is hardly a concise list either so I'll make it clear now that 2010 does not have one defining album. It certainly has 2 or 3 albums that were heads and shoulders above but just 1? Not in my world anyway.
2010 has been an excellently productive year for new music with many large acts releasing big albums to critical acclaim, as was to be expected after the relative dearth of 2009. We had hyped returns from New York Afro-punk's Vampire weekend and Bristol Trip-Hop pioneers Massive Attack star-studded affair amid exciting new albums from Delphic, Mount Kimbie and Warpaint to name but a few.

I'm almost unaware of how my age is affecting my music tastes though I'm sure it is. My days of more visceral guitar bands are dwindling, instead replaced by music that takes a conscious effort to listen to & that challenges on each listen. Mount Kimbie provided an excellent follow on from the sublime Maybes in their LP Crooks & Lovers, a delicately put together record with density in sound and ideas proving that Electronica really is the genre that is most forward-thinking for the moment.
However, brilliant guitar albums from Foals, Warpaint and The Tallest Man On Earth have shown that guitar music can still be relevant and interesting and this diversity is important and worth celebrating. We truly are spoiled for varied and exciting music, especially as bands such as Kings of Leon get washed away in a wave of banality.

2010 ultimately has ultimately been an enjoyable year for music. My top 10 is in no conscious order, this does not mean however that there is no order at all. It is more a way of me avoiding having to choose one record over another. I have also chosen to only mention album's released in 2010. If I were to include two albums of other years, my top 2 albums of this year would read 1) Burial - Untrue and 2) worriedaboutsatan - Arrivals.

It should also be mentioned that 2010 marked the loss of my favourite ever DJ, Mary Anne-Hobbs, from our airwaves. Though her stirling work continues, her show already is and will continue to be sorely missed.

Anyway, here goes. My 10 favourite records released in 2010. Perhaps at the end of 2011 I'll look back at this list and laugh, perhaps I'll still be listening to all of these albums. I hope it is the latter.

1) Four Tet - There Is Love In You                                    Spotify    Play.com
2) Bonobo - Black Sands                                                   Spotify    Play.com
3) Mount Kimbie - Crooks & Lovers                          Soundcloud  Play.com
4) Warpaint - The Fool                                                      Spotify    Play.com
5) LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening                         Spotify    Play.com
6) Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here                                   Spotify    Play.com
7) Ikonika - Contact, Love, Want, Have                           Spotify    Play.com
8) Vampire Weekend - Contra                                          Spotify    Play.com  
9) Foals - Total Life Forever                                            Spotify   Play.com
10) Actress - Splazsh                                                      Spotify    Play.com

Friday Eargasm - Big Poppa E

Something a little different this week, to look cultured and stuff yeah? I'm not just about the choons, you get me?

Big Poppa E is a Californian slam poet, National Poetry Slam Champion, campaigner for Amnesty International and Men Against Violence and all around interesting and funny guy.
I'm terrible at describing poets/poetry (my music description's aren't too hot either) so I'm going to let Big Poppa do the talking.

However, if you like what you hear, there are two albums of him performing available on Spotify, here and here.
I highly recommend them both.

Monday Motivator - Falling Free

Tube strikes in London, whether you agree with the issues or not, are incredibly successful in causing the complications and disruption that every protest should. They are yet to resort to storming Millbank Tower and throwing fire extinguishers from the top and this is perhaps the only aspect in which the majority of Londoners support the RMT.
They are indeed irritating but I've found there are two ways to deal with travel chaos;
1) Push and shove your way onto your chosen mode of transport, huffing and complaining about the terrible service and cramped conditions.
2) Put on some calming, serene music followed by a deep breath and just go at your own pace. It's scary how few people have control of their emotions and when minor complications occur their stress levels will rise and begin to act irrationally. No wonder so many man days are lost per year to stress.

I have a calming playlist on my iPod especially for such occasions, when things are getting hectic I put the playlist on shuffle and my stress levels subside for long enough to realise that it's all kind of irrelevant. One staple on this playlist is the Aphex Twin remix of Falling Free by Curve.

Curve were an early 90's band mixing elements of shoegaze and electronic rock to create a sound that was a wash of distortion and reverb heavy vocals but kept driving guitar lines and electronic drums to ensure the songs did not slip into nothingness.
Falling Free originally appeared on the '97 EP Horror Head and featured the same distortion heavy guitar and reverbed vocals mentioned above. The track is menacing and powerful combining four to the floor bass drum and layer upon layer of distorted guitars which smother your ears as the vocals sit in the background creating another layer as opposed to offering anything to grab hold of.

However, where the track really lifts off for me is Aphex Twin's sublime 'remix'.
Aphex takes a snippet of that original dreamy vocal and brings it right to the front as it provides a haunting melody to hang his skittery drum pattern around. The whole track is a master-class in production too with layering of complex beats that don't interfere with each other and add a wonderful sense of depth to a track that is obviously sparse and cold sounding. The detailed and intricate drums act as a candle through an the broody atmosphere, providing a reliable element to return to as your mind explores the dank corners of the track.

It may not motivate you particularly but it is certainly a wonderful piece of music, as 99% of Aphex's output is.

Gorillaz - Crystalised

Let England Shake

Just a quick one, in case you hadn't heard, Polly Jean Harvey is to release her 8th studio album next Valentine's Day on Island Records.

Taken from her website:

"Recorded in a 19th Century church in Dorset with long time collaborator Flood who co-produced the album with PJ Harvey, John Parish and Mick Harvey. Let England Shake was also mixed by Flood."


This is of course thrilling news, PJ Harvey entering on the 'slightly mental' end of the JTS List but fully deserving her place there none the less, my first Glastonbury could potentially be corking, despite in my opinion lacklustre headliners.

You Are Here

I'm preparing something special for the end of 2010. It's been a rollercoaster of a year for me with lows that still bring tears to my eyes, highs like I've never felt before and nowhere near enough middle ground. I suppose that makes it more like a lift.
Oh well, writing has never been my strong point, anyone that reads this can attest to that.

This blog has been a safe haven for me this year however, a place to come and spill my thoughts and organise them in front of my eyes, a place to escape from those very thoughts by talking about anything but them and sometimes a mix of the two. As my life moves on in new and exciting directions, a sense of normality is finally returning and with it, my burning passion to thrust music onto anyone that listens has returned too.
There are some incredible new sounds filling my ears at the moment, a conversation this morning reminded me that though guitar music for me personally is on a bit of a fall, it has been compensated for by a surging rise in all kinds of wonderfully deep and interesting electronic music that inspires and comforts in the way any guitar band used to.

One of the most obvious signs of the progression in electronic music at the moment is the number of artists who almost deny classification as journalists scramble to discover what to call artists and what the artists are calling themselves. Mount Kimbie say they are influenced by dubstep but what does dubstep even mean anymore? Mount Kimbie are clearly not dubstep and because of their smoother silkier textures are often given the term post-dubstep, akin to post-rock. As 2010 will be seen as dubstep's expansive year, it is encouraging that it can also be seen as the beginning of it's more mainstream explorations too with artists such as Scuba, Joy Orbison and Darkstar all rising to prominence for releasing music that is not only forward thinking but encourages all the artists around them to raise their game.
Another reason for the rise of electronic music in 2010 has been the influx of new artists with something credible to offer. Circa 2004, guitar bands were spiky, energetic and though often borrowing from earlier sounds, were generally pushing guitar music away from the Oasis' and late 90's pop punk and offering something new, especially on behalf of British guitar bands. However, 6 years later and those same bands have disappeared or released mediocre follow ups and are now taking a step back. This cyclical nature of music leaves a whole which electronic music is now filling quite nicely. Only a year ago, it seemed that Folk was here to save the world but with anything, overexposure leads to backlash however much people loved the original product. Now it is all things electronic that fill blogs, critics and my ears.


What's the point of all this? There isn't one really. I'm not trying to say Electronica is new, Kid A was 10 years old this year. I'm not trying to say there's no good guitar music, Warpaint and Foals are arguably two of my favourite albums this year. There is a change coming though, the dynamic is shifting and as someone that loves to listen to new music and be just a little snooty about it, that's a wonderfully exciting time.
At the end of 2010, I'll post a mix that I'm working on of my favourite electronic music, of all genres. Some of it you'll have heard to death, some of it you might not.
Either way, it'll hopefully highlight what a fantastic year 2010 has been for all types of electronic music and hopefully what 2011 has in store...

Crystal Castles - Not In Love

Originally a single by 80's new wave Canadian band Platinum Blonde, Not In Love was taken from their 1983 album Standing In The Dark. The original is a stereotypical new wave/glam rock track with the distinctive 80s snare drum sound, a twinkly guitar line, smoke filled stages and incredible hair do's.
I often admire people who cover tracks that are far from prominence, Bon Iver's cover of Your Love by The Outfield (UK chart #86) was inspired as lyrically and sonically the track slots into his relatively limited repertoire.
There is a definite skill to covering a popular track as it takes skill to wrestle someone's affections away from the original and transform it into a new track with new life. Though re-imaginings such as Not In Love do not have the difficulties of changing preconceptions, they must breathe life into a track that was a flash in the pan first time round.

Crystal Castles inclusion of Not In Love transformed the original into a much more driven and club-friendly piece (as is to be expected by Crystal Castles input). Robert Smith's vocals on the single version bring his usual desperate and contemplative voice to a song that is drenched in sadness and the chorus is lifted by dense bass and, mirroring the guitar from the original, twinkly distorted chorus synths.

Hear the album version here, featuring Ethan Kath on vocals

This is going to sound huge at our Soulwaxmas christmas party too.





Oh and since I know you're dying to know, Friday was fun. Like unbelievable, life changing, still feeling both tired and the buzz Monday morning kind of fun. The kind of gig that you will never forget, despite drinking too much and dancing way too hard.

The kind of perfection you were always going to get from that line up

This Friday: Four Tet, Caribou, Nathan Fake, James Holden, Rocketnumbernine

I know right? That doesn't even sound like a real line up, it sounds more like a dream.

It's real, it's happening and I'm there. To be honest, I'd be excited if this was just another chance to see the wonderful Four Tet again. The fact he's curated the night and has put on two other incredible DJ's, one of the makers of album of the year in Caribou and the first signing to his label in Rocketnumbernine tells you just how strong and varied this line up is. Props to Eat Your Own Ears for letting this happen, whatever it's costing you, it's going to be a MASSIVE night.

Here's a beautifully shot video from the first time I saw Four Tet, earlier this year at The Dome. If you ever have a chance to see him, I cannot emphasise enough just how much you need that experience in your life. Even if you're someone that knows next to nothing of his back catalogue, you will be blown away by the textures he builds, his choice of sounds and he gives a masterclass on how to build atmospheric and absorbing pieces.

A quick heads up

Check out what's happened to Luke Lewis, Deputy Editor of the NME.

http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=10&p=9392&title=thank_you_for_the_venom_my_chemical_roma&more=1&c=1

I'm not going to pass comment when I haven't read the article but it's a shame when a journalist can no longer write an article without risking the abusive and vitriolic attacks he has received. Sure, what he said was perhaps a bit unnecessary but hasn't this week shown that people need to lighten up a little on what they read and stop taking everything so seriously?
And honestly, calling Luke Lewis names is clearly no better than him calling your beloved MCR guitarist "podgy".

It's this kind of behaviour that puts people off Twitter. Sure, social media is great at being able to connect with people like this whereas before, NME chose which letters it printed. However, sending death threats and threatening to storm his building is just incomprehensible. Why do people feel that because they can hide behind a twitter username, it allows them to hurl any abuse at anyone.

It's childish, unnecessary and disappointing.

Have a good weekend folks and think about standing up for yourself in an adult way for once

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Feeling a little sore today, danced pretty hard to LCD, endured what felt like a 10 hour journey home and finally crashed out (after another cheeky beer of course).

As expected, LCD Soundsystem were spectacular. A brilliant light show, incredible energy and a perfect setlist with only one notable exception and they did mention hitting a curfew.

Picking my favourite song of the night would be too hard, there are too many songs I don't remember them playing for a start and as epic as All My Friends was, there's nothing like a bit of dirty techno to get my blood pumping.

If you don't know Yeah, give it the full 9 minutes of your attention it deserves. Turn it up, nod along to one of the best bass lines, find yourself slowly repeating "yeah yeah yeah" and I promise by the time this song reaches it's climax of insane percussion and disgustingly dirty synth , you will be losing your shit wherever you're reading this.

Foals tomorrow. Time to rest up and do it all again.

Dancetastic

TONIGHT IM GOING TO DANCE UNTIL MY FEET FALL OFF.
LCD Soundsystem. Hot Chip. Alexandra Palace. I actually only like 1 of those three things but I'm so bloody excited that the other two are getting free passes for today. I've put a fair amount of LCD on here before, explained my love affair with New York, I Love You and the wonderful video to Someone Great but today's featured track is Losing My Edge.

An 8 minute monster of a track, Losing My Edge contains everything that make LCD a band to sit up and pay attention to. From the simple but burrowing synth line, the fantastic disco drums and Murphy's scathing and self-deprecating lyrics, all hung around a simple hook that explodes as quickly as it disappears again. This is a quintessential LCD track as each part has it's place and relinquishes attention when it's not necessary giving the track space to breathe.

Check out the real version here or watch a typically impassioned performance at Coachella below.

If that's not enough, Foals on Friday. In Brixton. SHIT IS GOING TO GO OFF

Monday Motivator - Soul Control

"Music should be more than a job. It should be a passion. It should be something you don't even see as work".
Theo Parrish, Interview with RA, April 2008

Friday Eargasm - The Keeper

Little to say this week, I've been working so bloody hard that I like a bit of a husk at the moment, my brain's burning out and my feet are always aching. It's cool but I feel like I should be building up to a big holiday when all I'm building up to is more work.
Still, I'm not complaining, better to have something than nothing and all that jazz.

Soothing music is dominating my ears at the moment, to ease me into the early starts and to wind me down after the late finishes. I hate that feeling of being completely exhausted and lying down in the dark whilst your brain continues to whirr away. Easily one of the best artists to melt away troubles is Bonobo whose release Black Sands was a standout of 2010.

After returning to London, electronic influences have crept back into his work creating a wonderful mould of live instrumentation and deep and soulfoul electronica. Bonobo has always offered forward-thinking music and the inclusion of one of the rising stars of 2010 in Andreya Triana has further cemented both his and her status' in their respective scenes.
Black Sands is a wonderfully balanced album with tracks such as Eyesdown offering the husky crackled electronics to compliment the more live based Animals. The album is also beautifully paced, never peaking too high to clash with the extremely mellow ending of Animals and title track Black Sands. Often with instrumental music such as Bonobo's, the attention of the listener is difficult to retain; by it's very nature this is music to wallow in and relax to. However the remarkably deep construction of Black Sands allows this album to creep into your consciousness without forcing it's way in and provides great rewards for your attention.

Anyway, I pick any track from Black Sands for today but as a standout memory of his performance at Big Chill, listen and enjoy Stay The Same.

Have a good weekend.

Stay The Same on Spotify

I said I was having a slow monday but this news that I hazily remember reading at some point this weekend makes me extremely happy.

Garbage are coming back

Monday motivator

After a weekend which was spent almost entirely horizontal; a good party Friday night, Paper Mache dinosuars on Saturday and hours of Fifa and Little Big Planet on Sunday, waking up on a Monday morning to head to work was a mammoth task.

Though technically we gained an hour longer in bed with the clock change, this morning just felt like cutting a lie in short. I'd stayed in bed longer than I normally would on a weekday but not long enough for a weekend. This has left me feeling decidedly groggy, time seems to be slipping backwards with each minute taking longer than the last.

Long story short, watch this amazing Beastie Boys performance for The Late Show with David Letterman and marvel in their constantly energetic and engaging performances.

Warpaint 6 Music session

Can be found here. Session begins around 1:40:00

Don't You Call Anybody Else Baby

Have you bought this yet? Why not?
Hands down one of the best albums of 2010. Best? Just perhaps.

Sad times

A sad day in music indeed, on the anniversary of John Peel's death, the world is now short one more musical legend with one of reggae's greatest voices, Gregory Isaacs, passing away Monday.

Warpaint - Out Today

I can't remember the last time I bought a record the day it was released. I've preordered them, bought them in the incredible play.com sales and on random paydays, I go shopping.
Today however, I'm scooting over to Rough Trade to get my grubby little mits on Warpaint's debut album and I can't wait.

Why am I buying it today? Mainly to prove a point to myself. I've been listening to the album for a while and it is a truly remarkable offering, a heady mix of shoegaze, psychedelic indie and ethereal harmonies that leave you calmly excited and desperate for more.
The album's slow progression works in it favour with most tracks over 5 minutes. The listener is encouraged to really submerge in the mood and melodies contained in each package and appreciate their slow-burning nature, as opposed to compacting everything into a three and a half minute package that focusses on an immediate impact. Not that Warpaint don't of course, their tracks are given space to breathe over the 5 minutes instead of the huffing and puffing over a 3 minute track. The same effect but more gentle and effective.


Buying it on release day is because I'm still excited to experience it. I'm excited to go home with a freshly wrapped CD, carefully take the plastic off, pop the CD in my computer, put on my headphones and listen. Not to a 192 MP3, to the actual CD. To flick over the artwork, the thank you's, the lyrics, who knows what's in the booklet? To immerse myself in an album's full sensory experience, as opposed to simply listening to the songs with the rattle of tube trains in the background.

This doesn't make me a better person than you, that's not what I'm trying to say. This is about loving an album that I can finally hold, by all accounts this record has been a long time coming and in the world of blogs hyping band after band, the excessive media exposure means fans can often be tired of a band before they've even released their debut album.
This is about the end product, the culmination of all those shows, press releases and interviews to raise awareness in an overcrowded music media world. This is how the band want me to engage with their music, nothing in an album's presentation should be unintentional and I cannot wait to read every word, interpret every picture and be completely consumed by the album.

I recommend you do the same.
Buy it here

Friday Eargasm

My week's been a long one.

Now, I don't know about you, and that's my fault, how are you by the way? Good week? Anyway, aren't you glad it's Friday?

My brain is decidedly foggy this morning; a beautiful Italian meal with lots of Prosecco, some whisky and a rather interesting walnut liqueur from Bologna have left me feeling a touch delicate. However, it is Friday and with another night out ahead, I am soothing my head this morning before winding up for another London Friday night. The weather this week has been on the Arctic side of cold which signifies the switch from beer to spirits for a few months. This also handily coincides with training as beer is the worst idea when trying to get fit but spirits tend to not be too detrimental.

Anyway, despite it being Friday and my body shutting down, there are still 7 hours left of the working day and I need to keep going.

Based on a conversation I had last night, this week's Eargasm is the wonderful Glory Box by Portishead. I tend to prefer the PNYC version, Gibbons voice is fully unleashed and the solo has a few extra little fills that kick it up a notch.

So settle in with a warm hoody, a white chocolate bueno and wallow in the beautiful sounds of Portishead.

That my friends, is a Friday win.

Forgive the interruption

I'm an idiot.
It's true, I can give you a list of people that would agree with me.
And that's ok, you know? Those people often are pretty accurate with their opinion, I have been known to do stupid things and stupid things tend to follow me around, it's a part of my life I've learnt to embrace.

I'm running a half-marathon.

13.1 miles
21.08 kilometres
My house to Maidstone.
My flat to Wembley.
Half the distance from Dover to Calais.

A REALLY BLOODY LONG WAY.


Sponsor me. I'll put up the links when I have them set up. I'm donating to two incredibly worthwhile charities who have directly affected my family and have helped thousands of others. I will detail these when I have the justgiving site up as you'll be able to see exactly where your money will go, instead of reading now and forgetting about it in 6 weeks time.

If this happens, I'll post pictures but donate more

It's in March. So you have plenty of time to donate, then save up, then donate a bit more. You gave generously when I grew an irritating moustache for Movember and that was wonderful. It was itchy and it looked prepubescent but it was for a good cause, one close to my heart, and that's what matters with fund raising.

Now, I'm not going to lie and say this was a snap decision. As I'm sure most people do, I have a little list in my head of things I must achieve in my life, things that I've always thought would add to my legacy. I don't expect I'll have much of a legacy but the only way to find out is to try and see how big it gets (that's what she said).

I won't list it all for you but running a marathon is on that list. Why? Why the freak not. It's a gruelling task, a talking point and if I can help a charity by lifting one leg up and putting it in front of the other, why would I not. Hell, if Phiddipides can run 26 miles to deliver a message of "we won" having just fought a battle, I'm sure I can do it fuelled by Lucozade (official energy drink of choice for Alex's run, I'll expect a cheque soon please Lucozade people). He did die shortly after from exhaustion but that's not a fact I'm going to dwell on.

So yeah, apologies for the now split content of music/marathon training. But then I don't really mean that sorry as if it makes you donate and donate some more, it'll have been worthwhile.

I hate Monday's

I used to love Garfield cartoons. I think that's mainly cause he lvoed Lasagna though and I really love lasagna.

Every Monday makes me feel like this driver.

4 more days to the weekend...

Let's pretend, happy end...

My first love.

Well not quite, but my first celebrity crush. This was also the first album I listened to until it broke (ah cassettes), the first band poster I ever owned, the album contained the first song I associated with a girl, the first time I paid attention to production, the first band to make me scour the dialup era internet for every live version, acoustic version and remix in existence.

It's still one of my favourite ever ever ever albums. If you haven't spent some time with Version 2.0, to really intensely listen, to discover Manson's perfect delivery of emotions, the stunning layering of sounds and a flawless demonstration of how to write pop songs, do it right now.

If you have, then revisit it. Trust me, it's still a knockout album.

And my goodness was I right with Shirley Manson. She is hands down one of the sexiest performers out there but not in a gratuitously "look at what I've got to show off" kind of way. The intense emotion of this performance puts many current female performers to shame; just because you have it, it can be far sexier to not show it off.

Garbage - Version 2.0 on Spotify

Friday Eargasm - If These Trees Could Talk

An annoyingly common misconception is that intrumental post-rock must be melodic and soft and sweet. Though genre pioneers Mogwai built their career on sudden dynamic shifts and other bands such as Caspian and TWDY also use swathes of heavy distortion, bands that incorporate melodies and have some kick to them, in my iTunes at least, are few and far between.

Long favourites of mine are the brilliantly named If These Trees Could Talk from Akron Ohio. They mould intricate melodies into crashing thunderous sections that evolve on the themes they introduce. What is immediately clear on listening to ITTCT is that they're superbly talented musicians and listening to their tracks feel like they're taming a wild explosive beast.
The calm sections before the inevitable thrash retain an air of uncertainty and each moment is spent waiting, teetering on the edge of when the song will next launch itself down a wonderfully distorted slide.

I've often said that instrumental music soundtracks the images in your head but ITTCT create new images, they evoke feelings you'd forgotten about, bring anger and passion to the surface of an otherwise calm mood.
This is music to listen to loud and to revel in, to get and cleanse anger to.

Next Girl

This song has been bouncing around my head all weekend. The Black Keys are very adept at writing simple bluesy guitar melodies and though their earlier work focussed on the lo-fi spectrum of blues, their latest effort Brothers is crisp and shimmery in sound without compromising on the prominence of the riffs.

They have also created a band image that is concurrent throughout the packaging and video material for this record. From the vinyl looking sleeve, the heat activated CD (seriously) to the messaging along the bottom of the video for Next Girl, The Black Keys are portraying an image that is definitely working for them, Brothers debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Brothers is available from Play on the cheap, as is their equally essential album Attack & Release.

What's really odd about this is that people are saying this video is either better than Ok GO or trying to be Ok Go.

What seems to be missing is any acknowledgement that they're exactly like Ok Go in that it's a barely average song with a clever video. Videos used to be promotional songs for singles, tools to sell more of the main product. How many people have gone out and bought an Ok Go record based on a few dogs, or will buy this record?

Not nearly as many as is necessary I feel.

Friday Eargasm

It's finally here, the last day of the week and a chance for me to suggest something sexy to put in your ear.

Don't test me, I'll do it.

Fine, go here and download the latest release free from worriedaboutsatan, a collection of demos, b sides and remixes from their early days as a band, right up to their latest remix of White Hinterland.

They really are an exceptional band with a great understanding of how important being accessible to a fan base really is. Constantly active on twitter, allowing questions to be submitted through their website, they seem to be genuinely nice guys as well as very talented musicians.

Download All This Is For You over here and send them a note to let them know just how great their music is

@teamsatan

I think I know already..

..what my favourite album of 2010 will be.

As is often the way with my lists, it didn't come out in 2010.

It is probably still the most engaging, interesting, exciting album though and as I discussed the other day, that's what matters on my lists.

2010, You have 3 months to give me something better than this.

Best of luck.

Magnetic Man

I want to do a proper dissection of this album in a bit as there's a lot more going on than first meets the ear.

However, for the moment check out the debut Magnetic Man album on Spotify now. All signs point to this album being the one that really pushes dubstep on from the Rinse FM's of the world and onto the Radio 1 playlist.

In fact, the incredibly catchy 'I Need Air' was already playlisted over the summer and I got my dubstep groove on to it twice at Big Chill alone, once during Magnetic Man's incredible late ngiht set and again to Joker.

Magnetic Man, comprised of dubstep superheroes Benga, Skream and Artwork, err on the side of poppy dubstep but the album also takes in grime & drum n bass whilst retaining an accessible feel to each song, aided by guest vocalists such as Ms Dynamite and Katy B. By retaining this cleaner and sharper edge to their music, they avoid alienating themselves from the female audience, as is often the case with 'dubstep'.

edit: I completely forgot to add this yesterday but Anthemic is one of the best songs I've heard in ages. Anthemic doesn't even begin to describe that track. Check it.

Stream the Magnetic Man album here (Spotify Premium subscribers only I'm afraid)

New beginnings

I know every now and then I stray from musical content, this often becomes a venting platform, a sharing platform or just a boring platform and I kind of like to have a little place where I can spill my thoughts out that isn't a facebook status or Twitter.

Often, 140 characters just doesn't cut it, y'know?

I just want to let you know something that is coming back into my life that I'm extremely psyched about.

Something that I love but disappears for months at a time.

Hockey.

Not any more, with 1 day to go until the regular NHL season starts and 2 long days until the Washington Capitals lace up and skate out to general apathy in Atlanta, my favourite sport is finally back.

Now I'm not a typical sports person, I don't follow football religiously, I enjoy a bit of cricket and am slowly learning Rugby (let's go Bath).

However, Ice Hockey is the coolest fucking sport ever invented. FACT. And come Friday 8th October at exactly midnight, the Washington Capitals, MY Washington Capitals will begin the EIGHTY TWO GAME slog to the playoffs.

I'm no hockey blogger, I would never attempt to be. I simply don't know enough despite having followed this sport and this team for what is going to be my tenth year. But I love this team, I love it's attitude, I love it's passion and I love it's playe

rs. They're the only thing to constantly give me crap and yet I keep coming back. Now, on the brink of success, on the eve of the regular season, a nervous excitement is bubbling up inside me.

The best way for me to describe it would be in a musical way.

The Washington Capitals shooting their opening night video last year, as rockstars.

It's the morning of a gig. Your favourite band are playing tonight and you've scored tickets. Not tickets, guestlist. You know someone and they've upgraded your guestlist to AAA.

You're triple A to watching your favourite band. And you've never seen them before.

Throughout the day, you try and concentrate, you try to not think of what's ahead. But wherever you go, there are gentle, subtle reminders.

It's cold, so you put on the band's hoody. You need to get your head down and work, so you put on their last album. Facebook is coming alive with people saying how excited they are for that night.

As you queue to get in, you cannot stop moving your legs, tapping your sides. You think queuing at the bar would help but that dull thud of warm up music only serves as a reminder to the sonic assault you're about to receive. You wait barely patiently through the support acts, showing them the minimum amount of respect necessary whilst discussing which song will be played first, and last.

Then finally it comes.

A tortured analogy? Perhaps. But that's how I'm feeling right now. The preseason is over, the Caps convention is over. Finally, for the first time since April, Hockey means something again. It takes a certain kind of person to truly love a sports team, especially one that was so disappointing for so long.

Now, on the eve of what could be the greatest season in Capitals history, the one where they might finally win it all, I can smell the rinks, hear pucks banging off glass, ringing around boards, the thud of player on player, calls out on the ice and from the bench. I can taste the stale hot dog buns, smell the coffee and feel the cold hit me as I leave the rink at the end of the game.

Somewhat surprisingly, I'm guarded with my emotions, it takes me a long time to let my guard down. However, I love this team and will defend it to the death. Looking on my desk in front of me, I see my keys with my Caps keyrings on. There's my Caps hat in my bag, the Caps logo as the background on my iPhone. There's my jersey's and jumpers at home, my mini stick's, my good luck pucks and my posters. None of this really matters, it just makes me feel a little more connected to a team that's thousands of miles away.

What I really enjoy, what gives me the greatest pleasure is watching my favourite game played by my favourite sports team.

The only team that has ever made me think

"You know what, with these guys, it's more than just a game"

Let's Go Caps.

Burial & Kode9 for MAH

If you haven't listened to this yet then you really, really should.

I don't post links up for download but click here and it'll lead you to a list of places where you can download it.

It's a tour de force of UK garage, 2-step, dubstep and drum n bass and is expertly mixed, as is to be expected. There's even Prince in there.

Burial & Kode9's mix for Mary Anne Hobbs

Zero 7 - Home (Unrecorded Remix)

Home: Unrecorded Remix by The Unrecorded

Hello Luxembourg!

That's right people, Boywithacoin yesterday received a rush from Luxembourg of all places.

I'm spreading my message of slightly sad, musical ramblings right across the globe.

Much love to my readers in Finland, Russia and China too with now readers as far away as AUSTRALIA.

Google stats is so much bloody fun

Eargasm: It's not mature and it's not progressive...

listen closely

Introducing: Actress

I often like my electronic music bleak and obscured. The often clinical sounds of electronic music lend themselves to a sense of disconnection from performer and audience creating music almost as it's own entity.

Artists such as Burial heighten that sense of disconnection with off-kilter beats and sparse production. Four Tet induces this feeling with simple but evolving melodies creating distance by never having something to come back to. The distortion of a James Holden record, whilst upbeat, creates a haze of confusion and 'blinds' the listener to identifying a part of the record to hold on to.

Recently added to my collection is the work of Actress, signed to Honest Jons records, a fantastic indie in Portobello Road who have also recently put out Martina Topley Bird's latest album and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble among others.

Actress, real name Darren Cunningham, has released two albums with latest release Splazsh showing an obvious development in both his influences and his production styles. Covering a wider range of genres than debut Hazyville, Splazsh is a lot closer and more aware of what it is trying to achieve with melodies becoming more obvious, grooves more repetitive and toning down the ambient overtones of Hazyville. As the press release perfectly describes, "the fog has lifted".

This promotion of sounds in Splazsh has additionally made the album a lot easier to go back to. Where Hazyville would blend into one LP, Splazsh has more of a definition between one track to the next and shows that Actress has some excellent musical ideas to back up his already superb production skills.

Listen to Actress here

Splazsh

Hazyville

Nothing Better

America always reminds me of Postal Service, their entire makeup feels quintessentially American; sugary on the outside but surprisingly complicated and intelligent on the inside. The album is a wonderful mix of catchy pop songs and clever electronic music anchored by Gibbard's indie sensibilities and Tamborello's production and programming expertise.

When mentioning Postal Service, attention always seems to shift towards the possibility of a second album and though this seems increasingly unlikely, it is something that will likely plague the two until the end of their careers. This is more than justified too, Give Up was an excellent avenue for many indie kids into electronic music and shows that an guitar behemoth like Death Cab are just as interested in alternative forms of music and you should be too.

Enjoy Postal Service's take on a breakup song here, my favourite from a brilliant album. The back and forth vocals between Gibbard and Jen Wood perfectly tell the tale of different points of view in a breakup with neither side coming out in the best light.

Postal Service fact: This song was inspired by Human League's Don't You Want Me?

Barbara Streisand

I'm kinda surprised that it's taken until this late in the year to have a blog-hyped dance track gain so much momentum and force it's way into the public playlists. Maybe it has already happened this year and 2010 just feels like it's taking FUCKING AGES.

Duck Sauce are DJ superstars A-Track and Arman Van Helden and their latest single Barbara Streisand is all kinds of awesome. Catchy vocal melody, thumping simple four to the floor beat, the song feels like a true example of how to crossover from dance to pop and it's already worming it's way into ears across the globe.

Now, obviously there are roughly around one million remixes already on youtube and hypemachine but that doesn't really matter. Sure, the bad remixes are likely to outnumber the good ones 10 to 1 but when the core production is so bloody brilliant, do you really need someone else to make a different song of it?

Maybe not just yet.

Anyway, below is the equally brilliant video for Barbara Streisand featuring all manner of cameos. If you haven't heard the track yet, prepare for this to be well and truly stuck in your head.

The never-ending argument..

..of whether people should pay for music as it is a product or whether music is considered art and consequently should be available to anyone is an often complicated and provocative one.

I would be a complete hypocrite to say you shouldn't download music. Though I spend a lot of money each month supporting little artists as I feel they need the money more (not necessarily deserve it), I am fully aware of the lunacy in my actions, everybody pays to make records so everybody should pay to listen to them, no matter how many likes they have on facebook.

Artists have provided their points of view on whether they mind if people buy their records or not. Often large artists don't mind as they can still make a substantial living through touring, merchandising, branding etc.

However, little artists often have second jobs to support the career they really want to explore, as do many other people I know. If you want to be a photographer, you have to do wedding photos to fund your live photography portfolio etc.

Here is a very interesting short piece by Tom from Her Name Is Calla which says more and more each time you read it.

I suggest you do.

When was the last time you bought a record before hearing it first?

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta

It feels good to quit a job you hate too.

Almost there.

Almost that time again...

The concept of an album of the year is difficult. Do you do it retrospectively? Looking back on 1998 for example, it is clear that Moon Safari was the standout release. However, if someone had asked the 12 year old version of me what my favourite album of that year was, it most likely would've been Space's Tin Planet.

I'm not completely sure why I'd have chosen that album. Probably because it had the lyric "kick ass angels" in it and that was about as raunchy as I'd heard at 12. Though you could argue the quality of the songs, they were undeniably catchy, Female of the Species and The Ballad of Tom Jones possessing a jaunty melody, devoid of any real musical depth.

I think a lot of it also comes from what the

purpose of the list is. For example, if the list is taking place years later and questioning the truly great, long-lasting albums from that year, then it's fair to treat the year with a touch of retrospect. If the list is being done in the last days of December however, I think it's ok to choose an album that you wouldn't necessarily choose 5 years later. Some albums are slow burners, some are influenced by emotional situations, some are simply not where you're at musically at that time. That doesn't mean they should be discounted entirely.

I'd like to think that my already shortening list of album's for 2010 would be the same if in 2015, I looked back at this year. I'd like to think that the records that have truly stood out to me this year are ones that will always bring joy to my musical heart.

If they don't, then that's not necessarily a bad thing. Everybody likes to think they have a great taste in music, but one of the greatest things is to be able to look back and say "I had that one wrong".

Hell, if DiS can give Kid A a 4/10, then anyone can get it wrong.

Those of you that know me know that I sometimes suffer from insomnia, going weeks with an hour or two of interrupted sleep a night. I don't know if that meets the clinical definitions but it starts to mess with you pretty quickly.

These times normally occur around a big change in my life, be it a house move, a troubling situation elsewhere in my life or some personal reflection that ends up being more time consuming than I'd hoped.

When the three of these instances occur concurrently, it can often be a blessing in disguise as the lack of sleep was going to occur thanks to one of them anyway, at least this way I have a chance of getting it out of my system before too long.

Insomnia is a hard, emotionally draining experience. The desperation to sleep takes over both your mind and your body, the exasperation of so desperately wanting a relief is almost unbearable. It affects your performance socially, professionally and as a general human being. It's hard to see "I'm having trouble sleeping" and for people to really understand the difficulty this brings.

I tend to turn in several directions. Late night runs are rewarding, pounding the streets of South London with some new music occupies my mind while tiring my body. The fear of getting mugged is also quite the motivator to keep running.

During hockey season, a late night hockey game is always a good watch though tends to excite and interest me as opposed to shut down my brain which is what I should be aiming for.

Music and Podcasts are also a great distraction from my mind, I've always been a bit of an overthinker and the last torturous few months have led me to think and overthink a situation too many times that I worry if I'll ever move forward.

This is my night time playlist on Spotify. Add anything that helps you sleep or zones you out, and any music that could accompany a late night run through Upper Tulse Hill. (This was hard now that Aphex's Selected Ambient Works aren't on Spotify anymore)

"I could sleep forever these days,

Cause in my dreams I see you again"

Bloc Party - Signs

Goodbye and good luck

Radio DJ's are an odd entity. They are deemed responsible for the music they play, people trust them almost blindly on their recommendations and they can hold the futures of artists in their hands. They are of course at the mercy of playlists and producers but that's all too easily forgotten.

Of all Radio DJ's, perhaps the most influential on me will be Mary Anne Hobbs. For a timeless 14years, MAH has been playing the best in breaking underground dance, dubstep, techno, IDM; anything interesting and forward-thinking electronically that you've heard, MAH has inevitably

played. She has complete freedom in what she plays but uses that freedom not to push her own agenda but to bring music that is genuinely stunning and interesting.

I'm unlikely to ever feel sadness at a DJ disappearing off the airwaves again. Mary Anne Hobbs, you truly are the Queen of England. Thank you for bringing Burial into my life. Also, hands down sexiest voice on radio.

Listen to her final show here featuring a guest mix from (hopefully) you know who.

As she herself described, "devastatingly beautiful from two of her greatest heros"

You and me both.

"If you were to ask me about the things I'm most proud of, I would have to say this programme's role in Burial's success. I remember the very first time that I heard him, Kode9 closed his Dubstep Warz set with a Burial track and it absolutely blew me away. To see his music, so devastatingly beautiful and totally uncompromising now touching the lives of millions right around the planet, that just makes my heart burst."

Poetic, heartfelt and transcendent. Mary Anne Hobbs, you will be sorely missed.

This one's for the geeks

I first mentioned worriedaboutsatan way back in February, garnering the prestigious honour of being bwac's second ever eargasm.

As the year has progressed and repeatedly dived, worriedabaoutsatan's album has consistently been there, a beautiful mirage in a sea of often seemingly endless misery. Now 2010 has been a great year for me musically, I've heard some truly wonderful albums that have changed how I've looked at artists & genres, some truly thought provoking music. Worriedaboutsatan have been of those aforementioned artists, packaging electronics and delayed guitars in a way I haven't heard before but definitely want to hear again. and again. and again.

Most recently, I highlighted the incredible packaging of their latest release, Heart Monitor. Since receiving that wonderful package, a longer article has been brewing in me but hopefully that should see the light of day soon.

Anyway, if you've ever had a vague interest in music production, thought it was too easy and didn't know what all the fuss was about or impossibly hard, here's a brilliant video on how Heart Monitor was put together.

Enjoy.

worriedaboutsatan in the studio from worriedaboutsatan on Vimeo.

The XX

Congratulations go to The XX, this years Mercury Prize winner. Of all the nominations, they've created the most original, forward thinking album, despite my love affair with Foals.

It's also nice not to see a band suffer backlash from being so heavily favoured, I find that the Mercury's sometimes choose the most unexpected album for the hell of it (here's looking at you Speech Debelle).

I genuinely think The XX deserved to win more than any other record on the list.

Thoughts?

The XX

Personal highlights:

Crystalised

Heart Skipped A Beat

Shelter

Basic Space

Chilly Gonzales

smashing it again with a stunning cover of Digital Love for DiS' 10th birthday

Chilly Gonzales from BeatCast on Vimeo.

Perfect songs...

... are hard to come by. I'll often listen to a track and think "this bit is great" or "that's amazing, I didn't see that coming" but the amount of tracks where I sit and listen and am completely consumed by the track and performance, time after time, are sadly few and far between.

Hyperballad is one of those songs. The perfect mix of lyrical angst portrayed by a unique performer in an emotional performance. The musical accompaniment is interesting without being overpowering. The shift in tempo is justified without being expected and obvious.

The entire track is simply perfect.

If for some reason you've no idea what I'm talking about, listen and love.

Test


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Holy cow do the new Unrecorded songs sound good.

You're all going to want to spend hundreds of pounds on their new EP, I can absolutely guarantee it.

You can already pick up their debut album here for the bargain price of whatever you want.

I LOVE this band

Why is it...

that I still can't even see a photo of you without my stomach clenching and feeling a complete panic.

I need this to end

XKCD - All The Girls

I'm working on erasing you

The masters of heartbreak, Frightened Rabbit.

i'm working on my backwards walk
walking with no shoes or socks
and the time rewinds to the end of may
i wish we'd never met then met today

i'm working on my faults and cracks
filling in the blanks and gaps
and when i write them out they don't make sense
i need you to pencil in the rest

i'm working on drawing a straight line
and i'll draw until i get one right
it's bold and dark girl, can't you see
i done drawn a line between you and me

i'm working on erasing you
just don't have the proper tools
i get hammered, forget that you exist
there's no way i'm forgetting this

i'm working hard on walking out
shoes keep sticking to the ground
my clothes won't let me close the door
these trousers seem to love your floor

i been working on my backwards walk
there's nowhere else for me to go
except back to you just one last time
say yes before i change my mind

say yes before i...
you're the shit and i'm knee-deep in it

Everyday, when I wake. I was expecting you to leave...

For those that for some reason only read this blog and don't listen to the music I post, you'll have missed out on The Winchell Riots and more fool you (also because the music is so much better than my writing ever will be).

Making cinematic indie-pop, they have a great sound incorporating lots of delay, anthemic songs and a singer with brilliant pronunciation and diction (you'll see what I mean).

Fell City Girl wrote some cracking tunes but Winchell Riots have retained all the great elements of FCG as has already been proved in the Histories EP and on Kandahar Road. I FINALLY got to see them back in May time and though I was front and centre with just one other person, it was basically perfect.

A new EP is on it's way and though it's being touted as their debut EP, in my opinion Histories is more than suitable as a debut, despite the sizeable time between releases.

So, make sure you buy their new EP when it comes out and check out their brilliantly choral version of Nice Dream by Radiohead too.

Big Chill roundup pt.2 - Mr Scruff

Playing a mammoth 3 hour DJ set on the Saturday night, Mr Scruff played a great set mixing some great funky soul records with Scruff classics and new tunes.

Check out the extremely funky new Scruff song Pickled Spider

Big Chill roundup

So, Big Chill was smashing. Lots of great bands, some incredible extra stuff [big ups to the orbs, thank you for a great Friday night ;-)] and in general a great weekend with top notch company.

Everyday this week I'm going to feature a song from a band that I saw at Big Chill and implore you to check out.

So, to kick us off is Martina Topley Bird. Singer with Massive Attack as well as reasonably prolific in her own right, Martina Topley Bird was my first band of the weekend and was breathtaking. I've never heard her work outside Massive Attack before and was suitably impressed by her and her ninja drummer.

Standout track of the performance and her work for me is Poison, originally released in 2008, Poison has been reworked for her new album and is a stunner.

Check out this thumping remix too, already in my next PA set (whenever that may be)

There's a scary beauty in the burial albums that I'm yet to hear anywhere else.

As im sitting on a packed commuter train, he transports me to another world with music that almost audibly breathes, there is so much space, so much suggestion and so little imposition to his work that it could be misconstrued as plain.

In fact, that craft of not smothering sounds and letting your mind fill in the gaps is something special.

I'll never stop being fascinated with the exceptional craft on display in all of his work and trying to explain the remarkable feelings I get as I listen.

Stupidly pretty

and what a brilliant, brilliant voice

Fitting..

..that my 200th post on Boy With A Coin is not only a Bloc Party one but saying things I'm not great at saying. This whole blog has been marred with me struggling with the right words at the right time, not that this is the right time to be saying what he says (was there ever a right time?).

Anyway, here's hoping the next 200 posts go up from here, apologies for the somewhat dreary mood around here lately.

If you're cold and you're alone
And you don't know where to go
You can call me anytime
Nothing's changed, I am still here

If you're running out of breath
And your building's burning down
You can jump, I will catch you
Nothing's changed, I am still here

With heavy hands and an absent mind
Did I blow your candle out?
With shortened words and a lack of time
Am I ever on your mind?

Was I cruel and never there?
Nothing to rely on
Was our romance a black hole?
You kept the better half than me

Well if you really wanted to know
Well no the earth's not moved for me since
I wish I could've given you lightness
The lightness that you deserve

And they say time is a healer
And time will look after you
I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait
Come over

Come over

Why don't you come over?

Well if you really wanted to know
Well no the earth's not moved for me since
I wish I could've given you lightness
The lightness that you deserve

And they say time is a healer
And time will look after you
Let it go, let it go, let it go, let it go
Come over

And I stole you that ring
'Cause I wanted you to have it
And it wasn't about me, I just wanted you to have it
Your smile, baby your smile, baby I come alive

I feel so naked, like before we met
Last night I was so close to just calling you up
They say it takes time to heal the wounds
I can't wait, I can't wait
Come over