So close...

And yet still so far.

Thank you, you've no idea how the world felt to me for that half hour

Good Arms vs Bad Arms

One of the bands as I was lucky enough to see in session when I was at 6 Music was the brilliant Frightened Rabbit.

The drawling Scottish rockers wrote one of the best breakup albums in 2008's The Midnight Organ Fight with Good Arms vs Bad Arms cementing it's place on my list of all time sad songs. The narrative struggles between accepting his lover moving on whilst wrestling with his remaining feelings for a relationship that broke down due to his shortcomings.

Returning this year with the more upbeat The Winter Of Mixed Drinks, the album lacks the consistency of their earlier efforts but there are many tracks that have retained the punch and lyrical panache displayed in the first two albums. Frightened Rabbit's sometimes unintelligible lyrics are made up for by the obvious emotion that litters their albums and the excellent songwriting easily overcomes any shortcomings.

Download an incredible session performance of Good Arms vs Bad Arms here

Early Eargasm

Tomorrow will be my last DJ slot at PA for a while as it goes on a break before it's summer spectacular which I trust will be one for the ages. I'll still be DJing in my new places but they don't allow me the freedom that Planet does. I always try and fill my set with a mixture of progressive stuff and some standard chill stuff but this time, I'm pretty sure I've nailed it.

I've basically rebuilt my entire set, out of a 2 hour 25 track set, I've only ever played 3 tracks before so working out some sort of flow and how to mix this set has taken a few hours but I think it's my most coherent and cohesive set so far and easily the one I'm most proud of.

It's a little more difficult to choose favourite tracks from this set as I really feel the output of electronic music has excelled this year; there has been some mind blowing ingenuity and creativity with artists excelling on very limited output so far. Acts such as Gold Panda, Joy Orbison and most recently Mount Kimbie, are all yet to release a full-length effort but are already regarded as top of their field and rightly so.

If I had to pick two songs that really standout for me and I cannot wait to hear on a soundsystem you can FEEL, it would be Mount Kimbie's Maybes and the simply brilliant Boogaloo Crew Bootleg mix of Jose Gonzalez' Crosses.

Mount Kimbie are the latest emergers of the dubstep scene with every review struggling to classify them, the most accepted seeming to be post-dubstep. Stretching guitar lines, chopping vocals and the same swaggering off-kilter beats without the heavy heavy bass noise, Mount Kimbie's Maybes is aiming for that post-rave feeling but not in the still dark sense of Burial, perhaps in the pizza arriving, film on moment of the day when the sun isn't intrusive, your stomach isn't flipping and the world (almost) makes sense again.

It's built around 4 repeating guitar scrapes that have been warped and distorted beyond recognition but still provide a melodic structure. As the song introduces it's skipping clicking rhythm and the pitch-shifted emotive vocal hooks the full scope of Kimbie's songwriting is almost overwhelming as each piece fits alarmingly well together and creates a sound that is genuinely unique.

It's a stunning mix of post rock, 2-step and ambient electronica taking queues from a number of their contemporaries but rather paying homage as opposed to ripping them off.

If I could be in a band, they'd sound just like Mount Kimbie.

The second track I'm most looking forward to retains some of the ideas introduced by Mount Kimbie but is much more dancefloor friendly.

Built around a speedy two-step beat, The Boogaloo Crew turn Crosses into a genuine dancefloor song with a mixture of syncopated phased synths and some big bass dives built around samples of the original guitar lines and Jose Gonzalez's beautiful lyrics.

The song really feels like it's own creation as opposed to a just a horrible beat shoved behind the song. Building it's own momentum through new and clever melodies and not sticking to the song's original structure really makes this a standout mix.

There's a Spotify playlist of my mix here and if you're missing any of the tracks that Spotify doesn't have, send me an email and I'll point you in a direction in which you can find them.

You said I was fine

But I want to be better....

Guess who's back?

The Unrecorded are back, recording new songs, a few remixes and lots of other interesting stuff lined up too so it's looking very very good for such a deserving band.

If you don't know who The Unrecorded are, start here and listen to their excellent reworking of Tunng's Hustle here

I lay staring at your innocent skin...

wondering how I fucked this up but I surely did.

That haunting phrase has been spinning round my head recenetly, truer words have never been spoken.

The new Lone Wolf album is out now and it's masterful.

Go buy it here or from iTunes

Lone Wolf - Keep Your Eyes On The Road from Bella Union on Vimeo.

Boy With A Coin

My blog has meant many things to me over the past few years, it's helped me vent a lot of anger, send out messages that were heard by some and not heard by others and generally share my passion for music with whoever stumbles across here, however regularly they may do so.

Today, I want to pay homage to the song that started it all, a track that as soon as I heard, I had to tell everyone I knew about. It forced me to think concisely and creatively about how I described music as opposed to my standard enthusiastic "It's amazing, honestly, it's so good, really listen to this...." and so on, to encourage them to give something a try that was probably too far off their radar to consider. It made me want to start this blog and here I am.

3 different takes on one euphoric song.

Sam Beam's solo acoustic performance, then a dub performance that he plays when joined by a full band and finally a clever acapella version as all American universities seem to produce.

All of them highlight just how brilliant Boy With A Coin really is.

Christmas TV

Last year's Latitude Festival was one to remember and possibly the most perfect moment for me was sitting in the field in the eventual sunshine watching Slow Club play the final set of the weekend.

I'd discovered their album a few short days before so was only vaguely familiar with their repertoire but their energy and chemistry on stage was evident, even to a field of tired, wet and hungover festival goers.

I've since become increasingly enamoured with the Sheffield duo and Chrsitmas TV is the pinnacle of the album. It expertly toes the line between sugary sweetness and heartfelt longing that being apart from a loved one inevitably brings and though they share lines, it is clear they are not singing to each other, but more a love that is missing.

The final repeating refrain of "Just come on home" escalates in both volume and passion as that desperation grows from a thought at the back of your mind to a constant and immovable longing.

Catch Slow Club on June 1st at Koko, I'll be there.

Someone Great

As previously mentioned, Im a big fan of James Murphy's clever and bitter lyrics. However, on every album, there's a moment where he opens up, lays bare all his emotions with honesty and tact.

"But nothing can prepare you for it,

The voice, on the other, end.

The worst is all the lovely weather,

I'm sad, it's not raining.

The coffee isn't even bitter,

Because, what's the difference?"

I'd never seen the video for Someone Great before but this is a wonderful representation of the lyrics. Check it out and buy the new and final chapter in the LCD Soundsystem story, out today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaYsczkWti0&feature=related

(embedding disabled)

And if you haven't seen it already, this is the equally creative video for new single Drunk Girls.

Come back

Eargasm - LCD Soundsystem

With the final LCD Soundsystem album hitting shops next week, it marks the end of a sad dance-punk dynasty, cleverly crafted by DFA Records head honcho James Murphy.

Slowly but solidly, LCD Soundsystem have garnered critical acclaim for Murphy's brilliant production, his sarcastic and deadpan lyrics and his ear for a great hook. Over three albums, LCD have consistently demonstrated this productivity in various guises but my personal highlight is Sound of Silver album closer New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down.

Murphy's piano led ballad is carried by his open letter to New York and connects with any feelings that start to creep in after living in a big city for an extended period of time. Though New York is arguably the most glamorous city in the world in which to reside, it tends to alienate it's inhabitants whilst striving for that New York Spirit (see Gil Scott-Heron - New York Is Killing Me).

Murphy's targets for his attack on New York range from an egotistical mayor, to deaths in the hall emphasising that he "means all disrespect".

Murphy's scathing lyrics are built on an ever evolving city, one which is losing it's character to tourism and capitalism by trying so hard to exploit that individuality that New York so easily holds. This hollowness and glitzy facade is demonstrated in the lyrics

"There's a ton of the twist

But we're fresh out of shout"

leading the listener to realise that so much of the glamour is put on to draw in the tourist dollers.

Though Murphy's feelings are clear there is inevitably love for his city, describing New York as "still the one pool where I'd happily drown".

Such an honest song about such an emotionally charged city is hard to achieve without coming across bitterly and narrow minded but Murphy's sardonic lyrics tap into a genuine feeling about one of the great cities and the song is executed with such perfection, it's hard to argue.

Eargasm - BSS

I like to explain my eargasms, break them down as to why each part makes it such an incredible song.

This week's song should need no introduction. It needs no deconstruction. Listen to the song, read the lyrics and watch this truly inspiring performance and just be swept up in it's beauty.

Despite the embarrassment of riches on display here, for once, just enjoy a stunning piece of music

Introducing: Gavin Osborn

Gavin Osborn is a wonderfully creative and witty songwriter from Crystal Palace. Though his songs lack the production values of the Laura Marling’s of this world, it ends up showcasing his lyrical prowess to a further degree as it is the lyrics that take centre stage.
Gavin has two albums, a live album and a studio album and though they have their peaks and troughs, his ability as a storyteller is more than enough to carry through the slightly less engaging tracks. So, here is a breakdown of my favourite Gavin Osborn tracks (sadly with a slightly romantic theme, I know, get over it right?)

My first introduction to Gavin Osborn was the heartbreaking track Hello, My Name Is Charlie (Charlie is a recurring character on Meeting Your Heroes). As with most of Gavin’s song, this is a story as opposed to a standard verse chorus song. The track tells of Charlie turning up at a boy’s art studio to confront him about being in love with Charlie’s girlfriend. However, as Charlie investigates further, he discovers that his girlfriend loves the artist and Charlie encourages her to go to the artist. This is reflected beautifully in Gavin’s playing style, changing from the chords to a quick finger picking that for me represents the rush of nerves and sadness as he has to let go of the one he loves.

My favourite Gavin Osborn song by quite a fair stretch, the perfect mix of wit and heartbreak.

“Oh you tried so hard to love me with all your heart,
but your love for me got wounded in the front line.
And when I tried to make you laugh like I used to in the bath,
You turned away before I made it to the punch line.

When I looked at your face and compared it to our early days,
You knew you couldn’t keep the truth from me anymore”

Skip to 3:23

The Greatest Thing There Is comes from Gavin’s first album, a live recording called In The Twee Small Hours. The song is as close to ballad as Gavin gets but treated with his incredible lyrical prowess. The song tells of a man addicted to a girl but his desperation in that addiction is so intense about every action. My favourite lyrical moment of the song is perhaps the most desperate and heartbreaking moment

“If you could be inside my body, when I see you,
when I hear you, when I touch you,
Or just when I think that I might see or hear or touch you,
maybe you’d stop crying”

There’s An Awful Lot Wrong With A Little Bump ‘n’ Grind. Quite the title, eh? Another story based track, telling of a man using a booty call but going way out of his depth to play out the situation that she’s set up. Instead of dancing to the RnB playing in the club, he brings along his headphones and dances to his own music to retain some control and comfort level. Eventually the girl leaves him, after leaving a wonderfully unexpected musical message for him (which I’m not going to ruin for you).

Charlie’s 18^th Birthday is the first track on Meeting Your Heroes and is the perfect introduction to Gavin’s song writing style. Telling the story of Charlie’s attempt to impress a girl by inviting her to his fancy dress 18^th birthday party. Inevitably, there are mishaps but Charlie sucks it up and soldiers on just to impress the girl without ever being able to express how he feels. Gavin Osborn’s characters are constantly teetering between success and disappointment and this track sets this up perfectly and it’s a brilliantly original story.

It had to happen eventually so Part Of The Furniture is the Osborn breakup song. It’s hard to write anything about this song without just copying the whole lyrics as they’re simply perfect so I’ll do that.

“Telephone rings, your voice says hello
I try to stay cool but my nerves start to show
I wonder what you will say that sounds so different today
So distant today, A million miles away

You left some shoes at my flat by the side of the bed
You’re going out tonight to paint the town red
You say that you need them back, your voice starts to crack
As I hold the tears back, hope you paint the town black

We talked about our failings in the garden by the underground
We held on to the railings so hard to keep from falling down
We walked through the park, the day got so dark,
And you said it felt like a light had gone out
That we could never switch back on

It’s over now, all over now
But I see you everywhere
It’s over now, all over now
Your breath, your skin, your hair
And our train just pulled away and I miss you more each day

Waking up in the night on your side of the bed
I try to recall some of the things that you said
About how drinking is dumb, how it just makes you numb
But I gotta have some, yeah I gotta have some

You know your T Shirt won’t fit, it’s two sizes too small,
But it smells of you, no I don’t miss you at all,
And all these little boxes that you left behind,
Are empty inside, I’m going out of my mind

We talked about our failings in the garden by the underground
We held on to the railings so hard to keep from falling down
We walked through the park, the day got so dark,
And you said it felt like a light had gone out
That we could never switch back on

It’s over now, all over now
But I see you everywhere
It’s over now, all over now
Your breath, your skin, your hair
And our train just pulled away and I miss you more each day

You’re part of the furniture
Part of the furniture”

It would be completely unfair on Gavin’s repertoire to finish on such a sad song however. So, in a fitting tribute to one of my all-time favourite songwriters, here’s a video of him playing Supermarket Lady which is yet to appear on an album but would be a standout track on any future release. Its perfect blend of humour and sad storytelling defines Gavin’s incredible style.

So, here’s Supermarket Lady (lyrics underneath) and go out and buy his albums, see him live, do everything and anything to let this little-known songwriter know just how wonderful he is.

“Emptying the shopping from her recycle bag,
She found a tattered envelope between the toilet roll and the bleach
Inside it was a letter, written in red biro,
So she read it aloud to herself

Dear stranger, I am sorry, if this comes out all wrong I really promise,
I don’t mean to offend you
But when you walk in the supermarket and you pick up one of our shopping baskets,
I feel like you are meant for me,
I think you’re lovely, my heart is jumpy as I check barcodes on your buy one get one free
Seeing you always makes my day

I’m the man who served you today, I put this letter in your bag when I gave you change
I think of you when I’m on my night shift stacking and I’ll always help you with your packing,
And I know that you feel the pressure of people behind you in the queue
I understand, I feel that way too

And I know I’m sticking my neck out but I love it whenever you choose my checkout,
Im not just the man on the till
I’m a chef, at least I should be, I did a 6 week course in cookery and I’d really like to cook for you

You know my smile, I’ve seen you catch it, You know my name because we wear them on our badges,
I just call you supermarket lady,
Well I promise that you wont miss out, I’ll make sure you can use my 10% discount, but if you don’t want it, I will understand.

I will see you soon anyway, this letter it may be a big mistake
And if you don’t feel the same I get it but please pretend that you never read it,
And I’ll try and keep my feelings back in and I’ll always help you with your packing,
Love Barry, PS, You really should get a nectar card

When she’d finished reading she put the letter on her bookshelf and made the assumption, that it was meant, for someone else”

Eargasm - Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf is the new name for solo artist Paul Marshall. 3 years after his relatively stripped back release Vultures, Paul has returned with a new moniker and an expanded and more mature offering in new album, The Devil and I (Bella Union).

First single Keep Your Eyes On The Road is a lesson in melody, composition and mood. The song is built around two wonderful sections, the first a foot-stomping guitar melody with Lone Wolf's confident but restrained vocals sounding like a mix of Dave Grohl and James Yuill. The second melody is powered by the stunning vocals that Lone Wolf offers, the confidence juxtaposing the dark undercurrents of his lyrics. As the song seamlessly switches back to the original melodies, it becomes painfully apparent just how intelligent a songwriter Lone Wolf is as he manipulates each instrument to take and relinquish control, highlighting their importance to the overall themes.

As the song climaxes, we are introduced to the final soaring melody, coupled with euphoric guitar lines and a chorus of his own backing vocals. The sing spirals, up or down is hard to decide upon, but as it explodes with thrashes of distortion and thumping drums, it is plainly clear that the song has arrived. The song's thundering ending is echoed in his repeating retort of

"I lay staring at your innocent skin,

wondering how I messed this up but I surely did"

Not only is this an A Grade eargasm but an eyegasm to boot with it's stunning video dedicated to the equally impressive Sledgehammer video by Peter Gabriel.

Lone Wolf - Keep Your Eyes On The Road from Bella Union on Vimeo.