1 Year Old

The Soft Bulletin is officially one year old. Fantastic. To celebrate, nothing special. Sorry. Still cash strapped. But there are plenty of things I would like to be reviewing right now, such as 'Oracular Spectacular' the MGMT record and other things. I can safely say this, the new Guillemots album is naff. I had a listen to it today and I am not really into it. It sounds like Mika. Sorry to any 'Mots fans. On a better note, 'Grounds for Divorce' by Elbow, which I know has been out a while, is genius. Such a fucking tune.
For our birthday celebrations some kind of special list should probably be created that I will regret and wish to change pretty quickly (see the cover versions post from last year!). Anyway, here is a list of what I think are my favourite songs ever. But not in any order. And no specific amount. Just records I could never get tired of. A Desert Island Discs almost. In fact, let's name it that, and I can add to it whenever, we cool? Excellent.

Smokestack Lightning - Howlin' Wolf
1970 - The Stooges
Race for the Prize - The Flaming Lips
Waiting Room - Fugazi
The King Of Carrot Flowers parts 1, 2 and 3 - Neutral Milk Hotel
Green Onions - Booker T and the MG's
There She Goes, My Beautiful World - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
When the Levee Breaks - Led Zeppelin
The Boy With the Arab Strap - Belle and Sebastian
Nuclear War (Version 1) - Yo La Tengo
Only Shallow - My Bloody Valentine
Kennedy - The Wedding Present
What Goes On - The Velvet Underground

That will do. 13 songs (all a bit Fugazi) that if they ever come on I am ecstatic. Pub, club, bedroom, party, anywhere and I am immediately happy. Many things missed off obviously. Much up for debate. But try it. It's fucking hard. The video clip is the classic footage of Fugazi doing 'Waiting Room' obviously.

The new playlist is coming soon, so that will have on it a video clip and a track. I will try and resist putting 'Age of Consent' on it again, but it'll be tough.

Currently listening to 'Sleep the Clock Around' by Belle and Sebastian. Thank you Shep. A banana milkshake of a tune.

Sam

Ramble On including the Bonzo's and Tangerine Dream

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band are brilliant. So funny. They're that beautiful psychedelic kind of humour. The stuff that the Pythons developed from. But the genius thing is that they have this 1920's vaudeville sound as a band with these surreal and ridiculous lyrics going over the top. Nothing better on a chilly day. This clip is them doing 'Hunting Tigers Out in INDIAH' on Do Not Adjust Your Set. Fabulous.

Sorry that there is a slight shortage of new things to talk about at the moment, but I am rather cash strapped and so haven't bought anything! Mainly I have been enjoying Neutral Milk Hotel again, New Order and Lou Reed. Three things that I have always liked and I imagine you do to! If not, you would probably disagree with a lot of the things I say in this blog! Also currently getting some serious deck time is a Tangerine Dream box set of live bootlegs that is great. Not sure whether you need all 7 concerts ranging from 1974 to 1975 but it's still an excellent listen, one show at a time. The set from Bilbao is my personal favourite. Other than that, gearing up for revisiting Björk's back catalogue again as I am seeing her when she comes to London in April. There will be a full review of that show on here by the Wednesday afterwards. She is excellent, so I am looking forward to that. I have seen some stills of her new video which looks amazing. I think I'll tag some of them onto the end of the live review next month, as well as posting new single 'Wanderlust'.

Thought I'd pop on a track for you all that I have been playing far too much lately. It's 'Age of Consent' by New Order, off the 'Power, Corruption and Lies' album. It's brilliant. Probably my second favourite New Order track, after 'Ceremony'.
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Anyway, thanks for reading this ramble!
Currently listening to 'Power, Corruption and Lies' by New Order
Sam

The Flaming Lips - The Best Band on Mars!

This video is proof they are the best band on the fucking planet. From 1992 ish, doing 'Talking About the Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues (Everyone Wants to Live Forever)' with crazy projections at a blistering speed. Brilliant. Enjoy. I am going to see them at Lovebox in July in London if anyone else is? Cannot wait.

Currently listening to 'Dummy' by Portishead

Sam

Playlist 16/03/2008

Here is this week's playlist. It's pretty good. Obviously.

1. Beautiful Life - Gui Boratto
2. Time to Pretend - MGMT
3. Assessment - The Beta Band
4. Ceremony - New Order
5. Surrender - The Chemical Brothers
6. Rise - Public Image Ltd.
7. Requiem - Killing Joke
8. Atmosphere - Joy Division
9. Computer Love - Kraftwerk
10. Barbwire Disaster - Augustus Pablo
11. Hyper-Ballad - Björk
12. Late Night Bus - The Longcut
13. Just Like Honey - The Jesus and Mary Chain
14. (When You Wake) You're Still in a Dream - My Bloody Valentine
15. Albert Goes West - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
16. She Plays With Light and Crystal Roses - The Notorious Hi-Fi Killers
17. Borderline - MC5
18. Apache - Link Wray
19. Guiding Light - Television
20. The Kids - Lou Reed

So there you have it. The video is Bjork at Glastonbury, which is the best thing I have ever seen live, I think. Anyway, enjoy. Any comments or suggestions feel free to post them.

Currently listening to '(Don't Go Back To) Rockville' by R.E.M

Sam

Beautiful Life

Brazilian Gui Boratto's 'Beautiful Life' is amazing. I have heard lots about this guy, but know very little. Safe to say though, this tune is amazing. It's electro meets techno I guess but my knowledge of electronic sub-genres is not mind blowing. Anyway, if anyone is a massive Boratto fan and would like to post something about him, feel free to do so. Leave a comment or something with recommendations of where to go with him for others and stuff. That'd be nice. The song is below.

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Currently listening to 'Computer Love' by Kraftwerk

Sam

What Goes On

What Goes On has changed. The feed now comes from Pitchfork and comes complete with pictures and more relevant music news. Rather than Duffy and Simple Minds as before, it now has Stephen Malkmus and Sonic Youth. Happy?

If not, watch this. Funny. Dr. Hook and his Medicine Show totally fucked trying to play 'Cover Of Rolling Stone'. I was recommended this by a friend. It's good.

Currently listening to the Notorious Hi-Fi Killers still.

Sam

Dig!!! Nick, Dig!!!

For a man of 50, last year's Grinderman project (complete with masturbating monkey on the cover) showed Nick Cave is not planning on slowing down and retiring just yet. This, is a very good thing indeed. The Grinderman album has clearly stuck in Cave's mind whilst making 'Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!', the follow up to 2004's 'Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus' double album. from the off, 'Dig!!!' has the similar bluesy repetitive nasty vibe that the Grinderman album had, except it sounds fuller and slightly less chaotic. This is due to the return of the other Seeds that didn't get in on the Grinderman project. The single you probably all know, but is a classic slice of Cave's witty lyrics riding freely above the band grooving on a three note riff. Excellent. The album is more upbeat than the overall double album of 2004, keeping in a similar vibe to 'Abattoir Blues', the heavier of the two records. 'Today's Lesson', 'We Call Upon the Author' and 'Lie Down Here (Be My Girl) are all classic Cave. Rich in humour and wit, whilst still retaining that trademark savagery that I love about Cave. 'Night of the Lotus Eaters' is a minimalist two note riff that circles over and over whilst Cave spins his tale. Excellent. The deluxe edition, which I obviously shelled out for, comes in a similar bit of packaging to the 'Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus' set, but with a smart lyric book included. The album shows Cave still has the fire in him, and his passion wit and talent shits on all the young things put together.
He is also touring the UK and Europe in the late spring, and I think there are still tickets available for some of his three date run at the Hammersmith Apollo if you fancy it. Here's a little taster to get you in the mood from the 'Abattoir' tour. Also, below is 'We Call Upon the Author' from the new 'Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!' record.

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Currently listening to The Notorious Hi-Fi Killers album 'Which Side Are You On?'

Sam

Dead Meadow Sweat it Out at the Freebutt

Dead Meadow, stoner rock kings, played the Freebutt in Brighton on Saturday. I was lucky enough to be in attendance when the boys take the stage in what has to be the sweatiest venue in the world. Apparently the air conditioning has broken, as Example's show there last night was also fucking roasting. Anyway, Dead Meadow. Opening with the first two off Old Growth (which I really like) 'Ain't Got Nothing (To Go Wrong)' and 'Between Me and the Ground' the band saunter through material old and new. The set heavily relies on the 'Old Growth' material, as pretty much all the non-acoustic numbers from the new record get a work out. They jam on things and seem to decide which material to play there and then, which makes it encapsulating viewing. However I have to mention the support band at this point. Named Bowlide Awkwardstra, they make a cacophonous sound mash for half an hour then walk off. Whistles, bells, plastic saxophones, guitar pedals fed through themselves over and over. Mental. Like 'Free Jazz' era Coleman, mixed with the electronics of Hawkwind. Totally enthralling to watch, but not sure how well it would work on record. Who knows. Something to look into? Anyway, below is 'Ain't Got Nothing (To Go Wrong)' by Dead Meadow. Enjoy.


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Currently listening to 'Clear Spot' by Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band

Sam

T.V Eye

T.V Eye has been removed, as I was struggling to make it work quite how I wished. However T.V Eye will exist in a new form. There will be links to videos and/or songs contained within each blog where it's appropriate. This will be better, as there should be a new T.V Eye with every single article. He says.

Sam

Playlist

I have started to make a playlist diary style thing for every month or week or so. It's an idea I've unashamedly robbed off Cameron Crowe. The idea being you can go back and look at what you were listening to for that month. Anyway, here is 05/03/2008

1. India - The Psychedelic Furs
2. The True Wheel - Brian Eno
3. Mer du Japon - Air
4. Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem
5. Moonshake - Can
6. Road Leads Where It's Lead - Secret Machines
7. Weissensee - Neu!
8. I'm Set Free - The Velvet Underground
9. Bros - Panda Bear
10. Jody Sings - Masters of Reality
11. Man In A Shed - Nick Drake
12. You Set The Scene - Love
13. I Only Said - My Bloody Valentine
14. Just Like heaven - The Cure
15. Quel Mal y a-t-il Á Ca? - Francoise Hardy
16. The Curse of Ka'zar - Lemon Jelly
17. Gorecki - Lamb
18. Cosy In The Rocket - Psapp
19. Radio Free Europe - R.E.M
20. We Call Upon The Author - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

So there you go. That's March the 5th-ish. As you can see, it's going to be twenty songs every time. I'll post them when I date them. Any suggestions, feel free to add them.

The My Bloody Valentine link is bootleg footage of them playing 'I Only Said'. Magic. I Think I'll scrap T.V Eye being at the side of the page, and just paste links within the relevant articles from now. I think that will be more succesful.

Currently listening to 'Feels' by Animal Collective

Sam

An Evening with The Kills

The Duke of York's is the longest running cinema in Britain, and is the venue for tonight's special show. Entitled an Evening with The Kills, it consists of a film they have made as well as a concert. The film consists of fucking cool clips of seminal bands. It strikes me that The Kills influence's are fairly obvious and having them on a huge projection screen behind you seems a little pointless. There were no surprises in the bands they showed clips from. New York through the ages, the Velvets, Television, Patti Smith, Johnny Thunders etc. The Rolling Stones were also there. See what I mean? So the film is enjoyable, but essentially I could have trawled youtube for those clips and edited them together myself. Anyway, the band are running out of time and have to come on before the film has finished. This means The Kills end up playing with giant projections of Fugazi and the like behind them, which is a slight distraction from their own performance.
Anyway, The Kills come on, do their garage sexy druggy blues drum machine rock thing, which sounds ace in the cinema, and VV (real name Alison Mosshart) looks fucking cool doing her rock heroine thing. Kate Moss hangs quietly by the backstage entrance, seemingly not bothered that her man is on stage. I wonder if Kate gets jealous of the intimacy that Hotel and VV have on stage? I probably would if I was Kate, VV is much better. The Kills trawl through stuff from the first two albums, including 'Wait' and 'Fried My Little Brains' as well as mixing in stuff from 'Midnight Boom' the third album released yesterday (produced by one of the guys from Spank Rock). The show is fun, there's some people dancing in their seats, and gradually people move down towards the front. However, it's the encore of 'The Good Ones' followed by 'Love is a Deserter' that finally get the crowd all up on their feet.
A slightly strange evening then, watching a rock and roll band in an armchair whilst watching huge projections of frankly better rock and roll bands behind them. Worth it? I'd say so.

Currently listening to: Bros by Panda Bear

Sam

The Grand Re-opening

This blog will be kickstarted again in earnest. Promise. There will be live reviews of The Kills and Dead Meadow coming up, and album reviews from all sorts. Stick with me.