Category Archives: Neon Neon

2008 -The best so far?

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Another, oh five months or so, and everyone’ll be making their lists of the best of the year.

As 17 Seconds progresses, I have heard about seventy new albums this year alreadt, as well as masses of tracks, and face the task of trying to put it all in order for the end of the year. It does feel like it’s been a good decade for music so far, in fact; BTW did the nineties ever go through a phase of being out or was it accepted that it had been pretty good overall? There have been one or two rubbish albums -I never want to hear the Black Mountain album again, frankly, but there has been some great stuff.

Anyway, this is a Top 10 tracks of the year so far for me:

1. Wedding Present – ‘The Trouble With Men.’ mp3
2. MGMT – ‘Time To Pretend.’ mp3
3. Santogold – ‘My Superman.’ mp3
4. Jamie Lidell -‘Another Day.’ mp3
5. Kills -‘Cheap and Cheerful.’ mp3
6. Dom DeLuca -‘Birds Of Worry.’ mp3
7. Hayman Watkins Trout and Lee -‘Sly and the Family Stone.’ mp3
8. Vampire Weekend -‘The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance.’ mp3
9. Neon Neon -‘I Lust U.’ mp3
10.Rustie -‘Mic Of The Year.’ mp3

See what you make of it, comments welcome, but do not assume that it will be the same come December. Oh, and anyone who thinks that there is only ever white middle class indie boys with guitars on this blog is not paying attention!

Hope things are drier wherever you are than they are down here…

Presenting…Neon Neon

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OK, so this wasn’t a band I was emailed about, but having heard about the collaboration it’s currently a contender for track of the year. The band in question is Neon Neon and the song is ‘I Lust You.’

Neon Neon is a collaboration between Gruff Rhys (of Super Furry Animals fame) and Boon Bip and is a fantastic electro collaboration (anyone who thinks that it’s all white boys with white guitars round here is mistaken. Honest.) It also reminds me of that other contender for song of the year ‘Time To Pretend’ by MGMT (before you embarass yourself, that’s NOT pronounced Management), which has only just come out in the UK (yes, we’re slow like that). MySpace have a page where you can stream the entirety of the album right here.

The album is called Stainless Style and according to the MySpace page ‘is themed around the life of John Delorean and features Spank Rock, Yo Majesty and Fat Lip.’ Stainless Style of course, as the DeLorean was a stainless steel car.

And yes, that John DeLorean, maker of the DeLorean sports car as seen in the Back To The Future series. (I was utterly appalled to discover that some of my students had not heard of this film the other day. I was at least partially reassured that their classmates were appalled too). Oddly enough, the car was produced in Northern Ireland (read more about the story here

Anyway, go and buy these albums, Neon Neon’s Stainless Style and MGMT’s Oracular Spectacular.

Neon Neon -‘I Lust You.’ mp3

Neon Neon -‘Steel Your Girl.’ mp3

MGMT -‘Time To Pretend.’ mp3