Monthly Archives: December 2007

Songs For Christmas XI

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There’s obviously more Christmas stuff out this year than I had realised, though the UK singles chart is full of old product. Anyway, Japanese-New York band Asobi Seksu have just issued a cover of the Ramones’ Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight), so I thought I would post that, along with the Ramones’ original, and aanother version done by Joey Ramone later on.

Ramones -‘Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight).’ mp3

Joey Ramone -‘Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight).’ mp3

Asobi Seksu -‘Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight).’ mp3

Enjoy folks. And don’t forget to drop by tomorrow for more…

Edx

Songs For Christmas X

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Hello again.

School holidays just cannot come soon enough. The kids are bouncing off the walls and dragging myself out of bed is getting harder. Nine days to go, not that I’m counting, or anything…

oh yes, songs for Christmas:

First up, today, legendary Japanese 3-piece band Shonen Knife:

Shonen Knife -‘Space Christmas.’ mp3

And a Fall song, not yet featured over at I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday (which is an excellent blog, btw, if you haven’t checked it out:)

The Fall -‘(We Wish You) A Protein Christmas.’ mp3 RE-POSTED BY POPULAR REQUEST 19/12/07

More to come… : )

Songs For Christmas IX

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(Flaming Lips)

Here is today’s instalment. Just a quick post (though I have already had my Mum on the ‘phone worrying that I’m spending so much time blogging that I can’t be talking to mrs. 17 seconds enough). Don’t worry, I am!

Flaming Lips – ‘A Change At Christmas (Say It Ain’t So).’ mp3

Flaming Lips -‘Christmas At the Zoo.’ mp3

Arcade Fire -‘The Christmas Song.’ mp3

Arcade Fire – ‘Jinglebell Rock.’ mp3

as ever, more to follow tomorrow…

Edx

Songs For Christmas VIII

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The Manic Street Preachers

so, for a change, here’s one new song this year. The Manic Street Preachers have made this available to those on their mailing list…and so why not share it?

Manic Street Preachers -‘Christmas Ghost.’ mp3

I don’t know much about the origin of the tune Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but I have three versions of it, by U2 (who are the first band I heard do it), Death Cab For Cutie, and Scotland’s own Arab Strap:

U2 -‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).’ mp3

Death Cab For Cutie -‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).’ mp3

Arab Strap -‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).’ mp3

Enjoy. There will, naturally, be more tomorrow… : ))

Edx

17 Seconds’ Festive Fifty 2007

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So, here it is, the 2007 17 Seconds’ Festive Fifty.

These are my favourite new tracks to be heard this year. They didn’t have to be singles or even have been commercially released this year, indeed there are some tracks that are b-sides, album only tracks, and mp3s only, and even a demo and an unsigned band. But they couldn’t have been from previous years (which is why The Shins’ Phantom Limb isn’t here, it was an mp3 last year, made it into my inaugural Festive Fifty, and therefore isn’t here). Just stuff IMHO that has made my musical year. It’s not easy trying to narrow it down, but this is the definitive list. I haven’t posted all the tracks here before, and I have put links to a few, but I hope you enjoy it. Let the debating start here

1. Emma Pollock -‘Adrenaline.’
2. Battles -‘Atlas.’
3. Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.’
4. Ringo Death Starr – ‘Some Kind Of Sad.’
5. Malcolm Middleton – ‘A Brighter Beat.’
6. Penny Century – ‘Nothing Burns Like Bridges.’
7. Rihanna – ‘Umbrella’
8. Bloc Party – ‘Flux’
9. Camera Obscura – ‘Super Trouper’
10. Sons and Daughters ‘Gilt Complex’
11. Idlewild – ‘No Emotion’
12. Emma Pollock – ‘Acid Test’
13. Kate Nash -‘Caroline’s A Victim.’
14. Dizzee Rascal feat. Lily Allen -’Wanna Be.’
15. Wiley -’Bow E3.’
16. Malcolm Middleton – ‘We’re All Going To Die.’
17. Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake- ‘Give It To Me.’
18. Kate Nash -’Foundations.’
19. Wiley -’50/50.’
20. Sister Vanilla -‘Can’t Stop The Rock.’
21. Editors – ‘ Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors.’
22. Arctic Monkeys -‘Brianstorm.’
23. Dizzee Rascal – ‘Flex.’
24. Klaxons -‘Golden Skans.’
25. Bloc Party – ‘The Prayer.’
26. Electrelane -‘To The East’
27. Black Kids -‘I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance with You.’
28. Paul Hartnoll featuring Robert Smith-‘Please.’
29. Futureheads -‘Broke Up The Time.’
30. Charlatans -’You Cross My Path.’
31. Scottish Enlightenment -‘Eyes.’
32. Emma Pollock – ‘Paper and Glue.’
33. Burial -’Archangel.’
34. Cooper Temple Clause -’Waiting Game.’
35. Siouxsie – ‘Here Comes That Day.’
36.Timbaland, D.O.E. & Keri Hilson -‘The Way I Are
37. White Stripes – ‘Icky Thump.’
38.Maximo Park -’Our Velocity.’
39. M.I.A. ‘Bamboo Banger.’
40. Tiny Dancers -‘I Will Wait For You.’
41. Emma Pollock -’Limbs’
42. Arctic Monkeys -’Fluorescent Adolescent.’
43. Jack Penate -’Second, Minute Or Hour’
44. New Young Pony Club – ‘ Ice Cream.’
45. Manic Street Preachers – ‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough.’
46. Wilco -’Impossible Germany’
47. Wu-Tang Clan – The Heart Gently Weeps
48. Snow Patrol – ‘Signal Fire.’
49. Fall Out Boy -’This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race.’
50. Kanye West – ‘Stronger.’

Songs For Christmas VII

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(The Wedding Present’s David Gedge)

And here are today’s seasonal pickings, courtesy of the USB turntable, and many years spent hanging around record shops…

First up, the Wedding Present. As has been well documented over the years, back in 1992, the Wedding Present released one 7″ a month, in a limited edition of 10,000. They all made the UK Top 30, and the A-side was a weddoes composition, the b-side a cover. Amongst the songs that made the b-sides over the course of that year were the Go-Betweens’ ‘Cattle and Cane,’ Isaac Hayes’ ‘Theme From Shaft,’ and Bow Wow Wow’s ‘Go Wild In The Country.’ For their Christmas single, it was inevitable that there would be a Christmas cover, and so it was that The wedding Present ended up covering Elton John.

Wedding Present -‘No Christmas.’mp3

Wedding Present -‘Step Into Christmas (Elton John cover).’ mp3

A few days ago, one of my older students, who has long chatted with me about music revealed that he had bought a couple of White Stripes’ 7″ singles, at £30, including this one, billed as ‘Merry Christmas From The White Stripes.’ ‘Ah yes, I said, ‘ I bought that one when it first came out.’ ‘I bet it only cost you a pound!’ he said, slightly agonised. Well, no, £3, if memory serves. It’s not particularly Christmassy, but I guess it came out for Christmas. The b-side features Jack White reading from Luke’s Gospel about the coming of The Magi (The Three Wise Men) and then Meg attempting to sing Silent Night. It’s more of a curio than essential listening, so here is the a-side:

White Stripes -‘Candy Cane Girl.’ mp3

I first heard this track, ‘Christmas Wrapping’ at some point in the late 90s. It had been a no.45 hit in the UK in December 82, the only time the band ever charted in the UK. the drummer was Billy Ficca who had been in Television. I still think it sounds like Blondie -in a good way. It’s now been on several Christmas compilations over the years, and I eventually found a copy for myself in a charity shop in 2003, on 12″ (also found an LP version of Songs The Lord Taught Us by The Cramps there that very day, too(I’m easily pleased). This is the 12″ version, Enjoy!

Waitresses -‘Christmas Wrapping (Long Version).’ mp3

And there will be more tomorrow…

Gig review: Manic Street Preachers/Cherry Ghost

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Gig review: Manic Street Preachers/Cherry Ghost

Edinburgh Corn Exchange, December 3, 2007

If there’s such a thing as the ‘indie-survivor’, then the two bands from the nineties who truly survived, against the odds, are The Charlatans and The Manic Street Preachers. The latter literally talked up a ‘Live Fast Die Young Stay Beautiful’ type manifesto when they first burst onto the scene, but like the Charlies, they are still making records, still keeping many fans, and still a big live draw.

Which is more than I think is ever going to be said for Cherry Ghost. This is the sixth time I have seen the Manics live over the last ten years, and support acts have included Catatonia (long before Cerys did Celebrity), The Delays, Ian Brown and The Departure. All acts I enjoyed, but Cherry Ghost are just bland. There’s nothing to love or hate about them, they’re just this year’s Athlete.

With over thirty Top Forty Hits to their name, the Manics have no shortage of crowd pleasers up their collective sleeves. It might seem a gamble to start off with ‘Motorcycle Emptiness,’ but they’ve certainly done it before when I’ve seen them. The cynical might argue that it’s because no-one knows the new stuff, but that’s not true either. When they launch into ‘Your Love alone Is Not Enough’ it may be missing the vocals of Nina Peerson, but the crowd to their best to compensate. This year’s Send Away The Tigers genuinely is the return to form that’s been waited for for ten years.

As well as the line-up of Bradfield, Wire and Moore, they are joined by another guitarist and a multi-instrumentalist, who adds particularly effective saxophone to ‘Ocean Spray’ and ‘Kevin Carter.’ The former is one of their most heart-wrenching songs, and a reminder that when they put out their greatest hits album five years ago (and two studio albums ago, if anyone’s counting) that there were many great songs that had to get left off. The same could be said for other songs like ‘Roses In the Hospital Bed’ which makes an appearance early on tonight. It’s also good to hear ‘1985’ from Lifeblood, which seems to have become the runt of their back catalogue, but still had some gorgeous songs.

The band have a soft spot for Edinburgh, where Nicky Wire informs us was the first place they ever flew to (and for once, they don’t bitch about a certain Edinburgh record shop which refused to stock their early records), before they launch into ‘You Love Us.’ We also get ‘Slash ‘n Burn’ and a teasing bit of The Cult’s She Sells Sanctuary.

One of the highlights of the set is a solo version from James of ‘Theme from M*A*S*H (Suicide Is Painless)’, which is stripped down to just voice and acoustic guitar, before he gives us ‘The Everlasting.’

Dammit, just how many great songs have the Manics got in their back catalogue? Loads, it would seem, and as they finish with ‘A Design for Life’ the passion remains. The feather boas may have quietly disappeared, Richey’s ghost still lingers (and they dedicate ‘Yes’ to him) but as a live draw, on this form, I’ll be going to catch the Manic Street Preachers for some time to come.

****

Manic Street Preachers -‘Theme From MASH Suicide Is Painless.’ mp3

Manic Street Preachers -‘Your Love Alone Is Not Enough.’ mp3

Songs For Christmas V

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Hello folks, here is today’s instalment.

First of all, another instalment from Scandinavia. This song is great, and it deserves to become one of those perennials, IMHO:

Mew -‘She Came Home For Christmas.’ mp3

The Christmas album (the concept, as opposed to just Low’s album) seems to be much bigger in the US than it is over here in Scotland and the rest of the UK. I haven’t heard the whole album, but this was released by Brian Wilson a couple of years ago, as a 7″ single too:

Brian Wilson -‘What I Really Want For Christmas.’ mp3

And a Brian Wilson-related song from over forty years ago…

Beach Boys -‘Little Saint Nick.’ mp3

And don’t forget to drop by here tomorrow, there’ll be more treats. Heading in the direction of the USB turntable armed with White Stripes, Waitresses and Wedding Present…

Songs For Christmas IV

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And this is today’s record. This time it’s more Scandinavian stuff, from Denmark’s Raveonettes. Hope you are enjoying these festive sounds.

If you are out to find more exciting Christmas songs, you should make sure that you visit The Festive Fifty and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, two excellent mp3 blogs written by Steve, who frequently leaves comments here and posts some great stuff.

The Raveonettes -‘The Christmas Song.’ mp3

See you soon…