Monthly Archives: January 2010

Presenting…Bass Clef

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I’d read quite a good reveiew of the forthcoming Bass Clef album May The Bridges I Burn Light The Way in The latest issue of The Wire. When I was sent a link to try one of the tracks for free, well, how could I refuse?

Bass Clef (known to his Mum as Ralph Cumbers) lists his influences as King Sunny Ade, Wiley and Talking Heads. On record his is a sound developing the idea of Dubstep and 2-step with a nod to real brass and lovers rock reggae AND electronica. This is a prime example of why the dance scene has so many innovators (and radio stations that churn of crap just allow it to get buried). Also excellent -and heard on his myspace is the track ‘Promises.’ Traditionally (well, over the last ten years), Dubstep has come from South London while Grime hails from East London, but when you’re up in Scotland, the Geograohy ceases to matter, and the sound is what lives on.

Bring it on.

Bass Clef -‘Kiss Me.’ mp3

May The bridges I Burn Light The Way is out now.

Kate McGarrigle 1946-2010

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Kate McGarrigle with her son, Rufus Wainwright, in 2008.

It has been a terrible month already for losing musicians, since Christmas alone the media bringing the news of the sad deaths of Vic Chesnutt, Rowland S. Howard, Jay Reatard, Teddy Pendergrass and today the news that Kate McGarrigle has died at the age of 63 of cancer.

One of Canada’s best known stars, she became famous with her sister Anna in the 1970s, as Kate and Anna McGarrigle, producing their own distinctive style of folk music. Amongst those artists who covered her songs were Kirsty MacColl, Elvis Costello and Billy Bragg. In addition to their own albums, Kate and Anna McGarrigle collaborated with other artists, including on Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 2001 album, No More Shall We Part.

At one time she was married to fellow folk singer, Loudon Wainwright III, with whom she had two children, Martha and Rufus Wainwright, who have become stars in their own right over the last decade.

17 Seconds would like to extend its’ sympathies to her family.

Obituaries and Tributes can be found at the BBC, the Guardian, and the Times.

Remember her this way:

Kate and Anna McGarrigle -‘Walking Song.’ mp3

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds -‘God Is In The House.’ mp3

The return of Massive Attack

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February 8 will see the release of Massive Attack’s first studio album in seven years. Heligoland. It’s the band’s fifth album. Tellingly, 3D and Daddy G’s myspace page says ‘If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing slowly.’ Having worked with a number of guest vocalists in the past, including Sinead O’Connor, Elizabeth Fraser, Tracey Thorn and Shara nelson, this album features the return of long-time collaborator Horace Andy, as well as Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Martina Topley-Bird, Guy Garvey and Tunde Adebimpe.

The tracklisting is as follows:

1. Pray For Rain
2. Babel
3. Splitting The Atom
4. Girl I Love You
5. Psyche
6. Flat Of The Blade
7. Paradise Circus
8. Rush Minute
9. Saturday Come Slow
10. Atlas Air

‘Splitting The Atom’ and ‘Pray For Rain’ are streaming on the band’s myspace page.

The video for the Hope Sandoval featuring ‘Paradise Circus’ can be seen here. This is, as they say NSFW (Not Safe For Work). You have been warned…Not quite as extreme as ‘Plug Me In’ by Add N to (X) but not far off it.

Meanwhile this remix has been made available for free:

Massive Attack featuring Horace Andy – ‘Girl I Love You (She Is Danger remix)’ mp3

Massive Attack website/Massive Attack myspace

Presenting…Yukon Blonde

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Remember how a couple of summers ago, the blogosphere was in thrall to the summery sounds of Fleet Foxes, how they appeared gently out of nowhere like a Pastoral Fleetwood Mac circa the Mid Seventies?

Well, on the evidence of ‘Wind Blows’ the track that has been made available for free download, and could well be this year’s ‘White Winter Hymnal’ Yukon Blonde should clear up this year.

Their self-titled album is out in March and hopefully the Vancouver quartet will come over to the UK to let us know how to get in touch with the gentles sides of our music collections.

For now, enjoy this, I’m playing it for the third time on the trot.

Yukon Blonde -‘Wind Blows.’ mp3

Presenting…Annie Stevenson

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annie-stevenson

Annie Stevenson is, firstly, not a female singer, but a band, made up of four lads from Glasgow.

Their myspace doesn’t give much away – not even who is in the band or their influences. However, listening to their myspace songs suggests these young men have a bright future ahead of them. Even better, I get the distinct impression that they may understand that Definitely Maybe and The Stone Roses are not the be-all and end-all of indie music. Thank God. And any band who can write such a nihilistic lyric as ‘I’m an atheist because the Bible is too long’ have gotta be going places.

They’ve graciously given me an mp3 to put up, and are continuing to work on new stuff. With upcoming gigs in Bathgate (Harleys, January 29), Edinburgh (Whistle Binkies, February 12) and Glasgow (Box, February 20), plus an upcoming session for Leith Radio the future looks bright.

Catch ’em now and say you saw ’em first.

Annie Stevenson -‘Freedom Town.’ mp3

Pop along and make friends at their myspace page.

Suede reform – sorta…

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In 2003, a friend texted me to say that Suede were breaking up.

Many people had, sadly stopped caring by this point, but I was not one of them. For the fourth and final time, I went off to see them, this time playing at the then-new Carling Academy in Glasgow. The support band was Razorlight. I paid my final respects, as after all, they had soundtracked a not inconsiderable part of my life. Dog Man Star was and remains my favourite album of the nineties and Oasis could never, ever have touched them in my affections, even at the height of Britpop.

Within a matter of weeks, it was announced that Brett Anderson – who had announced the split of Suede that ‘I neeed to do whatever it takes to get my demon back’ – was working with Bernard Butler, Suede’s original guitarist. Given that the two of them parted company bitterly in Suede in 1994, this was seen as a surprise but good news. They called themselves The Tears and toured. They played Edinburgh on Valentine’s Night 2005, released one album then went their separate ways. Butler has become a noted producer (most famously, Duffy) and Anderson released two solo albums. Which, much as I wanted to love them, were rather disappointing.

So it has now been announced that Suede are reforming. However, Butler is not part of the line-up; sticking to his guns that he finds the wave of Britpop reunions embarassing. So the line-up that will take to the stage of The Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust will be the line-up that released Coming Up and Head Music. In other words, Anderson, original bassist Matt Osman and drummer Simon Gilbert with guitarist Richard Oakes and keyboard player Neil Codling.

Anderson had said at the time of the original split that it might not be permanent. And I cannot criticise anyone for reforming for charity. But no Bernard? Sigh…

Let’s remember them this way…

Suede -‘The 2 Of Us.’ mp3

First album releases coming out on 17 Seconds Records

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On February 15, we will issue the first albums to come out digitally on 17 Seconds Records.

The Wildhouse (Pete pictured, above) originally released Hyenas and Poet:Saint on their own Uh Huh Records Of Hollywood label. They have never been available digitally…until now.

As a wee gift, we’d like to offer you two free tracks as tasters for the albums when they come out. ‘Hope Is How You Control me’ is taken from Hyenas, while ‘Coffin Factory’ is taken from Poet:Saint.

The Wildhouse -‘Hope Is How You Control Me.’ mp3

The Wildhouse -‘Coffin Factory.’ mp3

The Wildhouse support the Dirty Cuts in Glasgow tonight, while the Dirty Cuts support the Wildhouse in Dundee tomorrow. Cool, non?

New Peaches video

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Peaches is such a complete Goddess. A hard-boiled visual and performing artist who is so in your face she makes Madonna seem like a wallflower, she doesn’t hold back one iota. And when you call your albums things like Fatherfucker, Impeach My Bush and I Feel Cream, you more than set out your stall.

And I bet she could beat 50 cent in an arm wrestle, with both hands tied behind her back.

This track is taken from last year’s fine I feel Cream album and is enough to have the conservative types running to the hills and signing their letters to the Daily Mail ‘Yours, Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.’ Please…bring it on, Peaches with ‘Mommy Complex’:

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Peaches – ‘Mommy Complex’ Official Music Video

Peaches | MySpace Music Videos

Album Review – Vampire Weekend

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Vampire Weekend -‘Contra’ (XL Recordings)

Vampire Weekend’s 2008 self-titled debut was one of the main releases of that year. Loved by bloggers, critics and public alike, what started as a release that bloggers were writing about was crossing over by the end of the year. Not only in terms of daytime radio play, but the fact that their forthcoming UK tour was sold out by Christmas. That’s good going for pretty much any band, even more so in times of a recession.

So how does the traditionally ‘difficult second album’ fare? It’s fair to say that their sophomore release is not as immediate as their debut. Certainly, for the first three or four listens I was undecided on it. But several days later, I’m hugely, hugely enjoying this album. It’s not widely different from the first album, but there’s still the African influences that made their debut special, the catchy songs and a willingness to be intelligent rather than feeling that they have to hide any books they might have read recently.

At thirty six minutes in length, it’s not a long album – but it comfortably makes the best use of the time and the eleven songs here are strong enough that it doesn’t feel that there’s much filler. Granted, if you didn’t like the first album this is unlikely to change your view on the band. Opening track ‘Horchata’ is very silly indeed. But as far as this listener is concerned, highlights like ‘Run’ and ‘Diplomat’s Son’ and the delightfully frenetic ‘Cousins’ show that Vampire weekend have come up trumps again.

****

Stream the album here