Category Archives: Arab Strap

200th post!

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[Edinburgh’s X-Vectors]

Yup, just as it says on the tin, this is the 200th post of 17 Seconds. I started writing this blog over a year ago now, doing my first post on July 15 2006. the reason I didn’t do a anniversary one was that it was the day after my wedding and I know which side my bread is buttered (generally the side that lands face down, particularly if it’s a carpet).

During the time of doing writing 17 Seconds so far, I have posted all manor of weird and wonderful sounds, from the unsigned to the massively successful. Anyone who says it’s all just ‘indie’ hasn’t been paying attention (Wiley? Dizzee rascal? Missy Elliott). I can’t claim to have launched any bands, and a few of the bands I have written about have split (Arab Strap, Death From Above 1979 and The Cooper Temple Clause) although there are one or two who have a higher profile, which I can’t really claim to much credit for, but hey…There have been people who have thanked me for bringing them to the attention of stuff they hadn’t heard before, so RESULT!

Thanks to everyone who has read this blog, encouraged me, and helped, in what ever way. It’s been an interesting year -getting cats, starting my first ever full-time teaching post, being signed off work and getting married. And more than just a bit of music along the way.

Now that Mrs. 17 Seconds and I are the owners of a USB turntable, expect more ‘interesting’ types of stuff to continue appearing here.

For the 200th post, I present an Arab Strap cover version, doing a Van Halen song…

Arab Strap-‘Why Can’t This Be Love? (Van Halen cover).’ mp3(taken from The Shy Retirer ep)

…and also two tracks from a 12″ single that was no.6 in last year’s festive 50 on this site, Edinburgh band the X-vectors.

X-Vectors -‘Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque.’ mp3

X-Vectors -‘Your Love.’ mp3

(both tracks from Now Is the Winter Of Our Discotheque/Your Love 12″ single)

X-Vectors’ MySpace is here, with details of how to buy their music.

As always, tracks will be up here for one week only -if you like what you hear GO BUY IT.

I am the owner of a USB turntable!!

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(The Killers)

One of the wedding presents Mrs. 17 Seconds and I received was a USB turntable, which as you might imagine, is already getting a fair bit of use, not least for all the stuff I want to put on my iPod. Here for your listening pleasure are five 12″ mixes – Dance? Indie? Electronica?!? You decide, but hey…

First up, this came out in early 2005, just as Mylo and the Killers were starting to get big not only critically but commercially in the UK. This is from the 12″:

The Killers-‘Somebody Told Me (Mylo mix).’ mp3

I said there would be more Arab Strap soon, and I was not kidding. Here, from the 2001 12″ of Turbulence mixes (original version on ‘The Red Thread’ album) is the song remixed by Bis (who subsequently split, but have since reformed):

Arab Strap -‘Turbulence (Bis mix).’ mp3

Also from 2001, orginally from their ‘Origin of Symmetry’ album, here is Muse’s ‘Newborn’ remixed by Paul Oakenfold, who transforms it from a mini-prog masterpiece, into a trance masterpiece (Glowsticks optional):

Muse-‘Newborn (Paul Oakenfold’s Perfecto remix).’ mp3

Trevor Jackson’s Playgroup act must have put out numerous 12″s of remixes of this track (I own at least four 12″s of this) but here is the original extended mix in all it’s nine minute glory. Altogether now: ‘I can see it in your eyes…I can see it in your face…MAKE IT HAPPEN.’

Playgroup -‘Make It Happen (extended mix).’

Finally, from 2003, Electrix Six promised much, were great in their briefly lived original line-up, then ultimately delivered little, but this track is still fab. (Can you tell what track was an influence on this?!)

Electrix Six -‘Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild 12″ Blitz mix).’ mp3

You know the score. The tracks will be up for a week. If you like what you hear, support the artists involved. If you cannot find these tracks in your local independent record shop, or even your local capitalist chain, then try Amazon or ebay. There are many, many more where these came from…

A Great, Lost Single #6

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Arab Strap -‘Here We Go/Trippy’ (Chemikal Underground, 1998)

I first heard Arab Strap on the John Peel show, when he played Here We Go. Somehow the release of ‘The First Big Weekend’ had passed me by, but looking at the vinyl on the record shelves in my flat, I guess I made up for lost time. In this song, Aidan Moffat starts off by wondering how he’s supposed to walk his girlfriend home, when she’s some way in front of him, having stormed off in a huff. Hmm, I guess one or two of us might have been there, too… Sad and beautiful. The ‘AA’ side (I know, it’s just I still tend to think in terms of vinyl) Trippy is just that, showing that Aidan Moffat’s later electronica work as Lucky Pierre has a far earlier beginning than might be thought. The track also features ‘Tremendan O’Hare’, almost certainly one-time Teenage Fanclub drummer, and Mogwai’s musician without portfolio (sic) Brendan O’Hare.

‘Here We Go’ is still available on their second album ‘Philophobia’; for Trippy, try e-bay or Amazon (it’s not on the UK version of iTunes as far as I can see).

Arab Strap -‘Here We Go.’ mp3

Arab Strap -‘Trippy.’ mp3

As always, if you like what you hear, please support the artists involved. Tracks posted will be up for one week only. More Arab Strap coming very, very soon…

Six of One and a Dozen Of The Other

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Well, the Jock’N’Roll albums poll may not have posted any results…yet – but I figured that you can never have too many reminders.

So here are six great Scottish bands, with two mp3s apiece. Enjoy!

Aereogramme – ‘Zionist Timing.’ mp3

Aereogramme -‘Wood.’ mp3

Arab Strap – ‘Cherubs.’ mp3

Arab Strap – ‘The Love Detective.’ mp3

Ballboy -‘Sex Is Boring (John Peel Session 21/3/00).’ mp3

Ballboy – ‘Sex Is Boring (John Peel Session 21/3/00).’ mp3

Delgados -‘American Trilogy.’ mp3

Delgados -‘Sink Or Swim.’ mp3

Sons and Daughters – ‘Johnny Cash.’ mp3

Sons and Daughters – ‘Dance me In.’ mp3

Teenage Fanclub – ‘What You Do To me.’ mp3

Teenage Fanclub – ‘It’s All In My Mind.’ mp3

As always, if you like what you hear, go and support the bands by checking out their MySpace sites and becoming their friends, buying the music from iTunes or Amazon or your local independent shop, seeing them in concert, and of course, voting for scottish acts at Jock’n’Roll

Hope you had a good Easter, Ed