300th post

..and a mere sixteen months after my first post, I finally do my three hundreth! What can I say, it’s been great fun, and continues to be so.

First of all, I thought I’d start off this post with the title track of the album that gave this blog its’ name. The pic at the top is The Cure circa this album. I didn’t do many 17 Seconds club nights but I’m pleased that the blog is still going.

The Cure -‘Seventeen Seconds.’ mp3

I’ve written about a lot of up and coming scottish bands, like the X-Vectors for example…

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

and watched a few of my favourite bands split up…

Arab Strap -‘Here We Go.’ mp3

The Cooper Temple Clause -‘Let’s Kill Music.’ mp3

I still have to decide on my personal festive fifty, but I guarantee these tracks will be there…

Battles -‘Atlas.’ mp3

Hot Chip -‘My Piano.’ mp3

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.’ mp3

Penny Century -‘Nothing Burns Like Bridges.’ mp3

Emma Pollock -‘Adrenaline.’ mp3

As time went by, I got the vague hand of how to post tracks (which I was clueless about when I first started writing a blog!), and started doing interviews too. Getting listed at the Hype Machine was great (thanks Mr. Toad) and getting feedback still makes my day.

Personally, this blog has hinted at some of the ups and downs in life outside of this blog, but much love is due to Mrs. 17 Seconds (I wasn’t even planning it when I started writing this!) and our two cats, our families and friends for keeping me sane.

Here’s to the next X posts…

Edx

2007…pretty good year for music so far

Thank goodness -I’m now off school for two and a half weeks. I may even be feeling human at the end of it all.

I know I often post covers on a Friday, but I thought today I would post a handful of tracks that I’ve really been enjoying this year. Some of them -Gasp! Shock! Horror! were hits. I’ve posted about Penny Century, Emma Pollock and Katie Sutherland a lot this year, and flagged up how much I’ve enjoyed Bat For Lashes and Wiley, but I thought I would highlight some other stuff I’ve loved.

Kate Nash -‘Foundations.’ mp3

King Creosote -‘Leslie.’ mp3

Tiny Dancers -‘I Will Wait For You.’ mp3

Calvin Harris -‘Acceptable in the 80s.’ mp3

Thrushes -‘Aidan Quinn.’ mp3

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.’ mp3

Hot Chip -‘My Piano.’ mp3

Von Sudenfed -‘Fledermaus Can’t Get It.’ mp3

Timbaland -‘Give It To Me.’ mp3

Battles -‘Atlas.’ mp3

If you like the tracks, support the artists involved, and leave feedback.

It’s going to be tough deciding my Top 50 tracks this year…

Listen Up To The Gossip

Rather less stress around 17 Seconds towers today, which is nice. My review of Emma Pollock has been added to legendary scottish music magazine/website Is This Music?, and as always am flattered by a few comments that have come way about this blog.

Today also saw me visit a record shop. Now just in case Mrs. 17 Seconds is reading this and flips, I did not pick up all of these today, but I picked up some great remixes of tracks by the Gossip, and the recent Hot Chip 12″ single. And just in case any of you fine people out there hadn’t heard these, I just had to make you aware of them!

The Gossip -‘Standing In The Way Of Control.’ mp3

The Gossip -‘Standing In The way Of Control (Soulwax nite version).’ mp3

The Gossip -‘Standing In the Way Of Control (Le Tigre remix).’ mp3

The Gossip -‘Listen Up.’ mp3

The Gossip -‘Listen Up (MSTRKRFT mix).’ mp3

And this track, which vies with ‘D.A.N.C.E.’ by Justice as the track of the summer.

Hot Chip -‘My Piano.’ mp3

And just writing that has made me itchy for Justice, whose album I am listening to as I type this, so go on! (Said in the tone of an exasperated but friendly uncle).

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.’ mp3

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.(MSTRKRFT remix).’ mp3

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E. (extended mix).’ mp3

Justice -‘Waters Of Nazareth.’ mp3

As always, links will be up for one week. If you like what you hear, please support the artists involved, preferably through your local independent record store.

Phew, rock ‘n’ roll…

In memory of Fopp

(This is meant to represent the sun setting on Fopp. :-(( )

Frankly gutted by Fopp’s closure but if you want to try and do something, then there is a MySpace site: www.myspace.com/helpsavefopp

Have been trying to work out what songs remind me of Fopp, whether it was things that I bought there as a customer, or remember from working there.

Seven years of going makes it too hard to narrow it down that much, but this is a selection. As always, if you like what you hear, go and support your local shop, we do not need any more repeats of this.

Battles-‘Atlas.’ mp3

Futureheads-‘Hounds Of Love.’ mp3

iLIKETRAINS-‘Spencer Perceval.’ mp3

Justice-‘Waters Of Nazareth.’ mp3

The View-‘Superstar Tradesman.’ mp3

It would be more but I am just about to exceed my bandwith, so more on this very soon! And yes, I may have posted these before, but hey…

A Big Thumbs Up

Well, the weather was abysmal, but when you are inside, it doesn’t matter!

Yesterday was the Wedding of Liz at The Roaring Machine and Simon at Spoilt Victorian Child, so I hope they had a very happy wedding day. All the best guys.

Yesterday was also my Stag do, for my wedding to the soon to be Mrs. 17 Seconds which is a mere three weeks away. Put together by my brother, I had a fantastic day, involving food, ten pin bowling, lazerquest and stand up comedy (watching not performing). A great time was had by all, including yours truly who was only embarassed in the comedy club when I had to get up on the stage and kiss a girl from the audience (Ben, you’re dead mate!) And Toad from Song, By Toad was also there, whipping everyone at lazerquest!

So thanks to everyone who came out, this is for you, and indeed anyone who enjoys great music.

Camper Van Beethoven-‘Take The Skinheads Bowling.’ mp3

And, all over the blogs though it is, the tracks I have heard off the Justice album are just excellent so here are two for you:

Justice-‘D.A.N.C.E.’ mp3

Justice-‘Waters Of Nazareth.’ mp3

The mp3s will be up for a week only, so get em while you can.

If you like the music, buy Camper Van Beethoven here and Justice here.

Hope you are all having a good weekend, and that the weather is less wet than it is in Scotland.

Ed