the return of Santigold (part 2)

santogold

I’m seriously looking forward to Santigold’s forthcoming album Master Of My Believe. This track is the ‘official’ first single…

…but as you should hopefully be aware already, Santigold released a new track last month, entitled ‘Big Mouth’:

I’ve yet to find a tracklisting for this album, but these two tracks are seriously whetting my appetite. And they should be doing the same to you, too…

The return of Santigold

santigold_lo_res_press_photo_1

Back in 2008 I was bigging up Santogold (as she was then) around this blog, and she was runner-up album of the year in 2008 on this blog (and did pretty well in quite a few other people’s polls too).

Anyway, after being way, way too quiet for far too long, she has returned! Santi White is now Santigold and she’s back with a new album, called Master Of My Make Believe. The first track to do the rounds is a track called ‘Big Mouth.’ THe animated video is awesome – and there may just possibly be a none-too-subtle dig at Lady Gaga here….

This rules, as far as I am concerned. Great to have her back -and I can’t wait to hear the album.

Follow this link to download the track for free (and legally)

…so that was the noughties!

dsc00294

Tippi the cat wearily surveys the vinyl from her perch

There are pedantic sods out there who will say that the next decade doesn’t start until 2011…umm, too bad.

It’s been a busy decade with highs and lows, and soundtracked by some amazing stuff. Odd, considering that at the start of 2000, I was wondering whether I was being left behing as I failed to get into Nu-metal or garage. Thankfully, there’s been lots of brilliant stuff.

So…

Highs: Getting married; moving to Scotland; being my brother’s best man at his wedding; becoming an uncle; getting cats; finally getting to work in a record shop; the invention of the iPod; meeting wonderful new friends in Scotland; the critical re-evaluation of The Cure; starting a blog that’s allowed me to interview people and get free music and into gigs for free; getting a Masters Degree; becoming a fully qualified teacher; Edinburgh’s music scene flourishing; getting to DJ again; going to New York -twice!; seeing my brother’s career in comedy and acting take off; the resurgence of post-punk and its’ infleunce on contemporary indie; setting up my own record label; Obama’s election; Great TV in the form of Life On Mars, The Office, CSI; ‘world’ cinema playing in multiplexes; successfully giving up smoking and drinking; nights out in Edinburgh and Glasgow; The Wire magazine; American Hip Hop and R&B; Grime; Dubstep; Kate Bush finally releasing a new album; finally having my own car; getting to see the likes of the Pixies (twice!), Blondie, Television (Twice!), Dead Kennedys, Julian Cope, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave (also twice!), Morrissey (three times), U2, Lou Reed…

Lows: Death of our beloved Jake the cat; black dog; the NME’s decline for much of the decade; people who showed they could not be trusted; the loss of three music venues in Edinburgh (La Belle Angele, The Venue, The Liquid Rooms); Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq; Labour letting us down; George W. Bush’s administration impacting on life here; the BNP; Tommy Sheridan proving to be human after all; the frightening prospect of a Tory Victory in 2010; the continued existence of racism, homophobia and domestic violence (and fuckwits who label any attempt to challenge this as political correctness gone mad)…

There’s been so much music that it’s hard to rank it all – this is just a handful of what’s floated my boat this decade.

The Delgados -‘No Danger.’ mp3

Gnarls Barkley -‘Crazy.’ mp3

The Bug -‘Angry.’ mp3

CSS – ‘Let’s Make Love and Listen To Death From Above.’ mp3

Franz Ferdinand -‘Shopping For Blood.’ mp3

Beyonce -‘Crazy In Love.’ mp3

LCD Soundsystem -‘Losing My Edge.’ mp3

Burial -‘Archangel.’ mp3

Santogold -‘My Superman.’ mp3

Low – ‘California.’ mp3

>Usher -‘Yeah.’ mp3

The Rapture – ‘House Of Jealous Lovers.’ mp3

Radio 4 -‘Dance To the Underground.’ mp3

Interpol -‘NYC.’ mp3

Missy Elliott -‘Get UR Freak On.’ mp3

Estelle -‘American Boy (featuring Kanye West).’ mp3

Skream -‘Midnight Request Line.’ mp3

This is by no means a complete list; I’ve intentionally left out anything from this year. The list could also include M.I.A.; White Stripes; Strokes; Yeah Yeah Yeahs; The Libertines; Dizzee Dascal; Arctic Monkeys; Outkast; System Of A Down; Calexico; Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy; Kylie; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds… and many of the scottish bands I’ve championed – and those I have signed.

Happy New Year!

xx

2008 -The best so far?

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…

Yup…

still here. been off school for two days fighting the ‘flu and trying to write reports. There are only so many variations on ‘Your child is doing fine’ i can come up with’ and only so many polite ways I can rephrase ‘your child brings out right-wing tendencies I didn’t know I had…they are most likely to end up in jail.’

…I haven’t abandoned the music either, but check out any of the ones in the right hand link. Don’t forget me, there will be more music soon. Especially with the 500th post imminent!

Do yourself a favour, though. Get Santogold’s album. It is amazing.

Love and hugs,

Ed Seconds XX

Presenting…Santogold

There is a real buzz building about Santi White, better known as Santogold, and it’s utterly, utterly deserved.

Tracks are starting to zoom around the net, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her album. According to her MySpace:

” Santogold is a survivor of a half-century worth of living along musical evolution’s most cutting edges. The only live act that can boast of having out-aged Barbara Bush, having outlived Mr. Miyagi and out-styled Liberace, Santogold is here with future flavor.

Already receiving weighty club rotation and airplay in urban Afghanistan and downtown Beirut, Santogold is the first act of the century to boast a post-war following on the International Space Station Mir. Following a live performance broadcast from three thousand miles off the Cape of Good Hope last June, inmates at Leavenworth Penitentiary received Santogold with a celebratory confetti parade. Just another first for the modern super group that knows no bound.”

Whether this is exaggerated or not (read the above again and make your own mind up), not only does it make great copy, but her songs are just fantastic. As cool as Kelis, sassy as Beyonce, as innovative as M.I.A, (all favourites round this blog)?

You better believe it.

Santogold -‘L.E.S. Artistes.’ mp3

Santogold -‘My Superman.’ mp3

Santogold’s debut album will be released in the UK on May 12 (lucky Americans get it two weeks previously). On this evidence, it will be taking up permanent residence in a stereo or mp3 player near you shortly thereafter.