Posted on February 8, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
Predicting the future is fraught with danger. Apart fro the rather obvious risk of getting it completely wrong and thus being forever laughed at – you may scoff, but you never see David Icke doing the snooker these days – you run the risk of people using the ever-powerful weapon that is hindsight to tell you that you were always on to a loser. Segway? What were you thinking? Waterworld? No-one wants to see Kevin Costner playing a fish-man. Millennium Dome? Don’t make me laugh. Dick Rowe had plenty of reasons for not signing the Beatles, but does anyone want to hear them? No. He’ a loser, end of.
So it’s a risky game, but ELM will hold its hand up and say that if you had told us in 2000 that a dreary nu-prog band with Freddy Mercury issues would have been one of the UK’s biggest bands, we’d have laughed at you. But that is what happened with Muse. This band sold out Wembley. Impressive enough, until you realize we missed out the word ‘Stadium’. Yes, 80,000 people apparently thought enough of Matt Bellamy and co to go all the way to an expensive football stadium and listen to them, cementing their place in the cultural pantheon. And we still can’t quite believe it has happened. Read more »
Posted on February 5, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
If you are prone to massive exaggeration, last year’s surprise Christmas Number 1 was a victory for the forces of good against the almost supernaturally evil presence that is Simon Cowell. Rage Against the Machine’s victory was prompted by Facebook campaign which encouraged people to download their song ‘Killing in the Name Of’ to prevent X Factor winner Joe McElderry from hitting top spot. It was fun, a bit of a laugh and it revived interest in the charts for about five minutes.
Posted on February 3, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
Some of you older sorts may remember the SDP, who for a brief moment in the early 80s threatened to grow into one of the most exciting political parties in the UK. Not really. They were formed by Roy Jenkins, a man as genetically dull as a piece of toast, and were eventually swallowed up/merged with the Liberals to form the trailblazing/barely noticeable Lib Dem party.
Why am I telling you this? Well, the Kissaway Trail’s excellent new single is named after them. Well, when I say ‘after them’, that’s not strictly true. In that it’s a lie. I just made it up. But the song is called ‘SDP’ and it is by the Kissaway Trail, which makes it a lie grounded in reality, and therefore less of a lie. Or something. Anyway, top tune, enjoy.
Posted on February 1, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
He probably wouldn’t thank you for the comparison, but Noel Gallagher has been the Ryan Giggs of music for years now: although he played for someone you couldn’t stand, you always thought he seemed a good bloke personally. If you want to torture this one out further, you could say both of them started brilliantly, dipped severely in form but then came back to reach vaunted elder statesman level late in the day.
But the news today that Gallagher’s first shows as a solo artist – as opposed to solo shows, which he’s been doing for years now – will be held next month in London for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Always a musical classicist (or conservative, depending on your viewpoint) is it too late to expect much more than the status quo? Read more »
Posted on January 28, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
What have the great and good of the music world been up to this week? Have the Sex Pistols said ‘fuck’ on a TV show and caused national outrage? Has Mick Jagger been accused of a frankly disconcerting fusion of sex and dinner with a glucose-based chocolate bar and Marianne Faithfull? Has someone called Matt Bianco ‘a bunch of wankers’ on kids TV?
No. Sadly, nothing so epoch-shattering to report. But still, we’ve space to fill and that, so here goes…. Read more »
Posted on January 26, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
Australia. Title of a rubbish Manic Street Preachers song, birthplace of Kylie, supplier of bar staff. Today is the day that the Aussies celebrate being Australian or something, and needless to say drink a lot. Here you will find no criminal jokes, instead we wish to celebrate all that is good about Australia. So, Shane Warne and Nick Cave it is then. And as Warney doesn’t sing, here’s the suited man with ‘Get Ready For Love.’
Posted on January 25, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
Sex changes are an odd thing, aren’t they? People who are convinced they’ve been born into the wrong sex. Even though, clearly, they have no frame of reference for being the other way round and carrying the opposing type of equipment. Progress being what it is and all, we are now able to take a boy and make a girl with more precision than with a cauterized cleaver. But it does beg a host of ethical questions. You could speculate on whether it is, in fact, such a good idea. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean that we should.
This is a notion I wish someone would tell the BBC. Now, a lot of people slag off the Beeb, but you won’t see that here. Well, not much of it anyway. The BBC provide a fantastic service that no commercial outlet would. Especially in radio, where they seem willing to cater for people with an IQ in double digits. But sister stations Radio 2 and 6 Music have a little bee in their bonnet at the moment about ‘unique’ collaborations. Read more »
Posted on January 25, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
If your Mother was right and you can judge people by the company they keep, you’ll love Misterlee. Having toured with such ELM favourites as Jeff Buckley, Jeffry Lewis, Sebadoh and Mountain Goats, they do a neat line in folksy mentalness, like Beck records trying to forcibly procreate with Sandy Denny albums.
Headed by Lee Allatson, their merry blend of acoustic punk has been slowly getting rave reviews over the past few years and who knows, this could be the year for them to go mainstream. Not really. Don’t think the UK is ready for it quite yet.
But still, they are proudly lo-fi and really rather good. We’ll be bringing you an interview ahead of the release of their new album Disquiet Dog, which is released in March. In the meantime you can listen here for a preview.
Posted on January 22, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
Recent ELM interviewee Franz Nicolay announced his departure from The Hold Steady yesterday. On his website, the multi-instrumentalist said “”You should know: I’ve left the Hold Steady. I told the band I’d be leaving in early September, played my last show with them in Minneapolis around Thanksgiving, and dotted the t’s and crossed the i’s this week. Five years seemed like a nice round number. Thanks to everyone who was a part of the experience.” Read more »
Posted on January 19, 2010 by extremelisteningmode
Ah, youth. You spend so long trying to outgrow it then decades wishing you hadn’t. But unless you want to be one of these people with a bald spot and a pony tail, you would be well advised to just leave the young folks to get on with it.
Of course, it doesn’t preclude you from enjoying the fruits of their labours. Glasgow band The Celestians are turning a few heads at the moment, with their rather frenetic live shows and very promising EP which found its way into ELM Towers last week. It’s really rather good – imagine Biffy Clyro minus the Muppet-style vocals covering early Big Country and you’re not far off. They seem fair set, as we say here in Scotland. Get in early.
The Celestians play Glasgow’s ABC 2 in February. Check their myspace for details. Google is your friend.
Predicting the future is fraught with danger. Apart fro the rather obvious risk of getting it completely wrong and thus being forever laughed at – you may scoff, but you never see David Icke doing the snooker these days – you run the risk of people using the ever-powerful weapon that is hindsight to tell you that you were always on to a loser. Segway? What were you thinking? Waterworld? No-one wants to see Kevin Costner playing a fish-man. Millennium Dome? Don’t make me laugh. Dick Rowe had plenty of reasons for not signing the Beatles, but does anyone want to hear them? No. He’ a loser, end of.
