Posted on November 27, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
Next up in the countdown of calamity is a song which would make even the most ardent rock fan reach for a Spice Girls album.
Wayne’s World, you would have thought, would have brought them to their senses. Failing that, Metallica cutting their hair in the mid-90s could have been the indicator that the times they were a-changin’. But no, some people just did not get it; the era of long, dead frizzy hair, denim and watery rock albums being acceptable were over. No more would the world be tortured like this. Read more »
Posted on November 25, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
We don’t need to look far for our next entrants in the hall of shame – step forward Clydebank’s own Wet Wet Wet.
You want controversy? Here’s some; Wet Wet Wet weren’t always bad. No, really. Their first single ‘Wishing I Was Lucky’ said as much about dole culture under Thatcher as anything Billy Bragg ever wrote. Their early pop-soul stuff was shiny happy pop music, sure, but they were very good at what they did. But by the time the 90s rolled around…forget it. Read more »
Posted on November 23, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
Well, we’re hurtling towards year end, and with year end comes lists. Lots of lists. Christmas lists, of course, but at ELM Towers it will be the many dozens of best of lists we’ll have to wade through before issuing you with ours, which will be definitive, of course.
Slow Club will most likely feature very high up. And here’s a little taster of why. This is brilliant.
Posted on November 19, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
The next installment in our series on the most maddeningly rubbish records ever made looks at a Smooth Radio staple;
Blame for bad things is not so easily apportioned as one might think. You may feel you have acted in a perfectly reasonable manner, but when looking back at it later, you’ll realise that you played a significant part in events unfolding in the manner that they did. As Homer Simpson put it ‘it takes two to lie; one to lie and one to listen.’ Read more »
Posted on November 19, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
We do our bit for charity round these parts, especially environmental ones. For instance, we have often investigated the possibility of sponsoring an elephant. We don’t sponsor as many elephants as we’d like to at ELM, and we’d like to sponsor one, so that means we don’t sponsor any.
So we help in other ways, such as drawing your attention to Charity Baw. Read more »
Posted on November 17, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
Do you ever think about things in life which are but aren’t? Things which people tell you exist but simply don’t. Like the Government’s ethical foreign policy. Big Brother’s prime concern being the housemates’ wellbeing. And Radio 1’s commitment to new music.
See, Radio 1 has a massively broad idea of what constitutes ‘new’ music. It’s actually ‘anything we haven’t played before’. Hence the Foo Fighters new single gets playlisted. Now, it’s a great tune, but you can’t help thinking they might be all right without being A-listed here. Couldn’t that slot go to someone who needs it more?
Introducing Mindset and their new 4EP. Read more »
Posted on November 16, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
There are some things in life which are really rather awful, but somewhat inevitable – death, hunger, Loose Women. They are not worth getting upset about because they will always be there. It’s the same with rubbish pop records. It is not worth getting ones undergarments all twisty because of a song created in a lab and mass-marketed with more detailed planning than went into the Moon landings. You don’t like the Lady GaGa record? And? It’s not aimed at you. Leave it, it ain’t worf it, as they say in Walford.
But some songs achieve a remarkable double whammy; they take the piss by being simultaneously awful and ambitious at the same time. They crave respectability and often get it, becoming ‘classics’ and therefore played on commercial radio from now until the world ends in 2012. Here is our series on some of the preening monstrosities which have lived lives far past their worth. Read more »
Posted on November 16, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
The Vigo Thieves rocked the Garage in Glasgow at the weekend, culminating in a barnbusting performance of this, their new single. We’ll have an interview later this month.
‘Won’t You be Mine’ is available for download on iTunes now.
Posted on November 13, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
It happens to us all; ELM takes us on a personal trip to explain why one of his old favourites no longer do it for him.
I don’t want to come over all Sophia from the Golden Girls – there’s one for the kids – but picture it; 1995, the summer of Britpop. It seems guitar music is out of the ghetto again, anybody with a slightly floppy fringe and a reasonably decent record collection is getting signed and the whole world seems to hang on every word of Damon Albarn or Noel Gallagher. Gigs take on the aura of revivalist meetings, and many a teenage cold sore is swapped to 1977 by Ash. Sleeper appear to be interesting. These are heady times. Read more »
Posted on November 11, 2009 by extremelisteningmode
Ah, dear Franz Nicolay. Erstwhile keyboard player/soul of the Hold Steady, he released a very wonderful solo album recently and supported Eitzel on his recent tour. It is undoubtedly the best one-man guitar/accordion/banjo show you will see.
Here he is performing ‘Jeff Penalty’, a song detailing the time he was asked to support the Dead Kennedys, only to note they were hamstrung without one important component – Jello. Instead, some bloke named Jeff was doing the vocal chores. Having previously dismissed him, he reconsidered. It’s a song of punk rock redemption. Just don’t aske about Pisspuddles the Clown.
Franz’s album Major General is available now. You’ll probably have to go online for it, mind.
Next up in the countdown of calamity is a song which would make even the most ardent rock fan reach for a Spice Girls album.
There are some things in life which are really rather awful, but somewhat inevitable – death, hunger, Loose Women. They are not worth getting upset about because they will always be there. It’s the same with rubbish pop records. It is not worth getting ones undergarments all twisty because of a song created in a lab and mass-marketed with more detailed planning than went into the Moon landings. You don’t like the Lady GaGa record? And? It’s not aimed at you. Leave it, it ain’t worf it, as they say in Walford.
It happens to us all; ELM takes us on a personal trip to explain why one of his old favourites no longer do it for him.