I'm being forced to shut down this blog as I'm getting some serious heat from a few different record labels using the "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" to delete posts and edit my new updates:
All back up and running now so let's get stuck in.....
(Right click and save each of the tracks)
Elliott Smith - Pitseleh Trying to find a photo of Elliott Smith that isn't black and white is tough enough, but finding one with him smiling was more than I expected! It's hard to write about Elliott Smith without talking about depression, drugs and alcohol and of course his apparent suicide. So I'm not going to. Just listen to this wonderful piece of music.
Moloko - Pure Pleasure Seeker Any track that has a baritone saxophone in it should automatically be cool.... but combine that with Roisin Murphys voice and well, it's game over. One of those tracks that when you hear it you don't know why you don't listen to it more.... (Nice Knickers)
David Gray - Tidal Wave A lot of people dismiss David Gray as a second rate singer-songwriter, but he has writen some brilliant tracks and this one is from his early days and is one of my all time favorites. Go on, I know your thinking of skipping this track.... don't, trust me.
Black Meteoric Star - Dawn If this photo doesn't make you want to download this 43mb, 18min monster of a track then the fact that he (Gavin Russoms) make's his own analog synths, either from parts of old one's or totally from scratch should convince you to give this a good listen. It's starts off with abrasive white noise then turns into this rolling track that just seems to entrace you for the full 18mins. I listened to this while driving the last day and at the end I could not really remember how I had gotten where I was..... amazing stuff. Give it the respect it deserves and play it loud.
Joy Division - Digital I don't normally like putting up photos of just the lead singer of a band but I've loved this photo for ages so I'll make an exception this time (Or maybe I'll just get over myself!). "Digital" was never on either of the two Joy Division albums but was only found on a Factory Records EP called "Factory Sample" which was a double 7" release which now sell's for around 200/300 euros. The opening bass riff is just glorious in it's starkness and has that Martin Hannett production sound all over it. Dark but totally engrossing, I've been listening to this track pretty much every day for the last 2 weeks....
Derrick Morgan - Moon Hop Jamacian born Morgan worked with all the big boy's of the time; Robert Marley, Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker but he had a very distintive sound, more Ska than reggae with some dub riddems mixed in. He once had the top seven places in the Jamacian charts at the same time with seven different songs.......
I know this is a pretty random collection of tracks but each one is very special in it's own way so give them a chance!!
Give peas a chance,
Sean.
P.S - I've spent ages going back over the blog getting all the links to work again for each song so if you missed one of the updates or were rude enough to skip a track then now's your chance!!
Tell your friends, tell your enemys (but give them fuckers the wrong link)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Service is being resumed......
I'll be reactivating all the old links over the next week or so but all the new songs in this update are working, sorry about the delay!
(Right click and save as should work if just clicking doesn't)
I'm going to start with one of the tracks from my youtube videos from a couple of weeks back,
Joy Orbison - HyphMngo It's normally the headier, heavy dubstep that get's my attention but I heard this track a few months back and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. I even heard it in a clothes store in Belfast recently! It's that fine line between being popular and being too commercial.......
The Xx - Crystalised Gimme da hype, gimme da hype...... I was pretty much ready to write The XX off even before giving the album a proper listen because of all the hype surrounding them and people saying they are the next Bloc Party (Is that a good thing anymore?) and the fact that they look about 15 years old... BUT the album is a true work of art and is amazing to listen to from start to finish, give it a good bit of volume and you'll hear some lovely sub-bass which I didn't hear on the first few listens.... Kid's these days.
M83 - We own the sky This is a weird, spacey song that stood out from last years brilliant album "Saturdays = Youth." I think it's pretty much just one guy who is M83 but he brings in a few other singers for albums etc. If you like this track, defo check out the album....
Massive Attack - Splitting the Atom I was lucky enough to be one of the 1000 or so people who got to see the live prowess of Massive Attack in Dublin last week, I only managed to take one photo (above) before my iphone packed up mid show but what a show it was!! Horace Andy was on duty and he looked like he was having more fun than anyone! They indulged us with all the tracks from the recent E.P and they sounded pretty spectacular live, especially this track "Splitting the Atom" Serious grooves and a bassline that wont quit, I think it could do well if it's the next single. Highlight of the night would have to be either Angel or Mezzanine...... also special mention goes to the crowd who were going bananas all night. The Irish really are the best crowds at concerts.....
Regina Spektor - Us No relation to Phil, but she certainly can create a wall of sound with her voice. Russian born Regina has had loads of her songs used in adverts and episodes of CSI but don't hold that against her, she has a seriously cool voice, almost like Kate bush with a bit of Tori Amos thrown in for good measure. This is slightly embarrassing but the first time I heard her was on an episode of Veronica Mars that somehow got left on while I was holding the remote.......
Keep the emails/messages coming,
I'll have a new update soon as I've loads of great new tunes!
A recordlabel have complained to my file hosting companyaboutthemp3 files onthissite and they have takendown all mymp3 links withouteven a phonecall or email to let me know......Howrude! It is strictly illegal butittakes a little more thanthat to keepthis man down (just a little more mindyou....) Sogiveme a week or so and i'll have them all back upwith a nicebigupdate to boot....
Here are a fewyoutubevideos to keepyougoing;
TheXX - Islands
JoyOrbison - HyphMngo
Yacht - I'm in love with a ripper (Party Mix)
Mumm Ra - She's gotyou high
I'lluploadthosetracksinthenextupdatewith a fewotherssongsthat make me drive faster.....
Sean.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Hello everyone,
Sorry about the big delay since the last update, I started a new job and have been pretty busy, but I've plenty of new tracks to get stuck into over the next few weeks so check back soon!
The Quantic Soul Orchestra - Pushin' On This good looking chap is a lad called Will Holland who is also known as Quantic and The Quantic Soul Orchestra and he makes some of the most amazing funk, I don't know how does it, but he manages to get it sounding like it was made 50 years ago (in a good way!) He mixes loads of styles but mainly Soul/Funk and Jazz with some of the best sounding drums I've ever heard on a track. Check out all of his stuff.
Midlake - Roscoe This is the first track taken from Midlakes amazing 2006 album "The Trials of Van Occupanther." I never really got into it till around the end of 2007 for some reason but after 2/3 listens it just grew and grew and got better each time and I think we all know that's the sign of a great album.... well worth catching.
Bill Withers - Grandma's Hand Old Bill here is undoubtedly one of the best and most recognisable soul singers of the last 40 years but this amazing song sometimes gets over looked by some people but as soon as they hear it they know they have heard it before...... No Diggity by Blackstreet.
The Clash - Straight To Hell While we are on the subject of songs being covered, sampled or whatever, see if you can recognise which popular SriLankan refugee took the opening riff from this great Clash track and pretty much used it for the basis of her current huge hit?
The Stone Roses - I Wanna be Adored One of my all time favorite albums is The Store Roses self titled debut. If you ask me to pick my favorite track from it, your going to probably get a different answer depending on my mood because pretty much everyone is ace.
While we are at it you may as well check out Ian Browns new single "Stellify" from his upcoming album "My Way" I'm really digging this track and I just hope his album as good!
Rush - A Passage to Bangkok I'm going to be totally honest here and say I have not listened to Rush since I was about 14, when I had a little prog rock fad, but I was reminded of them last week when I watched a film called "I Love you, Man" and they pretty much talk about Rush the whole way through the film and it brought it all back. This is not one of their best known tracks but I love it to pieces and I think I may even have it on tape somewhere.
Lisa Mitchell - Neopolitan Dreams What's this? A runner up of one of those awful pop idol type shows (Australian Idol I'm told) on this overly snobish music blog? Yup, and this is one of the best pop songs I've heard in the last 12 months, no joking. Amazing. Oh and she's a total sell out too as this was used in a washing Detergent advert..... (I truly wish I was good enough at something to sell out...... one day maybe?)
Pixies - Where Is My Mind! It seems like I pissed a few people off with my (somewhat) blasphemous talk of Husker Du being the start of Grunge in the last update, well just to calm the waters (You're wrong by the way) here is one of the Pixies best tracks, you know the one that's used in that epic final scene from Fight Club. Probably one of the best uses of music in a modern movie.
Massive Attack - Dissolved Girl There are a few bands that to me remind me of a certain time in my life and remind me of certain events both good and bad, but with Massive Attack they are all good. They are playing here in Dublin in October and I can't wait to see them again. I still think the first time I saw them was almost like a religious experience, I was kinda worried they would be a disappointment as they have such a complex and heavy sound but how wrong I was...... both shows are now sold out, but if you have never seen them live put it on the must-do list.
The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic I don't really know a huge amount about these guys (and gal I think?) but with a name like that I just had to have a little listen and this song really stood out, the opening riff is a little harsh but the song is very much like a mix of cheap trick, beck and the Pixies which can only be a good thing.
That is Larry Heard (Mr. Fingers) playing in Dublin a while back and I'll be sticking up a few photos from that amazing gig in the next update. I think there may even be an interview floating round as well.
I also wanted to give a shout out to a very cool guy called Tristan who I met recently who has a burgeoning music blog http://tristan-beatsandpieces.blogspot.com/ - check it out and tell him I sent ya!
I've been thinking of things to do with the blog as I think just rattling on about songs I love could get a little tiresome for a lot of people so I want to try out a few things. I love photography and from my general hanging around (read: schmoozing) of the Dublin club scene I've been lucky enough to shoot a few amazing nights around my adopted town.
So here are a few photos and videos from a great night out last September at Nightflight in the Button Factory in Temple Bar.
This cheerful chap is Todd Olsen, he is better known as Todd Terje and is from Oslo. He is very much at the forefront of the Scandinavian nu-disco scene along side Lindstrom and Prins Thomas.
Here is one of Todd's amazing remixes of Shit Robots (Dubliner Marcus Lambkin) tracks Simple Things;
Todd was also kind enough to do an interview with us before he went on stage. Here he is being bombarded with (some-what) intelligent disco questions by Paul Fogarty (Pablo) who is one of the brilliant Night-Flight Dj's
Apologies for door squeaks and me giggling like a girl during most of the videos....
I'll be putting up a few more interviews and photos from nights out over the next few weeks so keep an eye out for them.
Atlas Sound - Walkabout (Feat. Noah Lennox) Summer music is pretty tough to get right, but one band who pretty much hit dead on target is Animal Collective. When I heard "Merriweather Post Pavilion" while sitting on a very cold bus in January of this year in Dublin I could almost feel the after-sun cream soothing my sunburnt shoulders in the upcoming summer. Well this little ditty from Atlas Sound features Noah Lennox from Animal Collective (and he just happens to be Panda Bear too, seriously where do these guys find the time....) and it's pretty special summer music. Atlas Sound have a new Album coming up in October (Summer 2010 soundtrack?) called Logos and it should be a stormer.
Death In Vegas - Aisha Iggy Pop maybe selling insurance to us now (from a company who won't actually insure musicians!) but he is still 100% legend in my book (well ok, maybe 99.9998% Legend) and a combination of his Vocals and some Death in Vegas filth is too much for me to resist! As a matter of fact, this song contains one of my favorite moments in music, at around 3.02 there is a really short organ solo which just gets my blood boiling (in a good way) and is then followed with what I can old describe as "Organ Scratching." Amazing. Also, have you ever noticed how much Kasabian really want to be Death in Vegas?
INXS - Don't Change Famous bands are famous for a reason. They make music *lots* of people want to listen to. I sometimes like to listen to a famous bands early stuff to see what they were like before they hit that sweet spot of credibility and popularity. Turns outs, INXS were a pretty decent post punk, new wave band. This is from their 1982 album "Shabooh Shabooh" and I personally think it inspired the track "Don't You" by simple minds from the Breakfast Club soundtrack. Great stuff.
Hot Chocolate - Cadillac (the revenge rework) I first heard this track on the recent Trevor Jackson (Playgroup) mix he did at Studio B in New York and it's one of the best remixes I've heard in years. It still sounds like you listening to a track from 1976 but it's also a slamming nu-disco track that would fill a dance floor no problem. I defy you to get down when Errol Brown sings "Heaven's In The Back Seat Of My Cadillac."
Husker Du - Don't Want To Know If You Are Loney Part of the recent US rock time-line went a little like this; Punk (Ramones, Clash) then there was big haired rock (Motley Crew, Whitesnake) then after that came Grunge which came to the forefront with bands such as Motherlove bone and Soundgarden. Way before grunge Husker Du started off as a straight up Punk band but after a few albums they developed their sound by adding in more melody to their tracks and slowing things down a little. In this 1986 song you can almost hear the start of grunge, amazing lyrics with an emphasis on nailing the melody but still keeping the punk sound and drums. People always talk about the pixies being the start of grunge and inspiring Nirvana, well that's bollox, this is three and a half minutes of proof. Oh, yeah, complete respect to the guy on the left with the mustache.
Project Jenny, Project Jan - Negative This song is pretty much a guy talking about how dirty his girlfriend is and how he managed to loose the film of their escapades while walking about town in NYC. He also sings the parts of the song where a normal band would put a guitar. This blog almost writes itself.
The Egyptian lover - Freak-a-holic [12 inch long version] I first heard this song on an Andrew Weatherall (one of my general music heros) mix and pretty much instantly fell in love with it. Then I looked for a photo of him for the blog and saw the masterpiece above and pretty much decided that he is the coolest Egyptian musician around. This is the much sort-after 12" version. Yeah.
jj - ecstasy I don't really know how to describe this song, it has pretty cheesy lyrics and pretty heavily samples a crappy hip-pop (I just made that up, have you heard anyone else use that before?) song by Lil' Wanye but I still can't stop listening to it and I love it.
I really want to make it clear to people that I put songs up here for people to download so that they go out and either buy their album or see the band/artist live. So if you hear a track on here that you like, buy the album or check out to see if they are playing near you soon and buy a ticket.
