New Music Post

1 /24th of the year done and dusted and most of us are back in the same old groove, or rut, depending on your personal circumstances. Having a blog means a nagging guilt that it needs updating so a quicky post to do just that.

Mrs Kev has many lovely qualities, assets, skills and habits, and one such is her ability to take a hint when it comes to Birthday gifts. I can't afford to be too subtle so last year I made my hints quite obvious and as a result I received the gift I wanted, membership of the Rough Trade Album club. Each month sees a new album to download, chosen by the good (and presumably cool) young people at RT HQ. It's a good way to keep abreast of stuff I might not have heard about yet and so far the albums have been mighty fine.

November was Local Natives. Never heard of them but it turned out to be tuneful guitarry stuff, fitting nicely into the current vogueish US blogosphere bands.

December saw the arrival of Blackroc and their garage guitar meets hip-hop stuff, alongside a bonus album of instrumentals in case I want to rap along in the privacy of my own home. Not very festive but a welcome change from sleighbells.

January - These New Puritans and their very serious, important sounding record, Hidden. A black sleeve, orchestral flourishes, important sounding words, no smiling allowed. I always worry when young bands don't seem to be enjoying themselves in their art. If anyone reading this knows any New Puritans please remind them life is short and now that they have made the record, go and have some fun. I should add that after a few plays it does seem to be remarkably good and I think it may appear in a few best of 2010 lists in 50 weeks time. it reminds me of Portishead's last record in that it sounds very 'different' at first but gradually you can't imagine life without it.

So a track from each to celebrate the approach of February 13th when my next download will become available.

Enjoy

BLACKROC - COOCHIE
LOCAL NATIVES - SUN HANDS
THESE NEW PURITANS - WE WANT WAR

Hello 2010

Happy New Year everyone/anyone.

Well 2010 has dawned and resolution 1 - update blog every day, has gone out of the window. resolution 2 - go to one gig a month, is off to a reasonable start as i think i'm off to see midlake in a couple of weeks. resolution 3 - swear less, is holding up ok, but as predicted on this week's Contrast Podcast it is very hard not to swear at the radio/tv/newspaper when politicians appear. My ire is usually reserved for tories, but I always save some bile for the others as well. Labour politicians sucking up to the Queen and spending my tax money on next year's jubilee! I suggest mandelson should watch Battleship Potemkin and look at the events of 1917 for a few tips on how to treat a royal family. Still, she does have a lovely smile - when she can be bothered to do so.



Anyway, enough republican vitriol, time to write about smiley stuff. Santa was very generous this year with lots of new CDs and books, and much of december was spent downloading albums and tracks I'd missed, or purchasing others in the sales. I've also been in the attic so there is a huge pile of music to get through at the moment. thanks to my friend Wayne for the Dirty Projectors album, and to mother for a couple of the Kraftwerk reissues - astonishingly beautiful and strangely moving at times.

Tonight a bit of a revelation - at number 34 in my Festive 50 (see below) was John Grant. Tonight I found out that he is the same John Grant once of The Czars, giving me an excuse to post this song. the album is out on Bella Union later this year and will be in my 'essential purchase' file.

I promise to update more often so please come again!

John Grant (feat Midlake) - I Want To Go To Marz