Tuesday 31 August 2010

Noughties #53: Lincoln "Mettle" (Narwhal, 2002)


This is the last record I expected to become an obscurity. I would have had money on Lincoln, from North London, to go from strength to strength after this outstandingly confident debut album. Stewart Lee gave a positive live review of a London gig for the Sunday Times, now, Mettle doesn't even have a review on allmusic - and the band have disappeared without trace. Their music is alt-country influenced, but with an idiosyncratic british New Wave sensibility - not dissimilar to Lambchop. Alex Gordon's vocals are pure honey, and oh my god - TROMBONES! I had tickets to go and see them play at the Royal Festival Hall, but had to give them away due to other commitments - one of my greatest music regrets.

youtube.com/lincoln - my reasons are my own/great wall of china
youtube.com/lincoln - blood on the streets
youtube.com/lincoln - common ground

Noughties #54: Dizzee Rascal "Boy In Da Corner" (XL, 2004)


Talented skinny kid brought up by his single-parent Ghanaian mother on a council estate in Bow, East London. Dylan Mills could have easily become a victim of gang culture, but instead, through his Dizzee Rascal moniker, he has gone on to be a hero, and one of the biggest selling artists in the UK. This is where it started - an album that burst out of the grime scene with vibrance, vulnaribility, and above all, urgent originality. Not sure why this album isn't higher in the list - there must be some filler in here somewhere - perhaps my scoring system was flawed afterall!

youtube.com/dizzie rascal - i luv u
youtube.com/dizzie rascal - fix up look sharp
youtube.com/dizzie rascal - do it

Noughties #55: Frightened Rabbit "Midnight Organ Fight" (Fat Cat, 2008)


Scotland has a great track record of producing stalwarts of the indie anthem, and Frightened Rabbit have been custodians of this set-piece for the last few years. In a genre that is more traditionally uplifting, if in a morosse fashion, Frightened Rabbit buck the trend on this album with simple but brilliantly cynical storytelling. "Jesus...is just a Spanish boy's name. How come one man get so much fame?" ("Heads Roll Off").

youtube.com/frightened rabbit - modern leper (live)
youtube.com/frightened rabbit - the twist
youtube.com/frightened rabbit - heads roll off

Song of the day: Little Fish "Heroin Dance"

This is JuJu from Little Fish, performing an amazing live acoustic version of the track "Heroin Dance" from the debut album, Baffled and the Beat which was released last month. Damn, she's got great pipes.

Monday 30 August 2010

Song of the day: S. Carey "In the Dirt"

A fine cut from the debut album of S.Carey, aka the drummer from Bon Iver, released this week.