Day 11 (Part 2)

I am fat. Well that's what my (now not so) magic helper says to me everyday ... and if that doesn't knock your confidence, subliminally you are screwed anyway. So I guess if you can't beat it, just enjoy it! Now, where did I put those tortilla chips ...

Ok, here's the promised follow up to my last entry where I said I would write a lil about Gomez, Mew, The Legends, The Radio Dept, Blonde Redhead and Primal Scream. First up - Gomez. I love this band to bits. Sure, their recent releases may not match the sheer genius of "Liquid Skin" but hey they made "Liquid Skin". That's good enough for me. I like the fact that they have never been afraid of experimenting and their sound has always been a mish-mash of blues, indie, alternative, rock and folk. The combination of the softer vocals of Ian Ball and the warm Eddie Vedder-esque rasp of Ben Ottewell's vocals works brilliantly. "A New Tide" was released in 2009 and marked a shift back to the band's more experimental roots. I will be uploading the rest of their back catalogue at some point but, for now, check out the video for "Rhythm And Blues Alibi" (from "Liquid Skin") here. By the way, their new album "Whatever's On Your Mind" has just been released in the UK ... so go get it!

Right, next up is Mew. Another incredibly talented band. Mew is a Danish indie-rock band. They formed in 1994 and released their first album in 1997 called "A Triumph For Man". This was re-issued in 2006 (which is the version I have) following the success of "Frengers" which catapulted the band onto the international indie-rock scene. I remember the first time I heard "Frengers", I was at one of the listening stations in HMV and I nearly fell over when the opening riff of "Am I Wry? No" came pounding through the headphones. The band has more ideas in one song than some bands have in 5 albums ... it is just quite amazing how the melodies, guitar riffs, multiple key/tempo changes all come together. "A Triumph For Man" gives some insight to the early works of the band, which shows the ambition but perhaps not quite the finished article. It also includes the original recording of "She Came Home For Christmas", which was re-recorded for "Frengers". Check out the video here.

Ok, I'm gonna skip The Legends and The Radio Dept (for now) because I figure I'll do a separate entry on Labrador Records and all the bands under the label. So, next on the list is Blonde Redhead. Blonde Redhead is an American rock trio comprising of Kazu Makino and twin brothers Simone and Amedeo Pace. The band's music has been described as "beautiful and vacant". "Misery Is A Butterfly" is actually the band's 6th release but the first on 4AD. The album is pretty dark and the haunting/fragile vocals of Makino capture the vulnerability of the album. I was fortunate enough to catch the band when they performed at the Esplanade in February this year. It was a beautiful set and the music was incredible. You can visit their website to see/listen to a selection of their videos.

Ok, I'm gonna take a break and save Primal Scream for another entry as well cos I need to get ready for my Sunday kickabout with the gang ... laters!