Vinyl – Yay, or Nay?

Dave Barry once said, “The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl.“ However, Joshua Homme also said, “Vinyl has gotten to the point where it’s exclusively for the collector, I guess.”

Now, I know that loads of bands, including independant artists, release their stuff on vinyl. I know this because I am the one buying them all, sad audiophilic creature that I am, but I do think there’s just something more exciting about hearing music that way – vinyls are big and heavy and interesting-looking: they feel like music. They come with all the art and sometimes lyrics, posters, booklets, etc. It makes you feel a bit more involved with the band, the album and the mood.

There’s also the theory that vinyls sound better than CDs. This one is still up for debate, but a learned recordist friend tells me there may actually be grounds for this (other than snobby audiophiles like me telling you all so). Apparently the frequency range on vinyl goes lower than on CD, making the sound ‘warmer’. Of course, this depends entirely on your hearing, but it does at keast make scientific sense. Score one for the audiophiles.

DJs love vinyl for the interaction factor – direct manipulation of the medium is a great sensation, and there are still quite a few things released on vinyl exclusively. But what does the general MusicEmissions community think of vinyls? Do you all enjoy the feel of a heavyweight LP as much as I do, or are they peripheral, pointless pieces of plastic?
Something to think about of a morning. Enjoy.

Twitter Suggestions

If there could be such a thing as indie twitter… This is a sort of blog version of #followfriday, because I

One of the best tats ever

can’t find anything else to write about at the moment. They’ll be more of the good stuff coming your way soon, I promise, but at the moment it’s fresher’s week and let’s be honest, there’s things I’d rather be dressing up as/drinking/stealing from roadworks.

Also since ‘ve run out of nice photos I thought you’d all LOVE to see a pic of a guy’s hairy backside, but let’s face it, you’d have to have all sorts of courage to get that tat done. Good on him, I say! He won’t be showing that to his grandkids.

^_^ Peace&Love!

@thewoodensky – The Wooden Sky, the previously reviewed, the absolutely loved.

@brandnewrock – God, Daisy is a stunning album. Absolutely awesome. Buy it, you fools – if you haven’t got it by the end of the week you can’t call yourself a rock fan.

@EddieArgos – Art Brut’s charismatic frontman – some epic drunken youtube videos.

@TheShallowCall – Cheshire band, ones worth watching out for.

@NoMadeSense – Writers of one of the best metal albums of the decade, IMHO. And nice lads too.

My Strip Club

I would run the most awesome strip club ever, I reckon. Not to big myself up too much. I’d only hire the most beautiful girls, give them all health checkups/rooms/outfits and assign them to rooms based on their dance style/musical preference. They would be welcome to switch around, or stick in one place. And everyone would love it of course because the rooms would be ace.

I would have three rooms, depending on your music tastes – Rock, Electro and Jazz.
- The Rock Room would be like an underground club but less smelly, and with one central stage and a few poles. Dress code for dancers – Leather underwear and bare feet. Dress code for clients – none whatsoever. Serve beers/shots.
- The Electro Room would be a bit psychadelic, very art deco, with ladies in cages. Think neon bikinis and proper hooker heels and such. Go to watch and for the atmosphere, and to get quite drunk on alcopops and test tubes. But no drugs.
- The Jazz Room would be a very classy affair, with velvet seats and such. High heels and fur coats the order of the day. All gents must be dressed like James Bond to be admitted, drink cocktails/good wine/champers.

Here are my sample playlists for each room:

ROCK ROOM

1. Florence and the Machine – Drumming
2. Be Somebody – Kings Of Leon
3. Incubus – Southern Girl
4. NIN – Closer
5. Aerosmith – Pink
6. Metric – Sick Muse
7. The Gay Blades – O Shot
8. N.E.R.D – Lapdance
9. Smog – Held
10. Buckcherry – Crazy Bitch

JAZZ ROOM

1. Tito & Tarantula – After Dark
2. Lora Mahaffey – In These Shoes
3. Sarah Vaughn – Whatever Lola Wants
4. Peggy Lee – Fever
5. Barbara Lynn – Hot Night Tonight
6. Patrice – Is It Me?
7. Gotan Project – Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)

ELECTRO ROOM

1. Sam Sparro – Black & Gold
2. Quesh – Candy Girl
3. Ratatat – Wildcat
4. Ida Corr vs. Fedde La Grand – Let Me Think About It
5. Aphex Twin – Windowlicker
6. Peaches – Operate
7. The Prodigy – Girls

HA HA. Not that I’ve planned it out or anything.

Alternatives to Love Songs

“When the music changes, so does the dance.” – African Proverb

I don’t know about anyone else here, but all the lovey-dovey rubbish I hear every day really gets up my nose, in a totally figurative but still quite disgusting way. I think a love song should be about saying something unique – otherwise it’s not any good.

So, on that note, I thought I’d share some of my ‘songs of the moment’. Some of them have all the old ingrediants, but still manage to make them work in a good way and some are just wierd but hey, what is life without variety.

Is This Love? – Whitesnake
A rock classic, and I really can’t fathom why this song isn’t played more at weddings and such. Maybe because it’s Whitesnake. The lyrics at first glance are quite typical, but something about David Coverdale’s voice in this one hooks me, and won’t let go.
Best Lyric – “This must be love, ’cause it’s really got a hold on me”

Closer – Kings of Leon
Amazingly edgy. It’s defenitely not one of those ‘life is great’ songs, but potent and powerful nonetheless.
Best Lyric – “She took my heart I think she took my soul”

Cannonballs – Elsinore
A very sweet song, gorgeous vocals. I like it because there isn’t any pretentiousness here; it makes me think of an awkward guy with a bunch of flower standing at a door he’s just knocked on and trying desperately to figure out what to say.
Best Lyric – “And if I broke a nervous sweat darling could you tell? Because I have tossed a coin or two in the wishing well”

Storm – Jose Gonzalez
This is about as good as guitar playing gets. Another one about love and loss, and musically beautiful.
Best Lyric – “As soon as the storm is over, I promise to send out for you”

Couldn’t Love You More – John Martyn
This one says all the things that Take That were actually afraid to say in their songs. It is unashamedly frank, raw and nobody puts vocal emotion into a song like John Martyn.
Best Lyric – “If you gave me all the things I’d never ask of you…I couldn’t love you more”

I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab For Cutie
This song catches you up in it’s simplicity and holds you there. There are no hidden meanings or obscure lyrics, just a story on it’s way through. Listen or don’t; the guitar creates a mood anyway.
Best Lyric – “If Heaven and Hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the ‘no’s on their vacancy signs”

Baby, You Got Me – The Roots feat. Erykah Badu
What a lovely RnB tune. No fluff here either; just a simple ‘I’m not gonna cheat on you, get over it’. Great because it’s probably a conversation had by most couples the world over – everyone can relate to this track in some way.
Best Lyric – “When cats be poppin’ game, I don’t hear what they sayin’ boo”

Southern Girl – Incubus
Random description, sexual innuendo; this song has it all, in true Incubus fashion. And it’s kinda cute, too.
Best Lyric – “You’re a bonafide rarity”

Underneath This Lampost Light – The King Blues
This song, for me, is the epitome of student life. The lyrics range from funny to sick to sweet, and manage to capture that side of young love that isn’t about lying in corn fields and running in slow motion.
Best Lyric – “So kiss me underneath this lampost light, I know it smells of piss but you look beautiful tonight”

Holland, 1945 – Canoe
Almost wartime, almost not. You decide. I don’t really have anything witty to say about this one except that you should make an effort to find this version – the original was by Neutral Milk Hotel and doesn’t quite invoke the same feeling. Feeling or not, it’s a superb cover.
Best Lyric – “On empty rings around the sun, all sing to say our dream has come”

What Would Happen – Meredith Brooks
Wow. Sexy sassy – adultery and fornication here we come.
Best Lyric – “Would your tongue slip past my lips, would you run away?”

Michael and Heather At The Baggage Claim – Fountains Of Wayne
Another sweet ‘snapshot’ of a couple that seem to have been together forever.
Best Lyric – “Michael says ‘Heather, have you had enough?’ Heather says ‘Michael, you know that it’s you I love’”

William Shatner’s Dog – Stephen Fretwell
Maybe one of the best indie love songs ever written. Manages to be an entire portrait of a relationship from start to present, the good the bad and the ugly.
Best Lyric – “You might be with your sister in Paris, on the Rue Turnau, wearing Marline Ditrik glasses“

Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots pt. 1 – Flaming Lips
Hmm, well, I consider this one romantic. Take it or leave it. Also the added sexual innuendo of ‘pink robots’? Hmmm.
Best Lyric – “Oh Yoshimi, they don’t believe me, but you won’t let those robots eat me”

Clark Gable – The Postal Service
Another story-telling one, with an unusual method of winning back the one you love.
Best Lyric – “I asked you to pretend that we were in love again, and you agreed to”

That should keep you going fo now. Archelon out!