Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twenty

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twenty

Sounds I'd like to hear more of in popular music...the donkey.

There's something particularly abrasive and atonal about a donkeys bray, and therefore it seems like the most unlikely sound that you'd ever hear in a pop song. That's why I want to hear it more often. If you know any others, be sure to let me know.

Scott Walker - Jolson and Jones

Extra points to Scott Walker for the lyric "I'll punch a donkey in the streets of Galway" and managing to make a donkey sound so utterly terrifying.

Kate Bush - Get Out Of My House

It may be a human impression, but that just makes me like it more.

Beck - Jackass

The song where most of us began our donkey odyssey.

Random thoughts while listening to lots of stuff...

Seems to me like there's a ton of new albums around at the moment, and good ones too, ones that deserve attention. I can't give them the track by track treatment, but here are some abbreviated random thoughts...

Tiga - Ciao!
Mr Tiga knows his way around a pop song, and has been churning quality electro pop since the electroclash days of yore. The new album contains some corkers, Mind Dimension being a stand out. I'm also keen on any song that has the lyric "What's that sound? I like that sound. I love that sound. It's the sound of my shoes" as the song Shoes does. Who needs poetry? Not me guv.

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years. I love band, really love them. They've never let me down, never become too self indulgent or worse, lazy. So I hope this is album is awesome.

It's rockin', folky, glam, groovy, poppy, German, and Arabic. There are songs that sound like early 80's Bowie, and Trevor Horn productions. This mish mash works, because it's the Super Furries, and that's what they sound like. It's why I love them.

There's also a song called The Very Best Of Neil Diamond. Say no more.




St. Vincent - Actor.
Like an indie Goldfrapp (that's a compliment, by the way) this album swaggers and veers in different directions, often catching you off guard with unexpected aural twists of heaviness and it's discomforting atmosphere. Coupled with her confident, intimate vocals, it's an odd and enjoyable experience.




PJ Harvey and John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By.
There I am thinking "great a new PJ Harvey album, I know what I'm getting, and I know I'm going to like it." This thought is only half right, because I have stupidly forgotten that none of her albums have ever sounded like their predeccesor, or any of her previous albums, and that isn't a just a new PJ Harvey album, but it's a new PJ Harvey and John Parish album, and his involvement should not be underestimated. This album doesn't have much relation to her previous, most fragile album, the piano led White Chalk (with the exception of The Soldiers) or indeed to the poppy Stories From The City, the rough around the edges Uh Huh Her or the sleekness of To Bring You My Love. If anything, it's closest at times to the raw visceral Rid Of Me, but then you get a slower, rather lovely song like Passionless Pointless. Parish's music is at times bluesier and at times more soulful that you associate with Harvey. I like the directions he has forced her into, and I hope this album won't be as neglected as their previous album.

Graham Coxon - The Spinning Top.
The prospect of a new Graham Coxon album is more appealing to me then the Blur reformation, not because I'm naturally contrary (that's unrelated) but because I really liked his last solo album, and I hated britpop, even if Blur were the brightest diamonds in that particular morass of mediocrity. On his new one, he's toned down the chippier power pop of the previous album, Happiness In Magazines, and replaced with a more pastoral folky English sound. It works pretty well, although the shadows of Nick Drake, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch et al loom pretty large. It's ironic really, as Coxon always seemed the least Brit influenced member of Blur, and this album will probably receive no benefit at all from the forthcoming reunion, buried beneath an avalanche of questions about how they're all getting along. Shame really...

A very cool marketing ploy...

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Nineteen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Nineteen

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Eighteen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Eighteen

Mor3 Prince 4 U

So, as u probably know, Prince has rel3ased his latest triple opus, and even though he is a g3nius of such magnitude that he should be given a castle in every nation as his own, the right to any first born child and that his fin3st creation is only equalled in human achievement by the wheel, fire and confectionery custard, I, like most people gr33t the idea of a new triple album with considerably less than 3nthusiasm. However, after some prompting by my go to guy 4 all things Prince, I gave it a go. Firstly, 1 of the albums isn't actually by him, but rath3r by a new protégée, Bria Valente, which meant I could leave that 1 until whenev3r. Secondly, the albums that are actually by him are pretty good. Not spectacular, but much b3tt3r than I expected, and there are a few tracks that really stand out. U should list3n to the song below, it's great. Then start building him a castl3.

Prince - Dance 4 Me (alternate link)

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Seventeen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Seventeen

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Sixteen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Sixteen

Underrated: De La Soul Is Dead

When I started writing about underrated bands and albums last year, I really should have started here. In my opinion, this is the most underrated album in all popular music. It's big claim, and I'm sticking to it. I recall reading an article in Q a few years ago about the biggest mistakes in music, or something like that, and there at number one was De La Soul Is Dead, proof if proof be need be that everything printed in Q is wrong.

A little background. In 1989, De La Soul released Three Feet High and Rising, a record that changed rap music, and therefore popular music, for ever. It contained a unique mixture of goofy humour, anti-violence and hip-pop hits that crossed over to the mainstream in a way that few rap acts had managed at that time. It's main influence, however, was the phenomenal music, created entirely through sampling (hat's off to Prince Paul's production) that showed how using other peoples music could be just as creative as picking up your own instrument. They were hugely successful.

So how did they follow that? Two years later they released De La Soul Is Dead, and with the new album they rejected the image that had been partly foistered on them as the hippies of hip hop (the cover was a strong assertion that their flower power phase was over, as was the title). The other common assumption is that the music and lyrics took a much darker turn. This process of deliberately alienating their pop fans worked, and the album was nowhere near as successful as 3 Feet High.

But I never bought these arguments, and have never understood why the album has been so widely derided. Sure the album has darker moments (My Brother's A Basehead, Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa), but compared to most albums, it's a comedy fest. One track is based around an argument in a Burger King (Bitties In The BK Lounge), and there are scores of ridiculous samples and silly voices scattered throughout. Most incredibly, this may be one of the few hip hop albums where the comedy skits are actually funny (also true of the first De La album).

There are some irresistible pop hits too. Let, Let Me In, Pass The Plugs and Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey) are as good as anything on 3 Feet High. The best song, however, is A Rolling Skating Jam Named Saturdays, as good a party jam as I've ever heard. The production is fabulous, built around a smorgasbord of samples:

• I Got My Mind Made Up" by Instant Funk
• "Ebony Jam" by Tower of Power
• "Good Times" by Chic
• "Evil Vibrations" by The Mighty Riders
• "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago
• "Grease" by Frankie Valli
• "Light My Fire" by Young-Holt Unlimited

And the amazing disco / piano breakdown in the middle? Oh, it's something else...

It's the kind of song that should be a classic, instead of something that people might remember as a minor hit from the early nineties. In fact, this could be said for the whole album. I think this is one of the greatest albums ever made, and the fact that it's so under-appreciated and often derided gets my goat. So get the album, and help me restore it to it's rightful place in the pantheon, not just of rap, but of pop music.

De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday's

De La Soul - New Music - More Music Videos

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Fifteen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Fifteen

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Fourteen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Fourteen

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Thirteen

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Thirteen

Random Thoughts While Listening To Yeah Yeah Yeah's - It's Blitz

Firstly, let me apologise for the lack of proper blogging around here recently, I've been rather busy. But I'll be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here are some random thoughts I managed to squeeze in...

Pre-amble: I've talked on this blog before of my appreciation for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. I've always been really impressed by them, and the unique pop madness that they manage to pull off. But just like Franz Ferdinand they have reached third album time, when the people who used to ape their every move are now all blase, and they've got to pull something out the bag to keep people interested. I'll think they'll manage it, but we'll see

Track 1 (Zero): It begins with pretty dynamic synths, drum machines and Karen emoting away over the top. In fact it sounds like the entire thing was created synthetically, apart from the singing of course. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that Nick Zinner's an amazing guitarist so he won't be wasted. I suppose Johnny Greenwood on keyboards didn't make Kid A a bad record, so...

Track 2 (Heads Will Roll): It sounds like an early 90's rave record at the beginning. This too is a splendid thing. Oh, this is pretty groovy, sounds a bit like DFA remix from 2005, which can only be good. A little more guitar in there , but none of the whirlwind that Zinner offer creates. This is very dancey, and rather fine.

Track 3 (Soft Shock): There's more of Karen's proper singing on this track. I like her voice a lot, she's got a great rock voice, expressive, individual and identifiably her own. Much like her wardrobe.

By the way, don't expect much lyrical focus in this. Unless I'm forced to, lyrics are not what I find particularly interesting. Music lives in my hips, not my brain.

Track 4 (Skeletons): She's crooning again, over an Autobahn era Kraftwerk electronic pulse. Then there's some drumstick action like Adam & The Ants, and some almost bagpipey action (I HATE BAGPIPES, but this is okay). They've got to make a video for this on a clifftop somewhere, November Rain style. I'd be dead impressed if they did.

Track 5 (Dull Life): So this is probably closer to what people expect from the YYY's, i.e. it's more indie. Still, they do this sort of thing really well. Really really well.

Track 6 (Shame and Fortune): Kanye would like this beat. Not sure he could do much with that thick guitar hook though, but he's a cool guy, so he'd probably dig it. Much like I dig that terrific cover. More eggs in rock, says I.

I have a feeling that this album is a grower. I like it, but it hasn't blown me away yet. There hasn't been a Maps or Date With The Night yet. There's still time though.

Track 7 (Runaway): Oooh, that's a nice piano sound, could be time for a ballad. This is rather lovely, and features some great shimmering guitar from Nick Zinner. I'll say it again, the man's a brilliant guiatrist, God knows how he makes those sounds.

Track 8 (Dragon Queen): Kudos for the title, anything that sounds like a C64 game sounds good to me. There is a element of 80's pop to this album, but don't be deceived, it's only a touch. Maybe it's all those synths, although this chorus is pretty breathy (an 80's sound, if ever there was one).

Track 9 (Hysteric): This track is pretty unremarkable. I mean, I like it, but it's probably the weakest so far. So next month it'll be my favourite.

Track 10 (Little Shadow): Church organs? Acoustic guitars. Check out the Arcade Fire over there. For about 5 seconds. It's end the album with an epic ballad time. The YYY's are different from other 'indie bands' (I felt dirty just typing it), in that despite their occasional forays into noisiness, especially live, they have a real pop sensibility. The album is crafted, with just the right balance of styles to keep everyone happy. Apart from the hipsters, but they're never happy.

Post-amble: It's definitely a grower. On first listen, although I liked it, it's a little underwhelming. But I'm going to give it time, and I would urge you to do the same. Unless you're a hipster, of course.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twelve

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twelve