tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75871206516434315622024-03-14T06:53:25.019+00:00The Glitter Of The LightsMusic/Film/Literature/ArtPaul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-75315080177523644242014-06-02T21:03:00.001+01:002014-06-02T21:03:25.998+01:00Real Estate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I fell a little bit in love last Friday night. I was drifting between venues after my band's show at Dot To Dot Festival in Manchester. We'd been drinking and soaking it all up for a few hours when we arrived at Gorilla to see Brooklyn's <a href="http://www.cavemantheband.com/" target="_blank">Caveman</a>, an excellent quintet who we’d opened for previously. We were catching up over smokes after their well-received set when I was introduced to their friend Jackson Pollis. He had a friendly demeanor and a mean handshake for a skinny guy. He wore a black Mozart emblazoned baseball cap, long blonde hair protruding out from underneath it. Jackson plays drums in <a href="http://www.realestatetheband.com/" target="_blank">Real Estate</a> - a band from New Jersey that I’d heard previously but not been immediately smitten with. James Carbonetti, Caveman’s hat-wearing guitarist and creator of bespoke, hand-made instruments with business cards to match suggested maybe this was all about to change. He was right.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After a lively performance by Australia’s <a href="http://www.courtneybarnett.com.au/" target="_blank">Courtney Barnett</a>, I watched as Real Estate took to the stage. The first thing that caught me was the way Jackson laid cloths on his drums to dampen the sound and give the skins a softer more soulful punch. This attention to sonic detail runs throughout the quintet - guitars sound rich and tonally immaculate. A delicate wash of keys provide warmth and depth - vocals are delivered in a sweet, breathy, harmonious way that you can’t help but enjoy. As I stood and watched their headlining set, I found myself becoming totally engrossed. Here was a band that clearly revelled in performing together, knocking-out really good, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HWcViTXdYc" target="_blank">infectious songs</a> - like the soothing warmth of the sun on your skin. Jackson can really drum too - packing great feel with the precision of a metronome. It was a magical show. And so I fell a little bit in love with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgsdblVq8wo" target="_blank">Real Estate</a> last Friday night - sincere performers content with being themselves and why shouldn't they be. They’re talented enough to pull it off.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Words by Paul Baird.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Follow me on Tumblr - <a href="http://theglitterofthelights.tumblr.com/">theglitterofthelights.tumblr.com</a></span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-39390406313164306872014-05-12T23:55:00.000+01:002014-05-12T23:55:52.342+01:00Dif Juz - No Motion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://youtu.be/mUbQiUv1QHo" target="_blank">Dif Juz - No Motion</a> (Lonely Is An Eyesore - 4AD, 1987). I’m a massive fan of 4AD - it’s my favourite record label. In my teens I became gradually intoxicated by their exceptional roster of bands and their strong aesthetic - the marrying of Vaughan Oliver’s uncompromisingly brilliant sleeve designs with the stellar music helped create a unique identity for the label - one that absorbed me. I’m an avid vinyl collector, especially when it comes to 4AD - my shelves are brimming with original pressings by the likes of Pixies, Breeders, Throwing Muses as well as the majority of the Cocteau Twins EP’s, which I adore.</span></h3>
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Dif Juz are a <a href="http://www.4ad.com/" target="_blank">4AD</a> band that escaped my ears for far too long. I first encountered their instrumental track No Motion by way of the 4AD compilation <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Lonely+Is+An+Eyesore+UK/6155740" target="_blank">Lonely Is An Eyesore</a> - I immediately loved it. The talented musicianship, heady swell of dynamics, tasty sounding guitars ricocheting around the speakers - the overwhelming sense of atmosphere and romance packed into a few wonderful, fleeting minutes of sound. It’s like a firework display, like sex - so damn good you won’t be able to think about anything else while it’s happening. A daring instrumental ride, well ahead of its time - it always fills me with wonder and speaks to me more than a thousand words ever could.<br />
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-31364596005679712212014-04-20T15:19:00.000+01:002014-04-20T15:19:45.660+01:00Other Lives - Tamer Animals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In late 2011, Oklahoma quintet <i><a href="http://otherlives.com/" target="_blank">Other Lives</a></i> played a show at <a href="http://www.thisisleaf.co.uk/" target="_blank">Leaf</a> in Liverpool. My friend managed to get us on the guest list, so we hopped on a train at Manchester Piccadilly and made our way over there. It turned out to be a great night, we got drunk and made a nuisance of ourselves in the best possible way.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Other Lives</i> were all lovely people and chatted with us over cigarettes outside the venue on Bold Street before their set. We met their manager, Phil Costello - a quirky-looking, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">well connected gent</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, lanky with big glasses. He told us stories about guys he knew like Paul Westerberg, to my euphoria - </span><a href="http://www.theglitterofthelights.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-replacements-let-it-be.html" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">I'm a massive fan of The Replacements</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></h3>
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In 1997 Phil was the marketing guy at Capitol Records who'd had the bright idea of super-gluing promo cassettes of Radiohead's <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/OK+Computer/1174665" target="_blank">OK Computer</a> into tape machines and sending them to press and radio people in advance of the albums release. The aim was to encourage them to listen to the album repeatedly - the label considered the record a grower and not the ideal commercial follow up to <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/The+Bends/108652" target="_blank">The Bends</a>. Phil's innovative strategy was developed to give OK Computer a head start and in the end the album performed way better than the 500,000 units the label had initially projected it would shift - funny how things turn out.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I remember <i>Other Lives</i> played a great set in Liverpool that night, tearing through songs from their brilliant second album <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Tamer+Animals/5830194" target="_blank">Tamer Animals</a></i> - imagine <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/The+Good+The+Bad+And+The+Ugly/1870857" target="_blank">Ennio Morricone</a> with a twist of Radiohead and a hint of folk. We were stood among a throng of fans at the foot of the stage in Leaf's spacious and characterful upstairs room with its ornate high ceiling. After the show and the drunken shenanigans that followed, the band invited us to come and see them perform at Manchester's <a href="http://www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Deaf Institute</a> the following week.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It turned out to be one of the best shows I've seen. The band were even better than they were in Liverpool the week before and the sound in The Deaf Institute was glorious. That night</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">front-man Jesse Tabish and cellist Jenny Hsu told us they'd just got the exciting news that they were going on tour with Radiohead in America - a few of the Radiohead guys had attended their show in Oxford a few days earlier. They explained how nervous they'd all been about it, knowing that members of Radiohead were in the audience and that it had completely blown their minds to meet Thom Yorke and discover he was a fan of their band. I wasn't surprised by this, as we said our goodbyes - if you've heard </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tamer Animals</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> or attended an </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Other Lives</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> show you won't be either.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-90521929027738434602014-04-13T13:12:00.001+01:002014-04-13T22:48:15.801+01:00Teenage Fanclub - Thirteen<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I was thirteen my dad handed a demo tape I'd made on an old four-track recorder to <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/andy-macpherson-mn0000036253" target="_blank">Andy Macpherson</a>, the owner of a local recording studio called Revolution - </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">housed in an inconspicuous, ivy-covered building on a busy main road near a high school</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. This led to me spending a lot of time hanging out there on the weekends, lending a hand during sessions, observing the recording/mixing process, making cups of tea for bands and engineers, running out for groceries, walking dogs and occasionally being asked for my opinion on how something sounded. It was a pretty amazing experience for a school kid, head over heels in love with music.</span></h3>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fttELaUD2z4/U0pe6YL0CUI/AAAAAAAAATc/CzZeoVD1ibo/s1600/TF+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fttELaUD2z4/U0pe6YL0CUI/AAAAAAAAATc/CzZeoVD1ibo/s1600/TF+3.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of the bands I met during this period I remember Teenage Fanclub, who were making their fourth studio album <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Thirteen/1452465" target="_blank">Thirteen</a> </i>(Creation Records, 1993) the most vividly. This was because they were Scottish and I'd lived in Glasgow for a while as a kid and because, like me, they loved football. I remember them excitedly playing football games on a computer while producer/engineer <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/andy-macpherson-mn0000036253" target="_blank">Andy Macpherson</a> tweaked mixes in the adjacent control room. They were a chilled out bunch of guys who sloped around the studio and didn't mind having me around. There were piles of their CD's on hand for inspiration and reference. I remember browsing through the CD stacks, wondering what the obscure sounding bands they championed might sound like. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They'd just finished touring with Nirvana at the time - a pretty big deal then and now. I don't remember them talking about it, Nirvana were one of my favourite bands so I'm sure I must have pestered them for stories - maybe I was too shy or maybe what happened on the road was too explicit for my young ears.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm still fond of <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Thirteen/1452465" target="_blank">Thirteen</a></i>, not just because I like the songs or because I was there - the album reminds me of a moment in time when anything seemed possible. All you needed were good songs, a healthy dose of passion and some like-minded pals to form a band with, start a revolution and conquer the world.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-27075078623425356862014-04-05T15:24:00.003+01:002014-04-06T15:23:00.002+01:00Nirvana - Twenty Years Later...<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My mum gave me a copy of <i>Smells Like Teen Spirit</i> on 7 inch vinyl in September 1991 - she heard it and thought I'd like it. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I remember staring at the mysterious, blurry faces on the cover, I didn't know what to make of it and I couldn't imagine what the music would sound like - I didn't even know what the word nirvana meant. When the needle dropped and those now unmistakable opening chords came blaring out of the speakers I'd love to harp on about how it immediately changed my life but it didn't - it took a few listens before I became slowly hooked. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was barely twelve years old. My world was skateboarding, football, computer games, music and girls, in that order. I loved Prince, The Stone Roses, Michael Jackson, Guns N' Roses and Metallica. I'd already discovered the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Motown and more obscure sounding artists like Nick Drake through my parents vinyl collection. But <i>Nirvana</i> was something new to my ears - a simpler and more primal sound.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It wasn't metal. The electric guitars were more colourful in tone and less about flamboyant showmanship than your typical hair-metal band of the time - it sounded like anyone could pick up a guitar and play this stuff. The chord progressions weren't typical either, something that caught my young ear and enhanced the feeling that this band were channeling</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> something exotic and new. After a few listens to the partially undefinable words, the quiet verse/loud chorus dynamics, the singers seemingly untrained voice and impassioned, raucous screams, I became addicted - I'm still a huge fan.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For a short while it felt like <i>Nirvana</i> were my secret. Then I began to notice other kids at school getting into them too. Then after a while it felt like every kid I knew liked <i>Nirvana. </i>Even the kids who didn't really like the band were pretending to like them just to fit in - such was the speed and scale of <i>Nirvana's</i> rise to fame.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Three years later when my mum told me Kurt Cobain was dead I remember pretending not to care.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-4294627894864360572014-03-29T12:00:00.000+00:002014-03-29T12:24:24.372+00:00Glass Ankle - Fragments EP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Driven by the stellar songwriting of Greg Jackson, Manchester's <a href="http://glassankle.com/" target="_blank"><i>Glass Ankle</i></a> make dreamy and ornate sounding indie-folk music. Earnest and lovingly crafted, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/glass-ankle/sets/fragments" target="_blank"><i>Fragments EP</i></a> showcases their knack for delivering the kind of grand dynamic surges, starry melodies and rich orchestral washes made popular by the likes of The Bends era Radiohead and The Boxer Rebellion. It's a winning formula that shines through on tracks like the sultry, guitar-led, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/glass-ankle/secondary-now" target="_blank">Secondary Now</a>.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brimming with sonic splendor, </span><a href="https://soundcloud.com/glass-ankle/unlike-you-1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Unlike You</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> follows suit. Its folky motif rolls and sways, patiently building towards a soothing and hauntingly plush chorus. Embellished by a swell of strings. Jackson's angelic, plaintive voice sits pretty, cajoling you to stop whatever it is you're doing and pay close attention. Packing a blissful hook that sticks in your head and seduces you back for more - this is kingly music befitting of a variety of moods.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://glassankle.bandcamp.com/album/fragments" target="_blank"><i>Fragments EP</i> is available to buy/stream here.</a></span></h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-6786531106239713532014-03-01T19:26:00.001+00:002014-03-29T10:56:06.743+00:00Cocteau Twins - The Spangle Maker EP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Throughout the eighties and nineties <i>Cocteau Twins</i> produced some of the most exquisite dream pop you'll ever hear; an early flagship band for the influential <i>4AD</i> label, the impact of their heavenly and unique music never ceases to inspire. </span></h3>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/The+Spangle+Maker/367660" target="_blank">Cocteau Twins - The Spangle Maker</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (4AD, 1984). Despite being thirty years old, the shimmering dynamic magic of the EP's title track and the staggeringly addictive, hook-laden pop-punch of <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Pearly+Dewdrops+Drops+12+Version/2OV0T0?src=5" target="_blank">Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops</a> still astounds and captivates. The haunting <a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Pepper+Tree/yPPMQ?src=5" target="_blank">Pepper-Tree</a> rounds things off in fine majestic style with its slow-creeping atmospherics and ethereal splendor. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The heavily effected wash and chime of Robin Guthrie's guitars and Simon Raymonde's melodic, throbbing basslines combine to provide the perfect accompaniment for </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Elizabeth Fraser's angelic, soaring voice and impressionistic, cryptic phrasing style - </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">no-one sounds like this</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. Indulge your senses and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">escape this mortal coil for a few brief, wonderful moments.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-87098308858629620332014-01-13T01:21:00.000+00:002014-03-30T14:20:49.494+01:00Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Within+The+Realm+Of+A+Dying+Sun/2361362" target="_blank">Dead Can Dance - Within the Realm of a Dying Sun</a></i> (4AD, 1987). A spellbinding collection of eight lovingly crafted, keyboard-driven songs and instrumental mood pieces, split between the contrasting vocal styles of Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. From the brooding</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> beguiling Gothicism of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://youtu.be/pCKCFRZ66GM" target="_blank">Anywhere Out of the World</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to the exotic lure and captivating rhythms of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://youtu.be/BNxa0odpCJU" target="_blank">Cantara</a> -</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> an atmospheric album brimming with ethereal grandeur, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">best enjoyed at night.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-79900176371812273382013-12-14T00:39:00.001+00:002013-12-14T12:40:16.481+00:00Stina Nordenstam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first dose of Swedish singer-songwriter <i>Stina Nordenstam</i> came via MTV as a teenager, when the network still played a valuable role in introducing new talent to the masses. The music video for <i><a href="http://youtu.be/sQIowXjGGMI" target="_blank">Little Star</a></i> filled me with intrigue. Here was an artist communicating something unique, mysterious and haunting. Her voice sounded fragile and angelic to my ears. I felt compelled to discover more. There was no easy method to achieve this back then, no internet, no streaming or downloading - a bus ride to the nearest record store was the only way. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I remember the half-hour bus journey home, studying the artwork for her second album <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/And+She+Closed+Her+Eyes/361488" target="_blank">And She Closed Her Eyes</a> </i>(Eastwest Records, 1994), wondering how it would sound - hoping I'd like it. I spent all my leftover pocket money on it, saved from working a part-time job maintaining guitars at a local music store on the weekends. I remember taping it and listening to it on my Walkman on my way to and from school. It grew on me. I learnt to love it - still do.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Dynamite/3607150" target="_blank">Dynamite</a></i> (Eastwest Records, 1996), a</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> raw and cathartic recording brimming with fuzzy, industrial sounding guitars/drums and sweeping, emotive string arrangements </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">came a</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> few years later when I was in college. An abrasive and stark sounding reaction to the embellished, jazz-tinged textures of <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/And+She+Closed+Her+Eyes/361488" target="_blank">And She Closed Her Eyes</a>,</i> it's an album that reveals itself slowly, rewarding you with each listen. Stina's vocal delivery is intimate and sounds kinda sexy in places - a real treat for your ears. It's well worth investigating.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A weird and wonderful covers record <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/People+Are+Strange/132643" target="_blank">People Are Strange</a></i> (Eastwest Records, 1998) followed before she returned with <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/This+Is+Stina+Nordenstam/722743" target="_blank">This Is Stina Nordenstam</a></i> (Independiente, 2001), an album of originals that finds Stina re-imagining herself and her sound at every turn - where processed beats combine with haunting and catchy melodies to hypnotic effect. Lead track <i><a href="http://youtu.be/7jwaPoMNkx4" target="_blank">Everyone Else In The World</a></i> is one of the most beautiful and sad songs you'll ever hear.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stina's last album, <i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/The+World+Is+Saved/2591302" target="_blank">The World Is Saved</a></i> (V2 Records, 2004) is imaginative, enigmatic and as strong as anything she's released - </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a joyous collection opening with the quirky groove of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://youtu.be/IpzIYBYC0_k" target="_blank">Get On With Your Life</a> - </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">rich with</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> eccentric lyrics it fittingly </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">marks her withdrawal into silence</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She appears to have little interest in making records these days, pursuing a love of photography instead. Maybe she feels she's communicated everything she needed to, exhausted her muse, grown tired of the pressures of the music industry - or perhaps her desire for privacy eventually won out? She is after all an artist who never performed live beyond her first album tour, who disguised and reinvented herself at every opportunity, who rarely gave interviews to the press. I hope she's happy but I would love nothing more than to wake up to news of her musical return. I'm as intrigued by her now as I was as a teenager watching MTV. Her silence remains a mystery.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-21147200062715686422013-12-01T15:22:00.001+00:002013-12-25T21:41:55.651+00:00The Motel Life<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some years ago <a href="http://iseeangels.bandcamp.com/album/your-memories-are-you" target="_blank">my band</a> opened a few shows for <i><a href="http://richmondfontaine.com/" target="_blank">Richmond Fontaine</a></i>, an alt-country group from Portland, Oregon. They were touring an excellent album called <i><a href="http://richmondfontaine.bandcamp.com/album/post-to-wire" target="_blank">Post To Wire</a></i>. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I remember chatting backstage about our mutual loves, one of which was </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.theglitterofthelights.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/the-replacements-let-it-be.html" target="_blank">The Replacements</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. They were nice guys. I was interested to learn that their lead singer </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://willyvlautin.com/" target="_blank">Willy Vlautin</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> was moving beyond writing lyrics and into the world of literature. I was eager to see what kind of novel he would publish...</span></h3>
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Motel-Life-Willy-Vlautin/dp/0571228089/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385904709&sr=1-1&keywords=the+motel+life" target="_blank">Willy Vlautin - The Motel Life</a></i> (Faber & Faber, 2006). Vlautin's alcohol drenched debut novel tells the story of Frank and Jerry Lee Flannigan, two brothers from Reno, Nevada. It's a wonderfully written, atmospheric and heartfelt tale about being down on your luck - a road story brimming with warmth and compassion, in which a drunken Jerry Lee accidentally runs over and kills a child, forcing the brothers to flee. The characters are fleshed out well, you believe in them - get the sense they're real and inevitably root for them as the narrative unfolds. The plot is strong and engaging, you'll feel compelled to keep reading from the get-go. Recommended for fans of <i>Raymond Carver</i> in particular, who will enjoy Vlautin's gritty, matter of fact prose style, embellished throughout with cute and topical illustrations care of <i>Nate Beaty, </i>it's a hell of a ride. I couldn't put it down.</div>
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<i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559036/?ref_=nv_sr_1" target="_blank">The Motel Life</a> was </i>recently adapted for the screen by the <i>Polsky Brothers</i>, starring <i>Emile Hirsch</i> as Frank Flannigan, <i>Stephen Dorff</i> as Jerry Lee and a supporting cast including <i>Dakota Fanning</i> and <i>Kris Kristofferson</i>. If you're a reader you tend to find movies rarely do their source material justice but I enjoyed this film. I felt like the core elements of Vlautin's novel translated well to the screen and the cast portrayed the characters believably. Certain scenes aren't as powerfully depicted in the movie, such as one of the highlights of the novel where Frank rescues a neglected dog from its owner, but for the most part it's solid, entertaining, well acted and nicely shot. Definitely worth a watch.<br />
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-54969998119012171072013-11-30T16:09:00.001+00:002014-03-30T15:16:53.576+01:00R.E.M. - Murmur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Murmur/1057212" target="_blank">R.E.M. - Murmur</a></i> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(I.R.S. Records, 1983).</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> Debut albums don't get better than this. It's thirty years old and, for me at least, the finest record the band recorded. It's well conceived, great song upon great song, flowing seamlessly from start to finish and l</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ike all the best albums </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">it cultivates a unique atmosphere, making you feel connected to the music. Mitch Easter's glorious production highlights the elements that made the band special from the get-go... </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Peter Buck's arpeggiated guitars jangle in a fashion reminiscent of <i>The Byrds</i>, while Mike Mills adds great, melodic bass lines, vocal harmonies and lush piano parts - the perfect counterpoint to Bill Berry who serves each song beautifully with his measured and wonderfully presented stick work. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michael Stipe's distinctive vocal delivery is more of a murmur</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, as s</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">uggested by the album title, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">making his lyrics near impossible to decipher. It's impressionistic, mysterious and alluring. You end up with no idea of what he's on about and that's the charm, the songs still hold together perfectly. It's an album that will never stop growing on you.</span></h3>
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<a href="http://www.mediaboom.org/uploads/posts/2010-04/1271003198_remsfsd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mediaboom.org/uploads/posts/2010-04/1271003198_remsfsd.jpg" height="251" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I saw <i>R.E.M.</i> (Rapid Eye Movement, referring to the stage of sleep where dreaming occurs) perform live a number of times. The last show I took in, as they neared towards their eventual break up, disappointed me. I left early. I remember hoards of fans chatting impatiently, waiting for them to play songs like <i>Losing My Religion</i> and <i>Everybody Hurts</i>. The band seemed to have lost touch with the elements of their sound that appealed to me and in turn attracted a fan base built around their major label success, not their earlier, pioneering indie work. I guess the problem was that it seemed like artistically at least, their best days were behind them</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. But every time I hear <i>Murmur</i> I'm transported back to where it all began and reminded just how great a band they were.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-13869177646735327362013-11-16T17:58:00.000+00:002013-12-10T23:55:54.071+00:00TGOTL Exclusive - Liam Hayes & Plush live recording from 2008<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are perks to writing about the things you love. A few weeks ago I posted about one of my favourite artists <a href="http://liamhayesandplush.com/" target="_blank">Liam Hayes & Plush</a> and the man himself retweeted <a href="http://www.theglitterofthelights.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/plush-more-you-becomes-you.html" target="_blank">my blog</a>, catching the attention of a guy called <a href="http://www.incredibleweapons.com/" target="_blank">Dan Crawford</a>. Dan emailed me with an invitation to hear an unreleased live recording of Liam from 2008. Dan's band (<a href="https://soundcloud.com/owentromans" target="_blank">Owen Tromans</a> & The Elders) had recorded themselves when they supported Liam and managed to capture his set too. I had no expectations. Live bootlegs are often disappointing - performances diluted by crappy recording quality and crowd noise. But to my surprise the recording was stellar and the performance, a solo Liam Hayes singing and playing a Telecaster guitar through a Music Man amplifier, magical. It seemed a real shame to keep something so good a secret. I asked Dan if I could create some awareness about the live recording and share it here on my blog. Thankfully he obliged me.</h3>
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So here it is. An exclusive, previously unreleased, eight song set of Liam Hayes originals, live at The Railway in Winchester, 02/09/2008. Fans will love these guitar led interpretations of songs from <i><a href="http://liamhayesplush.bandcamp.com/album/more-you-becomes-you" target="_blank">More You Becomes You</a></i>, <i><a href="http://liamhayesplush.bandcamp.com/album/fed" target="_blank">Fed</a></i> and <i><a href="http://liamhayesplush.bandcamp.com/album/bright-penny" target="_blank">Bright Penny</a></i>. Liam's relaxed banter between songs makes it an even more rewarding experience. It's half an hour of pure gold.</h3>
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The Sailor</h3>
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If I Could</h3>
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Born Together</h3>
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So Much Music </h3>
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This wonderful music and all rights pertaining to it are reserved by Liam Hayes & Plush.</h3>
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Special thanks to Dan Crawford & Owen Tromans.</h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-23292728973059236042013-11-09T16:40:00.000+00:002013-12-10T23:54:53.229+00:00I See Angels - Your Memories Are You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My band released a new album this week, so I've been busy doing <a href="http://www.sicmagazine.net/articles/1405/interview-i-see-angels" target="_blank">interviews</a> and playing shows to support it. I'll be posting and celebrating the things I love here again soon. In the meantime check out the music I make...</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.iseeangels.co.uk/" target="_blank">I See Angels</a> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">are an Alternative Rock band from Manchester featuring Paul Baird (Vocals/Guitar/Keys), Martin Cowan (Bass) and Chris Norwood (Drums). New album <i>Your Memories Are You</i> was recorded entirely in basements, bedrooms and on stage. It has a raw edginess about it, a reaction to the studio recorded sound of 2011's <a href="http://iseeangels.bandcamp.com/album/i-see-angels" target="_blank">self-titled debut album</a>. Stylistically it's diverse and enticing, vital sounding - raucous, smash and grab indie rock collides with experimental programmed beats, lush ballads and beguiling piano tapestries. A must listen, <i>Your Memories Are You</i> is available exclusively at <a href="http://iseeangels.bandcamp.com/album/your-memories-are-you" target="_blank">iseeangels.bandcamp.com</a> for name your price/free download now.</span></h3>
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<a href="http://www.sicmagazine.net/articles/1405/interview-i-see-angels" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Read my interview for [<i>sic</i>] magazine about the new album.</a></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I See Angels support </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500), Wednesday 4th December at The Ruby Lounge, Manchester & </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Loom, Thursday 19th December at The Castle Hotel, Manchester.</span></h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-79755170735386123972013-10-26T16:59:00.000+01:002014-03-31T13:26:16.988+01:00Galaxie 500 - Today/On Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was the morning after my birthday party. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was cleaning up the clutter in the apartment I shared, when </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I first happened upon Massachusetts dream-pop trio Galaxie 500. We'd made space cakes the night before - added food colouring to the mixture turning them a deep blue. They were potent. Streaks of vomit decorated the bathroom floor by the time the last guest crashed out.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A friend had left a bunch of records for me to check out, including the first two Galaxie 500 albums </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://galaxie500.bandcamp.com/album/today" target="_blank">Today</a></i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> (Aurora, 1988) and </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://galaxie500.bandcamp.com/album/on-fire" target="_blank">On Fire</a> </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(Rough Trade, 1989)</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I played both on loop for hours. I was an instant fan of their distinctive, dreamy, reverb drenched sound<i>. </i>I was in the right state of mind to discover them - make sense of their blissful, tripped out drone. To me they'll always sound like the morning after. The perfect soundtrack for piecing things back together again - lush soundscapes, like a comfort blanket. Like a hug. I listen and I'm vaguely sure that everything's going to turn out okay. There are layers of depth to their sound but on the surface their music appears unconvoluted, which I adore. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Produced by Kramer, their studio albums have a live and spacious feel, like they were recorded in an aircraft hanger. They sound organic.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dean Wareham's voice is distinctive, you'll either love it or hate it. His guitar playing is more strummy than riffy and peppered with fiery, melodic solo bursts. Naomi Yang's bass guitar anchors the more fleeting, improvised elements of their sound. Her singing voice is high and sweet, pairing well with Wareham's and a neat alternative when taking the lead. Damon Krukowski's drumming is jazz influenced. He has great feel and his pulsing style shifts dynamically within songs preserving their momentum. It's this unique blend of ingredients and off-kilter musical skill set - well honed sense of style and character that sets them apart. N</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">o-one manages to sound quite like them. T</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">heir music still sounds fresh and appealing today.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dean Wareham plays The Ruby Lounge, in Manchester's Northern Quarter, Wednesday 4TH December 2013. Support comes from Jason Quever (Papercuts) and my band <a href="http://www.iseeangels.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">I SEE ANGELS</a>.</span></h3>
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<br />Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-29982960228371536312013-10-19T15:44:00.000+01:002013-12-10T23:51:50.235+00:00Elliott Smith - Either/Or<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's been ten years since Elliott Smith checked out. I remember the news breaking, the grey October sky, the drizzle, the stench of bleach rising from the damp shop floor where I worked - a shattering feeling of disappointment. It was the bleak realisation that there would be no more great records or shows of his to look forward to anymore.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But it came as no real surprise. Here was an artist who regularly documented his torment in song, who battled his demons and eventually lost - stabbing himself in the chest twice with a knife. But the music he left behind is still as vital and engaging as ever.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://killrockstars.bandcamp.com/album/either-or" target="_blank">Elliott Smith - Either/Or</a> </i>(Kill Rock Stars/Domino 1997). A stunningly beautiful and intimate, acoustic guitar-led masterpiece. The flawless songwriting and the up-close-and-personal Lo-Fi production make this album a treat from start to finish. The narratives are edgy and captivating, the melodies catchy and anthemic, the performance's so well delivered that you occasionally feel like Elliott's singing these songs directly to you. It's what makes <i>Either/Or</i> so compelling - a seductive combination of close mic'd, whispery, rich sounding, double tracked vocals and harmonies, stellar musicianship and a heavy dose of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">raw emotion. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's as close to perfect as anything you'll hear.</span></h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-75934978527418349452013-10-13T13:10:00.000+01:002013-12-10T23:50:56.156+00:00The Replacements - Let It Be<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Let+It+Be/122269" target="_blank">The Replacements - Let It Be</a></i> (Twin/Tone, 1984). One of the greatest alternative rock albums you'll ever hear. Its rich diversity and Paul Westerberg's world class songwriting make for a non-stop, raucous and exhilarating ride. It's the sound of an energetic, snotty-nosed Minneapolis punk band growing up fast - harnessing everything they've lived and learnt and turning it into art. There's a distinct chemistry throughout and hooks so instinctive and natural they'll tattoo themselves on you forever - a dose of magical recklessness and chaos about the performances - an overriding sense that these four guys are too busy having fun to notice they've struck gold. It's timeless, endearing - so entertaining you'll never tire of hearing it.</b></h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-20148857503482836792013-10-08T00:11:00.000+01:002013-12-10T23:50:04.268+00:00Plush - More You Becomes You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEvt6NvMagA/UlKBrClwpQI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/i2nChWYiLH8/s1600/plush+more+you+becomes+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PEvt6NvMagA/UlKBrClwpQI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/i2nChWYiLH8/s1600/plush+more+you+becomes+you.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><a href="http://liamhayesplush.bandcamp.com/album/more-you-becomes-you" target="_blank">Plush - More You Becomes You</a></i> (Drag City/Domino, 1998). A vital half-hour collection of sparsely embellished, raw and intimate piano ballads. In stark contrast to the lush Phil Spector-esque orchestrations adorning his debut single <a href="http://liamhayesplush.bandcamp.com/track/found-a-little-baby" target="_blank"><i>Three-Quarters Blind Eyes/Found A Little Baby</i></a> (1994), in this set, a solo Liam Hayes triumphantly conjures a relaxed jazz-tinged atmosphere evocative of smoky bars - alluring late-night wonderlands you'll never want to leave.</span></h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com0Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7587120651643431562.post-20491009432859058922013-10-05T15:34:00.001+01:002013-12-10T23:49:05.409+00:00Chavez - Gone Glimmering<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://grooveshark.com/#!/album/Gone+Glimmering/222474" target="_blank">Chavez - Gone Glimmering</a></i> (Matador, 1995). A raw, energized, half-hour long document of mid-nineties alternative guitar music, brimming with tuneful sonic abrasiveness - spliced with atmospheric field recordings and harnessing enough dynamic power to move your internal organs. If you've failed to discover this band before, do so now - see what you've been missing.</span></h3>
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Paul Bairdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11607346748709904577noreply@blogger.com1Manchester, UK53.479324 -2.24848510000003953.328105 -2.5712086000000389 53.630542999999996 -1.925761600000039