Reading & Leeds Lock-Up Stage Announcement

Radio One website has just announced the full line-up of the Lock-Up Stage for Reading & Leeds this summer. It looks like this:



Looks like a decent enough line up to me. Well, near the top anyway. Does mean I shan't be seeing Kings Of Leon or Arctic Monkeys this year though.

However, it looks like Alexisonfire and Placebo will be clashing. This would be disastrous.


Dan.

Album Swap Hiatus

We're taking a short break over the exam period becuase of revision and all that. Everyone else can still review the album's we've currently got if they wish to. But I'm afraid no new albums will be posted for a while.
Still there's plenty to look forward to including reviews of the Sonisphere and Reading festivals and the long awaited Album Swap Podcast. As well as a bit of a revamp of the place and some better organisation.

See you in June

Matt.

A little note from Dan:

I've been through all the posts and tagged them with their reviewer in the format "review: (name)"

In future posts could we try and do this? Also I want to get all the genres sorted out, but obviously a lot of the time the poster can't really decide on what genre(s) to post it as.

I'll list the uncategorized albums here, if you can suggest a genre then please post it in the comments section of this post.

Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
Blur - Parklife
Biffy Clyro - Puzzle
The Smiths - Meat Is Murder
InMe - White Butterfly
Skindred - Babylon
Damien Rice - O

Thanks

Dan

Elliott Smith - Roman Candle (Review: Dan)

I've never been a fan of Nirvana, so when I heard the lead singer went solo I wasn't really pleased...

Obviously I'm joking.

Roman Candle is exactly what it says on the label. I had already heard Condor Ave. and so knew basically what to expect from the rest of the album.
It's not particularly versatile in sound, Smith's guitar playing is melodic and calming and complements his voice as much it possibly could. I think his voice is quite boring really and having listened through the album a bit I sort of do understand what Elliott meant when he said he sounded like Kurt Cobain. When I first listened to Condor Ave. I thought it was quite an outrageous statement, but now I've listened to the album I have to agree with him a little.

There are lots of moments on Roman Candle that reminded me of The Beatles.
The album has a great mix of cheery and some quite dark moments.

I listened to this album in two different environments - I usually listen to this style of music this way. It helps me see if I like it.
When I listened to it whilst chatting to people and doing my day-to-day business I found the whole thing incredibly boring, and it just sort of breezed by. About as exciting as wind.
Then I listened to it whilst I just sort of relaxed, to appreciate it. I found it a lot better, and I found it very thought provoking, which did lead me into quite a depressive mood.

If I'm honest I don't really think Elliott Smith is particularly talented as a musician. His music seems very dull and it doesn't really make me want to listen to it.
But after the third playthrough I started to enjoy things a bit more, especially Condor Ave. and No Name #1.

I think that Smith's sound is certainly his own, though it isn't without it's infulences. He has made a good effort but it probably isn't something I'll be returning to a great deal.
2/5

Dan.

InMe - Live at London Borderline (Live Review: Dan)

This was my second experience of InMe live, last time I saw them they were supporting Pendulum as part of the iTunes Festival last summer. That was, for a long time, the best gig I'd ever been to.

I'll talk about the support act as breifly as possible. We Are The Damned are a portugese screamo band and they are fronted by a woman. That's enough reason for me to hate them. The noises she was making truly were the most horrible things I have ever heard. It was half an hour where I wish ear blinking was possible. The actual music wasn't too bad though. It wasn't good...But it was enough to try and distract my attention from the horrible woman screaming at me.

Anyway, not too long later, InMe came onto stage after we listened to a very dramatic, orchestral piece of music. It was good, I actually quite enjoyed it. Then they kicked into 7 Weeks from the album White Butterfly - one of the only songs i really really liked on the album. The crowd was full of energy and everyone on the floor was having a great time already.

InMe played a fairly decent mix from all of their back-catalogue and they also previewed a nice amount from their new album Herald Moth.

The London Borderline was a really nice building. It didn't really work as a music venue though. For starters, it was undoubtedly the hottest room I've ever been in before. Asif the moshing wasn't enough to get me sweating, the room alone made it so much worse. Also, I remember feeling really low down in there. I think the stage may have been quite raised, which is unusual for a small venue.

The new material they played I quite liked. Especially a song called 'Single of the Week'.

"What's that shit on the radio? It sounds like they made it so they could make it"

The song itself sounded very 'poppy' and commercial and I think this was very clever and ironic. I was impressed. I also dislike it when bands play new songs live because I don't know them. But this was good, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Overall their performance was absolutely perfect, the guitarwork from Dave and their new member (I would like to say he is called Simon, but I could be lying) was perfect and the vocals were also spot on. Only thing that bugged me (and Elliott) was that every single song was dedicated to someone. For instance:

"This song is dedicated to our merchandise manager"
"This song is dedicated to my friend"
"This song is dedicated to my sister's boyfriend's uncle's mother"
That sort of thing. Every song.

But anyway, I had a fantastic night and can't wait for the new album. I can also strike one more London venue off of my list. And I was contemplating not going...

5/5

Blur - Parklife (Review: MattJ)

I had always thought Blur to be a different version of Oasis despite the few Blur songs I have heard in the past sounding nothing like Oasis I still thought that all of their other songs must be pretty similar if they are in the same genre. This is my grounds for always saying Blur>Oasis because I thought that Blur were pretty shite like Oasis but they had a couple good songs. Boy, was I wrong. I have no idea how the two are in the same genre as they are very different and I will stop comparing the two now as I now realise how unnecessary this comparison is now.

The album opens to the brilliant pop song 'Girls & Boys' which reminds me of my 90s childhood. The song is catchy but it's also more than that as the up beat rhythm, good lyrics and vocals of the song makes it a genuinely good song. The vocals, in fact, are the only consistent part of the album as the band are so diverse through all the songs exploring loads of different styles such as pop, different variations of punk and some stuff that sounds like The Kinks but is still unique enough for Blur to call it their own. This diversity is what makes them stand out from a lot of other bands at the time.

The little review on Spotify tells me that this album is 16 songs exploring the different aspects of British life and I can hear this very clearly throughout. This album is so British that there should be a brand of tea named after it. While it is very very British (which I enjoy) it is not in anyway patriotic (which I hate) and this delights me to the utmost. It is like various different photographs of London in 1994.

With a diverse album such as this I was worried that there were going to be tracks that I didn't like and I'm afraid that I found one that stopped this album from being totally perfect. I didn't really like Badhead. Not to say that it's a terrible song it's just that it's being shown up by the other songs which I really liked, although Lot 105 is pretty much lift music but I think that's a joke so it doesn't really count. I am being a bit overly picky but I don't think I can give this 5/5 because it isn't perfect, but it is incredible.

4.5/5

Elliott Smith - Roman Candle (Review: Alex)

I decided to do this album first, simply because I fancied some acoustic music. I had never heard of Elliott Smith, but Matt's description of the album made it sound quite cool.

Itunes tells me that I' have now listened to this album 10 times. That's because I genuinely love it. In terms of acoustic music, I haven't heard anything expressley similar to this. His voice isn't powerful, and so everything is kept low-key. It's the most mellow thing I've listened to in ages. There isn't an emphasis on any aspect in particular, everything is kept simple and proportional to everything else.

A lot of acoustic stuff often just makes me feel a bit depressed, people like Damien Rice and David Ford spring to mind. Although this is lyrically quite dark, I don't get the same feeling at all. I suppose it's quite cathartic really; although I appreciate that he is singing about dark things, 'I wanna hurt it' in 'Roman Candle' for example, I keep feeling slightly uplifted by the whole thing. Maybe it's the way Smith addresses his songs. His vocal melodies are quiet, and there are rarely any dynamics in the music. Also the chord progressions are played in a way which doesn't lend itself to depressing music. 'No Name #4' is an example of this.

This album is really a big old paradox. It is clearly a very dark album. I only have to listen to 'Last Call' to tell me that. The guitar overlay is gives the song a sluggish feel, which contributes strongly to the mood of the song a s a whole. Smith rarely sticks to a set chord pattern. This is reflected in a few of the songs, and to me this expresses a lingering feel to the album. Smith's voice, I have decided, sort of reminds me of Conor Oberst, the guy from Bright Eyes, in its tone. I'm not sure why, I guess they both sound a bit nasal..

I was a bit suprised by 'Kiwi Maddog 20/20'. It sounded very different to a lot of the rest fot he album. It had a sort of surf instrumental kind of feel. Something like 'Surf Rider' by The Lively Ones (which, by the way, I wouldn't know if it wasn't in Pulp Fiction. I'm not that sad...)

Anyway, I very much enjoyed this album, and it fully deserves another 5/5 from me.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Review: Dan)

It wasn't until after I listened to the entire album that I realised that I have actually heard this record before, in it's entirity. Many times. But it was nice to be able to find myself singing along every now and again, where my memory served me well.

I've always insisted that I don't like the Arctic Monkeys, because I don't like Alex Turner's voice. But having listened to the album a few times now, I have to admit; It's damn catchy.

The whole thing is full of catchy guitar riffs and it has a great mix of energetic songs and then some slower songs, like Mardy Bum.

I had, at first been listening to the album through Spotify, but I then decided that I wanted it for my ipod so had to swallow my pride and borrow the album from Ben. However, I'm no longer ashamed. AlbumSwap appears to have done it's job by introducing me to an album that I've really enjoyed. Little things that bug me are that a lot of the songs do sound quite similar - only in that they appear to follow the same formula. But I can't really knock them for that, I just think they don't really show and diversity to their talent.

I still stick by what I said regarding Alex Turner's vocals though. His scouse accent makes his singing seem a bit more 'talky' than it perhaps is and it sounds quite laid back. It fits quite nicely with the music, but I think even the music suffers from the same problem in that it is possibly a bit lazy. But it is their chosen sound and admittedly it works really well for them. They've grabbed themselves a headlining spot at this year's Reading and Leeds Festival, so I think I'll be getting their new album and their last one so I'm all ready to see them.

All the songs are really short, most of the album's tracks are under three minutes in length. Short but sweet I suppose...

Overall, I liked the album. There was nothing that majorly stood out above all the rest, it was all just a nice easy listen and I enjoyed it all. 4/5.

My favourite few tracks were:
[2]I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
[7]Riot Van
[9]Mardy Bum
[11]When The Sun Goes Down

Dan.

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)

1. The View From The Afternoon
2. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
3. Fake Tales of San Francisco
4. Dancing Shoes

5. You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Looking Straight At Me

6. Still Take You Home
7. Riot Van
8. Red Light Indicates Doors Are Secured
9. Mardy Bum
10. Perhaps Vampire Was A Bit Strong But.....
11. When The Sun Goes Down
12. From The Ritz To The Rubble
13. A Certain Romance

Widely regarded as one of the best Indie albums of the 21st century, Arctic Monkeys first album is quite simply incredible. Alex Turner is as good a lyricist as I have come across and while some people feel that the Arctics are just another overhyped NME bandwagon, they really do stand out from the rest of today's current tripe dominating the Indie scene. I thought seeing as they're headlining Reading and that most of us are going in August, everyone may as well have a listen to an album I regard as one of the best albums of my lifetime. I hope you all enjoy.

Personal Favourites:
The View From the Afternoon
Fake Tales of San Francisco
Dancing Shoes
You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Looking Straight At Me
A Certain Romance

Elliott Smith - Roman Candle (1994)

Elliott Smith is a dead singer-songwriter from the 90s. He uses an acoustic guitar for the majority of the songs on this album and has quite a distinct voice. I've always thought him as a 90s Bob Dylan because of his brilliant lyircs. This is his debut album and was just a collection of songs that Smith had self recorded and his then girlfriend sent it off to a record label and the label wanted to release this as soon as they heard it. I hope you enjoy it and all that.

1. "Roman Candle" – 3:37
2. "Condor Ave." – 3:34
3. "No Name #1" – 3:03
4. "No Name #2" – 3:34
5. "No Name #3" – 3:13
6. "Drive All Over Town" – 2:36
7. "No Name #4" – 2:30
8. "Last Call" – 4:38
9. "Kiwi Maddog 20/20" – 3:40

Download Here

Blur - Parklife (1994)

This one of my favourite albums to come out of the 1990s. Blur represented the south in the ultimate north-south clash. In terms of brit-pop, it was either Blur or Oasis, and you couldn't like both. This was London's answer to the Manchester music sensation. But that isn't really important. The important thing is that this is very good. Blur are quirky, and brilliantly uplifting. I hope you all like it.



Track listing:

1. "Girls & Boys" – 4:51
2. "Tracy Jacks" – 4:20
3. "End of a Century" – 2:45
4. "Parklife" – 3:05
5. "Bank Holiday" – 1:42
6. "Badhead" – 3:25
7. "The Debt Collector" – 2:10
8. "Far Out" – 1:41
9. "To the End" – 4:05
10. "London Loves" – 4:15
11. "Trouble in the Message Centre" – 4:09
12. "Clover Over Dover" – 3:22
13. "Magic America" – 3:38
14. "Jubilee" – 2:47
15. "This Is a Low" – 5:07
16. "Lot 105" – 1:17

Black Tide - Light From Above (2008)

Black Tide are a thrash metal band from Miami, my favourite place in the world. This is their debut album and I bought it after hearing their name around a bit. I'd seen first single 'Shockwave' a fair bit on late night Kerrang and then I noticed that 'Show Me The Way' was on MotorStorm 2, one of my favourite games. So I thought "it's about time I downloaded this album". But I couldn't find a download link anywhere so I had to buy this one, and I was afraid of wasting my money.
However, what it has provided has been wonderful. It's a really great metal album, by a group of very talented youngsters. The singer is currently aged just 16, with another member also aged only 16 (Could be 17 actually, not too sure). Anyway, the point is, they are all very young and have so much potential to be one of the biggest bands in metal in a few years time.

Track Listing:
[1]Shockwave
[2]Shout
[3]Warriors of Time
[4]Give Me A Chance
[5]Let Me
[6]Show Me The Way
[7]Enterprise
[8]Live Fast Die Young
[9]Hit The Lights
[10]Black Abyss
[11]Light From Above
[12]Black Widow

Download:
http://rapidshare.com/files/133654768/AboveLight.rar

No password.

Dan.

Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood (Review: Dan)

Since Roshan posted this album I have been crafting this review in my head. Without even listening to it I knew what I'd end up saying. It's the album I've been thinking about all week, and the album I've been avoiding. I listened to tracks 1 and 2, just to give myself a little taster. Then things changed a little. It became obvious, though, that this was going to go one of two ways; It was either going to get a 1/5 or a 5/5.

So I got back to doing what I had been all week. Avoiding listening to the album. I was about 80% sure I was going to hate it, and I've been dreading this because I didn't want Roshan to think that he was right when he said "This will be outside of Dan's comfort zone" - a comment which annoyed me.

So the next thing I set out to do was listen to and review Strange Journey. I did this and there was little enjoyment to be found from there.

I've been dwelling on what Roshan said a bit too. I mean, he doesn't really know me very well or my taste in music - not really. He knows that I like the few albums I've put up and he knows I've liked the ones I've given good reviews. I think that this comment was in reference to the fact that I often say I like a good vocalist in the music I listen to, and I assume that as this is just a musical score there are no vocals and I therefore won't like it.
If that is what was intended then I would say he was wrong. I actually really enjoy a nice bit of music. I love the really powerful, dramaic music you hear often in film trailers, and I also like the equally powerful (but in a different way) music you get in a really sad film. Infact, I'd go as far as to say that I wouldn't enjoy most of my favourite films quite as much if they didn't have a good soundtrack.

I've seen There Will Be Blood.Well. Sort of. For arguments' sake, lets say it's three hours long. I've seen the first hour, and the last hour. I missed the middle. Anyway, the soundtrack never really struck me in the film, and I found myself wondering what on Earth possessed Roshan to purchase the soundtrack. I have a feeling he heard this before he saw the film, either through recommendation or curiosity. But, I don't know Roshan so I won't be making any assumptions.

So...The album. About time I got to this.
As a musical score it all flows brilliantly and it fits together perfectly. It seems like Greenwood has put a lot of effort into writing this. Which I can only congratulate him on. Looking on the wikipedia page I see it was nominated (or at least, considered) for some pretty important awards, which is a great acomplishment. I also noticed it had some good reviews. After that I noticed who these reviews were from.
'Rock Feedback' gave the album 5 stars. Rock Feedback...
'Pop Matters' gave it 9/10...
So I got thinking...Would anyone care if, instead of it being written by Jonny Greenwood, of Radiohead fame, it was written by me?

Still, that won't affect my review. I am listening to this as if it is just another musical score. Which it is, essentially.
It's a calming album, but there are things about it that sound almost scary at times. The droning strings make a genuinely scary sound in several tracks, and it makes me almost uncomfortable. I sit there expecting something to jump out at me from my laptop screen. And in film, a lot of the time this is what the score is meant to help do.
And that's exactly why I don't like this album. It was clearly written for a film. It wasn't written for me to listen to in bed. It wasn't written for me to drive around in my car with. It was written for There Will Be Blood, a 2007 film starring Daniel Day-Lewis and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.

I'm not knocking Greenwood's writing talent - it's clearly there. And I think he has achieved a great deal. He has written some genuinely good music, and it deserves awards for theatrical scores. It doesn't deserve awards for Album of the Year. That's what he gets in Radiohead. What a successful man.

But for the purpose of AlbumSwap, I have to give this 1/5. As an album, it's what I consider a pointless listen. That's not to say it is at all outside of my comfort zone though.

Dan.