This Week's Singles: 19/10/2009
Some wise old stick once warned how power corrupts. And though my own influence over (dread term) "The Industry" is flimsy as a cornershop carrier bag, I had a tiny taste of power this week. »
Singles
This Week's Singles: 12/10/2009
As a neat way to top and tail the Summer, this week I am back at the coastal caravan with my unfaithful old internot. This means three things; one, that I cannot check facts and therefore have to take the press releases at face value (which I am sure the music PRs will adore), two, that I cannot watch the videothings and make judgements upon which are fearfully offensive and which are not (this also means – woo! - the music must speak for itself, man), and three, that I Spy a cast-iron opportunity for making up some stuff that I can pretend I read but sadly cannot check for truthiness because ohdearmemydongleisbroken. Do see if you can spot the lies, damn lies and fiddled statistics, in the following reviews. »
This Week's Singles: 05/10/2009
After being unable to pick a favourite last week, this week I have five. Which are variously Yeti Lane, First Aid Kit, Drums of Death, Toro Y Moi and my new favourite favourites, Everything Everything. You will have to excuse the superlatives, but I honestly cannot help myself.»
This Week's Singles: 28/09/2009
Everyone – and I mean everyone is releasing a single this week. So many, that I wanted to use a thoroughly unfair culling method that involved a blindfold, a pointy stick and some glue - or worse, inadvertently lose half my pile down the back of the bin (whoopstheregomyfingers, can't listen to them now, ohdear). Luckily, someone appealed to my better instincts and I did what I am paid to do. Which was to listen to the darned things; ALL FORTY THREE OF THEM. »
This Week's Singles: 21/09/2009
After the rampant filth and manic superlatives of last week’s reviews, this time round there is a fair amount of boot-cooling going on. Good job really, as I am not sure my nerves can stand all the giddy.»
This Week's Singles: 14/09/2009
This week, we have another tie, because I have gone equally silly in the head over both Maps and Fuck Buttons. Really – honestly - the rest of this week’s releases can go hang. It is sort of like being at a party with loads of ace faces but the only ones what exist for me are Maps & Fuck Buttons. So I am going to keep them all to myself in the kitchen and shan't let any of the other records have any punch. »
This Week's Singles: 07/09/2009
I went to a wedding this weekend to see one of my best boypals marry the love of his life. And it was one of the most heart-warming things I ever did see. So while it is unlikely that any record will be able to wipe the smile off my wetasaflannel, romantic face, one which has Nick Grimshaw as a supporter will have a flipping good try. »
This Week's Singles: 31/08/2009
I didn’t realise quite how angry I was until I started writing up this week’s singles. But it appears I am really quite furious if shouty caps are anything to go by. For which, of course, massive apollies- I have calmed down now. »
This Week's Singles: 24/08/2009
A tirade concerning a wonked-up, pretentious concept called Unity of Vision? On a Tuesday? Oh, go on then. »
This Week's Singles: 17/08/2009
This week I am upset. With myself, with stoopid Dinosaur Pile Up and their stoopid song with its stoopid riffs that I am stoopidly keen on. »
This Week's Singles: 10/08/2009
Always on the look out for rare and bespoke ways in which to test out the sevens, this week I attempted Trial By Bicycle. So if you want to know which singles had me grinning despite slipping gears and arduous uphill mini-marathons, you have come to the right place. »
This Week's Singles: 03/08/2009
I love it when this happens. For this week is a genuinely mixed-up, schizophrenic bag of sevens that has something to recommend almost every genre you can think of. In the end I am plumping for the ambition and modernity of the caffeinated, fuck-up funk of Debruit, because he is new. But quite honestly there are at least three standout winners here.»
This Week's Singles: 27/07/2009
This week is a proper mixed bag, though I am afraid to say there shall be no upset apple carts as far as Speech Debelle is concerned. So if anyone wants to start a backlash, please do so as far away from me as you possibly can. »
This Week's Singles: 20/07/2009
This week I have been clearing out my parents’ house, involving days of shoebox rifling and the finding of various teen-pash accoutrements - not least a gigantic wall poster of Jan Michael Vincent. All this looking back is neatly relevant though, as some bright spark is attempting to squeeze pennies out of those still not in possession of The Stone Roses back catalogue. AND we have a brand new band who wish to resurrect Baggy. Dust off your Kickers, everyone. »
This Week's Singles: 13/07/2009
Now that I am back from my coastal paradise, I only have alarms for company. So while last week the view outside my window was of flat, open fields in which bunny rabbits hopped, now I can see roundabouts and hear the siren from our local prison establishment, to remind me that there are madmen and kiddie fiddlers just minutes from my door. Sirens are relevant though, as this week’s top single sounds very much like one. »
Singles of the Year (So Far): January-June & A Proper Chart
A re-cap and re-rub of all the sevens we've voted Single of the Week so far this year. Then I had to work out which ones I liked best, threw a strop, and settled for this Top 28.»
This Week's Singles: 06/07/2009
Alright, I admit it. I have cheated this week, enlisting a particularly excitable friend of mine whose favourite musician is ‘Paul McCartneys’. His name is Jem, he is four – sorry, I stand corrected – four and a half years old, and he is helping his Aunty Wendy while I attempt to instruct him in the finer points of alt-hip-hop in the process. He thinks it is crashingly hilarious that anyone should be named ‘Beans’ but has not helped on all the records, because there were some Stickle Bricks which needed playing with. You know how it is. »
This Week's Singles: 29/06/2009
I have suffered this week at the coast, everyone. Not just the indignity of a wetsuit when I was too lily-livered to venture into the sea unwrapped, but also some of the most brain-meltingly awful lyrics one has ever had the displeasure of wading through. One of the culprits – not one of this week’s picks, they shall remain un-named - actually had the temerity to include the line ‘Burn, burn, burn / Burn baby, burn like a…’. Naturally I were all like ‘Burn like what, hot new musical things? I really must know, I must, I MUST’ – you know, expecting a couplet of such refreshing and original magnificence the clever cells would get knocked clean out of my head. Instead, what I got was ‘Burn, baby, burn like a fire burns’ - at which point threw the CD like a small and graceless Frisbee, into the waves. Very satisfying, I can tell you. »
This Week's Singles: 22/06/2009
This week we are transmitting not-quite-live from North Norfolk, where across the plains of the caravan park I can hear the strains of Fleetwood Mac trying to make themselves heard through a tinny radio. I have also been fortunate enough to catch a very spirited rendition of ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’ from a fellow camper (on the bog), while I was merrily dodging medieval verrucan foot complaints (doing the shower block dance). So while I want to just sit here and greedily lap up the given names of each house-on-wheels (‘Miami’, ‘Pageant’, ‘Senator’ and my favourite and best ‘Pastiche’) I have instead dutifully donned my headphones for FloMo, Johnny Foreigner and lovely lovely lovely La Roux. Yes, I said 'lovely' in the same sentence as the words ‘La’ and ‘Roux’ – you will just have to deal with it. »
This Week's Singles: 15/06/2009
This week I am choosing to ignore obvious comparisons with prior hits, building a Tech House from double dutch and am introduced to some cats who can do harmonies a tiny bit like James Mercer. For sure it is a mixed bag, but one which hopefully offers a sweet treat for everyone. »
This Week's Singles: 08/06/2009
This week we are heavy on strummers and very thin on massively hyped dancetypethings. This is good, because I have managed to locate a favourite new band from under a rock in Oxford. And they are very, very clever indeed. »
This Week's Singles: 01/06/2009
Faced with an embarrassment of riches in this week's singles sack, we have cheated and chosen two favourites.»
This Week's Singles: 25/05/2009
One is under pain of journalistic death to mention how the sun is shining, in order to make an amusing contrast with yesterday's free-swim Bank Holiday, when it did not see fit to make an appearance. Except it was sunny yesterday. Making today even more back-to-school and depressing than if it had rained. So while the weather can't win, the charts shall, for we have the muddy thrills of Crystal Stilts, and a enlivening (i.e. not very) mention for 1995-vintage Bobby Brown. Oh, do shut up and get on with it.»
This Week's Singles: 18/05/2009
This week sees a veritable Sheffield saviour trounce the competition, a not-new-anymore popstress finally getting her debut out, and a fair amount of lady-based hatred from art-poppers Plugs. Lots to recommend this week, then (as well as it being the third week in a row I have managed to shoe-horn in a reference to R4 programming). »
This Week's Singles: 11/05/2009
Wendy Roby ploughs her way through the stack of singles that are out this week, including Sky Larkin, Mike Bones, Magic Arm and Datarock.»
This Week's Singles: 04/05/09
Though the ‘Silly Season’ is a term traditionally applied to news stories of the summer months in the proper presses, this week the seven inch single appears to be having one all of its own. For at least three of this week’s releases are seriously, worryingly foolish, and not all in a good way... »
This Week's Singles: 27/04/09
Eh Oh, everyone, it is Monday, and it is time to listen to some sevens. And my, what a lovely bunch we have this week – from shamelessly retro post-punk which overcomes its redolence quite magnificently, an absolutely blinding re-issue from The Hundred In The Hands and, of course, space torpedoes, Girls Aloud.»
This Week's Singles: 20/04/09
I am not quite the excitable teenager of last week, having had to contend with repeated exposure to the bottom of Patrick Wolf and the fact that I am, essentially, well ancient. Still, it’s not all sex, sex, sex. At least until we get to Sebastien Tellier, after which you may feel the need for a nice, hot bath.»
This Week's Singles: 13/4/09
So, there we were, ready to untangle the heady musical knots of this week’s releases. Except that this week we were beaming loud and not-so clear from a holiday caravan in the Easter wilds. Imagine it from your urban turrets – a place where phone masts and Twitter updates make nary a dent.»
This Week's Singles: 06/04/09
A victory for the little guys this week, as Hook & The Twin and My Tiger My Timing stomp all over the far more seasoned competition...»
Drowned in Manchester #15 – May 2013
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DiS joins the Music Alliance Pact + May 2013's global MAP compilation
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