DJAlbertFreeman

Does the presenter say they have a "witty sound" or a "wetty sound" at the end of 'The Nights Are Long'..!?

Nice of them to send that intruging clip. Gives quite a good insight in just 3 mins.

Oh I'm such a pedant - I think it was Wembley Arena, not Wembley Staduim. Even so, I'm amazed that little band from Sheffield I heard on John Peel's show a few years ago are headlining such a big venue.

It's just been confirmed that The Raincoats will be playing Matt Groening's ATP in May 2010, so I should get this album and do my revision! :-)

It's definitely the week for my Swedish roots to be exposed, after first hearing the wonderful David Cronenberg's Wife song called Sweden, and now finding there are two Swedish artists on this RT compilation.

The radio edit of a previous PS single, I Hate The Way, was titled I Hate The Way (We Have To Do Radio Edits). I have to admit I'm not too keen on the single version of Bunny Club - it's a bit 'safe' for my liking. Having said that, I do like the way ‘Unforgiving Arms’ sounds - one of my favourites off the LP.

I also agree that the demos are an interesting insight into the songs' germination.

Great, I can't wait for the new album! This is one of the most up-beat Beach House songs I've heard.

I see what you mean about feeling queezy, the keyboard sound is very well summed up by your analogy.

Think I need to investigate that there Soundcloud too actually, bit like Youtube without the videos, right?

You're right, Sweden is absolutely fantastic! I think there are some great lyrics on this album. And I like the use of female backing vocals. I wish more bands had male/female vocal combos, as it invariably adds a great deal to songs.

The Twilight Sad's experience sounds horrific. As does what happened to Darren Hayman in Nottingham on Friday.

Was Alpinisms really released last year? Gosh. I was thinking about including a song off it (the very song who's video you have put on this page) in my 2009 review but maybe I should think again.

Yes, I see what you mean about that SSHHHHH! :- D

And, those Miserable Rich covers are very refreshinly playful with the arrangements.

I hadn't noticed the ping pong balls in Jon Hopkins' new single, I'll have to to give it another listen.

In The Flowers doesn't precede Brother Sport. The two songs bookend the album. Now I've got my pedantry out of the way, I shall watch the video and enjoy..! :-)

A friend of mine was just talking to be about The Slits and The Raincoats, neither of whom I know much about but on this evidence, I should do some listening.

Oh, I didn't know they'd released a CD version of this. I indulged in the quite beautifully put together Warp20 (Box Set) and I have to admit that thus far I've only played the Unheard vinyl once, but I'll have to listen again.

I thought this album came out about a month ago? Maybe there was a delay.

I'd agree that it's inconsistent, but 3.1, with it's killer key change for the chorus, and the rousing Closure, make this album worth getting. They are two of my favourite tunes of 2009, and they're both on the same album. Oh, and another reason to get it is that ATP Recordings' artwork and packaging is always great - like 4AD in that respect. And no, neither of those record labels, alas, are paying me to say that..!

to see them both in Leeds on Sunday

I know a lot of musicians who regularly feature on DiS actually DO have jobs, because they really don't make ends meet through their music.

I have to admit I didn't have time to read this article and the comments as thoroughly as perhaps I should have done, but I think it's a very interesting debate. There is certainly an element of reverse snobbery from two sources:
- Firstly from the working classes towards middle class musicians (e.g. Damon Albarn)
- Secondly from non-popular, (or pre-popular in the case of Forence...) towards popular music.
I'm not too sure whether my point is agreeing or disagreeing with (or even worse still mmissing) your point, but hey, that's my tuppeny's worth.

...but so glad I had a quick look...which turned into a thorough read! I have to admit that "This Week's Singles: xx/xx/xx" is one of the DiS features I usually don't look at. My reason being that summarising individual tunes is too open to subjectivity. But with subjectivity this engaging, and this self-aware, it actually becomes something else, something I'm glad I read.

And as regards the lyrics - well, I knew that My Girls was about family, but I have to admit I'm often crap at picking up on lyrics in songs, and I didn't know what this one was about. I've just had a look at the lyrics, and yes I see what you mean. It gave me unsettling goosepimples reading it, as I've been enjoying this song all year, and playing it on the radio, without having any idea what it was about.

I'm just listening to Field Mice on Spotify now, and yes I can see the influence. And I never knew Kiss And Make up by Saint Etienne was a Field Mice cover.

That reminds me, I must investigate Field Mice more. I only know one song, from a John Peel compilation.

That's interesting, we both think this is a fabulous compilation but the key tracks you have picked out are not the ones I recall noticing as my favourites. Therefore I'm going to have to go back and listen again, as this probably means it's even better than I thought it was!

http://www.bcbradio.co.uk/musicblog/?p=923

Surely the question should be "Why haven't Pavement yet released a Best Of compilation?" ;-)

Spiritualzed have been one of my favourite bands ever, so it sound like I need to get the Perfect Prescription and Sound of Confusion too. The only Spacemen 3 album I have is Recurring.

That's interesting, I didn't know she had released Marrow as a single. I saw her supporting Grizzly Bear in Leeds last night and was impressed.

Shameful really, but now might be the time to make amends and get this version.

EMI really have got no idea. Personally I'm not into downloading music, I'd rather have the physical item. But EMI/Apple spit feathers when people download the Beatles illegally, or sue BlueBeat for selling them. Yet the only way the albums are currently going to be available digitally is on £200 apple?! That's MORE than it would cost to buy all the blinking CDs! More even than the blinking CD box set!

Although now I agree with you about Dylan, when I first tried to listen to his stuff 20 years ago I didn't get it. I thought, "hang on, he can't sing, and he's not really very good at that harmonica either, has nobody ever noticed this?!". I would much rather listen to covers of his songs than the originals. I feel differently now though, and I love listening to Dylan.

This change is in no small part due to covers of Dylan songs by Cat Power, The Byrds, Hendrix The Band, and some friends I used to play.

You might find CD1 of of this set worth listening to. CD1 is covers of Daniel Johnston songs and CD2 are his originals. It's by no means a 'best of', but it might help you appreciate Daniel Johnston, just in the same way that me hearing Dylan covers helped me understand Dylan better:

http://open.spotify.com/album/0AyNLSCPqEcFvqP1wnculi

as they're not coming back this way on that next tour.

...that Oasis supported in 1992?

They are one of a select few who I've had the pleasure of having in for 2 sessions at BCB in Bradford, and they will be missed, but they've given us some good times, so far play for "quitting while they're ahead".

...I think if you were to scour your music collection you would find numerous songs you love, and didn't realise were actually covers of songs written by Daniel Johnston. His often lo-fi recordings and performance style hide some geniunely marvellous songs. (And I say this as someone who has until Spotify heard very little of the man's own recordings.)

I think there is one key parrallel with Daniel Johnston and Bob Dylan, in that it has on occasion taken someone else's cover of one of his compositions to bring out the true majesty in the songs. For Dylan you could cite The Byrds version of "Mr Tamborine Man", or Hendrix's version of "...Watchtower" as just two examples. For Johnston there have been numerous examples over the past 20 years of artists I like covering songs by Daniel Johnston. Examples include Sparklehorse ("Hey Joe" and "My Yoke Is Heavy"), Spectrum (to name but one of many versions of "True Love Will Find You In The End"), Spiritualized ("Funeral Home"), The Twilight Sad ("SomeTthings Last A Long Time")

They were one of the highlihts of ATP in Minehead a couple of years ago, so I'm sorely tempted to pop over to Manchester - especially as Flying Lotus are on too!

When I saw the news item I thought it would be a re-release of last year's, so that's good news that it's a totally new one!

Your opening point is very true. I'm currently reading Garry Mulholland's The Greatest 261 Albums Since Punk and Disco and he makes a similar point, that 80s pop really has three distinct periods and can't really be lumped together neatly with in a convenient "80s" bracket.

I'm looking forward to hearing this, but I think I'll find it difficult listening, as it might be a bit upsetting to hear his voice, and be reminded of what I miss, which is not just the music, but the man himself.

It does make it a bit slow to scroll through the images.

I was surprised when I first learnt that this album had not been created from the hands of someone in New York, but Glasgow. It certainly will be interesting to see where he goes from this appetising debut.

It will be interesting to hear how they sound on this one. There is a stark progression in their released output thus far with their first and second albums sounding significantly different from one another. Obviously we're all wanting this album to be The Return Of Van Occupanther, but I wonder whether that's what we'll get or if they'll have developed into something newer yet again.

oh yes, can't wait to hear this, as I previously haven't done so!

This strikes me as being one of the strangest things he's ever decided to do, and I can't decide whether or not I'm looking forward to hearing it.

I saw them doing this in Leeds earlier in the year, and it was quite wonderful. The album, although great, wasn't quite a 10/10 for me, but seeing it live certain was fantastic.

I can't listen on this computer (I'm at work at the library) but your comment definitely makes me want to hear it when I get home!

Now then, this is a great feature, well done DiS! Apart from the fact that I never knew there was such thing as a White Rainbow, I never knew there was a band called that either. All of this music is quite wonderful, and I can see why they share a label with the marvellous Stars Of The Lid.

I must have missed some news; I didn't know she'd covered Nick Cave. That's one creepy video.

Oh, yes I'll be getting the paper on Saturday! I've not seen her live, which is a shame as I'm sure she'd be quite spellbindingly good.

It's got the potential to be not very good, but given the Lips' propensity for making even serious songs sound refreshingly playful, without becoming a joke, it could actually be quite refreshing and I'd be keen to hear it.

I can only agree with the above, and I too would be interested to know more about the band, and how they made the music they did. It's quite inspiring to listen to, and I think to read their story could be interesting too.

I bought Radio-Activity on vinyl today (not the new issue) and I intend to get some of the others on CD once they're out.