Spotify + Friday = Spotifriday. You know the drill by now. Click here for this week's content in the form of a playlist.
1.Taken By Trees - 'My Boys'
We streamed Victoria Bergsman a.k.a Taken By Trees' new album East of Eden last Friday and we also reviewed the album here, giving it 8/10. She kicks this week's Spotifriday off with a cover of Animal Collective's 'My Boys', taken from the above album.
2.Euros Childs - 'Dechrau'r Diwedd'
You may know Euros Childs as the lead singer from Welsh indie-poppers Gorky's Zygotic Mynci but since they disbanded he's had a few solo records out, most of them pretty lovely. This Welsh language song is taken from Bore Da, but we reviewed his new LP, Son Of Euro Child here, as well as posting a video for 'Like This? Then Try This' here.
3.The BPA ft. Connan Mockasin - 'Jumps The Fence'
Connan Mockasin's brand of high-pitched pop 'n' roll was one of the particular highlights and discoveries of Offset Festival, parading hits like 'Sneaky Sneaky Dog Friend' and 'Egon Hosford'. Here he links up with The Brighton Port Authority, a.k.a Fatboy Slim, alias Norman Cook for 'Jumps The Fence' - typical Mockasin.
4.Vic Chesnutt - 'Replenished'
This week we published complete transcripts of Andrzej Lukowski's incredibly in-depth interview with Canada's Constellation Records. The serene Vic Chesnutt is/was part of that record label so here we have a smooth-ish one from 1998's The Salesman & Bernadette. Read Part I of our transcripts here, Part II here and Part III here. You will not be disappointed.
5.Beach House - 'Apple Orchard'
Beach House this week signed to indie legends Sub Pop and have a new album on the way in early 2010 which, if the previous two are anything to go by, should be a lesson in dream-pop goodness. 'Apple Orchard' shows you almost everything brilliant about this band, perfect for the late nights and early mornings. As well as the more 'chemically imbalanced' days.
6.Public Image Ltd 'Swan Lake'
Another ruddy reformation, this time from PiL. Tour tickets aren't cheap, either, so you might be better off spending your money elsewhere. The up side of spending so much on a ticket is, naturally, that you get to see Public Image Ltd. You could just listen to them in their glory days - like 'Swan Lake' from Metal Box on here, though. Your call, boss.
7.The Slits - 'Shoplifting'
30 years on and Cut still remains an absolute masterpiece with its ragga-basslines and Ari Up's screechy teenage vocal lines and lyrics. The reformed band played a rare UK appearance in Hainault, at Offset Festival at the weekend. It was a monumental let down, but at least we have tracks like 'Shoplifting' to comfort us. Do a runner!!! Do a runner!!!
8.Late of the Pier - 'Space and the Woods'
We announced the winners for our annual alternative Mercury Prize, The Neptune Prize. The winners: these guys, obviously. How they didn't get a nomination for the Mercury is beyond all forms of comprehension. Seriously. Regardless, in Fantasy Black Channel they made one of the finest LPs in the last year or so, and this track demonstrates just why.
9.Muse - 'Knights of Cydonia'
Quite a few Muse bits this week, actually. We had the Guardian Stream and reaction, the reader reviews of The Resistance and the overall First Listen piece. All three went down pretty well, and this track is Muse being Muse. Live.
10.Japanther - 'The Windex'
We reviewed Japanther's Tut Tut, Now Shake Ya Butt earlier in the week, giving it a decent-to-good 7/10. Writer Robert Ferguson says that they "make a glorious racket, the sound of the knockabout sugary melodies of new-school punk and ska colliding with the lo-fi dirtiness of a previous generation’s approximation of guitar-based rebellion." And he's right, they do.
11.The Chap - 'Proper Rock'
The Chap got our Single Of The Week on Monday for 'Well Done You'. We couldn't bring you that track so we brought you this little odd one, Mum. It really should make you want to dance, Lance. We could go on, Tom. But we shan't, Grant. Etc.
12.Let's Wrestle' - 'Tanks'
Another fine appearance from North London trio Let's Wrestle at Offset Festival last weekend. 'Tanks' may be the standout anthem on an album which has anthems coming out of its ears. If I had a pound for every time I'd sang "Not a squadron of tanks / or soldiers of different ranks can save us / not a fleet of policeman / or faith or religion can give me the guts to talk to you again" than I'd probably have enough money to afford some real mustard.
13.RZA - 'Bloody Samurai'
Never in a million years did we think we'd see Shavo from System of a Down hooking up with RZA. I mean in a purely musical way, if you're reading, RZA. But he has. This one's taken from the OST to a film called Afro Samurai. WARNING: There are frequent instances of the N-word being used. As well as referring to women as 'bitches'. But he's just jokin', isn't he?
14.Speech Debelle - 'Finish This Album'
It's probably passed you by, but Speech Debelle won the Mercury Prize earlier this week. Never in doubt, eh Speech? Speech Therapy is a very fine album, but there's just something I can't get over. I think it's the fact that she sounds like a thirteen-year-old boy.
15.Japandroids - 'Rockers East Vancouver'
On the same day we published Jamie T and Japanther album reviews we also made it a good day for the letter J (in a Sesame Street style) by reviewing this band's album Post-Nothing. Japandroids are a band who do something very appealing indeed with the indie-rock dynamic. I could rattle on about them now, but you're probably just better off reading Andrzej Lukowski's very fine review.
16.Pulled Apart By Horses - 'E = MC Hammer'
Thanks to these guys I got a free beer at Offset last weekend. It was in a plastic bottle but, y'know, if it was in a glass one they probably wouldn't have been throwing it. Thankfully I wasn't close enough to get spat on, but was close enough to get the feel of the energy that just flies out from every member of PABH. During 'E = MC Hammer' that energy pounded me in the face several times. Rock. OUT.
17Andrew W.K. - 'Ready To Die'
The best thing about Andrew W.K is probably that he appeared in an episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force as himself. The second best thing is probably the whole of PARTY ROCK album I Get Wet which in conclusion is much better than his new one, 55 Cadillac.
To listen to this week's Spotifriday playlist, click here. To check out all of our Spotify playlists ever, click here.