Music Review 2015

As usual with this I start off writing with the best intentions, somewhere along the line I lose focus and don’t always regain it so a few reviews might look sparse. I’ve thrown in some YouTube videos so you can take a wee listen to things. Oh and in case you’re a div, those aren’t star ratings.

Firstly albums that were released this year.

Björk – Vulnicura
I listened to this album and couldn’t get into it. It just seemed very meh and it all seemed to mesh into a single in-distinctive track. I tried listening again a few days later, but I just couldn’t arsed with it. It didn’t seem to resonate with me.

Move forward in time and I decided to put this on as background music when some friends came round for the evening, I was pleasantly surprised. By not paying attention to it, it caught my attention and subtly drew me in. Nothing really jumps out at me, but while it seems like one single track, it feels quite comforting playing away in the background.

I don’t know what to make of the stripped back Vulnicura Strings, being released not long after Vulnicura, part of me can’t help it’s a trick for cashing in, you might think that’s cynical but there’s also Vulnicura Live released as well so you can understand the thinking here. I’ll reserve judgement until I have listened to it.

Kunt and the Gang – Kunt’ll Fix It: The Best of Kunt and the Gang Vol II
Vulgarity, dark and gritty humour from KATG. The problem with this is explaining to other people who are either horrified, don’t find it funny or think you’re freakish. It’s easier to do this by forcing people to a couple of his official YouTube videos which thankfully they tend to find funny or at the least, get why you find it funny. The alternative is to throw them in the deep end with a gig where you may end losing friends, but who really cares, because they probably weren’t a good friend anyway.

This collection is comprised from a selection of songs from Hurry Up And Suck Me Off Before I Get Famous and Japs iTunes and a couple from Kunt’s Christmas album, I Want To Kiss You Under The Camel Toe. There’s a sprinkling of one off’s such as his Amy Winehouse Tribute – Amy, Amy, It’s A Terrible Shamey or the amusing mix up of H from Steps and the bloke from The Lost Prophets in The Wrong Ian Watkins. There’s a few others such as Simon Cowell (#dirtyprotest), Jimmy Savile and the Sexy Kids, and a reworking of Little Kunt’s My Fucking Mental Friend, which itself was a re-worked cover of a Herman’s Hermit’s song.

Blur – The Magic Whip
This came out of Blur reforming for some gigs after a long absence and bringing Graham Coxon back into the fold. Made from some Garage Band samples and scratch tracks Damon had been messing about with, Graham Coxon took them away to work on and came back with this. It’s a mix Blur styles stretching across Blur’s back catalogue and they seem to have come up with a decent comeback album. 

Initially I’d seen the video There Are Too Many Of Us and felt the song was a turgid pile of shite, but had enjoyed the retro Blur sound of Lonesome Street so picked up the album. The album for me was one that took a few listens to grow on me. Beware the noodling synth of Ice Cream man, for it will get lodged in your mind.

Interestingly this isn’t something I reach for often, it’s one of those albums I need to be in particular mood to listen to. It’s not a bad thing, it’s just got it’s own space.

The Lovely Eggs – This Is Our Nowhere
This is the Eggs fourth album and you might worry that a band composed of a guitarist with a Big Muff pedal and a drummer, might get start to sound repetitive and tiresome, well I’m here to tell you in this case, you are wrong! Just buy it. 

Randolph’s Leap – Most Clunky
This is a selection of 9 tracks from their Clumsy Knot album performed live at Kid Canaveral’s Xmas Baubles V in 2014. I’m kind of glad because we turned up late and ended up missing them. From the awesome Microcosm to my favourite I Can’t Dance To This Music Anymore.

Tuff Love – Dross EP and Dregs EP
Tuff Love sound very 90s to me, this is a good thing. I’ve been branded a 90s throwback numerous times according to Neil, Dan and my wife. Just go watch the video.

Justified Ancients of Mu Mu – 1987: What The Fuck Is Going On?
The track that started it all, was it genuine or was it a pisstake? Hip hop beats and some weird Scottish bloke rapping over the top of tunes, it was hard to tell. The JAMs took themselves seriously and released their experiment. From sampling Abba’s Dancing Queen and The Beatles to one of the people working on the record singing a traditional folk song this really was a surreal mixed bag. 

Justified Ancients of Mu Mu – Who Killed The JAMs?
From the referencing the withdrawal and ordered destruction of their debut LP on Burn The Bastards, which hasn’t stopped them from sampling, no they’re back and they’re doing it better. The principles behind the previous album are followed, but the results are far more polished.

Disaster Collection Fund feels like an evolution from the debut’s Rockman Rock Parts 2&3. An angry, shouting Bill Drummond sounding like he’s verbally pissing into the wind, rallying against the world. He appears to be letting off steam about the destructive events already mentioned. 

The KLF – The What Time Is Love Story (JAMS LP4)
An album containing 6 versions of What Time Is Love? The original, a ‘live’ version and four remixes that feature nowhere else in the KLF catalogue. 

Aperture Science Psychoacoustics Laboratory – Portal 2: Songs To Test By Vol. I-III
The soundtrack to the game Portal 2, fantastic instrumentals, great selection of tracks ranging from slow creeping, atmospheric numbers the excellent high octane Robots FTW.
Best of all it’s free! Download the Portal 2 Soundtrack HERE

Aphex Twin – Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments Pt2 EP
It’s synth patterns put through ‘Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments’ to produce an acoustic version of Aphex Twin. This isn’t rehashed material, it’s new and it sounds mesmerising and is oddly addictive. The easiest way to convey the sound of this is to point you at a couple tracks.

Gary Le Strange – Polaroid Suitcase, Fame Academy, Glamoronica, Beef Scarecrow
I got all the albums at once, and while these are ‘comedy’ albums. I was introduced to one of my favourite of his tracks, All I Ever Do (Is Sit In My Room) from Glamoronica when Stewart Lee stood in on BBC 6 Music’s The Freak Zone. A lot of this is musical parodies of 80s tunes, such as Is My Toaster Sentient? The issue with Gary Le Strange material is that some of it is mediocre and forgettable. This is an artist who needs a ‘best of’. I would recommend getting a hold of the most recent single ‘Shut Up Mum!’.

Graham Coxon – A + E
I always seem to be missing one Graham Coxon album, I swear he sneaks them out on purpose. I’m assuming the title refers to the chords or keys of the album like he did the one of his previous albums The Golden D. 

It’s hard to describe a Coxon album, I do enjoy them, they a few a stand out tracks, but they’re not something I often listen to. It doesn’t mean his albums are bad, I just have to be in a particular head space to listen to them.