Ape School - Wail To God. The greatest music video ever

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DOWNLOAD: Ape School- Wail To God
SPOTIFY ALBUM LINK: Ape School- Ape School

Monkeys and boobs: just two of my favourite things; music (good music) is also biggy on the favourite list. Ape School are doing a good job of covering all these areas on what could be the greatest music video ever (though I don’t really watch the things anymore).

Apeschool are on Counter Records a fine subsidary of Ninja Tunes

The Heavy- How You Like Me Now?

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DOWNLOAD: The Heavy- How You Like Me Now?

Always been keen on The Heavy since I first heard ‘That Kind of Man’ two years ago, it did what soul should do grab you by the balls; none of this “oh it’s a grower” rubbish, great immediate pop with fire in it's gut. His voice is slightly less Curtis Mayfield, replaced with a hearty blues vocal without being too put on, big meaty beats and beefy horns, it’s wig shaker and foot stomper.

Beck (again). His Song (in the loosest sense of the word) for Harry Partch

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DOWNLOAD: Beck- Harry Partch

I am not even going to pretend I know a jot about Harry Partch, did a quick wiki and google hunt, he sounds pretty interesting if not ridiculously inaccessible. I'm going to shamefully lift text about the man from Beck's website.


"Harry Partch was a composer of what is termed Microtonal music. He developed his own systems of tonality using frequencies and notes found between those in western traditions. He felt they could elicit emotions and reactions from the listener conventional tonality couldn't. He built his own proprietary instruments to play his work. Similar in the sound to instruments found in eastern music such as the koto, taiko, or gamelan, they are ultimately uncategorizable. He spent years traveling as a hobo during the depression and incorporated everyday speech into his melodic lines. He transcribed graffiti and used it as text. He is one of the great musical thinkers and innovators of the last century."

The ten minute plus ode to Harry has nothing to hang your coat on, drifting from country to psych to hip hop to baroque to the indescribable, an interesting piece. You still won't get it after a 100 listens though.

Arctic Monkeys - Cornerstone.

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Not one for the world of Heat magazine, I find it a little cheapening that Alex Turner goes out with the pout on a stick that is Alexa Chung. I thought you were down to earth man, all this T4 presenter courting simply turns you into "Alexa's indie rocker boyfriend". I have friends who find Alexa Chung attractive, actually a hell of a lot of men find her so, I say Alex dumps her and gets himself some anonymous beauty with boobs (you can't be doing with that teenage boy chest) and lose the pointless distraction.

I think this song may have been written about her; I try and block it out, because unlike Chung's nonchalant 6th form presenting it's enjoyable to listen to, it's lovely to listen to and unlike Chung it smells of beautiful sincerity and substance.

Undisputed Truth - Cosmic Truth - Undisputedly Ace Cosmic Funk

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DOWNLOAD: Undisputed Truth- Down By The River
DOWNLOAD: Undisputed Truth- UFO
DOWNLOAD: Undisputed Truth- Squeeze Me, Tease Me

Undisputed Truth the band are not important, they got great soul voices, plucked from Motown's roster of backing singers by production god Norman Whitfield - they're his band, his experiment, his visions.
Norman's playthings fifth album is psychedelic funk at it's finest, it's Funkadelic weird in some parts but falls back on Motown pop sensibility (and ain't no finer thing in pop sensibilities).

This cover of 'Down By The River' is whole different song, they've turned the Neil Young and Crazy Horses song and turned it cosmic funk, boy does it work. 'UFO' is pure P-Funk and 'Squeeze Me, Tease Me' could well be Norman Whitfield's golden boys The Temptations.

Unfortunately there doesn't seem to a widely available reissue on this baby, from what I've seen you'll be paying between £15-£30 for a decent vinyl copy. You won't regret spending that, every track's a winner.

Lennon

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“Hey I’m the speccy one from that band that did Yellow Submarine, do you mind if I join your band? Play a bit of rock n roll yeah?”

Lennon

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“Hello I’m John Winston Lennon. I used to be in the biggest band in the world, now I’m the biggest solo in the world. I’m just going to rip my heart out in the studio, get Phil Spector to record it and make one of the greatest albums ever- then I’ll do it live on stage. How you like those glass onions?”

Introducing: Lisa o Piu

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Download: Lisa o Piu- Cinnamon Sea

Spotify Link: Lisa o Piu- When This Was the Future

Yesterday I told you how good The Amazing are; after digging into their world, my ears were blessed with the sound of Lisa o Piu. Signed to the same Swedish label Subliminal Sounds as Dungen, The Amazing and Life On Earth she’s like the little sister of this psych-folk family, it’s a bit like a Scandinavian Laurel Canyon and she’s the Joni Mitchell.

Her debut album ‘When This Was the Future’ is an absolute beauty, it washes over you with flutes, guitar picking, lush subtle strings and folk enchantment… with that description have I made it sound like it stinks of sickly incense? But it’s a lot more authentic than your middle class weekend hippy fodder, it’s a little Sandy Denny, a bit Joni Mitchell but a lot more like Linda Perhacs.

I’m really enjoying the Subliminal output, I’ll be sure to report back on more of their gems.

Buy it today on Vinyl, CD or MP3

Introducing: The Amazing- A band who write their own reviews

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Download: The Amazing- Dragon
Download: The Amazing- Code II
Download: The Amazing- The Kirwan Song


Spotify Link: The Amazing- The Amazing


The Amazing a band that have saved me thinking of a superlative, because they are. They're from Sweden and have the lead guitarist from Dungen and the drummer; possibly the greatest drummer playing today, he's an absolute joy to listen, a litter or jazz fusion fills that across sprinkled across Dungen- a band who sound so natural and pure, a band without pretence or pressure a unit, fine tuned and satisfying, boy are they so.

The Amazing are Dungen if they moved to Laurel Canyon, hanging with Crosby, Frank Zappa and pals, so they're a little poppier but there is some cosmic psych folk and jazz (those drums) and unlike Dungen they sing in English- this simple fact could see them gaining a few more fans.
Their debut self titled was released earlier this year quietly on the soulless itunes through the excellent Swedish label Subliminal Sounds, who will ship the LP or CD, their site has some salivating compilation reissues too- definitely one to earmark. If you don't fancy their prices you can listen on spotify ahead of what i hope is a much wider release.