Relax, Take It Easy... with Mika

Had to get back to blogging after seeing Mika at Popstarz (gay night every Friday @ Scala, Kings Cross, London) last week. What a natural performer - all smiles, flamboyant, yes, but absolutely talented as well - easy smooth vocals reminiscent of Freddie Mercury!

Funny commentary - esp. after singing "Billy Brown", after which he said "That song was made for Popstarz, I think!" (The song is about a man leaving his wife for another man!) His songs range from pop genius ("Grace Kelly") to absolutely ridiculous but fun ("Lollipop" - apparently his personal favorite.)

Mika grew up in a warzone in Beirut, and actually wrote one of the Orbit chewing gum commercial jingles! Not that he needs any blog promotion - his single "Grace Kelly" made it to number one through downloads only, the hard copy is only out this week!



Anyhow, you have to check at least these two songs out - absolutely fabulous.

If nothing else - he is absolute proof that Simon Cowell is full of it - read this to see what I mean. Funny!

Visit the Official Site for more info.

Download:

Relax, Take It Easy - Mika

Grace Kelly - Mika

Buy:

Grace Kelly (EP) - Mika (Amazon)

MYCM is Proud To Reveal... The Secret

Here at Meaning You Can Memorize, we're not really sure how to introduce this post. "The Secret" is a feature-length film that combines principles of positive thinking, quantum physics, visualization, and the power of thought to create an inspirational, motivating, and potentially life-changing viewing. Trust us, its not as boring as it sounds.

With a word of warning that the opening and trailer can tend towards "Da Vinci Code" ridiculousness, the principles are there.

Here for your viewing pleasure is a 26 minute preview of "The Secret", which is also available to view online for $5 or to purchase on DVD at www.TheSecret.tv

Feedback always welcome. This is the real deal folks.

Getting Back On Track with Jon Stewart

One clip I could not let slip by was this "Gaywatch" report from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Its a scary world we live in when we have to depend on Jon Stewart to correct CNN, but here it is:



Hope you enjoyed that - but as funny as it was, its also outrageous.

What has happened to the institutions of news and journalism???

Carl Davis' 70th Birthday at Queen Elizabeth Hall

To celebrate the extraodinarily talented composer Carl Davis's 70th birthday, he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through Buster Keaton's "Our Hospitality" and Charlie Chaplin's "The Fireman" at Queen Elizabeth Hall - the first time his scores for these films had been performed live in London. The scores were beautiful, entertaining, and simply perfect accompaniment to the films. It really makes me think that more movies today should be shown with the score performed live - it adds an entire new dimension to the film. It just takes the cinematic experience to a whole other level.



The films themselves were both absolutely fantastic, though I have a strong preference for "Our Hospitality" due to its more developed plot and lack of overly repetitive silly humour. I think the silent film genre in general is quite neglected these days and am happy to find its still alive and well in some niches of London culture!


I was lucky enough to be introduced to Carl Davis afterwards at his birthday reception, and am pleased to have found him to be as nice, interesting, and charming as his music is rich, expressive, and extraordinary.


Referring back to my previous post on "Phantom of the Opera" at the Royal Opera House - below you can find a taste of Carl Davis' "Pride and Prejudice" score, as well as purchase some of his work on CD via Amazon.com. Enjoy!


On a side note, all previously posted songs will most likely not be working. This is because our file host, EzArchive, have made some major changes. We will be eventually updating all these previous posts for those of you who'd like to use our archives, but it will be done gradually over the next week. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Download:

Pride and Prejudice: Theme - Carl Davis

Buy:

Phantom of the Opera Score (1925 Silent Film) - Composed by Carl Davis (Amazon)


Pride and Prejudice Original Score (BBC 1996 MiniSeries) - Composed by Carl Davis (Amazon)


The Orchestral Works of Carl Davis (Amazon)

Lost Vagueness Presents.... Night of the Vaguely Dead

(NOTE: This was actually written on Saturday night, or should I say Sunday morning. However as our internet is still faulty [thanks BT] I've not gotten around to posting till today. This problem combined with the flu has prevented me from keeping up with stuff so I will be backlogging a lot of reviews this week!)


Back from what was without a doubt THE best Halloween party in London tonight, Lost Vagueness's "Night of the Vaguely Dead." Fabulously dressed people from serious horror to amazing glam to perfect vintage to complete fetish. Great live music, awe-inspiring acts, dead-on DJs, a casino, makeovers, bars, and the entire Coronet Theatre to accomodate it.


Going to post the video and a few images I have in an effort to inspire ANYONE who is here for New Year's to go to the Lost Vagueness party, TRUST ME it will be worth every cent (pence?)


Its the perfect opportunity to dress your personal style - I went in a hoop skirt ball gown as a Victorian Vampiress! I've always wanted to wear one of those cages, which I rented from the amazing Angels fancy dress shop on Shaftesbury Avenue near Covent Garden/Leicester Sq.

The live music included: Last Man Standing (who were fabulous as expected, see previous post), the gypsy punk stylings of Urban Voodoo Machine (very highly recommended!), and finally Alabama 3 - writers of the Sopranos theme song (who are meant to be very good but I completely missed their set!)


On top of these great live bands, you get all kinds of performers, here's a short snippet of a burlesque acrobatic act. Yes, that is a chandelier that she is suspended from! And, erm, the end of her act (not shown) is quite a **cough** hidden gem **cough**.


Just a taste of what you missed. I leave you with a snapshot from the dance floor, where yes, there was whipped cream involved at some point!

Back Again with Reviews and Regrets

Before I start posting on all the amazing London happenings that have gone on in the past week, I'm going to have to start out with some regrets.

If anyone's been to the following gigs, let me know how they were. (And if they were really amazing, pity me and undersell them...I had the flu and couldn't go!)

The Zombies @ Millfield Arts Centre
Tim Finn (Crowded House) @ Scala
Boy Kill Boy @ Astoria
Silvery @ Club NME
Royal Treatment Plant @ Borderline
Long Blondes @ Mean Fiddler

Now on to happier thoughts, upcoming posts in the next day or so on:

1. Saturday - The incredible Night of the Vaguely Dead Halloween party at the Coronet Theatre in Elephant and Castle.
2. Sunday - The fabulous celebration of composer Carl Davis' 70th Birthday at Queen Elizabeth Hall, where he conducted the London Philharmonic through Charlie Chaplin's "The Fireman" and Buster Keaton's "Our Hospitality."
3. Monday - The extremely thought-provoking even if headache-producing film from philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Zizek, "The Pervert's Guide To Cinema."
4. Finally, just returned from tonight's London screening of "Before the Music Dies" - a film which might not be totally groundbreaking (but will still be entertaining and nod-inducing) to your avid blog reader and indie scenester but which could make an impact on the American music industry if pushed in the cinemas to your average audience.


Right, getting to work now....

'Turn back ere ye perish!': Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Opera House

Still recovering from the uber-cool experience of seeing Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden tonight. Thats right - eminent composer Carl Davis (who wrote soundtracks for movies such as "Napoleon" and the BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice") composed a brand new score for the 1925 classic silent horror film, "Phantom of the Opera."



This is the original movie version, and quite a far cry from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. It was fascinating to watch - both frightening and hilarious at the same time. Apparently this was the most famous horror movie of its time. Funny.



Anyhow, was pleasantly surprised to see something new and interesting coming from the Royal Opera House, even saw a few punks in the crowd! (Although to be fair they were being stared out indignantly by dozens of snobs at any given minute.) Tickets ranged from £5 (restricted view) to £40 (pricey for a 90 minute movie, even if accompanied by a live orchestra.) But I have to say it was an absolutely unique experience, and that I was extremely impressed with the new musical score.



Look out for more random events from the Royal Opera House ("ROH2" hosted this event.) Actually, the ads for "Sleeping Beauty" at the end of the month looked pretty cool, anyone up for that?



I'll leave you with my favorite pieces from the 2004 Phantom of the Opera soundtrack, having failed to find any relevant music to the 1925 film online (if you know/have any, please comment, I'd love to know!)

Download:

The Point of No Return (Chandelier Crash) - 2004 Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack

The Phantom of the Opera - 2004 Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack

Masquerade (Why So Silent?) - 2004 Phantom of the Opera Soundtrack

Buy:

Phantom of the Opera - Soundtrack from the Musical (Michael Crawford, etc.) (Amazon.co.uk)

Phantom of the Opera - Soundtrack from the 2004 Movie (Amazon.co.uk)

Feature: Jacaranda's "Museum of Sorrow"

As I step into Union Chapel, the first thing that occurs to me is "Why the hell am I in a Church at all - never mind on a random Friday night?" This thought is quickly replaced by a much pleasanter one - "Well, whatever reason I'm here, you absolutely cannot say this place lacks atmosphere!"

The sorrowful beauty of the place was silently stunning. But not silent for long as a sound check began with some experimental electronica...

This was the "Museum of Sorrow", an evening put together by the artistic collaborative Jacaranda Pictures, "curating a programme in various acts of quiet melancholy and joy" - a combination of music, film and performance, being webcast live all over the world. What can I say - when it comes to good arts and music, when it rains it pours. It was the purely eccentric nature of the event which motivated me to go, and I was already glad I had.

With small tea candles glowing and flickering on the ledges of the balcony level of the beautiful and imposing Union Chapel, and well-orchestrated lighting gently illuminating the columns and arches, a spooky stage was set for something truly unique. And I do mean unique - how often do you see horse-headed men, exotic costumed ushers, trance/techno music, folk songwriters, puppet shows, tap dancing to the Smiths, and a bar serving alcoholic drinks in one place - forget about in a beautiful Medieval-style church?

The evening came in a Prologue and Three Acts. The Prologue of interesting thought-provoking films was quite good. Papa November, the experimental electronica band, were (I'm sure) quite good, but that stuff REALLY just is not my cup of tea, and it went on for ages.



There was a both comical and awe-inspiring magic act, then a performance by Lucienne Cole - a single woman who tap-danced to "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" by the Smiths, then a puppet show explaining the concept behind the Museum of Sorrow. The latter was really clever, witty, funny, and impressive. While I won't go into great detail, and run the risk of misinterpreting the entire idea - it seems like the Museum of Sorrow is the place where things that might be dead in the real world (in our mass media society) go to be preserved for the future - ie. a way of saving our dying arts and culture!!! Great stuff.

A tiny clip of the tap-dancing to the Smiths:

As for the other bands/acts:

While I might not be the "folk" type, I was wholly entranced by Ginger Lee, the adorable experimental folk singer also of the highly regarded Bat For Lashes.

Joe Volk was also quite excellent, another singer-songwriter from Bristol who sat there with his guitar and quietly worked his way into our subconscious. Highly recommended.

Bela Emerson, a one woman act, improvised on cello some of the most amazing, winding, trance-like melodies I've ever heard. I found it so soothing that I began involuntarily meditating during this! It was quite relaxing.



Finally, the Third Act, which was Circulus, a Medieval-tinged acid-folk/prog-rock group. A beautiful sunny singer and band, all dressed in full Medieval regalia took the stage and played both modern (but Medieval-inspired) music and actual Medieval folk tunes - like an Italian folk song from the 14th century. Whatever it was, it was fabulous. I applaud them:



a) For taking the stage with confidence. Frontman Michael Tyack seems to favour slim-fitting kaftans and writing songs such as "Power to the Pixies" and "Dragon's Dance, while cueing fellow bandmates to raise their arms to the sky before beginning their act, which includes various medieval instruments. They also claim to believe in fairies and pixies. Need I say more?

b) For the originality of the music - I wasn't sure at first but by the end of the set I was absolutely sold, and even proceeded to invest in buying their album (which I will review at a later date.)

A short snippet (ignore sound as its recorded via camerphone so you can't make out anything) of the Circulus performance to give you the idea:

Note: To the drunken idiots in front of me who tried to repeatedly heckle and make fun of what they perceived as a dorky "Lord of the Rings" band: You were not funny. You are not cool. This is not high school. Go get some self-confidence, talent, and personality so you can do your own thing instead of trying to take others (who are doing so) down.

Glad to have gotten that out of my system.

Well, what more can I say?

Damn splendid way to spend an evening!


Jacaranda's Museum of Sorrow was one in a series of live webcasts - to see what you've missed, check out this link here. Unfortunately, not sure you can see the shows after they've been broadcasted live! (Feel free to correct me on this...)

Oh and my apologies for not having better video and pictures on this but I showed up completely unprepared. Next time I swear!

Finally Inspired: The Last Man Standing

I'll be fair - I've been more than a tad lazy. Yes, I've been out to gigs, theatre, London nightlife, and fashions shows (more on that later... esp. Boy George's new line, B-Rude.) But then, while much of it was decent, enjoyable, good stuff - well - nothing really hit me. Mediocrity is the theme of most of the bands being hyped at the moment, and while I could always bandwagon and push yet another group that has one or two catchy hooks and a some loud guitar to nod your head to - eh, I just didn't feel like it.

But then, in a moment of randomness, I stumbled upon The Last Man Standing. It hit - finally - something worth getting off my a** and writing about. So here it is.

The Last Man Standing is a fantastic blend of eclectic styles. Londonist wrote a review citing the Last Man Standing as "a smokey bar room band, put together by Nick Cave, influenced by a strange mixture of jazz, soul, ragtime, glam, Bowie, good old rock'n'roll and Beatles-esque pop led by a man who may or may not have spent a large part of his youth watching Marc Bolan and Frank Zappa, whilst possibly having dabbled in the odd metal album or two." And I'd have to agree. I would add in an interesting almost circus-like influence, a subtle but always there classical baroque feel, and put extra emphasis on the ragtime, Bowie, and Bolan references. Whatever that adds up to - its fabulous. (Read the entire Londonist review and interview here.)

I'll risk sounding overly enthused and say that the last time something struck me in this particular way was that first encounter with Bowie's "Aladdin Sane" in my early teenage years. The Last Man Standing are refreshingly original and well orchestrated. They have a style thats their own, are lyrically interesting, and don't fit in a box. There are so many good bands out there that I've reported on - all of which can be put down as indie, pop, etc etc and usually described easily by citing 2 or 3 strong influences. This isn't one of them. The only consistency here is the dramatic, rich, lush sound and feel of their songs.

Lets go quickly through them:

Theme For The Last Man Standing - Fantastic opening theme. A real cool cat showman intro that even develops elements of 70s prog rock during some parts - eventually morphing into a slow jazz piece and finally a quick but poetic acoustic lament. Somehow it works.

Waiting So Long - Plunges headlong into the heart of a catchy, engaging tune that could be a more fully orchestrated track off of "Hunky Dory" delivered by the lead singer of Arcade Fire, and given a slight powerpop touch.

Dean Street Stumble - Groovy song whose piano, funk, and choral elements prevent it from being anything too straightforward. A teasing melody with circus influence in the verses, then a bluesy chorus during which Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane somehow make their presence known.

Schpilkus - Starts out like a quickly paced striptease, then a Dylan-esque vocal comes through strong, with the aid of a big band sound.

An honest appeal. Just listen.

You can catch The Last Man Standing at the Halloween event for Lost Vagueness at the Coronet Theatre in Elephant and Castle (London.) I know I'm making the trek down - not only because Lost Vagueness hosts notoriously good parties, but because it will be interesting to see how The Last Man Standing will carry off these fabulously complex songs live!

Download:

Theme for the Last Man Standing - The Last Man Standing

Waiting So Long - Last Man Standing

Dean Street Stumble - The Last Man Standing

Schpilkus - The Last Man Standing

Buy:

Nothing yet, but watch this space!

Cool Protest in London/MYCM Takes Another Break

Off to NYC for a few days break, to see old friends and watch my parents renew their vows (aww...)

In the meantime, here is a very cool protest movement being spread around the internet, taking place in London at the end of the month - unfortunately I won't be able to make it there to participate. Will you?

"A recent law has made it illegal to protest anywhere near parliament without official police permission, and comedian Mark Thomas is organising a stunt to highlight the danger and stupidity of having this law in a democracy. Please note that taking part in this is 100% LEGAL, and the whole purpose of the stunt is to overload the system by dozens of people all asking for permission to protest all at the same time.

The Law:

Under section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act it is an offence to organise or take part in a demonstration in a public place within the “designated area” (up to 1km around parliament) if authorisation has not been given by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner. Participants may be subject to a fine of up to £1000 and “organizers” face up to a year in jail.

Dozens of people have been arrested for not complying with the law even when they are taking part in “Lone Demonstrations” – i.e. if they are one person with a placard.

Many people see this legislation as an assault on our civil liberties and human rights.

However if you apply for permission 6 days in advance for a lone protest (ie 1 person) they cannot refuse permission so in order to highlight the ridiculousness of having to ask for police permission to hold a peaceful demonstration, Mark Thomas is organising a mass lone demonstration evening.

Stage 1

Decide on your protest! This can be something you feel strongly about or something very silly - it’s up to you. Then you need to fill in the official form (which is very simple) and there is a copy of the form here.

Stage 2

Meet on Thursday 24th August outside Charing Cross police station any time 5.30pm-6pm to hand in your SOCPA forms.

You have to fill in the form and hand it in to the police 1 week before your protest, so everyone has to turn up at the same time to give their forms to the Police. This will mean if 100 people turn up and apply for permission, then the police have to license and approve 100 lone demonstrations

If you can’t make it to hand the forms in but want to demonstrate on the 31st, either scan and email the forms to this address, or post them to:

Ben Stern
S2S Suite Z00
9 Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane
London E1 6QL

Stage 3

The mass lone demonstrations will be 1 week later on Thursday 31st August in Parliament Square and will again be at 6:00pm for 1 hour, so this event is open to those with day jobs.

Come along! Join in! Exercise your democratic rights! The more people who come the bigger an impression this will make!

Chris Atkins

Thanks to Londonist for the original heads up!



Please check it out, be back soon I swear!

Taking a Stance: World Trade Center (The Movie)

Now I'm not usually the opinionated type (note: sarcasm) but here is a place I feel compelled to take a stance.

I understand that the Oliver Stone production of World Trade Center attempts to stay true to a story of two rescue workers involved in that day, that those workers wanted their stories told, that its not a dramatic movie about the whole day but just one microcosm, etc etc etc. (I've heard it all.)

And maybe, yes, this will serve as a dramatic reminder to those around the country not directly affected by 9/11 of the horror of that day. But what good will that do when there are still American (and other) soldiers dying daily in conflicts in Iraq - a war started (at the time) in the name of the War on Terror (namely, those who terrorized us on 9/11?) Isn't it a bit soon to be watching a historical docu-drama along the lines of "Titanic" and "Pearl Harbor" for an event that occurred five years ago, is still fresh in many people's memories, and, furthermore, is still influencing people's lives as we speak?

Not to mention the many people suffering from unknown breathing ailments as a result of spending time in Lower Manhattan - the health hazards and air quality problems as a result of the attack still haven't been clarified.

Having been a few blocks away from the Twin Towers on that day, it makes me (personally) sick to think of those events being made into a Hollywood blockbuster. I was in high school at that time, and I still can't really wrap my head around my emotions, having witnessed that magnitude of tragedy. It makes me both angry and extremely upset that one perspective of that day was made into a Hollywood event, now released as a summer blockbuster movie for maximum profit.

Bottom line: Isn't it a bit earlier for this? Plainly put, is it right that people will have a Friday night out, sit with the popcorn and soda, and have this as their entertainment?

Just a thought.



Another thought - I guess this does prove that no matter what you do to America, we will always come back with a way to capitalize and profit on our tragedies. Big business, big money. When does the "World Trade Center: The Movie" merchandise get released? Collectable WTC Action Figure Happy Meals anyone?

AngloMania in NYC

AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression
in British Fashion
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
Anglomania, the craze for all things English, gripped Europe during the mid-to-late 18th century (and yours truly from about the age of 5.) Through the lens of fashion, the exhibit AngloMania examines aspects of English culture, such as class, sport, royalty, pageantry, eccentricity, the gentleman, and the country garden, which have fuelled the European and American imagination.

Under the guidance of the Met’s Costume Institute, the English period rooms are now infused with a sense of fancy, filled with clothes from the 18th and 19th centuries alongside more whimsical togs by contemporary British designers.

Each room takes an English institution—such as the gentlemen’s club, the garden and the hunt—and examines how fashion honours and subverts tradition.















God Save Vivienne Westwood


As one reviewer wrote in the Economist:

"Anglomania" ultimately is not an exhibition about clothes. It explores the culture that created them. And the British, better than anyone else, have been able to put an entire socioeconomic treatise in the folds of a ball gown.

Well put. So what are you waiting for?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Ave (at 82nd St)
Tel: +1 (212) 535-7710
Open: Tues-Thurs, Sun 9.30am-5.30pm; Fri-Sat 9.30am-9pm

For more information visit the museum’s website.

(Note: Apologies for posting this so late - perhaps partially out of greed, not wanting anyone else to see it until I do! I will be viewing this much talked about exhibit next week on my visit to NYC, and I highly recommend you do so as well - its only open until September 4th!)

They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!

Sorry its been a while. Lets call it a mental health break. In dedication to the combination of stress, anxiety, depression, and insanity of the past month, in typical MYCM style, here is a fun song to make it all better - a 1966 song called "They're Coming To Take Me Away" by Napoleon XIV (a serious one-hit wonder!) It really is brilliantly funny, simple, and catchy.

Where was this song during that last horrific breakup, eh?



In other news, MYCM is back and has a lot for you. So watch this space!

Download:

They're Coming To Take Me Away - Napoleon XIV

Buy:

The Second Coming - Napoleon XIV (Amazon)

The Middle East Crisis/MYCM Will Return After These Messages...

As it is summer, we are all entitled (supposedly) to some kind of vacation. So off I go to Nova Scotia (Canada) to Cape Breton Island, all the way up to Wreck Cove, the most northern tip of the island (you have to cross over a mountain...) Once the mountain is crossed, the only sign of commercial life is a luncheonette and a convenience store. Scratch that, the latter just closed down.

Suffice it to say there will be no updates for the next week or so!

On to bigger and more important things, namely, the impending crisis in the Middle East. Although MYCM has (in the past) generally considered it too complicated a mess to even begin writing about, and to this day has no definitive stance on the issues at hand, an interesting article was printed in the July 10th 2006 issue of Time magazine that is worth checking out.

In "Remember What Happened Here", by Charles Krauthammer, a clear argument is made for why Israel needs to use the "disproportionate" response it has been using - namely, that Hezbollah wants nothing less than the complete annilation of Israel. Whether or not you agree with the argument, one has to admit that it is hard to see justification or defense for the Palestinian provocation in this example, following Israel's complete withdrawal from Gaza last year. Unless of course you are looking at it from a humanitarian viewpoint...



Read the entire article in full here, and feel free to leave feedback if you find any holes in the arguments or neglected facts we should know about.

And see you in a week or so!

Female Chauvinist Pigs?

Ariel Levy's new book, "Female Chauvinist Pigs", is certainly stirring up some controversy within the feminist movement (if indeed such a thing still exists...)

Citing examples of Girls Gone Wild videos and striptease and pole dancing classes at your local gym, Levy argues that our newfound "sexual liberation" is no such thing. Where she has a strong point is that women today are now working full time to imitate porn stars and strippers - people whose jobs it is to feign arousal and pleasure to begin with. On the otherhand, its easy to slide from wanting "true sexual liberation" to wanting to impose your personal conceptions of sexual liberation on the rest of the world. Levy's problem is that she is judgemental of all girls who participate, (some of whom may actually enjoy raunch culture) labelling them whores and tramps (instead of attacking the hierarchy that would make women feel obliged to participate.) This is no solution either.



Anyhow, the book is highly recommended. Also available are the mp3 recordings of the Guardian's discussion forums held last week on the topic, which you can listen to in two parts.

Listen:
Part 1
Part 2

Buy:
Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy (Amazon)

Featured: Morton Valence, Royal Treatment Plant

Two small but HOT London-based bands for you today, both of them caught by chance at the Constitution in London when I went to see the Happiness (see previous posts.)

Morton Valence is almost indescribably good electropop. Luckily I found another review that more eloquently does them justice.



"There's a new wave of bands emerging on the back of the revivalist art rock of Franz Ferdinand and Bloc Party. "Bohemian rock" groups together Canadian acts such as Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene and English bands such as the Mystery Jets and the Guillemots. Mirroring the prepiness of early 1980s outfits like Talking Heads but with a distinct emphasis on performance, there are definite common threads between these groups: an eclectic mix of instruments, intelligent lyrics and the marriage of indie pop with the vaudeville. Morton Valence are another emerging band that could easily fit into this category.

The band are unashamedly eccentric: one track is sung entirely using a megaphone, keyboards - perched on ironing boards - are stamped on and, as songs collapse half way through into cacophony, lead singer Rob Hacker picks up a trumpet and blasts it into his mic. The result of this controlled chaos is that the audience are kept on their toes at all times, not knowing quite what to expect next. One of the more surprising highlights of the set was a cover of the Cameo hit Word Up, sung in Cantonese. While the group may not be quite the finished article, songs such as Sailors and Man on the Corner (both featured on their debut single), show that, for all their quirky inventiveness, they are also capable of writing a damned catchy pop tune."

(Read the rest at Times Online)



The reviewer correctly identifies "Sailors" and "Man On The Corner" as their two best pop tunes, and they are posted below for your enjoyment.

Royal Treatment Plant may not be revolutionary but they're damn good. I might be slightly gay for lead singer Princess P - whose careless attitude and enigmatic stage presence really makes this band special. Please excuse Princess P's self-described 'lady noises'. A must see live.



"Catch them while they’re still underground, see them before they learn how to behave in polite company and find out why Royal Treatment Plant are a band to drink Martini’s to." (Live Onstage May 06)

"Crack Whore" and "Trained" I'd call as their two best songs. Judge for yourself. Nothing to buy yet, hopefully they'll release something soon! Until then, I truly recommend making it down to their next gig at the Luminaire (see website or myspace for details.)

Well you heard it here first!

Download:

Sailors - Morton Valence

Man On The Corner - Morton Valence

Trained - Royal Treatment Plant

Crack Whore - Royal Treatment Plant

Buy:

Man On The Corner (EP) - Morton Valence (Rough Trade)

Live Review: Shitdisco, The Long Blondes

Just back from the King's College show, where I missed The Boyfriends but managed to see most of Shitdisco and, of course, The Long Blondes.

Not much to say about Shitdisco but that they really live up to their name. Not impressed.

However, The Long Blondes did a terrific set, with the only dissapointment being no encore (almost unheard of nowadays!)



Giddy Stratospheres was a real highlight. Kate (lead singer) has not only a fabulous sense of style, but great attitude and presence on stage.


To be honest I didn't know a lot of the material, most of it sounded good though. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys.


Their new single, "Weekend Without Makeup", is out June 26th on Rough Trade.



You can check out the video for the new single here.

Download:

Giddy Stratospheres - The Long Blondes

Christmas is Cancelled - The Long Blondes

Buy:

Weekend Without Makeup - The Long Blondes (recordstore.co.uk)