Broken Records ‘Nearly Home’

Forget about the Paul Simon Africa ham of Vampire Weekend already, and don’t even get started with the very odd Yes-like prog of Yeasayer. NYC isn’t where it’s at. Nope. So where should we be looking?

Scotland.

Yup, we should all be looking at, gawping at no less, Edinburgh seven-piece (posher writers than me would call that a septet wouldn’t they?) Broken Records. ‘Nearly Home’ is the pick of the tracks currently in their shop window. The glorious Scots burr on show is absolutely gobsmacking. That is a voice. And this is music that belts you right between the eyes and doesn’t let up until about a second before you think your pounding heart is going burst. It’s not often you hear music this exhilarating. Think I might need a little lie down now.

This is, hands down, the best thing I’ve heard this year. There’s a Radio 1 Huw Stephens session lined up for next week, not to mention two London shows – I was tempted to make the 200-mile round-trip… were both shows not sold out.

Couldn’t help but notice that Murray Chalmers is involved. He’s the former head of press at EMI/Parlophone, did the job for 20 years. Knows a thing or two does Murray. Had a cracking falling out with him once over Mansun. All good fun.

His name alone is one of those signs that says you’ll be hearing more about this lot. A lot more.

More Hear…
- You know, they do have a MySpace page.
- There’s the debut four-track EP, for a bargain £5. Buy it here and call it an investment.

The Ting Tings ‘Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix)’

While going about War Child business last week, I had the pleasure of Mike Smith’s company. A doubly good thing. First he’s a top chap, but also his company happens to be Columbia Records.

As well as his evident and infectious enthusiasm for Mark Ronson to get his deserved nod at the following night’s Brit Awards – he was effusive in the recommendation of his new recruits, Salford duo The Ting Tings. He was clearly excited.

His previous latest loves take up much space on my CD shelves. Mike signed Blur, The White Stripes, Teenage Fanclub, Arcade Fire, to name a few.

Add in that The Ting Tings are a group already so hotly tipped they rank somewhere between a mid-drag Marlboro Light and a rocket re-entering earth’s atmosphere.

And this post has a disappointingly, twist-free conclusion: They really are great.

Great fun. Great image. Great tunes. And ‘Great DJ’ is their new single.
Oz Clarke would swill it around, and say ‘I’m getting hints of Girls Aloud, mmm, a slight aroma of Blondie. Then there’s a clear top note of Gossip disco, with a bottom note of Supergrass chorus. Very nice, with only slight aftertaste of Republica.’

I’ll wager that this time next year, The Tings Tings will be the onomatopoeic sound Mike’s champagne glass at the 2009 Brit Awards.

More hear…

- Watch the proper not remixed version of the single now… and aswrexham0emma comments: ‘OMG i forgot to say people that don’t like this song are jus smelly old people that obviously don’t understand new music.’
- Usual tracks and info at ver MySpace. Will all band names from now on be chosen to ensure your MySpace url is available? Discuss.

Ok Go ‘Here It Goes Again’
Look, before we get started I know I’ve missed the boat on this one. In fact, I’m so late that the boat would have moored in Sydney by now. And come back.

Anyway, was idly watching CBBC at the weekend. There was show that I think was called Chute, it’s a bit like ‘You’ve Been Framed’ only for kids, therefore much better… Anyway, they showed this Ok Go video. I have no idea how it has passed me by, but it has.

In an age when the pop video has quickly become less interesting than wallpaper, this is utter genius. You do wonder how long it took them to a) learn the moves and b) get it right in one take. Or maybe that’s just me. Anyway…

They have other videos, but only ‘A Million Ways’ is really worth watching. It apparently cost them a mere $10 to make. Wonder what they spent it on? Here’s their YouTube ‘channel’ if you want more.

Vampire Weekend ‘Exit Music (For A Film)

I love this picture. What on earth? It’s a lovely shot though.

Vampire Weekend are bigger than a big thing if you believe everything you read which you really shouldn’t… and we should know.

New York is abuzz with them and little else apparently. Watch my back as I fly in the face of fashion, but it all sounds a bit odd, kind of out of place. But I guess that’s probably the point. They call it Upper West Side Soweto, i think it used to be called Paul Simon. But hey, if a world music version of The Arcade Fire is your thing, it is time to fill your boots.

But, and it’s a big but, they are what people like to call a “blog band” which is always good (attention caught without the $$$ of a major label marketing department and so on…) and they continue to redeem themselves in quite spectacular style by serving up a highly fashionable Radiohead cover.

Their version of ‘Exit Music (From A Film)’ is a bit special. I really like the bit where it sounds like they’ve all just fallen over. Brace yourselves.

More hear…
- Oh you know, it’s the usual MySpace page. Check out ‘Mansard Roofs’, there’s a glorious Rhodes at the beginning.
- And, the latest from the Amazon Marketplace Price Index, I’m happy to report the laws of supply and demand have kicked in and you can pick up their debut long one for a mere £4.50. Can’t argue with that really.

Apes & Androids ‘Nights Of The Week’

I sometimes find myself Romo-niscing – thinking wistfully of the most OTT, ridiculous Melody Maker days.

The Maker’s risk-taking verve pandered to my teenage years – unlike NME trainspotters, it was very much in touch with its feminine side.

It loved Liam for his eyes and Kurt for his lips. It was quicker to passionately embrace the glamorous, the pop, the effete… the different. And often with tongues. Shameless.

It allowed the likes of Daniel Booth to write within its pages. And it invented Romo. I daydream what it would have made of Emo? Heck, Julian Casablancas? Robyn? Klaxons? Scissor Sisters? X Factor? Buy me a pint sometime, there’s bigger discussion here about…
a) was Romo when Melody Maker “jumped the shark” and…
b) does any of this matter post-web? Did it matter pre-web?

The world’s oldest music weekly probably found its niche during those death throe years (there is yet another pint to be had as to when that actually began). Looking at what’s going on with music today (the internet and all that), it’s a shame the sages at IPC didn’t think it was worth throwing a lifeline to, keep it ticking over.

And you do still double take in the newsagents when you see bands like The Wombats on the cover of the NME. And the point of closing The Maker was..?

Anyway. Apes & Androids. Prince. Gary Numan. Queen. David Bowie. Scissor Sisters. Spandex. Glitter make-up. In an illicit club in New York’s Meat Packing District. But way gayer. What would the Maker have made of them? They are either humiliatingly The Darkness of electro pop, and should be shunned as the new Electric Six.

Or… they are the sexomatic future of pop. As ‘Nights Of The Week’ suggests. Hm.

More hear…
- Total band myspace takeover.
- An album, ‘Blood Moon’, in handy real-life version is available from here, or get the download from iTunes
- And how about a bonus track? Oh go on then…
Apes & Androids ‘Golden Prize’