Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
This week’s Indiestore picks selected by former NME and Rolling Stone journalist Neil Mason:
- Glasvegas “Go Square Go!” – Their debut 7″, released last week, sold out in the blink of an eye. The only way you’re going to get it now is digitally. Handy, eh? If you’ve not heard 50s rock and roll with a Glaswegian accent, boy, are you missing out. It certainly puts The Proclaimers into perspective. Brilliant stuff.
- Action Plan “Stendhal” – With support slots for Razorlight and Jet under their belt, Colchester’s brilliantly feisty Action Plan released their debut single last year on Young And Lost, the label that gave us Larakin Love. Better late than never, you can get it here now. Sadly there’s no sign of the new single yet. Boys?
- Loungeclash! “Bug Day (demo)” – From the prolific Elsewhen stable (home of Slipper and Loop Guru) comes the swirling dub of Loungclash! Exotic, rich, and rumbling, but probably not in that order, it is, in their own words, a mighty brew.
- Plum “Well Thats It” – Riotous blues that sounds like it’s been kicked out of a Hercules. This is music racing to get done before it hits the ground. A real rush of pounding drums, wobbly harmonica, and chugging gee-tar. And it’s got a spectacular two-minute intro. Life-affirming stuff.
- Emeson “No Reason” – Describing your music as “swerving from the well-trodden path of the norm” is just asking for rolling eyes and tutting. It’s nice to discover that Emeson isn’t wrong. This is classy, off-kilter soul music that stands out thanks to its most subtle of dub touches.
- Rob Sedgwick – Manchester has been churning out the singer/songwriter types of late. “Burn” is by far the strongest of a gentle trio of tracks here. It’s singing from a hymn sheet not unlike David Gray meets Elbow. Interesting certainly, and bodes well for the full album early next year.
December 1, 2006 is World AIDS Day, while this month marks the 15-year anniversary of when two legends in the world of music and sports announced to all their HIV-positive diagnoses, forever changing the face of the disease. Socially aware indie artist Arnold G plans to do his part, via music, in creating more of an awareness for those affected by HIV/AIDS. The pop-flavored “Carry On” focuses on AIDS awareness and is from his album DRIVEN: Straight to the Dance Floor. Written and composed by Arnold G, the song has an accompanying video montage with riveting images of lives around the world affected by HIV:
The music of NYC rock trio Vaeda may lead the listeners astray, but they invariably find their way back to the band, who were the No. 1 unsigned band on MySpace in Sep/Oct 2005 based on song plays on the band’s homepage (and who currently have over 105,000 MySpace friends). Their debut album, State of Nature, was released on Playtyme Records in August this year. Watch them perform a live acoustic set for SpotlightON.
Check out these full album listening parties of upcoming releases, courtesy of AOL Music:
- The Game Doctor’s Advocate
- Akon Konvicted
- Save The Last Dance 2
- +44 When Your Heart Stops Beating
- Bianca Ryan Bianca Ryan
- A Broke Down Melody Soundtrack
- Fat Joe Me Myself & I
- Army of Anyone Army of Anyone
- Staind Greatest Hits
- Flushed Away Soundtrack
- Neil Young Live At The Fillmore East 1970
- Kenny G I’m In the Mood for Love
- I Between 2 Worlds
- The Slip Eisenhower
Also from AOL Music, three live sessions on video from Diddy, Mario Vazquez, and Evanescence.
