<$BlogRSDURL$>

Friday, April 13, 2007

THE BUCKET 

In a rare outbreak of good taste among the usually vile and stupid general public, it seems that Because Of The Times by Kings Of Leon has reached number one in the British Long Playing Hit Parade (or is *Pick* of the *Pops* to my even older readers).

I was first attracted to the Kings' music because of their slightly-less-acclaimed-than-the-first one second album, which was full of great oddball tunes such as the Jack Douglasesque Four Kicks, and two songs featured references to the singer's premature baldness. The band - brothers Caleb, Cain, Abel and *cousin* Job apparently have their hair cut by one of their mums, but perhaps they made that bit up during a particularly boring interview.

On first listening, the new album is less immediate, so I just assumed it was going to be like that pointless, tuneless third Strokes LP. However, further investigation reveals that they've hem hem *cooked up a moody, brooding Southern stew of gothic wotsit* as they probably said in the review in the Metro. Too true, some of it sounds like The Pixies, but in a Surfer Rosa way rather than a All The Other Overrated Stuff They Did Way.

The Kings are too good to be lumped in with all the mumbling Americana nonsense.

In other music news I arvv been mostly listening to Spirit's completely ridiculous Potato Land, The Pop Group's Y (Y? Because there are few things more life enhancing than turning up the volume on Mark Stewart's voice as a way of annoying neighbours when you're going through a midlife crisis) and the jawdropping 30 Seconds Over Tokyo by Rocket From The Tombs.

Really, just any music which is the antithesis of Snow Fucking Fucking Patrol.

It's my blog and I'll publish a post about music which no one likes and will get zero comments because it's a Friday and the internet has officially shut down for the weekend.

Bollocks to you all.

:D

Labels: , , , , , ,


Comments:
Bollocks received and being processed, Betty.
Think you're way off the mark on the music front. They're not a patch on the seminal My Boomerang Won't Come Back by Charlie Drake - and if Atmosphere by Russ Abbott don't turn you on you ain't got no switch.
P.S. Whatever happened to Pickety Witch? - (and why didn't it happen sooner).
P.P.S. Pick of the Pops, eh? Thanks for that. I've still got it labelled as The Billy Cotton Band Show on my wireless.
 
You know I finished at Oasis.
But my friend and contemporary Eileen actually bought that album when we were in town yesterday.
I was truly amazed as I know she suffers from 'age activated attention deficit disorder'.

Then it dawned - her son is called Leon. She'll soon be back to Leonard Cohen or something.
 
I liked stuff off their first album - well, I liked 'Holy Roller Novocaine' and 'Red Morning Light'. Actually, are they from the first album? I don't even know.

Mind you, I like a lot of mumbling Americana nonsense too.

I clearly have no critical judgment whatsoever.
 
Surfer Rosa's great, isn't it?

Mind you, I like Roger Whittaker's version of "Good Morning Starshine", so what do I know?

"Oobey aba naba, Nooby ab an daba - h-early morning singing song..."

er hem,

L.U.V. on ya,

Bob
 
I'm confused - when did the "Kings of Leonard Cohen" Come out? Suzanne the plans they made put an end to it. Shortly before the police arrived, fortunately.
I will try a 15 second sample on Itunes.
Snow Patrol - crazy name, crazy guys!
 
Reg - I prefer Russ Abbott's cover of Joy Division's Atmosphere. Come on: that Kings Of Leon song is at least as good as My Boomerang Won't Come Back and slightly better than that song on The Billy Cotton Band Show about eating pasta like mamma used to make. Wakey wakey!

Kaz - interesting approach Eileen has to buying presents for her son. Has she bought anything by Bob Marley ("Iron like a Leon in Zion")? How about Leon On Me by Bill Withers?

Patroclus - they're the first and last track on the first album. I don't know about what critical judgement is anyway. Opinion about music is subjective. Good thing, otherwise music writers and fans wouldn't have anything to argue about.

Robert - I love Surfer Rosa, but can't really listen to anything else by The Pixies these days. Haven't heard Roger Whittaker's version of Good Morning Starshine, but I like the version by Oliver which is undoubtedly even worse. Oliver is, unfortunately, dead, but he sounds so full of life and enthusiasm for the bright new day on that song. Perhaps he would've had more longevity if he'd sung miserable songs instead.

Murph - Suzanne went down to a place by the river and threw the master tapes of The Kings Of Leonard Cohen into the water, which is why it was never released.

"Snow Patrol - crazy name, crazy guys!" just about sums them up.
 
When you get to a certain age in life, you listen to these new bands and think "Hmmm, that sounds like so-and-so" therefore the newer hyped bands don't seem to be that groundbreaking. We're all aware that music keeps on getting rehashed over the years and perhaps that's why some of these whipper-snapper musicians sound old hat to us more mature listeners.

Nothing's come on to the scene to kick Black Sabbath up the arse since they got famous. Big-up to Brum on that one.

Spirit featuring Randy California?
"Twelve Dreams of Dr Sardonicus" is one of the best ever.
 
my ex-father-in-law looked exactly like roger whittaker. in fact you never ever saw them in the same room together. and now 'roger whittaker' is dead. and so is my ex-father-in-law.
hmmmmm.
 
Istvanski - thing is, I find myself falling into the habit of saying "that just sounds like a rip off of so-and-so" which I try not to do because I can remember liking bands when I was young and being told by someone older "oh, it's nothing new, everything was better in the old days". I suppose all bands have to have some influences if they don't live in a vacuum - it's only when they don't do anything new with the influences that it becomes annoying.

Randy California, eh? Overlooked and underrated.

First Nations - Roger Whittaker is still very much alive as far as I know, but I'll just go over to check on Google News in a bit to be on the safe side. Perhaps the spirit of your father in law passed on tho him when he died though ...
 
i'd like to believe that.
however, my studies of ed gein lead me to make another, more horrifying conclusion as to poor rogers fate....



this given that the apple (my ex) hadn't fallen far from the tree (his father) that is...
 
No, Roger is still very much alive as far as I know (even though he is looking a bit peaky in the pictures on the homepage of his website - http://www.rogerwhittaker.com/) I certainly hope he hasn't been skinned alive, but you wouldn't really want that for anyone, would you? Well, maybe with the exception of a few people ...
 
I like their naive candour. And their rock and roll.

I wonder what their Mum thinks of her sons' relentless fucking of anything that moves in the past few years.

(I'm' still on Kings of Leon btw - although Roger Whittaker? you never know)
 
Well there's no Roger Whittaker on my NEW PODCAST!! Yes - I finally pulled my finger out and did one. x
 
Maybe I should rename my blog "Cultural Snow Patrol". That would attract many fans of abysmal music, and we could make merry with them.

Rocket From The Tombs, though. Bladdy fantastic stuff.
 
I feel the need to make known my existence as someone who listens to both the Pop Group and Snow Patrol (not to mention Kings Of Leon).
 
Kings of Leon and Snow Patrol are on Singstar... Unfortunately, as yet, there is no Val Doonican on Singstar. (One of my most prized posessions is a signed photo of him.)

Have been wandering to your blog for a while (often too shy to comment) remember a link that suggests you are a writer out in the other world too? If you've a moment, wonder if you could share your thoughts/ideas about writers who blog (and blogging in general) for some research I'm doing. T'would be grand.
 
I didn't know you were a Pop Group fan Betty... they rule don't they, although I can't listen to them too much.
 
Spinsterella - yeah, there aren't many bands who are raaahhk 'n' roooll (not in a Beavis And Butthead way ... just that I'm more of a fan of bands who can rock a bit than ones who can indie a bit). Funny how people who have had a religious upbringing tend to, er, be gagging for it when they grow up. The singer has apparently had a fling with Rod Stewart's daughter (the one who's always in the papers). Oh dear.

Rockmother - I'll try to have a listen to it tomorrow, but the fact that there's no Rodge on there might prevent me from enjoying it as much as I could have done.

Tim - I've always been put off the idea of Rocket From The Tombs because they're almost a comedy idea of The Coolest Cult Band Of All Time. They were punk before punk! They were the prototype for Pere Ubu! They never actually put out any records! Only about a dozen people saw them live! One of them had a tragic drug and drinks related early death! Still, I've had to admit that song's great and I'm going to have to investigate further.

Hg - and so you should ;) What - no Roger Whittaker though?

Miss-cellany - hello! Val Doonican is cruelly underrepresented on the internet. There must be a conspiracy against him.

I'm laughing at the idea that someone would pay me to write stuff. Perhaps someone would pay me to give up blogging (starting price - twenty five grand)?

Billy - The Pop Group aren't really a band whose music could provide a nice ambience at a dinner party, are they? Not that I ever attend dinner parties. I'm just guessing.
 
I bid 25p and the 6 tiny bags of skittles from my multipack Easter present that i don't want cos they're not chocolate.

I loved the Kings' second album too, having been unconvinced by the first one. Essentially because the first sounded like they were having fun, which would never do. I may well have to invest in the new one. I like the first single.

I'm waiting for Classical Singstar. A bit of Zadok The Priest or Greensleeves, or even better, the Leonard Cohen beating Hallelujah Chorus.
 
Del - well, I can assure you that they don't sound as if they're having fun on this album. Life at the top is tough though.

Singstar is something that's beyond my realms of comprehension because I'm so old. Mind you, I found it difficult to adapt when my "radiogram" was replaced by a "stereo" "music centre".
 
They're a bit sexy, aren't they - the Kings of Leon? I think they were better when they were hairier, though. And whoever told them to try skinny jeans should be slapped.
 
Oh crap I'm still singing Pixies, SCREAMING really, when I'm stuck in traffic..
"If Man is 5...
Then the Devil is 6
And if the Devil is 6
Then God is 7"

and the Slits 'typical girllllls'.
I'll check out your boys but as you can see I am waaaaayyy behind.
 
Arabella - the skinny jeans were probably a recommendation from those supermodels they tend to hang around with. They seems to be backing away from looking like The Strokes now though.

HE - one of the songs on the album has a bit of Frank Black SCREEEEAMING. I remembered that because I heard it coming out of somebody's open window when I was out in the garden earlier!
 
oh heck can't you put up a new post I haven't heard of most of this lot and don't want to look stupid making an ignorant comment, just no more VD please!

. . .lined up attacking it, shoving it and smacking it, the day Delaney's donkey won the . . .
 
Ziggi - there will be no more Val Doonican (I hope) but I can't guarantee what I'm going to post about next. I'm running out of ideas!
 
kings of leon? i would.
 
Surly Girl - blimey, I've never ahem thought of them in that way before. Still, I rarely see anybody in that way anymore because of my age ...
 
Post a Comment

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?