Bell I never

We went to see Andy Bell the other day to talk about his new record, 'Electric Blue'. He was hilarious. And a tiny bit scary, but that's good too, right?

Anyhow, among the things we learnt were:
1. Before Andy met Vince and formed Erasure he was in a synth pop duo called Dinger. Dinger!
2. He loves Kissing The Pink. That's a band from the olden days. Not a suggestion.
3. He's a big fan of Sugababes and Liberty X. But he's not that keen on Will Young.
4. He likes going down The Cock. Which is an electro club. "I like it a bit sleazy," he laughed. "I'm not into prancing round my handbag at G.A.Y!"
5 His boyfriend used to go out with disco superstar Sylvester.
6. He doesn't fancy dropping acid. On his verucca.

Welcome back, Mr B. We've kind of missed you.

» Posted by: Slashmusic
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Underground, overground, Wombling free...

The Shortwave Set are self-confessed 'musical Wombles', readers.

Don't get us wrong, they don't dress up in big furry suits or anything. What they do is hunt South East London for bits of tat and then make records out of them. Or something. Even though the Wombles lived in Wimbledon, which is in South West London. Oh, our brains are hurting now.

Anyway, we interviewed them. It was very enlightening...


» Posted by: Amy
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Someday Lorraine's gonna come and wash the scum etcetcetc

Well, that day when a Lorraine's gonna come and wash etcetc was actually yesterday, when Our Favourite New Band In The World - the absurdly gorgeous Norwegian indie-synth-pop legends Lorraine - touched down on planet, um, London.

Naturally, after getting so overexcited about finally getting to see them play, we spent the majority of the day praying that they wouldn't turn out to be total rubbish.

"What if they're crap?" we chimed, our eyes full of horror.

Thankfully, they weren't. In fact, Lorraine turned out to be the least crap thing imaginable, and when they played their new track 'She Lives In Gardens' (it's The Cocteaus go Eurodisco!), we thought we were going to expire from some sort of serious joy overload.

Current single 'I Feel It' was, y'know, huge, and 'Saved' had the best ending of any pop song ever written. And that's not pointless hyperbole, it's just true. In fact, the first three tracks alone were reason enough for any one of the capital's many leading A&R men present to get their chequebooks out and do the decent thing.

So there.

Anyway, after their set, they were besieged on the stairs by loads (three) girls and couldn't leave the venue for, oooh, twenty five minutes? This can only be a good thing.

Pop music, eh?

Sighs. Again.

» Posted by: Rob
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Crimea river of free music

The Crimea have sprung from the bowels of Welsh cow-punk shouters The Crocketts.

However, as the band themselves promise: "If the Crocketts were four cavemen banging stones together, The Crimea are the sound of four Tchaikovskys banging Kylie Minogue."

We're guessing they said that before, y'know, the bad stuff happened. But anyway, are they right? Well, why not take a wander over here and find out with an exclusive - free! - download.

Hurrah!

» Posted by: Slashmusic
»Talk on boards

A video of a man playing with himself

David Ford used to be in Easyworld. Interminable record company hoo-hahs meant they sort of dropped off the map - rather unfairly - about a year ago, but David's not been idle.

Oh no.

In fact, as this exclusive to Slashmusic video reveals, David's spent a lot of time playing with himself in a room under a newsagent. Arf, etc.

(Puts on serious face) Anyway, 'State Of The Union' is the first fruit of his labours. And it's actually really, really good.

State Hi / State Lo

We watched it the other day and spent much of the afternoon discussing 'technology' and its general 'amazingness' like we actually knew what we were talking about.

The video of that little doozy will go up next week.

Maybe.

» Posted by: Rob
»Talk on boards

Win! A VIP night out at Gatecrasher...

Ahoy there, all fans of dance music and having a bloody good night out: we've got an exclusive all expenses paid VIP night out at Gatecrasher's new Leeds club Discotheque to give away!

Woo!

Just clicky here to find out more. Then get your dancing clogs on. Hurrah!


» Posted by: Slashmusic
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Can we be Blunt? Arf!

Ring ring! Guess who’s on the blower? It’s James Blunt, everyone! He had a spare couple of minutes before jetting off to hang out with The Pussycat Dolls in Italy so he thought he’d call us up for a quick natter. Amazing!

Hello James Blunt! How nice of you to call! Tell us, are you the poshest pop star ever?

I know I sound quite posh, but you tell me! How do you measure poshness?

We don’t rightly know. Anyway, your album’s doing like, really well and that. And you wrote it all yourself with no help or anything. Are you chuffed?

Well, I felt amazing. It was all really unexpected, it was a mad moment. You write songs very privately and then hope that you make an album you really like, one that documents the songs. And I was just enjoying playing them out live and enjoying the way that some people were connecting with them. But I never anticipated in my wildest dreams that it’d do what it’s done.

Such modesty. Are you sick of hearing ‘Beautiful’ yet? Because we are.

Sorry about that, but it’s not like it was number one for sixteen weeks like some songs, it was only five weeks so it doesn’t compare. The album has been at number one for nine weeks which just shows that I’m more about the album than the song.

You're blinding us with science! You went to number one with your debut single and album: surely it’s all downhill from here?

Not really, I write songs for my own pleasure at the end of the day, so I don’t see why I should get any less pleasure from music.

Brilliant! One more thing: our chart columnist Auntie Gail really lurves you. Do you have a message for her?

Hello Auntie Gail, meet me behind the bike sheds in an hour!

Crivens! We’ll pass that on. Thanks James!

Thank you, Slashmusic!


We think Auntie Gail's going to need a cold shower and a lie down in a dark room after that, otherwise she'll come over all peculiar...

» Posted by: Slashmusic
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(Not) slippery when 'wetta

We love Rowetta and not just because she's delivered the definitive reading of Oasis' scarf-waving classic, 'Stop Crying Your Heart Out'.

Oh no.

We also love her because she took the time out of her insanely busy schedule (ahem) to phone us and say how much she liked the interview we did with her recently.

FYI: Her proposed single, 'And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going', has been pulled, due to it being 'unrepresentative' of her album. So now you know.

Hurrah! We mean booo! Oh, we're confused now...

» Posted by: Rob
»Talk on boards

It's going swimmingly for Poole etcetc

Back in 1996, Shelly Poole and her sister Karen were experiencing pop stardom first hand with their group, Alisha's Attic. But by the time the millennium had rolled round, they weren't.

Boo! Have you been wondering where they went? Of course you have!

Well wonder no more. We tracked down Shelly and discovered that she’s been in the studio for, like, ages writing and stuff (for Janet Jackson amongst others).

But now she's got a bit sick of all that and has decided to get back behind the 'mic' and record a new album - specifically, a blissfully folky new album called ‘Hard Time For The Dreamer’.

Which is amazing.

But that information wasn’t enough for us. We wanted more. So we asked her some probing questions:

Hello Shelly. So you’ve not just been twiddling your thumbs and scratching yourself for years then?

No! I’ve been writing for other artists – although I didn’t really enjoy that – and now I’m coming back to the solo stuff. I built my studio as well, because I’m a totally hands-on control freak. I’m looking forward to getting back on the road too!

What’s Karen been up to?

Oh well, she's the total opposite of me, she's signed to 19 Management and she writes all the pop hits you hear on the radio - Kylie, Will Young, all those things - she doesn't like touring and isn't bothered about singing on stage, she's happy just writing. She's right on top of her game now, she's got no need to go on stage, though she'll still do the harmony singing on what she records.

Aha! You learn something new every day. Now onto more important things: have you ever been scared by a horse?

No, because I won't go near them. They just seem a bit gigantic and quite prehistoric to me; they're beautiful creatures and I love them but I've never been on one, and I don't really want to go anywhere near them. I like admiring them from afar.

Fair enough. So your album’s called ‘Hard Time For The Dreamer’ – do your dreams give you a hard time?

Yes, sometimes. I have this recurring dream about a big fat ballet dancer who's jumping across the keys of a big, big piano - imagine the size of a front room floor. She has to jump over the keys, and the black keys go down to oblivion but the white keys are fine. Some of the time the dancer's me, and some of the time I'm watching going: "Oh gawd, look out!"

Quite, quite mad. Thank you, Shelly Poole!

No, thank you, Slashmusic!

» Posted by: Joe
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Hello 'Sailor!

Well done Starsailor. You may be more forgettable than a rejected Snow Patrol B-Side, but at least you're honest.

» Posted by: Slashmusic
»Talk on boards

Just thinking ahead

It is now only 63 days until the release of the new album from The Darkness on November 28. Frankly, that's just not long enough.

Could we not have another month or something? Get Christmas out of the way, have a bit of fun, drink a bit too much sherry and get our sprout on before the undoubted awfulness is upon us?

Perhaps it's unfair to judge something you've not heard. Then again, this is The Darkness - the only joke band in the world who appear to have no idea whatsoever about jokes unless they're the same jokes Motley Crue or Bon Jovi made about three million years ago. And, let's be honest, they weren't that funny then either.

Having said all that, those new tracks 'Knockers' and 'Dinner Lady Arms' are bound to be brilliant, eh!

Oh.

» Posted by: Rob
»Talk on boards

The Flies are open

Once upon a time there was a band called Spiritualized, and they were great and loads of people loved them.

Their big cheese was Jason Pierce, but there were other people in the band, too. Not that you’d have noticed.

Anyway, one of them was Sean Cook, and he played bass. When Sean noticed how many records Spiritualized were selling he asked for a pay rise. Now he thinks back on it, it was around this time he was booted out.

Sean started a new band called Lupine Howl. They did two albums of seriously dark and spacey intensiensiosity and worked with Massive Attack and everyone thought they were the bees knees.

Sean, however, wanted something new and formed The Flies. "Lupine Howl has taken a back seat," he says.

Sean yelps with laughter when we ask if he's made it up with Jason. But not as much as he howls when we ask him if he would join The McFlies.

» Posted by: Rob
»Talk on boards

Howard's Way

On Saturday night we went to watch lost 70s glam legend John Howard play an intimate show at Club Bohemia in Islington. We liked his natty scarf and his sweet songs about glittery people and watching 'Top Of The Pops' back when it was good, but we especially liked his un-rock ‘n’ roll way of finishing each song.

When the music and applause had died away, Howard would lean back very slightly from the piano and, in his finest Noel Coward voice gently whisper the words: “Bless your hearts.” We guess he must be very grateful to be rediscovered after 30 years in the rock wilderness.

Welcome back, you lovely man.

» Posted by: Tim
»Talk on boards

That's the Sway to do it

We told you he was the future!

Here at Slashmusic we’re a little bit emotional over our man* Sway’s triumph at the MOBOs last night. Hornsey’s finest beat 50 Cent and The Game to claim the Best Hip Hop award, despite having only just released his debut single ‘Up Your Speed’. Result!

Amazing.

* We’ve actually only met him once but he was very nice.

» Posted by: Tim
»Talk on boards

Kanye believe it?

Slashmusic has been to some 'events' in our time. But we're hard pressed to think of anything that deserves the title of EVENT more than the special invite-only Kanye West show we attended last night.

What was so special about it?

Well, hardly anyone could go, it was at Abbey Road - where The Beatles live! - and Jay-Z and Beyonce flew in especially! That’s how ruddy special it was.

As soon as we arrived, we saw Lemar's minder telling a fan he couldn't have an autograph, we said hello to Sway (who is the future, you remember) and also saw Simon Webbe, Aleesha Dixon, Jo Whiley and Tim Kash, who all had to queue to get in like normal people. Excellent!

Kanye appeared before we had time to get bored, backed by the Wired Strings, an orchestra made up entirely of ladies wearing black halter necks with red rectangles painted on their faces. More!

Beautifully suited with a red rose buttonhole, shades and everything, he shouted: "Throw your diamonds in the sky!" Only about 20 people made the diamond shape with their hands. This wasn’t good enough. Kanye made us do it again. The second time, Jay Z put his diamond in the air. Beyonce threw her hands up like she just didn’t care, and Simon Webbe nodded his head. Like we said, it was an event.

Anyway, Kanye was astonishingly good. We'd possibly go so far as to say that this was the best hip hop gig we'd ever seen. There were perfect acoustics, there were gorgeous live strings, and West stalked the stage with a series of strange staccato cake-walks, crouching down in the spotlight like a hunted fugitive then leaping up on to the podium and pretending to conduct.

"You all have to do what I say because I don't want to mess up my DVD," he laughed after another attempt to get some crowd response. And after a bizarre Groucho Marx-style dance he blushed at the applause and said: "Thank you, I've been practicing." Aw!

And he did, like, loads. 'Diamonds From Sierra Leone'. 'Drive Slow', with a guest rap from GLC (who is unfortunately not the same as our GLC and wouldn't know a "clart" if it hit him). 'Gold Digger'. 'Jesus Walks'. 'Gone', our favourite from the new album. ‘Late’, the bonus track from ‘Late Registration’, which some people were unfamiliar with – let the CD play, losers! Tchuh!

And the most hair-standing-on-end moment of it all: John Legend appearing for a solo ‘Ordinary People’, which was stripped right down to strings and keys and made us cry. We were very annoyed when Lemar went to the toilet and missed this bit. Fool!

He finished with 'Celebration' and its chorus of "Grab a drink, grab a glass / After that, I grab yo ass," only we couldn’t grab a drink because the bar was shut. We tried to stay around to have our ass grabbed but a man made us leave. Not that we minded too much as, when we left, all the people who hadn't got in looked at us as if we were sort of special. (No, not in that way!)

So, to sum up, Kanye for president!

Brilliant!

» Posted by: Tim
»Talk on boards

Good advice

We received this badge in the post today. Thanks to The Rasmus for that, but we've noticed that they made a mistake on it.











There, you see? We've corrected it now. And we'll be following its instructions to the letter. Arf!






» Posted by: Slashmusic
»Talk on boards

Grime doesn't pay

Is grime the most inexplicably unpopular genre ever?

Ok, the name is a bit of a problem. But it's no sillier than hip hop or speed garage or, well any moniker for an arbitrary gathering of vaguely like-minded musical types, really. It shouldn't be an obstacle.

We ask this because last night we saw Plan B's acoustic tales of violence and underage sex leave people slack jawed in amazement at his talent. We love watching the audience's faces when he gets to the punchline in 'Young Girl'. A couple in front of us nearly fell over.

We also saw The Mitchell Brothers perform what sounded to us like hit after hit (despite not actually being hits) with no filler and plenty of comic banter to a crowd that were eating out of their cheeky 'ands.

At one point last night, we felt like we were at the centre of the most exciting British musical movement since Two Tone. Only we weren't. We were witnessing a movement that seems to be over before it's begun. That's kind of sad.

The problem was this: last night's crowd barely filled a quarter of a very tiny North London venue. On the way out, a man gave us a flyer for The Mitchells' debut album, 'A Breath Of Fresh Attire'. When we told him we already had it, he replied: "Really?" in actual astonishment. For a moment we thought he was going to shake our hand.

What's going on? Is this lack of interest the fault of the bands or their management? Have The Mitchells been dropped into a position where they're trying to sell records to people who don't feel any need to buy them?

Does this whole scene have an image problem that's keeping the punters away? Or are the Mitchells, Kano, Lady Sovereign, Sway, JME, Roll Deep and the rest of the grime artists just not as good as Slashmusic thinks they are?

Can grime be saved from premature extinction?

Tell us what you think.

Perhaps the badge will help.

And if it doesn't - maybe we'll organise a sit-in somewhere. Those are always good.


» Posted by: Tim
»Talk on boards


Earlier blog stories...