The Stone Roses: Where Angels Play

Listen/Download:
"Where Angels Play"
Wiki
Amazon

Blur: Mace

Listen/Download:
"Mace"
Wiki
Amazon
Thanks Phil

Maximo Park: Wraithlike

Listen/Download:
"Wraithlike"
Myspace
Wiki
Amazon
Thanks Phil

Mew: Repeaterbeater

Listen/Download:
"Repeaterbeater"
Myspace
Wiki
Amazon
Thanks Nikki

RIP Swells

Sad news today--legendary music journalist Steven Wells has passed away. NME:

Former NME writer Steven Wells has died this week (June 23).

The legendary scribe, born in 1960, performed as a punk poet (as Seething Wells) before starting to write for NME in the 1980s.

Swells, as he was often known, swiftly became famous for his brilliant confrontational, pointed style and amazing wordplay as well as his championing of bands and artists that ranged from the Extreme Noise Terror, Napalm Death, The Redskins and Asian Dub Foundation to Daphne And Celeste.

Brilliant, acerbic and fiercely independent, he was a true iconoclast who always questioned the musical status quo...

Wells went on to write for The Guardian, as well as writing about his illness in two cover stories for the Philadelphia Weekly.

He filed his last story for the Philadelphia Weekly on June 14.

Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006, he died in the US on Tuesday.

Although it might not be readily apparent, Swells (his NME writing in particular) had a big influence on me. Amongst other things, reading him taught me to strip the pretention out of my writing whenever possible. He will be missed.

Obituary from The Guardian
Steven Wells on Wikipedia
"One with the Freaks" by The Notwist

Thoughts onForeign Born: Person to Person

You never get a second chance to make a first impression: Sage advice for dandruff sufferers and bands. The first time I saw Foreign Born play live, about four years ago now, I was impressed with their stage presence. I marvelled at their musical skill. I envied their clear surplus of energy. When they finished their set, however, I realized that it had all just blown right past me. I couldn't remember a single melody to save my life. Not a good sign, but I decided to be patient.

A few months later, I saw them live again. Their show had improved. Great use of lights. More energy. Their drummer was even more phenomenal. But still, at the end of the night, I couldn't remember anything. A guitar line here perhaps, a drum fill there, but no hooks.

When their first album, On the Wing Now arrived, it seemed like a promising step. I showered it with praise here and in private conversation. Sure, the final released version had been stripped of its only 'hit' ("We Had Pleasure"), and the record seemed long on musical talent while being short on catchy melodies, but I chocked it up to first album jitters. I waited patiently for the second album: the undeniable classic record wherein Foreign Born would claim their rightful title as kings of the American indie universe.

"Blood Oranges" Acoustic:

But instead of exploding with a bang, "Person to Person" lands with a thud. It's disappointingly dull, needlessly tasteful, and painfully restrained. It's not a bad record by any means: The band have clearly developed as musicians and arrangers. It's just that lack of tunes again. Foreign Born, much to their detriment, have repeatedly underestimated the sheer joy a strong hook can inspire in listeners, and Person to Person does nothing to dispel that notion.

Much like the first album, there are flashes of brilliance that intrigue and promise a more accessible sound: the boisterous brass section at the end of "Vacationing People", for example, or the space-age doo-wop in the middle 8 of "Early Warnings". These bits, much like the second half of "In the Shape" did for the first record, almost redeem Person to Person. Almost.

"Early Warnings"

Now that I think about it, this is sounding a lot like my review of that first record. And that's what's so frustrating. The very best bands make that jump into the big leagues by finding a way to effectively channel their natural charisma and ability. In doing so they are able to shake people's first impressions and define themselves on their own terms. Foreign Born are still waiting to make that jump, and still trying to shake this reviewer's first impression.

Band Links:
Myspace
Wiki
Amazon

The Notwist: Gloomy Planets (Live w/ Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra)

Listen/Download:
"Gloomy Planets"
Myspace
Wiki

Blur: There's No Other Way

Listen/Download:
"There's No Other Way"
Wiki

The William Blakes: Secretly

Listen/Download:
"Secretly"
Myspace
Thanks Madsen

The Raveonettes: The Last Dance (Demo)

Listen/Download:
"The Last Dance" (Demo)
Get More Demos from the New Album on Twitter
Myspace
Wiki
Amazon
Interview with Dead Flowers