Tag Archive for 2000’s

1st October 2012

LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great (Helen Chandler guest post)

A friend said to me recently, upon hearing Someone Great in a bar in Dublin at closing time – ‘I remember hearing this song for the first time back in 2007 and just feeling really sad.’ I’m not surprised, I think it’s one of the saddest songs going. ‘There shouldn’t be this ring of silence, but what are the options when someone great is gone?’ If you read that like a sentence and not like a lyric, it would floor you.

The beauty of what James Murphy does is that he makes you forget you’re listening to a sad song. He sets everything to a cleverly-constructed undercurrent of electronic bliss, which means that his songs get played in clubs and listened to in bedrooms in equal measure.

The official video for this song is lovely but the track itself is sped up in it, presumably because it’s the single version. I was loathe to include it here, because I prefer the album version, which takes its time.

/HC

25th September 2012

Phantogram – When I’m small

New Your hipsters Phantogram were favourites of mine from last year, with their track Don’t Move being a particular highlight and making it into my Top 30 tracks of 2011.

I really like this too, it is simple, elegant and hypnotic. A pretty powerful combination.

So I am back in my old ‘hood London for a few days. Looking forward to catching up with a few of my old buddies.

/RjK

22nd September 2012

The Silver Seas* – The best things in life

I discovered this track through Shazam, a pretty great service that has significantly boosted my capacity to identify tracks in films and bars.

It is sprightly, energetic and rather fun. The Silver Seas are from Nashville, Tennessee which I keep reading about as being a hotbed of live music. I am considering a return trip to Austin in 2013 for SXSW festival and may stop by Nashville too so I can compare.

/RjK

*Artist #523

18th September 2012

Modest Mouse* – Float On

iPod song #3. Apologies the music hasn’t been too fresh over the past few days. I promise to attend to some research over the coming days. Hopefully this will bear fruit with some exciting new tracks.

I mentioned earlier in the week that I felt one of the signs of a good song is it’s ability to stay with you after you listen to it. This must be one of the most infectious guitar riffs I know.

/RjK

*Artist *519

Lucky Soul – Struck Dumb


I thought I would get caught up with a couple of tracks that came on my iPod while in transit over the past couple of days that I hadn’t thought about for a while.

Lucky Soul are from London but I first heard them while drunkenly riding in the back of a taxi around Chicago. It’s strange how global music has become. They make great pop tunes, that have a great retro sounds. Apologies for the video here, I couldn’t track down anything better.

/RjK

13th September 2012

DL Incognito* – Universal love featuring D-Shade (NAT)

Hip hop banger that I have been meaning to post for a while from Canadian rapper DL Incognito.

/RjK

*Artist #516

4th September 2012

Chairlift* – Planet Health

This track, from hip Brooklyn duo Chairlift is for me a perfect mixture of slightly off-kilter, zany lyrics with a real 80’s flavour (never a bad thing).

It is taken from their 2008 album Does You Inspire You album, which is well worth a listen. I read it described as “dream pop” which, despite being a little naff, sums the sound up quite well I thought.

/RjK

*Artist #512

Nas – Testify


I love how languid this is, the hook is so fresh. It’s taken from Nas’ Untitled 2008 album.

I was recalling this week when I saw Nas play in Dublin. It must have been around ‘04. I was pretty disillusioned by the crowd (lots of tracksuits) and support acts (I remember one was two lads from Cork “rapping” about the interent), but he still brought it. I also was standing about 10 meters from Kelis, who he was married to at the time.

RjK

19th August 2012

Radiohead – There There

I was listening to a radio show over the weekend as I endeavoured to catch up on the research I had missed over the last few weeks while moving from London to Dublin. The DJ (Lamin Fofana on WFMU) was talking about Hail to the thief, the album this is taken from. This caused me to give it a listen and I quite enjoyed it, although I don’t ever think I will be a Radiohead devotee. This was the stand out track in my eyes.

I hope you all had a good weekend.

RjK

15th August 2012

Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators* – My four leaf clover

In posting this I am slightly backtracking on my earlier assertion that there is no good soul music being produced any more, having also posted Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings a few weeks ago.

Nicole Willis is an American singer, songwriter and painter who is currently based in Helsinki, Finland. Also, The Soul Investigators ranks as one of my favourite band names of all time.

This is just so damn infectious.

My heart I’m ready to give…

RjK

*Artist #503