Tracklisting :BTBW Podcast December 2008 (41:42)
Flying Lotus – GNG BNG
R.S.A.G – Stick To Your Line
Jape – Strike Me Down (Friendly Fires Remix)
Bloc Party – Ion Square
Thom Yorke – Harrowdown Hill (Logic Jump Mix)
Milosh – It's Over
Fuck Buttons – Sweet Love For Planet Earth
The staff writers at Pitchfork have compiled an exhaustive list of their favourite tracks of this past year. It makes for some interesting reading with most genres represented. The results were in most part aligned with those of the public vote so I would submit that despite some people's grumblings about Pitchfork's place/influence in the world, this list is relatively fair and representative. Quite a few of the tracks featured as a BSITWT here: Efforts from Born Ruffians (with a little help from Four Tet), M83, Portishead and The Whitest Boy Alive all featured in the top 100 list. The first placed track received double acclaim here with it being declared the BSITWT twice. It is, of course, the collaboration behind Hercules & Love Affair and Anthony Hegarthy on the disco beaut 'Blind'.
With the demise of The Warwick as the Stephen's day party venue of choice, the usual festive reunions will likely take place down the west to a feel-good soundtrack provided by local lads, The Kanyu Tree. Entry is free and it is going to be packed, so get down early to avoid disappointment. The Kanyu Tree's impressive brand of upbeat pop tracks can be sampled on their MySpace page.
Following on from Eoin and Ferg's disappointment at the Melt festival in July this year when they were unable to get into the tent to see The Whitest Boy Alive, I can finally attest that seeing these guys in the flesh lives up to our high expectations. Performing rousing versions of Burning, Above You & Golden Cage to an attentive Sydney audience, Oye et al lined the front of the stage as opposed to the tradition format with the drummer to the rear on this, their Australian debut. Showcasing many new tracks from their forthcoming album due out early next year, I'm happy to report that it is a release to look forward to(no surprises there eh). The new material sits easy side-by-side with their previous output, sharing the familiar guitar driven groove and once again allowing the distinct warm vocals to shine through. Here to perform at Nevereverland as part of Modular's 10th anniversary celebrations, they shared the bill with Hercules & Love Affair(who were also excellent), The Presets, Klaxons and Cut Copy. Unlike other festivals, all the headline acts performed on the main stage avoiding the horrible clashes that are normally a regrettable feature of most festivals.
Wouldn't it be great to have a decent Christmas number 1 to add to the records after the tripe that has infected the charts over the past couple of years. The people at Galway's Roisin Dubh had a worthy reminder in this week's email newsletter, instructing people to purchase a copy of Jape's 'Phil Lynott' when it is released on Friday(19 Dec). To see the brilliant Jape atop the singles chart as 2008 draws to a close would be a victory on many fronts. I don't think it has turned into a full on campaign as of yet but here's hoping some momentum is stired up to surpass the pre-teens who dictate who is awarded the coveted Christmas honour. If all this fails, you will still be left with a copy of a top-notch track telling the story of a night at a gig, a lunar eclipse and two bass players from Crumlin.
I finally got the chance to see U2 3D last week. The people at the Imax in Darling Harbour had kept me waiting for nearly 3 months with a vague promise that the film would be returning to its gigantic(biggest in the world no-less) screen soon. I would not claim to be a huge U2 fan, I like them and their music but would not consider myself a die-hard at all. I was, however, blown away by their flirtation with 3D technology. I have to take my hat off to them for experimenting and stating that they were not interested in making a profit but simply trying something new (It did, of course, go on to make a profit). The result looks and sounds amazing. Whatever your opinions on Bono might be, he is a showman and not many others can command a stadium filled to the rafters with as much ease as he manages. He insisted on shooting the footage in Latin America as the fans' passion most resembled that of the Irish fans. I reckon this concert film will live on long to remember an era when the biggest band in the world* hailed from a little island on the verge of western Europe. I felt goosebumps quiet often while watching and also a sense of pride in seeing the crowd bellowing out the Irish quartet's best known tracks. It was a very satisfying music experience and I would have to agree with many critics who feel it is even better than the real thing. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Hi-res footage and audio from last month's Tripod show. The place looks good with an energetic crowd. Hawtin also gives his insight on Irish closing times and other issues in electronic music.
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