NEWS: Reckoner Gets Animated

The indisputable highlight of Radiohead’s In Rainbows has finally been given the visual treatment.

The video for ‘Reckoner’, the latest single to be lifted from the Oxford’s algorithm Kings seventh studio album, was created by competition winner Clement Picon from France.

A budding Spike Jonze, Picon was selected from the four winners who entered the In Rainbows Animated Video Contest. The winner was picked by the members of the band themselves.

In an unexpected turn of events following the band’s rejection of music industry traditions and traits and self-release of the LP, the much anticipated video appeared first on MySpace Music.

In addition the site will also feature the three runners-up in the coming weeks.

This just goes to emphasise that fact that no-one really knows where and wehn Rdaiohead are going to pop up again with more new and exciting material and content.

Fortunately though the band have also posted it on their official website.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: photobucket

NEWS: Cocker Preaches In The City

Music-conference-slash-festival In The City has today announced one of their most exciting guest speakers for this year’s music conference.

Former Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker is to appear at the international music convention founded by Tony Wilson, which takes place in Manchester over October 5th, 6th and 7th.

Cocker will take to the lectern on the final day of the event. His lecture will discuss the function of lyrics in modern popular music.

Entitled ‘Saying the Unsayable’, ASAD is told it will be a completely biased and subjective exploration of a selection of Jarvis’ favourite songs on top of a dissection of some of his own lyrics.

He's likely to talk about Leonard Cohen, Pete Doherty, Hot Chocolate, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Neil Sedaka, Dory Previn, Katerine, Rozalla, Arctic Monkeys plus many more he hasn’t thought of yet. There will also be an in-depth analysis of ‘Louie, Louie’.

Other keynote speakers already confirmed include former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, UK Culture Secretary Andy Burnham MP and some guy called Sean Adams from some site called Drowned in Sound. Other guest speakers and panelists will be announced over the next few days.

More details are available from In The City’s official website.

This news story can be found on Drowned in Sound with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: Google

NEWS: Stage shakes off alcoholism: Reading and Leeds re-branded

With the cleaning up and rebranding of the Reading and Leeds Festival sans-rubbish dishwater alcohol, the new bands tent has gone through somewhat of a metamorphosis.

As of this year the smallest of the stages at the festival formerly known as The Carling Weekend will be called the Festival Republic Tent.

Headlining this stage will be Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Elliot Minor and The Kills (pictured above).

This year the Reading and Leeds Festivals will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend of 22-24. More information here.

This news story can be found on Drowned in Sound with other pieces by Dean Samways.

Words: Dean Samways

Image: Google

LIVE REVIEW: CSS, Portsmouth Pyramids (Date: 20.12.07)

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LIVE REVIEW: Dizzee Rascal, Southampton University Student's Union (Date: 08.11.07)

In the first year of university there was a big debate, never really settled and costing us a night out: “Is rap music ‘real’ music?” Two friends well versed in the strategies of argument, who, unfortunately for the opposer, were also fans of black music, took the discussion into the early hours. Needless to say my über-indie, whiter-than-white friend was shouted down and mocked until he buckled and compromised, “I only give rap music the time of day if it offers me something more than Fiddy and his gangster musings”.

I’ll hold my hands up: I’m a bigger fan of guitar music than I am UK hip-hop. In fact the last rap album I bought was probably The Sugarhill Gang best of, some five years ago. With Dizzee Rascal though you don’t just get a London MC with a powerful, bass soundtrack; you get a twice-nominated and one-time winner of the Mercury Prize who smashes down genres and musical barriers with a playful grin on his face. Needless to say this is my first gig seeing three guys on a stage with no strings or skins in sight.

Tonight is an assault. The three men on stage, two MCs and one DJ, set the pace for the ecstatic crowd with lightening lyrics splashed on top of tunes that rubbish everything that’s gone before them. The raw, vest-wearing enthusiasm that cannons through the entire set forces Dizzee and friend to take two interludes. The first comes after the Arctic Monkeys collaboration, ‘Temptation’, at which point homage is paid to the Sheffield scenesters with a snip of ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ played over the PA followed by some Nirvana and Kaiser Chiefs. The second pause has a jungle theme, with classic cuts played from Dizzee’s days as a D’n’B DJ. All this gives the gig a different feel.

The show leaves me dumbfounded.‘Old Skool’, ‘Sirens’ and ‘Flex’ demonstrate amazing enjoyment in what the Londoner does, and the crowd revel in it. ‘Stop Dat’, ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp’ ‘Jus’ A Rascal’ blow everyone away as hands are raised and jumping breaks out. If there was ever a gig that changed a mind about a genre of music, it was this one. and

Words: Dean Samways

Photo: Fabric London Press Website

LIVE REVIEW: Kate Nash, Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms (Date: 22.10.07)

The young grow up so fast. Glancing around there are small people who look lost without a conker and a hand full of Pogs. Youngsters line the barrier refusing to acknowledge an elder pushing through the crowd shouting: “When do you want to go home?”, “Do you want another Fruit Shoot?”

An act that attracts such a vast fan base should be celebrated and is, if only if it wasn’t for Rihanna and her pesky rain shield. Tonight Kate Nash has some props of her own. Red tied back velvet curtains, her name in pink neon, fairy lights draped over amps, artificial plants and china ornaments.

The secret behind this Harrow girl’s success is her ability to bring music down from near elite planes to poetry of the public. These familiar themes that line Nash’s music mushroom in significance for every single person. They can try to reach out to her through their bedroom music system but when she’s in front of them they reach out physically and verbally, and she so very kindly and happily reaches back.

The distorted drums of ‘Play’ crash into the room as the neon light sparks to life; the people’s musician arrives. ‘Mariella’, the opener, is an excellent showcase of Kate’s voice. It is amazing! Over exaggerated accent aside, the keys and tones, speed and elocution is dumb-founding. ‘The Shit Song’ is beautiful. The lack of electronic accompaniment helps the daydream of sunny afternoons and large glasses of booze. Non-album track ‘Stitching Leggings’ fills the set list to last the hour and half adequately before returning to stringless ‘Skeleton Song’ and a richly stripped down ‘Birds’. ‘Nicest Thing’ continues the gorgeous low tempo of the most touching tracks before the gears are cranked up for ‘Mouthwash’ and ‘Foundations’. The interchanging, the upbeat and the mellow, is seamless.

The encore finishes the crowd off. A night of banter, smiles, laughs and sweetness is punctuated with Kate lonesome on the piano for ‘Little Red’ and then joined by her band for ‘Pumpkin Song’. The former has a crescendo that would be fitting for any classical concert but the rings of “I just want your kiss boy!” puts ridiculous smiles on every face, Kate’s included.

Words: Dean Samways

Photo: Adam John Miller's MySpace