Song of the Day #27 - Arctic Monkeys - From Ritz to Rubble

I discovered Arctic Monkeys around about the time when the record with this song came out. This is when Arctic Monkeys was still incredibly young and talented. They are still young and talented, but we are talking teenagers here. What appealed to me was first the energy of the thing, but soon I caught myself catching a phrase here and there of the lyrics and then did something quite uncommon for me, I looked it up and found out that it's one hell of a fantastic youth tale about going out on a Saturday and trying to sneak into bars etc. Alex Taylor has a very unique language and phrasing and I love the way he play with timing and words in this one.

Here it is in a fantastic live version from Later with Jools Holland. Maybe the greatest music show in history. And those guitar riff, and that bass riff and those drums. This is a good song in all the ways necessary. 

Song of the Day #26: Blur - Essex Dogs

After a fantastic good Blur concert last night, it was not much else that could start up the Song of the Day posting again. I have all ready written a lot about this song in a previous post, but let me explain a bit more about. When I was 17 I went out and bought the album Blur by Blur. I played it again and again and again and had never heard anything like it. You must all remember that this where in the days pre-"Ok Computer". It took me a while to realize that it was actually a guitar and not a chain saw in the beginning of the song, I didn't even know it was possible to do something like that. Then there is the mood of the song, so dark, so deep, such simple bass lines, but still so beautiful self and the lyrics could not have fitted my 17 year old self more; The dream of escaping to the city from the countryside.

You'll catch flu
Or you'll catch the city

and:

Watching dogs somersault through sprinklers on tiny lawns

Such a fantastic lyrics line. If I am not mistaken the whole song is about Damon moving from London to Essex when he was young.

So, enjoy! It's a perfect song to sink into on a cold and dark and rainy day like this..



Other posts about Blur

Great interview: Fran Healey on the new record and beeing a rock'n'roll father

Not much to say about this one except, Fran is always a person who gives good interviews and it sounds like Travis in general is in better form than ever, it looks like it have suited them well to be a bit apart and be fathers. Also I really like the fact that Andy and Dougie has contributed a lot to the songwriting on the new record. Very exciting to hear the whole thing soon. The album is just around the corner, and if I know Travis right, they will be in Oslo before you know it.

Song of the Day #25 - Daft Punk - Get Lucky (Ft. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers)

Some bands and artists are just pure quality and everything they touch turn to gold it seams. Pharrell and Daft Punk are both creative artists that I have envied for just that. They know what it takes. Pharrell produced some of the best Justin Timberlake tracks for instance, Daft Punk are just the grandfathers of that brilliant groovy, elegant pop disco sound from France. Put the two together, and the result is of course quite astounding. And surprisingly much like Michael Jackson. Enjoy and have a good weekend, folks!

Song of the Day #24 - Travis - Another Guy

After a short and not very successful solo career for Fran Healey, it's wonderful to see the boys in Travis back together. Not that I was ever in doubt that they would make something together soon again, it was just so obvious that Fran needs the rest of them to make something brilliant. That said, it was quite obvious that they needed a break and regroup. Ok, let's not think more of that whole thing, but happier thoughts! I have been a huge Travis fan since I bought both The Man Who and The Invisible Band in one go back in the beginning of the 2000's. Standing on the platform waiting for my train home I flicked through the songs on my portable cd player (Yes, thoose before i-something, those you could walk with) and realized that I thought every single song on the cds was brilliant. The saga continues with something in the region of 10 Travis concerts over the years, strange weather phenomena to "Why Does it Always Rain on Me" on the Quart festival etc. etc. etc. By now Travis feel like family, a safe place to return too.

It was, as you can imagine, with much anticipation after all of that, that I clicked on the link on YouTube to hear their new song. Again I experience a love at first sight, it just works and hits me in the right spot. And as always, the videos are inventive, full of good acting and makes you laugh. I can't wait to hear the rest and to see them on a stage somewhere in Norway soon. (Other Travis related posts..)