A New (Years) Music Resolution

A friend of Bawley recently pointed me to Andre’s Resolution 2010. In short, Resolution 2010 is a positive commitment that in 2010 you only listen to music released in 2010.

The rules (exceptions to):

• Re-issues and re-masters released in 2010 count as 2010 releases.
• For the month of January you are allowed to listen to anything from 2009. (edit: I suggest the Bawley 100 – 2009)
• I will probably come up with more rules as I think of them because not listening to Bad Brains for a year is starting to make me sad.

This got me thinking, could I do this? What would I miss? Would 2010 be a better year for new music than 2009? Such negative questions are not really in the spirit of Resolution 2010 so I turned the question on its head: if only listened to music released in 2010, what would I have to look forward to?

There are the already released albums from Vampire Weekend (Contra) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (IRM). Contra is more of the same preppy afro-beat indie-pop that made Vampire Weekend’s debut album so enjoyable, while IRM (sung by Gainsbourg but written and produced by Beck) is as good as anything Beck has done since Sea Change (2002).

On February 9th Hot Chip will release One Life Stand. With great reviews so far and the title track sitting on the high rotation list at triple j, BBC Radio 1 and 6Music, One Life Stand could be the album that sees Hot Chip break into the mainstream (without losing the their status as a critic’s favourite).

Daddy G returns for Massive Attack’s first album in five years, Heligoland, also set for a February 9th release. The album drops a lot of what made 100th Window pants and picks up a massive list of guest vocalists and collaborators including Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Guy Garvey, Martina Topley-Bird, Horace Andy, and Tunde Adibempe. If the Splitting The Atom preview EP and last year’s live shows are anything to go by, Heligoland should be brilliant.

Back in September The Knife provided the soundtrack to a Danish opera based on the life of Charles Darwin. The opera was called Tomorrow, In A Year and a studio version of the soundtrack is due for release on March 1st. I doubt anything stranger will come out all year.

After some time spent writing Chinese operas and fronting the re-formed Blur, Damon Albarn is back with Gorillaz third album: Plastic Beach, out March 8th. Once again the list of collaborators is impressive, drawing big names from hip hop (Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, De la Soul), rock (Lou Reed, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Mark E Smith, Gruff Rhys) and soul (Bobby Womack). Albarn is promising it will be Gorillaz "most pop album".

No dates yet, but LCD Soundsystem are also due to release a new album in March. Sadly, it may also be the band’s last album. Main man James Murphy told NME "I know I said (LCD Soundsystem was over) last time and things changed, but I don't like to repeat myself."

Tipped for an early 2010 release is the next album from Interpol. Drummer Sam Fogarino has said it will be more Turn On The Bright Lights than Our Love To Admire which is a good thing.

Later in the year, details of upcoming releases get sketchier. But there are some exciting albums on the horizon: The National and Band of Horses are both suggesting they will have new releases, as are The Avalanches and The Panics.

Despite the retirement of Nine Inch Nails as a touring band, Trent Reznor has said “2010 has a number of things planned including new material from nine inch nails and something else that isn't nine inch nails.”

I know I could not go a year without listening to The Cure. Luckily they also have a 2010 release planned, the 21st anniversary remastered re-issue of Disintegration. Due in the first half of the year, the release will be a three CD set, containing the original album (remastered) , twenty previously unreleased b-sides and demos from the era, and a remixed and extended version of the Entreat live album.

While 2010 looks like being a great year for new music I still don’t know if I am up for the Resolution 2010 commitment, what about you?

What are you looking forward to in 2010? What would you miss if you were to take up the challenge?

Horchata: New Vampire Weekend

Earlier today the Vampire Weekend site started counting down, counting down to what no one knew some of the more interesting guesses were (via Stereogum):

Paul SImon vs. Vampire Weekend showdown

Their limited addition Vampire Weekend Boat Shoes go on sale.

The exact minute the new LL Bean catalog rolls off the press?

The announcement of another countdown which (after a few weeks) will lead to the revelation of two new albums: Vampire Weekend Rising and Vampire Weekend: Peace Walker.

A free mp3 of the first single!!!!

The clock hit 00:00:00 and all has been revealed: Yes, it is a free mp3 taken from their next album.

Head to http://www.vampireweekend.com/ to download your copy

Bawley (Hearts) 2008: Top 5 Covers of the year

5. Jay-Z – Wonderwall (Oasis)

'For those that didn't get the memo, my name is Jay-Z and I'm pretty f***ing awesome.'

Well maybe, maybe not, either way there is no denying that the rappers response to the “No Hip-Hop at Glasto” press was right on the mark. (link)

4. Mobius Band – Digital Love (Daft Punk)

Taken from Mobius Band’s EP of Valentine’s Day themed covers, this largely acoustic version of the track could prove that Daft Punk are Human After All. (link)

3. Radiohead – The Rip (Portishead)

Who other than Radiohead could pull of covering this sweet but morbid Portishead track? (link)

2. Hot Chip and Peter Gabriel – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa (Vampire Weekend)

The only thing that feels more un-natural than Peter Gabriel is Peter Gabriel singing “It feels so unnatural. Peter Gabriel, too” (link)

1. Sparkadia – This Boy’s In Love (The Presets)

We love Sparkadia’s lush take on The Presets smash. It seems you love it too, our post linking to the mp3 was Bawley’s most read article in 2008. (link)

Live Review: Band Of Horses, Sydney Metro, 05/07/08

Can we add horses to the list of hairy animals that Bawley (hearts)?

The contrast against Vampire Weekend the previous night couldn't have been more apparent. Tonight was about Proper Rock Done Properly. Onstage, It was all beards, check shirts, flouting of anti-smoking legislation, and a full four guitarists. It could have been the 1970's. Band Of Horses' brand of reverb drenched folk rock is nothing new or clever, but it sounded great, right from opener 'Is There A Ghost' to the end, in a set that took in all the best bits from both their albums and a couple of spectacular cover versions - JJ Cale's 'Thirteen Days', and - a set highlight - a brilliant version of Them Two's 'Am I A Good Man'.

Lead singer and chief beard wearer Ben Bridwell was on fine form, charming, charismatic and with a remarkable voice that would keep your flat warm, and the band knew exactly what the crowd wanted. No extended guitar jams or - God forbid - drum solos that are all to often a symptom of this particular genre - the songs were tight, focused and thoroughly enjoyable. But don't take our word for it - enjoy these two Bawley exclusive camera phone clips:

(most of) 'No One's Gonna Love You':

(a bit of) 'Islands On The Coast':

Live Review: Vampire Weekend at Sydney Metro 4/8/2008

If you'd told Vampire Weekend six months ago, when their debut album had only just hit the shelves, that they'd soon be playing shows on the other side of the planet that would sell out in less than an hour, they probably wouldn't have believed you.

Six months on, and having just conquered Splendour In The Grass and many of the European Festivals, they're now playing their first club show in Australia. And it sold out in less than an hour. And they still seem utterly unprepared for it. Or maybe they're already over it. Either way, the forty-eight minute long performance tonight isn't the performance of the 'hottest band in the world right now' - it's the performance of a band who seem tired of touring, and tired of their album, but a band who still haven't quite learned the art of stagecraft or how to interact with a crowd. And a half hearted band has led to a half hearted audience who seem more keen on talking through the songs than dancing to them.

Fortunately, the songs themselves are strong enough to carry the evening - the songs that made their debut album such an unrestrained joy still sound great even when performed by a band who don't really seem that keen on them any more. Tunes like set opener 'Mansard Roof'', early highlight 'A-Punk', and the final tracks of the night 'Oxford Comma' and 'Walcott' are bold enough and shiny enough to get the crowd moving, almost despite themselves.

But it's only on the three new songs tonight - 'Arrows', 'White Sky' and 'Little Giant' that the band itself seems really animated, clearly relishing the chance to play songs that they haven't been playing several times a week all year. And the new songs are very promising, each expanding on the Vampire Weekend sound in slightly different directions - the first a bit dancier, the second a bit rockier and third a bit more epic - and suggesting there's plenty of life in this band yet. If only there was more evidence of it tonight.

Saturday 28th June – From Scrumpy & Western to Brazilian Party Rock (and everything in between)

The rain has stopped and for the first time the sky contains some blue patches; however, Friday’s rain and 180,000 pairs of feet have turned the grassy fields into a sloppy brown mess - wellingtons again today.

After a short stack of organic vegan pancakes, we take a stroll through the Healing Fields where you can visit a homeopathic chiropractor, a tarot card reading podiatrist and a mooncup vendor. We escape to the Avalon stage and The Wurzels. The Wurzels, we are reliably informed, are Somerset legends: their songs of cider, cheese and combine harvesters virtually invented the Scrumpy and Western genre. In total contrast, the Black Kids are flash in the pan 80’s flavoured indie pop. They arrive to a moderate-sized crowd on the Other Stage, but fail to impress. The only time the audience really get involved is during singles Hurricane Jane and I’m Not Going To Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You.

By mid-afternoon, the sun is out and the queue for pear and strawberry cider at the Brothers Bar extends well into the Jazz stage audience, which is fine for most as the line moves fast and Eric Bibb is on stage playing his acoustic blues.

A young crowd has gathered at the Other Stage for The Wombats, who are joined on stage by a large inflatable wombat. The band start their set gathered round a single microphone doing a capella version of Tales of Boys and Girls and Marsupials - a novel way to kick things off. For the next forty minutes, the whole crowd is singing, dancing, and loving the band for the simple sing-along pop songs they play to perfection. Between songs, guitarist Matthew Murphy and drummer Dan Haggis exchange banter in a refreshingly unrehearsed manner, and appear genuinely appreciative of the opportunity to be playing at Glasto to such a large and enthusiastic crowd.

Over at the John Peel Stage, Vampire Weekend play their second set of the festival, the intellectual afro-beat influenced indie pop bringing smiles to the faces of the large crowd. A-Punk is a mid-set highlight, but the biggest response comes for penultimate track Oxford Comma, everyone jumping at the chance to sing “Who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?, ..., ..., Ooo-Ooo Ooo-Ooohoo”

Approaching the Park Stage, the crowd is noticeably larger than it has been all weekend. When we hear the opening strings and drum roll of The Age of the Understatement, it becomes clear that today’s Park Stage surprise guests are The Last Shadow Puppets, who play a short set covering their singles. The crowd, already satisfied with the surprise guests, are in raptures when Jack White (The Raconteurs/White Stripes) joins the band for set-closer Wondrous Place.

Expanded to a five-piece for the live setting, MGMT use the extra bodies to great effect, boosting the sound of their debut album into a surprisingly heavy psychedelic rock show. The band’s intention to rock is made clear with head bang’n, hat flipp’n opener Weekend Wars, and the set continues to reel you in during Pieces of What before closing out with the bands three biggest hits. For Electric Feel, MGMT are joined by Har Ma Superstar who screams out the chorus while throwing his tubby frame around the stage, jumping, dancing and doing the splits. Time to Pretend is next, getting a colossal cheer and the whole audience singing. Most of the band then exit, leaving original members Andrew VanWyngardan and Ben Goldwasser to lead a massive karaoke style sing-along for Kids, the short set finishing with VanWyngardan stuck in the photo pit after crowd surfing a good 15-20 rows back into the audience.

All the cool/indie kids seen to have decided against the Amy Winehouse/Jay-Z extravaganza on the Pyramid; rather, they have assembled at the Park Stage to close out Saturday night with Battles followed by CSS.

Battles arrange themselves in a line along the front of the stage and reproduce their math rock brilliantly. John Stanier would have to be the festival’s hardest working drummer, making his job no easier by using the highest hi-hat ever seen: a full six feet from the ground, it requires him to jump from his stool with every strike of the cymbal. Disappointingly, earlier delays mean that Battles have to cut their set short following Leyendecker.

CSS have an elaborate stage setup with helium balloons and rabbit head mirror balls hanging from every possible location. The band run onto the stage wearing tightly curled white wigs, before being followed by interminably bouncy singer Lovefoxxx who appears to be wearing a full body steel wool ball along with her white wig. New track Rat is Dead (Rage) is pulled off sensationally before the Lovefoxx removes her steel wool, revealing a more practical silver cat suit. Alcohol and Music is my Hot Sex deliver the Brazilian party vibe before another costume change, this time the leaving Lovefoxx in a hideously bright multi-coloured cat suit. Closing the set with Lets Make Love and Listen to Death From Above, and a gear smashing version of Alala, CSS were perfect as a stage-closing act, delivering party tunes that kept everyone smiling, dancing, and happy late into Saturday night.

Still high from the fabulous CSS, we head to Trash City, one of the site‘s two after-hours party fields. Approaching the entrance we find that pretty much everyone else has the same idea, but we manage to squeeze in. Trash City is a cluster of bars, clubs and an outdoor dance floor that contains a flame-spurting DJ booth at its centre. Despite the strict dress code (all guests must have a moustache), The Horsemeat Disco has a long line at its door, so we head to the slightly less busy drag biker bar The Dragstrip. Inside, it is dangerously full with a body-to-body crowd partying to a raucous punk band while dudes in drag pole dance around the room.

On the way back to our tents, we pass through Glastonbury’s other late night party district: Shangri-la. It looks like everyone who is not at Trash City has squashed into Shangri-la. After a quick drink in The Tarts and Tease, a champagne and burlesque bar with Amsterdam-style ladies dancing in window boxes, we drag our tired selves up the hill to our tent and try to sleep - no easy task when camped just a short stumble from the Shangri-la’s 14 micro venues.