Sparkadia: This Boy's In Love

Early on Friday morning, two of Bawley’s favourite acts (1,2) came together when Sparkadia covered The Presets This Boy’s In Love for triple j’s Like A Version.

Sparkadia’s use of delicate guitars and pitch perfect harmonies reminded me that The Presets are more talented song writers than some of their cheesier dance floor filling tracks suggest.

You can watch and make up your own mind when the performance is replayed on triple j tv - 8pm Monday night, ABC2.

Sparkadia, who also played Postcards track Jealousy, are currently touring widely: see k-rad’s review of their Canberra show here.

Standing in a Record Store Staring at the Sea (4:13 Dream)

This morning I woke up feeling good and wasted no time on the way to the record store, my fist full of cash, my ears ready for 4:13 Dream the new album from The Cure.

Scanning the new releases shelf I couldn’t see the Parched Art cover anywhere, on asking the spotted teenage shop attendant I am told “It aint out 'til Monday” – Wrong!

I begrudgingly walk down the high street and in to HMV, Kate Perry playing on the stereo and a staff comprised of kids who have had less birthdays than The Cure have number one albums, I walk out feeling ill (and empty handed).

Over to my friends at Amazon, with any luck next mail I will be listening to Robert Smith at his gloomy best. Of course when shopping at Amazon the more you buy the cheaper the postage, come back soon for a review of Deerhunter’s Microcastle.

PS: You can stream 4:13 Dream from The Cure’s myspace. It is pretty good :)

The Smiths to reform?

This morning’s UK papers are reporting that The Smiths are set to reform and headline next years Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

A source tells The Sun:

"It has looked impossible in the past but suddenly it all looks like it could happen. The buzz around the people who used to work for the band is they could play Coachella for a ludicrous amount of money.”

Remembering the band have previously turned down 2.8 million pounds to play the event, the money on offer this time must really be ludicrous.

Another explanation is this nothing more than talk to get you excited about Morrisey’s upcoming autobiography.

Gomez comeback

I realise that I'm increasingly in the minority with this viewpoint, but I still regard Gomez as one of the best British bands there is.  There's a lot to love across their five albums so far.

Good news, then, that they return with a new album at the beginning of next year.

This is how the band describe it on their blog:

Where the hell have we been? Answer: making the God dam best freakin' record you ever did hear....will hear. Jeeez! Leave it owt wud cha! Yours truly along with the other cats have been beavering away writing hit singles, epic anthems, toons to make you ass wiggle, it's all in there, on the hotly anticipated new album. The release date is yet to be confirmed but the first quarter of next year is looking good. The record is expected to pick up innumerable awards from around the Globe, an effortless standard the Five Englishmen have attained.

The record has been made with Brian Deck in Chicago, Virginia, with additional Horns recorded in Brooklyn and Amy Milan singing in LA. We finished the final session last week after being in and out of the studio over the course of the last year in a drunken mess (which was nice), followed by a frenzy of mixing this week. Finally some special news, Gomez's Christmas single "Are you going to the Pub" will be bringing delight to Children's ears before you know it.

The band have recently been playing their Mercury Award winning album, 'Bring It On' in Europe and the US, and travel to Australia in January for the Falls, Byron Bay and Southbound festivals, and a few sideshows with the Black Keys.

Bring Me The Head Of Paul McCartney

The best music related news story of last week....

It began on Monday when Sir Paul's wax head was left on a train;

and concluded yesterday when a homeless man was rewarded with 2000 pounds for finding the head in a bin.

Kele wants your sexy problems.

Mini Post As part of Bloc Party's takeover of UK newspaper The Guardian, Kele Okereke is turning agony aunt to help readers with their problems over the next few weeks.  And Kele has apparently specifically requested your "sexy questions".  

Also on the site: cooking with Matt Tong, and the band's musical map of London.

Classic Rock from LCD Soundsystem main man.

James Murphy the man primarily responsible for LCD Soundsystem’s 2007 master piece Sound of Silver has today revealed to 6Music that he has been working on a new album with a new band in a new style (well new for Murphy at least).

“It’s a rock record, a classic rock record”

The marvellous Sound of Silver was a dance record that succeeded because it had the feel of an old rock record. Will the new band deliver a classic rock record that has the feel of a modern dance album? I look forward to finding out.

The new band has yet to decide on a name, but you can expect to hear more from them in early 2009.