August 2010
21 posts
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REVIEW: The Baseballs - Strike (Rhino Records)
Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk. Just humour me, here. In a throwback to the old school, German cover group The Baseballs have taken it upon themselves to re-introduce the good old juke box to the masses with a fresh bunch of recent smash hits re-imagined with a 50’s twist. Going back a few years to 1995, a lounge cover music outfit The Mike Flowers Pops group made their name with their audacious...
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FEATURE: Tomorrow's Sounds Today
Hi everyone, welcome to another edition of Tomorrow’s Sounds Today! For those new to the series, this is our collection of the best from the “What’s New” section of Spotify presented to you for your digestion on a fortnightly basis. We have some real crackers for you this week, including some unusual choices showcasing our commitment to musical diversity. As usual...
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99 Spotisfaction Monday 16/08/10 - Thom Lavelle's...
Savage Henry has cashed his cheque. And you know what that means. Yes, after 99 Spotisfactions and numerous features over the last 6 months, I am leaving the Spotisfaction team. Since it’s birth back in February, Spotisfaction has grown from two frustrated 20-somethings swapping playlists into, well, what you’re reading right now - A fully featured music blog with news, reviews and a...
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REVIEW: Best Coast - Crazy For You...
Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk. Such is their ubiquitous presence online, it is difficult to say anything new about Best Coast which hasn’t been repeated a thousand of times before. “It seems like the whole internet is talking about the Best Coast album” tweeted their record company Wichita Records last month. I, my Spotisfaction friends, shall try to avoid talking about their hilarious...
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98 Spotisfaction Friday 13/08/10 - Mike Sheldrick
Hi guys. Thom and I had the world’s most important debate today. A debate that has the potential to split our nation right down the middle. A debate so fearce and volatile that we’ve both had to have a bit of a sit down and a cup of tea to recover… That’s right, folks, a debate about which Limp Bizkit cover on Spotify was the best one (not including Richard Cheese or...
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FEATURE: "What Statement?" - A Profile of Alien8...
Article by Richard Capener. In my day, I say in an old man’s voice, there was a teenage ‘war’ around Gloucester: the individuals snobbily referred to as ‘chavs’ verses the punks and grebos. Verbal abuse and muggings ensued on both sides and blah blah blah. Moral: Musical communities, usually based on the clothes people wear and cliques, seem silly to me, who opts for...
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REVIEW: The Megaphonic Thrift - Decay Decoy (2010...
Image courtesy of Amazon.co.uk. The Megaphonic Thrift are an enigma to the extent that their references are so forced as to pidgeon-hole them unfairly. Take these as given: “It’s the new project from the guy from the Casiokids.”[1] (yes, Fredrik Vogsborg is a founding Casioist), “Their name’s from Guided By Voices”[2] or “Their name makes me think of...
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REVIEW: The Jolly Boys, The 100 Club 04/08/10
Image courtesy of AltSounds.com. The sheer joy of a septuagenarian Jamaican rocking a red suit, belting out classic tunes mento-style and dropping the occasional James Brown-style “huh!” cannot be fully expressed in words. Just smiles, laughter and applause which are heaped on The Jolly Boys by the sell-out crowd at esteemed venue The 100 Club on Oxford Street. With a changing lineup...
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97 Spotisfaction Wednesday 11/08/10 - Kevin...
Afternoon, all. Things are really kicking into overdrive with the website redesign. I feel like I’ve done nothing but code for the last couple of weeks, but there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel. We think that the new site will be a lot easier to use for you guys, and we can’t wait to unveil it finally! There’ll be an announcement closer to the time so keep your...
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FEATURE: Does Britain Really Have the X-Factor...
Image courtesy of The Daily Goss.
And first, the news! So recently it was announced that John and Edward, fronted by aging buffoon Louis Walsh are to release a second god awful travesty. Yes my friends. It is regrettably true that those two Irish pillocks (affectionately?) shortened to JedWard, have surpassed all logic and reason with their release of their personal answer to the Nuclear Bomb, a...
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FEATURE: Classics Collected
Hi everyone and welcome to Classics Collected, sister piece to the Tomorrow’s Sounds Today article. With this piece what we’d like to do is highlight some classic albums available on Spotify and list a few each fortnight which we feel are worth dusting off and giving a listen if you haven’t for a while. With all this good music available on tap it is easier than ever to indulge...
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96 Spotisfaction Monday 09/08/10 - Tudor Howell
Afternoon kids. So this week has been pretty exciting. We’re working on the website redesign, and the first few drafts we’ve been privy to have been awesome. I’m sure when it’s unveiled you’ll like it. Today’s playlist is by Tudor Howell. Enjoy! [David] 96 Spotisfaction Monday (9 Aug) - THowell Hit the link for tracklist and Tudor’s blurb. Tracklist
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FEATURE: Gig Rig
Well it’s Friday again, which can only mean that it’s time for another instalment of the Gig Rig, after scouring pages of t’interweb to find the finest selection of live music coming to a town near you. Highlights this week: Booka Shade will be playing a one-off gig at the HMV Forum in London to make amends for their performance at the Lovebox festival, which had to be cut short...
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95 Spotisfaction Friday 06/08/10 - Rhys Howell
Afternoon folks. I’ve spent a good portion of today listening to two local, home-grown acts - the mighty John Madden and Tom Mitchell, and our very own Ben’s band Stressechoes. As such, I’m feeling pretty awesome right now. After Wednesday’s call-to-arms, we’ve added a few new people to our team and you can expect to see the first few posts from them shortly....
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NEWS: Stressechos Record Demo
Spotisfaction writer Ben Hawling is not one to blow his own trumpet (and believe me he has tried) but he does have other talents. When not spewing forth intriguing and in-depth prose that stimulates intellectual debate, our Ben creates culinary masterpieces such as chocolate pizza and has also been known to occasionally hit things with sticks. Luckily the things he hits are drums, and in a random...
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NEWS: Mixcloud's Celebration of Curation
31 days, 31 curators, 31 exclusive Cloudcasts. As they approach their first birthday, our friends over at Mixcloud will be showcasing some of the biggest editorial voices around, who they have been proud and honoured to have worked alongside in the last 12 months. Everyday throughout August an exclusive Cloudcast from their pick of the best curators will be available to listen to exclusively on...
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REVIEW: Camp Bestival 2010
Image courtesy of Debretts.com. Hi-De-Hi Campers! I’m sitting in my lounge watching Nirvana’s headline set at Reading Festival in 1992 on DVD. The heavy fuzz of Kurt’s guitar, the chaotic nature of their live show and the screaming, unruly crowd is a far cry from my pleasant, family-friendly experience in the Dorset countryside at Camp Bestival last weekend. My weekend, which was interrupted...
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94 Spotisfaction Wednesday 04/08/10 - David Prowse
Morning ladies and gents. Quick one for you - as well as one-off pieces, we’re still looking for people that can regularly contribute to Spotisfaction to come and join our ever-growing team.
If you’re the kind of person that prioritises buying albums or going to gigs over buying food, then come write a few reviews for us.
If most of your time is spent in a mammoth Spotify...
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FEATURE: Tomorrow's Sounds Today
Welcome everyone to another edition of Tomorrow’s Sounds Today, where we pick all that’s best from the “What’s new?” section of Spotify and present it to you, neatly packaged with some thoughts and links! In this edition we have quite the mix for you, from classic rock, through pop, to that Motown sound. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have! 1. Robert Plant –...
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NEWS: Interview with Richard Russell, XL...
Photo courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk
We thoroughly encourage you to read the interview with Richard Russell of XL Recordings in today’s Telegraph. The article provides a revealing insight into the history and ethos of Britain’s most influential label. XL Recordings have gone from strength to strength since the label’s inception in the late 80s to release dance and rave ...
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93 Spotisfaction Monday 03/08/10 - Kevin Atkinson
Morning all. Didya miss me? Today is a shock to the system, fo sho - first day back in the day job after two weeks off, and I’m very much not with it yet. This weekend saw the wedding of two good friends of mine and therefore I’m in a very good mood today. So, in celebration of this rarity, I’ve picked Kev’s soul playlist for today’s aural consumption. Congratulations...