Music

Nothing beats hearing a 'new' band for the first time, hearing music you love and to discover that they have a back catalogue of dozens of albums. What I want to do is help point out some great artists I've discovered. I understand taste is very subjective, so I will try to find other artists that share a similar sound. If I'm wrong, tell me! but better yet, if I help you discover some band/singer you love, please tell me! Positive feedback is always a great motivater!.

Hit List

An amazing DJ who just does it right: Armin van Buurin out of the Netherlands. The next Tiesto? Maybe! Visit his site

Favourite Lyrics:

Pissing the night away, Pissing the night away,
He drinks a whisky drink, He drinks a vodka drink, He drinks a lager drink, He drinks a cider drink,
He sings the songs that remind him of the good times,
He sings the songs that remind him of the better times.
... Tubthumping - Chumbawamba (you can clearly visualize that moment!)

Common People - Pulp

She came from greece she had a thirst for knowledge, she studied Sculpture at saint martin’s college, that’s where I caught her eye. she Told me that her dad was loaded, I said in that case I’ll have a rum and Coke-cola. she said fine and in thirty seconds time she said:
I want to Live like common people, I want to do whatever common people do, i Want to sleep with common people, I want to sleep with common people Like you.
Well what else could I do - I said 'I’ll see what I can do'. I took Her to a supermarket, I don’t know why but I had to start it somewhere, So it started there. I said: 'pretend you’ve got no money', she just laughed And said 'oh you’re so funny'. I said 'yeah? well I can’t see anyone else Smiling in here'. Are you sure you want to live like common people?,
You Want to see whatever common people see?, you want to sleep with Common people, you want to sleep with common people like me?.
But she didn’t understand, she just smiled and held my hand.
Rent a flat above a shop, cut your hair and get a job. Smoke some fags and play some pool, pretend you never went to school. But still you’ll never get it right ’cos when you’re laid in bed at night watching roaches climb the wall if you call your dad he could stop it all.
You’ll never live like common people, you’ll never do what common people do, you’ll never fail like common people, you’ll never watch your life slide out of view, And dance and drink and screw because there’s nothing else to do...

Venus Hum

New Wave - Electronica Sound

Nothing short of brilliant, this is one group to watch out for. Venus Hum currently on tour with Blue Man Group, has been exposing audiences with an amazing new sound. They recently wowed audiences at the Glastonbury Festival, and are now trying to gain similar exposure in North America. Unfortanitly, Venus Hum may be too progressive for the American market. Success will come via Europe who I expect will help create their first hit with the song 'Montana'. Only after a breakthrough hit overseas will America audiences be more open to this act. Till then, word of mouth will be this bands selling channel.

To describe the style of their music is rather like trying to describe the taste of food - it's rather meaningless. I guess the best way to describe this electronica trio is to say it's as if Bjork played with the Siouxsie & the Banshees. Lead singer Annette Strean has a 'Bjork' like voice, and her fellow musicans - Kip Kubin and Tony Miracle play the 'Siouxsie & the Banshees' sounding music. Unlike your generic dance acts - two hits, and 10 filler songs - this album has a flow, a context.

Like the album title: 'Big Beautiful Sky' the cd manages capture the spirit of a large wide open space. Parts are down right dreamy. The soundscape presented is rich and full of orginal samples, and complex interwoven beats. This is an open road cd, a cd you pop into your player and travel with. This is truely a cd that will grow on you. Venus Hum should have staying power.

Watch out for the song Montana - could be a fall/winter radio hit in Europe - and limited airplay in larger North American markets.

Venus Hum is one of the very few acts that get's it - they actually have tracks you can listen to online - via their website: VenusHum.com. Make sure you listen to Soul Sloshing and Montana. And don't bother downloading their MP3's - buy the cd - the sound is so much better!

The Lightning Seeds

New Wave - Electronica Sound

One band I will recommend is 'The Lightning Seeds' - if you like New Wave or 80's electronic you'll like their music. I would put bands like Erasure, A Flock of Seagulls, and more current acts like Pulp and Daft Punk as groups that share a similar sound. Ian Broudie the bands frontman was in the one hit wonder act Big In Japan with the hit single of the same name (the band split up after the song became a hit). Just a footnote - I'm not the biggest fan of 'Big in Japan' it's not an example of the Lightning Seeds sound.

The Lightning Seeds first single 'Pure' was released in 1989. In 1996 the Seeds released 'Three Lions' the official song of the English Football team.

If interested I would highly recommending as a first purchase their 'Sense' album, their second album released in the spring of 1992. A solid album from start to finish.

Click here to purchase The Lightning Seeds: "Sense" Album from Amazon.com