The Go! Team

I have an inarticulate feeling regarding the new album by The Go! Team called Proof Of Youth.

This feeling can be sumed up closest by a shrug of the shoulders.

~shrugs~

Might be a grower.

The hilarity..

Apparently my best friend is doing a phone interview with Stereophonics today.

"Is there anything you'd like me to ask?"

"You probably shouldn't say that to me... [long pause] Get them to read Pop Cultureddd... Fucking bastards."

And he interviewed Robyn today.

She answered the phone in Swedish.

Music is music is music..

And so it should be. But when you start throwing other things into the mix then this wonderous art form stays less clear cut.

Managers, producers, record labels, distributors, tour managers, venue owners and, the thing its meant to all be for, customers/consumers/music fans/us.

But when you start to view your audience as customers and consumers it seems to be the start of a slippery slope into producing music that is just not going to ring true to the artist.

And we all know and can think of great examples of bands or artists whose image, style and music have changed greatly.

For me, as pathetic as this may sound, and you really are having a glimpse into my deep, troubled soul here, for me, it is Stereophonics. The change that occured in this band was absolutely unfathomable to me. I was completely obsessed. A 12-13 year-old who was falling in love with indie and rock music and everything that went with it. Stereophonics were very exciting for me at that time. The Bartender and the Thief started it all and, well, more than a little teenage heart-throb affection was felt for Kelly Jones. Ahem.

Word Gets Around and Perfomance and Cocktails were two fantastic albums. Word Gets Around was particularly acclaimed as critics were spell-bound by such a strong debut album. Kelly Jones' lyric-writing and ability to spin such a good story had him compared to the likes of Bob Dylan and hopes were high.

There obviously is no doubt that they have become massively famous. But there is also no doubt that in listening to the differences between how the band first came bursting onto the scene and their latest releases that something has gone, for me, drastically awry.

Money, fame, travel, interference, playing to your mass audience too much.

"Thinking about thinking of you
Summertime think it was June
Yeah think it was June
Laying back, head on the grass
Children grown having some laughs
Yeah having some laughs." (Dakota - Stereophonics)

Go and buy Word Gets Around if you don't already own it. It must be about 20p on Amazon and eBay. Listen back to an album that is now 10 years-old and is still as exciting, fresh, vibrant and best of all, anthemic, as it was on its release.

So completely devastated was I in the way Stereophonics changed and completely shattered my teenage dream that if I ever met them I think broken bones, spitting and expletives would be a desirable outcome for the band.

Out-of-sorts..

After a week of gruelling manual labour, or something ressembling it, alienation, heavy nerves, shocks to the systems and continual nightmares I am left with only this.

Nothing.

Nothing but rock hard calfs, a strong jealously of the gorgeous Kate Nash and a deep burgeoning adoration for this track:

Vincent Markowski - The Madness of Moths [streaming via MySpace]

Hopefully I won't be doing many more 40+ hours in four days again soon, so I may be able to post more frequently and more enjoyably.

Rebelski

We really are pushing the boat out here for this one. Rebelski is an artist I have been very fond of for a long while. Travelling, fourth-member to Doves, keyboardist, finger wiggling, brilliantly named, delight Martin Roman Rebelski, is a little known wonder.

With two albums under his belt on Twisted Nerve I cannot praise this wonderous electronica, subtle, sweet and yummy phenomenon enough.

Both his albums Thanks For Your Thoughts and Stickers On Keys are quite infamous in the small and little experienced world of Ms Mulrine. And anyone who has had the (dis)pleasure of spending a summer's afternoon with myself will know of the cruel game I like to play when my it is hot and the sun is streaming into my room by putting on the sheer perfection of either of these albums and then watching the other person be so relaxed and soothed that they fall asleep by the fourth track.

So perfect I say right now having worked a 10 and a half hour shift. I stabbed my left index finger too so typing is painful. Bastard summer sale.

Here is the opening track of Stickers On Keys..

Rebelski - Alka Seltzer [via zShare]

Please, if you like, go and buy it, its well worth your pennies and hopefully it'll prompt Martin Roman to come out of hiding and produce more gorgeous music.

PURCHASE!

Songs to shout to..

In a very loud happy way. Regressing to a child-like state, jumping around, throwing arms around, spinning and being very happy about it too.

Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky [via zShare]

And the to-die-for.

The Shins - Sleeping Lessons [via zShare]

Time to go and work.

Bring it on..

Or maybe not.

In the four days leading up to seeing Erol Alkan on Friday night, I will be working anything up to 40 hours.

But I think, if anything, it will make me all the more determined to make the most of it. I'll be screaming at The Boys to get excited and dance. Whips will be cracked. And everyone will enjoy it.

Or, possibly more likely, I'll hit my third drink and the well known phenomenon will happen. I'll fall asleep.

Upset, aggitated, frustrated, disillusioned..

Between heart-breaking conversations, missing out on money day-after-day on Deal Or No Deal and kicking myself in the head by adoring the work of Nietzsche there is a low feeling around Pop Cultureddd.

Some how though, the wonderous, gorgeous Grizzly Bear didn't move me to tears today:

Grizzly Bear - Neck On A Spit [via zShare]

Yet, for some unknown reason pulsing Para One did:

Para One - Du-Dun Dun [via zShare]

But Nietzsche ended up hugging a carthorse and making an idiot of himself in public, so I don't feel that odd... yet.

Roisin Murphy

Once famed for fronting that awesome cool-dance act Moloko, now famed for, well, gorgeous hair, a brilliant name and most importantly creating a fucking amazing solo single.

Roisin Murphy's latest solo release is resoundingly great. Vocals, wobbly bass, just delicious. My only problem? I just can't ever seem to play it loud enough.

As great as the single is, it really is, go listen to it on her MySpace page and then buy it, I'd been giving the various remixes a listen too. I'd liked them, but not been too hot on any of them, until I saw that Herve had done one. And my has he done it justice. All over the place. Not particularly exciting, until you get 2 minutes and 31 seconds in. Jesus. Oh. It is the 'sex'.

Roisin Murphy - Overpowered (Herve and Roisin in the secret garden remix) (via zShare)

And look what I've done. I've embraced sites I don't understand to be able to share it with you all!

Popworld

Ends next week!

And we all know it should have ended when Simon and Maquita stopped presenting it. Simon with his quirky, dry, out-of-touch way of posing questions which always pissed off indie-rock artists who felt their image was being jepordised (usually because it was). Maquita ever charming, funny and always suprised when she was hit on by either sleazy old has-been's or, the other predators, hip-hop artists. She's got such good legs.

Replaced by some scrawny, pretty indie kids. Fucking hell.

Woo for Channel 4 and their forward thinking. Horse racing is where it's at. Too fucking right!

The Rakes

I love The Rakes. Even met Alan once. I'd show you the picture, but I'll save myself the embarrassment.

And although the latest album Ten New Messages took a long while for me to warm to, I have always had a soft spot for this song.

And here is the video! Very nice. I wouldn't let them go near my luscious long locks.

Simian Mobile Disco

And, so, like everyone in the world of 'blog' have posted about Simian Mobile Disco today. So I won't go against the grind. Pop Cultureddd needs all the lovin' it can get!

So go to, well, more or less any of the blogs in the links section to the right and get your fingers grasped onto your mouse to click and save the new SMD track that is floating about.

It's very nice.

Remember:

Simian Mobile Disco - 3 Pin Din

And look at all their tour dates! GO SEE THEM! I guarentee you'll enjoy it. They are fucking awesome live!

Tall Pony

I'd not heard this track in ages and just saw a bulletin on my MySpace for the band. Tall Pony may have created the most sinsiter, frightening, scary, gendered yet all the while completely hilarious (if in a somewhat nervous giggle way the first 5 times you listen to it) song I've heard in, well, ever.

Tall Pony - I'm Your Boyfriend Now {Streaming via their MySpace}

Buy it! Buy it! But it! Here.

To My Boy

So for my first proper post of my return I have not taken the obvious route. Anyone who has had to endure my company recently for longer than about 10 minutes will be suprised that I'm not posting about a certain band. More later.

However, that is not at all to take in any way away from this band, To My Boy. I've mentioned them before. I first saw them way back when (not actually sure when) at a Club NME night at Middlesbrough Empire and I was completely captivated. I was just stood waiting for the usual guitar-based, mediorce, indie, pseudo-Libertines rip off. And on walked To My Boy. They have synths!! Oooo. I was very excited.

They were one of the few acts I saw at Middlesbrough Music Live. And even though I could feel my face being horribly sunburnt I couldn't turn away from To My Boy.

Their debut album is finally out. It came out on Monday to be exact. Messages is an incredibly engaging and upfront album. Fast-paced, hard-driven, screaming synths. I just adore it. Not to say its all up-up-up. I've got grievances with Eurkea that I have not reconciled. I just can't put my finger on it.

But all the singles are bloody awesome, obviously. I must say my favourite by far is Model that messy distorting riff has me dreaming about To My Boy just about every night for the past 3 weeks. But I guess my other preferred tracks are; In The Zone, which is about "reconciling the local with the global", an attempt to fuse a bit of sociology? I think so. See globalization; Talk, which the closing part of the song is just luscious, reminds me of my beloved Lo-Fi-FNK, high praise indeed; the end 'secret' track Game Over, just brilliant, it needs no more explaining.

And, well, music aside, these guys, Sam White and Jack Snape, just seem totally and completely friendly and I say that not having had any contact with them. Very committed to their fans. Incredibly interactive. Much more than any other band I can currently think of who've released an album. But add them on their MySpace and you'll soon see. A little bit addicted, eh, boys? Aren't we all.

Return..

The dirty, cynical Northern one has returned.

Ms Mulrine would like to thank a certain few people for their continued support through the recent crises (yes, plural) that have arisen.

You know who you are. I'd like to send fluffy wriggling things to you all, but, meh, I have none. So nice words will have to do.

Expect ramblings of both a pop music nature and a crazy theoretical nature.

And thoughts on my topic of study for my dissertation would be welcome. (I actually have an outline, but that would be telling!)

Spread the Pop Cultureddd word. Tell all your friends. And your enemies. The more the merrier n'all tha.

Everyone loves an underdog...

...apparently.