Sunday CD Project

What's this? It's Sunday and I'm actually posting on-time! Crazy days!

The Daydream Club – Overgrown

I heard this folky duo's 'Neon Love Song' on Tom Robinson's BBC Introducing podcast a week or two ago and was mesmerised by the discordant piano and lulling vocal harmonies. I'll be honest, I've discovered a wealth of new music this week, so I've only actually listened to Overgrown once. However, three songs have been starred on my iTunes library, so it's clear that I obviously like it.

They're an upcoming British band, so I think the least you can do is give this album a go on Spotify or something.

j.r.

Hope for Japan

I know there are dozens of things telling you to give money to Japan for their rebuilding operation, and I imagine that a lot of you are getting to a point of saturated apathy.

However, I am about to tell you to donate some money to the Japan effort! What a hypocrite I am! Seriously though, on the following Bandcamp page, the deal is that you donate upwards of US$5 (which at current rates is £3 or as close as makes no difference) and in return, 36 bands and artists have uploaded one of their songs, which come together to make a nice big compilation with pretty artwork!

Told you so! And, as if the helping people, pretty artwork, and sheer quantity of music wasn't enough, you can rest assured that the quality of the music is very good; admittedly I'm only on track 3, but all three have been some pretty cool soundscapey ambient post-rock tracks (Explosions In The Sky stylee). And if you're an audiophile like me (which I doubt many of you are), you can download the tracks in lovely lovely better-than-CD-quality FLAC format!

Enough of my ramblings! Go here and buy it:

http://hopeforjapanmusic.bandcamp.com/

You have no excuse! If you don't buy it and then I catch you going into Starbucks I will have words!

j.r.

I am a Christian. I'm sorry.

So, I noticed that recently I haven't posted on here for anything except Sunday CDs. This isn't through apathy, but more through having nothing to write about. Anyway, my dear friend @lucytrew posted the following video on her blog earlier, under the title "This is mint" and I sat in stunned silence for 3 minutes and 36 seconds, before stating aloud (to no-one but myself) "That was utterly brilliant".

And I meant it:

(Caution: There are a couple of swears. In my book they are justifiable ones - I might blog about that at some point)

I love it. Huge kudos to this guy for having the guts to stand up and say that stuff at what I think is an Open Mic Night.

Edit: I found a transcription of the poem. I don't own the copyright, so if you want to use it I guess you'll have to ask the author nicely - his contact details are in the Youtube video description:

I am a Christian. I’m sorry.

I’m sorry for the way that I come across
So fair and faith-friendly and full of myself
Judging your spiritual health by the words that you say
And the way that you dress, and the things that you do
Or maybe just judging you.

I’m sorry for the way that I live my life
So confident of my own beliefs that
I would never even think to think about thinking about yours

I’m sorry for the wars.
Ivory-clad Crusaders mounting steeds and drawing swords
With such a spirit that if The Spirit spoke they wouldn’t hear
But you see the sword of the spirit was not a sword but the Word
And the Word was with God and the Word was God
And they preached this as they marched on the Holy Land
Singing and Praying and Killing and Slaying
And purging and healing and raping and stealing
It’s ironic that they lined there pockets in the name of God
Just like the priests who line their pockets in the name of God
Just like the people that you can’t stand, because they always raise their hand
And spread their faith and hate and judgment in the name of God

I’m sorry that I take God’s name in vain
Or rather I’m sorry that I stain the name of God
Defending my selfish actions as selfless actions pertaining to the will of God

I’m sorry for being intolerant
For trying to talk down to you
For trying to talk over you
For not letting you talk

I’m sorry for not walking the walk
For being a hypocritical critical Christian
Criticising your pagan lifestyle while my lifestyle styles itself
Just like the televangelist’s hair
All slick and sly and slippery
As the silver syllables slide their way into your ear

But see that’s my greatest fear
That the steps I take won’t match the words I speak
So that when I speak all you hear of me
is a weak hypocritical critical Christian
Doing one thing, but saying another
Loving my friend, but hating my brother
It’s a show.

I’m sorry I get drunk on Saturdays
and go to church on Sundays to pray
for my friends who get drunk on Saturdays

And on that note,
I’m sorry for making the Church about the pews and the altar
And the walls and the steeple
Because see the building is not the Church
The Church is the people

I’m sorry that I hate you because you are gay
I’m sorry I condemn you to hell because you are gay
Instead of loving I jump to hatred
Mouth open and tongue preaching
Eyes open but not seeing that you are the same as me
Just a fucking human being

I’m sorry that I only hang out with Christian friends
And we do nice Christian things
Like pot luck dinners and board game nights
While in the night a man beats his girlfriend again
Another homeless man died again
Is this the way that my own crowd has been?
But here I am with the same friends again
But see what I always forget is that Jesus didn’t come
to hang out with the priests and the lords.
No, He hung out with cripples and beggars and whores

Love

I’m sorry for history
For native tribes wiped out in the name of the Church
Lodges burning stomachs churning and yearning for justice
And mothers screaming and pleading
Pleading for the young ones
As they are dragged away to Church schools
Where they were abused
I’m sorry for the way that I refused
To learn your culture
Instead I just came to spread the Gospel
And the Plague

I’m sorry that I stand at the front doors of abortion clinics
Screaming at 15 year old girls as they enter
Instead of waiting at the back door to hug them as they leave

I’m sorry for taking my wars and my faith to your lands
When historically it was on your lands that my faith was born
And in the face of the storm, I realize that
If God is Love and Love is God
Then why are we shooting instead of sharing?
Why are we launching instead of learning?
Why are we warring instead of walking together?
Why are we taking instead of talking together?
Why are we bombing instead of breaking bread together as brothers?

You see I think that God looks down and He’s sad
And from His right hand throne above
Jesus asks where is the Love?
And if it takes will.i.am and Justin Timberlake
Asking that same question for us
To start asking that same question
Then where the fuck are we headed?

So I will take this stage to be my chapel
And this mic my confession booth
And in the presence of God, the few,
and the blessed I confess, that
I am a Christian. I’m sorry.

j.r.

Sunday CD Project

Guys, I am so sorry I suck at deadlines so much. Another digital-only release this week (so not actually a CD, but it was this or nothing):

rude_NHS – A Hundred Sides

It's the debut album from Southampton's one-man DJ-producer-electroking rude_NHS and my oh my is it superb. There's a single glitch track in the middle that I can't say I've enjoyed so far, but I've only listened to it twice, so there's room to be brought round.

The high points for me are the second and final tracks ('Speak To One Another' and 'Van Jealous' respectively), the first of which is a handy revision tool for A-level Music Tech students as it tells you what MIDI stands for so many times that if you can't remember it, you frankly don't deserve the A-level.

The lovely people at Sotones are the only (I think) retailers currently selling the album, so I guess you'd better mosey on over to http://sotones.co.uk/?page_id=1293 and buy it. It's a mere £7 which is a bargain for an album of this calibre. I'm not sure what Sotones' policy is, but I imagine DJs could (and should) use this material in their sets as well.

Edit: Ooh, and great news! It's on Spotify! Hurrah!

j.r.

Sunday CD Project

This album is digital-only, so is not strictly a CD, however if it were a CD, I wouldn't have bought it until a fortnight's time, so that's a good thing I suppose. Edit: So, I had difficulty posting this last night, so here it is very late indeed!

On Joyful Wings - Seven Swans Reimagined

"Oh no!" I hear you cry, "it's a compilation!" But fear not, dear readers! I would not have purchased a compilation/cover album unless I thought it was fully necessary. So basically, this is a load of artists re-hashing Sufjan Steven's first album Seven Swans.

The track that really stands out for me is (as with the original album) The Transfiguration, the covering artist for this song being David Crowder and his band - of whom I have previously openly felt little love for. But as well that one, there are some other extremely well.

Two other quick additions to a list of reasons to buy this album: it's for charity (yay), and the front cover is one of the most beautiful pieces of album artwork I've seen in a while. On that front, I actually wish it was a physical release as well, just to see what else the artist has come up with. That's just by the way.

A final reason to listen to it, which leads to my conclusion, is that this album is free to stream (as well as buy and download as MP3, FLAC, or whatever else) here: http://onjoyfulwings.bandcamp.com/album/seven-swans-reimagined

Sunday CD Project

Oh my gosh, I forgot! Sorrrrrrrrrry! This will be the last Sunday CD for a while, as I am on holiday and moving around a bit. The next will be when I am back in Guildford again.

Radiohead - The King Of Limbs

The latest offering from the English experimentalists has been four years in the waiting since the absolute stonker that was 2007's In Rainbows. Sound-wise, I'm putting it somewhere between In Rainbows (for structured beats and stuff) and Kid A (for weird noises that make me happy). Both of those albums are great, and this one is pretty good too. However, it lacks the little touches that would make it great. There are no instantly-recognisable riffs, beats, or sounds, and nothing that makes me want to go "I flipping love Radiohead" in the same way that tracks like Reckoner, Pyramid Song, and Everything In Its Right Place do.

In short, it's worth a listen, probably worth buying in fact, but if you're considering the forthcoming newspaper edition, I'd save your cash. Buying those super-awesome boxsets is only cool when the album is awesome (trust me; I bought the pricey edition of Biffy Clyro's average-at-best Only Revolutions and while I still like it, I wish I hadn't spent £30 on it.)

j.r.

Sunday CD Project

Sorry it's so late, gang! [[Edit: Warning! This is a really boring review. Sorry about that]]

PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

I only got into PJ Harvey within the last year or so. If you're not aware of her work, she is neither an American man, nor a rapper, as her very male-American-rapper-sounding name would suggest. Some of her past albums are superb, others are a bit meh (in my opinion).

I'm glad to say that this new record is one of the better ones. The album operates as a sort of concept album about England (as the title would suggest); not a Sgt Pepper-epic sort of concept album, mind you, but literally an album where all the songs about England or being English.

Don't worry, it's not pro-BNP or anything! To me, it's just a woman who's good at writing songs, and who is proud of being English, and has put the two together with pretty good results.

It's nothing mind-blowing, if I'm honest, but it's a good, solid album, and it makes me very happy to be English (which is something I don't feel for a fair portion of the time).

I'm no longer doing the 1-5 rating, as I can't objectify well enough. Sorry @lucytrew!

j.r.