previously

Mike's Mad4these w/c 5 Jul 10
Choice new music - Click below for the latest on each artist
1 1 TRAVIE McCOY & BRUNO MARS Billionaire new single 26 July VIDEO
2 - MARINA & THE DIAMONDS Oh No! Sanna & Pitron Edit new single 26 July
3 2 UFFIE Hong Kong Garden from her new 'Sex Dreams & Denim Jeans' albu
4 3 IDC Daytime Radio Hit new single 26 July 2010
5 4 SAGE FRANCIS Best Of Times promo
6 6 VIOLENT SOHO Jesus Stole My Girlfriend new single
7 7 PEARL & THE PUPPETS Make Me Smile new single
8 8 MONARCHY Love Get Out Of My Way new single 26 July 2010
9 9 FUNERAL PARTY New York Moves To The Sound Of LA new single 28 June 2010
10 10 WILDER Boys vs Girls new single 26 July 2010 VIDEO

This week's post ...

Brandon Flowers
Crossfire new single 23 August
Rock strikes back with a superb new tune from The Killers’ Brandon Flowers. “Crossfire”, will be the first single from his debut solo album on Vertigo Records from the album “Flamingo” scheduled for a 6th September release. Produced by Stuart Price, Daniel Lanois, and Brendan O’Brien, “Flamingo“ has ten songs from a man whose voice and songwriting prowess have left an indelible mark on the music world. The O’Brien-produced “Crossfire” is an epic rocker – see the video featuring Charlize Theron at brandonflowersmusic.com

The Drums
Let's Go Surfing new single
I know these lads are getting some important tips but I don't know... it sounds a bit weak to me... a bit eunuch'd... namby pamby... what can I hear in this... Violent Femmes 'Blister In The Sun' ... that's good cool... "Wake up it's a beautiful morning...." 'Let's Go Surfing' so yes Beach Boys harmonies... intriguing use of human whistling... an interesting lyric... 170bpm... The trouble is I think, The Drums have set their stall in indie alternative and I can't see this track cross to mainstream or being heavily requested... it's great to discover something off the wall but I can't see it making the necessary sales to be sustainable... great contemporary word ... sustainable... so hey maybe Number One then!!!

Kassidy
Hope Street 5 Track Sampler
Well now here's the indie band Kassidy... and these guys have a bit of money behind them.. well a lot... big record company... and you can hear the money... the production comes through classy as f*ck... 'Stray Cat' is an upbeat accoustic guitar led mob song sing-a-long "Where have you gone..." vocals somehow sounding effortless with a strong hook type chant ... and then track two the five minute 'Take Another Ride' again accoustic guitar this time mellow leads into the opening line "I lost a friend a friend that was right sent me packing on my way...and did I mention that she took my heart alive...." Track three 'The Traveller' - a short two and a half minute shanty.... again you'll be impressed with the strong vocals and distinct rhythm track... Kassidy do have a trademark sound... then we're into another short sweet three minute ditty 'Secret Tells A Lie' .... this is the blues singing.. again supremely strong vocals with the song progressing and developing into different hooky parts quickly... so the finale.. 'The Betrayal' with it's funky accoustic feel "Here come the shadows..." and this one rocks out a bit, with some cool electric guitar riffing. This is top material... if there's a market for some accoustic almost Del Amitri style indie rock then these guys will be at the front of the queue... I could see them doing well in America and so it seems can their label, the legendary Mercury Records.

The Like
Wishing He Was Dead new single 23 August 2010
I like this outfit, they've opened for Muse and Kings Of Leon. I saw them when they mounted their first attack on the UK some years back. The Like hail from Hollywood's media aristocracy, the offspring of the powerful but don't let that be a deterrant they produce well crafted songs and have a certain edginess almost bratishness you wouldn't quite expect. 'Wishing He Was Dead' is a chunky declaration of revenge on the deceiving two timing boy-freund.. nice bit of Hammond sounding sound to end the tune. Fresh off their US tour with the Arctic Monkeys the band returned to the UK in May for a storming string of London dates and, following a tour of Australia with The Strokes, they will return to the UK in August for Reading and Leeds before hitting the road for a full UK tour. As their website says I like The Like... hit maybe.

Stornoway
Watching Birds new single
There's a little of the Joy Division attack here, distinctive bass, accoustic sounding strumming guitar with a steady backbeat, melody, lyric and vocals are heading to indie pop... they may need an investment of dosh to be able to afford a top producer but it's another sign of consistency from Stornoway who are winning plenty of important column inches however.... I don't think this track has a strong enough hook musically or voaclly to break through.

Violent Soho
Violent Soho new single
If this were a Nirvana record I doubt you'd be disappointed... I think the name Violent Soho may have been the wrong choice they need some easy handle to on which to hang this supreme set of songs. IG Industry Green are behind this act through Universal and this is top notch material from start to finish... each of the ten songs are three minutes except track ten .. three minutes thirty seconds... a fine demonstration of how to utilise variety of approach and arrangement with only guitar bass and drums... Right from the opener 'Here Be Dragons' you get the sense of something special... uptempo, fuzzy guitar, distinct bass, cobbled drums, odd ball vocals with screechy chorus..... into the two excellent singles 'Jesus Stole My Girlfriend' and 'Son Of Sam'. Then the ballsy 'Generation', grungy 'Muscle Junkie', the rather beautifully soft and ironic accoustic led 'Outsider' "With the cross between her legs she went to say her final vows...You say the universe is weak but in your head you bend your knees...". Track seven - 'Slippery Tongue' and it's another different sounding style on guitar, off beat drums, great vocals... Track 8 a pounding 170bpm rocker 'Love Is A Heavy Word' - "I hate your photos... she's an idiot...he's illiterate, inconsiderate" then track 9 'Bombs Over Broadway' another great rocker and the finale... 'Narrow Ways'. This band deserve a shot at the bigtime - short and sweet, top quality writing, arrangement and production this is a great set.

This week's Goss ...

UK Top 40 Sun 4 Jul 10
Katy Perry' scores the transatlantic double for a second week with 'California Gurls' at Number One in Britain and America.

Eminem's 'Recovery' clings on to Album Chart top spot while he's again got two trax from it inside the top ten.

5 new entries - 10 up, 22 down, 3 non-movers

This Week ... Last Wk ... Wks In ... Artist ... Title ... Origin

1 1 2 KATY PERRY & SNOOP DOGG California Gurls US

2 12 B.o.B. & HAYLEY WILLIAMS Airplanes US

3 6 3 KYLIE MINOGUE All The Lovers Aus

4 new ENRIQUE IGLESIAS & PITBULL I Like It US

5 2 6 K'NAAN Wave The Flag Somali / Canadian

6 7 2 EMINEM & RIHANNA Love The Way You Lie US

7 4 3 EXAMPLE Kickstarts UK

8 8 6 LADY GAGA Alejandro US

9 13 3 KELLY ROWLAND DAVID GUETTA Commander US / France

10 5 6 EMINEM Not Afraid US

11 9 4 TINIE TEMPAH Frisky UK

12 11 2 SCISSOR SISTERS Fire With Fire US

13 10 5 DAVID GUETTA CHRIS WILLIS Getting Over France / US

14 new SKEPTA Rescue Me UK

15 3 4 SHOUT FOR ENGLAND Shout UK

16 14 10 JASON DeRULO Ridin' Solo US

17 15 15 USHER & WILL I AM OMG US

18 17 7 B.o.B. Nothing On You US

19 20 10 ALICIA KEYS Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart US

20 18 7 SEAN KINGSTON & JUSTIN BIEBER Eenie Meenie US

21 29 8 EDWARD MAYA & VIKA JIGULINA Stereo Love Rumania

22 23 8 RIHANNA Te Amo US

23 24 10 ALEXANDRA BURKE-PITBULL All Night Long UK / US

24 19 7 KE$HA Your Love Is My Drug US

25 27 4 SHAKIRA Wacka Wacka Time For Africa Colombia

26 new MARCO CALLIARI We Speak No Americano Canada

27 26 14 PLAN B She Said UK

28 28 9 AGGRO SANTOS & KIMBERLY WYATT Candy UK / US

29 16 3 ROBYN Dancing On My Own Sweden

30 32 10 TRAIN Hey Soul Sister US

31 21 5 PIXIE LOTT Turn It Up UK

32 30 6 N-DUBZ & BODYROX We Dance On UK

33 new JUSTIN BIEBER & USHER Somebody To Love US

34 22 2 DIDDY & DIRTY MONEY Hello Good Morning US

35 34 18 TINIE TEMPAH Pass Out UK

36 new PLAN B Prayin' UK

37 31 2 BIG BOI Shutterbug US

38 25 5 MILEY CYRUS Can't Be Tamed US

39 37 6 IYAZ Solo US

40 39 6 KERI HILSON I Like US

America's Hot 100

This Week ... Last Week ... Weeks In ... Artist ... Title

1 1 7 KATY PERRY & SNOOP DOGG California Gurls

2 new EMINEM & RIHANNA Love The Way You Lie

3 2 12 USHER & WILL I AM OMG

4 3 11 B.o.B. & HAYLEY WILLIAMS of PARAMORE Airplanes

5 4 13 TRAVIE McCOY & BRUNO MARS Billionaire

6 5 8 DRAKE Find Your Love

7 8 9 MIKE POSNER Cooler Than Me

8 6 20 KE$HA Your Love Is My Drug

9 7 13 LADY GAGA Alejandro

10 16 13 JASON DeRULO Ridin' Solo

Comedy Council...
Posted Tuesday 6th July 2010
All quiet on the Western Front excepting the small problems of the UK's national bankruptcy, humiliation and the impending loss of either 600,000 or 1,300,000 jobs depending on who you believe... Aside from that though have you noticed the barrage of government communique's informing us all how crap we are seems to have abated... you know the 'how we should apologise for everything' type stuff, this, that and the other that was done long before we were born... and we can't have that can we....
Into the breach step Cardiff 'County' Council who frequently demonstrate staggering Lib Dem doublespeak - this evening we learned thanks to Channel 4 News that low and behold Lib Dem councils are worried they'll have to cut 'essential services'... huh? They should come learn Cardiff's secret because Cardiff Council are overflowing with dosh.
Amazingly Cardiff has this past week been blitzed with expensive floral decorations wherever you care to look... where previously roads had been now trees, plants and flowers have prevailed... it's a shame there's any working people left to spoil the view.

Cardiff's head honchos are Berman & Bowen, our answer to Abbot & Costello.
Cardiff's Scottish Lib Dem Leader Rodney Berman has done what many would have thought impossible and made the former Labour Council Leader Russell Goodway look sensible.
Berman's right hand axe man is Delme Bowen from Welsh speakers party Plaid Cymru. Llanelli born Bowen is the boss (or Executive Member) of Cardiffs transport, education and schools and as a Professor of Cell Biology he appears to be experimenting on us by targetting the removal of any last vestiges of common sense from our lives.
Despite genuine upset and concern, furious anger and even desperate pleas from Cardiffians to halt and review council plans on schools policy and their ridculous notion of 'sustainable' transport the Council are ploughing on doing unquantifiable and probably unlimited damage.
My favourite Delme quote beggars belief from a Professor, "There is no reason on Earth why all buses should terminate in the terminus"
....????

Has this man never seen Thomas The Tank Engine or it's Cymru equivalent?
Is he embittered by some Fat Controller rejection and determined to wreak havoc wherever he goes.
This week our Delme having successfully angered and emnified many is again "helping people" by introducing a parking gestapo - a fleet of mobile civic officials in their four instantly deployable vehicles who'll arrive unannounced with the very latest high tech ticketing gear to deliver £70 fines... just like that... one dejected opposition Councillor refers to this intiative as a 'Reign of Terror'.
Does this man think we haven't noticed the Council's vandalism all around Cardiff, vandalism and destruction which has seen parking spaces disappear faster than World Cup dreams while the same Council has doubled the cost of parking.
All this while millions of pounds have been wasted on unnecessary road works...
Talk about road rage...
If you're heading to Cardiff bear in mind it's downtrodden citizens who until next year at least have to put up with a ditested and aggressive Council run by an incredible unholy alliance of the third and fourth most popular parties.
Because of national Labour's utter betrayal of it's traditional voters this disaster has magic'd it's way into our lives following the 2008 council election results.
The then 4th placed Plaid Cymru seems to be in charge with it's 3rd placed Liberal Democrat coalition partners.
Democracy is in trouble when the popular vote places the Tories first and Labour second and then the Council ends up being run by the rejected 3rd and 4th placed parties.... and then those parties choose to ignore their citizens opinions in the most cynical fashion.
If these crazy initiatives are all a Lib Lab Con to rob us all blind then they appear to be succeeding.

new trax
our weekly a to z of new music / cd review's is listed below

this week
Brandon Flowers
The Drums
Kassidy
The Like
Stornoway
Violent Soho LP

28 Jun
Arcade Fire 2/8/10
Basshunter 11/7/10
BoB & Hayley Williams 9/8/10
Ellie Goulding 9/8/10
Everything Everything 7/6/10
Hoosiers 26/7/10
I Am Arrows 12/7/10
Katy Perry
Klaxons 16/8/10
Mirrors 23/8/10
One Night Only 16/8/10
Plan B 11/7/10
Starsmith 29/8/10
Stromae

21 Jun
Kate Nash 28/6/10
Marina & The Diamonds 26/7/10
Paul Weller 14/6/10
Russel Brand 21/6/10
Wilder 26/7/10

14 Jun
David Holmes LP
IDC 26/7/10
Katy Perry Remixes 20/6/10
Monarchy 26/7/10
Travis McCoy & Bruno Mars 26/7/10
Uffie 31/5/10

7 Jun
Born Ruffians 26/7/10
Buckcherry 2/8/10
Lissie 21/6/10
Tokyo Police Club12/7/10

31 May
Broken Bells
Funeral Party 28/6/10
Pearl & The Puppets
Violent Soho

24 May
Archie Bronson Outfit 28/6/10

17 May
Alicia Keys
Alphabeat 31/5/10
Archie Bronson Outfit 28/6/10
Dallas Guild Remix
David Holmes
Example 13/6/10
Four Year Strong LP 31/5/10
I Blame Coco
Katy Perry 20/6/10
Lady GaGa 27/6/10
New Young Pony Club
Plasticines LP
Republica Remixes
Some Velvet Morning Remix 17/5/10
Tinie Tempah Mixes 7/6/10
Uffie & Pharrel 31/5/10
We Are Scientists 7/6/10

10 May
Chapels Horrors Remix
David Holmes
Delays Remix
Eminem 21/5
The Foxes 17/5
Groove Armada 26/4
Night Bus 31/5
Republica 7/6
Sage Francis
Tiffany Page
Tinie Tempah Mixes 7/6

3 May
Drake 17/5
The Foxes 17/5
LCD Soundsystem Holy Ghost Remix 17/5
Lights 15/3
Sia 31/5

26 Apr
Ash 24/5
Chapel Club
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
Kevin Rudolph 25/4
LCD Soundsystem Holy Ghost Remix 17/5
The Like
Stornoway 31/5
Tinie Tempah 7/6

Saturday 3 July 2010 - Click here to surf onto myspace.com/thisis10feettall