The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

It’s about that time once again, Suede-heads! Another year has passed and I’m going to share my favourite records of the year that just passed us by. 2008 was a wonderful year and put a halt to the overwhelming mediocrity and crapitude we had been subjected to in recent years. 2009 upped the ante by introducing us to some note-worthy new artists and some brilliant returns to form from a veteran or two. With that said…

Never mind the bollocks, here’s Billy Suede’s best of 2009. Part one!

20. Little Boots. Hands. (679)

2009 brought the debut by Miss Victoia Hesketh better known as Little Boots, the pixie beauty who showed the world that pop music isn’t the realm of the likes of Lady Gaga alone. While we’re still waiting for the official release of Hands stateside by Atlantic, those of us who bought the import, LEGALLY downloaded it or or…got it off the torrents (Shame on you!) were treated to some of the best pure pop gems of the year.  Lady Gaga might have had the mainstream, Jersey Shore  crowd but Little Boots had the blogosphere on its knees. Truly an artist to keep an eye on for the next decade, to be sure.

19. Raekwon . Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Part 2. (ICEH2O/EMI)

While everyone and their mother was singing the praises of Jay-Z’s trimuphant return to the charts with The Blueprint 3, Another luminary in NY hip-hop was releasing a better record on the same day. Raekwon of the almight Wu Tang Clan came out of hiding and released his fourth solo record and the long awaited sequel to 1994’s Only Built For Cuban Linx. Needless to say, there’s nary a bad track on here. As is normally the case with any record from a Wu-Tang Clan member, there are appearances by fellow members throughout. What puts this record on this list is the lyricism and the storytelling that Raekwon displays here. No matter how many producers had their turn manning the boards, there is a consistency throughout that is rare in hip-hop right now. Another shining example to prove that if you’re looking for real hip-hop, it’s not on the radio.  It’s in the streets of New York.

18. Franz Ferdinand. Tonight. (Domino/Epic)

It must be said. I am indeed a fanboy of the Franz. It also must be said of their second record,2005’s You Could Have It So Much Better which should have been retitled This Could Have Been So Much Better that aside from a couple of songs, the record as a whole was a disappointment compared to their sterling debut.  The band returned with a vengeance in 2009 with a smart and tidy record that brought back the groove, added with some synthetic ornamentation and cut back on the balladry which is not the band’s strength. While the record didn’t get the love that the band had enjoyed in the past, be assured that Tonight was proof positive that the Franz is not going anywhere.

17. Filthy Dukes. Nonsense In The Dark. (Polydor)

Another solid debut from the indie dance world. The Dukes had been making waves for  quite a while through the blogosphere with hot tracks like This Rhythm (featured above), Messages and Tupac Robot Club Rock. Much like the Raekwon record, this album is one of there are many movable parts. In this case, virtually each song is given a different personality as there are different vocalists throughout. The record doesn’t suffer a bit for it. It’s an adrenaline boost from the get-go and one of the few dance records that can also be looked as a pop record and we haven’t had one of those in quite a while. A shame they don’t have a US deal as yet. Hopefully 2010 will be the year the Dukes gets some shine. Hey, at least Kanye likes them!

16. The Temper Trap. Conditions. (Glassnote)

A simply beautiful record. A debut record from a band that certainly has the talent that break through in the very near future. Dramatic. Melodic. Tunes. While the son this record are most certainly singles Sweet Disposition & The Science of Fear, the band has written a solid record that they can be proud of. Another record that while it did well in the UK with the NME crowd as well as the band’s native Australia, the record really didn’t bother the US at all. While disappointing to the band, I’m sure, I’ve got a feeling The Temper Trap will find their way high on the Billboard charts very soon.

15. Editors. In This Light And On This Evening. (Kitchenware/The FADER Label)

The record comes out Stateside early this year but it came out everywhere else in 2009 so it counts! What counts even more is the about-face the band underwent for album number three. Gone is the refined dark post-punk sound of the 2005 debut The Back Room. Tossed aside was the Coldplay tinged arena-rock lite that was 2007’s An End Has A Start. 2009 found the band showing off their love for Blade Runner and the synth! The anthems are still present as is Tom Smith’s stentorian baritone but the use of synths add another element to the band’s repertoire. In some respects, the album is even darker than the debut. While that may scare some fans of their earlier work away, it may also be the reset button the band needed in order to move forward. Anyone who still thinks they sound like Interpol is getting smacked.

14. Mos Def. The Ecstatic. (Downtown)

Before he became a likeable and acclaimed actor, Mos Def was a rapper. A very good one with respect coming from backpackers and the mainstream crowd alike. To date, his 1999 Black Star collaboration with fellow great, Talib Kweli is still the stuff of legend and the template from which today’s underground hip-hop scene draws inspiration from. While his own records do tend to be a bit on the spotty side, no one can utter a negative word on his 2009 opus, The Ecstatic.

Quite possibly, Mos’ most complete work, period. He shows his diverse influences yet again from a little bit of rock, a little bit of Afrobeat…all the while bringing the lyrical force that we come to expect from the man formerly known as Dante Smith-Bey.  It’s pleasing to see that while he got the normal shine from the underground circles, Mos’ work was appreciated by the public at large with the record debuting at number 9 on the Billboard charts and garnering a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Record….if you follow that sort of thing, of course.

13. Muse. The Resistance. (Warner Brothers)

Muse has been on the precipice of greatness for a while now. Personally I felt 2006’s Black Holes And Revelations was a slight come down from the band’s high water mark, 2004’s Absolution due to the band’s experimenting a bit more but leaving the urgency of the songs behind. 2009 found the band revving up their political juices and sounding as angry as ever.  While political in scope and still embracing the progressive rock sound the band has been delving into more and more with each record, The Resistance is also arguably the bend’s commerical sounding record yet as evidenced by the glam-stomp vibe featured above in leadoff single Uprising. A great band just got even better in 2009. Ten years in and the band is well on their way to becoming an all-timer.

12. Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It’s Blitz. (Interscope)

Three albums in and NYC’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs have evolved quite nicely over the years. A sparkling, frenetic debut in 2003’s Fever To Tell which spawned the mega-hit in Maps, there was a let-down of sorts as the band veered in lie alt-country with 2006’s Show Your Bones. In 2009, the band came back with a kick in their step and an infusion of synths to augment their sound. It worked like a charm as evidenced by the two lead-off singles Zero and Heads Will Roll. The band finally got their balance right between the rockier pieces, the softer ballads and the more accessible work. Karen O found his footing and the band find themselves as quite possibly the heir apparent to the Pretenders. Always on point, never boring with a beast of a frontwoman leading the way.

11. Hatcham Social. You Dig The Tunnel, I’ll Hide The Soil. (TBD)

A debut record that really came in under the radar in 2009 but it’s my hope that the band will not continue to reside in their current underrated status for much longer. Hatcham Social, a band long championed by the likes of Faris Badwan of the Horrors and Tim Burgress of the Charlatans made their album debut in 2009 after releasing some quality singles beforehand. Their sound is reminscent of the seminal bands one would have heard released from the Kitchenware and Postcard labels in the early 80s like Josef K and Orange Juice but doesn’t lack any of their charm or immediacy. The record is simply a joy to listen to and displays a brilliant future for the band.

I’ve recently made a revelation.

Most, if not all, of the music I’ve been covering in this here blog has been focused primarily on artists and bands who call New York or England their home. Naturally there have been some rare exceptions along the way but for the most part I’ve been kind of predictable. Allow me the opportunity to make a slight deviation from my tried and true formula. I’d like to present a pretty spiffy indie rock band that’s been making some waves for the past year but is about ready to drop their eponymous debut that will be sure to rattle the senses soon enough. The best part? They’re not from New York and they’re not from London or Manchester either!

Nope. The Soft Pack come to us from the sunny and very friendly confines of San Diego, California. When this band first started out, they were known as the Muslims. Personally I thought the Muslims was a great name and rather ballsy given the current climate we find ourselves in. Unfortunately since we tend to share our planet and on a more micro level, a music scene with bumbling and stumbling idiots, the Muslims thought it better to change their name. Luckily for us, the name change was not followed by a change in sound. This quartet brings their tightly wound and rapid fire assault on the nerves in the form of The Soft Pack, the self-titled debut via Kemado Records on 2 February.

If you’ve happened to catch these guys in concert in the last couple of years sharing the stage with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Phoenix, White Lies and Friendly Fires, you know that the songs are brief in length but simply blistering and full of panic. Just the way we like it. The lead-off single taken from the record entitled Answer To Yourself should serve as a more than acceptable introduction to the band for those previously unaware. Very accessible. Very poppy and oh so hummable. Is 2010 the year of the Pack? I dare say we are about to find out…

The Soft Pack on MySpace
The Soft Pack on Facebook
The Soft Pack on Twitter

“Answer To Yourself” by The Soft Pack, taken from the forthcoming Kemado release, “The Soft Pack”

“No you girls never know 

Oh no, you girls’ll never know
No you girls never know
How you make a boy feel” 

So simple and so plain. Let Alex Kapranos tell the entire female population exactly what the effect they have on men are. The promo film for the second single taken from Tonight: Franz Ferdinand is here and it’s for No You Girls and it’s also featured on an iPod commercial which these days it seems is better than landing on a top 40 playlist. The video continues on from what seems to be a growing trend these days which is keeping the video simple and back to basics, if you will. Call it the economy, the shrinking promo budgets allowed by the labels or just a changing of the tide but promos come with a lot less frills than they had during the last decade and I, for one, am heavily in favour of it. 

What better way to drive the point home about the song than to feature a whole lot of girls on the set prancing in tight bodysuits while the band play on looking as cool as possible under the circumstances. The song itself as mentioned in the track by track review is Franz at their best: dirty, sexy and danceable. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s kept them in good stead thus far so why change?

Yes! The Franz have announced their North American tour dates! Who wants to come see them with at Roseland May 7th?!

Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre (April 13)
Oakland, CA Fox Theater (15)
Indio, CA Coachella (17)
Phoenix, AZ Marquis Theatre (18th)
Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre (19)
Magna, UT Saltair (21)
Denver, CO Ogden Theatre (22)
Dallas, TX House of Blues (24)
Austin, TX La Zona Rosa (25)
Kansas City, MO The Beaumont Club (27)
Minneapolis, MN First Avenue (28th)
Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom (29)
Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre (30)
Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall (May 2)
Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo’s (May 3)
Toronto, ON Kool Haus (4)
Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory (6)
New York, NY Roseland Ballroom (7)
Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel (8th)

Album: Tonight

Artist: Franz Ferdinand

Label: Domino/Epic

The hour is almost up on us..er…the day, I mean. The new Franz Ferdinand record is out next Tuesday Stateside. I can’t wait to have to my grubby paws all over it! Cool record cover to begin with, great band on a great label. The question that rests on all of our minds is a simple yet monumentally important one: Pray tell, Billy! Is the record any good? Well, let’s go track by track, shall we?

1. Ulysses 3.11

In a word, sinister. In the bass line and lead synths in the verse give way to what I like “the big chorus payoff” and these guys deliver better than most bands in the last few years. Strong leadoff single, should be a hit among the hipsters and those without two left feet.

2. Turn It On 2.21

Short and sweet. Very reminiscent of something you would have heard off of “You Could Have It So Much Better”. Danceable, accessible, everything you like about Franz in a tidy two minute track. Good album track.

3. No You Girls 3.42

Can you say, disco? I know you can. FF definitely can and the first reminder of the classic first record sneaks its way here. Simply majestic. You will dance to this and this should be a single. An indie dance classic to be sure. This song is for the fellas. I defy you to sit still to this song. It just won’t happen.

4.  Send Him Away 3.00

A nice enough track. Could be a grower but to me, it doesn’t scream out “OH MY GAWD, THIS SONG IS THE PANTS!” It just flows until the 1.39 mark where the song picks up a smidgen. Not a slip-over but not essential either. 

5. Twilight Omens 2.30

I love this song. Love the synth lead. It’s just so melodic and a bit darker than we’re accustomed to hearing from the Franz. Probably not a single but I can definitely see this being a fan favourite.

6. Bite Hard 3.26

Simple. Steady. This one’s a bit of a pastiche from the debut and “YCHISMB”. This one has “live favourite” written all over it. Me likey!

7. What She Came For 3.52

Franz goes all metal on yo’ ass!  What began as a a slick ditty explodes into an all-out shellshock on the senses at the 3.17 mark. They’re loud, they’re absrasive, they’re the new Scottish gentry! Dig it!

8. Live Alone 3.29

Swoon! This is the jam right here. This begins the trio of songs that make this record a must own. This is my personal favourite on the whole record. Begin with the oh-so-naughty bass line. The disco drum pattern and the synths! What seals the deal? The subject matter, for one. Another anthemic one from the Franz. Relationships suck. No they don’t. Maybe it’s better to be alone? Add in the Moroder-esque middle eight and this song is an instant single and just may challenge “Take Me Out” as their signature song.

9. Can’t Stop Feeling 3.03

Another song for those who are rhythmically inclined and another grrreat middle eight. Don’t think about this one. This is one where you close your eyes on the dancefloor and groove. Nuff said.

10. Lucid Dreams 7.56

This is the epic track right here. Start slow, ride a groove and then “the big chorus payoff”! Once the song kicks in, it does not let go but ultimately gives in to Franz experimenting with the breaks. Breaks as in beats for those of you who don’t quite get jiggy wit’ it. It’s hard to describe this song. This is simply one that begs to be craked up to 11 and blow your brains out.

11. Dream Again 3.18

After the onslaught of the previous three songs, we slow it down a bit. This one is very reminiscent of mid-period Blur. Very minimal. It’s a sweet song and a good comedown song when coming home from the discotheque.

12. Katherine Kiss Me 2.56

We end this record with an acoustic little ditty. A simple, plaintive song with Alex crooning. Girls swoon.

The verdict? If you enjoyed the debut and thought the second record was a bit lacking in terms of coherence, consider Tonight a glorious return to form one of the best bands of the new wave resurgence. The record is solid and you will dance. Get it next Tuesday!

Oh yes…we’re getting closer to the release of the first big record of 2009. The third long-player from the new Scottish gentry, Franz Ferdinand. It’s out in the State on the 27th via Domino/Epic and it’s called Tonight…Franz Ferdinand. If you enjoyed the first two records, especially the self-titled debut then you will go head over heels over the new record which already is shaping up to be their best yet. This is a band to put your faith in, ladies and gentlemen. I posted about the leadoff single, Ulysses, and raved about how sinister and sleazy it sounded. Well, the video above fits that vibe quite nicely, I must say. The same could be said for the record as a whole so it will definitely be a treat! As an added treat, here’s another track from the record and is always one of my favourites, it’s called Live Alone. Get your dancing shoes ready for this one!

“Live Alone”, taken from the forthcoming Domino/Epic release, “Tonight…Franz Ferdinand”

“Well I found a new way
I found a new way
C’mon doll and use me
I don’t need your sympathy”

Yes…yes indeed.  It’s been quite a while but at last! 2009 will indeed mark the return of dance-punk heroes, Franz Ferdinand.  Their new record entitled “Tonight…Franz Ferdinand” makes its way Stateside on 27 January via Domino/Epic and if it’s anything like the first two records, you can expect Billy here to be very happy. Very happy. 

For starters, the leadoff single, “Ulysses” is making its way ’round the blogosphere and it will make its way to your iPod very soon as well. Simply a slippery, devious track we’ve got here as I would expect nothing less from the new Scottish gentry.  Opening with a simple bass line which gives way Alex Kapranos imploring us to “get high”. Add in some synth which gives way to the big chorus payoff.  These guys do pop very well and if “Ulysses” is a signal of what’s come then I’m right on board once again!