Thursday 10 May 2012

A musical journey: April

So now it's officially Spring time. The clocks have gone forward, it's light when I drive to work in the morning, it's light when I drive home in the evening. Spring time is followed by summed which means to me getting ready for festival seasons. Good music shared with good friends and plenty of alcoholic beverages. So this month these bands have been getting me in my musical mood to prepare fit the summer ahead....

Feeder;
Ah my all time favourite band. I've managed to see them live 15 times something I'm proud if and a figure I certainly plan on adding to. Most of the times, in fact all of these times I've seen them I've had my trusty sidekick disco Dave . Every time they announce a tour we are there, and every time my man rolls her eyes at me and says, "you could act there gigs" and it's half true, but they do mix up their set list and at each gig i still go and sing a mosh as passionately as the first.

The first time I saw Feeder live was in Newcastle, I was in college, aged 16. I was on crutches due to badly spraining my ankle, which I'd only done 2 days before. I still went to the gig and at first hung back but as they got into it and I started getting more and more confident my ankle was healed, which it obviously wasn't as it was the size of a watermelon I threw the crutches to the side and started moving, swaying turned into bopping and bopping into bouncing. This obviously caused me a considerable set back in my recovery but you know what it was worth it.

I have a 1001 different stories of each feeder gig like when I saw them in Wales and slept on the streets or was stopped by police sniffer dogs or missing 4 England goals on and all day session before one of their gigs each gig I could write a story and they make you laugh (wait a minute I might face a new feature for my blog here when I have writers block!) but you know what I'd best talk about some if there music after all that's partly what these posts are about.

The new album was released this month and as always like Feeder it doesn't disappoint. Each track leads on greatly to the next track and each track has its own unique feeder sound and feels like it could belong on any of their classic albums.Similarly I could go to a Feeder gig and I'd be happy to hear them play any of these songs.After doing what they do for so long its great to hear that they haven't lost their touch in writing great songs. I guess that's a sign of a truly great band. It just saddens me that they don't get as much airplay because they are less commercial and are doing it all on their own label. It's a shame as there are plenty of bands like this out their but because of the recent influx of reality based shows they don't get their airplay,(radio 1 I'm looking at you here playing the same six songs day in day out for 2 months) Being a Radio 1 DJ must be the easiest thing ever because you literally don't choose any songs you just play the same CD over and over.

But I am slightly diverting from my post, sorry, Feeders new album is fantastic BUY IT! Generation Freakshow is full of fast paced songs with catchy guitars, raucous drum beats and great lyrics. Feeder are here to stay. My favourite track is Generation Freakshow , the title track, very fast paced, big guitars and big drums. The Video below is the first single from the new album, Borders.A great Feeder song that belongs in their classic back catalogue. It would fit in anywhere, great lyrics and a song that you can sing a long to while also rocking out to, enjoy...



Train;
I saw Train live in 2010 in Manchester. They were a band I first started liking back in 2001. Everyone, I think will know at least one of their songs. Drops of Jupiter is the song I fell in love with of theirs but recently they released soul sister which is equally as good. In 2910 they released save me San Francisco which is the album I've been listening to recently in the car. It's one of my favourite albums as it is one of those you just stick on and listen to every song, each one being different and you look forward to hearing the next track in line. As soon as I hear this album I immediately imagine that I am back in Dallas. Why you ask? It's because I bought this album just before my holiday to New York and Dallas in 2010 and because I loved it so much I listened to it a lot and so I remember walking around in the sun l
whilst listening to this album.

As I said I went to see train back in 2010 with my best friend Disco Dave in Manchester. It was a great gig, the lead singer has a great voice and even tried to sing one song without his microphone which was different as I'd never been to a big gig where this had happened. My mate and I also had a crazy night out in Manchester afterwards that led to him losing his phone and us not getting in until 5am and he had a train to catch at 8am and I had a footy match at 12pm.



Damien Rice;
Of Damien Rices two albums I can't chose one I prefer, to me they are both excellent. I've recently been listening to his first album, O, in my car. It's z great album if you just want to switch off and relax, perfect after a day at work to listen to.

I first got this album in 2003 when I was at University and can remember lying in my bed, listening to it with a massive hangover from the previous nights escapades. The album has great songs on it, cannonball being the obvious for many people, my favourite however is..... The album is great because it's so simple and for me quiet in a good way.

I hate that those X-Factor tripe singers got to cover his song at Christmas, but if anything it made me appreciate the original a lot more. I'm not against musicians covering songs, but I am against musicians butchering over musicians songs. In fact I've been too kind there and classed an X-Factor karaoke singer as a musician, apologies. You see to me a cover works if you try do something different from the original.

Anyway back to Damien Rice. The album itself is a Sunday morning feel album, the kind you could switch on and have in the background as you are having your eggs and cuppa and just enjoying the rats of sunshine come through your Window and think about what you are going to do with the day ahead.

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