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Pop Musicology - "The Second Drummer Drowned"

Pop Musicology - November 2006

Darren Hayman Download

November 30th 2006 10:45
Those wonderful folk at The Downloader are at it again! After last week's sublime collection of Fortuna POP! hits, they now turn their attention to the Track & Field Organization and, namely, everyone's favourite bitter sod Darren Hayman. Caravan Song can be found here, and it's delicious. PM interviewed the great man for Tangents a little while back, and he was charming. Even when I inappropriately asked for an interview while we were in the toilets... read that here. And then you should go here for a video of Mr. Hayman doing an old Hefner number wot PM shot on the day of said interview.


Darren Hayman at F-POP! Fest
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Now there's a dinner party PM would like to witness... yes, apparently Ms. Love was joined by the baldy twat in a dress... ... ... ... ... AND BILLY CORGAN! Oh, I do make myself laugh. But look at these shocking displays of misplaced faith in musical ability, here and here. At the beginning of the first one, do we hear Courtney saying Billy is her boyfriend? Again? Bloody hell, she'll be dead within five years. He clearly isn't worried about leaving Jimmy Chamberlin alone on the Smumpkins studios. Get back there quicly, Bill! Otherwise it'll be a jazz album by the time it comes out! And before you ask, yeah, I nicked these videos off Stereogum. It's a slow week.


But a week guaranteed to get better by tomorrow - Monade are playing London! Expect pictures! And a gushing write-up! And then, expect PM to be rambling about possibly going to see Josh Pearson the week after, then Six Organs Of Admittance... this could be another one of those weeks where degree work is somewhat neglected.

Billy you twat!

Billy Corgan
Sharon Osborne had it right...
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Bloody hell! You know when you're just overcome with nostalgia, no matter how obvious and pointless it seems, when you can't help but beam about something rather innocuous and even more predictable? Well that's my face right now, all the way till PM hits ATP in April.

ATP sez to you:

"We are delighted to announce that Cat Power has confirmed for the Dirty Three event.

Also confirmed is Spritualized performing a special show called Acoustic Mainline which he recently performed at a special show at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

The show will showcase some of the songs from the forthcoming album as well as tracks from the Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized catalogues and songs from other artists. He will be accompanied on all dates by a string quartet, gospel singers and Spiritualized guitarist Doggen on Fender Rhodes."


Yeah! I know! How cool does this all sound?! Gospel choirs? Yeah!!! 'Come on... Come Together...'
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Another Dananananaykroyd Live Video...

November 25th 2006 12:49
I know... too many posts about the same bands. But this is ace. Just please go and look how ace. Here! Best moment - 38 secs in, when it all kicks off... then when one of the drummers pops off for a wander. Great stuff.

PM's copy of their new single 'Some Dresses' plopped through the door this week, and I dread to think how much battering that vinyl has taken in repeated plays. I am incapable of taking it off. And when it's on, PM dances like the ghost of Sammy Davis Jr. What's that Kramer? You don't like Sammy?

[ Click here to read more ]
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Everett True Signed My Book!

November 23rd 2006 12:05
Last night PM pootled into London to see Everett True talk about his new Nirvana book. As an initial inflitrator of the grunge scene in Seattle (and more, importantly, Olympia), True built up a massive reputation among that scene and, in recent years, has found a new audience through his magazines Careless Talk Costs Lives (issues of which counted down from #12 to #0) and Plan B. Today, he talks about his new book which, he insists, is not a biography of Nirvana, just a story from his point of view (and several others).

Everett True

[ Click here to read more ]
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Fanfarlo Download! Go Get!

November 22nd 2006 12:02
The Downloader has an utterly wonderful treat for you! Go there and download an exclusive Fanfarlo track, then listen to the luxuriant splendour, the cleverness of the microcosmic arrangements and the childish wonder of Simon Aurell's voice. If anyone should beat the shit out of Keane, dress up as them, nick their stuff, insult their families, smarmily convince the world they're still the same boring Battle-ites and make a confusingly wonderful new album that confounds fans and critics alike, it should be Fanfarlo.

Now the band has expanded to pretty much a 6-piece (including drummer Amos Memon from PM faves Electric Assembly and Tompaulin), it makes PM want to hear the possibilities for Aurell's songwriting increase. With the right tools, Fanfarlo will be something special for years to come. Pop wizards don't usually come with staffs as big as this.

[ Click here to read more ]
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It's unsurprising to learn that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin's appraisal the band's new record makes Billy Corgan's word-vomiting sound almost re-digestible. Of it he gushes:

"BC pulled off a magnificent guitar symphony last night and it is still ringing in my ears this morning. Eight guitars resonating in one big harmonic handshake! And the drums...........of course! Yes, things are sounding great my friends. Today we will be working on vocals and solos, tomorrow, who knows. We are channelers. Sonic students."

[ Click here to read more ]
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The Butteflies Of Love, the band destined more than any other today be mentioned under the 'much maligned' tag when they are gone, have a download available from ten o'clock this morning (British time, der-brains) at The Downloader.

It's part of an utterly great idea to give different labels the chance to give people some free music, and this week it's the turn of PM faves Fortuna POP! Records to have a go. There'll be a different tune available each day from different F-POP! artists, so make sure you go back EVERY DAMN DAY, you dogs! The Butterflies track is, apparently, an outtake from the 'Famous Problems' sessions. PM predicts that it'll be ace. Follow the link for a slightly more direct route to warm ears. And then go around here somewhere for a wee interview PM did with the band across the Summer.

[ Click here to read more ]
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You heard! The ATP organisation has deemed it entirely appropriate to let the fans vote on the acts scheduled to appear at the second ATP weekend in May. Fans have to, of course, buy a ticket, and then pick the top ten acts they'd like to see play there. Curses, how PM would love to go to the second weekend. Were it not for the shot of comfortamine known as 'owning a ticket for weekend one', I'd probably expire.

Acts already confirmed for weekend one (presumably to just get people to buy a ticket with some knowledge of acts) are as follows...

[ Click here to read more ]
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New Dananananaykroyd Single

November 16th 2006 22:43
It's called 'Some Dresses' and it's fucking wonderful.

Go here to buy it. Go here to listen to the B-side. It's called 'Genuine Ibs' and it's fucking wonderful.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Flaming Lips Live Pics And Vids

November 14th 2006 22:19
Ready for something special? Good! Go here and here for some proper demented stuff. The first one is (obviously) Wayne Coyne rolling about in a ball on people's heads. The second one is a snippet of 'Race For The Prize' which, now, is officially the best dancing song on earth. Look at the carnage!!

Here are pics:

[ Click here to read more ]
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Blur Never To Tour Again!

November 14th 2006 12:16
Well, fine! If that's how they feel about it...

Drummer Dave Rowntree told BBC 6Music: "The days of Blur doing a tour will not happen." Good grammar, sire! PM would love to feel upset about this breaking news fact but, having seen them live promoting their 'Think Tank' record a couple of years ago, feels unable. If I'd wanted to see a man parading himself to the converted masses pretending to be a leader to the weak of spirit, I'd have read the bible. Seriously, Damon Albarn's showboating was unbearable. He just ran into the front rows and let people touch him as if they were privelged to be fondling such a self-proclaimed genius.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Yo La Tengo - Pictures From Last Night

November 12th 2006 19:26
The week of wonderful gigs continues, with Yo La Tengo last night proving just how devastating three little people can be on one stage. The searing guitar explosions that Ira Kaplan is capable of unleashing whrn the mood takes him make for utterly unbeatable live music, full of dynamic possibiilty and malleable structures aplenty. The sweet songs are just as loveable as the intense wig-outs that make up large portions of the set, but one feels that the band are at their strongest luxuriating themselves across their more epic numbers. 'Pass The Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind', was propulsive and scintillating, ebbing and flowing with muscle to spare. 'Tears Are In Your Eyes' was capable of producing the effect suggested in its title, such is its delicate poise and wonderful lead vocal from drummer/singer (drumminger?) Georgia Hubley. Best of all, though, is taken from their latest LP - the mesmerising open and shut wah of 'The Story Of Yo La Tengo'. Three notes never sounded quite this affecting. Go here and listen to some stuff that's really good and that.

Here are some pictures...

[ Click here to read more ]
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A Little More Strap...

November 11th 2006 12:08
[[COLOR=Black]SIZE=2]Just a quick one today...

here's a video of Arab Strap playing the Scala the other night wot I shakily shot. It was weird, PM actually felt really bad for taking a video of a such a poignant and important song, hence the clip's brevity


[ Click here to read more ]
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Easy Anthems - S/T

November 10th 2006 14:29
With such an exceptional duo as this, it is natural to wonder where their interesting dynamic emenates from. Many other married couples with or without children exist in the world of alt-rock, look no further than Low and Yo La Tengo, but Easy Anthems have something they do not - friction. It's (hopefully) not anything that will tear the apart, but the opposition of Phil and Vanessa Jimenez is completely compulsive. The way he almost shouts underneath her soft cooing as if undermining the tenderness she brings is devastatingly interesting to hear on 'BB Shooting'. This quiet tension runs through the whole record like blood.

Easy Anthems Cover Art

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Arab Strap - Pictures From Last Night

November 9th 2006 15:46
Oh, of course they were wonderful. Bilious and evil and disgusting and venomous, but oddly lovable at the same time. Malcolm Middleton didn't crack one smile all evening, and Aidan Moffat was densely entertaining and seedily appealing. It couldn't have been any other way, really. Even more perfect was when it all finished and we piled onto the streets outside the Scala, a light rain fell. You can't end Ten Years of Tears in a better way than that, can you? The only downer on the whole evening was the bunch of wankers talking throughout. Shut up! This is the last time you'll see this band play in London EVER! And stop texting as well! I swear, I looked over at one guy and he was texting 'i cn snd u some live action if u wnt' or something equally cacky and ridiculous.

Highlights included a disgustingly energetic and explosive 'First Big Weekend', a delicious 'There Is No Ending', and a blinding acoustic encore that ended with Middleton and Moffat doing a rather special version of 'The Shy Retirer'. Here are some rather not-too-bad pictures...

[ Click here to read more ]
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Arab Strap Preview

November 8th 2006 11:15
PM is excited. Big Time. Tonight we are witnessing the last ever London gig of slightly seminal Scotch depression purveyors Arab Strap, and to say it promises to be slightly specia is the biggest understatement since Britney said 'wish I'd gotten a pre-nup'. So it should be good. To get you, idle clicker, into the mood, here are a couple of videos to whet your appetite for tomorrow's inevitable pictures and glowing write-up.

Here's the video for The Shy Retirer, and one for Turbulence as well. Then go to their MySpace and listen particularly to There Is No Ending. It'd be nice...

[ Click here to read more ]
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Easy Anthems Record For Download

November 7th 2006 12:11
Sorry for the sucktiude and lack of posting yesterday... boy did PM have deadlines to meet! Thankfully, my essay on Latin Grammarians' Approach To The Relationship Of Sound And Language is well and truly finished, so normal service can resume.

Today, if there is one thing you should do, it's go here and download the new Easy Anthems record. No review today cos PM wants you to come back another day (spy my marketing tricks, do you?), but that day will be soon. Till that day comes, please get this albm and listen to the wonderfully detailed intricacies and loaded expressions of Easy Anthems debut. You will not regret it. If you do, PM will literally eat you cos you're dead.

[ Click here to read more ]
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Beat Radio Interview In Full!

November 3rd 2006 22:38
At last, the wonderful Indie Workshop is up and running once more, in a frightening new sort of blog set-up thing that requires me to log in to a million different places to post something. And next to my name it says 'manager'. Ha! Idiots!

Anyway, remember that wee snippet of some words with Brian Sendrowitz of Beat Radio that PM posted a little while back? Well here's the whole damn thing at Indie Workshop. Go!

[ Click here to read more ]
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Dark Captain Light Captain

November 2nd 2006 13:19
Dark Captain Light Captain


It might be time for a folk pun about now ("folking hell, folk off, this band are folking ace!" etc. etc.). But probably best leave that, cos I just heard 'They Be Underwater' by Dark Captain Light Captain. It's folk, Jim, but not as we know it. NO! Stop punning, PM! This is becoming ridiculous... Try again...
[ Click here to read more ]
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The Q Awards - Soft Target, I Know...

November 1st 2006 00:30
But seriously - what the hell is wrong with Q? PM realises that it's nothing more than a read-on-the-tube-nice-shirt-young-man-substitute-for-those-who-are-too-old-for-NME-too-many-hyphens-load-of-old-dad-rock-bollocks rag fit for nothing more than using in conjunction with a lovely old mug for getting rid of spiders or clearing up cat shit, but this is just a complete insult to those with conical brass receivers for ears. Look at this old cacky maffed-up chundering bollyhocks:

Best New Act - Corinne Bailey Rae (Try and name more than one song by her)

[ Click here to read more ]
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