The annual race for the Christmas number one spot in the UK singles chart used to be as much a part of a British Christmas as the Queen’s Speech or watching repeats of Only Fools And Horses on the television after dinner. Excitement surrounding who will hold the coveted number one spot over the festive period used to raise the event to a level of national importance. Bets would be placed, daily newspapers would dedicate entire pages to Xmas novelty records and popular bands would shamelessly add sleigh bells and angelic choirs to their records in order to give them an extra festive advantage in the Yuletide sales race.
Unfortunately, the excitement surrounding the Christmas number one seemed to dry up in 2005 when it was decided the winner from Simon Cowell’s X Factor talent show would release their debut single over the Christmas period: almost guaranteeing the X Factor winner the Christmas number one spot thanks to the show’s 19 Million + viewing figures.
Since 2005 the Christmas number one spot has been held by 4 successive X Factor winners who have all remained totally unchallenged for the top spot; somewhat sucking the fun out of the entire event. However, this year that all changed. Thanks to a well co-ordinated digital campaign that was largely driven by people on Facebook, it looks as though Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name Of’ may well pip Joe McEldery, this year’s X factor winner, to the Christmas number one spot. The raucous, downtuned metal of ‘Killing Of The Name Of’ may well be about the least Christmassy record imaginable; but it seems to have struck a chord with those bored with Simon Cowell and co. waltzing off with the Christmas number one spot year in year out.
Rage are currently edging it in the midweek singles sales charts and whatever your thoughts of ‘Killing In The Name Of are, it’s clear that there’s a proper race to the number one spot this Christmas.
Even if RATM aren’t successful in beating Cowell to the pole position this year, what is clear is that UK Shazamers are definitely backing the metallers to the top with ‘Killing In The Name Of’ scoring an amazing 570% more tags than ‘The Climb’ during the last week.
As usual this year’s ATP was split over two weekends, the first saw shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine curate a lineup that included Sonic Youth, De La Soul and The Horrors. The second event was slightly different, as it tied in with the festival’s tenth anniversary, the organisers put together an appropriate line up to celebrate. In what can only be described as a “best of ATP” 10 Years Of ATP was littered with former curators including Shellac, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks,The Mars Volta and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. For those who are unaware, ATP takes place in a Butlins holiday camp. Something of a British institution, Butlins usually hosts families with rowdy kids, taking advantage of the sites veritable activities. Tents are exchanged for chalets and the stages are located within the vast walls of the resort’s centre. Hosting a festival that showcases the best in alternative music within a venue that contains garish games machines and fast food outlets is quite a juxtaposition, but it’s one that strangely works.
Its end of the year review time and Memory Tapes is one of the newcomers likely to be among those featured in the most influential blogs and websites best-ofs.
The uber-indie project of New Jersey musician and producer Dayve Hawk, who’s been playing with his name -Weird Tapes and Memory Cassette are also monikers he’s released material under – and building up the myth around his mysterious persona through a series of limited edition singles; finally unveiled his first full-length ‘Seek Magic’ to critical acclaim.
His blend of lush, atmospheric shoegaze; hazy psychedelia and DIY electronica, shaped into lovely dream-pop pills, has also turned him into an on-demand remixer (putting a bit of magic in recent works by a wide range of up and coming bands –Yeasayer, Fool’s Gold, Midnight Juggernauts, Major Lazer- and more mainstream stars such as Britney Spears, Phoenix and Gucci Mane. He was even approached to contribute in a future Michael Jackson remix album; followed by rumours of the actual work been rejected.
To coincide with his UK live debut, Memory Tapes is releasing a new single, ‘Graphics’, through Something In Construction on January 18th. You can listen to the track at his MySpace page.
UK Tour dates (more to be confirmed):
Jan 16: The Corner, Manchester Jan 20: Luminaire, London (Support from Pantha Du Prince and Fitness Club Fiasco)
To get us in the mood for their forthcoming debut album ‘Tons Of Friends’, Italian duo Crookers are giving away a download of the album’s opening track. ‘We Love Animals’ sees the pair collaborate with Brazilian producer Mixhell and the kings of ear bleeding electro, Soulwax. As to be expected, the track is an absolute stormer and one that’s sure to set the tone for the rest of ‘Tons Of Friends’. The album’s title is no exaggeration as it boasts a stellar list of collaborators including Róisín Murphy, Kelis and Major Lazer to name just a few.
To download the track and enjoy a taste of what is sure to be one of the rowdiest dance albums of 2010 simply head to the Crookers website.
Fans of the best in American rock were up for a big treat last night. On rare occasions does an audience have the chance to enjoy an influential figure of the calibre of Ted Leo playing such an intimate gig.
At the cosy Windmill venue in Brixton, the punk rocker, often compared to Elvis Costello or Joe Jackson’s early new-wave records, offered a comprehensive hits set that included such favourites as ‘Colleen’, ‘Timorous me’ or ‘Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone’, while exchanging funny banter with an ecstatic audience.
On hiatus from his regular band The Pharmacists, Leo covered Curtis Mayfield ‘Keep On Pushing’, describing the classic soul man as a personal hero. He also paid tribute to other two music legends from his area, New Jersey: Misfits and Bruce Springsteen; putting an end to a great live evening with his energetic rendition of the latter’s classic ‘Dancing in the Dark’.
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists are preparing the release of their fifth studio album –sixth counting with Ted Leo 1999’s solo effort -’The Brutalist Bricks’ on 9th March 2010 through Matador. Its first single ‘Even Heroes Have To Die’ can be heard here.
The singer is playing two more solo dates in London, before returning to the States. Don’t miss the chance to catch him live:
Kingston, UK – Thursday – 12/17/2009 @ New Slang | TED LEO SOLO
London, UK – Friday – 12/18/2009 @ Grosvenor | TED LEO SOLO and Wat Tyler
The ever generous Bradford Cox never seems to slow down. This time he is offering a full, previously unreleased album by Deerhunter as a free download through his blog.
Recorded by him and bandmate Moses Archuleta in 2005, during what Cox describes as their “Tape phase” because they were only playing tape machines and vocal loops; “Carve Your Initials Into The Walls Of The Night” has got a distinctively experimental lo-fi taste.
Tracklist as follows:
1. Bright and Early (8:30) 2. Cicadas (3:56) 3. Rotation (8:03) 4. But I’m A Boy (6:54) 5. Three Dolphins Melting into Orange Wax (4:20) 6. Snow Dogs (2:12) 7. Dogs are Cool (3:41) 8. Homorobotic (3:54) 9. Cordless (2:05) 10. When I Taste Blood (2:53)
Canadian deck manipulator and electro producer A-Trak has had an amazing 2009. Not only has he delivered more than his fair share of mind blowing sets and productions, but he also chipped in a Fabric compilation that has proved one of the most rated in the already highly acclaimed series. Whereas many former DMC champions fail to escape from the secular world of hip-hop turntabilism, A-Trak’s versatile tastes have set him apart from his former peers.
The man who controls the decks for KanYe West also took part in another great collaboration this year with legendary house DJ Armand Van Helden. Their joint venture, Duck Sauce, produced what stands up as one of the feel good tracks of the year. ‘aNYway’ rode high in our Tag Charts throughout the year and is guaranteed to be heard at whatever New Year’s Eve party you end up at this year.
We chat exclusively to A-Trak as he embarks on the first European tour for his Fools Gold label: home to such acts as Kid Sister and Jokers Of The Scene. Read more…
After releasing their debut album - the Mercury nominated ‘Fantastic Playroom’ – and touring it across the globe, New Young Pony Club are back with their new album. ‘The Optimist’ is released on March 1st through their own label, while it seems things with their former label Modular didn’t go to plan the band have refused to let this halt their progress.
The first track taken from the album is ‘Lost A Girl’, which is available as a free download through their website. It’s a catchy slice of punk funk that deals tells the tale of a love lost. As with CSS it appears that NYPC’s sophomore effort may be a slightly more serious affair then their playful debut, but if ‘Lost A Girl’ is anything to go by, this can only be a good thing.
Sidney Samson takes the number one position in our Shazam Pre-Release Chart UK for another week with his soon to be huge ‘Riverside’. New tracks in the chart this week come courtesy of Wiley, Plan B, Lostprophets, Jay Sean, Private, Gucci Mane and Gramaphonedzie with their huge underground house track, ‘Why Don’t You’.
To check out the full chart click read more. Read more…
The Shazam New Release Chart USA highlights the most tagged new and pre-release tracks across all mobile platforms in the US. If you want to find out what will be topping the Billboard charts in the coming months the Shazam New Release Chart is the place to be.
This week Young Money hold on to the top spot in the Shazam New Release Chart USA for yet another week with ‘Bedrock’. Meanwhile new entries to the chart come from Usher, We The Kings and Timbaland Feat. Justin Timberlake.
To check out the full chart click read more Read more…
