19th July - They Might Be Giants' Long Tall Weekend

Artist – Album: They Might Be Giants – Long Tall Weekend

Released:  19^th July 1999

Sounds Like: No longer always the bridesmaid

Congratulations are in order to They Might Be Giants who, at the fifth time of asking, at last have an album covered in my little blog. Yes, where Flood, Apollo 18, The Else and The Spine all missed out (to Husker Du, Arrested Development, Passion Pit and Big Boi respectively), Long Tall Weekend has finally made it. Ok, so it’s more by virtue of the fact that I didn’t have any other albums released today, but it ain’t a bad record all the same.

It was also a bit of a landmark at that. Released in 1999, it was the first major full-length album released exclusively on the Internet by an established major label band. Also, many of these songs were outtakes from the Factory Showroom sessions (thanks and thanks, Wikipedia). As a result, the album does have a bit of a hotchpotch feel but at its best it really sparkles.

Opener ‘Drinkin’’ is an enjoyable instrumental romp; if you think it slightly odd to start proceedings without vocals, welcome to the slightly odd world of They Might Be Giants. ‘Maybe I Know’ is a sunny harmony cover of a Lesley Gore tune and ‘Rat Patrol’ possesses a guitar heavy rousing verse and a chorus vocals that brings to mind Axel Rose at his least annoying. ‘Operators are Standing By’ is probably the wittiest of a humorous set, although the captivating piano piece ‘Reprehensible’ runs it close. ‘Certain People I Could Name’ is genuinely lovely despite its samurai movies subject matter, ‘On Earth My Nina’ sounds like a song being played backwards but isn’t (not quite anyway), and ‘The Edison Museum’ is a suitably idiosyncratic closer finishing with the cautionary tale lyrics “So when your children quarrel, And nothing seems to quell them, Just tell them that you'll take them to the Edison Museum, The largest independently owned and operated mausoleum.”

It’s not revolutionary, it won’t change your life, but if you’re into this kind of thing (and I am) you will enjoy it. You may as well try it sooner rather than later because as ‘Older’ has it – “you’re older than you’ve ever been and now you’re even older. And now you’re even older. And now you’re even older...’

Albumaday... rating: 6/10

1.       Drinkin’ – 1:36

2.       (She Thinks She’s) Edith Head – 2:33

3.       Maybe I Know – 2:07

4.       Rat Patrol – 2:07

5.       Token Back to Brooklyn – 1:04

6.       Older – 1:57

7.       Operators are Standing By – 1:24

8.       Dark and Metric – 1:44

9.       Reprehensible – 3:20

10.   Certain People I Could Name – 3:33

11.   Counterfeit Faker – 2:15

12.   They Got Lost – 4:42

13.   Lullaby to Nightmares – 2:31

14.   On Earth My Nina – 1:27

15.   The Edison Museum – 2:00

Listen to ‘Certain People I Could Name ’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_842105&feature=iv&src_vid=UNIIO23IsRo&v=OsDWl3xDMOU

18th July - Joy Division's Closer

Artist – Album: Joy Division - Closer

Released: 18^th July 1980

Sounds Like: Tales from the crypt

If Joy Division’s debut Unknown Pleasures is a masterpiece (and it is), then their follow up Closer is... um... an even better masterpiece.

Judged solely on the basis of its songs it’s pretty good. Opener ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ is a typically harrowing welcome, with its tribal drums and Ian Curtis’ unhinged chant of “This is the way, step in inside”. Thereafter, the band guides you down the grey stoney staircase in to a cavernous crypt of despair. ‘Isolation’ is punchy and frightening, ‘A Means to an End’ is indie disco two decades ahead of its time (that coruscating backing has been unapologetically ripped off countless times by the likes of The Gossip, Justice and Bloc Party), ‘Heart and Soul’ is solemn and mumbled, whilst ‘Twenty Four Hours’ strives to escape the gloom in vain. ‘The Eternal’ may well be the bleakest six minutes ever laid down.

Given the circumstances that gave birth to it however, the album is something extra special. On 17 May 1980, the iconic Curtis, who suffered from acute depression, committed suicide. Two months later this record, with its black and white tomb cover and desperate lyrics, was released...

Aannnnddddd that’s number 200! Score!

Albumaday... rating:  9/10

1.       Atrocity Exhibition – 6:06

2.       Isolation – 2:53

3.       Passover – 4:46

4.       Colony – 3:55

5.       A Means to an End – 4:07

6.       Heart and Soul – 5:51

7.       Twenty Four Hours – 4:26

8.       The Eternal – 6:07

9.       Decades – 6:10

Listen to ‘Twenty Four Hours ’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiCc_mFXD3E

Also released on the 18^th July:

1966: The Byrds – Fifth Dimension

17th July - Ali Farka Toure's Savane

Artist – Album: Ali Farka Toure - Savane

Released:  17^th July 2006

Sounds Like: (Possibly) The Greatest World Music Album in the World... Ever!

Like all good people, I tend to think of world music as the preserve of leathery faced middle aged hippies, something to bore their less hippy-ish friends with alongside countless useless nick-nacks from other cultures (which are probably their equivalent of a “kiss me, I’m Irish” hat) and tales explaining how you’ve just got to visit such and such a place. But really... I love this stuff! Milton Nascimento’s ‘Clube de Esquina’ is my ringtone and his ‘Cravo e Canela’ performance on is still one of my favourite Youtube clips. Tinariwen’s ‘Matadjem Yinmixan’ is probably up there with my favourite songs of all time and the last album I bought was The Essential Cuban Anthology. Given that, next to Fela Kuti, Youssou N’Dour, Khaled and Toumani Diabete, Ali Farka Toure is one of Africa’s greatest artists of all time, I'm actually in for a bit of a flower child treat.

Savane was released posthumously in 2006 and was considered by the artist during recording to be the finest of his twenty plus recordings, and, you know, it ain’t half bad. Toure’s vocals are rough but sophisticated in the manner of many of the blues artists such as John Lee Hooker that are said to have been indirectly influenced by this style. Meanwhile, the songs float along their intricately plucked guitar spirals and melt into each other such that it’s difficult to distinguish one from another. But I’ll try, to satisfy my self-imposed word limit... ‘Beto’ is mesmerising and uplifting, ‘Soya’ is just gorgeous, and the title track, ‘Savane’ contains elements of reggae, another genre that originated in the Dark Continent.

It’s time for us to throw off our judgemental shackles that restrict us from listening to World Music – after all we’ve mostly done it with film, right? There’s a world of options out there (wahaay!), but you could certainly do worse than to get started with this.

Albumaday... rating: 7/10

1.       Erdi – 4:42

2.       Yer Bounda Fara – 4:18

3.       Beto – 4:49

4.       Savane – 7:43

5.       Soya – 4:38

6.       Penda Yoro – 5:25

7.       Machengoidi – 3:35

8.       Ledi Coumbe – 3:16

9.       Hanana – 2:34

10.   Soko Yhinka – 5:05

11.   Gambari Didi – 3:49

12.   Banga – 3:48

13.   N’Jarou – 4:55

Listen to ‘Soya’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obiw8yJAgJo

Also released on the 17^th July:

2001: Muse – Origin of Symmetry

16th July - The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Artist – Album: The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Released:  16^th July 2002

Sounds Like:  Childlike wonder, sagelike wisdom

Alright, so it is a travesty that I’ve not plumped for Neil Young’s On the Beach for today’s album. Just who do I think I am? I despair at me. But I was on such a good roll with albums from 2002 – yesterday’s Idlewild album and the Vines’ from the day before were also released that year – that I found it impossible to resist. Also, whilst On the Beach is (probably) superior to Yoshimi..., it is really, really depressing; an accusation you can’t level at this little curiosity.

The Flaming Lips had struck upon gold with their previous album, the timeless The Soft Bulletin, and quite sensibly they chose not to alter the formula too much with this one. They continued to combine childlike wonder (the toy fight of near title track duo ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots parts 1 & 2’) with sagelike wisdom (‘Do You Realize??’), and continued to produce songs that were experimental and original but remained within the confines of accessible indie rock. Songs such as ‘Flight Test’ and ‘Yoshimi... Pt. 1’ have a more instant impact than anything on the preceding masterpiece, whilst ‘In the Morning of the Magicians’, with its twitching hi-hat and waves of applause and laughter, is beautiful captivating.  

Following the crazy concept of the amazing Zaireeka (an album that came with four discs, to be played simulateously), The Flaming Lips hit up on a rich seam of form that has yet to run out. Yoshimi... is one of their best, and makes the inevitable comparisons to the similarly psychedelic Pink Floyd wholly warranted.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Fight Test – 4:14

2.       One More Robot/Sympathy 3000-21 – 4:59

3.       Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1 – 4:45

4.       Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 2 – 2:57

5.       In the Morning of the Magicians – 6:18

6.       Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell – 4:34

7.       Are You a Hypnotist?? – 4:44

8.       It’s Summertime – 4:20

9.       Do You Realize?? – 3:33

10.   All We Have Is Now – 3:53

11.   Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia) – 3:09

Listen to ‘In the Morning of the Magicians ‘: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWui3la2VZM

Also released on the 16^th July:

1974: Neil Young – On the Beach

15th July - Idlewild's The Remote Part

Artist – Album: Idlewild – The Remote Part

Released:  15^th July 2002

Sounds Like: Epic Scottish indie rock

Everybody’s been there – listening to music you used to like when you were a kid can be excruciating.  Quite what made me decide that Cast were the best band in the world when I was in primary school is beyond me. Still, it could have been worse – I remember going round to a good friend of mines house one summer day whilst we were in high school and I was shocked to discover that he owned only 2 albums: One Jon Bon Jovi live album and one pristine copy of the eurotrashy Aqua’s Aquarium. With this in mind, I reviewed Idlewild’s The Remote Part with much trepidation – I loved it when I was at school, but would I still it now I’m kind of all grown up?

Well, yeah. Because it’s still good. I mean, it does sound a little bit of its time – the band manages for the most part to steer clear of the Travis-isms but a few fey lyrics do sneak in and ‘American English’, for all its grand charm, isn’t far removed from Coldplay’s ‘In My Place’. But it maintains the interest throughout, with its mix of spicy indie rock and gentle, harmonious acoustic ditties. Of the former, ‘You Held the World in Your Arms’, ‘Stay the Same’ and ‘(I Am) What I Am Not’ are the best, whilst the softer efforts such as the layered ‘Live in a Hiding Place’, ‘Tell Me Ten Words’ and ‘In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction’ still delight.

In fact not many things have managed the transition from my childhood to adult life as comfortably. Not wolfing down whole tins of hot dogs, not graffitiing about which girl I fancy, not having the fringe of my hair in curtains, not my near addiction to chocolate raisins, not wearing short sleeve t-shirts on top of long sleeve shirts, not...

Albumaday... rating: 7/10

1.       You Held the World in Your Arms – 3:21

2.       A Modern Way of Letting Go – 2:23

3.       American English – 4:34

4.       I Never Wanted – 3:55

5.       (I Am) What I Am Not – 2:43

6.       Live in a Hiding Place – 3:16

7.       Out of Routine – 3:09

8.       Century After Century – 4:01

9.       Tell Me Ten Words – 3:46

10.   Stay the Same – 3:11

11.   In Remote Part/Scottish Fiction – 3:55

Listen to ‘Tell Me Ten Words’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC2kKNSDho0

14th July - The Vines' Highly Evolved

Artist – Album: The Vines – Highly Evolved

Released:  14^th July 2002              

Sounds Like: Nirvana... NOT!

Reading back over the various reviews of this album it’s clear that the record split opinion. In the red corner, there’s the majority of the British press who oddly labelled the band as the new Nirvana, gave the album rave reviews and listed it amongst the best of the year, or, what temerity, best of all time. In the blue are the unimpressed Americans, who claim that if they do sound like Nirvana it’s only because they’re trying so hard to do so – the album is as devoid of original thought or emotion as a clone. FIGHT!

In truth, the album doesn’t really warrant such a strong reaction from either point of view. It’s good, not great, and certainly not revolutionary. Meanwhile, yes, the Vines do wear their influences on their sleeve, but so did many of the bands during the garage rock revival of the early noughties. They don’t deserve to be singled out or punished for it by any means.

Just listening to it without any of the hype or disappointment makes it clear that there is a decent band here, with plenty of ideas, if a definite lack of focus. The grunge tinged garage punk of ‘Highly Evolved’ and ‘Get Free’ are barnstorming anthems that count amongst the best of their type since the turn of the millennium, but it’s surprising that similar attempts such as ‘Sunshinin’’ and ‘In the Jungle’ fall so far wide of the mark. Similarly, some of their slower efforts, such as the wonderful ‘Autumn Shade’ and ‘Mary Jane’, are excellent lackadaisical rock tunes, but the likes of ‘Homesick’ are just too sincere. I’m pretty confused by ‘Country Yard’ and ‘Factory’ which at times sound inspired and at others make me want to throw the ‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ sounding bag of shite out of the window.

It’s patchy, but the best bits are well worth investigating.

Albumaday... rating: 6/10

1.       Highly Evolved – 1:35

2.       Autumn Shade – 2:17

3.       Outtathaway – 3:02

4.       Sunshinin’ – 2:43

5.       Homesick – 4:53

6.       Get Free – 1:59

7.       Country Yard – 3:46

8.       Factory – 3:12

9.       In the Jungle – 4:15

10.   Mary Jane – 5:52

11.   Ain’t No Room – 3:28

12.   1969 – 6:27

Listen to ‘Autumn Shade’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZteVcjwqGtE

Also released on the 14^th July:

1994: Elliott Smith – Roman Candle

Also released on the 14^th July:

1998: Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty

13th July - The Beach Boys' All Summer Long

Artist – Album: The Beach Boys – All Summer Long

Released:  13^th July 1964

Sounds Like: We’ve been having fun all summer long

Sometimes the listening circumstances seriously affect how much you appreciate an album. A Sigur Rós effort, for example, is best served on a bright but frosty morning. Joy Division are great when the sky is blanketed in metallic coloured grey clouds, whilst it’s best to listen to Metallica when the world has turned apocalyptic. The situation for today’s album – driving around in my little car with my friends through a sun scorched city – was perfectly suited to the Beach Boys’ All Summer Long.

The belting classic of ‘I Get Around’ notwithstanding, the album doesn’t contain too many of their well known songs, but don’t let that put you off. As is the norm with the Beach Boys at their best, all of the songs here are instantly memorable and enjoyable: play it through once to love it, play it through twice and you’re already singing along.  The very best are the sunny ‘Girls on the Beach’, the sumptuous doo-wop cover of The Mystics’ ‘Hushabye’, the insanely catchy hot rod anthem ‘Little Honda’ and the nostalgic title track, which perfectly encapsulates the late September evening feeling whilst looking back on a wonderful summer.

The record isn’t perfect – there’s the 50’s pastiche ‘Do You Remember’, which wins the Albumaday... No-Shit-Sherlock Line of the Day© "Elvis Presley’s the king, he’s the giant of the day", and the god awful comedy bit ‘Our Favourite Recording Sessions’. ‘Wendy’ , which for the most part is a beautiful and elegantly sad song, is seriously let down by a horrific, clinky organ solo.

Fortunately the misses are in the minority, and the imperfections really just make it all the more endearing. Seriously, it’s great!

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       I Get Around – 2:14

2.       All Summer Long – 2:08

3.       Hushabye – 2:41

4.       Little Honda – 1:52

5.       We’ll Run Away – 2:02

6.       Carl’s Big Chance – 2:03

7.       Wendy – 2:21

8.       Do You Remember? – 1:40

9.       Girls on the Beach – 2:28

10.   Our Favourite Recoding Sessions – 2:00

11.   Don’t Back Down – 1:52

Listen to ‘All Summer Long’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smDXr13EJE