Monday Mix #23

We’re Here – The Guillemots
I never really mentioned The Guillemots when they came through last year, because to be honest, I didn’t think they were that special. Looking back, I found that their album actually had some pretty impressive highlights. This song in particular is just plain brilliant. It feels more like a joyous moment than an actual song.

Yamanote Line – The Paper Scissors
This one goes out to some friends in spite. We were recently struck with ‘last song syndrome’, where we would sporadically burst out singing this song every few minutes, just because it happened to be the last playing as we got out of the car. With such ‘unique’ vocals, you can understand how it quickly became an exercise in annoying one another.

Turn On Your Mind - The Laurels
The Laurels recently took out the USyd band comp and, dare I say it, they thoroughly deserved it. They remind me of My Bloody Valentine, but within this forge their own path, heading more towards psychodelic territory. It’s a very compelling sound that slowly drags you in. They’re live show is very impressive and quite an experience. They’ve got screeching guitars, a dual vocalist setup and best of all, two leads that look like Craig Nicholls in different stages of his career (destruction?). Check them out at Spectrum this Saturday. By the way, I still can’t get over how decent this mp3 sounds for 56kbps. It’s a miracle of modern technology.

And now I turn to dance music. Not because I want to, but because it appears the world won’t have it any other way. This once-niche genre is gradually spreading into more and more aspects of music and I’m not too pleased about it. Radio stations that once championed excellent music are being infected by this latest trend. It’s hard to blame them when it’s the listeners that are driving the change. I flatly refuse to take place in such a shift because, to put it simply, the vast majority of this music is horrible. Repetitive beats aren’t enjoyable no matter how many drugs you’re on. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bust out some moves on the dance floor, and any song that gets people moving is worth a chance, but in case of this latest wave of tunes, the appeal well and truly escapes me.

So here’s couple a dance artists who I do actually have respect for. I’m not professing a great love, but at least these guys are going about it the right way. Hopefully other artists will take note and will spend less time playing with loop button and more time thinking about what they’re creating. And to those who listen to this music, bear in mind that while you mindlessly use this scene as an excuse to take drugs, you are imposing a bleak musical future on the rest of us. At least pick a different genre to get blind to. Drugs fuelled some the greatest artists of the 80s, what will this current wave offer the next generation? Ha! I pity them.

Colours – Calvin Harris
Calvin Harris is on the border of what I can bear, but at least he mixes things up a bit.

Genesis – Justice
I was quite surprised to find that I actually enjoy Justice’s album. Sure there are parts that I would happily cut out, but on a whole, it’s actually music I would want to listen to. There’s no denying that this song has a certain grandeur about it, even if it is just supposed to be an intro.