Something For The Weekend

As always, been really busy trying to be a professional (no idea what that really means apart from spending hours in the office creating pretty Powerpoint presentations and using words like strategy and initiative), which means little time to post. Never mind, the weekend is nearly here... and we've got some stuff to share (above and over the normal STIs).

First up, The Ark are back with a new single Absolutely No Decorum, which continues the masterclass in modern glam rock the boys started with their debut album. It's fair to say we're eagerly anticipating the album later this year.

Juvelen's press release reads:

Straight from the motherfuckin dungeons of pop! Born in a Stockholm basement some two years ago, rising from the ruinsof compromise and time wasted, Juvelen signalled the start of somethingfunky fresh. Finally the record will be set straight.The good name of pop music will be restored, and sexy willonce again be the shit. You can’t really mention Prince as an influence these days, can you? Let’s just say its aboutsongs of the heart, sung from the hip. May I kick it?

Well - you can't argue with that - and Hanna, the lead track on his debut EP is going down a storm in my bedroom. You can hear most of the EP at his myspace page.

Emmy The Great probably deserves a post of her own - as I've always had a soft spot for female singer/songwriters of the folky/geeky/emo variety - but given the current time limitation, she'll have to live here. Rated as one of Vogue's artists to watch in 2007, ETG is a sweet, jaded anti-folk hero for 2007.

Andrew Bird is back with his follow up to the excellent The Mysterious Production of Eggs with Armchair Apocrypha. As good as it's predecessor, I'm currently addicted to the opening track Fiery Crash.

Xo's posted a vid of Brett Anderson's impending release (ooh er missus) - whilst it's a lovely song, should we be worried that the comeback is a song that was debuted nearly three years ago - the song was first performed at the Rock 'n' Royal” show in Copenhagen in May 2004. A slightly remastered version of that performance (basically taking out the audience noise) is posted below.

MP3: The Ark - Absolutely No Decorum (expired)
MP3: Juvelen - Hanna (expired)
MP3: Emmy The Great - Atoms (expired)
MP3: Emmy The Great - Edward The Dedward (expired)
MP3: Andrew Bird - Fiery Crash (expired)
MP3: Brett Anderson – Love Is Dead (Live at The Rock ‘n’ Roll Show) (expired)

Indian Winter

After 2 weeks in Mumbai for the first time in ten years, I'm back in blighty with mixed emotions. This has been the longest I've been off work for ages, and Mumbai presented a whole world I had forgotten existed. The Mumbai of today is still as chaotic and an attack on the senses as it ever was, but this was the first time I realised how quickly India is shaping it's game. The city oozes wealth at every corner - there is money to be made in the city, I'm just not sure how.

On a personal level, sitting on the gay india internet chat rooms, I've been forced to re-examine how I feel about being a foreigner in Britain. Inspite of the fact that I have been here for coming on 18 years, I realised that whether I like it or not, the colour of my skin will always make me the 'other'. It is not uncommon to see comments such as 'no asians' on gay profiles in the UK, whereas in India, for the first time in ages, I felt like I actually belonged rather than being an outsider.

Musically, I reignited a love of indian music that had been gently simmering on the back burner for a few years - India & Pakistan have a thriving music scene - and I made a few fanstastic discoveries, I'll be sharing over the next few weeks as I work my way through them.

First off, although a couple of years old, my favourite discovery is Rabbi Shergill; mixing elements of sufi, folks, pop, rock and bhangra, his self-titled debut offering hasn't left my playlist for the past couple of weeks.

Rabbi's father was a Sikh preacher and his mother, a college principal, loved Gurbani kirtan. Rabbi was "very, very influenced by Sikh literature. In an interview a few years ago, he said; "I grew up reading Gyani Gyan Singh, Kabir's dohas, Shiv Bata... We would have long discussions on poetry. I was listening to rock music and Punjabi spiritual music. It all combusts man. It's the great reality of urban India."

If you want to know what the word actually mean, check out this site dedicated to the man.

MP3: Rabbi Shergill - Bulla Ki Jana (expired)
MP3: Rabbi Shergill - Tere Bin (expired)
MP3: Rabbi Shergill - Ajj Nachna (expired)

Toxic Ronson

In March 2006, Mark Ronson released a cover of Radiohead's "Just" as a single. In certain areas it gained major radio play. It was released as part of "Exit Music: Songs with Radio Heads", a full Radiohead covers CD, in April.

Ronson's second album, "Version", due out sometime in April, 2007, includes other covers of a diverse selection of rock & pop songs including: Kaiser Chiefs' Oh My God (featuring guest vocals from Lily Allen), Coldplay's God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Britney Spears' Toxic, and Ryan Adams' Amy.

MP3: Mark Ronson – Toxic (expired)

Magic Accident

Perhaps one of the most eagerly awaited albums this year is Patrick Wolf's third release The Magic Position. As is the way these days, a collection of tracks pupporting to be the album have been released on the internet - I haven't seen a final listing of the album, so I'm not sure how kosher these are, but from what I've heard, the album will definititely be worth the wait.

More accessible than previous offerings, TMP continues to develop PW's electro-infused english folk-pop sensibilities.

MP3: Patrick Wolf - Overture (expired)
MP3: Patrick Wolf - Magpie (expired)
MP3: Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position (expired)

buy: Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position