best of – and so she thinks

Vondelpark by Vondelpark // 2013 best of

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 09:40:00 +0000

Best of 2013 by Jamie Malcolm – follow him @mylittleforts
Mightily soothing and did an unreal job caressing my minds malaise at the time. A true case of personal audio catharsis. Really one of those situations when something fits your mood perfectly.
Have done my fair share of trawling around for reviews (from both well known and more niche places) and nobody really shares my high admiration. Maybe that’s a positive as I can see it as being something compiled for my enjoyment only? It’s like I ticked the ‘ultimate edition’ box on their (for the purposes of the piece totally invented) Kickstarter – and they made it for me and me only.

Jai Paul – Jai Paul // 2013 best of

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2014 10:25:00 +0000

Best of 2013 by Jamie Malcolm – follow him @mylittleforts
The Jai Paul story is a strange one. He’s officially released 2 songs in 7 years, with the first reportedly only down to his brother unleashing it to MySpace in 2007 because it just had to be heard. That song ‘BTSTU’ has since been separately sampled by two of the biggest artists in the world (Beyonce & Drake) the other track ‘Jasmine’ was just recently selected to be on the prestigious soundtrack to GTA V. So not bad going from a guy from Rayners Lane and with 1 tweet to his name.
After an apparent biding war he signed a deal with XL in 2010 with seemingly little pressure to release material. Rumours started to spread in early 2013 that he was going to retire an enigma and would never return. Shuffle forward to roughly 2:00AM on April 14th and this ‘album’ was uploaded to Bandcamp. Nine months later and still so many questions remain. Did Jai upload it himself? Did XL upload it without Jai knowing? Was it uploaded by a laptop robbing thief? Was this tracklisting the original plan for the album? How can something including samples from Harry Potter, Gossip Girl, Tomb Raider, KC & Jojo, Michael Caine and the beeping of a shutting tube train door be so incredible?
It clearly doesn’t have the XL polish, so i’ve always seen it as an audio sketch book. Ideas are unfinished, background fuzz is present throughout and there are multi second silences at the end of some songs, but by not being a audio nerd none of this has effected my enjoyment a single iota. What’s special to me and many others is that most comparisons don’t quiet fit. He appears to simultaneously straddle the past, present and future.
Track 2 aka Str8 Outta Mumbai is undoubtedly the biggest smorgasbord of ideas, sounds and genres to be released this year. It starts with a recording of a duo of DJ’s introducing a track by John Paul, the other corrects him ‘Jai Paul.’ This perfectly acts as a knowing wink to us from Jai of his enigmatic ways. The song has a killer combination of upbeat fun, spacey vocals and a crazy Bollywood sample harkening back to it’s use from hip hop producers such as DJ Quik, Dr Dre, Just Blaze and Timbaland in early 2000’s. The thumping drum claps on 10,000 along with the cascading synths (that I’ve spent all year unsuccessfully trying to figure out what they remind me of) are reminiscent of The Neptunes in their producing pomp. The way they fade to the background at points to highlight the vocals is such a simply beautifully technique. The audaciously odd reinterpretation of Jennifer Page’s 1998 pop gem Crush is another highlight. His style is transplanted and bolted onto it and the lyrics take a sultry modern twist. The mini riff near the conclusion feels plucked from what a Michael Jackson and Prince collaboration from 20 years ago might sound like. It’s all audaciously paired with a reverbed woodblock of all things. Jasmine is a pulsing odyssey that glides around effortlessly and perfectly suits a nocturnal neon lit journey across London. Genevieve scuttles around your ear drums in a vast array of directions – none of which you expect. Loads of ideas (audio tangents?) are being hurled around and all of them stick. All Night is a bonafide slow jam that magically pulls memories of abundant romances into your synapses. The album ends how it all started for him with BTSTU, a juxtaposition of juxtapositions. Harsh and angelic vocals spread over a beat that gets crazy and shrinks down to nothing at times.
I’m kind of indifferent as to what happens next. He and his brother Anup are obviously such talented guys and I would I love to see some new material and how all this would translate to a live environment. If this is the end and nothing new ever arrives i’m more than happy to enjoy Jasmine on a night bus home with a beaming London as a backdrop or stroll through an crispy autumnal park arm in arm with someone with All Night emanating from my headphone splitter.
I have compiled 16 pieces of digital artwork to represent each song on Jai Paul. See it here.

Two Thousand And Eleven – top year

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 20:14:16 +0000

Ah 2011. What a year. It probably won’t go down in musical history like 1977 (Sex Pistols), or 1995 (Britpop), 1963 (The Beatles) or dammit, even 2004 (X Factor), but we’ve still had a bloody good time listening to music, getting all fired up on the thrill of a good melody and a banging riff. We’ve been waxing lyrical about our rocks and sucks in the pub anyway, so thought we might as get it down to share. Here is our year in lists. And no, sorry Los Campesinos, we will never stop stealing that line.
Once you’re done, click here to see what It’s All Happening are looking forward to in 2012.

Albums we’ve loved

Veronica Falls – Veronica Falls
Almost exactly 18 months ago we interviewed a little known band called Veronica Falls in which they talk of their distaste for ‘labels’, ‘scenes’, ‘genres ‘, ‘tweeness’ and pretty much anyone or anything that tried to define or pigeon-hole them. Fair enough. They also talk about their plan for an album…and well, basically a lack of one. Fast forward 18 months and they’re headlining stages at Field Day, touring across Europe and the US and recording their debut album twice, scrapping one and re-recording the finally released version in 3 days. Who knows what that original version sounded like, but however bad they thought the original recording was, nothing can hide the sheer quality and variation in their song writing . From the perfect pop song clout of Stephen, the melodic roundabout of The Fountain, to the shadowy punch of Bad Feeling and the anthemic Come On Over, each track on this album delivers. There’s a layered craft to each and every song, from the harmonised vocals to the interweaving guitars, that makes this a truly brilliant album. Just don’t mention cardigans to them.

Elzhi – Elmatic
Here is an example of a clever concept that evolved into something far greater. A tribute to Nas’ seminal 1994 album Illmatic, Elzhi moves the scene from an oft-romanticised New York to a gritty Detroit, where shots go off at the funniest hours (Detroit State of Mind). El’s stark imagery cleverly references Nas’ phrasing but stripped of any glamorisation of project life, calling the hood a glasshouse the devil throws stones through. However, there is light amidst the shade. Memory Lane cheekily reminisces about being back in junior high ‘with your report card/Trying to make a B out of the letter F,’ and One Love is a touching tribute to ‘El’s girl who cooked me hot meals/Helped me when I got bills.’ Best of all, Will Sessions’ lush arrangements root the tracks in the rhythm and blues of Detroit’s own Funk Brothers, meaning that more than a simple tribute, Elmatic is one of the finest hip hop albums of the decade so far.

Grouplove – Never Trust A Happy Song
The sounds of a summer, toes wriggling in grass, beers bubbles cracking on the tongue, cheap wine at the side of bonfires, a moment of drunken epiphany shared with friends. The equivalent of a sherbet fountain – all fizz, fun and fiasco – but with the reality hit of liquorice that stops it all from being too saccharin and suggests these guys actually mean it. Never Trust A Happy Song They Say – with the euphoria evident in this trip of an album, this is contender for most dishonest album of the year. Love it.
Other long players that have rocked It’s All Happening’s world this year include:
Summer Camp – Welcome To Condale
Elbow – build a rocket boys!
Feist – Metals
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
Pharoahe Monch – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
The Streets – Cyberspace and Reds
Tom Waits – Bad as Me
Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4Eva
James Blake – James Blake
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Kate Bush – 50 Words for Snow
Death Cab for Cutie – Codes and Keys
The Weekend – House of Balloons
Wild Beasts – Smother
Pete and the Pirates – One Thousand Pictures
Lanterns on the Lake – Gracious Tide, Take Me Home
Metronomy – The English Rivieria
Deer Tracks – The Archer
Art Brut – Brilliant Tragic

Tracks of the year

Bos Angeles – Beach Slalom
It may be all over in 2 minutes and 35 seconds, but this simple and youthful tale of a break-up stirs memories of teenage love and regret that had us hooked from the first listen. From the simple 2 note intro to the frenetic ending it encapsulates everything we love about discovering new bands. There’s nothing showy or over-thought, the recording sounds live and unpolished, and it seems to achieve everything it sets out to do with minimal fuss. The guitar part nods to Johnny Marr, the bassline’s got Peter Hook all over it and the hushed almost spoken vocals drift solemnly over proceedings, portraying a real sense of introspection and apology to what is ultimately a post-punk salvo of a track. They may never write anything as good as this again (we obviously hope they do), but Beach Slalom is as close to a genuine and honest guitar pop song as we could find in 2011 and we love it.
Bos Angeles – Beach Slalom
Evans the Death – I’m So Unclean
Favourite lyrics of the year on this thrashy and reflective tale of heartbreak… “When I’m watching the shopping channel, I will think of you; When I’m making a sandwich, I will think of you; When I’m trying to get to sleep, I will think of you”.
I’m So Unclean by Evans the Death
Big Deal – Talk
Has the anguish and torture of being unable to articulate basic words of lust and longing ever been so perfectly articulated? A seething bass line, wiltingly cutting delivery, hollow haze and the killer line dished up with such nonchalance, ‘all I wanna do is talk, but seeing you fucks me up,’
Talk by Big Deal
Slow Club – If We’re Still Alive
A soft drum that taps like a heartbeat in angst, the chiming organ teardrops, forlorn yearning of Rebecca’s vocal, building layers reminiscent of 50s girl groups, the killer electric riff followed by an almost calypso beat, a bridge that curls and kisses its way in, all viewed through the eyes of two hopeless romantics. Perfect.
Slow Club – If We’re Still Alive

The live stage – our favourite gigs

Pulp – Take your pick. Brixton Academy, Reading Festival, Isle of Wight. All three were very special. He writhes , he poses, he grooves, and makes us all feel us all wanna be Common People.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuVSWe8RkJc]
Pete and the Pirates at Buffalo Bar, 22 Nov – Fist time we’d seen PATP in several years, and we’d forgotten how much we love them. Intimate venue, great tunes.
We Were Promised Jetpacks at XOYO, 12 Oct – What a gig. WWPJ debut album was a job to behold, but their second album released earlier in 2011 is probably my album of the year. They did not disappoint at XOYO (personal highlight being during their biggest hit Quiet Little Voices, when lead singer Adm was hit by a bottle of beer so instead of singing ‘we’re young again’ he creatively changed the words to ‘you’re a c**t’ whilst pointing at the perpetrator. Priceless. With support coming from the wonderful cheeky chaps and chappess that are Let’s Buy Happiness, this was an all-round great gig.

2.54 at Corsica Studios, 9 Nov – The night that it felt like everything came together for 2.54.

Alphabet Backwards, The Switch and Lawrence Bray at The Kings Head, 18 June. Or so I’ve heard. Can’t remember much.

There’s nothing like a muddy field – festival highlights

Pulp (see above!). Ordinarily, I’d find it more than a little strange to watch a man in his 40s thrusting on top of an amp whilst singing ‘This is Hardcore’. However, this was the Return of Jarvis. It was one hell of a night.

The Great Escape – Hard to pick out a single moment. For me, The Great Escape signifies the start of the festival season, ice cream on the beach and discovering a pier load of new music. This year was no different. Personal highlights were Out Like a Lion, a great set and top interview from Team Me and Two Wounded Birds, who later went to play our Christmas show, and one of the most gloriously technicolour and serotonin fuelled gigs of my life with Grouplove and
Foster The People… Other top moments include an interview with the lovely Rachel Sermanni, Sarah Richardson trying to convince me she was hanging out with Snoop Dogg and meeting many fellow bloggers/ music people for the first time. It’s not only new bands though, and as always, Eddie Argos of Art Brut had The Haunt in the palm of his hand, wrapped in the cable of his microphone, sitting down on the floor at his will and up in the air when the hormonal fuelled Emily Kane, My Little Brother and Modern Art reach their climax. Brilliant.

Sissy & the Blisters at Camden Crawl, or Spector at Field Day – we couldn’t decide between these two. Both were the first time we’d seen each band, and both blew usaway.

Alphabet Backwards / Spring Offensive / Gunning for Tamar at Truck Festival – Three awesome Oxford bands at a festival in Oxfordshire. ‘nuff said. And all lovely, lovely people too.
Tribes at Reading – It’s a little scary when a band sings nostalgically about the 1990s. However, once we’d got over the realisation that we are now old, Tribes set at Reading was an enjoyable set to a buzzing crowd.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoioAwx0v-Q]