The rise of the… my number 8

There is something really scary happening in Britain. I do not think the British, mainly the working class, are racist, but I can see that awful racist party that is the STD after the sex of British politics getting a bit more electoral success over the coming years. I am not going to even mention their name on this blog post, but I think those British readers will know who I am on about.

There is a massive campaign to stop this party getting the votes it does not deserve, with groups like Fight Against Fascism and the TUC mobilising to try and neutralise the treat of that party. But I do not think this is going to work as their very focus seems to be missing the point.

The reason I think that party is going to get more electoral success is because of the lack of another radical (left) voting alternative. For years people have been saying that New Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems are all the same, that they are becoming disillusioned with voting because of this. During this time there had been no alternative force to vote for. Sure, you have the Greens, but they wrongly have the image amongst the British public that they are a one issue party, so do not count on them to pose the best alternative to that party. Then you have RESPECT, who, like every other left wing party have (and will do further in the future) become factious and are splitting. So do not expect them to pose an alternative.

The last time the far right ever really got as much support as they do now it was the 1930’s. The time of the Battle of Cable Street. At least this time we had an alternative on the left with the Communist Party. But now where are the alternatives?

People are going to vote for that party because they are different to New Labour, the Tories and Lib Dems. And that makes me sad.

Despite the work of Fight Against Fascism and the TUC (among many others) of which I support, and would gleefully help, I think the best way of countering the threat of that party is with a united left wing party who can give us an alternative vote to the main stream parties, and who can grow like that party have. But that is not going to happen, just look at the last attempt, RESPECT, funnily it was RESPECT’s MP that helped with the split. Ironic as getting an MP should had been the basis of expanding its support.

The best we can hope for is for the Tories to get into power, which could force New Labour to become Labour again and perhaps unite the left. But then they have a chance to get into power regardless, and I am too cynical to actually expect it to happen.

I’ll cheer myself up by listening to my number 8 favourite album of 2008:

8. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

I came across this band as me and Johny 2 walked into the NME Awards tour last year down in Portsmouth. We walked in to what turned out to be the last song of their set, of which we heard about 40 seconds of it. But it only took 40 seconds of a heavy droning bass rift to make me explore this band further.

Before the album had come out with only a few songs released on their myspace, they had already become my going out band. We Are Rockstars, Let’s Make Out, Weird Science and Battle Royale were my essential tunes to listen to before going out for a night on the amber nectar. I cheesily call them rock’n’bass, they are the perfect get up and jump sort of band, get your heart beat racing with their bass and synth driven style of rock.

Then, wam bam, they released Dawn Of The Dead as a single. So different to what I had previously heard, primly cut specifically for the radio, I did not recognise who it was at first. It is essentially a pop song, but not one that you would be embarrassed to be seen listening to.

Apart from Dawn Of The Dead, the rest of the album is a fusion of rock’n’bass and pure punk attitude. Does It Offend You, Yeah want you to know where they are coming from, and they don’t care if that offends you. (Oh my cheese continues)

Oh and did I mention they are from my home town of Reading

Personal highlights on the album With a Heavy Heart (I Regret to Inform You) and Let’s Make Out.

Previous:

9. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

10. The Magnetic Fields – Distortion

Orwell had a time machine and saw today and my number 9

When i read about this new Confidential Intelligence Unit (CIU) being set up (well it has been about since 1999 according to some sources) to spy on homegrown extremists, i got worried. Not because i am an extremist, as people who know me would say, i would never ever hurt anyone, which means i ain’t attacking no one. The reason i got worried is because part of it’s goal of spying on ‘radical’ left-wing and right-wing groups includes peace protestors… Let that sink in, PEACE protestors. How the hell does homegrown extremists and peace protestors get shoved in the same pot and become one and the same. [http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/secret-police-unit-set-up-to-spy-on-british-domestic-extremists/]

I reacon its just another political tool to destroy debate and soon allow New Labour, the Tories and maybe the Lib Dems to pull the covers over their shared bed and become one big party, i.e. the only party. First the CIU need to destory the smaller parties. Bye bye Greens and RESPECT, but i will not miss the BN… can’t finish it…

Anyway, back on track. It got me thinking about Orwell’s 1984 again, as most of New Labour’s and Jaqui Smith’s policies make me do. I thought, ‘well they could take our freedoms, but they surely can never steal our emotions, our feelings, our compassion, our LOVE’. Then, that same day, i saw this: [http://www.recentnews.co.uk/Kissing-ban-at-railway-station/17242]. They say it is not to be taken seriously, that it’s lighthearted and it is not a rule that is going to be strictly enforced. But then is that not the best way to bring about a policy that would be so unpopular if enforced that it would actually bring 30million plus people onto the streets? Don’t worry, i am not seriously saying this is another example of an Orwellian state etc etc. But, i would not be surprised if this sort of scheme is slowly launched at other railway stations, then at supermarkets, then on the streets, then at pubs… maybe one day we will each have CCTV in our homes making sure that we are not swapping slaiva out of fear that we may forget the time and forget to go to bed at 8:30pm.

Here’s my number 9 for my personal favourite albums released in 2008:

9. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

I said just before i told you my number 10 that my top 10 included bands that i feel should deserve more recognition, and are perhaps not well known. Well, that does not neccessarily apply for this band- the biggest band in my top 10.

There has been so much said of this album and band that i really do not think i need to say much more.

But i just want to say why i love this album so much. I have been really getting into the simple cultural things in life, such as films like Napoleon Dynamite and Juno, which are so easy to watch, really down to earth, and also the music that goes with those films as well, the single acoustic guitar, one chord one string at a time, simple lyrics that tell you things straight. This is what this album reminds me of.

Admittadely the lyrics are really intelligent, and they do not lead you down one emotional road, so you can take them to whatever meaning you want. Regardless, the music is so cheerful. It makes you happy. How can you not smile when you hear a song like Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa?

I really do not want to say much more about this album, but  that i have still met people who have not heard of this band, and when i tell them i am into Vampire Weekend i often get the response “oh, i didn’t realise you like that sort of music”. Quality.

Personal favourites on the album Oxford Comma and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

Previous:

10 – The Magnetic Fields – Distortion

Top 10 Albums of 2008, we’ll start at 10.

So I am a massive music fan. This past year I have been busy listening and getting into some really random bands, some of which I feel should be getting more recognition than they are receiving. Although ultimately, as long as these artists continue to make amazing music, I will be happy.

With this in mind, I have decided to put on here my run down of what I think are the 10 best albums of 2008.

Now, it should be fully understood that to be able to have a proper run down of the best albums, you ought to listen to every album released in that year. I fully acknowledge that it may not be until 2013 that I find an album from 2008 that I fall in love with, and that I have not presently heard.

It would therefore be welcome to hear others suggestions of their favourite albums of 2008 and all recommendations would be seriously greeted.

I intend to ‘release’ each album in its own separate blog post, so it could be that you, my loyal readers, may have to wait a few days between each album. Although I aim to be as prompt as possible.

Before I jump into my number 10 however, I would like to run through a small list of other albums released in 2008 that deserve an honourable mention, and in some cases nearly broke into the top 10. Stylistically, my actual top 10 does not include some of the more well known bands in this list, as you will tell from my number 10.

Beck – Modern Guilt

Billy Bragg – Mr Love & Justice

Conor Oberst – Conor Oberst

Dengue Fever – Venus on Earth

Envy & Other Sins – We Leave at Dawn

Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords

Flobots – Fight With Tools

The Futureheads – This is not the World

Heavenly States – Delayer

Ida Maria – Fortress Round my Heart

Kaiser Chiefs – Off With Their Heads

Kings of Leon – Only by the Night

Metallica – Death Magnetic

Middle Class Rut – MC Rut EP

Mystery Jets – Twenty One

Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

Santogold – Santogold

Stephen Malkmus – Real Emotional Trash

We are Scientists – Brain Thrust Mastery

So, here be it, the first stop on my countdown of my personal 10 favourite albums of 2008.

10. The Magnetic Fields – Distortion

This album makes you feel dirty. As the title Distortion would suggest, it sounds unkempt with little obvious production as a disjointed ruffle hangs in the background throughout. The first song on the album lets you know of the album’s intentions from the off with the optimistic squeals of ‘Three Way!’ interrupting what is essentially a excitable atmosphere building instrumental. The rousing optimism of Three Way continues through the album, despite the cynical lyrics of songs like California Girls (‘I hate California girls’) and Mr Mistletoe. This sound is a paradigm of modern day society, with such hopefulness pulling the emotional strings of our lives, but deeper pessimistic lyrics ironically telling the actual story.

There is charm in this album because of this, even Xavier Says in which it literally sounds like the music is crying, you can’t help but feel everything but depressed. This album is of a different sound, a mixture of feeling as if you are from the 1980’s but visiting the distant future. It would make the perfect soundtrack to a Back To The Future film.

The fact that the longest song on the album is only 3 minutes 7 seconds means that you do not have enough time to get tired of a single song. This is weird, as you can tell that each song belongs on the same record as the previous, but they each have their own charms. This is helped by the alternation of the vocal duties between Stephin Merritt and Shirley Simms.

I can see this album becoming cultish. Described as noise music, the songs are not mainstream enough for the radio, but they are something so different as to trill a lot of people.

The Magnetic Fields have been around for the best part of 20 years, albeit as the puppy project of Merritt, and this, their newest album, would be a fantastic place for potential Field’s fans to start to fall in love with this band.

Personal highlights of the album would include Three Way and Zombie Boy

This list will return with number 9….