.....Kate Nash and Adele and I'm not afraid to admit it!
Kate Nash - Birds
Kate Nash's album was probably my favourite album of last year. Quite a few people I know were reluctant to buy into the hype for a while but once they did, like me, they were hooked. Good tunes, great lyrics, and a lovely individual voice. This version of Birds was what did it for me, it's from a single before she did Foundations. There's a version on the album, but it's not as good as this. I just love the way she tells little stories; and there's some nice writing going on in the lyrics.
Adele - Daydreamer
I'd heard about Adele, but again when something gets hyped I tend to run the other way. But then I saw her on Jonathan Ross doing Chasing Pavements and I just fell in love with her voice and the song itself. This is a lot more controlled, a lot mellower; it sounds like she's been listening to Minnie Riperton.
What I really like about both is that they sound like London records. I haven't really written about my London obsession; but I've gotten into so many people because they have songs about my city: for instance Madness, The Kinks, The Pogues, Squeeze. There's a whole batch of artists lately that get lumped together by lazy journalists: the whole Brits school for instance. But I'm loving it that there are so many artists from London coming through. People reckon the music business is only interested in the scene in London; but most of the bands performing there, from my own experience don't come from London. There's a definite feel to songs by people who actually come from here that I feel right down to my bones. I'll write about that in more detail; with some of my favourite London records. But in the meantime, if you're not sold on the hype surrounding these women over the past couple of years, open your ears and give them another listen.
:)
Saturday, 5 April 2008
I love....
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4 comments:
I do admire your capacity to embrace these 2 young phillies Simon, but I'm always up for a discussion... Perhaps if they hailed from Scunthorpe and Grimsby you'd be less smitten?
I do think Kate Nash has blossomed in recent months and she - and her organ - have an appealing side. But, when up on stage facing the audience, 1 man's cool is another man's cockerney young & ginger John Shuttleworth.
Amy Winehouse seems to have started an influencial femme tide in the same way as Alannis Morrisette in the late 90s. The Adele bird I just don't get I'm afraid - but am willing to be proven wrong. (If she's still around next year, then I'll be glad to slice up the pie of the humble).
The big woolley jumpers and Brit School leg-up perhaps take my fairness juices away. Chasing pavements, rainbows, waterfalls or parked cars - it's just not grabbing my buds of taste. I've been listening to Minnie Ripperton too, but sound like a hyena with croup. To my leaky mind, Adele has nothing of the other starlet of the month - Duffy.
Cheers Simon, and I'm sure you won't mind my difference of opinion on these young-enough-to be-our-daughters pop-ettes.
Duffy I'm not so sure of - if Bernard Butler had done the whole album I think I would have been raving about it. She certainly has a great voice; but it hasn't yet connected with me.
I know what you mean about whether or not these people are going to last; or whether I'm going to still like their records in a couple of years. But then it's 'pop' and sometimes pop doesn't move with you through the years. And sometimes it lasts longer than the so-called classics where I'm concerned.
At the heart of everything I'm into is the love of pop songs I guess.
But are you being 'cockerneyist' and gingerist in there dvd??? Considering I was born within the sound of Bow Bells with bright ginger hair (much to the horror of my mum) them could be fighting words! Heh; my hair turned brown within a week. My mum never forgave me for the shock though!
My dear Simon, I would ne'er discredit the .. ahem, strawberry blonde persuasion. Mrs Van Dyke and Miss Van Dyke both sport that unique titian/auburn sunbathed under a colander look.
You should indeed champion your local girls made good. And it's good to see singer songwriters lining up.
And you're right; pop is about the here and now. However, popular does not of course equal very good quality. (Remember 'Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep'? Now that WAS quality).
I do think Amy MacDonald (no, not the kooky actress from the 70s) is worth a gold star and has the roar and punch of a teenager to laud. (Albeit more Glasgow than Stepney).
Amy Macdonald gets played a lot in our house too. It's not all groovy Mod tunes here!
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