Similar Artists To: EMF

When I was searching yesterday for some Tom Jones video’s for my post, I noticed that he often covered EMF’s hit Unbelievable during his live shows. At one point they actually played together on a music show. So that got me thinking about EMF, the second album Stigma (which was way darker sounding than the debut), and similar artists that were around at that time and I ended up putting together one of my similar artists playlists, the process for which I documented on an earlier “Similar Artists To” posts. Here is the album list I ended up with:

• EMF – Stigma
• Jesus Jones – Liquidizer
• Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine – 1992: The Love Album
• Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – Brain Blood Volume
• Pop Will Eat Itself – This Is The Day…
• The Farm – Spartacus
• The Soup Dragons – Hang-Tent
• The Wonder Stuff – Never Loved Elvis
• The Shamen – En-Tact
• Inspiral Carpets – Life

Well, I suppose I hade better post that EMF/Tom Jones performance, seeing as I mentioned it. In case you are wondering the track Unbelievable (the bands big hit) appeared on EMF’s first album, Schubert Dip.

 

Nostalgia Blog: The Stone Roses – The Stone Roses

I was out on my usual afternoon ‘constitutional’ and I decided to have The Stone Roses debut as my walking music. What a great choice! It brought back interesting memories of hanging out at the Shelley Arms in Nutley (UK) during the 80’s/90’s. Sadly the Shelley Arms is no longer a pub, although the building is still there (it’s ‘listed’), and has become a family home. The pub, which also had live bands, closed shop once it became advantageous to build on the land around the back of the premises (which was all part of the same property). Warren, who ran the place on behalf of his father (a property developer), was also a school friend who originally lived just up the road from me . It was, I believe, his idea to have live bands (of a wide variety of styles and abilities). Once the venue closed he started up an antiques shop in Forest Row. It’s just down the road from Nutley, and where I lived until a few years ago, until I moved, funnily enough, to Nutley, before immigrating to Nova Scotia at the end of 2009.

Sadly, Warren died suddenly a few years ago.

The reason why it reminds me specifically of Warren, and the Shelley Arms, is that he had a great jukebox there and I can remember being at the ‘Shelley’ one night when I Am The Resurrection came on (it was the last single to be released off the debut album). I was not that familiar with The Stone Roses when they first came out, but my ears pricked up when I heard that great opening drum beat (also used on Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman) and then there is that great guitar freak-out at the end. At the time I thought it was two separate bands, and so, was quite surprised when I checked out to see what was playing and discovered all of it was one Stone Roses song. Not surprisingly the next day I went out and bought the album.

So, I would like to dedicate this post to the memory of Warren and honour him for all the opportunities he gave to local (and quite a few national) musicians, by letting them play. Even the ones that got to play on ‘Bad Bands’ night. Yes, I was there on a Band Bands of Sussex – Bank Holiday Special, where The Dirty Rotten Beer Mats (Toronto’s finest, allegedly, although they looked suspiciously like members of a local punk band) proceeded to ‘pretend’ to be a succession of ‘bad bands’ by swapping instruments. Both ‘classic’ and ear-splittingly load.

Turning back to the album in question. Stone Roses is such a fantastic debut and it is easy to hear why it ends up on so many “Greatest Albums” lists. Just as a reminder here is the track listing:

• I Wanna Be Adored
• She Bangs the Drums
• Waterfall
• Don’t Stop
• Bye Bye Badman
• Elizabeth My Dear
• (Song for My) Sugar Spun Sister
• Made of Stone
• Shoot You Down
• This Is the One
• I Am the Resurrection

Bands To Watch 2010: Calories

 

Info:

• Three piece rock band from Birmingham, UK.
• Genre(s): Alternative, Indie, Lo-Fi, Noise, Pop, Rock.
• Ex-Distophia members.
• Line-up:
  • John Biggs – Guitar/Vocals
  • Pete Dixon – Bass/Vocals
  • Tom Whitfield – Drums/Vocals
• First live shows in June 2008
• Next gig: 5 Feb 2010 The Victoria – Birmingham (Split 7" Launch)

 

Releases:

• Debut album Adventuring released 09/03/2009.
  1. A Bear A Bison
  2. Caught In The In-Between To Encounter A Deer
  3. Adventuring
  4. Fragile Numbers
  5. Oh K.S.S.T.
  6. Drugged
  7. Same Ideals
  8. (See You On The Expedition)
  9. Forests Of Varg

 

• Let’s Pretend That We’re Older EP released 09/11/2009
  1. Let’s Pretend That We’re Older
  2. Arm A Leg
  3. Expect The Language
  4. Hands Off

 

 

 

Upcoming Releases

• Split 7” with William in early February 2010
• Habitation album due early 2010

 

Links:

• Calories MySpace page – http://www.myspace.com/caloriesband
• Smalltown America – http://www.smalltownamerica.co.uk/artists.php/193/Calories
• Drowned In Sound – http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/3835441-discover-monthly–august-2008
• Clash Magazine – http://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/calories-adventuring

Retroblog: Carpathian Forest – A Forest

Tucked away as track 11 on Carpathian Forest’s 1998 album Black Shining Leather is an excellent and chilling cover of The Cure’s, A Forest. It’s been posted on YouTube with a basic picture of the cover and a quick change to a photo of the band, with obligatory inverted cross.

This is not the only cover of the track and a search on YouTube or in Google will reveal that several artists, both famous and not so,  have covered it over the years. For example, it was covered by Bat For Lashes as part of the Perfect As Cats: A Tribute To The Cure album released in 2008 it was also released as the B-side to Daniel. Here is a mashup with Vampire Hunter that has been posted on YouTube.

The Cure also performed it ‘acoustically’ in 2001 for inclusion on a bonus disc in their 2001 Greatest Hits release and managed to make a great song ever better!

And, just for completeness, here is the original from way back in 1980.