It was a sad day for music fans yesterday, as REM – masters of their trade for 31 years – announced their untimely split.

My first introduction to the band was around 1994-1995. I was 13/14, and working diligently at Martins the Newsagent. One Saturday morning, as we loaded the Saturday papers with their weighty supplements, our manager at the time put on Out of Time. Instantly, I was hooked. Far from “the world collapsing around our ears,” Radio Song kicked off a love affair that continues to this day.

There are many stand out songs on that album, but Losing My Religion is definitely a favourite. I’ll never forget the moment at Glastonbury 2003 where Stipe dedicated the song to the crowd, exclaiming it as our song. We loved it.

Undoubtedly, I got hooked on REM at their commercial zenith. But over the years I’ve picked up all their albums, and I like each of them in their own right. True, certain elements of their recent output has disappointed – like the majority of Around the Sun – but even that had stand out songs like Final Straw, a protest song aimed squarely at George Bush.

I’m pleased they’ve bowed at at the top of another arc in their history. First Accelerate, then Collapse Into Now featured a band that  doing what they did best.

We’ll miss you, REM, but we thank you for the music. Your back catalogue will stand the test of time and give hours of enjoyment to fans new and old for years to come.

REM split: this one goes out to the band I love is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

Another year’s Mercury Music Prize winner has been announced and this year, a very worthy winner has been chosen. PJ Harvey’s album, Let England Shake, was by far the stand out album.

Lyrically, it’s not the most uplifting of albums. Far from it – it describes the realities of war vividly. In many ways it’s a protest against our disconnection from atrocities carried out on a daily basis in the name of war.

Musically, if you disconnect yourself from the lyrics it’s really quite uplifting in many ways.

A conflicting album then, but one that rewards repeated listens, PJ Harvey’s Let England Shake needs to be in your record collection.

PJ Harvey, Let England Shake: worthy winner of the Mercury Music Prize is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

I first started writing this blog in April, then work got in the way. Prior to my Glastonbury summary – which was excellent – I thought I’d post my long-promised thoughts on the King of Limbs first.

It’s been a while since I first listened to The King of Limbs. In the time that’s passed, Radiohead’s latest effort has managed to win my affections.

There’s no denying that this is a slight departure for Radiohead. After In Rainbows, which referenced each of their previous albums, The King of Limbs moves the listener off in another evolutionary direction.

For starters, it’s short. 8 tracks long, totalling 34 minutes of music, is comparatively little next to previous Radiohead albums. However, just because it’s short doesn’t mean it isn’t enjoyable.

Bloom kicks the album off. It’s organic both in name, as well as nature. It’s got a syncopated baseline, when it kicks in, but you have to wait a fair while before you can hear it among the off-kilter drum beat and the electronic bleeps that mask it.

Morning Mr. Magpie comes next. This songs first showed up during the Hail to the Thief sessions, and it sounds a lot different to how I’d imagined it to in its full band incarnation. A somewhat harried guitar line introduction kicks it off before a swirling hoot introduces the lyrics “You’ve got some nerve coming here”. There’s some good guitar noodling and the track largely impresses.

Next up, Little by Little – thankfully – isn’t an Oasis cover. It’s got duelling guitars, another cracking baseline and Thom suggesting he’s “such a tease” twice in the same song.

Feral has indecipheral lyrics. Musically, it sounds like an evolution to Kid A’s Idioteque. It serves as a good book end to the first half of the album.

The second half kicks off with Lotus Flower which contains the lyrics:

There’s an empty space inside my heart
Where the weeds take root

If Thom could only fill it with more music like this, we’d be on to a winner!

Codex, the sixth track, is a stunning song. It’s simple, progressive piano chords are quite enchanting. As the horns kick in around 2:20, it sounds completely dream like. It’s a very relaxing song to listen to, even if the lyrics are somewhat reflective and perhaps melancholic.

Give up the Ghost is a slight disappointment. After listening to Thom do this track live in Cambridge, I was expecting something more than what we got. The full band treatment is good, but I think it could have had a more complex arrangement.

The album finishes off with Separator, quite an optimistic track – with a nice and bright guitar outro that has the infamous lyric “if you think this is over then you’re wrong.”

Radiohead may have released a few more tracks after the rush-release of the album (including the quite brilliant Staircase), but I’m one listener who hopes that the promise given in Separator is yet to be fulfilled by another album.

Radiohead The King of Limbs review is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

Monday 14 February. Valentine’s Day. Lovers around the world showing signs of affection and buying gifts. This was also the day that Radiohead chose to share their latest present with their milions of adoring fans.

Their long awaited eigth album – The King of Limbs – will be making it’s overdue appearance imminently. This Saturday, 19 February, to be precise. Like a bouquet of flowers secreeted away from prying eyes, Radiohead kept their Valentine’s Day gift well under wraps. News of it’s release was more of a shock than an unexpected wedding proposal. However, for this Radiohead fan in particular, a very welcome one.

I really admire the intrigue that Radiohead have managed to maintain. Even though we now know the album’s coming, the track listing remains a complete mystery. Will it contain an old favourite, in the vein of In Rainbows’ Nude? I’d love to see a studio version of Big Boots or Follow Me Around.

When In Rainbows came out, there weren’t many tracks that hadn’t made an appearance in some shape or form in earlier road testing gigs. The biggest surprise was the re-imagined Reckoner. Selfishly, I’m hoping for a number of songs that we haven’t heard before. But I’m not going to complain if songs that Thom’s tested on the road – like Give up the Ghost and Skirting on the Surface – make the cut.

Whatever we’re going to get on Saturday, I suspect Radiohead are going to keep the official track listing secret right until The King of Limbs is released. Whatever songs it does contain, I’m confident that we’ll be in for a treat.

I look forward to giving you my considered verdict at some point next week. Happy listening, Radiohead fans!

Update

Now the album’s out, the official track listing is available. Here it is:

Radiohead’s The King of Limbs and its mysterious track listing is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

I’m sure this is a regular occurence amongst music lovers. They listen to album, decide they don’t like it and resolve never to play it again. It’s happened to me a few times – after all, there’s no shortage of exciting new music to listen to – but today, prompted by one of my work colleagues, I decided to relent and give an act that didn’t impress first time round a second chance.

The act in question was John Grant. I’d had three separate recommendations: two from work colleagues and one from Radcliffe and Maconie.

On first listen, it wasn’t very good. The lyrics were a lacking a certain je ne sais quoi, and the music – provided by Midlake, another much-liked act of mine – wasn’t setting my world on fire.

However, on second listen today, it started to grow on me. I can’t put my finger on the reason why, but I just found it all the more engaging.

The moral of the story is that music often gets better with familiarity, and just because you don’t like something first time around, doesn’t mean it won’t be a grower.

Sometimes it’s worth giving acts a second chance is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

A timely moment in music, this one.

Sadly, the mighty I Am Kloot didn’t win the Mercury Music Prize this year. Their magnificent latest album, Sky at Night would have been a very worthy winner. It’s full of heartfelt, descriptive songs that are drenched with emotion, from despair to optimism.

At least the Mercury Music Prize will have given their profile a welcome boost. If you haven’t already heard it, do check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

I Am Kloot not winning the Mercury Music Prize is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

This week’s moment in music is one that recurs for me quite often. Whether it’s REM, The National, U2 or Radiohead, going back and discovering a band’s back catalogue when you’re late on the bandwagon can be very rewarding.

Take the National for example. Contrary to seemingly popular opinion, their breakthrough album Alligator was actually their third.

I’m currently listening to their eponymous debut album, and while it’s certainly a very different proposition to their later work, on first (and partial) listen, it certainly holds it’s own! Matt Berninger’s authoritative baritone is still there, but their music is far more relaxed.

I’m always discovering new bands well into their career. Another recent example is Teenage Fanclub – I’d always avoided them as their names sounds a lot like a heavy-metal tribute act, however, imagine my surprise on finding out Baby Lee – a very catchy little number – was actually from their tenth studio album, Shadows.

Whose back catalogue have you gone back to enjoy?

The joy of discovering a band’s back catalogue is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

One thing I like about being an avid devourer of music is anticipating new releases.

Two bands’ efforts I’m really looking forward to that are coming out soon are I Am Kloot and Arcade Fire.

I Am Kloot, for those of you that aren’t in the know, are a delightful three piece from Manchester. They play songs mainly about love.. and disaster. Their latest effort, Sky At Night, is being unleashed unto the world on 5th July. You can get a sneak peak at a few of the tracks by having a look at this excellent video, filmed in Germany last year. 5th July can’t come soon enough.

Arcade Fire’s new album, The Suburbs, will be hot on Sky At Night’s heels at the start of August. As you may have heard, two of their new songs have made it on to the airwaves this week. In contrast to the blog I’ve just linked to, I’m liking what I’m hearing – particularly Month of May. This’ll be an important third album for the Canandian wonders, but I’m confident it’ll meet expectations and be another cracking listen.

Are you looking forward to any upcoming releases? If so, do tell!

Anticipating new releases is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

I had a particularly fruitful radio-listening session last week, listening to Marc Riley’s show one weeknight. His is a show I listen to rarely, but when I do tune in, I always remember why I like it. Beautiful playlist and insightful anecdotes.

Anyway, on to the subject of the of the post. Tim and Sam’s Tim and Sam Band released their debut album, Life Stream, last week. Marc played a track on his show and I just had to buy it. A few days after I’d ordered it, I got the album through the post. Not only did I get the album, I got a rather nice compliments slip with a personal thank you and a tea bag from, presumably, the aforementioned Tim. Which was nice.

Now, why is this is a moment in music? Because for me, it’s rare I find out about new music via the medium of the radio. So, when I do get to hear of a band in this way, like Tim and Sam, it’s a moment to cherish.

Now I just need to give the album a spin!

Have you found an artist you like via radio recently?

Tim and Sam are grand – courtesy of Marc Riley is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog

Last week, on a ridiculously long commute into work (three and a half hours.. thanks First Capital Connect), I rediscovered the Manic Street Preachers’ Gold Against the Soul.

It’s a fine album, decorated with jewels like Sleepflower, La Tristesse Durerra and Roses in the Hospital. Rediscovering it after at least a three year hiatus was a joy to behold.

It’s always great to find a long lost friend in this way, and it’s a joy I don’t get to recreate too often. Next weekend I’ll have to thumb through the record collection – ok, scan up and down the cd towers – to see what else I haven’t listened to for a while.

Rediscovering forgotten gems is a post from: Moments in Music - a music blog