What I can´t post about

I´m stuck here in Salamanca with just an hour in an internet cafe. After a quick browse through the latest music news these are the things I can´t properly post about now:

- New Bjork remixes (never gonna find the Scandanavian dots on this keyboard)
- New P.J. Harvey album
- Bitchfight of the month: Patrick Wolf vs. Mika
- New Stars leaked
- An apparently fantabulous Fischerspooner concert

I´ll go sip some sangria now, go google it yourselves!

The Mary Onettes

Dissapointed by the new Joy Division Interpol album? Is the Editors' Paul Banks not Ian enough? Emberassed by Mark Ronson's Cure cover? Sad about New Order breaking up? Then you should try The Mary Onettes (that’s a lame bandname, but nowhere near as lame as Sexual Earthquake in Kobe or The hot Stewards though). These guys are from Sweden which is hard to believe since they sound really (and I mean 'railaièh' and not 'reellee') British.

The Instant hit: Lost (mp3)

Laughter: How can this possibly be a new song? (mp3)

You can fall into this now: Void (stream)

Ulkedood!

Our manifesto says we're only deaf to the things we really don't wish to hear. This time however I'm talking about a case of pure ignorance. Being aware of the fact I'm undermining my so-called and freshly assumed status as a well-informed music journalist, I hereby declare that Larrikin Love have split up d.d. May 4th, 2007.

Patrick Wolf's subsidiary, de facto consisting of Edward Larrikin, George Orwell, Oscar Wilde and Arthur Rimbaud, were supposed to play Lowlands Festival last year, but decided not to show up. Rumours were spreading that there had been a conflict involving Orwell using the all-seeing eye to spy on Wilde while he was making sweet closeted love to Rimbaud... Let's call it 'pulling a George Michael Nixon après la lettre'.

With Patrick Wolf also calling it quits, this seems to bring an end to the mere erudite wing of London-based social criticists, which leaves us with only the Lily Allen's and Maccabees of this world. They're nice too I guess, but different.

Sometime in the near future I will fill you in about Patrick Wolf not retiring at all, according to a statement he himself made just three days before Larrikin Love made their objectionable decision. So then you'll be completely up to date.

Patrick Wolf and Edward Larrikin - Accident & Emergency (mp3)
Larrikin Love - Happy As Annie (Patrick Wolf Remix) (mp3)

Summer in Ede

Some songs immediately invoke a feeling of summer. Whether it's because of the instruments that are used (for me a guitar is more summer than a piano, which is clearly more winter), the sound, the name or lyrics, unconscious association or a link to a specific summer. Songs that take me back to the summer walks on the moors of my hometown, to the burning sun on my bare shoulders, the sandy roads, the magnificent trees and the summer rain.

There are whole albums that are forever linked to summers, be it specific summers or just The Summer. For me these are Pete Yorn's Musicforthemorningafter, Aimee Mann's Lost in Space, Ed Harcourt's Here Be Monsters and You Forgot it in People by (strangely enough, because their sound isn't especially summer-y) Broken (not Buena Vista!) Social Scene (not Club!).

But what are the five songs that I listen to when I close my eyes and ignore the cold, the dark grey clouds and the rain against the window?

Howie Beck - We Waited (mp3)
this one's easy; banjo's are only played in very warm places (and if they’re not they should be!)

Tiger Lou - Sell Out (video)
A gituar-driven perfect pop song that nests itself in your head for days.

Broken Social Scene - Looks Just Like The Sun (mp3)
Imagine yourself walking past some trees, hearing the crickets and seeing the air above the street dance. I know I do.

Pete Yorn - June (mp3)
This song could've been called december and it would still make me think of summer.

The Field - A Paw in my Face (mp3)
This one is pretty recent but proved to be an instant classic. Summer all the way.

Summer in Leningrad

To continue what is now the official summer anthem thread, let me introduce you to Leningrad Cowboys, my personal Finnish saviour in the year of Jody Bernal's Que Si, Que No. For our foreign readers: never mind. The guy is now officialy harmless since he started his figure skating career in another Dutch 'Milking The Stars' TV format.

Anyways, back to Leningrad Cowboys. Happy Being Miserable was my summer anthem for the year 2000, and has been ever since. It has also been my first encounter with anything Finnish that is not metal, nor plays soccer. Enjoy and beware...



...for it is addictive. I'm afraid not even the Vengaboys-revival can help me let go of this enchanting piece of Scandinavian art. And as for the band's name, it's a creation of Finnish arthouse film director Aki Olavi Kaurismäki, Finland's very own Michael Moore. I can assure you it's completely PC to like this. Global warming before it got hijacked by Al Gore... Now let's hope he is not reading this and intending to use it during his Live Earth world wide energy gobbling music events!

All time, desert island, totally biased: Top Five Summer Songs

First of all, a minor threat: anyone who fucking dares to mention, link or play the Buena Vista Social Club cover of Clocks in relation to this blogpost will die, and not just because it's summer time. I hate that song, and homicide definately is an option under any Chris Martin related circumstances.

I'm serious, mofo.

Then, you know what ? Any Top Five of Summer Songs is bloody bollocks at the moment. The weather we're having right now would be considered shitty had it been October, and it's July. We don't need no mariachi's and mojitos. Lord, buy me a Mercedes Benz, some Joy Division and a fine chunk of crystal meth. And please, no more boleros.

For some reason, summer hits always need to feature either conga's, horns or guitars and an assorti selection of latino's: I'm talking La Bamba, or Tequila. Suavemente, Miami Sound Machine and Kaoma. Which is fine. Bill Murray can mix me a Martini whenever I hear Hot! Hot! Hot!, my top 5 however is gonna go beyond the Fucking Obvious.

But it's hard not to get lost on the digital highway to a sunny beach. Summer songs are Maria. It's Tequila Sunrise and girls with their nipples barely covered. (Though, his nipples aren't exactly covered either.) Summer equals hot latin lovers, bad wigs and ketchup. Get busy, y'all. By the way, who let the dogs out ?

But, never mind the Baileys, here's my Top Five.

Kylie Minogue - Slow
Oasis - Supersonic
Prince - Kiss
Amy Winehouse - Fuck Me Pumps
Mohammed Rafi - Jan Pehechan Ho

And then, to leave you on a positive note, here's a nice summer-inspired joke:

One raindrop to the other: "It's quite wet, isn't it ?"
Other raindrop: "Fucking hell, it's a talking raindrop !"