Alisha's Attic - Stay Will U Stay

Comprised of sisters Karen and Shelly Poole, Alisha's Attic were probably one of the first groups that I ever truly embraced: actively searching for all their singles, and repeatedly listening to their music. Their 1996 debut, 'Alisha Rules The World', is still one of my favourite albums and I continue to play it regularly (and not just as a nostalgic attempt to remember when I was a teenager). Soon after their third album in 2001, 'The House We Built', they were sadly dropped by Mercury Records and the duo ceased recording together.

Four years later, I discovered that a fourth self-produced album had been made available by the girls. 'The Attic Vaults 1' (a 'Vaults 2' was apparently planned) was a collection of previously unreleased songs that had never made it onto their previous albums, and so the tracks were put together as a final thank-you to their fans. Needless to say, I bought a copy as quickly as possible and soaked up the "new" music.

The penultimate tune, 'Stay Will U Stay', is the stand-out track for me and definitely deserved to have reached a wider audience, although it is difficult to find a place for it amongst the songs on their three albums. With just piano accompanying the sisters' always-beautiful harmonies, the track feels stripped back and raw, a sound that is complemented fully by the sincere lyrics. Perhaps if it had been included on a previous release then further instrumentation may have been added during production, but I am glad that it has remained as it is: a tender, gorgeous reminder of what Karen and Shelly Poole achieved together.

As with Nik Kershaw's 'So Quiet', 'Stay Will U Stay' is on the list of music I intend to transcribe into a piano score one day.

Since Alisha's Attic, both of the sisters have remained in the music industry: Karen has successfully written for many other musicians whilst Shelly has also continued to record, both as a solo artist and in current band Red Sky July.

Alisha's Attic:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlishasAttic

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alisha's_Attic

Karen Poole:

Twitter: twitter.com/kazpoole

Official: www.karenpoolemusic.com

Shelly Poole:

Twitter: twitter.com/shellypoole

"Songwriting's a weird game" - Keith Richards

Goto80 - Last Christmas (Hot Digi Remix)

It's that time of year and, once again, there is a definite slew of Christmas-themed records vying for our attention from all the latest and greatest singers and bands out there.

With that in mind I've ignored the whole lot of them and gone back almost a decade to enjoy 2003's release from Goto80 - a Swedish chiptune musician who works primarily with the Commodore 64 computer (my own personal favourite). Although listed as a 2005 release in his discography, Goto80's cover of Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' was included on the 2003 compilation 'The 8bits of Christmas' from 8bitpeoples, a collection of eight Christmas songs created by artists on a variety of different classic machines (NES, GameBoy, Spectrum, VIC20, etc.).

I've chosen to highlight Goto80's song because it not only gets my nostalgic juices flowing for the Commodore 64, and I also happen to quite like the Wham! original anyway, but because it's a pretty good cover version within the chosen medium. Naturally - considering the limitations of the equipment used - there are no vocals, but the tune progresses nicely from a relatively simple interpretation of the chorus before introducing different elements to vary and fill out the sound. The verses are mostly ignored, but I think that was the right decision to take in this case where voice cannot be included.

All in all, this is an enjoyable and festive song from a highly regarded composer within the chiptune scene and well worth a listen by anyone with a hankering for something a little retro.

Official: www.goto80.com
Collective: www.8bitpeoples.com
Twitter: twitter.com/goto80

"Pop music is aspirin and the blues are vitamins" - Peter Tork

Coldplay - Things I Don't Understand

I was a late-comer to Coldplay: game-changing debut Parachutes had been and gone, and second album A Rush Of Blood To The Head was nearing the end of its shelf-life. Their third album, X&Y, was looming on the horizon. Although I had certainly heard their music here and there, my own musical journeys had somehow kept me away from exploring it further - partly because, prior to this point, I hadn't been particularly overflowing in the wallet department, and so very much relied upon the music I already had.

But then I started having singing lessons. And Coldplay's In My Place was the first song I worked on. I really liked it, and felt that it would make sense for me to explore their back catalogue. And thus, a new Coldplay fan was found in me. I began trying to get copies of their old singles so that I could listen to different versions, or b-sides. I continued this habit with X&Y, buying the single of Speed Of Sound. And it was there that I heard this song for the first time.

I can certainly see why Coldplay chose to leave out Things I Don't Understand when choosing the tracks for X&Y. It can easily be compared to Speed of Sound and, whilst it definitely 'fits' with the rest of the songs on the album, I think it would have unbalanced it a little. Nevertheless, it ranks as one of my favourite Coldplay songs.

The guitar riff, particularly in the intro, always puts me in a good mood despite the fact that - conversely - the lyrics talk of confusion and despair. Indeed, I find the whole song's sound to be rather uplifting even though the content of the vocals might suggest otherwise. Perhaps the key to this juxtaposition is that the final words are:

"But I love this life"

Even though the world can be difficult to understand, with so much that can fall apart around us, life can still be (and should still be) worth living. Generally speaking, if a Coldplay song sounds morose and forlorn, or positive and joyful, then the lyrics will reflect that. However, I think this song deserves recognition for stepping out of that mould a little by pulling us along with words of unsettling uncertainty, accompanied by a relatively exhilarating melody. It's only really when we hit the end of the chorus that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

"The guitar is such a great friend, easy to carry from room to room, from house to house." - Pete Townshend

Radio 1 - The Chris Moyles Show

A few posts back, I mentioned my preferred choice of radio station: BBC Radio 1. It's the second most popular radio station in the UK, behind BBC Radio 2, and its daytime shows are very much geared towards chart-based music. It broadens its appeal significantly with the evening and late-night shows, covering various genres and niches, but certainly the 7am - 7pm slots are focused very much on 'popular music'.

And, really, that's to my taste. There's a lot of people that dislike Radio 1 because of this tendency to play the more "commercial" songs (although it definitely does do a good job of highlighting some lesser-known artists and giving them a huge audience boost) and, if your taste is a little less mainstream and a little more alternative, then you may well find it easy to complain about its playlist. However, whilst my musical taste isn't confined to "the hits of today", I am happy to stand up and say that, yes, I like what they play. Or most of it, anyway.

Up until about six or seven years ago, I mainly listened to local radio stations. At that time it was SGR Colchester, which is now part of the Heart network. They played chart music, but also threw in various songs from the last thirty years or so. But, although I knew it is necessary for a commercial radio station to have them, the advertising drove me crazy. A friend/colleague then declared that I should really be listening to Radio 1. He moved the frequency, put it on, and that's what I'd listen to each afternoon at work. As a result I found myself getting back into music a little more, having become rather restricted in what I was listening to.

About five years ago, I started having the odd day where I would have to start work a lot earlier. I'd be out in a delivery van from around five or six in the morning and, even with someone sitting beside me, conversation is difficult when my mind is still focusing on how much it wants to be back in bed. Therefore the radio filled in the early-morning silences. And it was Radio 1's breakfast show that did the job: The Chris Moyles Show.

For the past eight and a half years, Chris Moyles and his team have been doing the breakfast show (from 6:30/6:55am - 10am). I have only listened for the last five years or so, and only on those days where I'm actually awake at that time in the morning with access to radio. So perhaps three out of five weekdays I'm a listener. But it is by far my favourite radio show, and far surpasses any of the other morning shows available. The show, and Chris Moyles himself, have certainly had plenty of criticism and controversy over the years; the majority of which is unfounded. And even I'm happy to admit that, from time to time, there are moments in the show that are a bit "laddish" and not especially to my taste.

But... on the whole, I love the show. The zoo format works particularly well as each team member is very individual, and it genuinely gives the impression of a group of friends just sitting around having a chat and a laugh. And, as a listener, I somehow feel very much part of this.

Ironically, considering both the *cough* purpose *cough* of this blog and Radio 1's supposed commitment to music, The Chris Moyles Show plays substantially fewer songs that any of the other shows. Fortunately, the chats and interviews that make up most of the show are enjoyable, usually funny, and enjoyable to listen to overall.

During last Wednesday's show (the 11th of July 2012), Chris Moyles announced his plans to 'wrap-up' the show, bringing it to a close in September. The reasons, although not given during the announcement, seem to be varied. Although still the second most-popular breakfast show (again, Radio 2 has the top spot, with Chris Evans), the listening figures have been dropping a little - although this is generally the case throughout radio. Also, Chris has been doing a lot more work outside of Radio 1, including television and an upcoming stint on stage as King Herod in Jesus Chris Superstar. Perhaps more significantly, Radio 1 is desperately trying to attract its desired 15-25 demographic. The average age of a listener at the moment is 32. Chris Moyles is 38. Other shifts in programming recently have suggested an attempt to bring the age of the average listener down, and ending Moyles' reign on the breakfast show similarly falls in line.

Personally, as a 29 year old, I think the obsession with the required demographic is foolish. Just for starters, I don't believe that those in their late teens even have much of a desire to listen to radio anymore. Music is consumed in so many different ways now, and traditional radio is probably not the key port-of-call for the lower end of the age-group that Radio 1 seems desperate to attract.

But ho hum... that's not really what I've chosen to write about.

It is disappointing that in a couple of month's time The Chris Moyles Show, with all of its sarcastic self-inflation and playful dramatics, will be no more. It genuinely has been the highlight of many mornings over the past few years, and it will be strange to no longer hear it. The new breakfast DJ, Nick Grimshaw, will no doubt do an excellent job (I do like his evening shows whenever I catch them), but somehow I can't see myself listening quite as intently. With any luck, Chris Moyles will remain working in radio in some form or other; preferably with a show elsewhere on Radio 1, and hopefully still with his team. Or perhaps he'll come back to fill in when Nick is away, who knows?

I shall miss The Chris Moyles Show.


"Any good music must be an innovation." - Les Baxter

Under The Iron Sea - Keane (pt.2)

So, after my previous post, I decided to listen to that Keane album again. It has been played almost constantly since. Sadly, as I now have a few more commitments and responsibilities in my life, I couldn't justify driving around randomly at 2am along the seafront the way I used to. However, in the fine weather we've been having recently, it still feels good to listen to Under The Iron Sea in the car, windows down, enjoying the sunshine.

I still cannot pinpoint which track particularly links itself to memories (it really is the album as a whole, I think), but Atlantic has been played the most over the last few days.

"I don't know anything about music. In my line you don't have to." -Elvis Presley

Under The Iron Sea - Keane

Once again, I am following on a little from the previous post. In it I mentioned that hearing particular songs will always remind me of specific moments in time that have some link to the music being played. This is more often a case of, "it was playing at the time," rather than any lyrical importance.

This evening, I experienced something similar which is almost the reverse. A feeling reminded me of a moment in time, which then reminded me of music.

After several weeks of rubbish weather (even for England) where it has been difficult to believe that the sky can be anything except full of grey clouds, this week has suddenly provided us with sunshine and warmth. At least where I live, anyway. Typically, I've had to spend the majority of it at work so far but - still - it is nice that things are substantially brighter and far more summery. As I left home this evening, my senses picked up a combination of things that brought on the nostalgia-ride.

Firstly, the sun was starting to drop ever so slightly out of sight, casting long shadows, and giving everything a nice warm glow in contrast to the harsh brightness that was present for most of the day.

Secondly, the arrival of the evening had made the roads just a little quieter and I could make out other sounds besides the usual roar of traffic.

Thirdly, the warmth of the sun was combining with a constant, cooling breeze. Not too fast or cold to make things chilly. Just steady enough to take away any burning heat.

Lastly, but most evocatively of all, I got a whiff of the seaside. Or... hmm... the sea at night. And it was also like smelling the weather, if that makes any sense at all? To give the specifics (and, for me, the smell was very specific), the air smelt like a late night in the summer spent driving my car along the road by the seafront at Clacton-on-Sea. A memory I'd not revisited very much recently.

A few years back, my sleep-patterns were a little messed up. This was partly deliberate, and partly because I was genuinely tired at odd times of the day. As a result, I would often come home from work and sleep through the evening. I'd then wake up and decide to take a little drive in the local area. More often than not, at some very stupid hour. This was usually done once I'd made sure I had some music to listen to. The memory I recalled today was essentially just of myself, driving by the sea in Clacton, my window down so I could receive a gentle cool breeze, the moon reflecting on the water, the smell of the beach in the air as well as the general smell 'of a summer night'...

And me singing along to Keane's second album: 'Under The Iron Sea'.

It is an album that I rather quickly grew to adore. Initially, I was disappointed that it didn't sound quite like their first. But I was being stupidly naive in forgetting that, sometimes, it is better to push away from the expectation. So I started to listen to it constantly, and very quickly I became obsessed with it. Every song, every verse, every minute. It was just perfect to me.

Today's flood of information to my senses took me right to a moment as I went around a corner in my car, faced out to sea a little, and sung along. I don't remember which track in particular was playing at that time. I think it might be 'Atlantic', the instrumental which has an obvious link to the sea, and I can certainly recall hearing the opening piano arpeggios as I drove. But I also know that I listened to 'Leaving So Soon' an awful lot; probably my favourite from the album. But then, if I consider any of the other tracks, the chances are that it could well have been any one of them.

There were both good and bad reasons for my late-night driving at that time which, in turn, give the album some positive and negative associations. I haven't listened to it for about six months, but getting that feeling today makes me want to revisit it. Actually, it makes me want to get in my car at stupid'o'clock and listen to it whilst driving along the seafront.

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music" - Sergei Rachmaninov

Dakota - by Stereophonics

Dakota (2005)

by Stereophonics

I'm fairly certain that I first heard this song on the radio at work, and I'm pretty sure that I liked it immediately. Now, if my iPod decides to shuffle it to me, I will probably replay it several times before moving on to something else. I happily lap up the fact that I may not have heard it for a few weeks, and I wallow in the surprise of hearing it again.

And that's funny because the song itself seems pretty nostalgic. The lyrics seem to reminisce about past moments in a relationship -

"Thinking about thinking of you
Summertime think it was June
Yeah think it was June
Laying back, head on the grass"

- and towards the end they even predict getting sentimental.

"I wonder if we'll meet again...
Talk about why did it end"

The odd thing is though, that even before I became particularly aquainted with the lyrics, this song already 'felt' nostalgic. I love a good song intro, but I really think that Dakota's is the key - setting up the rest of the tune entirely whilst also giving me that wistfullness. And getting this flood of memories isn't exactly unusual for me with music; there's a whole bunch of songs that can take me to a particular moment, or feeling, or person. Sometimes they are big events, sometimes just a few seconds that occurred whilst the song played. With Dakota, it is different.

Dakota doesn't take me back to anywhere. I got nostalgic the very first time I heard it, so there was nothing I could link it with, as such. No, what this song seems to achieve is making me feel nostalgic about being nostalgic. It brings to mind other songs that I have that kind of relationship with, and sparks up the memories that are linked to them. Or it just generally makes me consider things from the past. Yes, lyrically, as I said before, this should be no surprise, yet I feel that it's not the words alone that do this. From the awesome intro to the quick fade of the outro, each beat seems to be trying to remind me of something nonspecific.

And that's why I adore it: for inviting me to consider memories without telling me exactly which ones.

"Without music life would be a mistake" - Friedrich Nietzsche