FireFlower Music

The Top Ten of 2011

2012-01-01T01:34:00.000Z

Here are (in my humble opinion) the best songs brought to us in 2011. The order is up for debate...:

10. The Vaccines - Post Break Up Sex
Sure it's not really punk or particularly indie in the truest sense of the word, but they make good tunes and this was one of them.

9. Lady Gaga - Judas
Not as stunning as her previous work, but this avoided the cliche's of Born This Way and proved that Lady Gaga is the true air to Madonna's crown as the provider of intelligent pop music that challenges the audience rather than pander to them.

8. Arctic Monkeys - Don't Sit Down
Back to their best. A truly brilliant track, full of scathing northern wit.

7. Akira The Don - Babydoll
Who would have thought that Akira was capable? After this, everyone.

6. Nero - Crush on You
My friend is one of many who hates it, but I think this is the perfect combination of pop and dubstep into something that lights up dance floors.

5. Florence and The Machine - Shake it Out
I got so so sick of Florence's first album, it was overplayed into oblivion. It will however be a long long time before I get sick of this glorious track.

4. Olly Murs + Rizzle Kicks - Heart Skips a Beat
Yes, I know. I also do not care. This track is pop at it's absolute best. I don't care who you are, if you don't dance when that sub bass comes in you have no soul.

3. Dub Phizix - Marka
Normally I find this kind of minimal dub to be repetitive, but the great production and brilliant vocals make this an exception. I can't wait to hear this dropped in a club.

2. Circles - Eye Embedded
Not the most instant of metal songs. But there is about 50 seconds in this track that ranks among my favourite bits of guitar music ever made.

1. Lupe Fiasco - Words I Never Said
Great track proving that hip hop can still be meaningful and political without being boring; and the performance at the BET awards complete with #occupy tshirt and Erykah Badu in a burkah was truly stunning.

Also up there:Kapital KO - Shut it DownFloating Death Picnic - Wrong Song Choice(Sadly not on YouTube)Lana Del Rey - Video GamesIncubus - AdolescentsVisions of Trees - Sirens

Karen O plus Trent Reznor plus Led Zeppelin equals woooo!

2011-12-09T11:58:00.001Z

This is dark and dirty and brilliant. Exactly the type of grimy industrial noise Reznor has been sadly moving away from for too long. That initial drum beat is so much like the best NIN stuff that I can't help but want to sample it...

Distillers - City of Angels

2011-11-30T20:18:00.001Z

I like to think if Courtney Love had been really punk she would have sounded like this. Love this song.

Alkaline Trio - Stupid Kid

2011-11-29T14:15:00.001Z

Great song. I forgot how much I like it.

Busta dis

2011-11-18T14:07:00.001Z

I don't like Chris Brown at all, but there is no denying the brilliance of Busta Rhymes at his best.This is mental, fast fast fast.I so prefer speedy rapping to the slow boring drawl of 50 Cent.Decent bass and track too.

My Berlin Playlist

2011-11-14T18:39:00.001Z

Here are the songs that I would put in my Berlin playlist! Enjoy:

Circles - Eye Embedded (On TV)Caliban - The Beloved and the Hatred (I used to like this but never heard in a club before Berlin)Scooter - How Much is the Fish (150 German goths going MENTAL to this... amazing sight)Rammstein - Ich Will (Likewise this)System of a Down - Toxicity (Same as the UK but with better punctuality :D)Middleman - It's Not Over Yet (Leeds band that I happened to catch in a rock club)Depeche Mode - Everything Counts (Depeche Mode night was great fun, this was the stand out for me)Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia (Last song of the holiday)

Lupe Fiasco - The Words I Never Said - BET Awards 2011 Performance

2011-10-28T17:26:00.001+01:00

AKA how to demonstrate yourself to be fucking awesome in one performance.

A song that shows rap can still be politically aware, dangerous, questioning society and authority. Check.
Palestinian flag on US TV. Check.
#Occupy tshirt. Check.
Erykah Badu in a burkha. Check.
Full rock band performance at the BET Hip Hop Awards. Check.

Amazing.

Not for Arachnaphobics

2011-10-12T10:06:00.000+01:00

This too. Good spotting from ASOS.

Sirens from Visions of Trees on Vimeo.

One Mint Julep

2011-10-12T09:59:00.002+01:00

Love this.

Kapital KO feat Crown and Katie McKenna - Shut it Down

2011-01-28T16:37:00.003Z

I've been following KO on twitter for a while, he's done some decent tracks that show Manchester isn't just home to indie bands. This new track though has been a while coming, but it is well worth the wait. Great verses and the kind of chorus that Dappy would sell his hat for.

If this is the quality of Manchester Urban music to come then London should be shitting itself about... now.

The Vaccines - Post Break Up Sex

2011-01-24T14:08:00.002Z

Unusually for a much hyped major label band, The Vaccines appear to be making credible indie music with a catchy heart to it. Their first big single is getting lots of radio play and it is deserved; a great track which captures a lot of emotion without being dull or cloying.

Only slight problem is the tune being very reminiscent of 'I can't live, if living without you'... so now I keep switching songs!

Dub War - Strike It

2011-01-08T13:33:00.001Z

Skindred are one of the best live bands in the world, and makers of some awesome Reggae-metal. If you dono't know what that is just go listen...

But prior to that they were in Dub War, having been meaning to listen to their stuff for ages I finally put this on... what a track. It's very mid to late 1990's, but hell this would still bring down a rock night in a pile of steam.

Nero - Me and You

2011-01-07T13:26:00.003Z

I love the arcade video, clearly produced by someone with a love of old games. The punk guys are pure Streets of Rage, the lined racetrack a staple of the 80's. I love this track too. I believe it is out this week, go buy it.

Conversation - Tell me I'm the one

2010-12-13T16:52:00.002Z

One of my favourite new synthpop bands is Conversation in Sheffield. They sound like Erasure in the best possible way, and I can't wait to hear more from them. With some good production they could sound incredible.

Floating Death Picnic - Is It Over Yet?

2010-12-06T22:55:00.002Z

The low budget genius of Floating Death Picnic takes on Christmas. A track filled with a stupidly good melodic hook, and the kind of video that's made OJ and his cohorts the best thing to come out of Sheffield's music scene in a long time.

If you don't get it. You aren't doing it right.

The Drums - Me and the Moon

2010-12-06T22:48:00.002Z

I know it's been out for a while now, but this track is just brilliant. My favourite from a really good album. The beat is so simple yet totally engrossing. One of my favourite tracks of the whole year.

The Human League - Night People

2010-11-22T13:25:00.002Z

I love The Human League. I'm not embarrassed to say Dare is one of my favourite albums ever. But even hardened Human League fans would be hard pressed to name a good track from them since about 1993. I am very very happy to say the wait is over. The only sadness is that it could have been even better(it takes a while to get going), but hopefully remixes will explore that.

But as a Human League track it's probably the best thing they have out in nearly two decades. Catchy and full of rythmn, and avoiding the blandness that plagues their later work. Welcome back Mr Oakey.

Coheed and Cambria - Welcome Home

2010-11-16T13:50:00.001Z

Saw them this weekend supporting Deftones. Both bands were amazing. One track from Coheed and Cambria stood out though, one of those I knew but never listened to in detail. Enjoy.

Late of the Pier - Focker

2010-11-10T13:49:00.001Z

One of my favourite album of the last few years, this track is a nice reminder of how bands can sound relevant and new yet steeped in the past, to sound exciting and engaging without being one dimensional.

Talvin Singh - Ok

2010-11-10T13:45:00.002Z

For me, one of the few albums that truly deserved to win their Mercury Music Prize. This track still works, has lost none of its freshness despite being 12 years old. That Talvin Singh has never managed to find major success since is a shame...

The Beatles - Helter Skelter

2010-11-02T13:51:00.002Z

Probably my favourite Beatles track. I love the Kinks and some Zeppelin stuff, but at the time this must have been amazingly heavy stuff. It still holds up today as a loud noisy track that you could play in a rock club and get a great reaction to.

Floating Death Picnic - I'm having a picnic

2010-11-01T17:30:00.003Z

A brilliant live act, funny, silly, but with damn good tunes.
OJ is the master of random retro sillyness.

Crystal Castles and Robert Smith - Not in Love

2010-10-27T23:40:00.002+01:00

The Cure have always been a patchy band for me. Stretching from some of the best love songs ever written to a few albums worth of bland nothingness. That said, Robert Smith is a legend. He could do a duet with Justin Bieber and I'd still want to listen to it.

This track is from the top drawer. Crystal Castles providing a catchy but eerie sound space that allows Smith to be himself and let the magic of both artists work.

So wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully ditty...

LTJ Bukem - Demons Theme

2010-10-20T17:26:00.002+01:00

Awesome pre-jungle drum and bass. I once reviewed a rarities album by LTJ Bukem, it was a bit bland and dull. This however is him at his best.

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool - The Key

2010-10-19T18:55:00.002+01:00

Music is sadly filled with legends and stars that died far too young. Having listened to the Ou Est Le Swimming Pool album before I heard about the tragic death of their lead singer meant that finding out was a horrible shock. I think their debut album is brilliant, full of catchy yet emotion twinged tracks. This is possibly my favourite track from it, the video all the more poignant for containing footage from the festival at which the singer tragically died.

Rammstein - Sonne

2010-10-19T14:01:00.001+01:00

Heard this last night for the first time in ages. I forgot how good a track it was, plus the video is just briliant. The best Disney story never told...

Armin Van Buuren - In and Out of Love

2010-10-15T16:11:00.000+01:00

Most chart dance now is so hideously crooked bland uninspired repetitive shite which sells to a dwindling audience of halfwits that buy anything which features a semi-naked woman in the video.

This on the other hand reminds me why I used to love trance music, why when it is made with passion and care, even mainstream dance can be moving and powerful.

Gwen Stefani - Wind it Up

2010-10-15T13:07:00.002+01:00

Heard this last night, forgot how much I like it. Her lyrics aren't great but the tune is just brilliant. This one requires biiig bass though...

Discodeine - Synchronize (Feat. Jarvis Cocker)

2010-10-13T15:17:00.001+01:00

The man, the legend, Jarvis Cocker helps turn this bit of French disco into something brilliant.
via NME

Kapital KO - Walking in the Air

2010-10-12T13:58:00.003+01:00

I came across this via Kapital K-O's twitter feed. It's a great choice of sample, along with some really nice beats and bass. Nicer still that it represents Manchester for music that isn't indie rock.

Man Like Me - Always Find Me In the Kitchen at Parties

2010-10-12T01:00:00.003+01:00

Crossing over my two big loves, music and advertising is this track and video. It's brilliant, really really brilliant. However the main question for me is how on earth did I never hear the original before? Any song with the word Rebuffed in the lyrics deserves praise.

The original is awesome, this cover manages to find sounds and production that makes it feel exactly of the same mould but just loud enough to feel modern.

This makes me want a party in my kitchen just so I can play this and dance upside down Lionel Richie style.

Dir En Grey - Child Prey

2010-10-11T22:21:00.002+01:00

If you have never heard the amazing Japanese band Dir En Grey I suggest you go have a listen on You Tube now. I say You Tube because a: Spotify don't have their best song (in my opinion, posted below) and b: Because they just have to be seen to be understood.

A band that have got darker and heavier over the years but seem to consistently produce great songs. If you enjoy heavy music, turn your speakers and bass right up. Then a bit higher. Then a notch higher. Then play this.

Far too long - Strangely Enough

2008-02-22T17:17:00.002Z

I never understood garage, it lacked passion and bar a few tracks, ended up as weak pop with no force behind it.

Yet I am so far loving the bassline and dubstep movements, both of which are coming out of the grime and/or garage scenes.

This song is currently my favourite thanks to its fantastic bassline and great pop sense, video is a bit poor though:

Back!

2007-11-29T20:05:00.001Z

Back after my month of graduate application madness!

here are two songs I was reminded of after looking at my Minidisc collection.

Two late 90s less known stormers.

Albums (lots of)

2007-10-25T23:21:00.000+01:00

Im considering an interesting musical project, whereby I write a review of every single album I own, either alphabetical or roughly chronological order.

Would be a fascinating thing to do for me, and I hope provide interesting reading.

Just need to find time to do it... dont hold your breath. (yet)

The Best Comeback Since Lazarus

2007-10-06T19:11:00.000+01:00

Now this is what its all about. Reminding me both of why Serj Tankien is great, and why System of a Down were so amazing.

This might just be the best video of the year so far. Few points for subtlety, but maximum points for message.

Currency Change and the Basildon Bond

2007-10-03T13:22:00.000+01:00

I cannot stand 50 Cent. And that is for one reason and one reason only. He is a shit rapper.
Eminem wasn't great, but 50 Cent makes Eminem look like Dizzee Rascal.

But, I love the new track Ayo Technology. Again, thats not because of 20 Pence; but because of the wonderful production and track by Timbaland. I dont care that Timbaland is even worse at rapping than 2 Euros, he produces amazing tracks day in and day out.

I like it partly because the icy cold synths with the Sid chip style LFO (If you understood that sentence you rock..fact) remind me of not only the C64, but possibly my favourite track by Depeche Mode, Ice Machine:

Boney M vs The Smiths

2007-09-26T12:03:00.000+01:00

My bread has certainly been buttered on the Smiths side of things in the great Boney M Smiths war taking place in the blogosphere.

But one thing I must admit, is that Boney M have FAR better cover versions.
Check out this gem, and then the type of rubbish the Smiths end up with...

[smiths cover to follow when I can find it!]

Lethal Weapon

2007-09-24T14:01:00.000+01:00

Its quite strangehow Lethal Bizzle has become the next big thing in indie. But following his excellent single with Gallows, and their joint tour; he seems likely to fuse Grime and indie just as well as Dizzee before him.

Music!

2007-08-17T18:40:00.000+01:00

Hopefully this will let you hear my tracks without the need for Murdoch owned grubbiness...

..King ell...

2007-08-17T13:18:00.000+01:00

So. 30 years since 'the king' died.
Yet oddly, yesterday was a day that suddenly made me realise just how much the exaggerated perceptions of Elvis and his hardcore of crazy fans have prevented me ever giving his music a fair chance.

At the My Brain Hurts ad meeting last night they played a whole CD of early Elvis, and I really enjoyed it. It struck me how I have always so put off from ever listening to him just by the associations that would bring. All those obsessives and "Elvis is the best thing ever" messages force fed to us all the time completely removed any joy I would have found in listening to him.

Its like being told George W Bush likes your favourite band. You just can't stomach it.

Yet when his music was there, unaccompanied by impersonators or cries of "THE KING!", or "Best song ever"; it still stood up on its own merits. Which, in a way is the best compliment you could pay to music over 40 years old.

New songs

2007-08-09T13:48:00.000+01:00

I have added two new demo songs to my Myspace page.
If you are so inclined please let me know what you think!

Is all new music rubbish?

2007-08-09T13:31:00.001+01:00

No. Of course not.
What a bloody stupid question.

But I hate the assumption that it is.

Why am I talking about this you ask...

Well. Firstly a great VH1 Classic promo tagline that says "Absolutely none of todays best hits"; and a Classic Gold (I didnt choose it, but it plays Beach Boys so its not all bad) promo that implies all that is old is good, and all that isnt, well...isnt.

Do new bands automatically pale to old bands? Of course not, every bit of music has to be judged on its own merits; yet people so often decry modern music without ever hearing it.

I recall a local tosser (ignorant, racist, annoying, obnoxious) who went to see Iron Maiden and complained the support band Bullet for my Valentine were "todally rubbiish". But you knew it had NOTHING to do with their performance or music, it was simply because it was new that he felt such a passionate hatred of it. Are we as a nation THAT scared of the new???

I understand these channels are appealling to older people; but does an artist's work automatically become rubbish as they get older?Is Homer Simpson's cry of "No new crap, just the hits" really how people think? Is Prince new cd terrible purely because it isnt 10 years old yet?

As much as a lot of modern music is crap (we are looking at you Westlife, 50 Cent, any one of 20 million dance-pop acts), we only have to look at Muse, Battles, Blood Brothers to see that good music exists. Rhianna, and to a lesser extent Lily Allen and co show that not only is good music alive, but good POP music is still out there; and it still sells.

Rave Against The Machine

2007-08-08T13:34:00.000+01:00

As both a metalhead and an electro dance nut; I have to be controversial and say I love this remix. Its seen big pools of hate, but its just brilliant.

The video has NOTHING to do with the song, its just the only place I can find it to show you.

Mr Oizo - Killing in the name of

Lock Stock Barrel and Waterman

2007-08-04T22:03:00.000+01:00

Yes, I know the late 80's were a pretty deserted output for good music.
Yes, I know that the vast majority of the music put out by Stock Aitkin and Waterman was complete throwaway rubbish.

But i'd like to offer two things:

1. A defense of some of their better work.
2. A comparison with what is going on right this very second in music.

So here goes.

1. Stock Aitkin and Waterman DID produce some great music. They had a knack for catchy tunes and especially, they were masters of the pop bassline.

Listen to Spin me Round by Dead or Alive, Venus by Bananarama, they are funky and memorable; much more so than much of the music around in the mid 80s.

The thing to remember about SAW was that they came out of the discos and clubs. A lot of their output was designed for nightclubs and for people to dance to. Which brings us to point2.

2. Has anybody actually noticed the completely shocking state of popular dance music. Im not talking about the resurgence of indie dance and the terribly named "new rave" scenes. But your average club dance music.

Every single fucking dance song on music tv has 10 girls (usually ugly girls with bit tits pulled from a total pool of about 15) running about in as skimpy clothing as possible. Not just some videos... they ALL have it. Im fucking sick of it. Even decent dance tracks like Freddie le Grand have it.

Yet even then it gets worse. Cascada. Casbloodycada. The most inane shockingly bland and mind numbing dance music ever. It has no soul, no passion, no talent whatsoever. It makes 2Unlimited look like Pink Floyd. Fuck, at least 2 Unlimited had a grasp of making decent tunes.

Oh yeah, most of these dance tracks with identikit videos are just samples or edits of 80s/90s tunes. I mean there are HUNDREDS of them. For fucks sake, what is the world coming to when people want to sample ROXETTE?!

Were SAW worse than any of this? Not really. They got blander and worse over the years, but they just gave people what they wanted. And as the state of dance music right now shows. People want shit.

This is exactly why I get so angry about music.

Right. Action.

2007-08-04T21:57:00.000+01:00

I started my "a band a week" blog to provide NP with some new listening; but I felt it difficult to constrain my musical rantings to that area. So after much pondering I have decided to take my personal music output blog, and turn it into something much more ranty...

So. Welcome, I have picked two choice subjects to start off with; which I hope will cause a bit of argument (if anyone will actually read this).

Rob / FireFlower

The New FireFlower Blog

2006-10-03T18:04:00.000+01:00

Hi all, welcome to the new blog for FireFlower.
I'll be updating this blog with news (and probably downloads) on the latest tracks and experiments in the making, hopefully some of you will feel like commenting and letting me know what you think.

Rob / FF