BLOC PARTY re-issue She's Hearing Voices Debut on 7" for National Record Store Day

Bloc Party are to re-issue 2004 single She's Hearing Voices as a Record Store Day exclusive.  


The 7" will be limited to 500 copies, featuring original recordings of the title track, plus The Marshals Are Dead and The Answer, and on Reign in Blood red vinyl.

Record Store Day is on 21st April 2012.

BLOC PARTY OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Why Vinyl is the Best Music Format Top Reasons - Celebrating Nation Record Store Day 2012

With National Record Store Day, 21st April 2012, fast approaching it seems a great time to celebrate the joys of decent music on the what is still the best format to enjoy music. 

Here are my top six reasons why I think vinyl is king and some handy links to help your feed your aural curiosities....

6. You Own an Actual Item!

An obvious one, but is far more personal to have a tangible item to cherish and hold. Makes the ultimate present and has a real 'heirloom' factor... what are you going to pass onto your kids? Some soulless, squashed MP3s?

5. Vinyl Sounds Better

Vinyl (in good condition, played with an intact needle) will always sound "better" and more warm because we hear life in analogue. 

Providing that a Digital/ Analogue Converter to plug directly into our brains to allow us to interface digitally isn't developed soonish, then digital (including Compact Disc) recreation will always be inferior, as it will never be 100% of the original recording i.e. what the artist actually sounds like. Click on the diagram below for an explanation.....

4. It isn't Portable

Traditionally seen as a limitation of vinyl, I see this as a real advantage in the modern world. It makes you listen to music. I mean really listen. It makes you stop, sit down and enjoy it whilst holding the sleeve and flipping the disc when each side plays-out. Call me old fashioned but isn't listening to music one of its primary objectives?! We shouldn't 'consume' music. 

Portability is great, but appreciating good music deserves to be a pursuit in itself, not always a soundtrack to your commute, jog, housework, etc....
Modern vinyl purchased comes with a digital download voucher anyway so you can enjoy it both ways.



3. Aesthetics

It looks gorgeous.


2. It Supports the Industry

With 2011 sales up 39% for vinyl as music sales overall continue to fall; circular pieces of vinyl with tunes scratched into them could save the music industry in the digital age. 

They are more 'pirate-proof' than the alternative formats and keep people in physical design, manufacture, distribution and retail in jobs, as well as feeding more money into the music industry and economy in general.



1. It Is About People

It is about hauling your computer-shackled-ass out into the open-air. Walking into a shop and mingling with other human beings. Maybe even (heaven forbid!) speaking to some fellow browsers or shop workers. Flipping through tons of records and finding that hidden gem or taking a chance on something because of how it looks and feels.


So check out your participating local record shop on the 21st of April or even better right now. Dust down that redundant player and learn the many ways of how to connect your old record deck or buy a convenient new USB or audio interface turnatable.


Happy Listening


Nick

Zulu Winter - We Should Be Swimming - Remix by Rain Dog

A remix of Zulu Winters' We Should Be Swimming by
Rain Dog.





And for good measure the great original version which you can buy here



Cheers

Fixers - Floating Up Download

Fixers' début album We’ll Be The Moon, is set for release 14th May 2012. 


It promises to be one of the most listenable albums of the year. They impressed me greatly with their support slot for Kaiser Chiefs on their The Future is Medieval tour and with their EP and Single releases thus far..... 

Top Indie Songs to Dance to (part 2)

More of my favourite 

dancefloor friendly indie!

Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor

Franz Ferdinand-  Take Me Out 

The Killers - Somebody Told Me

The Wombats - Let's Dance To Joy Division

Black Kids - I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work   

Editors - Munich

Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure  

The Wombats - Tokyo  

Generation X - Dancing With Myself 

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

Darwin Deez - Constellations

Placebo - The Bitter End

The Strokes - Last Nite

The Spires - Fireworks

Crystal Castles (feat. Rob Smith) - Not In love  

Kaiser Chiefs - Every Day I Love You Less And Less 

The Futureheads - Hounds of Love  

CSS - Let's Make Love and Listen To Death From Above

Hot chip - Over and Over

Obligatory Smiths' song:(

The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?


Hope you like this, make sure you check out Part One too....

Top Indie-Disco Songs To Dance To.......part 1

In no particular order, just some of my favourite

dancefloor friendly indie!

Phoenix - 1901

Trophy Wife - Microlite

Foals - Red Socks Pugie

Kasabian - Empire

The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

The Pigeon Detectives - I'm Not Sorry

Foster The People - Helena Beat

The Hoosiers - Choices
Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension
Crystal Castles - Untrust Us

Two Door Cinema Club - What You Know

M83 - Reunion

Ladyhawke- My Delerium

Bloc Party - Banquet

Klaxons - Atlantis To Interzone

MGMT - Kids

Friendly Fires - Jump In The Pool  

The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name

CSS  - Music Is My Hot Hot Sex  

The Bravery - An Honest Mistake 

And, of course the obligatory Smiths' song:(

The Smiths - This Charming Man


Check out Part Two

The Futureheads - Meet Me Halfway Acapella

The track is taken from the Futureheads new album Rant, which will be released on April 2 on the band's own
Nul Records.

The album is comprised entirely of acappella versions of the band's tracks and a series of cover versions.

thefutureheads.co.uk

The Futureheads will play: Brighton Komedia (April 2) Bristol Colston Hall (3) London Union Chapel (4) Leeds Wardrobe (5) Stockton Georgian Theatre (6) Gateshead Sage Theatre (8) Glasgow Oran Mor (9) Birmingham Glee Club (10) Nottingham Glee Club (12) Manchester Royal Northern College of Music (13)

Download - Trophy Wife - The Book of Right On

Electro-indie-popsters Trophy Wife made a strong impression with their support slot for fellow Oxford boys Foals back at the tail-end of the Total Life Forever tour. Their sparse, calculated math/ tropical rhythms were the perfect opening for the evening. Months later I caught them making the job easier for Two Door Cinema Club by whipping the crowd into a shuffling frenzy with another great set.

This Joanna Newsom cover has the bands' trademark sound, that I have grown to love over their string of singles and a EP that have trickled out whilst they are putting the final touches to their début album. 

In the meantime enjoy the above download and the amazing Microlite video.....

Nick

Album mini Review - Morning Parade, Morning Parade

Supporting The Wombats on a sweaty, unseasonably warm early October evening Morning Parade took to the stage. They blew me away with a pounding, yet tuneful collection of soon-to-be-indie anthems with some undercurrent dance beats.

After the gig I soon learnt that I had to satisfy myself with putting a note on my calendar for a distant album launch date and purchasing a few 7” singles of theirs.

Fast-forward to March and that debut album, Morning Parade, is finally available. The verdict? It is a stonker! After only a handful of listens the tracks work their way in under your skin.

Headlights will make you sing ‘Like a rabbit in the headlights’ for days…..

The driving rhythms and atmospheric, electro influenced stadium-indie and heartfelt lyrics are convincing through the entire collection. There will always be the stand-out tracks on any album, Us & Ourselves and Under The Stars in this case, but there are really no weak offerings on Morning Parade.

This debut delivers, just like their live shows and I would tip Morning Parade to to explode over the radio and festival circuit this summer. A truly memorable album!

morningparade.com