Xmas, Radiohead, Frightened Rabbit, Meursault, New Year

There has been a severe lack of blogging recently thanks to work and illness but a Christmas dinner last night got some musical discussions and debate on the go which I’ll come back to.

Firstly, since I was ill I haven’t been listening to too much music other than the weekend that I had a huge Radiohead binge and watched at least ten hours of live videos on YouTube, which is easier than it sounds because there’s a lot of hour long live videos of Radiohead kicking about the net. One of the best is ‘Scotch Mist’ which was made for New Year’s Eve 2007 – It’s around 52 minutes long and contains ‘In Rainbows’ being played in  what looks like a wee house in the middle of nowhere. It’s well worth watching the full thing, but, probably not a good idea to post it here so to give you an idea of what it’s like why not have a view of ‘15 step’.

Back to the discussion/debate:

So, during the xmas festivities we were discussing the recent video posted where ‘Meursault’ and FR cover ‘Withered Hand’s’ ‘Red Candle Bulb’ and I asked if anyone had seen them cover another song by Withered Hand from the album ‘Good News’ which is also a cover, but, unfortunately I couldn’t remember its name. Nobody had seen it and it isn’t very well known that there is a cover on ‘Good News’ so understandably people thought I was losing it. The video doesn’t seem to be on YouTube either, which didn’t help matters, but, I found it on a free podcast – it’s from offthebeatentracks.tv. The vocal arrangements are pretty amazing and I’m sure this is similar to how it’s sung when Meursault play with Withered Hand. Oh the song is called ‘Joy’ and it’s originally by ‘Desc’ apparently. Here:

Aye, so there’s a kind of Christmassy blog, Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.

LocationMusic.tv

http://locationmusic.tv/

This was something I was rambling about when I was out drinking on Saturday or possibly Monday, either way it’s a great little collection on video on a shittly named site.

Here’s probably my favourite, Meursault and FR covering Withered Hand, I know it says that it’s a song called ‘Red Candle Bulb’, but I’m fairly sure it was called Oldsmobile Car when Withered Hand done it.

Braw.

Also, and this is the particular video I think I was rambling about, cause we were watching Meursault at the time,

new ‘Frightened Rabbit’ ep for their American tour. Called ‘A Frightened Rabbit ep’.

So Frightened Rabbit have released new material, very fucking exciting stuff.  I used to absolutely love Frightened Rabbit, I think they are still the most played band on my iTunes, however, recently I’ve found myself not really listening to them as much.  Whether that’s because my music taste has changed, or the type of songs FR release has changed I’m not quite sure.

Having said that, though, I do still get rather excited when I hear there is new FR stuff coming out.  But, this ep was originally only meant to be available from the merch stores on the American Tour as they support Death Cab for Cutie – an aside, that is probably my least favourite band name ever – and it contains three new songs.  The songs are ‘Scottish Winds’, ‘Fuck this Place’ feat. TracyAnne Campbell from Camera Obscura and ‘The Work’ feat. Archie Fisher, who is a Scottish folk singer.  Personally, I think the songs are excellent, somewhat reminiscent of ‘Fun Stuff’ back when it was called ‘Last Tango in Brooklyn’.  By this I mean they are well produced and everything, but not overly so like, if I was being extra-critical, I could say their last album perhaps suffered from.  I feel the duet in ‘Fuck this Place’ is especially effectual – although I am beginning to wonder if that’s even a word now that I’ve written it – as the two Scottish vocals seem to play nicely off one another.

The ep was originally only meant to be available to the gig-goes of America, however, predictably it has ended up on the internet and so you can get it from mediafire, or you can listen to it online right here and now.

Frightened Rabbit – ‘Scottish Winds’

Frightened Rabbit – ‘Fuck this Place’ feat. TracyAnne Campbell

Frightened Rabbit – ‘The Work’ feat. Archie Fisher

Apologies for the picture quality above, looks like someone has taken it with a ancient camera, but that’s what the Ep looks like should anyone over here in the UK ever manage to get their hands on it.  Who knows, maybe after they come back from America it’ll be on sale here.

If you get the chance buy this, if you don’t then just listen to it, you won’t be disappointed.