Music Experiment Update

I spent 22 euros on 22 songs today, all of which I bought without sampling since the audio driver on my computer has somehow been fatally wounded. 10 of the songs I really, really like. 

To recap on my experiment posted in a previous rant, I have decided this year only to buy and listen to new music and see how much music I have heard over the course of a year that I actually love rather than tolerate.  I am hoping to rise above cynicism and despair that music is irrelevant. 

Because I could not sample these songs, I relied on reviews from Amazon.co.uk, and I bought some things that I saw had one Mercury Music prize recognition or had won a Brit award. I made purchases on my ipod based on what I had read. I also bought a few songs that I had heard on KEXP and KinkFM, which is a dutch internet radio station that plays some good stuff mixed in with som '90s pap I could do without.

I bought music from the following artists:

Take That

Editors

Interpol

New Young Pony Club

Arctic Monkeys

Keane

Laura Marling

British Sea Power

GoldFrapp

Moby

Alpinestars

Yelle

Starsailor

Ladytron

Hot Chip

Most of these bands I am quite familiar with.  I was hoping the Take That song would deliver some sort of well developed adult pop due to the reviews I read. The song is pretty awful.  The rest is incredibly derivative. Everyone knows how much Interpol sound like Joy Division (or try to) and everyone knows how Keane sound a lot like U2 (I won't use the word "influenced" cos they just plain sound like 'em).  The GoldFrapp song is phoned in.

I resisted very much buying the Laura Marling because it was labled "folk pop with a hint of psychadelica" making me think it would fall short of bands like the Beta Band who do that genre proud.  It's pretty ok. A tight little song and I'll listen to it more than once.

Alpine Stars "Carbon Kid"  Sounds like the stuff Bobbie Gillespie was trying to do when he decided he wanted to become Jack Dangers  only it isn't so wretched. Really good song and I am looking forward to hearing more.

New Young Pony Club I like quite a bit.  There were many editorial comparisons to New Order and indeed instrumentally they sound like New Order (female lead singer). In fact, Peter Hooks' melodic bass tones a la "Temptation"  are picked up exactly in their song "The Get Go."

Ladytron's "Nuhorizons" blew my mind. I love Ladytron. I want them to become huge.

And finally i downloaded two new songs from good ol' Moby: "Disco Lies" and "Alice."  Michael and I were fans of Moby from the very beginning of his career.  I think that Moby has the personality of a discarded rainsoaked cardboard box and I wish for his sake he would never put himself out in public like agreeing to be featured on Mtv's "Cribs," but musically, I will throw down the gauntlet right now and say he could be a mainstream Savior. It could be Bjork (too experimental) and it could be Beck (falling into obscurity but still a genius), but Moby in the last 10 years has been the one who has really turned music on its ear in a way that influenced mainstream music.  These two songs are exactly what I am looking for in this experiment.  Thank you, Moby. Thank you.  

Nothing I heard today broke new ground. But that's ok. It was derivative of the right stuff, even Moby being highly derivative of old school Moby. If we have to step back a few paces to get music on the right track again. I'm all for it. What I bought and heard today indicated that there might still be a flicker of hope. But there is still a lot of smog in the air. Reading about several female "artists to watch"  and for hell if every single one of ém wasn't touted as the next Amy Winehouse.  Amy Winehouse isn't even the next Amy Winehouse.

Here's the ugly but detailed track listing of my recent adds:

Patience 3:21 Take That Patience - Single Pop    10-2-2008 13:19
Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors 5:00 Editors An End Has a Start Alternative    10-2-2008 13:18
Pioneer to the Falls 5:42 Interpol Our Love to Admire Rock    10-2-2008 13:16
The Lighthouse 5:24 Interpol Our Love to Admire Rock    10-2-2008 13:16
Mammoth 4:13 Interpol Our Love to Admire Rock    10-2-2008 13:16
Hiding On The Staircase 3:32 New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom Rock    10-2-2008 13:13
The Get Go 4:28 New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom Rock    10-2-2008 13:12
I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor 2:54 Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Alternative    10-2-2008 13:10
When the Sun Goes Down 3:20 Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not Alternative    10-2-2008 13:09
Fluorescent Adolescent 3:00 Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare Rock    10-2-2008 13:09
Is It Any Wonder? 3:06 Keane Under the Iron Sea Alternative    10-2-2008 13:04
Crystal Ball 3:54 Keane Under the Iron Sea Alternative    10-2-2008 13:04
Ghosts 3:03 Laura Marling Ghosts - Single Folk    10-2-2008 13:02
Waving Flags 4:08 British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music Alternative    10-2-2008 12:58
A&E (Single Version) 3:20 Goldfrapp A&E - Single Pop    10-2-2008 12:48
Disco Lies 3:23 Moby Disco Lies - Single Pop    10-2-2008 12:48
Alice (Radio Edit) 3:34 Moby Alice (Radio Edit) - Single Electronic    10-2-2008 12:44
Carbon Kid 6:23 Alpinestars White Noise Electronic    10-2-2008 12:43
À cause des garçons (Tepr Remix) 6:02 Yelle Kitsuné: À cause des garçons Remixes - EP Electronic    10-2-2008 12:43
Four to the Floor 4:13 Starsailor Silence Is Easy Alternative    10-2-2008 12:41
Nuhorizons 4:04 Ladytron Light & Magic Electronic    10-2-2008 12:40
Ready for the Floor 3:52 Hot Chip Made In the Dark Pop    10-2-2008 12:39