It's not TV, it's freakin' awesome!

Oh I wish I was in America right now. I so badly need to watch Flight of the Conchords on HBO! But until then, the videos will have to do...



"I'm making a lasagne... for one..." - Genius!

This song is totally apt right now, cos I'm not crying, despite the fact I just dropped a glass of water on my phone, my Ipod, a limited edition hardcover copy of a graphic novel and my oyster card (which I dropped in the toilet like a half hour earlier). But I'm not crying.

Sing me a story

I love short stories. My shelves are lined with anthologies and collections, novellas and cuttings; I'm a bit of a collector. I have a special affinity for stories that make me cry, or stories that make me pause mid-paragraph and look up at the clouds, just savoring a sentence. In song-writing, I look for the same qualities. I love songs that tell you a complete, perfect story. Song-writers don't get nearly enough kudos for their ability to distill whole lives and melodramas into three short minutes so here is a mini-mix I have made for you of little stories. Don't fold the pages and they'll last you a life time. A brief explanation follows the music!

Bishop Allen - Click Click Click Click

Badly Drawn Boy - Magic in The Air

Joanna Newsom - Peach Plum Pear

The Handsom Family - So Much Wine

'Click Click Click Click' - Bishop Allen. I love this song and it is a shining example of story telling through song. It has past, present and future in one three minute track, and nicely moves between characters in a highly literate narrative style. And it's also completely gorgeous. I love it because the chorus just makes me think of my friend who is obsessed with her camera and pretty much photographs everything she deems interesting. And people, to her, everything is interesting.

'Magic in the Air' - Badly Drawn Boy. This song is a perfect love song, simply delivered with unadorned piano accompaniment. It tells the story of one magic night at the start of a relationship. How lovely.

'Peach Plum Pear' - Joanna Newsom. Everyone that knows this song knows it's a great example of narrative song writing, and also a fine display of weirdness. It's totally love or hate on the first listen so listen to it in a good mood, it's a keeper. If this was a short story, I would have underlined so many phrases.

'So Much Wine' - The Handsome Family. This song is one of my favourite christmas songs. It's about alcoholism so it's not very festive but they do say 'Christmas' within the first 30 seconds so it counts. The Handsome family have a knack for spinning tales into their song-writing, and this is no different. Download it, however, if not for the lyrics, but for the beautiful harmonies in the chorus, they will absolutely absorb you.

Siobahn Donaghy: Ghosts

Well, who knew? Ex- Sugababe Siobahn Donaghy turns out to be a musical prodigy (of sorts) producing a second album that sounds not unlike Bjork and Kate Bush jousting with icicles. 'Ghosts' is good. In fact, it's pretty great, and the best part is the melodies seem to spin out of nowhere, creeping up on you before you know what's happening. The haunting title track (excuse the pun) features jaw-dropping backwards vocals which build to a dream-like crescendo. We play it at work when we need to chill out. Perhaps soon you will too.

Check it out here:

Siobhan Donaghy - Ghosts

Perhaps my favourite track on the album is the chilling 'Medevac', named after the abbreviated term for 'Medical Evacuation'. Here's a snippet from the lyrics:

Help me out here, cos I'm strung out
I can't go back there, or I'll burn out
Medic! Medevac me up
I've credit for you to blow out the dark

The tune is not a little reminiscent of Kate Bush's Running up that hill, a comparison that can only enhance the simple pleasure of the song itself. Download it below:

Siobhan Donaghy - Medevac

The album is due out on Parlophone, June 25th. Reserve your copy now.



Of course, Donaghy isn't the only Sugababe with a solo album under her belt. old band-mate Mutya Buena recently released her first solo effort 'Real Girl' to minor acclaim. The album is completely different to Donaghy's, retreading the pop/RnB tracks she laid down with the 'babes and relying on guest singers George Michael and Amy Winehouse to ensure an audience. One track that does stand out is the confidence-booster 'Song 4 Mutya', co-produced by Groove Armada and heavily rumoured to be a riposte against new Sugababes member, Amelle Berrabah. It's an infectious pop tune and the Groove Armada production adds it a guaranteed dance-ability that will help make it a feel-good hit this summer. You can check it out for yourself right here:

Mutya Buena - Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control) [Feat. Groove Armada]

Soho Dolls blow quasi-goth emo kids away at Hyde Park Wireless Festival!

So Saturday was the Electronica edition of the Hyde Park Wireless Festival and it was absolutely gob-smackingly awesome. Daft Punk's monolithic set at the end of the night absolutely tore it up; me and my mate danced until we were covered in sweat (not all ours, eeewww) and went for a massive walk afterwards to burn off the energy. CSS were incredible, bouncing around in an array of brightly coloured jumpsuits and gulping down helium from their set-decorations. Mute Math were much more fun than I was expecting, destroying their instruments and break-dancing over the keyboards and drum kits with incredible athleticism.

But who was the band that surprised me the most? Easy. The Soho Dolls. The Soho Dolls are New Romantic goth/emo band with an incredibly highly sexualised lead singer. She was such a presence on stage, and the band were great together. I had never heard of them before, and to look at them I would never have tried to. In fact, if I saw them on the street, I would probably try to avoid them. I would have been mistaken. They're good, and damn is she fine!! So give them a listen, and be aware, this isn't really a great indicator of their work:

Soho Dolls - My Vampire

DISCLAIMER: Please note, Soho Dolls were no way the best band of the day, but for an up and coming band they really gave their all. In fact, CSS, as I had expected, were probably the highlight for me. Their set was energetic, enthusiastic and most of all engaging. The crowd loved every minute, and I was blown away by their cover of L7's Pretend We're Dead, a version of which you can find below.

CSS - Pretend We're Dead