Top 5 - 20 Years to "Dog Man Star" by Suede

Released on 10 October 1994, Dog Man Star was (and still is...) an ambitious attempt of Suede to make an album that would darken their debut. Dog Man Star didn't sell that well and was considered as commercial failure. That was also the last album with Bernard Butler, who left after growing tensions between him and Brett Anderson. Here are my top 5 from this Masterpiece

Number 5: The Two of Us

 

Number 4: Daddy's Speeding

Number 3: The Asphalt World

 

Number 2: The Wild Ones

 

Number 1: We are the Pigs

Stina Nordenstam

It seems that I've got some kind of Scandinavian spirit those days since that's the third Scandinavian artist that I'm writing about after Olof Arnalds and Olafur Arnalds. But this is all the similarity I can find between the Icelandic singers I mentioned above and Swedish Stina Nordenstam. That's been over nine years since we heard this great singer from Stockholm, who released 6 LP's between 1991-2004. Yes, She did guest vocals for some few songs of Nine Horses and Filur but she hasn't released something new by herself. It seems that she caught Baz Luhrmann's ears, who took her 1994 single, Little Star, to the soundtrack of Romeo + Juliet in 1996, giving us the opportunity to discover her beautiful music. Still, her music seems to be very close to what Bjork and Emilliana Torrini doing. For the ones who haven't heard about her (Yet...), here are five songs to start with... 

Little Star (Taken From And She Closed Her Eyes, 1994)

 

Trainsurfing (Featuring Brett Anderson, Taken From This Is Stina Nordenstam, 2001)

Reason To Believe (Tim Hardin cover version, Taken From People Are Strange, 1998)

Winter Killing (Taken From The World Is Saved, 2004)

  His Song (Taken From Memories Of A Colour, 1991)

The London Suede: 20 Years To Suede's "Suede"

The lost generation of the 90's tried to find a comfort place in a world that rapidly changes their lives. They were the first generation to use a private computer, to move faster from place to place and feeling at home anywhere around the world due to the standartization of life styles. Suede tried to fill that void with their music, releasing their debut album Suede on 29 of March, 1993. Some see this album as one of the first Brit-Pop album, which paved the way to other acts such as Oasis, Ash and Blur and more. Speaking of the last band, Blur, led by Damon Albarn, both of them hated each other, especially due to the break up of Brett Anderson and Justine Frischamnn, when the later found comfort in the arms of Damon Albarn. After the departure of Justine Frischmann, there were four members left: Brett Anderson, Bernard Butler, Mat Osman and Simon Gilbert. They got into the studio and recorded one of the best debut albums ever, with dirty sounded guitar of Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson great voice, they managed to win the second Mercury prize contest in 1993. That was an album about dying young (Exciting So Young), wishful thoughts about life after death (The Next Life) and break ups (She's Not Dead, Breakdown). Death and love were the main issues in that brilliant album and it all came into one-time masterpiece (And then they released Dog Man Star, Which redefined the phrase masterpiece) While I listened to this album today, right after I put their last release Bloodsports aside, it still sounds fantastic, even though it's 20 years old. For the 90's great days. here are five picks from that album....

Animal Nitrate

 

Breakdown

 

So Young 

 

Pantomime Horse

 

The Next Life 

Bloodsports (Suede #2)

One of the joyful moments this week was opening the link that led to Suede's new album, Bloodsports, stream. I kind of liked the two singles they released earlier this year, especially Barriers, so I was expecting to hear the whole thing. After listening to it a few times, I can say without any doubt that Suede's are back! the ten years hiatus helped them to sharpen their skills and erase any sign which was left from the two last albums: Head Music (1999) and A New Morning (2002). Brett Anderson still sounds fantastic but the surprise comes from Richard Oakes, the guitarist who replaced founding member Bernard Butler. Finally, Oakes throw away the shadows of Butler by letting his guitar go wilder. In a few songs it's sounds like a part of Dog Man Star or Coming Up. If we add the perfect harmony between Mat Osman, Simon Gilbert and Neil Codling, we get the best album of this band since 1996. So here are three songs from the new album and two of earlier (good) times.

Sometimes I Feel I'll Float Away (Taken From Bloodsports, 2013)

The Wild Ones (Taken From Dog Man Star, 1994)

Barriers  (Taken From Bloodsports, 2013)

Trash (Taken From Coming Up, 1996)

Always (Taken From Bloodsports, 2013)

Suede

WOW! It seems that 2013 would be a year of comebacks, especially for Brit-Pop music. Suede, one of my favourite bands, would release a new album after 11 years called Bloodsports. I must admit that I loved to hear their first two albums with guitarist Bernard Butler, but I still admire Brett Anderson voice, the harmonically synchronised rhythm of Mat Osman (Bass) and Simon Gilbert (Drums) and the thrilling guitarist Richard Oakes. Neil Codling is the the only part I don't like their, maybe because of the show I've seen, where he played without any desire and seems bored for most of the show. OK, It's time to pick five, only five songs by Suede and it's not an easy task, but when their album will be out, I'll have another opportunity to choose again.... So here are four songs and the new one!

1) So Young (Taken From Suede, 1993)

 

2) We Are The Pigs (Taken From Dog Man Star, 1994)

 

3) By The Sea (Taken From Coming Up, 1996)

 

4) My Insatiable One (Taken From Sci-Fi Lullabies, 1997)

5) Barriers (Taken From Forthcoming Album, Bloodsports, 2013)