Manic Street Preachers

Manic Street Preachers were formed in Blackwood, Wales in the middle 80's. Consisting of James Dean Bradfield, Nickey Wire and Sean Moore they create Alternative Rock songs based on social critique lyrics. Although they lost their brilliant guitarist, Richey Edwards, who suddenly disappeared in 1995, they continue to be one of the most important English Rock bands in the last two and a half decades. Their new album, Rewind The Film, is pretty quiet comparing to earlier releases, but you can still find there some great songs and wonderful collaboration with Cate Le Bon, Richard Hawley and Lucy Rose. If you rewind the film 15 years and about a week back, we can meet the date they released This Is My Truth, Tell Me yours, their most successful album to date. 15 years after it seems that Manic Street Preachers have changed the way they play but not the issues they sing about. So I've chosen 2 songs from the new album and three that good to remember....

Motorcycle Emptiness (Generation Terrorists, 1992)

Rewind The Film (Rewind The Film, 2013)

Be Natural (This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours, 1998)

4 Lonely Roads (Rewind The Film, 2013)

So Why So Sad (Know Your Enemy, 2001)

Empire (Pick Word #28)

We're living in the modern age, in which the idea of Empire is no longer used in its classic form. In contrast to the Roman Empire or the Persian Empire, we can see the forecast fall of the world's greatest economic and ideological lighthouse, USA, while the emergence of China as the new Empire might be completed in the next few years. If the classic empire tried to invade new territories in order to expand its control over natural sources, today the struggle field concentrates in economic advantages and ex-Territorial fields such as the cybernetic space. Still, we can find some artists who sing about their own views about empires such as The National, Manic Street Preachers, Gorillaz, Andrew Bird and Kasabian. which kind of empire do you like the most?

The National - Fake Empire (Taken From Boxer, 2007)

Manic Street Preachers - My Little Empire (Taken From This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours, 1998)

Kasabian - Empire (Taken From Empire, 2006)

Andrew Bird - Scythian Empire (Taken From Armchair Apocrypha, 2007)

Gorillaz - Empire Ants (Featuring Little Dragon, Taken From Plastic Beach, 2010)