Massive Attack (Collaborations #2)

It's been a while since we've heard something new from Massive Attack. I found myself listening to their albums on the last weekend, trying to decide which of the female collaborations was the best. I haven't got any rank but here are my favourites (No particular order). Do you think I missed something?

Unfinished Sympathy (With Shara Nelson) - Blue Lines, 1991

Protection (With Tracey Thorn) - Protection, 1994

Teardrop (With Elizabeth Fraser) - Mezzanine, 1998

Special Cases (With Sinead O'connor) - 100th Window, 2003

Paradise Circus (With Hope Sandoval) - Helgioland, 2010

The Dark Night Of Trip Hop: 15 Years To Massive Attack's "Mezzanine"

After releasing Protection, it seems that Massive Attack have gained their place in the Trip-Hop hall of fame. That album was brilliantly produced and the collaboration with Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl and Tricky was excellent. Then, the expectations raised and when Mezzanine, their third studio album on 20th of April, 1998, some of the fans couldn't believe that's it's the same group. Instead of the Jazzy and Reggae sound of the earlier record, Mezzanine was kind of Ambient, Dark wave album. One of the most surprising things in that album was the collaboration with Ex-Cocteau Twins singer, Elizabeth Fraser, who sang three songs. Sadly, that was the last release with two of the founding members Andrew Vowels and Grant Marshall, who left the band soon after the release of Mezzanine, leaving last member, Robert Del Naja, as the only one left from the core founding Trio. The album is considered as the most successful and innovative album by Massive Attack since it contains a sample in each song ranging from Isaac Hayes to Led Zeppelin. It was also one of the first albums released as a MP3 file, forecasting the future change in the music industry. So here are five songs that might help you memorise why I consider it one of the greatest albums ever

Album Rating: 10/10

Angel

Black Milk

The Man Next Door

Teardrop

Risingson

Junip - Junip [Review]

I must admit that I fell in love with the music of Jose Gonzalez when I heard his exciting cover version for one of my favourite Massive Attack's songs, Teardrop. That's the reason why I tried to listen to the new album of his band, Junip, without any prejudgements in order to criticize it better. Junip are a Swedish Indie-Folk band which consists of Jose Gonzalez (Vocals and guitar), Tobias Winterkorn (Organ and synth) and Elias Araya (Drums). Founded in 2005, they released 3 EP's, one LP called Fields (2010) and a new one named simply Junip. There is no special surprises in this album. In fact, Junip brings us exactly what we expected to hear, Indie-Folk music without over-production or over-mixing. The formula of Guitar-Organ-Drums sounds good and creates some magical moments in this album. It seems that every song is good enough to be in this album and that's what makes it pretty mature and joyful one. Three of the songs from this album are listed below together with two earlier songs of this talented Trio.

Album Rating: 7/10

Line Of Fire (Taken From Junip, 2013)

Without You (Taken From Fields, 2010)

So Clear (Taken From Junip, 2013)

Official (Taken From Black Refuge EP, 2005)

Your Life, Your Call (Taken From Junip, 2013)

Weekend Candies: Playlist for 20 of April, 2013

 

This weekend we celebrate "Record Store Day", which was officially founded in 2007, so we've got three collaborations, which were formed especially for this day: Mark Lanegan And Moby, Sebastien Tellier And Caroline Polachek (From Chairlift) and Garbage with Screaming Females.

On our blast from the past section, we've got two songs from Aerosmith's Get A Grip (20 years anniversary) and Massive Attack's Mezzanine (15 years anniversary). Yoy can also find in this playlist two wonderful tributes: For Nick Drake by Luluc and for Jason Molina by Mark Kozelek. The playlist consists new songs by Florence And The Machine, Camera Obscura, Daft Punk (With Pharrell Williams) and Laura Marling as well as new releases by Polica (with Justin Vernon), Survival, Kristy Lee Peters, Tall Ships, Andrew Cedermark (Ex-Titus Andronicus guitarist), Louise Burns, Wintercoats, Low and Terror Bird. So prepare your ears, you might like some of these tunes. 

 

Aerosmith - Living On The Edge Taken From Get A Grip, 1993

Twenty Years Anniversary

Daft Punk And Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky Taken From Forthcoming Random Access Memories, 2013

Mark Lanegan And Moby - The Lonely Night, Released for Record Store Day, 2013

Polica And Justin Vernon - Tiff

Kristy Lee Peters (KLP) - Revolution, 2013

Tall Ships - Phosphorescence Taken From Everything Touching, 2012 

Florence And The Machine - Over The Love Taken From The Great Gatsby OST, 2013

Garbage And Screaming Females - Because The Night (Patti Smith's cover version), Released for Record Store Day, 2013

Wintercoats - Halogen Moon Taken From Heartful EP, 2013

Andrew Cedermark - Canis Major Taken From Forthcoming Home Life, 2013

 

Louise Burns - Emeralds Shatter Taken From Forthcoming The Midnight Mass, 2013

 

Laura Marling - Hunter Master Taken From Forthcoming Once I Was An Eagle, 2013

 Camera Obscura - Do It Again Taken From Forthcoming Desire Lines, 2013 

Low - Just Make It Stop Taken From The Invisible Sun, 2013

Terror Bird - The Wrong Way Taken From Forthcoming All This Time, 2013

Luluc - Things Behind The Sun (Nick Drake's cover version) Taken From Way To Blue: The Songs Of Nick Drake, 2013 

Survival - Since Sun, 2013

Sebastien Tellier And Caroline Polachek - In The Crew Of The Tea Time. Released for Record Store Day, 2013

Mark Kozelek - It's Easier Now (Jason Molina's cover version) Taken From Weary Engine Blues: A Tribute To Jason Molina, 2013

Massive Attack - Teardrop Taken From Mezzanine, 1998

Fifteen years anniversary

Brought Them On: 15 Years To Gomez's Debut Album "Bring It On"

Gomez are a five piece English Indie band from Southport, comprising Ian Ball (Guitar and vocals), Paul Blackburn (Bass), Ben Ottewell (Guitar and vocals), Olly Peacock (Drums and synths) and Tom Gray (Vocals, guitar and keyboards). On 13 of April, 1998, 15 years ago, they released their debut record called Bring It On. From its release, it earned great reviews, including Spin magazine which called it "Damn beautiful album". That album was melodious thanks to the good collaboration of the voices of Ball, Ottewell and Gray, each having a great distinctive voice. It also sounds sometimes like an Americana album made in UK, but you cannot Deny the English accent... The album managed to win the 1998 Mercury Prize, defeating great albums such as Massice Attak's Mezzanine, The Pulp's This Is Hardcore and The Verve's Urban Hymns. I still find this album joyful, it seems that time hasn't harmed it at all... So here are five songs from that debut album

Make No Sound

 

Whippin' Piccadilly

Tijuana Lady

 

Get Myself Arrested

 

Bubble Gum Years

Milk (Pick Word #27)

Milk is the first liquid we drink when we are born. Naturally, we get it from our mothers but we can see that more people use milk substitutes instead of the real thing. Meanwhile, dairy farms worldwide produced over 730 million tonnes of milk in 2011. We also know that China and Russia are the world leading importers of  milk products, India is the world leading consumer of milk and New Zealand, EU, USA and Australia are the leaders in exporting. So here are five songs which might (Or not) make you go to the refrigerator and drink a cold glass of this tasty beverage by Beck, Sea Oleena, Massive Attack, Nick Drake and Garbage. 

Beck - Milk And Honey (Taken From Midnite Vultures, 1999)

Sea Oleena - Milk (Taken From Sleeplessness, 2011)

Massive Attack - Black Milk (Taken From Mezzanine, 1998)

 

Nick Drake - Milk And Honey (Taken From The Family Tree, 2007)

Garbage - Milk (Taken From Garbage, 1995)

Circus (Pick Word #13)

Circus is defined as a company of performing artists such as acrobats, clowns, tightrope walkers, jugglers and trained animals, who travels from town to town in order to perform for the people. The origins of the circus were in ancient Greece, while those talented artists performed in a circle in front of the aristocracy of the Polis. It became widely spread since the late years of the 19th century until the mid-20th century but it is suffering a great decline in popularity last years due to the emergence of mass media and struggles of animal rights activists. Still we can find some songs that deals with that issue, so here're five songs by Lenny Kravitz, The Cardigans, Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan, Damien Jurado and Massive Attack  with Hope Sandoval.

Massive Attack Featuring Hope Sandoval - Paradise Circus (Taken From Helgioland, 2010)

 

Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - The Circus Is Leaving Town (Taken From Ballad Of The Broken Seas, 2006)

The Cardigans - Sunday Circus Song (Taken From Emmerdale, 1994)

 

Damien Jurado - Circus, Circus, Circus (Taken From Waters Ave. S, 1997)

 

Lenny Kravitz - Circus (Taken From Circus, 1995) 

Broken Window: 10 Years To Massive Attack's Album "100th Window"

On the 10th of February, 2003, Massive Attack, a Bristol Trip-Hop group, released their fourth LP called 100th Window. That was no longer the group which released the previous acts such as Mezzanine and Protection, but a duo project lead by Robert Del Naja (3D) and Neil Davidge. The other two founding members, Andrew Vowels (Known as Mushroom) and Grant Marshall (Known as Daddy G), left shortly after the release of Mezzanine, letting the other members adopt the musical direction of 3D. The result was a dark experimental release featuring Sinead O'connor, Horace Andy and Blur leading singer, Damon Albarn (Named on that album, 2D). It's one of the popular albums of that group, but it worth listening, even though it's 10 years old. Here are five songs that remind me why this album was so brilliant at it's time.

Small Time Shot Away

Special Cases

What Your Soul Sings

 

Butterfly Caught

 

A Prayer For England

2012 In Music - 5 Cover Versions

This is the last list about 2012. After exploring 50 songs that will remain in my ears, it's time to go back to the ormat of five songs each list. Today I've chosen cover versions which I liked last years including Julia Holter, Softspot, How To Dress Well, Field Music and Hooverphonic (You can hear the original versions in the links next to the song's name). Enjoy!

Julia Holter - Gold Dust Woman (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

Softspot - Run (Air Cover)

 

How To Dress Well - Again (Janet Jackson Cover)

 

Field Music - Rent (Pet Shop Boys Cover)

 

Hooverphonic - Unfinished Sympathy (Massive Attack Cover)