Ding Dong!

Ring-A-Ding-Ding, a collaboration's a-coming. Watch out for American duo Broken Bells. They are: mogul producer and one half of Gnarls Barkley Danger Mouse (not to be confused with previously blogged about deadmau5, or for the nostalgic among you, the cartoon vermin equivalent of James Bond); and James Mercer, lead singer of The Shins', that band propelled to widespread recognition by alt. romcom Garden State.  Don't be put off by any connotations of malfunctioning door buzzers or Sunday morning lie-ins disturbed by out-of-tune Edelweiss church chimes. The light melodic ambience of their eponymous debut will airlift you on a dreamy flight to a cloud cushioned somewhere between Frenchmen Air's Moon Safari and Eels' 1996 effort, Beautiful Freak. March is the month to get swept away by the full release.

Sweet dreams.



Jaz x

Good Times Bad Times

Unbeknown to anybody (because I haven't been given a byline) Jasper Fields has raised an eyebrow or two over toast and tea this morning among a quota of the Times reading nation  - the quota that seek to be ahead of the game, not as far as Gordon Brown, Warren Buffett, Freddie Flintoff, or Sir Alan Bennett are concerned, but as regards the hottest new music infecting the nation. And to that I raise a somewhat bemused eyebrow.

There on page 15 of the supplementary Playlist magazine lies a column of suggested tunes and albums 'of the moment' to blow those Austin Reed socks off, if possible. The fruits of my free-of-charge labour during a week's work experience (soon to be reported) are here scanned (click for maximised readable view and Spotify away).

If I may add, my albums list has been intercepted in an act of some irony. Recommending Spoon's 7th LP Transference due to the fact that their wider recognition here in the UK remains baffling (it contains the type of sophisticated rock melodies that Eels' Mark "E" Everett should aim to still be producing), I have been trounced by an Erland And The Carnival fan. And for that reason I leave you with Got Nuffin' (buzzsaw guitar highlight with a hint of the Sonic Youth about it) to whet your appetite for my incoming Spoon interview. TEAM SPOON!



Happy Saturday, Jaz x