Monkey magic 1

At last! Monkey's Puzzle brings you its first mix CD. And it's an absolute corker. For some of you, this will be a welcome introduction to some seriously awesome music. Your parents, grandparents and older brothers will be wondering why you hadn't been listening to some of these bands anyway though.

It's a mix of anything and everything exciting - Gentle Giant's 'The Runaway' (brilliant piece of prog-rock), Slipknot's 'Wait and Bleed', Captain Beefheart, Pink Floyd... To top it all off, there's also some Megadeth, Led Zeppelin and System of a Down in there. I doubt you'll find another compilation quite like it, but then it's rare to find a blog that champions Elastica and Sigh on the same page...

This isn't just a mix; it's a collection of songs that I certainly feel sum up what good music should be about. Maybe you'll love it, maybe you'll hate it, but one thing is for certain - it will make you think about trying something different. :)

TRACKLIST:

1. Gentle Giant - The Runaway
2. Atomic Rooster - Devil's Answer
3. Megadeth - Train of Consequence
4. Led Zeppelin - What is and what should never be
5. Genesis - I know what I like (in your wardrobe)
6. Helloween - Hell was made in Heaven
7. Captain Beefheart - Moonlight on Vermont
8. Rage Against the Machine - Bulls on Parade
9. Kula Shaker - Govinda
10. Jethro Tull - Cross-eyed Mary
11. Eloy - Point of no return
12. Slipknot - Wait and Bleed
13. Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Bitches Crystal
14. Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
15. Cream - Strange Brew
16. The Sweet - Ballroom Blitz
17. Golden Earring - Radar Love
18. System of a Down - Suite-Pee

http://rapidshare.com/files/55498622/Monkey_Magic_1.zip.html

Back the monkey! Back the artists too. If you like any of these songs and want to know which albums to buy, let me know.

Rachel Stamp

Glam! It's now a code word for everything cheesy about 70s music, but for Rachel Stamp, it was the ideal. They came from relative obscurity with an act that was camper than a row of tents and enough to make even Justin from the Darkness green with envy. Every self-respecting rock fan adores this band, and frankly, on the strength of their first album, it wasn't hard to see why.

If you like T-Rex, but wouldn't mind splicing a bit of Kiss or Queen into their records occasionally, this album is definitely for you. Believe me - if I say any more, my drool will coat this keyboard...

Best stop, if only to let you download it now: http://rapidshare.com/files/55217214/Hyms_for_strange_children.zip.html

Echobelly - Lustra

Echobelly were another one of those indie bands of the moment, and once again, we find ourselves looking at a legacy that remained tragically unfulfilled. This was the trouble with 90s indie - so much music came out that some of the best bands got cast aside in favour of more obvious anthemic songs. I mean seriously, who on earth would buy the Charlatans' 'North Country Boy' or Verve's 'The Drugs don't Work' now? They sound dated, bland and really not worth the energy spent strolling into an HMV.

'Here comes the Big Rush', on the other hand, one of the singles from this album, still sounds absolutely fantastic. The lyrics are memorable, the tune sticks in your head and Sonya's voice has a wonderful texture. Similarly, 'The World is Flat' could work brilliantly on any radio station's playlist, and indeed, if anyone has an internet indie radio station right now, I defy you to find a better example of 90s British rock.

The multi-ethnicity of the band members put them right at the heart of a race debate, and unfortunately, this detracted from the impact of their music. To be honest though, almost ten years on, I honestly don't think another indie album as intriguing came out at that time. Don't believe me? Go here and try it for yourself: http://rapidshare.com/files/55214037/Lustra.zip.html

Stinker or Stonker? Episode 1: Menswe@r

There have been entire articles written about how bad this band was. Indeed, for about 10 years after this album came out, irritatingly trendy DJs like Jo Whiley and Sara Cox took delight in referring to lousy new indie bands as the 'new Menswear'. Their first, and indeed, only album is now the stuff of legend because of a song that only seems to have one chord. Honestly, if you want to get a laugh from a group of drunken indie fans, saying "Breathe deeper, Daydreamer" in a silly voice will usually have the desired effect.

Thing is though, this album was really popular when it first came out. Yes, Menswear were the first and last indie boy band, yes, they made ridiculously cheesy rock music, but no, they weren't shit. Not absolute shit, anyway. Eight out of the 12 songs are pretty damn good, in particular, 'Little Miss Pinpoint Eyes' (largely because the lyrics are ridiculous), 'I'll Manage Somehow' and 'Being Brave'. They also managed to sell shedloads of CDs for about four years after this release by playing the 'We might be releasing a second one' card, which is something for which you have to give them credit, because if someone had said that I was that terrible, I'd have been milking the proceeds of that first album too.

This isn't how a bad album sounds; this is how a so bad, it's good album sounds. If you fancy a good laugh, pick it up now and marvel at the fact that you really do only need about three chords to make a top 10 album.

http://rapidshare.com/files/54939440/Nuisance.zip.html

Elastica!

Justine Frischmann was once a very popular woman indeed, and not just because she'd been shagging Damon Albarn for like forever. She was the singer of probably the most exciting 90s band to not really get anywhere - Elastica. When Britpop was at its peak, she was one of the trend's darlings, but not particularly because of her music. However, one listen to their first album is enough to tell you why - they were just too interesting for a crowd of stupid shoegazers singing Charlatans songs.

Half the album is art-punk in the style of Wire or Television (in fact, the riff on 'Connection' is practically the same riff used on Wire's 'Three Girl Rumba'), and the other half would make obnoxious female led punk bands like The Slits and X-Ray Spex feel that they'd left a more than impressive mark.

I agree with the critics who argue that Britpop was far from inspiring for the most part (it gave us The Bluetones and Cast for crying out loud), but it is more difficult to pigeonhole this with other 90s albums. It was simplistic, endearing, instantly catchy, and made with a view to showing people that you didn't need more than two or three chords to make a brilliant song.

No wonder Damon and Justine split; he's about as inspiring as a Sound of Music tribute film with Britney playing Maria. Although that image is probably more frightening than her performance a couple of nights ago...

Make a connection here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/54865249/Elastica.zip.html

Sigh (Cont)

The struggle continues to get more people interested in good music. Here is a compilation of Sigh's music as promised. I defy anyone to say this is anything short of fantastic. I've still yet to hear anything as good in modern metal.

Maybe the Meads of Asphodel's 'Exhuming the Grave of Yeshua' album. Hang on - Mirai from Sigh was a guest on that... I know - Turisas are pretty good too. They make Viking Metal, and yes, it really is as daft as it sounds! :) Their new album rocks though.

Yes, so Sigh, the Meads or Turisas if you want a half decent metal album for a change, and you can try at least one of those here: http://rapidshare.com/files/54043407/Sigh_compilation.zip.html

SIGH

Oh yes. Oh yay. This is a deliciously messed-up band, and they confirm one of my most basic theories - namely that original metal music is disappearing at an incredible pace, and the only way you'll find a truly distictive example of the genre is to look around the most obscure scenes.

They're Japanese. This is a good start, largely because they approach their music in much the same way they would approach a Honda scooter - tacit creativity. It is widely accepted that Black metal shouldn't have mellotrons, saxophones and bizarre string sections, but if you're Japanese, you often get away with it because people expect you to behave strangely.

Unlike most Japanese bands who avoid alienating their fans by producing incredibly crappy pop music (think Daphne and Celeste, only with high-pitched voices and over-blown production), Sigh really couldn't give a toss about alienating their support. They produce bold, exciting, warped records with an eclectic mix of just about every musical style going. Sometimes it's black metal, sometimes it's prog-rock, and in really weird moments, sometimes it borders on sounding like Atomic Rooster.

Trouble is, for the more pathetic critics who need to categorise people, all these style changes often happen in the same song. Mirai Kawashima, the singer, doesn't just opt for the eclectic in the music he makes; he opts for it in the company he keeps too (Miral and the Meads of Asphodel have regularly collaborated on each other's albums.)

If you want to hear a real modern metal classic, stick 'Imaginary Sonicscape' or 'Gallows Gallery' in your stereo. I guarantee that even people who don't really like metal will not be disappointed. A compliation will follow shortly for those who wish to give them a try. :)

Mansun - Attack of the grey lantern

I was 15 when this album came out, and I remember getting no end of grief for buying it. That's the thing with friends at school though; they always listen to the most commercial toss they can get their hands on. So while everyone else was listening to 'What's the Story?', I listened to unusually cool indie that seemed to have got lost somewhere between new romanticism and prog-rock.

This album had everything - sing-along anthems, bizarre lyrics, a contempt for everything PC and a songwriter who seems incapable of writing a bad song. This album went to Number 1 when it came out, and although it was a favourite with geeks, guitar enthusiasts and weirdos, they were all on to something. It's the 10th anniversary of the album this year, and 'Attack...' is still one of my best-travelled CDs.

Indie fans will love this. The singer, Paul Draper, has his own myspace page with several thousand members, me included. If you haven't heard this yet, then you're either an Oasis fan or a Cure fan who lost their way about a decade ago.

Don't despair - you can try it here: http://rapidshare.com/files/51027485/Attack_of_the_Grey_Lantern__UK_.zip.html

Oh yeah, and just so I can finally answer this question, who the hell was Mavis? Paul seemed to be bloody obsessed with her.

Kenickie tracklist and an aside

The tracklist for 'At the Club' appears to be wrong. It should read:

1 In your car 2 People we want 3 Spies 4 How I was made 5 Brother John 6 Millionaire Sweeper 7 Robot Song 8 Classy 9 Punka 10 Nightlife 11 PVC 12 Comeout2nite 13 I never complain 14 Acetone


On another note, these rips are done at 48kbps, which isn't stereo sound. This is perfectly good for radio and computers, acceptable for a CD (and more than listenable) but not necessarily CD quality.

If you like these tracks, buy the genuine articles for truly awesome sound. I guarantee you every one of these CDs is worth the investment, and they'll not be too expensive now. :)

Actually, to hell with that. BUY THE ARTIST'S GENUINE CDS. Don't be one of those tools who has a hard drive full of downloaded albums. Bands rely on revenue from record sales to copntinue making records.

Kenickie - At the Club

Lauren Laverne (or as most people know her, the fit blonde mackem on late-night music shows) used to be a musician. A really good musician in fact. For two or three years, her band "Kenickie" was regarded as one of the most exciting emerging talents. The second album failed on all levels (electronica is a no-no in Britpop), but their debut, the brilliant 'At the Club' is one of my all-time favourite CDs.

Mixing Elastica-style indie with Slits-style punk, three obnoxious, really very attractive women ranted, lamented and caused many a crowdsurf while the only bloke, Johnny X, had a hint of that guy from the Corrs (the Punk version) about him - being impossibly cool by proxy. :)

The band split up just two years after this CD came out, and they were darlings of John Peel, who invited them to more than their share of Peel Sessions. It's a shame that the band didn't last, but the music, especially 'Punka' and 'How I was made', has outlasted the band longer than anyone could have hoped.

Do not miss this; go to http://rapidshare.com/files/50934882/At_the_Club.zip.html now.

Sleeper - the It Girl

Never mind Blur. Nuts to Oasis. When it comes to excellent Britpop CDs, you just have to cite Sleeper's second album. Ironically, most British critics seem to have underrated it in recent years, while a top American critic listed it in his '50 Best Albums of All Time'.

It's infectious; every song has lyrics that you can sing along to, and that even the most naive of people can sympathise with. The singer, Louise Wener, has a sarcastic, biting voice with a pronounced Essex girl accent, and if you've ever heard 'Nice Guy Eddie' or 'Lie Detector', you'll know that the band's social commentary is very well observed.

You don't see many bands trying to be Blur anymore, but the list of bands trying to be Sleeper (Art Brut, The Young Knives and The Rakes to name but a few) seems to be endless. If you've never heard this album, shame on you. Make up for it by going here to sample it now - http://rapidshare.com/files/50933983/I_love_Louise.zip.html.

Radiohead - OK Computer

This is it - the album that most people would say ranks top of their list. Ironically, when it first came out, I wasn't that interested in Radiohead. They sounded unfinished, and their guitar work often seemed to be just noise.

Thing is, ten years down the line, when you're in your 20s and no-one listens to your favourite bands as a fad anymore, you begin to realise how incredible some of these CDs are. Take 'Airbag', for instance. The opening 30 seconds rank among some of the grandest you'll ever hear in music. Thom Yorke's voice, despite being quite whiney in places, is immensely powerful, and I've found myself singing that song occasionally even 10 years after the album came out. Similarly, as a Radiohead fan, you can't honestly say that you don't remember the words to 'No surprises' or the infamous 'kicking squealing Gucci little piggy' line from 'Paranoid Android'.

There's no question that this is a modern classic, but look at any opinion poll on the 'Greatest albums ever made', and it will be in many people's top 10. If you haven't heard it already, check it out here - http://rapidshare.com/files/50847360/Radiohead.zip.html

Portishead - Dummy

A truly magnificent album, 'Dummy' came out in 1995 and changed the way a lot of people approach dance music. Mixing classic movie soundtracks with catchy beats, interesting sound effects and Beth Gibbons' husky, cigarette-fuelled voice produced a record that, even over a decade on, still sounds better than just about any modern r 'n' b CD you'd care to mention.

Think an even darker, even more cynical Massive Attack and you're around where Portishead lie. This is exceptional stuff, but don't take my word for it; go here instead and sample it for yourself - http://rapidshare.com/files/50844097/Dummy.zip.html

Welcome to Monkey's Puzzle - quite possibly the most irritating blog in the place for irritating blogs. Still, that is after all the point of blogging - no-one's supposed to care what you have to say. ;)

Anyway, what do I do that's different from any other blog? Well, not a lot, really. I point you in the direction of classic albums and then seek your thoughts on them. Bit like any other classic music blog, really. Thing is, I'll also ask you to sample a few real stinkers. I have enough of them kicking around.

Right enough of my drivel. Enjoy!