Writer
Simon Harrington Steps forward to offer his current listening pleasures in the latest ‘Through The Earhole’.
Current five favourites
The Dillinger Escape Plan - 'Milk Lizard'
Taken from their latest release ‘Ire Works’, I didn’t really know what to make of this song, or indeed the album when I first heard it. This song in particular, just doesn’t sound like your average Dillinger Escape Plan song. It’s positively anthemic, comparatively simple and very easy to listen to. There’s something incredibly endearing about this song, which I can’t quite put my finger on. In short, it makes me want to jump onto a table with a bottle of whiskey and start dancing around ‘American Pie’ house party style. Awesome, awesome song.
Buckethead - 'Waiting Hare' (featuring Shana Halligan and Serj Tankian)
I stole this album ‘Enter the Chicken’ off my flatmate about a year ago when he as going through his Buckethead, Les Claypool, anything to do with any of the above phase (to be fair to him, he still. Bless him). Anyway, there’s a song on the album called
‘Nottingham Lace’. It’s quite simply one of the best guitar songs you’ll probably ever hear. I never really bothered listening to anything else on that particular album. Because of the wonders of ‘shuffle’, this song came on a few months back. It’s just a beautiful love song. Shana Halligan’s voice is beautiful and even Serj Tankian’s unwelcome whines can’t detract from the beauty of the song. It goes without saying that Buckethead’s guitar playing is nothing short of exceptional.
Red Knife Lottery - 'Red Knifes and Plastic Wives'
Anyone who knows me, will be fully versed on views of female singers in hardcore bands. It’s not right. There come and get me. Of course, there is always one exception. The exception in this case is the very lovely Ashley Chapman and this song in particular. Based on the infamous murders at 25 Cromwell Street (Wikipedia is your friend), it has one of my favourite bridges of all time as well as very well written lyrics (a rarity in most hardcore) and is quite simply a fantastically written song.
The pAper Chase - 'Your Ankles to Your Earlobes'
You know how people say “when I die, I want ‘Don’t worry be Happy’ played at my funeral”? I don’t. I want this song played. Not because it particularly means anything to me, just because it’s my favourite song ever. A ridiculously good song by a ridiculously good band. Buy there albums, listen to their songs, see their shows and then email in thanks for making your lives 17% better.
Justice - 'The Party'
Yeah! Justice! I love the album they released. I even love that hideously overplayed remix with Simian Mobile Disco. If you haven’t listened to their album ‘Cross’ I really can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s turned even the most cynical of power metal lovers into Justice lovers. This song encompasses everything I love about the album. Dancy, quirky, and fun. If you can see past the Christian element you can appreciate as good old fashion fun electro. PS sorry about the clip. That’s all they had.
The album stopping all others getting into the CD player right now
Like Mr Webb before me, I’d also like to go for something fresh new and exciting. Whilst I’m really enjoying
The Burial release and I love ‘Hissing Fauna, are you the Destroyer?’ by
Ofmontreal, classic albums never really get replaced by the young upstarts that come along later on in life.
With this in mind, it’s probably going to have to be
Handsome Boy Modelling School ‘White People’. It’s just an awesome bit of collaboration from two very talented producers. The album has pretty much everything in it, and even the questionable decision to leave Jamie Cullum, with a mic stand for more than 5 minutes without violently killing him can’t detract from this album’s brilliance. Personal highlights for me are Mars Volta collaboration ‘A Day in the Life’ as well as the only decent thing Pharell Williams has done in years ‘Class System’. It got slated by the Guardian, mind. I’m not sure if that’s a good or band thing these days. Anyway, try it out, you just might like it.