eight songs for february

1. The Wedding Present - I'm from Further North than You. This gets better every time I listen to it. If this and 'Interstate 5' are anything to go by, next week's Take Fountain LP is going to brilliant.
2. Gorillaz - Dirty Harry. Typically loose and funky, and all the better for being a much-improved version of the oft-criticised 'I Need A Gun' from Damon's Democrazy; proof that he can work wonders with even the most basic of ideas.
2. Bloc Party - Banquet. Like Ben, I didn't get round to listening to BP 'til recently. Last year's 'Banquet' is proof that I should have done so a lot earlier. I downloaded a bunch of varied stuff last week and put it all on an MP3 CD and came accross this listening on my way to work one day and couldn't work out who it was. It's a great blend of sizzling, post-punk guitars, modern rhythms and Cure-style melodies.
3. Handsome Boy Modeling School - The World's Gone Mad. When I heard this on the radio last week I assumed - thanks to the inventive production and Del Tha Funky Homosapian's langorous rap - that it must be the new Gorillaz single, and raved to Vic about what a genius Damon Albarn was. It wasn't, obviously, but it's still as good as I thought it was.
4. Roots Manuva - Too Cold. All the reviews of his Awfully Deep LP indicate that it's a massive improvement on Run Come Save Me. I'm not sure about that, I think he's just an artist whose time has come and the reviewers are reflecting that. Nevertheless, it's a great record.
6. Ben Watt - Pop a Cap In Yo' Ass. Vic told me about this one, a really brilliant bit of electro-house with a cracking vocal from Estelle. The sheer joy of a member of Everything But The Girl releasing a track titled 'Pop a Cap In Yo' Ass' is not to be underestimated.
5. LCD Soundystem - Daft Punk Is Playing at my House. Again, the LCD Soundystem has had magnificent reviews which are a bit over the top. That's not to say it's not a very good record, mind, and James Murphy somehow manages to record familiar sounds in a way which comes out a million times crisper and more immediate than any of his contemporaries. I get the same feelings listening to DFA stuff as I did to those Steve Albini produced records like 'Seamonsters', 'Rid of Me' and 'In Utero'.
6. Chemical Bros - Galvanise. Straightforward, joyful dance music which pushes the button.
7. J.O.Y - Sunplus (DFA Remix). The Slits are thinking of re-forming, apparently, which would make this superfluous. Still...
8. Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure. I really wanna see this lot live. My initial feeling is that this isn't quite as good as 'The Coast is Always Changing', but that song was one of the biggest growers I came across last year, so we'll see.