Music Listography: Day 1- Top 20 Favourite Bands

I've decided to do a '30 days of' esque theme here on the blog in accordance with the book 'Music Listography: Your Life in (Play) lists'. I don't know how many lists there are because I'm too lazy to count (what's new?)

So, the first list is 'Top 20 Favourite Bands' and this proved to be more difficult than I expected because a)what did they mean by 'band'? exclusively rock groups or are girl groups and boy bands included here as well? and b) do I even like 20 bands?

To answer these questions:
2) I took a leap and said yes to pop groups being included here. It's my list so, whatevs.
b) Turns out, I don't.



On to the list then.

1. Coldplay: need I say more? It's going to be a requirement that any future love interests must love them too (or at least be willing to go to their shows with me).
2. Take That: 10 years ago I didn't really know them. 8 years ago, I hated them. Now, I consider them one of the best groups around.
3. ABBA: defined my 90s childhood and early noughties teen years.
4. Duran Duran: Oh, to be a teen in the 80s *le sigh*
5. End Of Fashion: underrated band. Their second album, Book of Lies, was the soundtrack to my first year at uni.
6. Eskimo Joe: 2006 was the year of the Eskimos for me. I think I listened to Black Fingernails, Red Wine every night that year. Such a perfect album.
7. Florence and the Machine: they're a band, everybody! Flawless and perfect.
8. Franz Ferdinand: A Scottish tour de force. Best memory is opening the first pages of 'A Clockwork Orange' played along side 'The Fallen'.
9. Queen: because of reasons. 
10. Girls Aloud: one of the greatest girl groups to hail from the UK.
11. Bee Gees: those harmonies tho.
12. Scissor Sisters: I love their campy weirdness. Plus, I much prefer their version of 'Comfortably Numb' to Pink Floyd's original. 
13. Sugababes: Like Girls Aloud, you know a group is good when their b-sides are just as coveted as their a-sides.
14. U2; I debated putting them here but 'New Year's Day' kind of sealed the deal for me.
15. The xx: too soon? Maybe. 
16. Phoenix: Dug up their back catalogue post- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

That's all I have for now. Let me know if you agree/disagree/ are raging about my choices on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr or in the comments

Album Review: Take That 'Progress'

A bit of history: I became a fan of Robbie Williams in 2000 after I received a copy of his album 'Sing When You're Winning' for my birthday. I've been wearing my RW fan badge with pride ever since. Considering I'm too young to remember Take That v1.0, in a span of 10 years I went from: not knowing who the hell they were, knowing they sang 'Back For Good', knowing that Robbie left the group in 1995, listening to their greatest hits and finally liking and accepting them as a four piece. So when news broke that Robbie Williams was rejoining them, I was aghast. I like my Robbie solo and my TT as a four piece.

I would like to officially state, for the record, that I'm now on board for TT v 3.0 (or v1.0 mark 2). And it's all because of 'The Flood'. It doesn't quite sound like TT, nor does it sound like Robbie's last record. In fact, much like the rest of 'Progress', it's the best of worlds, shaken up Bryan Brown Cocktail style, and presented in the most delightful fashion. 'The Flood' is epic in all sense of the word and although there isn't anything else like it on the rest of the album, it makes sense as the opener. 'SOS' and 'Kidz' are upBEAT. The drums are loud as are the choruses (catchy as hell). It's been said a million times in other reviews, but you can hear the Muse influence at play here. If they choose to cover the band on tour, I vote 'Undisclosed Desires' or 'Neutron Star Collision' (But they'll probably incorporate 'Uprising'). Similarly, Robbie's 'solo' track 'Underground Machine' is in this dystopic rock style. And yes, I just made that genre up. :D

There's even hints of hip-hop influences in 'Wait'. At first, I didn't like it, but that chorus is just... catchy. And that's the thing with every track on the album. If the verse or bridge is dull, the choruses come to the rescue. Not saying that's a bad thing at all though.

The middle tracks 'Pretty Things' and 'Happy Now' have this Bee Gees esque ness about them, especially the latter. 'Pretty Things' has this 'We-are-starring-in-a-period-drama-produced-by-BBC'. I lol'd at first, but it grew on me considerably.

'Affirmation' and 'Eight Letters' are really amazing tracks that round off the album. 'Flowerbed' as the finale is sweet as and that second chorus when the beat really kicks in is sort of heartbreaking.

The ultimate standout track for me here is Mark Owen's solo track 'What Do You Want From Me?'. Over the past three days since I've listened to the album, I find that it's the one track I keep coming back to. It's uplifting and sweet but also again, heartbreaking. You can hear the emotion in his voice- he means every word he's singing. I can just imagine the video for this: close ups of him, black and white, fists in the air and pulling it down to his chest. Sadly, this track also contains the cringeworthy lyric of 'I still want to have sex with you' which I like to block out every time. However, I think, in the spirit of this album's concept, that these are men who are in their late 30s and early 40s- they are not teenagers. If they can't sing about sex, then who can?

Without a doubt, this is one of the best album's of 2010 for me. With the help of Stuart Price, the group have moved on...yes, they've made progress from they boys they once were to men who are scared, happy, nervous, asking for forgiveness. Whether Robbie stays or not is the point here; it's how they can take this sound and evolve it.

Verdict: 4.5 Takes out of 5 Thats.
Standout Tracks: The Flood, SOS, Kidz, What Do You Want From Me?

Interrupting our normal programming....

Today I was hoping to do a review of Duffy's new album 'Endlessly'.

(This is a picture of it)

Sadly, my local CD store did not have it.

I was also hoping to write up my thoughts on Take That's new album 'Progress'

(This is a picture of it too. Nifty, isn't it?)

Sadly, I'm still waiting on my order courtesy of the same CD store.

In conclusion, I have no new music to report on as yet. Stay tuned.