Tis the season to be making lists and looking back on the the year and going "mmmmmm that was kindashit wasnt it" all in all the year was good for music and i had a huge list of albums to wittle down
Pissed Jeans - King of Jeans
Pissed Jeans - False Jesii Part 2
Pissed Jeans - Dream Smotherer
Themselves - CrownsDown
part chimp - Thriller
These Are Powers - All Aboard Future
THESE ARE POWERS - Life Of Birds
THESE ARE POWERS - Adam's Turtle
Converge - Axe To Fall
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Grizzly Bear - cheerleader
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Cass McCombs - Catacombs
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx... Pt. II
Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
Sunset Rubdown - Idiot Heart
honorable mentions::Zu - Carboniferous,White Shit - Sculpted Beef,Zombi - Spirit Animal,BATS - Red In Tooth And Claw,Hunter-Gatherer - I Dreamed I Was A Footstep In The Trail Of A Murderer,Woods - Songs Of Shame,blakfish - champions,UUVVWWZ - UUVVWWZ,Girls - Girls,Subway - Subway II,So Many Dynamos - The Loud Wars,Sholi - Sholi,Real Estate - Real Estate,Patrick Kelleher - You Look Cold,Polvo - In Prism,Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix,Pajo - Scream With Me,Mastodon - Crack the Skye,Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough,Hudson Mohawke - Butter,HEALTH - Get Color
ctrl>alt>del Favorite Albums of 2009
Albums of the Year 2008 (Evil Bob)
So you get the whole idea of a Top Ten of the year right? You don't need me to explain it to you do I? Click on the read more and see how my list differs from Ste and Robs
10. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
Mercury Music prize winning and all that malarkey this was the year that Elbow finally took over and while doing so brought out one of the best rock songs of the last year, the last 5 years and perhaps ever, in "Grounds for Divorce". Check it out below if you don't believe me.
Elbow - Grounds for Divorce
9. Crayonsmith - White Wonder
Proof that listening to Ste can pay off and while it took me a little time to actually bother checking out the first (but not the last) Irish act on this list it was good that I finally did. Lovers of electro type stuff in general will find a lot to dig in this little piece.
Crayonsmith - All the Elders
8. Get Well Soon - Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon
German one man virtuoso Konstantin Groppe brings his own brand of Nick Cave flavoured miserablism to the world and in the process makes one of the most unsettlingly creepy albums of quite a while. For evidence of this check out the track below "If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting" with the creepiest female voices used in a rock song since The Ohio Players "Love Rollercoaster" (go here for more on that)
Get Well Soon - If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting
7. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
So finally despite about ten years and numerous albums Death Cab for Cutie finally make something that inspires me to sit up and take notice. There's a good chance that this is largely down to the amazing video for opening single "I Will Possess Your Heart" which also happens to be a great song but whatever, Number 7 with a bullet. Although why it needs a bullet I don't know.
Death Cab for Cutie - No Sunlight
6. Ham Sandwich - Carry the Meek
Second Irish act on the list but (spoiler alert) not the last. Ham Sandwich's first album mixes perfectly the female vocals of surprise preggers Niamh Farrell and fucking mentaller Podge McNamee to make some great pop-rock tunes. Great stuff all round
Ham Sandwich - Click...Click...Boom!!!
5. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
Trent Reznor takes another step towards proving that he's the greatest musical innovator that ever existed by literally GIVING us The Slip (still not sure if that pun was intentional or not). For his SECOND release THIS YEAR and his FOURTH release in EIGHTEEN MONTHS Trent literally gave away for free the entire album. What was even more surprising is that it retained the same quality that all previous releases had delivered. Plus did I mention it was free??? When it came out for a physical release 4 months later it still sold by the bucket-load. Top man.
Nine Inch Nails - Echoplex
4. The Dandy Warhols - Earth to the Dandy Warhols
A band that will unfortunately always remain as a novelty band in peoples minds thanks to that fucking Vodafone ad of 2001 and a damn shame it is too as the Dandy Warhols prove once again that they write some seriously catchy pop/rock/psychedlic ditties.
The Dandy Warhols - MisAmigos
3. Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion
Love em or hate em they write a fucking catchy song and they're damn good live despite being hairy bastards the lot of them. Irelands bright new shining hopes finally deliver their long awaited debut album and with a running time of roughly 30-35 minutes it does what its meant to. Comes in. Beats the shit out of you and leaves you wanting more.
Fight Like Apes - Digifucker
2. Does it offend you yeah? - You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into
Having a silly name (a David Brent quote from the Office) didn't help endear these guys to a lot of people (Rob) and some wouldn't listen to them as a result (Rob). Foolishly seeing as they proved with this album that they're this years Daft Punk/Justice Electo-Funk types and still have a savage cool live show which anybody who saw their mid-afternoon set at Oxegen can attest to.
Does it Offend you yeah? - We are Rockstars
1. Jape - Ritual
I hate having to put the same number 1 down as Rob but he's right. This album is fucking brilliant. Go and get it now.
Jape - I Was a man
Almost made it:
Breaks my heart to not include these albums as they are savage but Pivot - O Soundtrack my Heart; Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaus; Why? - Alopecia; MGMT - Oracular Spectacular.
Better luck next time chaps
10 Things I Learned In Canada
- Maple Syrup does, in fact, go with everything. As does Lobster.
- One should never fly Globespan. Cheap airfares aren't worth it when stuck with them for ten hours or more.
- On the other hand one should always, if possible, fly Air Canada. It should really only be a matter of time before all aircraft on all airlines have personal entertainment systems on each seat, as they're amazing. Air Canada have a TV screen per person with what's basically a hard drive packed with movies, TV shows & games galore. Awesome.
- Casinos, while seemingly a great idea at one in the morning when pissed, are in fact awful, depressing places.
- Particularly Casinos that don't allow you to continue drinking, instead restricting alcohol consumption to a small bar area with no gambling. What, do they hate money?
- George Carlin is alive and well, driving a cab in Niagara Falls.
- Canada is famed as a safe place to be (thank you, Michael Moore), and on first inspection certainly seems as much. Does this mean that things like this & this only happen when I'm in the neighbourhood? Worryingly, when Conor & I inter-railed a couple of years back we seemed to drag a colossal flood behind us. Maybe I'm cursed?
- When going to see Evil Dead: The Musical, one should only sit towards the front of the theatre if eager to get absolutely drenched in blood & gore.
- Canadian cigarettes have vile pictures of diseased lungs, etc. on the packets- which are frustratingly effective. Duty free- wasted!
- McDonalds in Canada is shockingly decent.
10 Batman Comics That Must Be Read
Batman rocks. This much is fairly undisputed, and in seventy years of Comic Book existence the Dark Knight has racked up a fair few classics. Director Christopher Nolan is obviously aware of this, as he has has cited some of them as a direct influence on the upcoming Dark Knight movie. Smart man- with material as strong as some of these outings, it's no wonder The Dark Knight is being hailed as the greatest Batman movie yet.
So for those as yet uninitiated in Batman's comic book career, we've compiled a list of the top ten stories that must be read.
10. A Death In The Family
1980's Batman readers had a serious problem with Jason Todd, AKA the second Robin. With the character being widely denounced as 'lame', the writers of the series found themselves under pressure to do something about it. In an eerie premonition of the recent Simon Cowell television reign, readers of the comic were given the power to call a telephone line and vote as to whether Todd lived or died.
Cue one horrible death, and a massive surge in the popularity of the series.
The shocking thing is that a marketing stunt spawned one of the defining moments in Batman's history. The Dark Knight being emotionally destroyed by the loss of his young apprentice, and thirsting for revenge he for the first time seriously considers murder as an option.
The Batman is supposed to be dark, and this incident steered the series firmly away from the direction of garish colors and lighthearted romps. Oh, and it also featured the Joker getting a job working for Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran. Weird.
9. Gotham by Gaslight
Seventy years is a long time for anyone to be knocking around, so it's inevitable that at some point someone's going to start really thinking outside the box. Hence the 'Elseworlds' series, a number of stories in which Batman and other DC heroes are taken out of their usual surroundings and placed in alternate universes or timelines.
The first of these innovative stories was surely born from one of those amazing three word pitches that usually get thrown about in the wee hours after too much coffee and/or booze: 'Batman vs Jack the Ripper'. Bear in mind that this is no Alien vs Predator scenario- Bats is the greatest detective in the world, so this is a proper Victorian mystery. And it's illustrated by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, so full of purdy pictures.
8. The Man Who Laughs
The Man Who Laughs takes its name from the 1928 silent film starring Conrad Veidt which inspired the look of the Joker (check it out on youtube here- creepy stuff).
Based around a race against time to end a brazen killing spree, a rookie Dark Knight is horrified and disturbed by a challenge far removed from your basic 'thugs with guns'. The plotline of the one-shot story is taken directly from Batman #1, adding dark modern elements to the classic first meeting of Batman & The Joker. So a hefty bodycount and a great example of just how demented The Joker can get. It's regarded as a natural followup to Frank Miller's Year One, and thematically the closest you can get to Alan Moore's The Killing Joke. More on them later.
7. Arkham Asylum
Considered by many to be one of the darkest Batman stories out there, this short graphic novel stands out mainly because of its unbelievable artwork.
Illustrated by Dave McKean, famous for his Sandman covers & children's stories with Neil Gaiman (Mirrormask, Coraline), whose distinctive and iconic imagery is lent to a tale of the inmates taking over the asylum.
Just check out the page pictured above (click to enlarge), and head out to buy it.
6. The Cult
In The Cult Batman comes up against Deacon Blackfire, a crazy Charlie Manson type who may or may not be several hundred years old. In a rare case of 'didn't see that coming', Bats gets abducted and forced to join Blackfire's growing legions of mindless slaves. With her protector out of action, and only Robin (pssh) to rely on, Gotham city goes to hell quite quickly as the shit hits the fan big time.
Notable for the display of weakness from our hero, who when he gets a chance very nearly turns tail and buggers off. And as was the thing with Batman in the 80's it pulls no punches with the ol' ultra-violence. Which is fun.
5. Birth of the Demon
You'd be forgiven if until seeing Batman Begins you had no idea whom Ra's Al Ghul was, but aside from the Joker he's probably the Batman's greatest nemesis. A seven hundred year old terrorist and sometime assassin, Ra's is no loon, but a calculating genius who has a beef with humanity and a desire to see it wiped off the face of the earth. Not pleased with Bruce Wayne's persistent thwarting of his plans, or impregnating of his daughter (oh Bruce...), Ra's indluges on many an occasion in beating the Bat to within an inch of his life.
This story by Dennis O'Neil and Norm Breyfogle tells the tale of how humanity earned Ra's' hatred, and throws in a classic showdown between himself and Batman for good measure. Twisted and epic with fantastic artwork, this is a one-stop shop for appreciating the fact that Ra's Al Ghul is a vastly superior villain to the Penguin, the Riddler and most of the better known faces in Batman's rogues gallery.
4. Batman: Year One
Batman was created by Bob Kane, but special mention must go to Frank Miller for reinventing the character not once but twice. In Year One Miller gives us his account of (guess) Batman's first year of crimefighting, and to fantastic effect. The short 4-part story hit the nail on the head to such a degree that it has become the accepted 'true' origin of Batman, despite the fact that it was written nearly fifty years after the character first appeared.
With striking no nonsense artwork and a powerful take on the relationship between Batman and Jim Gordon, it's a great read, and one of the few Batman comics that is universally regarded as essential.
3. The Long Halloween
An epic, meaty read, The Long Halloween is the kind of story Batman was created for. Set over the course of a year, this sprawling murder mystery features a host of villains, with readers kept guessing as our hero sifts through clues and suspects aplenty. Writer Joseph Loeb has here played to all Batman's strengths as a detective, while Tim Sale's cinematic artwork perfectly accents all the noir elements of the story.
This story arc is notable for being the definitive telling of Harvey Dent's journey to becoming Two-Face, a tragedy which is expertly played out as a contrast to the bog-standard 'radioactive toxic waste' origin stories of lesser comic books.
The Long Halloween is one of two Batman stories which has been singled out by Christopher Nolan as a source of inspiration behind the Dark Knight, so we can expect Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent to be a million miles removed from Tommy Lee Jones' offering. Which, clearly, is a good thing. Shame on you, Joel Schumacher.
2. The Dark Knight Returns
The rebirth of Batman, DKR is the moment where Frank Miller returned Batman to the shadows, lending a psychological edge to the series that had been absent for too long. In graphic novel format, this offering deserves to be counted alongside Watchmen as a truly great work of literature.
Set in the near future, an aging Batman has retired and the world is without superheros. Superman is a government patsy, and Gotham is terrorised by a gang of cyber-punks called Mutants. Events conspire to bring the Bat out of retirement, and our hero returns to struggle against the Mutants, his own age, and cold-war politics.
It's a vast piece of work, original and fresh- offering an unparalleled take on the character of Batman, and painting the world of Gotham & Metropolis as an ominous vision of our own.
On a cerebral scale there's nothing quite like DKR in the Batman world. And on a sheer comic-book-fun scale: it features an almighty showdown between Batman & Superman. Enough said.
1. The Killing Joke
The Killing Joke is possibly the greatest Batman story ever told. Written by the most acclaimed comic-book writer of all time, Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta, From Hell...), this single issue story pits Batman against the Joker in a match that is both enthralling and chilling. The Joker has never been more twisted, and the battle between the two characters is tinged with madness and violence before reaching it's climax. At the same time, Moore takes the reader through the tragic origins of Batman's arch nemesis in a telling that, like Year One, has become the generally accepted version of the story.
With stunning artwork by Brian Bolland, and writing from Moore that's second to none, The Killing Joke has all the right ingredients to create a Batman story that's as close to perfect as you're gonna get. Thankfully, this is the version of The Joker that Christopher Nolan has chosen to bring to the screen for the Dark Knight: a demented and unstable murderer; and if Heath Ledger's portrayal is in any way close to the mark we're sure to be treated to an unforgettable incarnation of one of the Comic-Book world's greatest villains.
Top 5 "Impostor" Songs a.k.a. Songs I always thought were by a different artist
Ever heard a song that you've been familiar with for years and years or at least knew it well enough to hum along to but then you find out, "Holy Shit, I always thought somebody else did it". Well I have on a few occasions in my life and so I introduce my Top 5 "Holy shit so thats who does the song".
You might look at these and wonder how I ever got these confused but with some of them there is definitely reasoning in my brain thoughts for why I would have made the mistake.
Click in the read more for the list
5. Stuck in the Middle With you - Stealer's Wheel
Scottish band Stealers Wheel were one hit wonders in the early 70's with this track before breaking up after three albums in 1975. This song, which gained more popularity from its use in Reservoir Dogs, was their one big hit in 1973. Former member Gerry Rafferty is also famous for his huge hit "Baker Street". "Stuck in the middle...has a folksy rock and roll, acoustic led riff with a husky whiny voice that spouts rambling but oddly poetic lyrics, all reminiscent of a certain singer-songwriter
Download here
I Always Thought It Was...Bob Dylan
Well I mean its obvious really. Not to mention that Steven Wright even describes it as a "Dylan-esque slice of Bubble-gum Pop" in Reservoir Dogs.
4. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs
Around the 80's there were quite a number of bands who sounded not unlike the The Psychedlic furs mainly due to the fact that the music is quite wishy-washy, distinctly 80's electro and with croaky vocals not unlike a certain great white duke.
Download here
I always thought it was...David Bowie
Some people can't hear what I'm hearing in this or why I thought it was Bowie for so long but there's just something there. It might be because tonally it sounds quite like Bowie's "China Girl (or vice versa actually as "Love My Way" was out first"). I dunno. It just seems to make sense to me.
3. Candy Girl - New Edition
Featuring a young Bobby Brown before he married Whitney and became a coked out mess (probably), New Edition were one of the proto-type boy-bands in so far as they sold shit-load of records, had hoards of screaming fans and are remembered by few. Because they were very young, were all boys, were all black and not to mention their sound was deliberately designed as such they were hailed/reviled as the next level to a certain other all boy, all young, all black band. And thats where the confusion lay.
Download here
I Always Thought It Was...The Jackson 5
Its probably because I only ever heard it in TV and Movie soundtracks I never picked up on the Electro intro or the little kind-of-rap at the beginning. It might also be because it sounds a lot like "I Want You Back" by The Jackson 5 but allegedly that was the point all along. Either way it caused me to go "Who the fuck are New Edition?" when I saw the video finally on some VH1 classics show.
2. Horse With No Name - America
Sounds so like the person I thought it was that America even addressed this fact in their anthology liner notes. There's no doubt whatsoever who it sounds like.
Download here
I Always Thought It Was...Neil Young
While the chorus is more Simon and Garfunkel than Neil Young the rest of the song from the rhythm to the vocals are reminiscent of Canada's finest export. While the song is quite catchy and is actually a classic in its own right (especially in comparison to the rest of the shite that "America" released), the lyrics are too banal for Young and are often ridiculed sometimes famously. Randy Newman said that "the song is about a kid who thinks he's taken acid" while the late comedian Richard Jeni said "You're in the desert. There's nothing to do. Why don't you name the freakin horse". The irony of this whole matter is that the song itself knocked Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" off the Number One spot in the US.
1. Layla - Derek and the Domino's
Waily guitars, screamy blues-rock vocals. People know either two versions of "Layla". The original recorded by this Super-group in 1971 and used to great effect by Martin Scorsese in Goodfellas or the slower, practically re-written version from the MTV Unplugged performance in the early 90's.
Download here
I Always Thought It Was...Eric Clapton
Well okay yeah this cheats a little bit because of course it was Eric Clapton but until a few years ago I had no idea about Derek and the Domino's and had no idea that Clapton had starred in yet another super-group. Still props to the man for the Unplugged performance practically doing a cover version of his own song.
*Incidentally if its unclear as to why Matt Damon's image is at the top of the post then I suggest you Watch The Talented Mr. Ripley and all should become clear.
50 Greatest TV Shows of all time
Nice little trip down Nostalgia Avenue with a list of the 50 Greatest TV shows Ever voted for by Empire readers. No doubt there's some clangers (Sex and the City a better show than Quantum Leap?) but some under-rated classics are given the respect they deserve (Firefly and Spaced place higher than some more obvious ones). You'll have no problem guessing what the number one is before you get there but the list is a diverting read for about half an hour.
Go here to see for yourself
Blur are dead. Long Live Blur.
Although they haven't been active now for about four years its been announced recently (by the NME at least) that any hope for a Blur reunion has been scuppered, allegedly because the other three hate Damon Albarn too much. And so ends another one of my all time favourite bands.
Blur first came onto my radar in 1993 when a girl in summer camp played me the single of For Tomorrow but it wasn't until Girls & Boys came out the following February that I took notice. They were most popular through their Parklife and The Great Escape albums which ultimately proved to be their weakest points musically, and consequently you won't find anything from The Great Escape on my list of favourite Blur songs which you can see after the jump. The great thing about Blur was that after their Brit-Pop days (a scene they more or less invented) their albums were actually getting better and better and indisputably far more interesting than the output of their rivals Oasis.
Click below to see and hear my favourite choices of Blur songs.
Blur had a quite a fair bit of stuff that some people might have regarded as 'Crap' but they certainly knew how to fuck around with tunes and sounds etc. and when they wanted to they could write quite the haunting and even rocking tune. Here's a few of the best.
1. Sing (from Leisure. Also Trainspotting Original Soundtrack)
Much of Blur's first album was a combination of the dying shoegazing sound and the discovery of THAT Brit-Pop sound. This track encompasses the former quite a bit.
2. Wear Me Down (from Leisure)
More shoegazing but this time with easier vocals and a very melancholic, and at the same time catchy, chorus.
3. Popscene (single only)
The song that created Brit-Pop. Should have made Blur huge. Instead it was released at a time when everyone was listening to Nirvana and grunge and as such nobody wanted to know, which is a shame because its catchy as hell.
4. Advert (from Modern Life is Rubbish)
Evidence that Blur can do thrashy songs with great little riffs and singers counting out the number of break-down bars with a megaphone.
5. Resigned (from Modern Life is Rubbish)
The Finale of Modern Life and more evidence that Blur can write touching songs. Stick around after it ends and hear one of their finest random moments.
6. Trouble in the Message Centre (from Parklife)
Something about the combination of thrash and synth in this song never gets old in my head. Dunno why.
7. This is a Low (from Parklife)
A great melancholic yet uplifting song that Blur ended their most famous album with. And many of their gigs as well.
8. You're So Great (from Blur)
Okay its pretty much the first Graham Coxon solo song but its on a Blur album and it really highlights what an eclectic song-writer he is.
9. Death of a Party (from Blur)
Also known as "Blur do their own version of The Specials 'Ghost Town'" from the album also known as "Blur listen to Pavement a lot in an attempt to ditch their Brit-Pop sound". Successfully.
10. Bugman (from 13)
Blurs possibly greatest album opens with one of their biggest try-to-hard singles (Tender) but quickly moves into this rocky little thing. Listen to the break-down about half way through where it all descends into noise and starts back up again like an engine.
11. Battle (from 13)
Proof that the Blur of the Brit-Pop years was dead and buried and a new experimental type was coming into effect.
12. Caramel (from 13)
And further and further away they go. So fucking aching and waily that Sigur Rós would be proud.
13. Out of Time (from Think Tank)
Another excellent album proving that Blur could still knock them out (HUHUHUH!!!). This single is simply a damn fine haunting little number.
14. Brothers & Sisters (from Think Tank)
Gorillaz was very much on Damons mind as you can see from this funky thing that wouldn't have been out of place on Demon Days.
15. Jets (from Think Tank)
Epic and lo-fi as fuck with an awesome sax solo to boot. If Blur had not ended we might have got more of this.
In the future history will look more favourably upon Blur and will prove me right that they were worthy of a lot more recognition than they were given.
Top 5 Music Rip-offs/Coincidences
Ever hear a song and go "Fucking hell, that sounds an awful like such-and-such". Well here's 5 examples of songs that could well be either blatant copies on the part of the artist or simply a case of sheer coincidence. The 5 below are not samples. They're not acknowledged "inspired by" parts like other songs. There is no admitted connection between the sound-a-like and the earlier version.
5. HEAR'SAY - PURE AND SIMPLE
This isn't a really obvious one (partly the reason why its number 5) but this always used to bother me. If you don't remember this "Classic" from one of the earliest Reality TV show bands then here you go (actual video is removed from embedding so here's a dodgy(er) version):
SOUNDS LIKE:
AROUND THE WORLD - OASIS
This isn't that easy to hear and its possibly my brain playing tricks on me but listen to the chorus part "All around the world/Gotta spread the world etc", then go back and listen to the chorus of Pure and Simple and sing the Oasis chorus over it. See? Its subtle but its there. Who would have thought it. A reality show pop band ripping somebody off.
4. AVRIL LAVIGNE - GIRLFRIEND
You've heard the story about Avril and Co. being sued over this before I'm sure as it was only just sorted recently but in case you don't know what it sounds like (and you get more respect from me if you don't) then here it is:
SOUNDS LIKE:
THE RUBINOOS - I WANNA BE YOUR BOYFRIEND
So the whole "Hey Hey You You I wanna be your ( )friend" similarity is quite coincimental but is it likely that she did steal it?
Personally I reckon the Rubinoos should take the stance that Peaches took when Avril ripped her off. Several million more people have heard their song now that she's done it than had heard it before. And its a fucking awful song anyway. They should be thanking her. Muppets.
3. 2 UNLIMITED - TRIBAL DANCE
Remember this? Shit song. Shit band. Who could they have possibly ripped off?
SOUNDS LIKE
2 UNLIMITED - TWILIGHT ZONE
Themselves apparently
Shocking.
2. ELASTICA - CONNECTION
Back at the height of Britpop Elasica were never up their with Blur and Oasis in terms of popularity but they had some great songs and not just a few suggestions of unoriginality. Their first album was supposedly written by Damon Albarn, a fact that is made even stranger by the fact that the band took 5 years to write an inferior follow-up following the break-up of Albarn and Elasica's Justine Frischman. Then there's the fact that one of the best songs on the album ("Waking up") sounds so like The Stranglers its remarkable that it didn't actually manage to sound like any Stranglers song in particular. This one however:
SOUNDS LIKE
WIRE - THREE GIRL RHUMBA
Not a sample but an out and out rip-off. How Wire didn't try and sue I'll never know. Both are great songs in their own right though.
1. NIRVANA - COME AS YOU ARE
Nirvana? One of the most original bands of the 90's? Rip offs? Surely not. Well you all know the song in question
SOUNDS LIKE
KILLING JOKE - EIGHTIES
Nowhere near the worst band to ever come out of the 80's and this song is actually pretty darn good. The coincidence however is far too...um...coincidental. The opening riff is sped up but is very similar and the fact that the same guitar effect is used on it makes me think "Hmm Mr Cobain, you appear to have shot yourself in the....foot with this one". Killing Joke attempted a suing and would probably have won but they called off the dogs after Kurt died. Pity. They should have passed the buck to Courteney. The less money that she has the better.
