Seven from '07

As often happens at the end of the year, I found myself thinking back to the music that I have been listening to. This year, for the first time in a while, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of decent songs I have come across.

And so, after much internal discussion, I have come up with the following countdown - my favourite seven songs from 2007.

Obviously, this will just be my opinion* , and I have used the following criteria:

• The song needs to have been released as a single in 2007
• Erm, that's it!

Some of the songs that didn't make it include (in alphabetical order):

• Arctic Monkeys: Brianstorm (fast and punchy - yeah!)
  
• Ash: You can’t have it all (great single from a great singles band)
  
• Hard Fi: Suburban Knights ("woah-oh-oohhh!")
  
• The Holloways: Generator (a feelgood song if ever there was one)
  
• Jamie T: Sheila (another great song about drunken Britain)
  
• Kaiser Chiefs: Ruby (the tenth best selling single of 2007!)
  
• Mika: Grace Kelly (the novelty has worn off a bit, but still a good song)
• Regina Spektor: Fidelity (great voice, simple meoldy, ruined by rubbish middle 8)
  
• Robyn: With every heartbeat (not as good as everyone says, but still decent)
  
• Timbaland: The way I are (has been adopted by MOTD2 - 'nuff said)
  
• The View: Same jeans (catchy and punchy, but overplayed)
  

* It doesn't take a genius to work out that I generally like things with guitars - in that respect, it has been a good year! Also, opinions are not static - I may feel differently in a few weeks, or even days!

Seven from '07: Seven

Muse: Map of the Problematique

Released: 18th June 2007
Album: Black holes and revelations (Helium 3/Warner Bros)

"And no-one thinks they are to blame"

Sounding a lot like Depeche Mode's classic Enjoy the silence, with echoes of Faithless' Insomnia, this is, to me, the perfect example of how to fuse guitar and dance music. I wish I could write songs like this.

This song would have been higher placed (possibly number 1 in the list), if it wasn't for the fact that it has been available on the album for nearly a year before it was released as a (download-only) single. The band did not make a promo video for this single, but I did manage to find this footage from 4Music, which shows what an awesome live act they are.

Seven from '07: Six

Cherry Ghost: People help the people

Released: 25th June 2007
Album: Thirst for romance (Heavenly Records)

"God knows what is hidden in those weak and sunken eyes,

A fiery throng of muted angels giving love and getting nothing back"

There is always room for a big-hearted ballad, and in 2007 it didn't come much bigger. Yes, he has a slightly cliched, Lancashire nasal-whine, and that might put you off at the start. But stick with it, it is worth it for the chorus.

Lush and anthemic, this song gets better everytime I hear it, and it does tug at the proverbial heart-strings (what does that mean, by the way?).

Seven from '07: Five

Maximo Park: Our velocity

Released: 19th March 2007
Album: Our earthly pleasures (Warp)

"Love is a lie which means I've been lied to
Love is a lie which means I've been lying too"

One of the first singles of this year that I really liked. I acquired a copy of Maximo Park's first album, which is OK but nothing special (I wouldn't have bothered buying it), and featured a couple of decent singles, such as Apply some pressure. This single is a quantum leap from that, and from what I have heard since, may well end up being their best record ever. Oh yeah, and it is a great video:



For a live performance, click here.

Seven from '07: Four

Calvin Harris: Acceptable in the’80s

Released: 12th March 2007
Album: I created disco (Sony/Columbia)

"It was acceptable at the time"

This one won't win any awards for insightful lyrics, but it is good fun nonetheless. Using great sounds and a good tune, it is definitely one of the lighter moments of the year. The song doesn't really go anywhere, and the video is frankly a bit odd.

Calvin Harris continued the fun with the follow-up, The girls:

"I like them black girls, I like them white girls, I like them Asian girls, I like them mixed race girls, I like them Spanish girls, I like them Italian girls, I like the French girls, And I like Scandinavian girls, I like them tall girls, I like them short girls, I like them brown hair girls, I like them blonde hair girls, I like them big girls, I like them skinny girls, I like them carrying a little bitty weight girls".

Do you think he might be gay?

Seven from '07: Three

Air Traffic: Charlotte

Re-release: March 26th
Album: Fractured Life (EMI)

"Are you glad I came?
Can I walk you home?"

This, to me, was one of the songs that marked the triumphant return of three minute guitar pop. I think it is about realising your feelings for another, but that doesn't seem like the most important thing - it is a fine tune, not too long and not too short, and is very punchy.



Click here for a fine live performance from Later ... with Jools Holland

Seven from '07: Two

CSS: Let’s make love and listen to death from above

Re-release: 14th May
Album: Cansei de Ser Sexy (Sub Pop)

"Run run run, to make your heart shake, Kiss kiss kiss will make this earth quake"

There is something really irresistable about this song. Again, it is a guitar-based song with something funky and dancy about it. CSS are from Brazil - maybe it is that mysticism of sexy Brazilians that does it (although I cannot say that any of the band members float my boat). I quite like the (obviously low-budget) video, but I think it is just the insistence of the singing, the lyrics (which, at times, are nonsense, and in other places seem profound), and the fact that song chugs along without getting boring. It's bouncy, and I like it!



Click here to see the band play live on Later ... with Jools Holland - having just watched this, I realise what a close call it was between the number 2 and number 1 slots in this particular countdown...

Seven from '07: Number One

The Cribs: Men’s needs

Release: 14th May
Album: Men’s needs, women’s needs, whatever (Wichita)

"Girl's needs just don't agree
With a man's needs"

What fine song this is. Great riff, good tune, with vocals that interchange between the rather sardonic verss and the gruff, barked-out chorus. Apparently The Cribs' Ryan Jarman has a track record of writing songs about misogyny and other "issues", and this is a perfect slice of guitar music (with a commercial edge lent by the production of Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos) to accompany the rather withering riposte to today's lifestyle magazine culture (at least that is what I think - I am no expert!).

The point being, decent lyrics, good tune plus good performance makes this a great song, that will probably still sound fantastic for many years to come.



Click here for a live performance from Later ... with Jools Holland - ignore the bad haircuts!

Review: Flight of The Conchords season 1 DVD.

By: HBO/Warner Bros
Year: 2007
Format: DVD
Purchased at: Play.com, £17.99

For those of you who may wish to know, season 1 of Flight of the Conchords was broadcast on BBC4 in September of this year. It's release onto DVD was somewhat swift, following almost immediately after its 12 week run on TV. For one reason or another, I did not get to catch FOTC on BBC4 but had heard good things and thus purchased the First Season DVD, the review of which I am presenting to you now as my inaugural post on ReVued.

First things first, the 'plot'. Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of New Zealanders Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie (their real names as well as their charachter names), who together form folk duo Flight of The Conchords. Well, I say 'folk duo'.. to be precise, FOTC are the self-proclaimed "4th Most Popular Folk Parody Duo" in New Zealand. Wishing to broaden their fan-base, Jemaine and Bret travel to New York City determined to crack arguably the most difficult market there is, namely America. In terms of plot, that is about it. The basic premise serves mainly as a catalyst for the bizarre situations and characters Jemaine and Bret encounter during the 12 half-hour episodes.

Flight of the Conchords are actually a Grammy nominated musical comedy duo in their own right, who made the transition to the small screen following stints on the live circuit as well as a very well received radio series broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 2005. The radio show pretty much provided the basis for the TV show in as much as it focused on the duo's attempts to break the U.K music scene, with much of the material from that being used for their TV debut.

At first glance, you may be forgiven for thinking that FOTC is not worth the watch because the premise hardly smacks of originality, and to that extent, you would be right. The idea of a 'rubbish' band embarking on a seemingly impossible task of increasing their fan base has been used in classic comedies such as This is Spinal Tap to.... well... I can't think offhand but I'm sure there are others (What do think this is, bleeding Empire or something??). However, for those who may be put off by the aforementioned lack of originality, I urge you to PLEASE think again, for FOTC is an absolute riot. I am a firm believer in the notion that it is not the concept that makes a show or film original and engaging, but rather, the manner in which this concept is utilised. Who amongst us could seriously argue that the Simpsons is an original concept?? A dysfunctional American family? Like that's never been done before (!) Yet the Simpsons has arguably been THE benchmark for 'How DO they come up with this' comedy. It remains to be seen whether FOTC will ever reach this level of brilliance, (and I suspect that it is to be fair unlikely), however, I for one had a ball with the 12 episodes that comprised series 1.

The clever thing I found about FOTC was that things are always kept simple, yet the humour remained left-field enough to satisfy my off-the-wall comic leanings. Jemaine Clement and Bret Mckenzie remain the epitome of deadpan throughout the series; they never look like they are actually enjoying their quest for success, but given the motley crew of people they have to endure, this is hardly surprising. The duo are accompanied almost everywhere by well-meaning but utterly useless manager Murray Hewitt, whose day job as immigration office in the NZ embassy never takes priority over his desire to make the Conchords massive. Add to the mix Mel, the Conchords ONE devoted/obsessive fan, who despite having married her psychology lecturer, shamelessly throws herself at both Bret and Jemaine at every opportunity. Further characters drop in and out of the series, but it's these 4 characters which are the mainstay of the show.

As should be expected, FOTC also contains many of the band's compositions, but rather than show the band performing live, the songs are spontaneously launched into whenever Jemaine or Bret are feeling emotional. In one episode for instance, Bret eyes up a co-worker, but rather than actually chat her up, Bret begins singing a Shaggy style ode to lust, entitled 'She's so hot... BOOM!' The songs the duo 'perform' are essentially parodies of various musical styles and no genre stone is left untitled, with the songs being used almost as internal monologues As with most things song related, most songs hit the mark, but not all. The brilliance of tunes such as Think Think about it ("There's people getting stabbed with knives and forks... calling each other names like... dork") sit alongside less successful compositions (in particular a Lord of the Rings tribute which did nothing for me at all).

Ultimately however, imperfect though FOTC might be, the show nevertheless ticked many if not all the boxes for me: Sharp scripts, off the wall deadpan and a supporting cast that are just as integral to the show as the duo themselves. If you are into more-left field comedy such as Seinfeld, Curb your enthusiasm, Father Ted etc... you could do a hell of a lot worse than check out Flight of the Conchords season 1 on DVD. Oh, and as an aside.. the Casio DG-20 RULES!!!

Mark: 8.5/10

PS: Clips of the band's live shows are available on YouTube so you can see the basic nature of their act.

Skins: Series 1

By: Company Pictures for Channel 4
Year: 2007

Format: DVD
Purchased from: CD Wow, £13.99 (Oct 2007)

Skins premiered on E4 in early 2007, and was then repeated in the autumn on Channel 4. Anyone who only saw the trailers would have thought it was just another trashy show about teenagers having sex, drinking and doing drugs - whilst I cannot deny there is a lot of the above, there is more to this show.

I am not going to write a long synopsis of this show, frankly you can get that information and more from Amazon and Wikipedia. However, most episodes focus on individual characters whilst still allowing the storyline to develop around them. Even allowing for the contribution of others, much of the action focuses around Tony, Michelle and Sid.

Naturally, some characters are stronger than others, and as the series goes on, it feels as though some have been developed while others are largely left by the wayside. However, I maintain that it is very well-written and the acting is brilliant, especially allowing for the fact that, Nicholas Hoult and the special guest stars apart, the cast are fresh-faced unknowns.

Incidentally, Nick Hoult has the perfect face and manner for Tony; languid, and cheeky-faced; I remember when he appeared on Jo Whiley's radio show, there were many texts from girls saying "Is he really only 17? Is it wrong that I think that he is hot?" (the answers are, respectively, yes, and although it is understandable, probably).

I think it is fair to mention that, although this is supposed to be a show about 16/17 year olds, it is almost certainly aimed at people more of my age (mid- to late-twenties). It certainly cannot be for sixteen year olds as it is an 18 certificate DVD! I also asked someone who has a 16 year old son whether she minds him watching Skins, and she didn't like the idea much at all.

I could relate to the characters - Tony is the swaggering, arrogant attention-seeker who does things for kicks, with little regard of the consequences; Sid is the long-suffering best friend (that was me when I was 17); Michelle the starry-eyed girlfriend; Cassie the troubled girl who actually sees things more clearly than you or I; Maxxie and Anwar, the gay guy and the Muslim boy who struggles to equate his friends' lifestyles with his religion; Jal is the sensible one, and Chris the hedonist whose hard-partying exterior hides a load of inner turmoil.

I really liked this series. It is the first show I have watched in ages where I really cared about the characters and the outcomes. I am not the kind of person who cries at films or TV (usually I am just so mindful of the fact that it is not real) but this was the first thing I have watched in ages which has made me laugh out loud while on the verge of bursting into tears.

If you are in your twenties or thirties and you want to relive the surreal youth that you wish you'd had, then this is for you.

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to ReVued, a new blog in which we review anything from books to films to music to products and services.

My name is Rish - like all good reviewers, I have turned to writing after a failed stab at becoming a musician. I am a Nottingham Forest supporter and have written match reports for the official website, BBC Nottingham, and on my brother's blog. I also keep a blog of my own.

My writing companion is Mohan. He is passionate about music, films (he goes to the cinema most weeks), and he keeps an eye on what's on the box. He has travelled the world and wrote vacation diaries from various locations.

Mohan and I are quite similar: we are both male and in our late twenties, and we like to try and see the good in things. We hope that this will make our reviews balanced, while still reflecting our opinions. We hope that you will enjoy our reviews, and welcome your comments on anything we write.

Let the ReVues commence...