It now looks as though the long saga of the collapse of music, dvd and game retailer Free Record Shop has concluded in Belgium. Whilst the Dutch counterparts have apparently brought themselves back from the brink of extinction having gone through similar woes last year, it is reported that Belgian stores have now been cleared of stock, and that stock is being cleared at the Dutch stores.
The saga began last year when the company entered administration, online sales were suspended and a small number of stores were closed. A glimmer of hope appeared in December when the capital group (Hilco) responsible for rescuing HMV in the UK took an interest in the ailing chain and managed to keep the majority of stores open until the end of the year. Sadly this proved to be just a stay of execution and in early January, Hilco released that they were expecting to close the remaining 68 Belgian Free Record Shops. Belgian press sources suggest this has now happened.
It is fair to say that the chain has had problems. Stock was most overpriced and stores often felt very sleepy. It is fair to say that online retail and supermarket discounting of high volume titles has led to the death of the high street book and record shop in the UK, whereas Belgium doesn't have a local Amazon service. National titles are not often easily available online, with the easiet source for Vlaams titles being Leuven's independent store Bilbo Records. The main competitors to FRS (Extrazone) went out of business in late 2009, leaving them with a free reign on the high street. These factors have clearly helped Free Record Shop survive as long as it has. Aside from supermarket offerings, the only remaining retail outlet brands for media are now the europewide Electro-supermarkets Media Markt and Saturn.
Anyway, enough of the business concerns. I will miss Free Record Shop. Being honest, it wasn't my primary source for buying media in Belgium, but it was always worth a visit to have a rummage around and occasionally find the odd gem. The presence of an FRS branch would often be a good excuse for visiting a town that we would otherwise have missed. Small town Belgium will be a culturally poorer place without it.
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
THE JOPI AWARDS for 2013
And unlike some lesser awards shows, these are given for and
therefore named after the year in which the work was done rather than
the year we're a few weeks in to....
SONG OF THE YEAR: Goose - Control
Once again, Belgium leads the way in providing the pop music that the rest of the world should be listening to. This barnstorming slab of techno rumbles away to an insistent start and builds to a magnificent crescendo. Throughout it has the sound of a perfect harmony between analogue and digital; human vocals and drums combining brilliantly with synths and loops to bring a unique hybrid of sounds.
Also of note...Willow's singles Sweater and Remedy (the latter is a taster for their new album coming in 2014) are both sublime pop music, proving that the chorus isn't dead. Flemish lunatic Daan released Everglades, an English language offering from his predominantly French language longplayer Le Franc Belge, which offered up hugely catchy drama amongst sweeping strings. Swede Mason returned with another insanely brilliant collection of lo-fi techno and video editing in Derek Had A Double Dose. Francophone Jazz-pop pixie Zaz returned with her best single to date with the splendid On Ira.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Bent van Looy - Round the Bend
In what should possibly be renamed the Bent van Looy category, having been awarded to his band Das Pop last year, van Looy has released a sublime collection of offbeat and bittersweet pop songs in his unique style. He paints an heartwarming picture of scenes and emotions which are engaging, all within the confines of a three or four minute pop song. I spent a lot of time listening to this album during the autumn, which was the perfect time of year to be hearing it. There is no better audio accompaniment to the views of falling leaves as the wind starts to feel colder than it has done during the summer. Having said that, I'm sure it would work equally well in welcoming the dawn of spring.
Also of note... I've struggled to get excited by any British music this year. The obsession with the bland, the uninspired and the weak this year has developed to epidemic proportions. The whole music industry seems to be geared to new acts releasing huge debut albums, then have no chance of following them up. Even acts who have previously delivered quality albums seem to have been caught up in the creativity vortex engulfing the UK.
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR: Errr.... Ummm.... 2013, like 2012 hasn't shown a single radio station reach out and grab me. My general weekday listening pattern is as follows:
Breakfast: Jon Holmes (XFM); Morning: Ken Bruce (BBC R2); Lunchtime: Steve Yabsley (BBC Radio Bristol); Afternoon: Scott Mills (BBC R1) or Laura Rawlings (BBC Radio Bristol); Drivetime: Simon Mayo (BBC R2).
Each of these stations has some brilliant output, but also some dire crap as well. XFM struggles to have an indentity on daytimes outside of Jon Holmes' show. BBC Radio 2 is woeful away from Bruce and Mayo. BBC Radio Bristol is excruciatingly worthy at breakfast and through the mornings, exactly the sort of "worry about everything" broadcasting that Danny Baker criticised BBC London for.
MUSIC RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Gunther D (Studio Brussel)
This utterly barking mad hour of Friday evenings on StuBru is the right way to start off the weekend. The show is a mixture of mainstream dance music from the last 20 years, current underground dance, short calls from (often inebriated) listeners, sound effects and hype from Gunther. It is a festival of music radio, the likes of which simply aren't heard elsewhere. The show benefits from only being an hour long - any longer and it would struggle to maintain the hyperactivity. The show has also spawned two successful 3CD compilations.
FACTUAL RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Hunted (BBC WM)
Factual might be stretching it a bit for this show, but it deserved a mention. Hunted is a Treasure Hunt style programme with cryptic clues played out in real time across the broadcast area of BBC West Midlands. Over the course of the three hour show, the studio anchor is challenged to direct the runner in the radio car to the right locations and finally the hunted individual that gives the show its name. Neither the anchor nor the runner have access to any internet or text message feeds - all information must be passed by listeners through to the studio via the phone switchboard. Several BBC Local stations run similar programmes (notably BBC Radio Norfolk's Treasure Quest and BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Pirate Gold), but none manage the fantastic drama and tension achieved during the 13 week summer run of this show. If you want a taster of the format, my personal second favourite to Hunted is BBC Radio Sheffield's Clueless which is on year round.
COMEDY RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Cabin Pressure (BBC Radio 4)
If ever there were an example of a comedy writer raising their game and developing the depth of characters in a sitcom, then John Finnemore's work on Cabin Pressure is a textbook offering. The fourth (and final) series of the show featured some superb gags, quips and situations whilst building new storylines around key characters which stretched over episodes for the first time. But it isn't all about the writing - Benedict Cumberbatch (Martin), Stephanie Cole (Carolyn) and Finnemore himself (Arthur) all deliver sterling performances in key roles, but for me the show is stolen by Roger Allam playing the ever suave and unflappable Douglas with gusto. A final concluding episode is mooted for 2014.
PODCAST OF THE YEAR: Toby Foster at Breakfast (BBC Radio Sheffield)
A new category for this year. Toby Foster's Breakfast podcast demonstrates how good local radio broadcasting can be. Foster and his team are all experts of their patch whilst still being aware of the bigger picture. Their banter is a joy in a genre of radio which is dominated by the bland and the worthy. Comedian Foster isn't afraid of tacking serious topics and does so with a tactfully authoritative voice, although this material makes it through to the podcast less often than the laughs.
Also of note in this category is Iain Lee's weekly podcast from BBC Three Counties, about which much of the above could also be said.
BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR: Jon Holmes (XFM)
Following his appointment to the breakfast show on XFM London, i did have some reservations as to whether he could maintain the level of creative energy demonstrated on his previous 6Music Saturday show for four hours, five days a week. Thankfully he can, and has been given a level of creative freedom on his show that he simply wouldn't get elsewhere (and to be honest it surprises me that he gets it on the Global brand). Holmes' show is quickfire daftness powered by a huge raft of jingles, specially recorded inserts and painstakingly well assembled mashed up bits of other radio programmes. If anything, the levels of creativity have raised during the year.
MUSIC RETAILER OF THE YEAR: Popcorn Music, Roeselare (Belgium)
The era of the huge second hand record shop appears to have all but come to an end. Thankfully, nobody has told this to Popcorn Music of Roeselare. The store has a huge choice of CDs and vinyl (plus even more available from storage), all housed in custom built racks. Our last visit was on a Saturday afternoon and the atmosphere was brilliant. There was a modest crowd of Flemish music fans sat around the cash desk (from where they also sell beer - only in Belgium) enjoying some banter.
HOPE FOR 2014...
New albums from Willow and (perhaps) Das Pop?
Another series of Hunted on BBC WM?
Nick Grimshaw's sacking from the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, along with everybody on the music panel at the station?
The final series of X Factor?
SONG OF THE YEAR: Goose - Control
Once again, Belgium leads the way in providing the pop music that the rest of the world should be listening to. This barnstorming slab of techno rumbles away to an insistent start and builds to a magnificent crescendo. Throughout it has the sound of a perfect harmony between analogue and digital; human vocals and drums combining brilliantly with synths and loops to bring a unique hybrid of sounds.
Also of note...Willow's singles Sweater and Remedy (the latter is a taster for their new album coming in 2014) are both sublime pop music, proving that the chorus isn't dead. Flemish lunatic Daan released Everglades, an English language offering from his predominantly French language longplayer Le Franc Belge, which offered up hugely catchy drama amongst sweeping strings. Swede Mason returned with another insanely brilliant collection of lo-fi techno and video editing in Derek Had A Double Dose. Francophone Jazz-pop pixie Zaz returned with her best single to date with the splendid On Ira.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Bent van Looy - Round the Bend
In what should possibly be renamed the Bent van Looy category, having been awarded to his band Das Pop last year, van Looy has released a sublime collection of offbeat and bittersweet pop songs in his unique style. He paints an heartwarming picture of scenes and emotions which are engaging, all within the confines of a three or four minute pop song. I spent a lot of time listening to this album during the autumn, which was the perfect time of year to be hearing it. There is no better audio accompaniment to the views of falling leaves as the wind starts to feel colder than it has done during the summer. Having said that, I'm sure it would work equally well in welcoming the dawn of spring.
Also of note... I've struggled to get excited by any British music this year. The obsession with the bland, the uninspired and the weak this year has developed to epidemic proportions. The whole music industry seems to be geared to new acts releasing huge debut albums, then have no chance of following them up. Even acts who have previously delivered quality albums seem to have been caught up in the creativity vortex engulfing the UK.
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR: Errr.... Ummm.... 2013, like 2012 hasn't shown a single radio station reach out and grab me. My general weekday listening pattern is as follows:
Breakfast: Jon Holmes (XFM); Morning: Ken Bruce (BBC R2); Lunchtime: Steve Yabsley (BBC Radio Bristol); Afternoon: Scott Mills (BBC R1) or Laura Rawlings (BBC Radio Bristol); Drivetime: Simon Mayo (BBC R2).
Each of these stations has some brilliant output, but also some dire crap as well. XFM struggles to have an indentity on daytimes outside of Jon Holmes' show. BBC Radio 2 is woeful away from Bruce and Mayo. BBC Radio Bristol is excruciatingly worthy at breakfast and through the mornings, exactly the sort of "worry about everything" broadcasting that Danny Baker criticised BBC London for.
MUSIC RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Gunther D (Studio Brussel)
This utterly barking mad hour of Friday evenings on StuBru is the right way to start off the weekend. The show is a mixture of mainstream dance music from the last 20 years, current underground dance, short calls from (often inebriated) listeners, sound effects and hype from Gunther. It is a festival of music radio, the likes of which simply aren't heard elsewhere. The show benefits from only being an hour long - any longer and it would struggle to maintain the hyperactivity. The show has also spawned two successful 3CD compilations.
FACTUAL RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Hunted (BBC WM)
Factual might be stretching it a bit for this show, but it deserved a mention. Hunted is a Treasure Hunt style programme with cryptic clues played out in real time across the broadcast area of BBC West Midlands. Over the course of the three hour show, the studio anchor is challenged to direct the runner in the radio car to the right locations and finally the hunted individual that gives the show its name. Neither the anchor nor the runner have access to any internet or text message feeds - all information must be passed by listeners through to the studio via the phone switchboard. Several BBC Local stations run similar programmes (notably BBC Radio Norfolk's Treasure Quest and BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Pirate Gold), but none manage the fantastic drama and tension achieved during the 13 week summer run of this show. If you want a taster of the format, my personal second favourite to Hunted is BBC Radio Sheffield's Clueless which is on year round.
COMEDY RADIO SHOW OF THE YEAR: Cabin Pressure (BBC Radio 4)
If ever there were an example of a comedy writer raising their game and developing the depth of characters in a sitcom, then John Finnemore's work on Cabin Pressure is a textbook offering. The fourth (and final) series of the show featured some superb gags, quips and situations whilst building new storylines around key characters which stretched over episodes for the first time. But it isn't all about the writing - Benedict Cumberbatch (Martin), Stephanie Cole (Carolyn) and Finnemore himself (Arthur) all deliver sterling performances in key roles, but for me the show is stolen by Roger Allam playing the ever suave and unflappable Douglas with gusto. A final concluding episode is mooted for 2014.
PODCAST OF THE YEAR: Toby Foster at Breakfast (BBC Radio Sheffield)
A new category for this year. Toby Foster's Breakfast podcast demonstrates how good local radio broadcasting can be. Foster and his team are all experts of their patch whilst still being aware of the bigger picture. Their banter is a joy in a genre of radio which is dominated by the bland and the worthy. Comedian Foster isn't afraid of tacking serious topics and does so with a tactfully authoritative voice, although this material makes it through to the podcast less often than the laughs.
Also of note in this category is Iain Lee's weekly podcast from BBC Three Counties, about which much of the above could also be said.
BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR: Jon Holmes (XFM)
Following his appointment to the breakfast show on XFM London, i did have some reservations as to whether he could maintain the level of creative energy demonstrated on his previous 6Music Saturday show for four hours, five days a week. Thankfully he can, and has been given a level of creative freedom on his show that he simply wouldn't get elsewhere (and to be honest it surprises me that he gets it on the Global brand). Holmes' show is quickfire daftness powered by a huge raft of jingles, specially recorded inserts and painstakingly well assembled mashed up bits of other radio programmes. If anything, the levels of creativity have raised during the year.
MUSIC RETAILER OF THE YEAR: Popcorn Music, Roeselare (Belgium)
The era of the huge second hand record shop appears to have all but come to an end. Thankfully, nobody has told this to Popcorn Music of Roeselare. The store has a huge choice of CDs and vinyl (plus even more available from storage), all housed in custom built racks. Our last visit was on a Saturday afternoon and the atmosphere was brilliant. There was a modest crowd of Flemish music fans sat around the cash desk (from where they also sell beer - only in Belgium) enjoying some banter.
HOPE FOR 2014...
New albums from Willow and (perhaps) Das Pop?
Another series of Hunted on BBC WM?
Nick Grimshaw's sacking from the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, along with everybody on the music panel at the station?
The final series of X Factor?
Thursday, 31 October 2013
Hipster Brats
I think i've worked out what is wrong with Radio 1. The management recently made quite a noise about various high profile songs which were not playlisted including the media getting hot under the collar about snubbing Robbie Williams' comeback single "Candy".
Now as somebody who regularly works with Radio 1's target audience (11-18 year olds), they're making a mistake. Radio 1 should be playing almost everything which makes the top ten, regardless of how cool they think it is. Just because a group of hipsters from Shoreditch tells them it isn't relevant to them doesn't mean it isn't relevant to the rest of the country.
Radio 1 is ludicrously London-centric. Aside from live events which tour on a rota basis, ticking each box on the list, the station is heavily influenced by the capital. The presenters talk about London and rattle off anecdotes about capital venues and locations as if we all know where they are. This means very little to the average teenager from outside of the South East. I understand the economies of scale and consistency of product which benefits from having the whole station in one building, but it also makes it focused on one group of people and their tastes.
London is currently very much influenced by post Dubstep urban music and commercial teenybop, thus that forms the lion's share of the station's output. The station's obsession with One Direction leads to torrents of abuse each time they are mentioned on the station's Facebook page. On each week's playlist there will be the token rock or indie record and a couple of token dance records which are there to justify the existence of the daytime offerings against the likes of Capital, but there is no risk taking. New records will be branded as part of the "BBC Introducing" scheme.
The heavy playlisting means that presenters on the station are becoming increasingly less relevant. Listeners loved Chris Moyles because he dared to not follow the company line at times and would call something crap if he thought it was. Scott Mills is the only daytime presenter who will dare to criticise the music he plays and it'll be on a much lower key basis. Everybody else just sounds like a weak Media Studies graduate clone.
Now as somebody who regularly works with Radio 1's target audience (11-18 year olds), they're making a mistake. Radio 1 should be playing almost everything which makes the top ten, regardless of how cool they think it is. Just because a group of hipsters from Shoreditch tells them it isn't relevant to them doesn't mean it isn't relevant to the rest of the country.
Radio 1 is ludicrously London-centric. Aside from live events which tour on a rota basis, ticking each box on the list, the station is heavily influenced by the capital. The presenters talk about London and rattle off anecdotes about capital venues and locations as if we all know where they are. This means very little to the average teenager from outside of the South East. I understand the economies of scale and consistency of product which benefits from having the whole station in one building, but it also makes it focused on one group of people and their tastes.
London is currently very much influenced by post Dubstep urban music and commercial teenybop, thus that forms the lion's share of the station's output. The station's obsession with One Direction leads to torrents of abuse each time they are mentioned on the station's Facebook page. On each week's playlist there will be the token rock or indie record and a couple of token dance records which are there to justify the existence of the daytime offerings against the likes of Capital, but there is no risk taking. New records will be branded as part of the "BBC Introducing" scheme.
The heavy playlisting means that presenters on the station are becoming increasingly less relevant. Listeners loved Chris Moyles because he dared to not follow the company line at times and would call something crap if he thought it was. Scott Mills is the only daytime presenter who will dare to criticise the music he plays and it'll be on a much lower key basis. Everybody else just sounds like a weak Media Studies graduate clone.
Sunday, 29 September 2013
The Death of Music Radio
Friday 27th September 2013 saw Radio 1 reach the conclusion of "Even More Music Month" which has basically seen a lot of hype and more Live Lounge performances than normal. The final day of this hype saw 12 hours (7am - 7pm) of music without any presentation from DJs, who were relegated to Twitter. During this twelve hours, a countdown of the most popular records (as voted online) from a shortlist of the 100 most played songs in the past five years on Radio 1, which is effectively those songs which have spent the longest on R1's underplaylist.
The twelve hours (aside from news broadcasts) were a succession of idents, branding and hype amongst the music, much like the ILR Jack FM does every day after their breakfast show.
I believe there were two main purposes of this activity. The first was to establish the direction the mainstream music output should be taking on the station, finding out the most popular genres and artists and setting the direction of the station accordingly.
The second is far more ominous. Bear in mind the constant political pressure on the BBC to reduce their costs and adapt their output, particularly on services which can be accused of being adequately catered for by commercial broadcasters. This was a trial to test the water for Radio 1 (or for that matter 1Xtra) being reduced to a jukebox offering, without the expense of having presenting staff to amuse the listeners between the records.
You might think i'm being overdramatic, but this is a logical conclusion to the direction that commercial and public radio has been taking in the UK. All commercial radio groups have been reducing their staff numbers, networking shows and in the case of Jack removing presenters altogether. Removing presenters reduces the level of attention that the listener conciously pays to the station and also reduces the likelihood that the listener will turn off due to being annoyed by the presenter.
If you don't believe that commercial radio is moving towards just being a jukebox with adverts, just listen to Heart off peak. Over the course of an hour of the programme presented by Toby Anstis, he speaks for barely two minutes. Occasionally mentioning that you're listening to Heart, the records coming up and the ones he's just played. They are persistently reducing the level of speech heard and would probably remove presenters altogether immediately if Ofcom would allow it.
As such, the BBC has to follow the lead of the commercial broadcasters and at least trial the format which is likely to become widespread the next time Ofcom gets reorganised and the ILRs can make changes without anyone noticing. Because nobody will notice, least of all the listeners...
The twelve hours (aside from news broadcasts) were a succession of idents, branding and hype amongst the music, much like the ILR Jack FM does every day after their breakfast show.
I believe there were two main purposes of this activity. The first was to establish the direction the mainstream music output should be taking on the station, finding out the most popular genres and artists and setting the direction of the station accordingly.
The second is far more ominous. Bear in mind the constant political pressure on the BBC to reduce their costs and adapt their output, particularly on services which can be accused of being adequately catered for by commercial broadcasters. This was a trial to test the water for Radio 1 (or for that matter 1Xtra) being reduced to a jukebox offering, without the expense of having presenting staff to amuse the listeners between the records.
You might think i'm being overdramatic, but this is a logical conclusion to the direction that commercial and public radio has been taking in the UK. All commercial radio groups have been reducing their staff numbers, networking shows and in the case of Jack removing presenters altogether. Removing presenters reduces the level of attention that the listener conciously pays to the station and also reduces the likelihood that the listener will turn off due to being annoyed by the presenter.
If you don't believe that commercial radio is moving towards just being a jukebox with adverts, just listen to Heart off peak. Over the course of an hour of the programme presented by Toby Anstis, he speaks for barely two minutes. Occasionally mentioning that you're listening to Heart, the records coming up and the ones he's just played. They are persistently reducing the level of speech heard and would probably remove presenters altogether immediately if Ofcom would allow it.
As such, the BBC has to follow the lead of the commercial broadcasters and at least trial the format which is likely to become widespread the next time Ofcom gets reorganised and the ILRs can make changes without anyone noticing. Because nobody will notice, least of all the listeners...
Disappointment doesn't do it justice
Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip have a new album coming out soon. Their debut (Angles) was brilliant and having had a break since their patchy second (The Logic of Chance), i've got high hopes that the new one (Repent, Replenish, Repeat) will be a cracker. They are keen utilisers of social media to promote their new releases and this is no exception. Their Facebook feed recently mentioned two guest artists who appear on the new album, one known to me, the other not.
The one i'm familiar with is Flux Pavillion, whose well humoured approach to the Dubstep sound makes him one of the most entertaining practictioners of the genre. The second is a rapper called Itch. I'd never heard of him before, so went to his Facebook page and found a link to his latest video. I've followed suggestions by Le Sac vs Pip before and almost always been delighted. This is by far the biggest exception to the rule thus far. A review follows:
Itch featuring Adam Lazzara - Homeless Romantic
It doesn't start well. The video opens with stereotypical views of graffiti, a gang of kids out of focus kicking stuff around and an appallingly poor hook of "This one's for the homeless romantic". Then we switch to Itch, who by the word of his own promotional material is a "feral street kid". He proports to be a baby Pro Green, but without the charisma in a stylised world of rubbish strewn warehouses, whilst crowds of plastic faced promo girls throw things around and smash stuff. Everybody looks like they've been styled by Little Mix. Then Mr Lazzara (of Taking Back Sunday) kicks in and makes the whole thing sound like an angsty college rock track, alternating between banging out part verses and "This one's for the homeless romantic" over and over. It isn't even that good a hook.
Everything about the video and the song feels painfully contrived, manufactured and fake. Itch looks less like a "feral street kid" and more like a spoiled rich kid, going through a dozen different looks in the video, which contribute to the synthetic feel. I put any belief in an artist like this that anything they're rapping about is real because everything is so glossy and cheesy. It is the sort of record i'd expect an X-Factor winner to make.
I really do expect better from the recommendations of people i respect...
The one i'm familiar with is Flux Pavillion, whose well humoured approach to the Dubstep sound makes him one of the most entertaining practictioners of the genre. The second is a rapper called Itch. I'd never heard of him before, so went to his Facebook page and found a link to his latest video. I've followed suggestions by Le Sac vs Pip before and almost always been delighted. This is by far the biggest exception to the rule thus far. A review follows:
Itch featuring Adam Lazzara - Homeless Romantic
It doesn't start well. The video opens with stereotypical views of graffiti, a gang of kids out of focus kicking stuff around and an appallingly poor hook of "This one's for the homeless romantic". Then we switch to Itch, who by the word of his own promotional material is a "feral street kid". He proports to be a baby Pro Green, but without the charisma in a stylised world of rubbish strewn warehouses, whilst crowds of plastic faced promo girls throw things around and smash stuff. Everybody looks like they've been styled by Little Mix. Then Mr Lazzara (of Taking Back Sunday) kicks in and makes the whole thing sound like an angsty college rock track, alternating between banging out part verses and "This one's for the homeless romantic" over and over. It isn't even that good a hook.
Everything about the video and the song feels painfully contrived, manufactured and fake. Itch looks less like a "feral street kid" and more like a spoiled rich kid, going through a dozen different looks in the video, which contribute to the synthetic feel. I put any belief in an artist like this that anything they're rapping about is real because everything is so glossy and cheesy. It is the sort of record i'd expect an X-Factor winner to make.
I really do expect better from the recommendations of people i respect...
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Album tactics
So why would anybody spend money on a consumer product which is going to be superceded by something bigger and better in six months time? The record industry must think we're all mugs and in many cases, they're right.
Ellie Goulding's second album Halcyon has just been re-released as Halcyon Days, which now boasts 21 tracks, rather than 13 on the original release. That was the original standard release, because there was also a Deluxe version which had a different six bonus tracks on it. And a Special edition which had two more different tracks on it. And then there is the Tesco edition, which had a couple of other tracks which didn't appear elsewhere. Halcyon Days has also been issued as a Deluxe edition, with a further two tracks which haven't appeared elsewhere. By my reckoning, there have been a total of 33 tracks released on the various editions of this album. No doubt there will soon be a repackaging as Halcyon Fucking Weeks with all of them on there.
Ellie Goulding's record company (Polydor) have previous. Her first album, Lights was reissued as Bright Lights. Interestingly, this repackaging featured the title tracks from the original issue along with the insipid Elton John cover of Your Song and five other tracks. Whereas this could be put down to the unforeseen success of the cover song, the tactics of releasing several different versions of her second long player are disgraceful and nothing more than milking the loyalty of Goulding's more dedicated fans.
Now while i'm on the subject of crap value for money on albums, Avicii has released his debut artist album True this week. You'd expect all his hits to be on there - Levels? Silhouettes? I Could Be The One? - Well.... errmmm.... No. The only mainstream chart single to have made it on there is recent Aloe Blacc collaboration Wake Me Up. The album runs to a mediocre ten tracks and an equally poor 48 minutes plus change. Even if the album is a whole concept which the earlier tracks don't fit in to, why not put them on as three bonus tracks at the end as a gesture to the people who have made the effort to buy the album? It isn't unreasonable to expect an artist album to feature recent hit singles, particularly when they're as high profile as those of Avicii. Ignoring this expectation demonstrates the contempt that the music industry continues to show to its customers, just like endlessly repackaging the same core 13 tracks on an album with different bonus material...
Ellie Goulding's second album Halcyon has just been re-released as Halcyon Days, which now boasts 21 tracks, rather than 13 on the original release. That was the original standard release, because there was also a Deluxe version which had a different six bonus tracks on it. And a Special edition which had two more different tracks on it. And then there is the Tesco edition, which had a couple of other tracks which didn't appear elsewhere. Halcyon Days has also been issued as a Deluxe edition, with a further two tracks which haven't appeared elsewhere. By my reckoning, there have been a total of 33 tracks released on the various editions of this album. No doubt there will soon be a repackaging as Halcyon Fucking Weeks with all of them on there.
Ellie Goulding's record company (Polydor) have previous. Her first album, Lights was reissued as Bright Lights. Interestingly, this repackaging featured the title tracks from the original issue along with the insipid Elton John cover of Your Song and five other tracks. Whereas this could be put down to the unforeseen success of the cover song, the tactics of releasing several different versions of her second long player are disgraceful and nothing more than milking the loyalty of Goulding's more dedicated fans.
Now while i'm on the subject of crap value for money on albums, Avicii has released his debut artist album True this week. You'd expect all his hits to be on there - Levels? Silhouettes? I Could Be The One? - Well.... errmmm.... No. The only mainstream chart single to have made it on there is recent Aloe Blacc collaboration Wake Me Up. The album runs to a mediocre ten tracks and an equally poor 48 minutes plus change. Even if the album is a whole concept which the earlier tracks don't fit in to, why not put them on as three bonus tracks at the end as a gesture to the people who have made the effort to buy the album? It isn't unreasonable to expect an artist album to feature recent hit singles, particularly when they're as high profile as those of Avicii. Ignoring this expectation demonstrates the contempt that the music industry continues to show to its customers, just like endlessly repackaging the same core 13 tracks on an album with different bonus material...
Sunday, 30 June 2013
Marginal Laughs
Comedy on the radio is under threat. If you ignore the output of Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra, the level of output which is distinctly defined as being comedic has slumped in the past few years. I'll take the evidence station by station...
BBC Radio 1.
With the advent of Matt Edmondson's Wednesday night show in April 2011, Radio 1 resurrected a long neglected slot made famous by the likes of The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Chris Morris and Armando Ianucci. Matt Edmondson's show may not have been quite as ground breaking as those of the early 90s, but it was genuinely entertaining and innovative. When Edmondson was scooted off to weekend mornings at the end of 2012, he was briefly replaced by Tom Deacon for the first three months of 2013, but clearly Deacon is out of favour at Radio 1 and he was replaced for the second time by pissweak filler material, this time "My Playlist" where some z-list celebrity or reality show pop puppet play an hour of dull music. This is completely adverse to the evening "In New Music We Trust" ethos and shows that Radio 1 are simply too scared to broadcast comedy material.
BBC Radio 2.
For many years, Saturday lunchtimes were established as the home of a couple of comedy shows over the course of an hour, sometimes seasons of hour long shows would take over. In one of their many reorganisations, comedy was pushed off to late nights on Thursdays before being shunted even further off into the realm of occasional specials and short series. A legacy stretching back for many decades has been lost as Radio 2 now broadcasts only the odd show which is over-hyped by on air promos and therefore ultimately disappointing. No concepts are allowed any space to develop or even breathe.
BBC 6 Music.
Saturdays on BBC 6 Music used to be something of a haven from the air of superiority and smugness that is becoming rather a blight on the station. At several points, there were six hours of comic output on a Saturday with three hours of Adam and Joe in the morning, plus three hours of Jon Holmes in the late afternoon. When it became clear that Adam and Joe were not going to return long term to dedicate their efforts to a show on the station, Holmes was promoted to Saturday mornings and clearly attracted enough attention to be headhunted by XFM to replace the departing Danny Wallace (who had also previously presented on 6 Music Saturday mornings). When Holmes departed, the show was briefly covered by a returning Adam Buxton partnered with Edith Bowman, but after a month of that arrangement Bowman took over the show solo. The show which resulted became Edith Bowman's trademark tedious programme about films and thus all comedy output on 6 Music was binned.
BBC Local Radio.
Whilst Danny Baker's departure from BBC London was well publicised, there is clearly huge pressure on other BBC Locals to make themselves more worthy, constantly talking about "local issues" (something Baker often criticised) and never actually serving to entertain or amuse the public. The net result is that some stations have practically become talk radio style offerings with relentless downbeat chatter, punctuated by occasional easy listening records. Considering how little true entertainment there is from commercial broadcasters and the lack of local content from many networked programmes, surely this is a need the BBC should be addressing. If there are no entertaining, local voices on commercial networks, the BBC should be nurturing them rather than pushing them off air to make way for yet another tedious phone in about immigration, parking, potholes, local politicians or hospitals.
BBC Radio 1.
With the advent of Matt Edmondson's Wednesday night show in April 2011, Radio 1 resurrected a long neglected slot made famous by the likes of The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Chris Morris and Armando Ianucci. Matt Edmondson's show may not have been quite as ground breaking as those of the early 90s, but it was genuinely entertaining and innovative. When Edmondson was scooted off to weekend mornings at the end of 2012, he was briefly replaced by Tom Deacon for the first three months of 2013, but clearly Deacon is out of favour at Radio 1 and he was replaced for the second time by pissweak filler material, this time "My Playlist" where some z-list celebrity or reality show pop puppet play an hour of dull music. This is completely adverse to the evening "In New Music We Trust" ethos and shows that Radio 1 are simply too scared to broadcast comedy material.
BBC Radio 2.
For many years, Saturday lunchtimes were established as the home of a couple of comedy shows over the course of an hour, sometimes seasons of hour long shows would take over. In one of their many reorganisations, comedy was pushed off to late nights on Thursdays before being shunted even further off into the realm of occasional specials and short series. A legacy stretching back for many decades has been lost as Radio 2 now broadcasts only the odd show which is over-hyped by on air promos and therefore ultimately disappointing. No concepts are allowed any space to develop or even breathe.
BBC 6 Music.
Saturdays on BBC 6 Music used to be something of a haven from the air of superiority and smugness that is becoming rather a blight on the station. At several points, there were six hours of comic output on a Saturday with three hours of Adam and Joe in the morning, plus three hours of Jon Holmes in the late afternoon. When it became clear that Adam and Joe were not going to return long term to dedicate their efforts to a show on the station, Holmes was promoted to Saturday mornings and clearly attracted enough attention to be headhunted by XFM to replace the departing Danny Wallace (who had also previously presented on 6 Music Saturday mornings). When Holmes departed, the show was briefly covered by a returning Adam Buxton partnered with Edith Bowman, but after a month of that arrangement Bowman took over the show solo. The show which resulted became Edith Bowman's trademark tedious programme about films and thus all comedy output on 6 Music was binned.
BBC Local Radio.
Whilst Danny Baker's departure from BBC London was well publicised, there is clearly huge pressure on other BBC Locals to make themselves more worthy, constantly talking about "local issues" (something Baker often criticised) and never actually serving to entertain or amuse the public. The net result is that some stations have practically become talk radio style offerings with relentless downbeat chatter, punctuated by occasional easy listening records. Considering how little true entertainment there is from commercial broadcasters and the lack of local content from many networked programmes, surely this is a need the BBC should be addressing. If there are no entertaining, local voices on commercial networks, the BBC should be nurturing them rather than pushing them off air to make way for yet another tedious phone in about immigration, parking, potholes, local politicians or hospitals.
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