Bloc Party and Hard Fi - first 'new' bands I've liked since Massive Attack

Have no idea why I feel the need to announce this, but it suprises me how much I like Silent Alarm (and the remix version) and Stars of CCTV. I thought I was now far far too old to get enthusiastic about any new bands (it always just seems like "this weeks' best band ever" - yawn). It might be that I'm just easy to please really, either plough the angsty Joy-Division-esque furrow a la Bloc Party, or the social realist Clash-Jam-esque one of Hard Fi. But The Strokes (overrated boring and retro), Kaiser Chiefs, Franz (too art-school, catchy in a really irritating way), Libertines (just hate them), Arctic Monkeys all have left me cold. Though Hard Fi do seem a bit short of material - are they planning on releasing the entire lp as singles, with no B side tracks either?

Still think I'm probably too old to be listening to any of this. Now where are my Werthers Originals?

Hard Fi?

Nah, sorry, neither does anything for me... Only 'new'-ish band that I really follow is The Clientele... Who? Exactly...

SHEDi xxx

all the bands you list are quite mainstream succesfull ones though - there are hundreds of brilliant new bands out there that the nme doesn't write about.

& lots of newish established ones that are on the periphery, or just under the radar.

everyone should listen to more new bands!

Bloc Party are quality, really like them

Not so keen on Hard-Fi, not really my thing

Should listen to We Are Scientists

WAS covered sigur ros on the late lounge this week - very brave thing to do & not a bad job either.

have seen them a couple of times, there are some good tunes on the album & the banters good but they don't quite do it for me

Sons and Daughters!

johnny cash by them is a tune though.

which reminds me of the johnny boy song "you are the generation that bought more shoes & you got what you deserve" which is quality

They arent actually that bad. They fucking hate me though. Simply for shouting "WE WANT BOZ!" during their set.

Uncle Liam wrote: They arent actually that bad.

you'll watch/listen to any old shit though Liam

same as yer footy

Sons & Daughters are quality. I liked Hard Fi from the first spin of the album.....alwaya a bad sign!!! Can't be bothered with it anymore. For me Editors have been the most exciting thing to happen in a while. Fantastic live as well.

As Hibster says there's tonnes of less obvious stuff out there worth checking out via Soulseek. Just don't listed to his advice about The Boy Least Likely To

Here's a band for your consideration, The cranebuilders - well worth checking out. A notable JD influence but have a lot of melody in there too. Also the lead singer has been writing songs with Johnny Marr. They are playing in Brixton on 25th May if anyone is interested. Cheers

Barney Army wrote:

Uncle Liam wrote: They arent actually that bad.

you'll watch/listen to any old shit though Liam

same as yer footy

old? try getting liam to listen to anything earlier than the 1980s is like pulling teeth! the only thing liam likes old(er) is his women.

back on-topic: i quite like bloc party. haven't heard anything by hard fi, though.

AgentWood wrote:

Barney Army wrote:

Uncle Liam wrote: They arent actually that bad.

you'll watch/listen to any old shit though Liam

same as yer footy

old? try getting liam to listen to anything earlier than the 1980s is like pulling teeth! the only thing liam likes old(er) is his women.

back on-topic: i quite like bloc party. haven't heard anything by hard fi, though.

Believe it or not the only "old" stuff I'll listen to regularly is New Order. I tend to revisit albums from my past very ocassionally and even when I do I'm always dissapointed.

Not time for the reverance surrounding the likes of The Stones, The Beatles or even The Clash. They all mean zip to me.

Great name:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleepytime_Gorilla_Museum even better instruments:

"The band uses many homemade devices as instruments, such as the viking row-boat."

& GV - gotta suss out what you like first - did you see them live? & have you got your winrar sussed yet?

Bloc Party

So mint

Hard Fi

GlasVegas wrote: Sons & Daughters are quality. I liked Hard Fi from the first spin of the album.....alwaya a bad sign!!! Can't be bothered with it anymore. For me Editors have been the most exciting thing to happen in a while. Fantastic live as well.

As Hibster says there's tonnes of less obvious stuff out there worth checking out via Soulseek. Just don't listed to his advice about The Boy Least Likely To

Hmmm, just borrowed the Editors lp from the library. At first listen they sound like a slightly more energetic Interpol (not so much Interpol on amphetamines as after a double expresso). Not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe they'll grow on me.

hibster wrote: all the bands you list are quite mainstream succesfull ones though - there are hundreds of brilliant new bands out there that the nme doesn't write about.

& lots of newish established ones that are on the periphery, or just under the radar.

everyone should listen to more new bands!

I sort of agree with you, but I'm now very old you see and tend to think the frantic search for novelty is best left to young folk and 'Student Grant's (as in Viz - does he still exist, or is he now Student Len (loan?)) with more time than I have*. My gamble is that anything that's actually any good will eventually cease to be obscure and I'll hear about it without having to search too hard, even if a million frustrated wanna-be rockstars might argue otherwise.

*oh, and John Peel's ghost, and my kid brother who, being one of those frustrated wanna-be rockstars is forever raving about some obscure indie band who usually turn out to be either unlistenable art rock noise or just another run-of-the-mill band.

Al Jarvis wrote: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but just how fcuking POSH is that lad from Bloc Party?!

We saw 'em at Coachella this time last year and I genuinely thought he was taking the piss with his la-di-da accent.

Posh as fcuk.

They should stick to fox-hunting and punting (not the betfair variety). Mummy and Daddy won't be amused.

Are they posher than Radiohead? It's a strike against them but I overcame my prejudice with Radiohead (though not Coldplay) so I can do it again. And a toff with an undisguised toff accent is far preferable to a toff pretending to be down wiv da kids. Is it true that both Shane McGowan and Mark E Smith went to private schools, by the way?