A Tribute: Michael Jackson (1958-2009 )

As a musician a major part of my inspiration came from this man. Less than 48 hours ago he died a sudden and untimely death at just 50 years of age. I can't help but feel a tremendous sense of sadness for both the world of entertainment and every single one of Michael's adoring fans. This is my tribute to the King of pop ...

Long may he reign.

Michael Jackson: 1958-2009

Today, beloved musician and father, Michael Jackson, lies dead at the age of 50.

The man denied a childhood rebelled against adulthood and courted controversy with an eccentric, often bizarre lifestyle and an ever-changing appearance.

As the first black role model for the MTV generation, he rose to global stardom earning worldwide admiration and respect.

Michael will remain forever a genuine music legend and an icon of genius whose contribution to popular music and popular culture is unparalleled.

Michael Jackson

RIP

Album Review: Sparrow And The Workshop

'Sleight of Hand' (SP)

Release date: June 1

Review Score: 8/10

Sparrow And The Workshop are pretty weird. It's hard to imagine the Scottish trio taking offence to that statement though, since they've carved out a potentially lucrative niche for being different. Combining deep, echoey vocals with racing steely guitars, they forge rich, deep-south folk that's every bit as strange as it is exciting.

Opening with the band's latest single 'Devil Song', the record has an immediate feeling of warmth and vintage allure. Male and female vocals entwine in sumptuous harmony, evoking thoughts of Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood in their infamous 1960s partnership. 'Last Chance' sees the band drawing more on the country feel of vintage American folk song. Frontwoman Jill O'Sullivan demonstrates a seemingly effortless knack for handling top notes with a whispery bird-like coo, as a genuinely knee-slappin' rhythm drives throughout.

Taking the tempo down a few notches, 'The Gun' is a tender ballad that holds more of the same boy/girl harmonies paired with the gentle berceuse of simple guitar lines and stripped-down drums. Like most of the mini-album, it's a song which revolves around a wistful premise of storytelling that adds beautifully to the home-grown folk effect. Elsewhere, 'I Will Break You' opens powerfully with cutting vocals befitting Patsy Cline, and 'My Crime' has perhaps the darkest mood. Closing with two-minute country wonder 'Broken Heart, Broken Home', the collection never quite reaches a climax, but certainly rounds off in a nice fashion.

A band that will never be to everyone's taste, Sparrow And The Workshop have every chance of following the likes of Fleet Foxes in capturing imaginations and reaching out to a vastly eclectic audience. For now though, fans of the unordinary should definitely take a look.

Behind closed doors...

Today, I saw this:

Isn't that wonderful? A door which must remain closed when it's not being used. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's sort of what you'd expect from a door that no one's opening and walking through. I fail to understand why this particular door needs a sign to prevent people opening it when they have no intention of entering the room behind it. If anything, I'd say the notice would only invite more curious passers-by. Baffling.

Even more fascinating though, is the second poster - on a door which must be kept locked at all times. How intriguing. I wonder what lies on the other side of this one... something horrific no doubt if the public are advised not even to unlock it. The first thought that went through my mind was, "why don't they just brick it up?"

Pudding...

We all know Limericks, don't we? Those dirty old Irish poems packed full of filth and innuendo. I set myself the challenge of writing one very quickly, with just one catch: It had to be

romantic and not smutty.

I'd love to hear yours

(Stick one in the comments!)

Single Review: Let's Tea Party

Hot Chip/Emmanuella

Release date: 8 June

Review Score:

8.5/10

Let’s Tea Party have an instant likeable quality that’s hard to deny. Hailing from Bristol, they fuse funk with grimy bass and synth horns worthy of an Ian Brown record to make fun and infectious pop that’s bound to make anyone sit up and take notice.

If lazy comparisons were to be drawn, the youthful electronica of Team Waterpolo and romantic drawl of Mystery Jets spring immediately to mind. But Let’s Tea Party have a dexterity and dynamism that sets them apart, with complex arrangements adding a palpable depth to songs. 

‘Hot Chip’ opens to a fanfare of plugged-in brass which dances over stubborn beats and the dirtiest of growling synths. The song soon evolves into rowdy call-and-response echoes of ‘I will be your Hot Chip if you will be my Buttercup,’ which surely promise to ignite the dancefloors this summer.

Heavier on the funk and interleaved with glamorous pop elements not dissimilar to those favoured by The Killers, ‘Emmanuella’ is a 3-minute spectacular, flicking back and forth from laid-back, ambling verses to frightfully catchy choruses that could easily make this band a disco must before the year is out.

All positives aside, there’s still the slightest of over-familiar feelings. Whether it’s actually an absence of true originality or just bad timing is hard to say, but what’s certain is that Let’s Tea Party will be your new favourite band – at least for those few minutes.

Click here to hear Let's Tea Party's new single

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