THE MONDAY LIST #15: Emma Turns 20

This is a special Monday List to celebrate one of my best friends birthday. Today, Emma leaves teenager-dom behind and turns 20.

So to celebrate here’s 20 random facts (in no certain order) about Emma and some songs to go along with them.

1. She’s a vegetarian
MP3: The Knife – Vegetarian Restaurant

2. She’s more than a tad brainy
MP3: The National – Brainy

3. She’s a child of the 90’s
MP3: 5ive – Slam Dunk Da Funk

4. She should’ve been a hippy in the 60’s /70’s
MP3: Technohead- I Want To Be A Hippy

5. She’s a bit of a bookworm
MP3: Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton – Reading In Bed

6. She’s very persuasive
MP3: R.E.M – Pretty Persuasion

7. She loves jelly
MP3: Eels – Jelly Dancers

8. She’s in love with James Franco and Robert Downey Jr and many many more
MP3: Foo Fighters – Stacked Actors

9. She hates surprises (so she’ll probably hate this post)
MP3: Radiohead – No Surprises

10. She’s a good liar
MP3: Arctic Monkeys – Dance Little Liar

11. She has a filthy mind/sense of humour
MP3: Amanda Ghost – Filthy Mind

12. She blames me for all of her hangovers
MP3: The Radio Dept – Sleeping In

13. She has tiny hands
MP3: Interpol – Hands Away

14. She’s very girly at heart (although hates to admit it)
MP3: Twin Atlantic – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

15. She’s very very sarcastic
MP3: Soulwax – Funny

16. She happens to have a taste for very expensive dresses
MP3: Sufjan Stevens – The Dress Looks Nice on You

17. She’s addicted to certain American TV Comedy Series
MP3: Blur – Coffee And TV

18. She would probably mash Paris and New York together if she could (New PaYorkRis?)
MP3: Corinne Bailey Rae – Paris Nights/New York Mornings

19. She’s an excellent secret keeper
MP3: Queens of the Stone Age- The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret

20. She’s pretty much amazing (but pretends not to know)
MP3: Mousse T. feat. Emma Lanford – Is It ‘Cos I’m Cool

A few more random things.

You share your birthday with Will.I.Am, Terence Trent D’Arby and Eva Longoria. Julius Ceasar was murdered on this day as well apparently.

Oh and it’s a national holiday in Hungary. Just thought i’d throw that in for some international appeal. And you never know they might be secretly celebrating your birthday.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you….”

I know you’ve probably seen this before but here it is anyway….

Happy Birthday Emma

S.I.T Wolf  XX

A Chemikal Romance

Tonight, Chemikal Underground Records celebrates its 15th birthday with a gig at the ABC in Glasgow. Playing at the talent crammed gig are Lord Cut Glass, Emma Pollock, Adrian Crowley, Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat, The Unwinding Hours, Zoey Van Goey and topped off by The Phantom Band. It’d be fair comment to say that i’m pretty devastated that i can’t make the gig tonight but i’ll celebrate Chemikal in my own little way.

Chemikal Underground came about when Scottish indie band The Delgados decided to buck against the trend. Instead of trying to get themselves signed to a label, the Delgados went a different route altogether and started their own label. Giving themselves a platform from which to release their own music and then taking the next step and signing up more artists.

Meet the Delgados, the guys and girl who started it all.

The label is well known throughout Scotland and has given many a Scottish band their first steps in the music industry. Some of it’s more famous artists were/are Aereogramme, Arab Strap, Bis, De Rosa, The Sluts of Trust, The Phantom Band and The Delgados themselves obviously. The latest addition to their roster is The Unwinding Hours, who i’ve posted about previously and am absolutely desperate to catch live (5th of March, not long to wait). Chemikal is also famous for releasing the first two Mogwai albums “Mogwai Young Team” and “Come On Die Young” before Mogwai took a leaf out of The Delgados book and decided to also start their own label Rock Action Records (more on that particular label in the future).

There’s one more thing that people might not know about Chemikal Undergound…..they gave Interpol their big break, gave them a major push into the European market. They spotted the talent in the raw New Yorkers. That’s right, if it wasn’t for Chemikal Underground there very well might have been no Interpol.

Back in 2000, when the label was age 5, it branched out and launched a separate imprint called Fukd ID. The idea behind the imprint was to allow Chemikal to work with and release records by bands that didn’t have to necessarily be signed to the Chemikal label as such. It worked a treat. There’s been 8 Fukd ID releases so far, they’re all very rare and are pretty much all sold out. Interpol appeared with Fukd ID 3 and this was their debut EP. Two of the songs on it (Roland and PDA) were later re-recorded for their debut album, “Turn On The Bright Lights”.

Here’s just a few of many Chemikal delights….

MP3: Zoey Van Goey – We Don’t Have That Kind Of Bread

MP3:  Sluts Of Trust – Piece O’ You

MP3: De Rosa – Camera

MP3: Arab Strap – The First Big Weekend

MP3: Aereogramme – No Really, Everthing’s Fine

VIDEO: Mogwai – Chocky

VIDEO: Bis – Mamelodi Sundown

I couldn’t very well end the post without allowing Sam and Paul to say their piece now could i?

MP3: Interpol – Roland

So after 15 years of introducing us to new bands and giving us some truly inspiring and original music, it’s a big thank you to Glasgow’s very own Chemikal Underground.

oh and Happy Birthday

S.I.T Wolf X

Hot Water Bottle Music: Day 4 (I Know There’s Such A Place)

Day 4 brings me to a song that someone kinda requested as such. Well not really a request but more of an “oh, that song reminds me of Christmas and being warm” hint we’ll say. And if it’s good enough for Emma…..

Day 4/Thursdays song: Interpol – Say Hello To The Angels

“Say Hello To The Angels” is an example of a song that makes someone feel warm because of the memories it brings flooding back. Whilst in New York in the Winter of 2008 Emma had the Interpol album “Turn On The Bright Lights” pretty much on repeat the whole duration of her stay. From the moment Emma touched down in NY and pressed the play button she had “Turn On The Bright Lights” as her soundtrack. Even at night with the aid of her magical musical pillow the native New Yorkers were soundtracking her journey to dreamland and beyond. One song in particular got stuck in her head to remind her of that cozy warm New York apartment she was staying in. Step forward “Say Hello To The Angels”. With its warm, choppy (maybe even happy, Interpol being happy?!) chords, warm atmospherics and Paul Banks famous baritone-y delivery the song certainly has a feeling of warmth that would sit well on a cold night in NY. And as Emma put it, Interpol are the definition of night music. And night music usually equals music that’ll keep you warm. So as Emmas memories of NY and this song keep her warm this winter give it a listen yourself and maybe next year it’ll do the same for you.

MP3: Interpol – Say Hello To The Angels

I want your silent parts
The parts that the birds love
I know there’s such a place
I had my back turned,
You didn’t realize I’m lonely
You lack the things
To which I relate
But I see no harm.
Come way, come way, come way
It’s over.
And 1, 2, 3

When I’m feeling lazy, it’s probably because
I’m saving all my energy to pick you up when you
Move into my airspace
Move into my airspace
Something’s coming over me
I see you in the doorway
I cannot control the part of me that swells up when you
Move into my airspace
Move into my airspace

But each night,
I bury my love around you
Oh each night,
I bury my love around you
You’re linked to my innocence

This is a concept
This is a bracelet
This isn’t no intervention
This is a concept
This is a bracelet
This isn’t no intervention
This isn’t you yet
What you thought was such a conquest
Your hair is so pretty and red
Baby, baby, you’re really the best

Can I get to this way, I think so
Can I get to this way, I think so
Can I get to this way? Can I get to this way?
Can I get to this way? Can I get to this way?

We should take a trip now to see new places
I’m sick of this town and I’ve seen my faces change
We should take a trip to see new places
I’m sick of this town, I’ve seen my faces change
(Each night i bury my love around you)

Say hello, say hello to the angels
Say hello, say hello to the angels

WARM RATING: COZY NEW YORK APARTMENT ON A COLD WINTERS NIGHT

S.I.T Wolf X

Untitled Russian Road That Swells And Rushes Like A Sugarcube

Decembers first Six Mix contains…

MP3: Boom Bip – Roads Must Roll

MP3: The Vandelles – Swell to Heaven

MP3: Interpol – Untitled

MP3: Wojtek Godzisz – A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours

MP3: Russian Circles – Geneva

S.I.T Wolf  X

For Emma….Forever Ago

This is a one off special post that i decided to do for my friend Emma who left to study in Aberdeen last month,  i promised i would dedicate a special post to her….so after much delay and without further ado here goes…

Straight to the point with the first track..
MP3: Bon Iver – For Emma

also another special version
MP3: Bon Iver – For Emma (a cappella version)

and your favourite Bon Iver song
Mp3: Bon Iver – Brackett WI

And now onto a section dedicated to your home for the next few years…Aberdizzle

Kings College, Aberdeen

MP3: The Music – Welcome To The North

Mp3: Tortoise – Northern Something

MP3; The Verve – A Northern Soul

and i couldn’t leave out one of your favourite artists, even if he does look overly sleazy in certain lingerie adverts….its the one and only Bobby Bob Bob, the Dylanator..

MP3: Bob Dylan – Girl From The North Country

and two covers of that song, one which sticks reasonably close to the original by Monsters Of Folk (a supergroup of such which features Bright Eyes, M.Ward and Jim James) and another one which is very different and unique by the Secret Machines.

Mp3: Monsters Of Folk – Girl From The North Country

MP3: Secret Machines – Girl From The North Country

Slains...............your round, Emma?

Sticking to the subject of cities, here’s a few nice places i believe you happen to have a soft spot for..

MP3: Friendly Fires – Paris

VIDEO: Ladyhawke – Paris Is Burning (Live)

MP3: Mark Mallman – You’re Never Alone In New York

VIDEO: Craig Armstrong feat. Evan Dando – Wake Up In New York

now onto a a few different subjects…films, tv shows, books…

and a song from the film adaption of The Time Travellers Wife..
MP3: Broken Social Scene – Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division cover)

MP3: Luciano Michelini – Frolic (Curb Your Enthusiasm theme tune)

from the Into The Wild OST…
MP3: Eddie Vedder – Society

VIDEO: If These Tree’s Could Talk – The Friscalating Duslkight

the next part is just a short section focussing on some of Emma’s favourite artists…

American Rocks Mr Nice Guy
MP3: Neil Young and the Crazy Horse- Cinnamon Girl

The college-y type sounds of a certain person that Emma has convinced me to like…
MP3: Tom Petty – Free Fallin’

A band that no matter how much Emma likes i’m afraid i never will but seeing as this post is for Emma i’m obliged to involve them..
Mp3: The Beatles – A Hard Days Night

coming out of New York…
MP3: Interpol – Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down

Mr Paul Banks solo pseudonym..
Mp3: Julian Plenti – Games For Days

the one and only…
MP3: Jeff Buckley – We All Fall In Love Sometimes

an offshoot of the Secret Machines..
MP3: School Of Seven Bells – Half Asleep

a lovely song by the band that i apparently play bass for..
MP3: Pearl Jam – Given To Fly

me?....

as we near the end i’ll throw in some random subjects….

MP3: New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream

VIDEO: New Young Pony Club – Ice Cream (Van She Remix)

this is apparently "communion bread"..

(is it just me or does this “communion bread” look suspiciously like a certain Class A drug?….i knew there was something funny about them priests..)

….”i can’t believe you made your first communion with that girl!…..”

MP3: Gang Gang Dance – First Communion

i’ll finish off with a short video collection…

Pearl Jam – Off He Goes

TV On The Radio – Wolf Like Me (Live on Letterman)

Ricky Gervais and Elmo

Dave Chappelle

And that’s the Emma post finished…. all that’s left now is….

here she is!.........it's Emma!

S.I.T Wolf   XXX