Out with the Old

... and in with the New!

This blog began as a little insight into my world, whereby I would recommend a new track each week. As with most new ventures, it started with the best of intensions but became difficult to maintain.

While it retains the Track of the Week address, the extra 'W' in the URL standing for Web-based, the site now mostly discusses full albums.

INTRODUCING INTRICACIES OF SOUND

My friends and I often make recommendations to one another, this being the idea behind the blog. Where possible, I will recommend four albums each month, the most loved/significant of which will carry descriptions while the others can speak (play?) for themselves.

One problem I had with the old posts was linking to third party sites, whose links would often change or be removed. For this reason, the aim is to provide solid musical recommendations with as few frills as possible.

A little on myself: I love music, art and skydiving. I work as a lecturer and researcher. Hopefully I'll enjoy looking back on this.
-- Bex

FAREWELL, MY FIRST BLOG

Before we start here is a brief summary of the previous posts, as I can't bear to disregard them altogether:

May 2012
Crystal Castles – Suffocation (Health Remix)
Elsiane – Mend (to Fix, to Repair)
Elsiane's debut album, Hybrid, may be as close to perfection as any artist can hope to achieve. The album doesn't have a standout track; it simply is standout from start, to glimmering interval 'In a Crisis...', to finish.
Nitin Sawhney – Tides
Norah Jones – Say Goodbye

April 2012
Alicia Keys – Diary
Soap&Skin - Marche Funèbre (Yrasor)
Incredible, dark, mesmerising performance in London this week. This was the track I longed to hear and the stand-out of the evening, along with Anja's vocals on 'Voyage Voyage'.
Katy Perry – Wide Awake
The Saturdays – 30 Days (DubRocca Remix)

March 2012
Melanie C – Stupid Game
Brilliant live; mixed with 'Tainted Love' on The Sea Tour, Islington. I left the show even more in love with 'Think About It', remix and original.
Laura Marling – The Muse
Norah Jones – Happy Pills
Laura Marling – I Was Just a Card
The wonderful Laura Marling performed in Leeds this week. I was there, and the first through the venue door.

February 2012
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - Tapes & Money
Their music swings between overt musicality and dance. Their live show has toured internationally, featuring bizarre instruments, glitter cannons and, of course, dancing dinosaurs. I can't wait to see him live.
St. Vincent – Cheerleader
Another great from the 4AD label; album review here.
Coeur de Pirate - Place de la République
Lights – Banner

January 2012
Anna Calvi – No More Words
Sugababes – Overload
Their debut single, in celebration of the news the original Sugababes have reformed and are working on new material.
Korn – Get Up
Lana Del Rey – Video Games

December 2011
Crystal Castles – Love and Caring
Goldfrapp - Cologne Cerrone Houdini
A beautiful track, with a title I understand thanks to this post.
Fenech-Soler – Lies
Laura Marling - Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)

November 2011
Nicola Roberts – Beat of My Drum (Instrumental)
Britney Spears – And Then We Kiss
Original version of the track, available only as a remix for six years!
The Ting Tings - Silence (Bag Raiders Remix)
Marilyn Manson – Sweet Dreams

October 2011
Nicola Roberts – I (Live)
Björk – Thunderbolt
Katy Perry – The One That Got Away
Katy Perry was brilliant live. The same week, she performed an acoustic rendition of this track on The X Factor (in Sheffield the chorus of Adele's 'Someone Like You' was added).
Rihanna – We Found Love
This narrowly won over Britney's 'Criminal' because its video challenged my perception of the track. The video could have been blissful and loved up, instead we had a hard-hitting, gritty accompaniment.

September 2011
Laura Marling – Sophia
Iamamiwhoami – t
Swedish music project, headlined by singer-songwriter Jonna Lee, I stumbled upon. Several of their song titles are a series of numbers that spell out words when indexed into the alphabet. I, for one, am intrigued!
Ayria – Blue Alice
Ellie Goulding - Under the Sheets (Jakwob Remix)

August 2011
Björk – Crystalline
'Biophilia is an interdisciplinary exploration of the universe and its physical forces-particularly those where music, nature, and technology meet - inspired by these relationships between musical structures and natural phenomena, from the atomic to the cosmic.'
Thievery Corporation – Language Symbolique
Melanie C – Think About It
Feist - How Come You Never Go There

July 2011
Kings of Leon – Use Somebody (Franx & Aura Remix)
I discovered this soon after their dubstep remix of Katy Perry's 'E.T.', creative and original duo.
Waldeck – Morning Light
Lights – Everybody Breaks a Glass
Twitter: 'Me & a nice fine tip marker present to you this wicked lyric video for my new track'. Lights again demonstrating incredible artistry, a must-watch!
Amy Winehouse – You Know I’m No Good
For Amy: a lost soul with talent beyond her years.

June 2011
Lights – I Owe You One
Britney Spears – Till the World Ends (Remix)
This track reminds me of a fond visit to Alton Towers.
The Good Natured – Skeleton
An English synthpop band consisting of Sarah McIntosh, her brother Hamish on bass, and George Hinton (with whom Sarah became acquainted at University) on drums.
EMA – Milkman

May 2011
Christina Aguilera – Tough Lover
I recently watched and, to my own surprise, loved the film Burlesque. Christina's vocals in this particular scene are just breathtaking.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs – Garden
Picture Me Broken – Dearest (I'm So Sorry)
The Veronicas – Untouched (Acoustic)

April 2011
Everything Everything – My Kz, Ur Bf
Katy Perry – California Gurls
Katy B – Katy On a Mission
I acquired this lady's album a few days ago and it is amazing. Another two significant reasons for the choice: crazy dancing to this song while on holiday in California, and I see her live next weekend.
Sexy Sushi – Sex Appeal

March 2011
Britney Spears – Rock Boy
I am eagerly awaiting the release of Femme Fatale. In the meantime I've been listening to demos and bonus tracks, this being one of the strongest from the Circus era.
Britney Spears – Trouble
Foo Fighters – All My Life
Phantogram – Mouthful of Diamonds
Opening track from the electronic duo's refreshing (and curiously titled) debut release, Eyelid Movies. Discovered by chance on Last.fm.

February 2011
Magnetic Man – I Need Air
This week's track for two reasons: 1) I am seeing them live as part of the NME Awards tour, alongside Alice Glass (currently on crutches), 2) The track came on the radio on my way home from skydiving.
Dido – Honestly OK
Crystal Castles – Atlantis to Interzone
Victoria Beckham – Bittersweet
This choice may be unexpected, but I am on a shameless Spice Girls kick this week. Today my nostalgia peaked when I acquired a signed photograph of the girls from the '2 Become 1' photo shoot.

January 2011
Agnes Obel – Riverside
Crystal Castles – Baptism (Story of Isaac Remix)
I'm not usually a fan of CC remixes, mostly because I like their material completely unedited. This remix is a welcome exception.
PJ Harvey – My Beautiful Leah
The xx – Hot Like Fire
I've known of this Aaliyah cover for a while, but really fell for it recently. If you listen to it on headphones (preferably curled up in bed) the intro is amazing, as is the whole track.