a big day in the south

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I can't sleep and it feels like I'm 9 years old and it's Christmas Day. After 14 years of Brighton and Hove Albion playing in temporary (and various degrees of crap) temporary stadia we finally move into our new £100 million new home for our first league game of the 2011/12 season. It's never dull supporting the world's coolest football team but today is extra special not least because it's also my eldest son's birthday. I may cry tears of unbridled joy.

This is my eldest son modelling our new top. As you can see he has opted for a philosophical name on the back. My youngest is staying old school with 'I H8 Palace'. I have no idea where they get this from. *ahem*

Right...I got the emotional stuff out of the way so let me get back to the music for a bit and then I'll love you and leave you for the day. Swedish dream pop bands must be like buses, no sooner do I hear that jj have released new material than one of my other favourite bands, Air France also release a free download to listen to. As others have said, they haven't made any great changes to the 'Air France' formula but it still sounds quite fresh and summery. I hope this isn't the only output in the pipeline as I've been waiting 2 years for new material from them.

Click here to download the single

Whilst I'm yacking away about Air France it gives me a chance to play my favourite song of theirs, 'Never Content'.

Another exciting piece of news is everyone's favourite Brighton band, Paisley and Charlie have finally released their debut full length album. I've been following their progress for a bit now and I know they've both worked very hard in getting this far. I love bands that are unashamedly good at pop music - Saint Etienne, Belle and Sebastian, Beautiful South - they all have a charm and sophistication and most importantly an ability to make music that means something to the listener. Paisley and Charlie are rooted firmly in this tradition and deserve every success. Fingers crossed that this album is a commercial success.

You can find details of the new album here.

Here they are with a track that's fairly new to me and also featuring samples of 'Smalltown Boy'.

poor little rich girl

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Poor Little Rich Girl by Paisley and Charlie (see also previous blog entries) is precisely the kind of song that no-one seems to make anymore. It's infectious, it's got great lyrics, is unashamedly radio-friendly and hasn't even a hint of auto-tune. 

It's not exactly new, having been previously released last year as 'Julia Misbehaves' but has only just been made available as a download with this new moniker. It has a warm and familiar feel to it for me, having my formative years in the 80s and early 90s when the indie charts seemed chocka full of this kind of ethereal pop. With a very English flavour - it's the type of music that really has to be English both in subject matter and in the delivery - fans of the likes of Dubstar or Kirsty MacColl will doubtless enjoy this musical trip down memory lane.

It's available to download for just 69p from Amazon right here.

paisley and charlie

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I've just finished listening to the very excellent Bob Fischer radio show on BBC Radio Tees. I don't normally listen to radio shows but this had Brighton-based duo, Paisley and Charlie on his show last week and I was eager to listen to them in session. Leaving aside Paisley and Charlie for a minute, I loved Fischer's show. He has a very charming manner and does a nice line in self-deprecation with a lot of warm hearted humour. The kind of radio show that makes you think of Mark Radcliffe. I'm definitely listening in again.

European Girl (art school disaster). by paisleyandcharlie

I'd heard bits and pieces by Paisley and Charlie for a few months now and was very pleased to hear that they have a new record out this week - 'Stone Lions'. They are unashamedly a pop act who hark back to Saint Etienne, the Sundays, early Lightning Seeds, Primitives and a whole host of mid to late 80s jangly guitar. The lyrics are as fresh as the sound and if whimsical pop is your thing then you really need to give your ears a treat and buy their record. They met a few years ago after Paisley answered an advert in Gumtree. Unfortunately attempts at forming a band didn't work but John Moore (from the Jesus and May Chain/Black Box Recorder) no less suggested they worked better just as a partnership. He wasn't wrong. They are now signed to Pebble Records and have a new album out in June. It's definitely on my wish list.

This is the official video for the single (are there less than subtle references to some influences in there?) 

Here's the link for the radio show: Bob Fischer Show 13/5/11 (You'll have to be quick though).