This month's choice for video of the month almost went to The Wave Pictures for 'Love You Like A Madman' (not only is it a top song, the video was directed by one Darren Hayman), but the single was actually released over a month ago. Same with Born Ruffians' 'Hummingbird'. Instead I thought I'd go for something out around now.
Regardless of a band's own work, one of the best things they can do is turn young people on to their influences. Oasis made The Beatles cool with Britpop teenagers, The Strokes reignited interest in 70s garage rock and bands like Television, The Libertines' Up The Bracket encouraged noughties urchins to buy copies of The Clash, and it goes on...
So if Alex Turner's side project The Last Shadow Puppets can use his popularity to get the kids into Scott Walker it can only be a good thing and is worth doing if only for this altruistic purpose. A lot of the first offerings from the duo's forthcoming debut album put you in mind of Walker and first single 'The Age Of The Understatement' lifts the thundering horse-hoof backing of Walker's cover of Jacques Brel's 'Jackie'. On top of nods to Walker, away from at least some of the critical microscope that was on the Arctic Monkeys' record, The Age Of The Understatement seems like it is going to be home to the diversity, fresh ideas and progressiveness that were missing from Favourite Worst Nightmare. Fingers crossed anyway.
The military/ice-skating mashup of a video is not the best I've ever seen but Alex and Miles do sport some suitably dapper coats. As a bonus there is the 'acoustic' version recorded at New York's Avatar Studios below.
Live at Avatar Studios [dir. Rob Hall]
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4 comments:
I like, I like. A very epic feel with the brass instruments. If you would recommend one Scott Walker album to start off with, which would it be?
Listening to the album reminds me of The Coral. You ever listen to them? Their first albums is incredible. BTW, this is Dan from Canada / Phi Phi Island.
Hello mate! Thanks for the comments.
Hope all's well, how/where the devil are you?
re: Scott Walker, my favourite of his solo albums is Scott 4 (1969), which has some great, poignant songs on it like 'World's Strongest Man'. It's also the first of his records with all his own songs on it.
Any of Scott, Scott 2 or Scott 3 are worth a listen though. His version he Jacques Brel song 'Jackie' is the one that Last Shadow Puppets 'borrowed' the drums from on this song. That's on Scott 2 I think...
People rave about the leftfield stuff he has made recently, notably The Drift (2006) but I haven't put the time in to listen to it enough yet!
Yep I like The Coral, particularly the early stuff - wasn't too sold on the last album. 'Dreaming Of You' remains one of my favourite 'sing-along' songs!
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