Sunday, November 15, 2009

Explorer 23 for November 15

01 02 02 Airborne Toxic Event - Does This Mean You're Moving On

02 04 04 Dodos - Fables

03 01 04 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

04 05 03 Little Comets - Adultery

05 03 04 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

06 06 03 The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo

07 22 02
The Very Best Of - Warm Heart of Africa feat Ezra Koenig

08 09 03
4 or 5 Magicians - Nice Little Earner

09 10 03
Wild Beasts - All The King's Men

10 -- 01 King Charles - Love Lust

11 08 04
Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub

12 07 04
Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall

13 12 02
Ida Maria & Iggy Pop - Oh My God Remix

14 -- 01 Moss - I Like The Chemistry

15 15 03
Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man

16 -- 01 The Joy Formidable - Greyhounds in the Slips

17 20 02
Bombay Bicycle Club - Magnet

18 -- 01 Manchester Orchestra - Shake It Out

19 11 04
The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine

20 13 04
Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me

21 -- 01 I Concur - Sobotka

22 -- 01 Noah & The Whale - Love of an Orchestra

23 -- 01 The XX - Islands

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Explorer 23 For November 05

Almost killed by Cumin earlier this week. But enough about me, here's the list:

01 01 03 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
02 -- 01 Airborne Toxic Event - Does This Mean You're Moving On
03 04 03 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
04 07 03 Dodos - Fables
05 10 02 Little Comets - Adultery
06 12 02 The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo
07 03 03 Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall
08 02 03 Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub
09 16 02 4 or 5 Magicians - Nice Little Earner
10 09 02 Wild Beasts - All The King's Men
11 06 03 The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
12 -- 04 Ida Maria & Iggy Pop - Oh My God Remix
13 05 03 Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me
14 19 02 Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
15 08 03 Young Rebel Set - If I Was
16 -- 02 The Boxer Rebellion - Flashing Red Light Means Go
17 11 03 The Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros
18 14 03 The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Golden Age
19 17 03 Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
20 21 02 Bombay Bicycle Club - Magnet
21 18 03 Ohbijou - New Years
22 -- 01 The Very Best Of - Warm Heart of Africa feat Ezra Koenig
23 -- 01 Johnny Foreigner - Criminals

Monday, October 26, 2009

Explorer 23 for October 26th, 2009

The Explorer 23 for October 26, 2009.

Drums make it to number #1, lot of unknown English bands entered the charts, and one supergroup in the form of the Dead Weather.


TW LW #W
01 03 02 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
02 02 02 Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub
03 10 02 Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall
04 05 02 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
05 01 02 Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me (1x#1)
06 04 02 The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
07 22 02 Dodos - Fables
08 07 02 Young Rebel Set - If I Was
09 -- 01 Wild Beasts - All The King's Men
10 -- 01 Little Comets - Adultery
11 08 02 The Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros
12 -- 02 The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo
13 11 02 The Madd - Good Evening Girl
14 06 02 The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Golden Age
15 13 02 The Galacticos - I'm With My Girl
16 -- 01 4 or 5 Magicians - Nice Little Earner
17 21 02 Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
18 09 02 Ohbijou - New Years
19 -- 01 Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
20 15 02 Sidney Samson - Riverside
21 -- 01 Bombay Bicycle Club - Magnet
22 14 02 Maria Taylor - Cartoons and Forever Plans
23 20 02 LoveLikeFire - Boredom

Monday, October 19, 2009

Explorer 23 for October 19th, 2009

And yes folks, it's back by popular demand, the legendary Explorer 23! May not be as as punctual as usual, but it should provide you all with some fun.

And as always, e-mail the explorer at wideeyedexplorer@gmail.com if you think a song should be in this list or should be higher.

And most of all: Follow us on Twitter!

01. Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me
02. Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub
03. The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
04. The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
05. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
06. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Golden Age
07. Young Rebel Set - If I Was
08. The Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros
09. Ohbijou - New Years
10. Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall
11. The Madd - Good Evening Girl
12. Labasheeda - Two Too Late
13. The Galacticos - I'm With My Girl
14. Maria Taylor - Cartoons and Forever Plans
15. Sidney Samson - Riverside
16. Modest Mouse - Satelite Skin
17. Arctic Monkeys - Cornerstone
18. Love is All - Last Choice
19. Danananakroyd - Some Dresses
20. LoveLikeFire - Boredom
21. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
22. The Dodos - Fables
23. Black Lips - Drugs

Monday, October 5, 2009

Zeus - Sounds Like Zeus EP

Zeus - Sounds Like Zeus. If Elvis Costello and Wilco would make music together while having listened to Queen all night it might have sounded something like ‘Marching Through Your Head’ on Zeus' debut EP on Arts and Craft. Cover of Genesis’ ‘That’s All’ is funny. Not an earthshattering debut but it’s at least promising.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Tallest Man On Earth - Paradiso Sept 29, 2009

The Paradiso upstairs room was sold out for a performance by The Tallest Man On Earth last Tuesday. The album “Shallow Grave” was one of my favorites of last year but and I was looking forward to seeing the artist perform the songs of the album live. For me it was the first time, but it turned out that half of the room had seem him play on the Lowlands festival earlier this year.
“Shallow Grave” is a remarkable album. When you listen to it you expect some very tall guy in a lumberjack uniform who lives in a wooden cabin somewhere in the mountains in the southern part of the US, surrounded by animals and trees writing songs about the things around him. With a voice that’s shaky but authentic with hints of Bob Dylan and a similar guitar playing style: all acoustic. I would not have been surprised if he was Will Oldham’s next door neighbor. But he’s not from the south, in fact he’s not even from the U.S. but from Sweden and his name is Kristian Matsson.

Most Swedish bands, however good they are, will always have a pop sound to their music. Even the punk and metal bands have this, and it’s probably because there’s not really that much wrong in one of the most livable countries on the planet. Trying to sing some sort of blues requires urgency, knowing why the song has to be sung. TMOE circumvents all of this by showing he has a good grasp of the same artists Dylan and other folkies listened to. Not for one moment do you know you’re listening to a Scandinavian. Prowling around stage during the instrumental bits he shows off great song after great song. It’s rare for a solo act to have a good stage show but he has. Running around, looking intensely into the audience he knows how to bring the songs. His command of English is also worth mentioning because where many Swedish bands can’t get over the accent (mostly the s’s) he sounds American, and also in his songs.

Matsson deserves more appreciation for his very authentic sounding music and hopefully next time, as someone in the audience said, he will be downstairs.

www.myspace.com/thetallestmanonearth

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Wide Eyed Explorer for June 11th.

Hello there Kiddies,

again a new #1, Animal Collective takes the top spot again with a new song. Airborne Toxic Event's new song has a new video and since we are slowly starting to get obsessed with them they are in as well as the new Kings of Leon song. Anyone spot the Cure 'cover' ?


TW LW #W
01 02 03 Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes (1x#1)
02 04 03 The Horrors - Who Can Say
03 01 04 We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices (1x#1)
04 04 05 The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated
05 10 02 Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
06 05 06 The Thermals - Now We Can See (1x#1)
07 -- 01 Kings Of Leon - Notion
08 07 05 Fight Like Apes - Something Global
09 07 05 Dananananaykroyd - Black Wax
10 -- 01 The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight
11 -- 01 Meindert Talma - Tamango
12 12 02 Peter Fox - Das Haus Am See
13 17 02 Wave Machines - I Go I Go I Go
14 16 05 The Joy Formidable - Whirring
15 15 03 Noisettes - Never Forget You
16 09 04 Super Tennis - Super Tennis Theme Song
17 -- 01 Crystal Stilts - Love Is A Wave
18 -- 01 Gang Gang Dance - First Communion
19 11 06 The Galacticos - He Said She Said
20 -- 01 Franz Ferdinand - Can't Stop Feeling
21 -- 01 Eugene McGuinness - Wendy Wonders
22 08 06 Neko Case - People Got A Lot Of Nerve (1x#1)
23 -- 01 Lady Sovereign- So Human


Not going to go through all the trouble again by listing all the YouTube videos: Just go HERE and watch them

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Explorer 23 for June 2nd

And Good Day To You.

No major upsets this week.


01 03 03 We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices (1x#1)
02 02 02 Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes
03 04 04 The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated
04 07 02 The Horrors - Who Can Say
05 01 05 The Thermals - Now We Can See (1x#1)
06 11 02 Fight Like Apes - Something Global
07 05 04 Dananananaykroyd - Black Wax
08 06 05 Neko Case - People Got A Lot Of Nerve (1x#1)
09 10 03 Super Tennis - Super Tennis Theme Song
10 20 02 Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
11 08 05 The Galacticos - He Said She Said
12 -- 01 Peter Fox - Das Haus Am See
13 17 02 God Help the Girl - Come Monday Night
14 12 05 Mastodon - Divinations
15 19 02 Noisettes - Never Forget You
16 15 14 The Joy Formidable - Whirring
17 -- 01 Wave Machines - I Go I Go I Go
18 09 05 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
19 -- 01 Bombay Bicycle Club - Dust on the Ground
20 13 05 The View - Temptation Dice
21 14 04 De Staat - Wait for Evolution
22 21 03 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Sugarfoot
23 -- 01 Ten Page Pilot - In The City

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Wide Eyed Explorer for May 26th

Back with a new list. First time ever a band has two songs in the list, and two in the Top 10 even. The Horrors are on their way to become a 2009 sensation and it shows. The Thermals and their O-A-O-A-O-O reached #1. Highest newcomer ever is Animal Collective with the appropriate Summertime Clothes. Ida Maria's song was re-released in the US and deserves to be in our Top 23. Enjoy!


TW LW #W
01 02 04 The Thermals - Now We Can See (1x#1)
02 -- 01 Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes
03 15 02 We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices
04 08 03 The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated
05 13 03 Dananananaykroyd - Black Wax
06 01 04 Neko Case - People Got A Lot Of Nerve (1x#1)
07 -- 01 The Horrors - Who Can Say
08 03 04 The Galacticos - He Said She Said
09 04 04 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
10 20 02 Super Tennis - Super Tennis Theme Song
11 -- 01 Fight Like Apes - Something Global
12 06 04 Mastodon - Divinations
13 09 04 The View - Temptation Dice
14 05 03 De Staat - Wait for Evolution
15 23 03 The Joy Formidable - Whirring
16 07 04 The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations
17 -- 01 God Help the Girl - Come Monday Night
18 10 04 Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
19 -- 01 Noisettes - Never Forget You
20 -- 01 Ida Maria - I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked
21 19 02 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Sugarfoot
22 14 04 Love Is All - Wishing Well
23 17 04 A Place To Bury Strangers - Missing You

Monday, May 18, 2009

Short Evan Dando Review

Could only find 1 single worth mentioning in our revered Top 23, so we decided to skip a week and give you a new one next time.
Did add a short review of the Evan Dando show at the Paradiso on Sunday.

Evan Dando: Paradiso May 19th

He didn’t say much this night. Before the last song he told us that he just had some Snickers to eat and his stomach was hurting. Seemed he had some of the other fine local ‘cuisine’ as well. He also mentioned that 7pm was very early for a show. And with the sunlight still shining into the small Paradiso room between the curtains it was. But it’s a busy place.

Evan Dando has been here many times before with both the Lemonheads and as a solo artists. But the venues are getting smaller and smaller. This time it was the small Paradiso room with chairs and tables with enough room to move.

A not so talkative Dando played his songs almost without pausing in between. No stage presence this time but the songs speak for themselves. With around twenty years of songs to choose from the quality of the man’s songs is high. Drug Buddy, Bit Part, It’s A Shame About Ray, Outdoor Type, Big Gay Heart, all the greatest hits were played.

An interesting evening with Evan Dando was still worth it, but let’s hope next time he will stay off the Snickers.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Clear Is A Color: Shellac @ Paradiso May 14th

Shellac: Paradiso May 14th

I could start this article by giving you the short history of Steve Albini, how he has been in the influential groups Rapemen and Big Black in the 80’s, produced albums by Nirvana, the Breeders, Page & Plant (that’s half of Led Zeppelin for the young ones among you), the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and many more. Or how his band performs when they wish without promotion, merchandising or any roadies to speak of. Or maybe his love for vinyl and that Shellac records are oftentimes released on vinyl weeks before the CD version. But let’s stick to the music this time.



Call it noise-rock or math rock, Shellac describe themselves as a minimalist rock trio. They take a minimalist, do-it yourself approach to everything they do: making up the setlist as they go along, no frills, no other instruments, no encore and no “tiny cymbals that go ‘pish’".

For a trio Shellac makes an extreme amount of noise where every instrument has an equal part. This can be seen in how they are positioned on stage. Where most often the drummer would be in the back, here he’s in the middle of the stage. The only other band where I’ve seen this is Battles where John Stanier is the man in the middle.
Drummer Todd Trainer is one of the hardest pounding drummers you will find and it’s worth just looking at him all night. His drumkit is fairly small but he hits the hell out of it. So much that you can see the woodchips fly of his already thick drumsticks.
He uses the instrument as an equal part of the band’s sound, not just for the rhythm. Besides, Shellac’s rhythms are just too weird and you can easily spot three or four time signature changes in one song. Songs that hardly ever are your standard 4/4 AABA structure. He brings color to the songs, builds the suspence and announces the arrival of either silence that can last seconds or an explosion: it might come in the form of one single note on a guitar, one thud of the bassdrum or the band might explode in unison.
In some songs Albini’s guitar will play the same notes over and over again leaving room for Trainer to fill the rest in with drumparts that are never the same, as if the drumfills were words of the lyrics; the thing you pay most attention to.

The good thing about having two producers in your band is an almost obsessive ear for sound. Rumbling but clear basslines that never distort, Albini’s screeching copper-plectrum-on-metal-strings unique guitar sound that goes right through you like a diamondsharpened circular saw, and his biting singing/shouting/speaking into the microphone. I felt it did need a few songs to get the mic adjusted right but after that the sound was pristine.

There was no setlist; the bandmembers decided on the spot what song to play. Songs from all the albums released since 1994 and a few singles like the monumental “Wingwalker”. Some short and fast, some long and monotone like “end of Radio” with a tension span of over 6 minutes before more happens than Weston’s basschords, Trainer’s snare drum and Albini shouting old bits of radio shows into the room. Easily a highlight that came at the end of the show that also had the suspenseful “Crow” and closer “Watch Song”

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Wide Eyed Explorer for May 12th.

Hello again.

Besides our regular Top 23 also a review of Love is All (and Franz Ferdinand)


01 02 03 Neko Case - People Got A Lot Of Nerve
02 06 03 The Thermals - Now We Can See
03 04 03 The Galacticos - He Said She Said
04 03 03 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
05 08 02 De Staat - Wait for Evolution
06 05 03 Mastodon - Divinations
07 01 03 The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations
08 17 02 The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated
09 09 03 The View - Temptation Dice
10 12 03 Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
11 16 03 Mark and the The Spies - Won't Work On Me
12 07 03 Lily Allen - Fuck You
13 14 02 Dananananaykroyd - Black Wax
14 10 03 Love Is All - Wishing Well
15 -- 01 We Were Promised Jetpacks - Quiet Little Voices
16 11 03 Jack Penate - Tonight's Today
17 13 03 A Place To Bury Strangers - Missing You
18 19 03 Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls
19 -- 01 Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears - Sugarfoot
20 -- 01 Super Tennis - Super Tennis Theme Song
21 18 03 Metric - Help I'm Alive
22 23 02 Andrew Bird - Fitz and the Dizzyspells
23 20 02 The Joy Formidable - Whirring






Love is All (and quite a bit of Franz Ferdinand).

Paradiso May 11th, 2009

Don’t tell anyone, but you can sometimes get into shows by big bands in the Paradiso by buying a ticket for a late concert in the small room upstairs.

At 21:55 I had my ticket to Swedish band Love is All scanned and went upstairs but apart from two people sitting on chairs the room was empty and the stage set up. Walking around I went through the doors leading to Paradiso’s grand main room where Franz Ferdinand was playing their sold out show. Going back and forth to small room I got to see the end of a great concert. Atmosphere was great and when they invited people onstage during ‘This Ffire’ it turned into an almost out of control party. Good thing they didn’t play one of their hits, never know how the frantic crowd would react to that. The band seemed to enjoy it and it’s probably a good thing they decided to do two Paradiso shows and not one in a bigger but less intimate hall.

The feedback of the amps was still humming through the old church when me and some other people took the short walk from the balcony to the small room where Swedish band Love is All started to play almost immediately after.

I got a ticket after hearing their second album “A Hundred Things That Keep Me Up At Night”, a collection of punky indie rock songs with catchy hooks and lyrics about the everyday things in life like messy rooms and seasickness.

Fronted by singer Josephine Olausson the band at times seemed to work too hard. The sound got messy whereby you missed the great hooks and funny lyrics. But Josephine is a warm stage presence and her English accent is charming. Hindered by the very small stage they didn’t have much room to move about, although I wonder if they ever really do. The drummer’s bass drum seemed to do the most moving.

It’s still amazing how Sweden can have so many bands that are worth listening to. Most of their styles have a layer of pop that can be at times annoying. Swedish music almost never has a sense of urgency and depth that North-American or British bands have. Maybe it is because life in Sweden is generally good and there is nothing really to complain about. The Blues could never have been started in Sweden, but at least they have quite a few good bands releasing records each year, and Love is All should be noted for their originality and for not stepping into the pop-trap that lured a lot of bands.

The show only lasted 35 minutes, but they did have Franz Ferdinand opening for them, what else do you want.

Check out their single Wishing Well, now in the Top 23

Monday, May 4, 2009

Explorer 23 for May 4th

New Top 23 for May 4th. Expect some concert reviews in the coming weeks, starting with Love is All and Shellac next week.


TW LW #W
01 03 02 The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations (1x#1)
02 08 02 Neko Case - People Got A Lot Of Nerve
03 01 02 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea (1x#1)
04 09 02 The Galacticos - He Said She Said
05 04 02 Mastodon - Divinations
06 11 02 The Thermals - Now We Can See
07 02 02 Lily Allen - Fuck You
08 -- 01 De Staat - Wait for Evolution
09 20 02 The View - Temptation Dice
10 06 02 Love Is All - Wishing Well
11 10 02 Jack Penate - Tonight's Today
12 12 02 Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
13 07 02 A Place To Bury Strangers - Missing You
14 -- 01 Dananananaykroyd - Black Wax
15 05 02 Titus Andronicus - My Time Outside The Womb
16 15 02 Mark and the The Spies - Won't Work On Me
17 -- 01 The Airborne Toxic Event - Happiness is Overrated
18 22 02 Metric - Help I'm Alive
19 17 02 Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls
20 -- 01 The Joy Formidable - Whirring
21 13 02 Art Brut - Alcoholics Unanimous
22 18 02 Red Light Company - Arts And Crafts
23 -- 01 Andrew Bird - Fitz and the Dizzyspells

Monday, April 27, 2009

We're Back! - Explorer 23 for April 28

We're back with a new Top 23. Things have settled down so hopefully we will be able to keep this up again for a little while.

Here's the Top 23 with an 8 minute long #1 and a surprisingly high number of songs from the low countries. It might be the best 23 we've ever had

01 The Horrors - Sea Within A Sea
02 Lily Allen - Fuck You
03 The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations
04 Mastodon - Divinations
05 Titus Andronicus - My Time Outside The Womb
06 Love Is All - Wishing Well
07 A Place To Bury Strangers - Missing You
08 Neko Case - People Got A Lot Of Nerve
09 The Galacticos - He Said She Said
10 Jack Penate - Tonight's Today
11 The Thermals - Now We Can See
12 Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Young Adult Friction
13 Art Brut - Alcoholics Unanimous
14 The Boxer Rebellion - Evacuate
15 Mark and the The Spies - Won't Work On Me
16 Voicst - A Year And A Bit
17 Franz Ferdinand - No You Girls
18 Red Light Company - Arts And Crafts
19 Rigby - Everything Must Go
20 The View - Temptation Dice
21 The Boy Least Likely To - Every Goliath Has It's David
22 Metric - Help I'm Alive
23 Camera Obscura - French Navy clip

Because I can't seem to change the language in YouTube I'm now stuck with Dutch words I don't understand and I can't figure out how to embed now.

But here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1lD5cE6Bwc&feature=PlayList&p=C0628CFE6CC4C75D&index=0&playnext=1

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Explorer 23 of March 8

No reviews again (sorry!!)


TW LW W
01 03 3 Animal Collective - My Girls
02 01 5 The Walkmen - In The New Year (2x#1)
03 10 2 Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This
04 -- 1 Antony and the Johnsons - Epilepsy in Dancing
05 18 2 Wavves - So Bored
06 02 5 Fight Like Apes - Tie Me Up With Jackets
07 08 3 Santogold - Say Aha
08 04 3 Bloc Party - One Month Off
09 06 8 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black (#2)
10 17 2 New Rhodes - The Joys of Finding and Losing That Girl
11 -- 1 Eugene McGuinness - Fonz
12 05 4 The King Blues - Save The World
13 20 2 Kings Of Leon - Revelry
14 -- 1 Little Comets - One Night in October
15 07 5 Dan Le Sac, Scroobious Pip feat Posdnous - Thou Shalt Always Kill
16 11 8 Coconut Records - Microphone
17 -- 1 The Galacticos - Humble Rumble
18 12 7 Constantines - Our Age
19 13 5 Marmaduke Duke - Kid Gloves
20 09 4 Kasms - Bone You
21 -- 1 A Camp - Stronger Than Jesus
22 15 7 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
23 14 6 cityLIGHTS - Mashed On Fashion


Sunday, March 1, 2009

Explorer 23 for March 1, 2009

New job, new life etc... also a new Top 23, which from this week will be updated every weekend, not every thursday. Enjoy




TW LW W
01 01 4 The Walkmen - In The New Year (2x#1)
02 02 4 Fight Like Apes - Tie Me Up With Jackets
03 09 2 Animal Collective - My Girls
04 10 2 Bloc Party - One Month Off
05 05 3 The King Blues - Save The World
06 03 7 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black (#2)
07 04 4 Dan Le Sac, Scroobious Pip feat Posdnous - Thou Shalt Always Kill
08 12 2 Santogold - Say Aha
09 08 3 Kasms - Bone You
10 -- 1 Bombay Bicycle Club - Always Like This
11 07 7 Coconut Records - Microphone
12 06 6 Constantines - Our Age
13 18 4 Marmaduke Duke - Kid Gloves
14 11 5 cityLIGHTS - Mashed On Fashion
15 13 6 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
16 16 3 Le Reno Amps - Outlaws
17 -- 1 New Rhodes - The Joys of Finding and Losing That Girl
18 -- 1 Wavves - So Bored
19 19 5 Jack Green and the Band of Thieves - Man From Mars
20 -- 1 Kings Of Leon - Revelry
21 22 3 Bruce Springsteen - The Wrestler
22 15 7 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
23 14 9 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#3)

Friday, February 20, 2009

The Explorer 23 for February 19

It's been a busy week for me, no time to write anything, but there is a new Top 23!


TW LW W
01 02 3 The Walkmen - In The New Year
02 03 3 Fight Like Apes - Tie Me Up With Jackets
03 01 6 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black (#2)
04 05 3 Dan Le Sac, Scroobious Pip feat Posdnous - Thou Shalt Always Kill
05 07 2 The King Blues - Save The World
06 04 5 Constantines - Our Age
07 08 6 Coconut Records - Microphone
08 14 2 Kasms - Bone You
09 -- 1 Animal Collective - My Girls
10 -- 1 Bloc Party - One Month Off
11 09 4 cityLIGHTS - Mashed On Fashion
12 -- 1 Santogold - Say Aha
13 11 5 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
14 06 8 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#3)
15 12 6 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
16 17 2 Le Reno Amps - Outlaws
17 10 8 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight (#1)
18 19 3 Marmaduke Duke - Kid Gloves
19 18 4 Jack Green and the Band of Thieves - Man From Mars
20 20 4 Pravda - Body Addict
21 16 6 Emmy The Great - We Almost Had A Baby
22 22 2 Bruce Springsteen - The Wrestler
23 21 4 Lily Allen - The Fear


Friday, February 13, 2009

Explorer 23. February 12, 2009

No reviews this week, just the Top 23. Look us up on Facebook!


TW LW W
01 01 5 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black (#2)
02 09 2 The Walkmen - In The New Year
03 06 2 Fight Like Apes - Tie Me Up With Jackets
04 03 4 Constantines - Our Age
05 13 2 Dan Le Sac, Scroobious Pip feat Posdnous - Thou Shalt Always Kill
06 02 7 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#3)
07 -- 2 The King Blues - Save The World
08 07 5 Coconut Records - Microphone
09 08 3 cityLIGHTS - Mashed On Fashion
10 04 7 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight (#1)
11 12 4 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
12 11 5 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
13 05 8 Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus
14 -- 1 Kasms - Bone You
15 10 7 Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen
16 14 5 Emmy The Great - We Almost Had A Baby
17 -- 1 Reno Amps - Outlaws
18 15 3 Jack Green and the Band of Thieves - Man From Mars
19 20 2 Marmaduke Duke - Kid Gloves
20 17 3 Pravda - Body Addict
21 19 3 Lily Allen - The Fear
22 -- 1 Bruce Springsteen - The Wrestler
23 -- 1 Swelter - Saddest Meal


And here are all the songs on our YouTube Channel.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Explorer 23, February 5 - 2009: New Number One and 50 Word Single Reviews

Hello Everybody,

New Number 1 after three weeks of Ida Maria, and some new 50-word Single Reviews.

TW LW W
01 02 4 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black (#1)
02 01 6 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#3)
03 05 3 Constantines - Our Age
04 03 6 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight (#1)
05 04 7 Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus
06 -- 1 Fight Like Apes - Tie Me Up With Jackets
07 09 4 Coconut Records - Microphone
08 10 2 cityLIGHTS - Mashed On Fashion
09 -- 1 The Walkmen - In The New Year
10 06 6 Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen
11 07 4 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
12 12 3 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
13 -- 1 Dan Le Sac, Scroobious Pip feat Posdnous - Thou Shalt Always Kill
14 15 4 Emmy The Great - We Almost Had A Baby
15 14 2 Jack Green and the Band of Thieves - Man From Mars
16 08 7 Tunics - Cost of Living
17 18 2 Pravda - Body Addict
18 11 7 Holloways - Sinners & Winners (#1)
19 20 2 Lily Allen - The Fear
20 -- 1 Marmaduke Duke - Kid Gloves
21 13 7 MGMT - Kids
22 19 3 Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
23 16 7 Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (#1)




50 Word Single Reviews



Fight Like Apes – Tie Me Up With Jackets
I would not be surprised to see this one at the top of the chart. Smart lyrics and some great hooks make this is a choppy, yet vibrant song. This Irish band sounds like a combination of American college rock and English indie rock. TMUWJ might be a new classic.

Dan Le Sac v Scroobius Pip feat Posdnuos – Thou Shall Always Kill
Dan le Sac and Scroobius Pip and De La Soul, what a great mix. The song has been changed with new added lyrics. Maybe not as great as the ‘original’ but still a 9 out of 10. Best song ever recorded that mentions Mitch Hedberg, George Carlin and James Stewart.

The Walkmen – In The New Year
Organ/synth heavy song with one awesome sounding reverb guitar on which the song is built.. The video is as good as the song if not better, using old footage of the Nosferatu movie of the 1922’s, a classic German horror movie. This song will surely rise in the coming weeks.

Marmaduke Duke – Kid Gloves
There is something about animated videos that makes a song better than it actually is. Not that ‘Kid Gloves’ is not worth listening to, but the video is stunningly beautiful. Singer is also in Biffy Clyro, but I think Marmaduke Duke is the more interesting music venture he has undertaken.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Explorer 23: January 29, 2009

No articles this week, just a list of 23 songs. Not only made by us but also by some of the readers. If you like a song on this list very much E-mail us your favorite 5 (or 4, or 3, or maybe just one). If you know of a recent single that's out but not on this list let us know as well. Better yet, leave a comment!!


TW LW W
01 01 5 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#3)
02 05 3 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black
03 02 5 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight (#1)
04 04 6 Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus
05 18 2 Constantines - Our Age
06 04 5 Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen
07 10 3 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
08 06 6 Tunics - Cost of Living
09 13 3 Coconut Records - Microphone
10 -- 1 cityLIGHTS - Mashed On Fashion
11 07 6 Holloways - Sinners & Winners (#1)
12 11 2 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
13 09 6 MGMT - Kids
14 -- 1 Jack Green and the Band of Thieves - Man From Mars
15 12 3 Emmy The Great - We Almost Had A Baby
16 08 6 Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (#1)
17 17 6 TV on the Radio - Dancing Choose
18 -- 1 Pravda - Body Addict
19 16 2 Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
20 -- 1 Lily Allen - The Fear
21 14 6 Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene
22 23 6 Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
23 15 6 Noah & The Whale - Shape Of Your Heart


Friday, January 23, 2009

Explorer 23, January 22: The Ageless Soldier

This week the same Number one but has an actor, an old dude from the 80's and a frantic garage band from Kyoto (The Soap)


TW LW W
01 01 4 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#2)
02 02 4 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight (#1)
03 04 5 Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus
04 06 4 Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen
05 13 2 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black
06 03 5 Tunics - Cost of Living
07 05 5 Holloways - Sinners & Winners (#1)
08 07 5 Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (#1)
09 08 5 MGMT - Kids
10 12 2 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
11 -- 1 The Soap - Drive In To My Sheet
12 15 2 Emmy The Great - We Almost Had A Baby
13 23 2 Coconut Records - Microphone
14 09 5 Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene
15 10 5 Noah & The Whale - Shape Of Your Heart
16 -- 2 Morrissey - I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
17 11 5 TV on the Radio - Dancing Choose
18 -- 2 Constantines 0 Our Age
19 14 5 Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why
20 18 3 Skipper - Wrong Man Wrong Place
21 16 5 Death Cab For Cutie - No Sunlight
22 17 5 Hot Melts - Never Been In Love
23 19 5 Vampire Weekend - A-Punk


And here's the YouTube link (new songs as last)

Or watch and listen to it here






The Ageless Soldier


Since people have begun to sing songs, war has been a subject. All throughout the ages ballads have been sung to remember wars, battles and the heroes that fought in them. In the last 50 years in pop music there has been a change to sing more about the soldier, and not the great leader. In the long list of popsongs about war especially the Vietnam war has been a favorite subject since the early days of the conflict in some songs by Dylan and Phil Ochs. Then there are songs like ‘Fortunate Son’ by Creedence Clearwater Revival talking about the sons of the rich who are not going or Barry McGuire’s ‘Edge of Destruction’. And after the end of the war the veterans came back and had their problems to deal with, as in Springsteen’s ‘Born In The USA’ or John Prine’s story of a heroin addicted veteran called ‘Sam Stone’.

This article will focus on the soldier fighting all the wars throughout the history of the US in four songs: Buffy St. Marie’s ‘Universal Soldier’, Phil Och’s ‘I Ain’t Marching Anymore’, Richie Havens’ ‘Handsome Johnny’ and Dylan’s ‘With God On Their Side’.

Universal Soldier is perhaps best known in Donovan’s version of Canadian Buffy St. Marie’s song. The universal soldier can be any soldier who has ever fought a war. Any height or age without a certain nationality, either fighting for Canada, France, the Russians etc. Also no particular religion, as he is a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist or a Jain but even though every religion forbids killing he still does so. The role of religion will return with Dylan.
The songs talks about how every soldier has something that he fights for, no matter what his background is and no matter the cause. And they always think the war they are fighting will be the war that ends all wars. The moral of the song is that as a man you still have personal responsibility and that you should not just follow orders, that you as a person can stop war by just standing up. It’s simple math: soldiers are being ordered by the generals, the generals are being ordered by the politicians, and ‘We The People…’ elect the politicians.
Unlike St. Marie Phil Ochs sees the soldier as a victim of the generals and politicians, he has a more realistic view of how things work. To him it is the old people sending the young to die. Ochs’ soldier is not universal but American. Starting at the Civil War and talking about the Indian Wars as well he explains the country’s history up to the 60’s, and giving a warning about the atomic bomb in the end. For him this is the weapon that is so destructive it will have to lead to the end of war. “When I saw the cities burning, I knew that I was learning, I ain’t marching anymore”. His soldier sees the destruction that war can now cause so he stands up and says no.
Handsome Johnny is Richie Haven’s name for the Universal Soldier. He, like Dylan and Ochs, takes a more linear approach to war by saying that every war has basically been the same. Starting from the American Revolutionary War through Civil War and Vietnam. Then he takes an interesting turn by focusing our attention to Civil Rights, where Johnny is marching with his hand rolled in a fist. He ends, like Dylan, with the hydrogen bomb. The song was well chosen for the opening set of Woodstock, and can be found in the documentary made about the festival
Bob Dylan’s soldier like St. Marie’s is nameless and ageless, but very personal. Dylan, like Ochs, sings in first person, starting from his childhood in the Midwest. It is also a history of the USA through war. Dylan talks about how people think they are doing the right thing, because God is on their Side, .”and you don’t count the dead when God’s on your side”. The Germans after World War II were forgiven because they now too had the American God on their side, even though they murdered six million. Dylan wrote this in 1962 when Vietnam was just starting, but the Cold war was going on. He also ends with atomic weapons. Even here, when all the rockets are fired you don’t have regrets, because they have God on their side. His hope is that if God is on their side he will stop the next war.

The early 00’s had it’s fair share of anti-war songs with artists like Neil Young and Steve Earle recording songs and Eddy Vedder re-writing Phil Ochs’ ‘Here’s to the State of Mississippi’. Let’s see what the coming 4 years will bring.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Explorer 23: January 15, 2009

No reviews, just the Top 23, with again a new Number 1.


TW LW W
01 02 3 Ida Maria - Oh My God (#1)
02 01 3 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight (#1)
03 04 4 Tunics - Cost of Living
04 09 4 Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus
05 03 4 Holloways - Sinners & Winners (#1)
06 07 3 Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen
07 03 4 Kings of Leon - Use Somebody (#1)
08 05 4 MGMT - Kids
09 08 4 Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene
10 10 4 Noah & The Whale - Shape Of Your Heart
11 11 4 TV on the Radio - Dancing Choose
12 -- 1 Dead Kids - Into The Fire
13 -- 1 Tilly & The Wall - Pot Kettle Black
14 12 4 Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why
15 -- 1 Emmy The Great - We Almost Had A Baby
16 13 4 Death Cab For Cutie - No Sunlight
17 14 4 Hot Melts - Never Been In Love
18 17 2 Skipper - Wrong Man Wrong Place
19 15 4 Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
20 16 4 Wiley ft Daniel Merriweather - Cash In My Pocket
21 18 4 Deichkind - Arbeit Nervt
22 21 2 oF Montreal - An Eleuardian Instance
23 -- 1 Coconut Records - Microphone


Here's the link to the YouTube Channel.

Or:



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Thursday, January 8, 2009

Explorer Top 23: January 8, 2009

Hello again my musical friends. Two weeks later (nothing new worth mentioning last week) and a new name and for the first time some reviews: the first of hopefully many 50 word single reviews.

TW LW W

01 09 2 Kitty, Daisy & Lewis - Hold Me Tight
02 05 2 Ida Maria - Oh My God
03 01 3 Holloways - Sinners & Winners
04 07 3 Tunics - Cost of Living
05 02 3 MGMT - Kids
06 03 3 Kings of Leon - Use Somebody
07 16 2 Frank Turner - Long Live The Queen
08 04 3 Red Light Company - Scheme Eugene
09 17 3 Titus Andronicus - Titus Andronicus
10 06 3 Noah & The Whale - Shape Of Your Heart
11 08 3 TV on the Radio - Dancing Choose
12 10 3 Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why
13 11 3 Death Cab For Cutie - No Sunlight
14 12 3 Hot Melts - Never Been In Love
15 13 3 Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
16 14 3 Wiley ft Daniel Merriweather - Cash In My Pocket
17 -- 1 Skipper - Wrong Man Wrong Place
18 15 3 Deichkind - Arbeit Nervt
19 18 3 Duroc - Since You've Been Gone
20 -- 1 Michael Franti & Spearhead - Obama Song
21 19 3 Raveonettes - Blush
22 -- 1 oF Montreal - An Eleuardian Instance
23 -- 1 Deviation - Control


50 Word Single Reviews!


Frank Turner – Long Live The Queen
This song might become a ‘let’s remember our good friend who died too young after an illness’ classic. Frank Turner tells us a story about one of his friends dying and how the remaining group of friends cope. Very touching. Catch him on the Eurosonic Festival in Groningen next week.

Dead Kids – Into The Fire
A one riff, start to finish song. Video is very simple as well. It’s a catchy tune however by this band from London who have listened to the Clash a lot. But that can never be a bad thing can it? Shortest song of all the reviewed with just 2:02.

Emmy The Great – We Almost Had A Baby.
The Dead Kids listen to the Clash and Emmy likes Belle & Sebastian because this song, which has been out since November already, has that vibe. It’s a nice song with a story and a cute baby in the video plus a variety of hand puppets. The ending is sudden.

Deviation – Control
It took me a while to get this song but it might just crack our Top 23. Deviation has as much originality as… well, can’t think of anything right now but it’s not a lot. That doesn’t mean it’s bad though. I feel there’s more to come from these Dutchies.


And here's the YouTube Playlist of the Explorer 23: