Not so guilty pleasures

It's time to drop any pretense of cool and admit to some completely mainstream pop that I'm liking -- I need to confess and this blog is the place to do it!  Actually, I've always liked top 40 pop music; not everything of course, but I was never too snobby about something being too mainstream, whether it was Tony De Bart or Take That.  Lately I've found myself (and I know I'm not alone, and that there is a hipster factor to take into consideration) grooving to "Sorry" by Justin Bieber.  I have a feeling this song is produced by either Diplo or Skrillex.  I've never really given any thought to the latter, but I remember Diplo from the mid-2000's, when he was more an up and coming producer and quite underground.  Now, despite what I said about not being snobby, I am full of contradictions, and part of me is thinking "Diplo has sold out!".  But another part, the better part, is OK with that, because at least he's bringing some good sounds to the masses!  Especially the US masses, who've been in need of quality pop for a long time.  When I first got here in the mid-90's the situation was particularly dire, and for a long time the best pop music, the most forward-thinking, was R&B and rap, which is why a British brown kid living in suburban Detroit was watching BET and had the local black radio stations tuned to the buttons in the car stereo.


I'm also liking the Zayn Malik solo stuff.  I'm not sure if it's first-mover advantage, or the cool that comes from being good-looking and an ethnic minority, but I don't think any of the other boys from One Direction could pull off the solo career that Zayn may be able to.  All he has to do is pick the right songs and the right producers and he should be all set.  It's funny how pop is now -- not too long ago, a song like "It's You" would've been thought of as quite weird and underground, and probably would've been championed as some great twisted indie R&B, but in 2016 it's being put out by someone who was about as mainstream as you can get.  Again, I think it's great -- I'd rather good music be mass-market than crap music!


Lastly, Disclosure + Lorde.  I've heard this track a few times, and the last time I just thought to myself "this is perfect pop".  Lorde is on a different level of credibility than the two boys above, but it's all on the same continuum really.  Everything is cool now!  Or at least it can be.

On Carlos D and Interpol

Written enroute to Utah:

I grew up listening to Interpol. My first interpol concert was when I was 16, at St. Andrews in the D with my brother Feraz. I felt like Paul Banks was looking right at me at times, typical fan I was.

Turn On the Bright Lights is such a good, classic album. A rare album where every song is a gem. What a force. What a statement. It will always be one of my faves, and "Obstacle 1" just gets me moving and emotional every single time I hear it. Every single time.

The follow-up album Antics was good as well, but didn't have the same impact. I saw Interpol live two more times in college. Interpol and MIA are the only acts I've seen live, 3x each, both during my college years in MI.

I was so infatuated with Interpol, that in the summer of 2006, when I was doing summer internships in New York, and thus, living in the city for the first time, this happened: I was broke, yet again. I was passing out flyers for some Anglophile party, funny enough. It was July, night time, hot, I had been listening to Interpol once again for weeks on end; everyday Paul Banks's voice feeding my mind. That night, on that corner in the Lower East Side, Paul Banks walked right in front of me. Right in front of me. He was wearing all black, and a black hat, of course, in the middle of summer. Stunned, I grabbed his shirt as he passed by me. Hahahaha.

Stupidly: "Are you Paul from Interpol?" I knew that he was, I just, that just blurted out. Hey, I was genuinely starstruck!
I think he either nodded or said "Yes." He looked quite amused. Maybe its the only time a hijabi girl has grabbed his shirt.
I told him how much I loved his band and his music. How much I really, really loved Interpol.
He asked me my name and I answered. Then he shook my hand and went on his way. Despite being broke as a joke and not having a great time in New York in those days, that chance moment made my summer.

I've encountered celebrities since then, but that interaction is the most memorable and meaningful for me.

Of course, the other band members were so interesting too. Sam's drumming, is like no other on those albums. Daniel Kessler with the crazy feet during the live shows. The guys would frequently smoke cigarettes as they performed their killer songs, which seems very impossible, including Paul, the singer! But they pulled it off.

And then of course, Carlos D. Oh…Carlos D. What a man, what a look, what talent. What stage presence. He just looked awesome in those days, purely amazing. His bass-playing is I think what made me first fall in love with bass so much, and I still think its the instrument with the sexiest sound, and the one I've always wanted to learn. Carlos has a lot to do with that. His work on those albums is just excellently phenomenal. Yes, he deserves all these words.

sexy Carlos D back in the day, doing his thing

And to think, he didn't even wanna become a musician. As revealed in this rare and revealing interview below which I somehow stumbled upon a few weeks ago.

Interpol's third album had bad reviews. I think I have it somewhere, or I might not. I gave it a listen and was done. That happens with me a lot, when it comes to music. I can really dig a band's first album or two, but then when the third album comes and the bad reviews hit, I stop paying attention, and I only listen to their earlier work that I love. Even if later albums are said to be good, I just can't be bothered to check it out. Interpol. the Strokes, MIA, the Stills, I'm sure there's several others, that I've done this to.

Though, I've heard Interpol's last album really deserves to be checked out, so I will.

Anyway, back to Carlos. Here are some really interesting passages. Carlos ditched the band 6 years ago and hasn't looked back since. He's now an actor. He's a completely different person! So much love and respect to Carlos :-) I love you man and your work! Please don't hate me coz I'm a fan from your Interpol days.

"At some point in time, I think the moment for me, and it’s funny to think that this is the occasion for it, but when Coldplay— our old manager was Coldplay’s manager— when they played Saturday Night Live, he offered us tickets. And when I felt so much titillation and excitement over all the skits— Jon Hamm was the host— and looking at how they were being performed. And then when Coldplay came on, I felt bored, quite frankly. I knew then that there was something going on with me, some kind of identity shift, really. It really troubled me."
- I think its funny what he says here about Coldplay. I also stopped liking Coldplay around this time, after I went to one of their concerts I think in 2005. I just couldn't handle all the sappiness. I've been done with Coldplay since then.

"You had this very distinct style of dressing back when you were in Interpol, and you look very different now. Everything has shifted. I don’t think I would have even recognized you had I not known. Have you had an identity shift like this before?
Yes. That’s another thing. I’ve been a chameleon from day one. As soon as I got skillful at that sort of image making, I started to feel that image as a constricting suit of armor and I’d have to change it immediately."
- Funny, I'm going through a change as well I think, in my look. Not as major as his, but its a shift.

"Sure, I love telling myself that I should have continued along with my scholarly pursuits and that was the plan, then it got derailed by Interpol. This is a very attractive story to me. But that’s not really the story. And most people don’t really give a shit about me, they care more about the music that has changed their lives, or the music that has affected them to some extent. That’s the story that they’re emotionally tied to. So my own kind of, “You need to know I was on my way to being a scholar,” it’s peripheral. And I try to remind myself of that when I get too caught up in what I want to do and what I want to get done."
- Sorry Carlos! I'm probably one of those people.

Here's the full read:
http://bedfordandbowery.com/2015/08/five-years-after-interpol-carlos-d-tells-us-where-hes-been-hiding/

Here's his website:
http://www.carlosdengler.com/

And turns out he just wrote about Bowie for Pitchfork:
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/999-carlos-dengler-on-how-david-bowie-gave-him-the-freedom-to-quit-interpol-and-find-himself/

Carlos Dengler, now

Row your boat

The new David Bowie release got me thinking about streaming this past week.  I was discussing the album, and how certain reviewers make me feel  like just going out and buying albums before I've even heard a single track.  The same thing was happening with the Bowie album:  All the chatter about it, and the positive press, got me considering just going and getting it and listening to it afterwards.  Something good may have come of that decision as I may have given it more attention if I'd went through with a proper purchase -- I was looking forward to going to the record shop, picking it up, listening in the car, and so on.  But instead I decided to listen to whatever tracks were up on youtube and ended up finding the whole album there.  So then I just streamed it, and it was OK, but, for now at least, I lost the urge to buy it.  I think that streaming cheapens music too much in that regard -- with streaming I literally invest nothing in the music, so I can just take it or leave it, not really pay it a whole lot of attention.  I think some very good work probably gets short-changed that way.

As for the Bowie, Petridis says it's proper jazz, not just a band with some horns.  He also thinks the music is quite avante garde.  This is another possible problem with reviews, they can really send your expectations in a certain direction.  Thankfully, in this case I think Petridis overstates the case a bit -- to me this sounds exactly like a good but normal band trying a little too hard to be "different" -- or maybe the spectrum of pop music is so wide now that something like this album ends up sounding quite normal, in a good way.


I may have issues with streaming, but I'd say modern changes to the way I consume music have overall made things better.  I heard this BC Camplight track on 6 music via my phone, and then found it on Soundcloud  for this blog.  Because of that I heard the rather nice track by Amason, who I'd never heard of otherwise.



Speaking of 6 music, the Chemical Brothers were on that over Christmas for a three hour show.  It was good, just a nice show with chatting and music and mixes.  The Chemical Brothers came across as very current, which is kind of remarkable for a 20 year old dance music act.  But even though they talked about things from the past, to me they didn't seem like one of those  nostalgia acts that are around.  They seemed like a relevant act who happen to have been around for a long time.  It was good, made me happy for them.  The show's worth checking out for some of the mixes and remixes, especially the Tom Rowlands remix of Doves' Kingdom of Rust.  Six years in the making apparently!   That mix is the last half hour of the show, or you can hear it by itself here.   The old tracks have held up very well -- I'd love to see these guys live again.  Fun fact: I ended up buying Q tip's solo album after listening to the show; you'll have to listen to the show to find out why though.



Lastly, earlier today my wife and I were discussing the lack of diversity amongst Islamic scholars, the best known of whom are basically all men.  We agreed that there must be well qualified women out there who just aren't being given the opportunities that men are, which is very problematic, for multiple reasons.  I think when someone like my wife identities a problem like this, they have to act.  Which, of course, brings to mind the Streets:

Friday night choons

Once again I'm going to easily prove just how out of it I am by posting up tunes that are probably super old but new to me.  I was driving home and listening to Pete Tong count down his top tracks of the year when I heard these two tunes by artists we've featured before (here, here, and here).  Great tracks, really great, make sure you turn it up and if there's a small child nearby who can dance with you then all the better.  

First up, George FitzGerald, remixed by Scuba.  Didn't know George FitzGerald had an album out, but I think I may pick it up if this track is anything to go by.  We've had Scuba on here before too. 

Next, Bicep, who don't have an album out.  Yet.

I got home right at the start of the top 10, will have to go back and finish the show off this weekend, or maybe during the commute next week.  Quite amazing how easy it is to keep up with things thousands of miles away now -- I can just turn my car on, turn my phone on, and it's like I've got UK radio on my car stereo.  I do wonder about how disconnected something like that makes me from my actual surroundings -- it's not like I can get to work and discuss the last Pete Tong show with anyone.  But I think I'd rather be disconnected than tune into what's actually happening or popular around me.  

I could do with another

Time for another collection of tracks that I'm partial to.  First up one by Field Music, a band I often here on 6 Music and usually like.  There's something about the production of this song that makes me thing of music from the late 70's, especially the vocals.  An XTC vibe perhaps?  

Now for some nice garagey shambolic rock by a new band called Dracula Legs.  At least one Welsh person in the band so, yeah!  

I was gonna post a track by another garagey girl band from Spain called Hinds but I can't find the track I liked -- must take better notes next time!  

Here's something a lot softer by Sufjan Stevens.  I've never been too sure about him but I've always liked what I've heard so I should probably give him more of a chance.  I don't like too-precious indie artists so I've been very wary.  I first heard of him back when he was planning on putting out an album about every state in the US, and put out Michigan.  I've been hearing this track he remixed himself a bit and each time I have to stop and properly listen; it really is very affecting.  Blue Bucket of Gold, which I believe is off an album about his parents -- I may have to get it, seems very suitable for winter.

Deerhunter now with something a bit more upbeat.  Nice vibes here:

I was actually going to end with some Billy Joel but I changed my mind.  Instead I'll end with this -- remember it?  If it came out today it'd be accused of all kinds of cultural appropriation and that.  It probably was a bit at the time too.

Birthday Blog

You know what's a bit weird?  When Google knows it's your birthday and they customise their search page illustration into birthday cakes for you!  I thought it was a coincidence and got quite excited, but then found it's just Google's  most basic data-mining -- I probably told them my birthday myself.

Anyway, I'm clearing things up today, a few things, a few tabs off my Chrome basically -- tunes I've had open for ages that I'll now blog and then close, satisfied.  I had an open tab with the new Missy Elliott track but already closed it as I wasn't too impressed.  I was a big fan back in the day, and the track is by no means bad, and I'm glad she's back but... it didn't really catch me like some of her stuff from the past.  I'm hoping there are other new tracks that are better but I do wonder as I'm sure she'll have been advised to kick off with her best stuff.

Ok, most recent open tab is C. Duncan, a RadMac fave, and I do really like the single they keep playing.  The other stuff I'm listening to right now is quite good too, but not as good as this is:


Another track I've got up, which has been up for ages, is by the late artist who went by the name of Muslimgauze.  Now, I first came across this chap ages ago, in the early days of Napster and Limewire.  I'd search for Muslim stuff on those (yeah, bit weird really, this was when I was living on my own and went through a slightly more religious phase which culminated in me becoming the president of the graduate Muslim association on campus, to chortles from old friends -- but I digress...) and he'd keep coming up.  I looked into him a bit back then, pre-Wikipedia, and found out he was an Englishman with an interest in, or sympathies with, the Muslim world, particularly Palestine.  The titles were a bit of a giveaway, they were very intriguing, but the music was always lyricless so it was hard to really know what he wanted to get across.  He'd already passed away back then.  You can easily find more info on him now, but here's a track I stumbled across on FACT.  The story goes it's from the pre-rave era, which puts Muslimgauze way ahead of his time.  Mash'Allah.  Oh, the Soundcloud version is actually a back-to-back with another track by a different artist -- Muslimgauze is up first.


Now a track that's also been up for ages -- in fact it's the first tab open in me browser.  Wiley x Zomby:

That basmati rice line would make a great t-shirt.

Back II Life

Yes!  Finally blogging again!  It's been a long time.  As you may know, I've had a big move recently, and it's taken me some time to arrange my life in a way that allows me to get some good radio time in.  I was in the UK recently and have been feeling reinvigorated since then.  I also got a good glimpse of how some people over there get in their radio time -- while getting ready, or doing chores, for instance.  I don't use an actual radio like they do, but I find an ipad does the job, and even has the same tinny sound quality as a cheap radio!  The wonders of wi-fi mean I can carry it around with me, even to the bog, so I've basically recreated the radio experience very well.  I'm also mixing it up (slightly) now -- I've expanded from Radio 6 to Radio 1 and 1Xtra too, mainly cos 6 lacks the urban and dancey stuff.

So I've heard lots of things over the last week or two, all of which I'll stick down below.  No need to feel overwhelmed. just view this as me sharing things with you that you may not have come across.  Stick it on while you're doing something else, no need to over think it.

I've put a Soak track up before.  I find her pronunciation a bit annoying, but the track is still nice.


Roots Manuva's been around a long time now.  I never got properly into him, but there's always a single now and then that will stick out.  Now, post-Ghostpoet, his output suddenly seems worth exploring further, especially after hearing this new track.  I don't mean I'm going to go through is entire back catalogue, but definitely interested in hearing his latest work.


A change of pace now: time of jangly indie-pop by Martha:


Something charmingly shambolic and very American sounding from this Canadian dude Destroyer.  I'm not one for lyrics so I'm wondering what specifically he's saying about Times Square here, that very unromantic tourist trap of a place.


Maribou State now.  I've written about them before too.  I like their low key dancey sound, though it's easy to imagine it being used as background music in some wanky bar.  Mmm, piano.


I'll leave you with something overblown and very sincere from the 80's.  Very easy to jump around to -- thanks Pete Wylie!