Decayed V: 2008

Side 1 of a mirage-cum-mixtape, the penultimate plunge into the bracing waters of the Noughties.

The things you learn when you're scraping together info for a blog post. Somehow, I managed to get through the whole of 2008 without realising that the United Nations had declared it the International Year of the Potato. What, you too? Who was doing promo for the poor spud?!

Harrison Ford returned as Indiana Jones, the fourth film in the series coming nearly two decades after the original trilogy concluded. I'm not sure it was worth the wait.

Grange Hill left our TV screens, having run every year from February 1978 to September 2008. School was never the same.

BRIT Award winners in 2008 included Adele, Arctic Monkeys, Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Kate Nash, Kylie Minogue, Mark Ronson, Mika, Take That and Paul McCartney, the latter apparently having made an outstanding contribution to music. I must check him out sometime. None of them appear in today's selection.

Black Kids kick things off with I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You, a bit of a mouthful, but a very digestible slice of pop rock that sounds very much like an outtake by The Cure, circa The Head On The Door. The song - and debut album - was co-produced by Bernard Butler, but I never got any further than this CD single.

Hot Chip were slow to grow on me and I'll admit that much as I like them now, I still find Alexis Taylor's singing either engaging or irritating. Ready For The Floor is always a winner, though I was surprised to find that it went Top 10...

...much as I was surprised to find That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings got to #1, yet My Delerium by Ladyhawke was 'only' #33 and A-Punk by Vampire Weekend a mere #55. 

Returning exactly ten years on from his last appearance in the Decadance entry for 1998 is David Holmes, with the title song of the superb album The Holy Pictures. The Verve also got back together in 2008, and split again after fourth album, the imaginatively titled Forth.

The Verve aren't the only ones to aim high and deliver epic music. MGMT were the spearhead of a new prog/psych rush, swapping acid for heroin and wearing what looked like dayglo swimwear. 

The Last Shadow Puppets aka Alex Turner and Miles Kane carried more of Sixties John Barry James Bond soundtrack vibe which meant I bought their debut album before I did the same with Alex's 'main' band, Arctic Monkeys. To date, I've yet to buy any albums by Miles, either with The Rascals or as a solo artist. Sorry, la'.

As if it wasn't bad enough that I missed the International Year of the Potato in 2008, I also missed Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip's song, Letter From God To Man. It's not just the incredible lyrics, the chopped up sample of Planet Telex by Radiohead, or Scroobius Pip's emotive delivery which increases in intensity, it's all of the above. 

Making a welcome comeback since they both appeared in the inaugural Decayed 2000 selection a month ago are Róisín Murphy and Alison Goldfrapp, 

By 2008, Róisín was promoting her 2nd post-Moloko solo album, the rather wonderful Overpowered, including the fab single You Know Me Better, co-written with Andy Cato from Groove Armada. 

Alison and compadre Will Gregory meanwhile released the fourth Goldfrapp album Seventh Tree, which marked a departure from the glitter and glam of predecessor Supernature into more reflective, almost folky territory. Whilst A&E got to #10, follow up single Happiness peaked at #25, which is a shame as it's a gorgeous pop song and a lovely way to wrap up this year's selection.

The end will come tomorrow...

1) I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You (Album Version): Black Kids
2) You Know Me Better (Radio Edit): Róisín Murphy
3) Ready For The Floor (Album Version): Hot Chip
4) A-Punk (Album Version): Vampire Weekend
5) My Delirium (Album Version): Ladyhawke
6) That's Not My Name (U.S. Radio Edit): The Ting Tings
7) Letter From God To Man (Album Version): Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip
8) Holy Pictures (Radio Edit): David Holmes
9) Time To Pretend (Album Version): MGMT
10) The Age Of The Understatement (Album Version): The Last Shadow Puppets
11) Rather Be (Album Version): The Verve
12) Happiness (Album Version): Goldfrapp

3rd February 2008: Made In The Dark (#6): 3

9th March 2008: Vampire Weekend (#55): 4

6th April 2008: Overpowered (#47): 2

13th April 2008: Partie Traumatic (#11): 1

20th April 2008: Oracular Spectacular (#35): 9

20th April 2008: The Age Of The Understatement (#9): 10

20th April 2008: Seventh Tree (#25): 12

18th May 2008: We Started Notrhing (#1): 6

3rd August 2008: Angles (# n/a): 7 *

14th September 2008: The Holy Pictures (#65): 8

23rd November 2008: Forth (#56): 11

14th December 2008: Ladyhawke (#33): 5

Side One (46:03) (GD) (M)

* Letter From God To Man by Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip may not have dented the Official Top 100, but it did get to #48 in the UK's Physical Singles Chart. The fact that such a chart even existed probably says more about the dominance of downloads at this point.

If you're hankering after years gone by, hunker down with my selections for 1988 and 1998.

Two Hearts In The Departure Lounge

Celebrating Alex Turner, born 6th January 1986.

 

It's quite frequent for me to admire a singer, songwriter or band and decide to write about them at short notice. This idea popped up twenty four hours ago when I was listening to an Arctic Monkeys song (Despair In The Departure Lounge, if you're asking) and then after a couple of online clicks, realised it was Alex's birthday today.

 

It's also quite frequent for me to assume that I have a reasonable amount of their music in my collection, only to discover that the opposite is true when it comes to planning a Dubhed selection. This is one of those times.

I heard the buzz about Arctic Monkeys but it was quite a while before I actually heard anything by them, very likely after the release of their debut album in January 2006. I can't swear to it, but it may even have been the remix of Fake Tales Of San Francisco by Team9 aka Neil Mason.

I do know that the first Alex Turner-starring album I bought wasn't by Arctic Monkeys at all, it was The Age Of The Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets in 2008.

 

I love the album and I think Alex is an incredible songwriter with a distinct voice. Yet, I've yet to buy The Last Shadow Puppets' 2016 follow up Everything You've Come To Expect. Or, to date, a single album by Arctic Monkeys.

 

No rhyme or reason. Sometimes, the wish list is so long that certain artists or albums take ages (years!) to get to the top of the list. I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but 2025 will be the year that I buy my first Arctic Monkeys album!

 

So, today's selection draws from a limited pool of The Last Shadow Puppets' first album and associated single releases, plus random Arctic Monkeys songs drawn from various EPs and compilations circa 2005-2009, plus the aforementioned Team9 remix and a stray song from 2013.

 

I couldn't narrow it down to a C90-friendly 45 minutes, so I've settled on 16 songs, starting with The Last Shadow Puppets, ending with Arctic Monkeys and alternating between the two throughout.

 

The two band's styles are different, but the thing that links them is Alex's songwriting and singing and I think it's a pretty cohesive set overall. 

 

The prospect of another album by The Last Shadow Puppets seems remote, but I will go back to Everything You've Come To Expect at some point. Arctic Monkeys' seventh album, The Car, was released in 2022, so I'm guessing that another may be along before too long. 

 

Suggestions on where to start my Arctic Monkeys catch up would be very welcome. At the beginning? The end? Somewhere random in between? What do you think?

 

1) Two Hearts In Two Weeks: The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

2) Catapult: Arctic Monkeys (2009)

3) The Age Of The Understatement (Album Version): The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

4) You Know I'm No Good (Radio 1's Live Lounge Version) (Cover of Amy Winehouse): Arctic Monkeys (2007)

5) Standing Next To Me (Acoustic): The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

6) Leave Before The Lights Come On: Arctic Monkeys (2006)

7) The Chamber: The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

8) Bigger Boys And Stolen Sweethearts: Arctic Monkeys (2005)

9) Gas Dance: The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

10) Fake Tales Of San Francisco (Team9 Kick Me Out Version 9): Arctic Monkeys (2006)

11) Sequels: The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

12) When The Sun Goes Down: Arctic Monkeys (2005)

13) In The Heat Of The Morning (Cover of David Bowie): The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

14) You're So Dark: Arctic Monkeys (2013)

15) Time Has Come Again: The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

16) Despair In The Departure Lounge: Arctic Monkeys (2006)

 

2005: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor EP: 8 

2005: When The Sun Goes Down EP: 12

2006: Fake Tales Of San Francisco (bootleg MP3): 10

2006: Leave Before The Lights Come On EP: 6 

2006: Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? EP: 16

2007: Radio 1's Live Lounge, Vol. 2: 4

2008: The Age Of The Understatement: 3, 7, 15

2008: The Age Of The Understatement EP: 1, 13

2008: My Mistakes Were Made For You EP: 5 

2008: Standing Next To Me EP: 9, 11

2009: Cornerstone EP: 2 

2013: One For The Road EP: 14

Two Hearts In The Departure Lounge (49:49) (KF) (Mega)

Faye Dunaway

Barney (... And Me) from The Boo Radleys' 1993 magnum opus Giant Steps popped up randomly this week during my drive to work, which itself randomly name checks Faye Dunaway. This then got me thinking - as you do - whether it would be possible to compile a half-decent playlist of songs named after Faye Dunaway movies. The answer is yes, yes you can. I've thrown in The Boo Radleys song which inspired this particular rabbit hole, for good measure.

 

1)  Chinatown: Romeo Void (1982)

2) Bonnie And Clyde: Mick Harvey ft. Anita Lane (1995)

3) Barney (... And Me) (Album Version): The Boo Radleys (1993)

4) The Chamber: The Last Shadow Puppets (2008)

5) The Happening: Pixies (1990)

6) Towering Inferno: The Green Arrows (1975)

7) Barfly: Monaco (2000)

8) The Arrangement: Ryuichi Sakamoto ft. Robin Scott (1982)

9) Casanova: Roxy Music (1974)

10) Last Goodbye (Album Version): Jeff Buckley (1994)

 

Faye Dunaway (38:17)
 

Summer Sunshine Cover Up

This may be the only karaoke bar where you'll find Little Annie, Frank Sidebottom, Miley Cyrus, Bobby Womack and Marc Bolan in the same room. An hour of summer sunshine - don't forget your SPF 50+.

1) That Summer Feeling: The Vaccines sing Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers (2012)

2) Good Day Sunshine: Roy Redmond sings The Beatles (1967)

3) Summer Wine: Evan Dando & Sabrina Brooke sing Nancy Sinatra (2002)

4) This Ain't The Summer Of Love: L7 sing Blue Öyster Cult (1997)

5) Summer Nights: 14 Iced Bears sing John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (1990)

6) Sunshine Of Your Love: Spanky Wilson sings Cream (1970)

7) Summer In The City (Special Disco Version): Evolution sing The Lovin' Spoonful (1978)

8) Walking On Sunshine (Club Mix): Loopzilla sing Eddy Grant (1990)

9) Paris Summer (Live at The Olympia Theatre, Paris): The Last Shadow Puppets & Alison Mosshart sing Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood (2008)

10) Indian Summer: Luna sing Beat Happening (2006)

11) In The Summertime: Frank Sidebottom sings Mungo Jerry (1985)

12) Boys (Summertime Love): Something Happens sing Sabrina (1990)

13) Summertime Sadness (Live Lounge Session, BBC Radio 1): Miley Cyrus sings Lana Del Rey (2013)

14) Summertime: Bobby Womack & The Roots sing Abbie Mitchell (1998)

15) The Summer Knows: Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch sing Barbra Streisand & Michel Legrand (2008)

16) Summertime Blues (Electric Warrior Demo): T. Rex sing Eddie Cochran (1971)

17) You Are My Sunshine: Bryan Ferry sings The Pine Ridge Boys (1974)

 

Summer Sunshine Cover Up (1:09:51)