5 things I've learned this week - 21st January

I think I should do this a weekly thing, because there's always something going on either in music, films, games, or whatever that springs to mind...

1. Dubstep is very cool

I find myself listening to more Dubstep these days than ever before; maybe it's the cold weather? Or maybe it's because the good stuff is really great? Forget about the stuff on the radio; for real treats I'd recommend digging deep and checking out compilations and blogs/websites such as Fact Magazine for the latest and greatest.
What's also interesting about this genre is that some artists are already looking at what you can do with Dubstep elements, but in an entirely different way; Post-Dubstep if you will, artists such as Jamie Woon and James Blake have already been mentioned in this blog in the past, but there's probably more out there that I haven't heard of yet.
Chasing Voices: ‘Ex Nihilo Nihil Fit’ is my latest Dubstep crush. Unfortunately it's only on vinyl and I can't find it on youtube, but I did get a sneaky link earlier in the week, and it sounds terrific.

2. Actress has an exciting 2011 ahead of him

Apparently he's already recorded 2 albums since Splazsh! Some more space-aged Techno beats would go down well with this writer, considering I heard Hazyville for the first time this week, and thought it was great straight away.

3. Play.com is very slow these days

I used to always buy stuff on Play because I got them within the next 3 days. Nowadays I'm lucky if I get it in the same week! Maybe it's time I switched back to Amazon for my music/games/films etc. At least on Amazon I'm a "Prime" member (whatever that means)

4. Black Swan is as good as they say it is, and more importantly; Natalie Portman was fantastic.

I saw it for the first time a few days ago, which is quite late in internet terms since it came out in the States a while ago I think, but it was worth it. It's out today in the UK, and whilst this has been gathering quite a hype, I'd say "go and watch it" myself too.
Portman was the real star of the film however, not only did she act the part well, there were times where you were genuinly excited/terrified of what her character Nina would do next. Meg Griffin was great too! :)

5. Britain isn't really that great to live in at the moment

I'm talking about rise in fuel costs (which is shocking, considering I remember it was only 79p when I was 10 or so!!) rise of casual material, rise of food and drink, rise, rise, rise etc. The only thing that's not rising is wages, and with a tough economic road still ahead of us, times are only going to get tougher, especially with the ConDems in charge. Oh Clegg, how you've let me down...

R.I.P. Trish Keenan

Broadcast has always been a solid band, but what made them shine was Trish Keenan's beautiful vocals. She's right up there with Liz Fraiser and Bilinda Butcher for me - she could transport you to a peaceful place with her singing.
One of the best examples of how hypnotizing her vocals is, listen to Echo's Answer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7-gk_RsIL0

That's by far my favourite Broadcast song, because it's very minimal and the focus through the entire song is on Keenan. It's amazing at how simple it is, yet you're still absorbed in the middle of it.

Tender Buttons (album) is another example of Keenan at her best. Truly a sad and unexpected loss.

Who to look out for in 2011 - The Iddy list.

I must have read a dozen 'Big Things of 2011' lists, where everyone from newcomers and old heads alike are featured. I've compiled a list without the NME Beady Eye and Strokes bias and "Hipinions" across the internet for a nice, varied list. I'll try and keep it simple...

Radiohead

There's been a few whispers and words from the band themselves, but so far nothing concrete has popped up since These Are My Twisted words. They've played a few new songs already, including Give Up The Ghost, Lotus Flower, Present Tense, and probably a lot more that we don't know about. With no idea how this is going to sound like - whether it'll be Ambient Techno, or Stadium Rock (God forbid) - this is one of the releases to look forward to most in 2011.

Jay Z & Kanye West

After the brilliant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy from Kanye last year, there's high anticipation for his collaboration with Jay Z, who's been responsible for some of the best Hip-Hop in the last decade; this will either be a triumph or a huge disappointment. I'm hoping for the former, because I like these two a lot. Time will tell I guess!

Lady Gaga

Yes - she's back. Bigger than ever apparently, because in her words, her 2nd album Born This Way is "The best record of the decade". Bold words, and now with that added pressure, can she deliver? However good it'll be, I can guarantee that she wont leave our TV screens and airwaves for the remaining year. Gaga haters, prepare to hide under a rock. Gaga fans, it's going to be an exciting few months before the release of Born This Way. The self-titled single is coming out mid-February.

Zola Jesus

After last year's excellent extended EP, Stridulum II, she should be back this year with a brand new shiny album. I'm getting quite excited myself and I have high hopes.

Portishead

Thankfully we wont see an eleven-year gap between Third and the fourth album; the upcoming album is scheduled for release this year, and after the Twit-rant by Geoff Barrow, us fans wait with anticipation as to what's to come. All three albums in my opinion are fantastic, and I'm hoping for the same in their next release.
Fleet Foxes

After a tense wait in 2010; nothing surfaced. So it was with much relief when Robin Pecknold wrote on the Ateaseweb forum that the new album is in its mastering stage, and even joked that it would "leak sooner rather than later". Watch this space...

Jamie Woon

I would put down James Blake, but mostly everyone's heard of him (his album leaked a few weeks ago too) so I've put the spotlight on the other "Post-Dubstep" artist. In The Night Air was released late last year to positive response, and with a new album out this year promising more moody music, Woon might possibly overtake Blake in the popularity stakes. Somehow, I can't see The Wilhelm Scream being played on daytime radio with Fearne Cotton screaming "choon!" in the background.

Justice

It's been so quiet in the direction of the French duo's music news that I'm starting to wonder if this will ever be released. I'm hoping it will though, but as I've heard nothing so far, we'll put this under the 'maybe' pile. If it's anywhere near as good as their debut, I'll be happy.
Another band that's been relatively quiet is...

Battles

...but information is starting to creep out. There's a lot going on in there apparently; "music to dance to, music for big cinematic epics, creepy music" etc. and a lot more to it. More Battles is always welcome, as it's been nearly four long years since Mirrored.

Bjork and the "Next Bjork"

"It will be announced in the next few months", let's hope that this is the case. Volta wasn't the best, but it wasn't the death of music of Iceland's most famous daughter. She had a pretty full year in 2010; duetting with Olof Arnalds and Dirty Projectors, so to finally hear LP7 this year would be a welcome return. Expect a more focused sound, with more electronics than you can shake a stick at.
So who's this "Next Bjork"? A certain duo called Oh Land; "With an opera singer for a mother, a theater organist for a father and Björk’s Homogenic on constant rotation, Oh Land was enraptured by the combination of experimental and classical arts. " - sounds great! Definitely someone to look out for this year, and with a year full of young new female singers (Jessie J, Katy B, Anna Calvi, Claire McGuire) and the return of experienced seniors (Florence and The Machine, Gaga, Annie) 2011 looks like the year of the females!