Sneaky Sneaky Blogfriend,

It’s been a long week; I’m beginning to think that weeks don’t exist anymore – it’s just a continuum. Somewhere amongst it there was a pile of CDs and records pushed through the letterbox, some of which I’ve listened to often and some of which, are just being piped into the bubble where I live now.

I related some of my thoughts on Wincing the Night Away by The Shins to the Ruddy Sons Indulging in Ridiculous Repulsive Games amongst The Bellyaches posse. I’ve listened to this album a bit more. Musicology is sometimes about comparisons and I’m loathe to use one which involves my beloved Belle & Sebastian. Too many bands get compared to Belle & Sebastian, however (and I’m aware that I use “however” just a bit too much), when I’m listening to this album, I keep drawing parallels with aspects of Belle & Sebastian; it’s not blatant but it should be seen as a compliment.

I don’t know what to say about The Decemberists and their latest release, The Crane Wife. I don’t really want to exclude people from their music but I’m of the opinion that those who haven’t needed The Decemberists by now probably don’t need them and their folky acoustic dreariness at all. I need them and Picaresque is one of my most valued records. The Crane Wife is a bit darker. It’s quite odd why they’ve chosen to run two or three songs together in the same tracks but that hasn’t stopped KEXP playing those tracks.

Leaving the Nest by Benjy Ferree is quite something. It’s another album with an opening track that beckons the listeners in, “Here comes the host, who favours you most”, In the Countryside features a cheeky stomp throughout, a glockenspiel chorus and some whistling; it’s perfectly formed. The stomp continues into Dogkillers but it’s no longer so playful, it’s serious rock’n’roll; vocally, Benjy Ferree sounds a bit like Jack White and this track wouldn’t be out of place on a White Stripes or Raconteurs album. Violins are an important feature in some of the songs, they add a sadness and a sense of regret to songs such as the Cash cover A Little at a Time, a lament driven only by violin, a sparse acoustic guitar and some whistling or Private Honeymoon, a tale about a partner leaving for someone else, “a big boy, freckles just like mine, woolly red hair, sticks a spear in my side”, told only with the backing of piano and violin. Hollywood Sign seems like a good candidate to be a single; it’s an upbeat number - a harmonica-driven, whimsical and playful mess. The only problem that I encountered with this album was that Domino did not send enough posters and badges with it.

The Needles’ debut album, In Search of The Needles, was released sometime last year. Their songs received a bit of airplay from Mark Lamarr and they indeed played a live session on his radio show. I’ve only just managed to catch up with them. Listening to this album full of really punchy rock’n’roll songs from the Aberdeen 4-piece sssssickens me, I’m mystified as to how they’ve remained in relative obscurity whilst the likes of Razorlight top the charts. Girl I Used to Know is perhaps the standout track on an album that has me drawing comparisons all over the shop, but it’s fine because they’ve adopted the classic styles of some of the purveyors of the finest pop and they’ve produced something really, really worthwhile.

It was refreshing to hear Mr Sandman by The Chordettes on the 6music this evening, it’s an unforgettable bit of pop. Similarly, Sneaky Sneaky Dogfriend by Connan and the Mockasins embeds itself in the brain of its receivers, it’s the bop-along bassline and the childish subject matter that make it so addictive; it’s not often that I buy singles but I made an exception. The song just seems as though it’s been around for ages, it should be another piece of timeless pop for the generations to come but not enough people will get to hear it.

Also, Ghetto Pony are perhaps worth looking at, they have a number of songs that can be downloaded from their website, seems like they are into electronic noodling of the ambient yet quite industrial nature. I’ve never heard of them or have I fully investigated but I succumbed to one of their tunes this afternoon.