Songs For Christmas XVII

I know, it's the first day this month I haven't posted, the internet was down yesterday.

Anyway, as anyone who has been anywhere near this blog in the last six weeks should be aware, yesterday was the release of Malcolm Middleton's bid for the Christmas No.1with 'We're All Going To Die.' So, here's an acoustic version of the track:

Malcolm Middleton -'We're All Going To Die (Acoustic).' mp3

Malcolm's old band, Arab Strap, are winding down their website, a year after their last gig, and here's a Christmassyish track from their website, a live version of 'To All A Good Night.'

Arab Strap -'To All A Good Night (live).' mp3

And there's a couple of other tracks from Malcom's website that I've linked to for your pleasure here...

Malcolm Middleton -'Burst Noel (Damien Shackleton version).' mp3

Malcolm Middleton -'Cheer Down (Damien Shackleton).' mp3

Ok, so a different style of Chrsitmas post from some of the others, but this deals with the here and now...

Songs For Christmas VIII

The Manic Street Preachers

so, for a change, here's one new song this year. The Manic Street Preachers have made this available to those on their mailing list...and so why not share it?

Manic Street Preachers -'Christmas Ghost.' mp3

I don't know much about the origin of the tune Christmas (Baby Please Come Home), but I have three versions of it, by U2 (who are the first band I heard do it), Death Cab For Cutie, and Scotland's own Arab Strap:

U2 -'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).' mp3

Death Cab For Cutie -'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).' mp3

Arab Strap -'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).' mp3

Enjoy. There will, naturally, be more tomorrow... : ))

Edx

300th post

..and a mere sixteen months after my first post, I finally do my three hundreth! What can I say, it's been great fun, and continues to be so.

First of all, I thought I'd start off this post with the title track of the album that gave this blog its' name. The pic at the top is The Cure circa this album. I didn't do many 17 Seconds club nights but I'm pleased that the blog is still going.

The Cure -'Seventeen Seconds.' mp3

I've written about a lot of up and coming scottish bands, like the X-Vectors for example...

X-Vectors -'Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque.' mp3

and watched a few of my favourite bands split up...

Arab Strap -'Here We Go.' mp3

The Cooper Temple Clause -'Let's Kill Music.' mp3

I still have to decide on my personal festive fifty, but I guarantee these tracks will be there...

Battles -'Atlas.' mp3

Hot Chip -'My Piano.' mp3

Justice -'D.A.N.C.E.' mp3

Penny Century -'Nothing Burns Like Bridges.' mp3

Emma Pollock -'Adrenaline.' mp3

As time went by, I got the vague hand of how to post tracks (which I was clueless about when I first started writing a blog!), and started doing interviews too. Getting listed at the Hype Machine was great (thanks Mr. Toad) and getting feedback still makes my day.

Personally, this blog has hinted at some of the ups and downs in life outside of this blog, but much love is due to Mrs. 17 Seconds (I wasn't even planning it when I started writing this!) and our two cats, our families and friends for keeping me sane.

Here's to the next X posts...

Edx

Scots indie!

When I first started this blog, about fifteen months ago, one of my main aims was making scottish indie as high profile as possible.

Arguably since then, I have diversified a little -folk, death metal, grime and even a little classical have made their way onto these pages.

However, my bandwith is about to be exceeded -again! and so I thought I would do a post the old-fashioned way, and about music I am passionate about, with or without regard to fashion.

Some of these you may know, others you won't. Some are well-known, others less so, some bands are gone, some new, some just beginning. But enjoy...

Arab Strap -'Love Detective.' mp3

Belle And Sebastian -'Funny Little Frog.' mp3

Isobel Campbell -'Amorino.' mp3

Franz Ferdinand -'Darts Of Pleasure.' mp3

Delgados -'American Trilogy.' mp3

Mogwai -'Dial:Revenge.' mp3 (featuring Gruff Rhys from Super Furry Animals, it's a celtic thing, you understand!)

Sons and Daughters -'Johnny Cash.' mp3

Teenage Fanclub -'What You Do To me.' mp3

Twilight Sad -'That Summer, At Home I Had Become The Invisible Boy.' mp3

1990s -'You're Supposed To Be My Friend.' mp3

Enjoy.

have a good weekend!

More Arab Strap

Thank you to my reader Chris, whoever you may be, I have corrected the link below-so the Van Halen cover is, now, actually the cover of 'Why Can't This Be Love?.

As requested, here is Arab Strap's cover of AC/DC's 'You Shook Me All Night Long.'

Arab Strap -'You Shook me All Night Long (AC/DC cover).' mp3

Enjoy. No doubt more scottish indie to follow very soon...

200th post!

[Edinburgh's X-Vectors]

Yup, just as it says on the tin, this is the 200th post of 17 Seconds. I started writing this blog over a year ago now, doing my first post on July 15 2006. the reason I didn't do a anniversary one was that it was the day after my wedding and I know which side my bread is buttered (generally the side that lands face down, particularly if it's a carpet).

During the time of doing writing 17 Seconds so far, I have posted all manor of weird and wonderful sounds, from the unsigned to the massively successful. Anyone who says it's all just 'indie' hasn't been paying attention (Wiley? Dizzee rascal? Missy Elliott). I can't claim to have launched any bands, and a few of the bands I have written about have split (Arab Strap, Death From Above 1979 and The Cooper Temple Clause) although there are one or two who have a higher profile, which I can't really claim to much credit for, but hey...There have been people who have thanked me for bringing them to the attention of stuff they hadn't heard before, so RESULT!

Thanks to everyone who has read this blog, encouraged me, and helped, in what ever way. It's been an interesting year -getting cats, starting my first ever full-time teaching post, being signed off work and getting married. And more than just a bit of music along the way.

Now that Mrs. 17 Seconds and I are the owners of a USB turntable, expect more 'interesting' types of stuff to continue appearing here.

For the 200th post, I present an Arab Strap cover version, doing a Van Halen song...

Arab Strap-'Why Can't This Be Love? (Van Halen cover).' mp3(taken from The Shy Retirer ep)

...and also two tracks from a 12" single that was no.6 in last year's festive 50 on this site, Edinburgh band the X-vectors.

X-Vectors -'Now Is The Winter Of Our Discotheque.' mp3

X-Vectors -'Your Love.' mp3

(both tracks from Now Is the Winter Of Our Discotheque/Your Love 12" single)

X-Vectors' MySpace is here, with details of how to buy their music.

As always, tracks will be up here for one week only -if you like what you hear GO BUY IT.

I am the owner of a USB turntable!!

(The Killers)

One of the wedding presents Mrs. 17 Seconds and I received was a USB turntable, which as you might imagine, is already getting a fair bit of use, not least for all the stuff I want to put on my iPod. Here for your listening pleasure are five 12" mixes - Dance? Indie? Electronica?!? You decide, but hey...

First up, this came out in early 2005, just as Mylo and the Killers were starting to get big not only critically but commercially in the UK. This is from the 12":

The Killers-'Somebody Told Me (Mylo mix).' mp3

I said there would be more Arab Strap soon, and I was not kidding. Here, from the 2001 12" of Turbulence mixes (original version on 'The Red Thread' album) is the song remixed by Bis (who subsequently split, but have since reformed):

Arab Strap -'Turbulence (Bis mix).' mp3

Also from 2001, orginally from their 'Origin of Symmetry' album, here is Muse's 'Newborn' remixed by Paul Oakenfold, who transforms it from a mini-prog masterpiece, into a trance masterpiece (Glowsticks optional):

Muse-'Newborn (Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto remix).' mp3

Trevor Jackson's Playgroup act must have put out numerous 12"s of remixes of this track (I own at least four 12"s of this) but here is the original extended mix in all it's nine minute glory. Altogether now: 'I can see it in your eyes...I can see it in your face...MAKE IT HAPPEN.'

Playgroup -'Make It Happen (extended mix).'

Finally, from 2003, Electrix Six promised much, were great in their briefly lived original line-up, then ultimately delivered little, but this track is still fab. (Can you tell what track was an influence on this?!)

Electrix Six -'Danger! High Voltage (Soulchild 12" Blitz mix).' mp3

You know the score. The tracks will be up for a week. If you like what you hear, support the artists involved. If you cannot find these tracks in your local independent record shop, or even your local capitalist chain, then try Amazon or ebay. There are many, many more where these came from...

A Great, Lost Single #6

Arab Strap -'Here We Go/Trippy' (Chemikal Underground, 1998)

I first heard Arab Strap on the John Peel show, when he played Here We Go. Somehow the release of 'The First Big Weekend' had passed me by, but looking at the vinyl on the record shelves in my flat, I guess I made up for lost time. In this song, Aidan Moffat starts off by wondering how he's supposed to walk his girlfriend home, when she's some way in front of him, having stormed off in a huff. Hmm, I guess one or two of us might have been there, too... Sad and beautiful. The 'AA' side (I know, it's just I still tend to think in terms of vinyl) Trippy is just that, showing that Aidan Moffat's later electronica work as Lucky Pierre has a far earlier beginning than might be thought. The track also features 'Tremendan O'Hare', almost certainly one-time Teenage Fanclub drummer, and Mogwai's musician without portfolio (sic) Brendan O'Hare.

'Here We Go' is still available on their second album 'Philophobia'; for Trippy, try e-bay or Amazon (it's not on the UK version of iTunes as far as I can see).

Arab Strap -'Here We Go.' mp3

Arab Strap -'Trippy.' mp3

As always, if you like what you hear, please support the artists involved. Tracks posted will be up for one week only. More Arab Strap coming very, very soon...

Six of One and a Dozen Of The Other

Well, the Jock'N'Roll albums poll may not have posted any results...yet - but I figured that you can never have too many reminders.

So here are six great Scottish bands, with two mp3s apiece. Enjoy!

Aereogramme - 'Zionist Timing.' mp3

Aereogramme -'Wood.' mp3

Arab Strap - 'Cherubs.' mp3

Arab Strap - 'The Love Detective.' mp3

Ballboy -'Sex Is Boring (John Peel Session 21/3/00).' mp3

Ballboy - 'Sex Is Boring (John Peel Session 21/3/00).' mp3


Delgados -'American Trilogy.' mp3

Delgados -'Sink Or Swim.' mp3

Sons and Daughters - 'Johnny Cash.' mp3

Sons and Daughters - 'Dance me In.' mp3

Teenage Fanclub - 'What You Do To me.' mp3

Teenage Fanclub - 'It's All In My Mind.' mp3

As always, if you like what you hear, go and support the bands by checking out their MySpace sites and becoming their friends, buying the music from iTunes or Amazon or your local independent shop, seeing them in concert, and of course, voting for scottish acts at Jock'n'Roll

Hope you had a good Easter, Ed