Sunday 15 July 2012

Re-Issues : The Ordinary Boys - Over The Counter Culture



Introduced to me through a promotional CD stuck to the front of the NME, track ‘Talk Talk Talk’ was catchy and anthemic, standing its ground thus introducing me further to Brighton’s The Ordinary Boys.

This reissue comes in the form of their 2004 release ‘Over The Counter Culture’, a brusque, courageous, rowdy first outing built on the basis of telling a story straight down the middle. Pulling no punches second track ‘The List Goes On’ throws lefts and rights at the media, music and politics followed by life baiting ‘Week In Week Out’.

At the point of release in my life I was just finding my feet musically, ears wide open though on the scale of stereotype I was pointed firmly towards ‘Indie Kid’ coming straight out of the ‘angry at my parents’ stage. If anything was to be clear it was that the jangley guitar sound that I was hooked on would become on of those sounds that influenced everything I was to listen to from then on.

Fronted by Samuel Preston (also of Big Brother fame) Ordinary Boys went on to release ‘Brassbound’ and ‘How To Get Everything You Ever Wanted In 10 Easy Steps’ both including hits such as swansong ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ one time collaboration with grime artist Lady SovereignNine2Five’ and ode to Chantelle Houghton ‘I Luv U’.

‘Over The Counter Culture’ pathed the way for bands such as The Enemy, Pigeon Detectives and Metros. Citing influences from The Jam, The Specials and The Buzzcocks. The album introduced me to much of the music I listen to now, as well as the band themselves.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

On The Sonar : Oddisee




No ego and no real aim, no reason to massage other hip-hop or rap artists that surround him and only one clear goal, to create music whilst transferring his thoughts to the general public.Previously producing and performed 'Musik Lounge' for DJ Jazzy Jeff, born Washington DC but now hailing from Maryland,  Oddisee is highly influenced by soul, blues, gospel and bluegrass. He is his own man, slowly piercing the musical surface.


I had the same feeling way back when Drake released ‘So Far Gone’ that something so fresh can be the forward movement that hip-hop and rap had been waiting for, unfortunately money speaks and Drake went mainstream. The difference between Oddisee and Drake is the fact that Oddisee has no feel to be anything more than he is, speaking musically only about where he is from, what he has seen, what he wants to change in clear vision. 

The groundbreaker for Oddisee is recent release ‘People Hear What They See’ a strong early hip-hop influence, tangents of A Tribe Called Quest meeting a soul backdrop, James Brown does hip-hop. Stand out tracks ‘Ready To Rock’ ‘The Need Superficial’ and strong favourite ‘Let It Go’ catch me, hook, line and sinker.

Oddisee is up in the hip hop rankings, a star shining just bright enough without causing a fuss biding it’s time before a supernova of sorts.