Taub Judah Entertainment Palace

Look at this picture. eleven men, one Roll Deep. Do you know what that says to me? It says here are eleven fellas who probably spend quite a lot of time queuing in order to do their job, or waiting to have another go, once theirs has finished. They might cover it up with an arm in the air or two, a walk from one side of the stage to the other, a moody stare into the crowd, some bouncy high-fives, and a certain amount of joining in at the end of each line, but when you get right down to it, it’s all just queueing.

And to make matters worse, sometimes the queue is barged by a singer. Someone who isn’t actually even IN Roll Deep. They’ve be brought in on chorus duties, taking precious rhyme time away from people who’ve been in the queue for ages, actually. It’s not fair, just because they can provide some melodic light relief from all of that truth-spitting, that they get to stroll right to the front. That’s basically added an extra thirty seconds of arm waving and an agreeable “yeah yeah” or two, right there.

So don’t be surprised if you notice that some of the more backgroundy Deepers are subtly shooting daggers at Alesha during her bits. They’re only worried that they won’t get a go on the mic.

(Here’s the video. Woo! Party in a car park!)

And how do they decide what to make a song about? With that many people, all of whom bringing their own idea of what makes a great song to the mix, do you suppose Roll Deep have to agree to work to very broad subject headings. I’m picturing a meeting, a brainstorm, and a final list which reads:

“Things We Like: Parties, Girls, Clubs, Money.
Things We Do Not Like: No Parties, Being Knocked Back, Closing Time, No Money, Queuing.”

And on a separate page, there’s a signed agreement that every other topic is off limits, pending a formal agreement from everyone that they’ve got something new and worthwhile to bring to the table.

Then all they need is some enormous swooping bass squits together, a breakbeat here, a face-punch bass drum, a robotic breakdown, and boom! Another song done, providing it doesn’t get TAKEN OVER by some pushy celebrity singing guest and their pretty voice, natch.

Download: Out now

www.myspace.com/rolldeepofficial
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

Mind Of Grime says: “I expect a chart hit but I’d rather they got grimey again.”

View full post on BBC – Chart blog

OK, quick discussion topic: what’s the best way to tell if you like a song which sounds, on first listen, like a bit of a dog’s breakfast?

Is it that you find yourself still pondering it, some minutes after it has finished? Is it that you find you have to immediately go back and listen again? Or are you so overwhelmed that you have to go and put something familiar and soothing on instead? Is it that it makes you laugh? Or cry? Or be sick?

For me, it is simply whether I find I have turned the volume up all the way through the song, all the better to pay closer attention to what is going on. This is so that I can try and divine the heartbeat of the thing, to work out what the people who wrote it think is good about it. To do this you’ve sometimes got to wade through some of the production murk and ignore the more bizarre bits.

With this song, I ran out of up to turn it before the second chorus. By the end I couldn’t tell if my internal joyclaps were enjoyment or relief that the ordeal was finally over.

(Here’s the video. I think you need a better painter too. This one is messy.)

I have since revised my opinion and am delighted to report that it is enjoyment all the way.

The great thing about this is it is proof that we’ve got the bonkers Alesha back from the evil clutches of Those Who Would Seek To Capitalise On Her Strictly Success By Making Her Into A Fully Rounded Family Entertainer. It’s time to celebrate her mad brilliance. She was mad and brilliant in Mis-Teeq. Her early solo singles – ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Knockdown’ – were both mad and brilliant. Then she had a brief – or possibly ongoing, it’s hard to tell right now – dalliance with mainstream success, and apart from ‘The Boy Does Nothing’, the madness and the brilliance was in less abundance, and this felt like a shame. But now it is back.

OH BOY IS IT BACK.

Listen to the blessed thing! It’s all over the shop! Ten million drummers giving it the full paradiddle apocalypse, and I’m not even sure if all of them are playing in time. Meanwhile Alesha is singing some bits and shouting some bits and going “whaaat?” in a manner which will NOT delight Arlene Phillips fans. She’s got some nice harmonies to do, and there are fragments of a complete song being kicked about, but nothing is being treated with due respect. It’s fantastic!

Yes, Destiny’s Child and High School Musical (and the movie Drumline, from which this is sampled) have beaten her to the marching band drummer gimmick, but they were concerned with respectfully putting that sound into a different musical context. Alesha and her gang just want to rudely plonk themselves on top, fire up the synth brass, and blow off in everyone’s faces.

And best of all, there is no possibility that you could confuse this song with anything else in the charts this year. And for that reason alone it deserves top honours.

Not that Alesha cares. She’s way too busy throwing toy spaniels into a bucket of gravy with her face, or something.

Download: Out now

www.myspace.com/aleshamusic
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

So Feminine says: “The colourful, foot-stomping new hit, ‘Drummer Boy’… is unlike any other record you’ll hear this year.”

Madnews says: “I have never rated Alesha as an artist and never well. Her music just does nothing for me. But she seems like a nice woman..”

Kid With The Specs says: “The song has completely grown on me and is very different from everything Alesha has done before.”

View full post on BBC – Chart blog