VT’s Music Chat

[chrisp65]

I’ve been doing a thing which I think I’ve mentioned / bored people with, to ‘try’ and buy a Welsh album each month. Not exclusively, bought other stuff as it came along, I was just seeing in a fun way if it was possible.

It was a lot easier than I’d imagined, to the point it wasn’t much of a challenge. I’ll carry on doing it, just because I’ve really liked some of the music I’ve ‘discovered’ and I think I’d rather give my spending money to a bloke from Caerphilly rather than Warner or Sony.

Anyhoo, it was the Welsh Music Prize nominees reveal yesterday. Fifteen bands named on the list and the nice thing is, unlike the Mercury Prize, winning is open to bands from outside London.

But, here’s the thing. Of those fifteen nominees, I’d bought records of four of them, I’d heard of another four but decided it wasn’t for me. Which means that until yesterday evening there were 7 on that list that were absolutely new to me. So a bit more research needed.

 

Shortlist whittled down from 140 entrants apparently.

When you take in to consideration there are usually 2,3, or 4 people in a band, I think thats up to 25% of the population releasing albums.

Edited September 10, 2023 by chrisp65

[Seat68]

1 hour ago, chrisp65 said:

I’ve been doing a thing which I think I’ve mentioned / bored people with, to ‘try’ and buy a Welsh album each month. Not exclusively, bought other stuff as it came along, I was just seeing in a fun way if it was possible.

It was a lot easier than I’d imagined, to the point it wasn’t much of a challenge. I’ll carry on doing it, just because I’ve really liked some of the music I’ve ‘discovered’ and I think I’d rather give my spending money to a bloke from Caerphilly rather than Warner or Sony.

Anyhoo, it was the Welsh Music Prize nominees reveal yesterday. Fifteen bands named on the list and the nice thing is, unlike the Mercury Prize, winning is open to bands from outside London.

But, here’s the thing. Of those fifteen nominees, I’d bought records of four of them, I’d heard of another four but decided it wasn’t for me. Which means that until yesterday evening there were 7 on that list that were absolutely new to me. So a bit more research needed.

 

Shortlist whittled down from 140 entrants apparently.

When you take in to consideration there are usually 2,3, or 4 people in a band, I think thats up to 25% of the population releasing albums.

At year end when we talk about our favourite albums of the year, can you do a separate one for the Welsh stuff?

[Xann]

Didn't know Overmono were Welsh.

Like them, and was looking forward to the album. It was disappointing.

[chrisp65]

9 minutes ago, Xann said:

Didn't know Overmono were Welsh.

Like them, and was looking forward to the album. It was disappointing.

Overmono get the least helpful description, here:

God Is In The TV

Quote

Electronic duo Overmono make the list

 

[chrisp65]

21 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

At year end when we talk about our favourite albums of the year, can you do a separate one for the Welsh stuff?

I’m on 16 Welsh albums (including none 2023 re issues) with 3 months to go so it’ll be piss poor if I can’t rustle up 10 I like.

Nerd alert! Looking down my list, I’ve only got 2 new release albums by English artists, 1 from Sweden, 2 from Denmark, 0 from the US. So yeah the chances of a heavy Welsh slant are pretty high… 

 

[osmark86]

3 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

Overmono get the least helpful description, here:

God Is In The TV

 

Hadn't listened to them before, but damn they make some good bass music!

[chrisp65]

Gig etiquettte

Quote

1. Shut Up. 2. Put Your Phone Away. 3. Don’t Be a Dick.

 

[Seat68]

From the Picture thread with its talk of why people who play CDs in cars, shouldn't and they should stream instead.

9 hours ago, mrchnry said:

Can't believe how much discussion is going on about a dead format (CD) 

Over 11 million CDs sold in the UK last year. That's just the reported figures. I think its in fairly good health in the modern era of streaming. Over 5 million vinyl albums sold last year, which was also considered dead media. Cassette tapes had their largest selling year since 2003 in 2022. Yes, streaming is convenient, but the joy of physical media is still there and they can exist harmoniously.

[VILLAMARV]

13 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

Gig etiquettte

 

No singing along is a bit of a stretch at some gigs. Immediately springing to mind is the Stone Roses comeback gigs in Heaton Park where everyone who knew even half the words was singing live (Coz we all know Ian Brown wont do them justice  ). It would have been weirder not to at that one. Other massive/stadium gigs I think it's ok. 

Nice intimate accoustic setting it would obviously be a no go. 

As I've said elsewhere before I hate the mobile phone thing at gigs but I admit I've watched a few Youtube phone captures when I've got home. 

[VILLAMARV]

I still use CD's in the car. If not that or the radio then trusty old MP3 player. Never do streaming but then I don't have a mobile so it might be a bit much to fire up the laptop just for some tunes. I use spotify all the time at home. 

[villa4europe]

i sold all my CDs when i moved country, well over a thousand, to me the car is the worst environment for a cd, i was driving, changing disc, throwing them about, putting them in the wrong cases 

sold all my 7" vinyl last year, still got a good 12" collection going

im spotify only in the car, have been for a long long time, dont miss CDs at all, do miss old MP3 players where i had bootlegs and rips from youtube etc

there's probably a larger debate on the state of albums and singles and how people actually listen to music in 2023, i more or less only listen to albums on vinyl, maybe i'll give something im unsure of a go on spotify before buying the vinyl but i currently have several thousand songs downloaded via spotify and 2 albums downloaded (doves some cities and fleetwood mac rumours live*)

* that is one that i was doing the tester while making my mind up whether or not to buy it and im not impressed by it, i dont think its a good recording 

[mjmooney]

22 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

I don't have a mobile 

That is pretty amazing. 

[GarethRDR]

33 minutes ago, Seat68 said:

From the Picture thread with its talk of why people who play CDs in cars, shouldn't and they should stream instead.

Over 11 million CDs sold in the UK last year. That's just the reported figures. I think its in fairly good health in the modern era of streaming. Over 5 million vinyl albums sold last year, which was also considered dead media. Cassette tapes had their largest selling year since 2003 in 2022. Yes, streaming is convenient, but the joy of physical media is still there and they can exist harmoniously.

Wouldn't play CDs in a car but nor would I stream, I'd just be sticking my jailbroken iPod Classic into the aux in (or worst case scenario a loaded USB stick, if no aux in available).  Physical media and actually owning my shit trumps the "convenience" of streaming each and every time for me, and as I'm not a vinyl junkie, CDs are my go-to.  The mooted decline in popularity has actually been a huge boon for me, as people are flogging off all their CDs at record stores, I get more stuff to browse through and they're priced ever cheaper.  Last week alone I picked up the below across three record stores (including two new releases from an HMV, which is admittedly a very rare occurrence these days).  Could have been more, Thirteen Records in Dundee (the store that was set up in the wake of Groucho's closing) happily let me in the back (KW.jpg) to flick through the shelves and boxes of second-hand CDs they hadn't gotten round to putting out yet.  Could have happily spent hours down there, but at the 30 minute mark I could sense the burgeoning murderous intent from my wife.

[Seat68]

Some bonafide classics there @GarethRDR

[Mark Albrighton]

I still buy cds, not loads, but a few. I like owning a physical copy of something, the sleeve notes, people who went to the trouble of making it get a bit more money.

I rarely play them though, in the car or otherwise. 

I find I listen to stuff on YouTube and if I like it enough I’ll seek out a physical version, then put it on my iPod-whatever it is and play it on the docking speaker thing. Sorry to get all technical there.

I probably need a cull of my collection. I am never going to listen to my copy of JJ72’s debut album so I really should part ways with it.

[GarethRDR]

I didn't even know Eno and Byrne had a collab album knocking about, there was definitely an audible "OOOOOOOOOOOO" when I flicked to that one.

[GarethRDR]

I am ready, willing and able to virtually peruse and potentially buy people's unwanted CDs, incidentally. 

[Seat68]

6 minutes ago, Mark Albrighton said:

I still buy cds, not loads, but a few. I like owning a physical copy of something, the sleeve notes, people who went to the trouble of making it get a bit more money.

I rarely play them though, in the car or otherwise. 

I find I listen to stuff on YouTube and if I like it enough I’ll seek out a physical version, then put it on my iPod-whatever it is and play it on the docking speaker thing. Sorry to get all technical there.

I probably need a cull of my collection. I am never going to listen to my copy of JJ72’s debut album so I really should part ways with it.

Do I need that Gay Dad single, no, will I give it up? Also no.

[bickster]

2 minutes ago, GarethRDR said:

I didn't even know Eno and Byrne had a collab album knocking about, there was definitely an audible "OOOOOOOOOOOO" when I flicked to that one.

My life in the Bush of Ghosts is pretty well known (and is considered to be a classic by many) but there's also another Everything That Happens Will Happen Today from much later in 2008

[Seal]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

That is pretty amazing. 

What is also amazing is how peaceful and quiet life is without a mobile phone.