Sign up and enter the competition to win one of the 5 pairs of tickets to see Damon Albarn perform his new songs from the latest LP Dr Dee, at OneFest, Marlbourgh, UK, on 14th April 2012.
Albarn will also release the studio album for the Dr Dee opera, which he recorded earlier this year in London with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. The album, titled "Dr Dee", will be released on the 7th May, and consists of 18 tracks which Albarn described as "strange, pastoral folk".
The tracklist is:
‘The Golden Dawn’
‘Apple Carts’
‘Oh Spirit Animate Us’
‘The Moon Exalted’
‘A Man of England’
‘Saturn’
‘Coronation’
‘The Marvelous Dream’
‘A Prayer’
‘Edward Kelley’
‘Preparation’
’9 Point Star’
‘Temptation Comes In The Afternoon’
‘Watching the Fire That Waltzed Away’
‘Moon (Interlude)’
‘Cathedrals’
‘Tree Of Life’
‘The Dancing King’
Enter the Dr Dee Easter competition here: http://smarturl.it/Onefest- Winners will be announced on Tuesday. Check out some of Dr Dee's extracts below!
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE, 10 Cool Damon Albarn facts HERE, Blur talking about their future HERE New tear jerker song HEREand check out their newest track HERE SUBSCRIBE NOW!
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After hearing Graham
Coxon's latest, mysteriously titled album A+E, it's discernible he's moved a
hefty distance from the woozy days of Britpop, atrocious battling for the
number one spot on British charts and helplessly inebriated sessions in the
Crown & Goose. Having claimed back in the 90s that "pop music makes him very sick," Coxon continues to reinvent his sound, attract
attention of music enthusiasts and slowly but surely, carves his name into the
wall of musical immortality.
A blatant exaggeration
you would say, but keeping in mind this is someone who's been described as "the most gifted guitarist of his generation" by the ever-so-bitter Noel Gallagher, you
might want to think twice. For a man of 43, you would have every right to
expect a yielding, dainty and fully acoustic record, something convenient on a
somber rainy day. Now here comes the dispute – the Blur man has already
recorded such album back in his 20s and it's lucid he has no intention whatsoever
to try to repeat himself.
Having declared to the NME that he "has gone electro," fans were worried that Mr Indie himself has
abandoned the traditional approach of song-writing and shamefully attempted to
cover up a lack of creativity with electric beats, auto-tuning and echoes. A
sigh of relief was to follow as A+E seems to be anything but lacking in either
quality or discernment, with Coxon himself playing the majority of, if not
every instrument involved.
In the opener Advice,
the usually gallant and quiet Coxon seems to turn somewhat violent and
remarkably loud while preserving his characteristically humorous lyrics and
haunting guitar sounds. Second track City Hall is a groovy alloy,
subsuming legions of instruments which would normally produce a grotesque noise
but indubitably comes out sounding pleasant, creating a unique electro meets
post-punk vibe.
So far, the most
notable track What'll It Take is somehow disappointing and moderately empty,
with the live version sounding much more intriguing than the final recording.
Not so much for its instrumental part, which is undeniably delightful, but for
the seemingly tentative lyrics, certainly not procuring his poetic skills.
There again, it might be another purposely careless wording, such as the one in
his classic Spectacular. Once more he manages to redeem the slight let-down
with the exceptional music video featuring 85 fans from all over the world,
neatly put together by director Ninian Doff.
The A+E Tracklist Click to enlarge
Ridiculously catchy Meet
And Drink And Pollinate is an anthemic tune accompanied by satiric
lyricism which has now evolved into an integral part of Coxon's song-writing.
The absolute highlight of the album is the captivating The Truth, leaving
listener thinking he has just tasted eternity. Not quite sure whether there's a
World War III around the corner or a musical messiah is about to waylay your
soul, The Truth has a
specifically uncertain taste to it, keeping the listener begging for the
track to last forever with Coxon blasphemously declaring "Life is nothing new / Your love of God won't help you".
While Running
For Your Life might remind you of his cream of the crop, Happiness in
Magazines (2004), with noticeably tumultuous Coxon screaming the bizzare intro
and sounding rather ferocious, Knife In The Cast is a peaceful yet
groovy 6-minute experiment, presumably the relaxing part of the record. The
last track Ooh Yeh Yeh will hardly leave you disappointed and might even
be regarded as the biggest single-potential, bringing the album to a momentous
end.
As always, the main
question remaining is whether this is Coxon's finest release so far, and one
can assume only time will manifest its true quality. According to the man himself, another 11
songs were recorded but eventually left out from A+E as they weren't befitting
the record, so watch out as number nine might be just around the corner.
With Blur's future
still unknown, Coxon has done everything to endorse himself as a highly adroit
solo artist, a true master of his trade. In all honesty, hardly anyone had foreseen
11 years ago, when Blur announced his departure from the group, that Coxon
would release eight prominent solo records and unquestionably become regarded
as a true indie icon.
Taste the album as performed on March 16 2012
at the Southbank Centre, London.
Exclusive review brought to you by BlurBalls.com, the most up to date Blur, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Gorillaz fan site on the web. Remember to subscribe to RSS and"LIKE" BlurBalls on Facebook.
It seems like Damon Albarn has fallen out with super-producer William Orbit, by deciding not to continue working with him for any new material. This bitter tweet was posted by William Orbit on March 28th on his official Twitter page:
Is William Orbit really posting about Damon ruling out Blur's future, or is this just another tweet to generate hype? Blur could have been good - does he mean that Blur is not going to "be" anything anymore?
Also according to a recent new interview, Damon Albarn said that the band's debut new song Under the Westway may not be released for the public officially, stating that "it's something I've had knocking about for years and didn't know what to do with".
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn told the interviewer that "Initially I wrote it as a slightly wistful national anthem for my house, I had this idea of getting it made into an old 78 record and making a flag and then just playing it - just being really silly. But I had these chords and I ended up writing this tune around it...."
He then said: "I don't really do anything with Blur any more - there's this concert this year but it's not a full time thing at all. Maybe this tune's a last little coda to the whole story."
Blur in the 90s - last tune in 2012 ?
So is this the end of any more new Blur projects / plans / songs? Is Damon Albarn simply telling what he feels at that moment, or what he genuinely believes to be the future for Blur? There's no official notice from the band or any management, but we really hope that this is simply another of Damon's spur-of-the-moment comments.
But lets not lose all hope- Blur are also rumoured to play in Argentina this year for the Rock It event.
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE, 10 Cool Damon Albarn facts HERE, Blur talking about their future HERE New tear jerker song HEREand check out their newest track HERE SUBSCRIBE NOW!
If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!
EVENT NEWS: There will be an exclusive Q&A with Alex James, as he discusses life after Blur and his new book ‘All Cheese Great and Small’ with Time Out’s Editor-in-Chief Tim Arthur.
Event Title: Time Out Live presents an evening with Alex James Date: Thursday, April 5 2012 Time: 7.00pm Location: Shaw Theatre, 100-110 Euston Rd, London NW1 2AJ Price: £12, £10 concessions
Time Out's Editor-in-Chief Tim Arthur and Foyles, in London's iconic bookshop, will host an evening in conversation with Blur bassist Alex James about his latest book 'All Cheeses Great and Small', discussing life's new challenges after finding global fame as a rock star in his twenties.
An ongoing Radio Soulwax project launched its application and website last year, where they have done twenty four one-hour music track mixes with visuals. All animations are made from the record sleeves. The homepage for the application has a description of what this is all about:
WHAT is Radio Soulwax?
Ok, so it's a radio station, but not as you know it. For now, it's a growing collection of 24 one hour-long mixes with visuals that we are sharing with you for free, and hopefully it will become a platform for many more things to come. We call them mixes, but in reality they are more like musical films based on the record sleeves.
We grew up surrounded by our dad's extensive record collection and many of our earliest memories are of record sleeves, so it only makes sense that we made this tribute to that forgotten art form, albeit in a very digital way.
Every hour has a different musical and visual theme (always based on the covers), to eventually make for a varied day-long radio schedule that will remain online in a rotated and continuous loop.
They have included a great visual mix for Blur's track Girls & Boys - not only is the single cover animated, but the Parklife album cover has also been given some spice with it's entertaining animation. Watch the snippet with Blur below:
It's quite cool to see Blur's album art moving, and the concept of this project is unique and interesting. Makes for a good listening and viewing experience!
All the hours are also available to watch in HD on vimeo.
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE, 10 Cool Damon Albarn facts HERE, Blur talking about their future HERE New tear jerker song HEREand check out their newest track HERE SUBSCRIBE NOW!
If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!
BLUR NEWS: Damon Albarn had an interview with The Quietus two days ago and a chat about Blur's future plans - or shall we say, Blur's non-existent plans. Damon Albarn has exclaimed that Blur's current reunion
for the London 2012 Olympics gig in Hyde Park does not mean "a
rejuvenated, long-term return for the band".
“FunnilyenoughI’ve
done a new tune for Blur, I don’t know if it will ever see the light of day but
it’s really traditional… it’s something I’ve had knocking about for years and
didn’t know what to do with it," he said.
Damon through the years
"Initially I wrote it as a slightly wistful national
anthem for my house, I had this idea of getting it made intoan old 78 record
andmaking a flagand then justplayingit-justbeing reallysilly. ButI hadthesechordsand Iended up writingthistune aroundit…"
Albarn went on to say that although the bandare back
together for this summer's live appearances, "I don’t really do anything
with Blur any more - there’s thisconcert this yearbutitsnotafulltime thingat all. Maybe this tune’salast littlecodato the whole story.”
Blur holding The Great Escape records
The Quietus had previouslyreviewed Mr Albarn'sDr Deemusicalup in Manchester, and had found it
rather lacking, something Albarn has taken squarely on the chin. “Oh it
certainly lacked narrative! No shit Sherlock! Ha ha! But I mean, you know, what
do you do… ? I’m quite comfortable with presenting a work in progress and I
know we made some stinkers as decisions, but you can’t really move forwardsunless you make those mistakes. Hopefully it will be a more rounded and
satisfactory piece, narrative wise, this time around. I sincerely hope so,
otherwise I’ll be very disappointed."
Damon has been quite contradictory about Blur in recent years. Before their 2009 reunion, he has said that Blur are definitely over, but then the reunion happened and Damon and the boys have all said different things. Graham and Alex says maybe, Dave says maybe not.
Damon's new supergroup Rocket Juice and the Moon released their album today. Listen HERE.
Guess we will have to wait and see what's next.
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE, 10 Cool Damon Albarn facts HERE, Blur talking about their future HERE New tear jerker song HEREand check out their newest track HERE SUBSCRIBE NOW!
If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!
Damon Albarn (born 1968- 44 years old), the singer-songwriter-keyboardist
person, singer, actor, vegetarian,
musician, activist, musical act, composer, person that is the musical composer
for a film, band member, person that was nominated for an award, honour or
prize, aries person
Here are
10 facts about Damon Albarn, quoted from a brilliant archived article from DS.
1. Damon was born on March 23,
1968 to Keith and Hazel Albarn. Keith was an Art College headteacher, BBC
presenter and the manager of jazz-rock outfit Soft Machine, while Hazel was a
theatre set designer.
2. Albarn's
strong anti-war political beliefs stem from his relationship with his
grandfather, who was imprisoned as a conscientious objector during World War
II.
3. Before
forming Blur and becoming a global popstar, Albarn performed with synth group
Two's A Crowd, attempted a career as a mime and worked at the Beat Factory
studio as a tea boy.
4. Damon
had the opportunity to meet then Labour leader Tony Blair for a chinwag in
1997. Oasis's Noel Gallagher went along, but Damon declined, citing his
disillusionment with Blair's political shift. "I sent him [Blair] a note
to the House of Commons saying, 'I'm sorry, I won't be attending as I am no
longer a New Labour supporter. I am now a Communist. Enjoy the schmooze,
Comrade. Love, Damon'."
5. Reality
talent shows such as The X Factor are among Damon's pet-hates.
"Celebrity culture sends out all the wrong messages," he says.
"It's creating a mindset that suggests you can get something for nothing
and that it's easy to acquire status and fame. We need to dismantle very
significant parts of our culture... I think for a start you have to get rid of
things like The X Factorimmediately." Best not tell Damon
about Alex James's stint on Orange unsignedact!
6. At
the height of Blur's fame in the '90s, Damon attempted to turn his hand to
acting with a cameo on the crime thriller Face. Sadly his
performance, alongside Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone, didn't prove as
successful as his pop-writing career. Damon was also featured in the 2007 film
‘Anna and the Moods’ and has even played a character called Bull in a radio
play about The Beatles called ‘Up Against It’.
7. Albarn
has achieved chart and critical success with Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The
Bad And The Queen, but as a schoolboy he did prove that he wasn't always so
perfect. The cheeky singer failed his 11+ exams, meaning he had to attend a
comprehensive in Colchester.
8. On
the plus side, Albarn's educational failure ensured that he went on to meet
future Blur bandmate Graham Coxon. The singer apparently caught Coxon's
attention with his confident performance in the school's production of West
Side Story.
9. It wasn't just the Gallagher
brothers that took a dislike to Albarn during the '90s. According to his close
friends, pretty much everyone objected to his cocksure attitude. "Damon
was so cocky he found it difficult to go anywhere without getting
punched," said Food Records pal Tony Wadsworth.
10. Even
from February 2008, Albarn insisted that there was no chance of a Blur reunion.
"I had dinner with the guys recently and it was a laugh but there’snoway they want to work with me again - they all hate
me," he said. What changed, Damon!
And of course, here are 10 meaningful, insightful and funny quotes from
Damon Albarn, our front man, on music, songs, art, drunkenness, Graham Coxon
and family life.
1.“I once owned up to flooding the
toilets when it wasn't me. I got the slipper from the teacher for it, too. No
one else would own up and we weren't allowed to go home, so I just owned up. I
can't remember whether it was for anyone in particular, or whether it was a
random act of chivalry - or just play stupidity.” – 1995 Damon Albarn
2.“We were young, good looking and in
the best band in the world.” – on Blur
3.“The things that make me happy most
are my family and working.”
4.“No, every album is something like a
snapshot. It only shows one moment in time. It shows what we feel and think
right at that point in time, nothing more and nothing less.”
5.“As soon as it sounds fine, I'm on to
the next thing, man.”
6.“The most drunk I ever got was at a
private view for a college art show. I think I had two bottles of tequila and
completely lost about ten hours. I woke up in a cell and, when my vision
cleared, I found myself staring at a Nepalese soldier in full uniform. He
didn't speak any English and he was just very alarmed that I was in there with
him. When I asked the coppers what had happened, they said, 'Well we found you
at Euston station, unconscious and surrounded by a group of tramps, so we
thought we'd bring you here for your own good.' I'd had all my money taken, so
I had to walk home.” 1995
7.“I am genuinely inspired by my mum. I
love and respect my mum and I think she's great. She always makes me laugh and
I trust her totally. Both my parents are artists and I grew up in quite a
liberal home; I was allowed to do what I wanted, but all based on a strong
moral foundation. I think it's really important that parents allow you to do
what you like when you're young because you're more likely to get it all out of
your system. I do love my mum.”
8."There's always been a bit of a
hip-hop element to my trousers." - Damon.
9."We've always seen ourselves as
putting on white coats and going into the lab."– Damon on Blur.
10.“He always looks like he’s crying.
that’s his style…”– on Graham Coxon
A very happy birthday to Damon Albarn!
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE, Blur talking about their future HERE New tear jerker song HEREand check out their newest track HERE SUBSCRIBE NOW!
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