Enjoy last night’s take on ‘Tabloid Lover’ below. MP3 at bottom of post.

MP3: Razorlight – Wire To Wire

The goal of the campaign, as started by Pengiun Publishing, is to encourage readers to use their imagination in order to create their own covers to their favorite books (gimmick or brilliant? I’m unsure). Seven blank covers will be released this fall to some of Penguin’s best-selling titles. To promote the project, Penguin has enlisted musicians to design and share their stories. Here’s some quotes, via BBC.

Johnny Borrell on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: “I was running a book on the Grand National in Tokyo and I was writing out a betting slip for everyone, and decided that my bookie’s name was going to be Gatsby. So the cover of this book is a betting slip.”

Ryan Adams on Bram Stoker’s Dracula: “I’m a huge fan of novel sleeve art and wanted to contribute…I can’t reveal my secrets but I can reveal that no garlic was harmed in the making of this cover.”

Beck on the entire campaign: “The idea is to provide something that calls for interactivity. Cover art and all the paraphernalia that comes with albums have always been important to me. I’m one of the people who needs a visual crutch for music.”

MP3: Beck – No Complaints

The goal of the campaign, as started by Pengiun Publishing, is to encourage readers to use their imagination in order to create their own covers to their favorite books (gimmick or brilliant? I’m unsure). Seven blank covers will be released this fall to some of Penguin’s best-selling titles. To promote the project, Penguin has enlisted musicians to design and share their stories. Here’s some quotes, via BBC.

Johnny Borrell on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: “I was running a book on the Grand National in Tokyo and I was writing out a betting slip for everyone, and decided that my bookie’s name was going to be Gatsby. So the cover of this book is a betting slip.”

Ryan Adams on Bram Stoker’s Dracula: “I’m a huge fan of novel sleeve art and wanted to contribute…I can’t reveal my secrets but I can reveal that no garlic was harmed in the making of this cover.”

Beck on the entire campaign: “The idea is to provide something that calls for interactivity. Cover art and all the paraphernalia that comes with albums have always been important to me. I’m one of the people who needs a visual crutch for music.”

MP3: Beck – No Complaints

The goal of the campaign, as started by Pengiun Publishing, is to encourage readers to use their imagination in order to create their own covers to their favorite books (gimmick or brilliant? I’m unsure). Seven blank covers will be released this fall to some of Penguin’s best-selling titles. To promote the project, Penguin has enlisted musicians to design and share their stories. Here’s some quotes, via BBC.

Johnny Borrell on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby: “I was running a book on the Grand National in Tokyo and I was writing out a betting slip for everyone, and decided that my bookie’s name was going to be Gatsby. So the cover of this book is a betting slip.”

Ryan Adams on Bram Stoker’s Dracula: “I’m a huge fan of novel sleeve art and wanted to contribute…I can’t reveal my secrets but I can reveal that no garlic was harmed in the making of this cover.”

Beck on the entire campaign: “The idea is to provide something that calls for interactivity. Cover art and all the paraphernalia that comes with albums have always been important to me. I’m one of the people who needs a visual crutch for music.”

MP3: Beck – No Complaints

Via NME: Oasis, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs are to cover songs from The Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic album’s release. The original album was released on June 1, 1967 and to mark the event the big names will all be covering tracks from the record for a BBC2 special to be aired on June 2.

Razorlight, James Morrison, The Fratellis and Travis are among the other acts taking part. The BBC reports that Geoff Emerick, the engineer in charge of the original sessions will use the same equipment to record the new versions. Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas said: “This will be not only a unique radio event, but a very special musical moment. The range and quality of artists involved ensure that this will be a fitting tribute to one of the great albums of all time.”

MP3: The Beatles – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (via Press The Button)

Via NME: Oasis, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs are to cover songs from The Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic album’s release. The original album was released on June 1, 1967 and to mark the event the big names will all be covering tracks from the record for a BBC2 special to be aired on June 2.

Razorlight, James Morrison, The Fratellis and Travis are among the other acts taking part. The BBC reports that Geoff Emerick, the engineer in charge of the original sessions will use the same equipment to record the new versions. Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas said: “This will be not only a unique radio event, but a very special musical moment. The range and quality of artists involved ensure that this will be a fitting tribute to one of the great albums of all time.”

MP3: The Beatles – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (via Press The Button)

Via NME: Oasis, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs are to cover songs from The Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic album’s release. The original album was released on June 1, 1967 and to mark the event the big names will all be covering tracks from the record for a BBC2 special to be aired on June 2.

Razorlight, James Morrison, The Fratellis and Travis are among the other acts taking part. The BBC reports that Geoff Emerick, the engineer in charge of the original sessions will use the same equipment to record the new versions. Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas said: “This will be not only a unique radio event, but a very special musical moment. The range and quality of artists involved ensure that this will be a fitting tribute to one of the great albums of all time.”

MP3: The Beatles – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (via Press The Button)

An invitation to see the sold out Razorlight show at Bowery? Um, yes please. Since falling for the song ‘Golden Touch’ in 2005, I’ve been dying to see the group live.

Thoughts on a night at The Bowery Ballroom with Razorlight and 600 British fans:

SCORE! Just got the coveted front parking spot right in front of the venue. I want to climb on stage and lead everyone outside to look at my primo space. This means I can leave my coat in the car and run inside.

Got here just in time to see the openers, Mohair. The lead singer looks as if he belongs in the film Withnail and I (“We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!”), has a v. Roger Daltry look to him.

With The Darkness caput, they seem to be taking over for them a bit, though their music floats somewhere in-between Razorlight and The Darkness, definitely not a glam rock revival band. They are very charismatic, very charming, very young and very very good. The entire crowd seems to be all on board.

As per usual when a British band plays New York, every Brit in the city has come out to see the show. Mohair’s Withnail tells us they are from Watford and is greeted with a surprising round of applause. The Englishman behind me says to his girl, “Watford is a shit town.”

Huge applause when Razorlight comes out. They open with ‘In the morning’ and by the third song have already played, basically, the reason I have come, ‘Golden touch.’ ‘Golden touch’ is a great, poppy, very quintessential British radio BBC 1 song, which doesn’t make it any less brilliant than it is. There is a massive sing-a-long at the final chorus and Johnny stops singing to hold the mic out over the audience.

The next eruption from the full house is when ‘Fall to Pieces’ starts up 5 songs after ‘Golden touch’ and soon the band is back on track, blazing through ‘Somewhere else,’ ‘America,’ and ‘Kirby’s house.’ Before that, the crowd’s attention had begun to wane and the security guard standing next to me even whispered into his walkie talkie, “The crowd’s not feeling it.” He’s right, I wasn’t. Though Johnny Borrell is a great, very spot on, live singer, he is not the most charismatic, or even likable, on stage. Razorlight’s songs are good, but not great enough to warrant a close mouthed singer (a la Julian Casablancas). That being said, the two incredibly irritating English girls next to me who would not stop shouting “Johnny, it’s my birthday! SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. All I kept thinking was, “maybe if I punch them in the head, they’ll shut up.” They were very distracting and rude, ruining the experience for a fair amount of people. This is not cool, please consult your concert going handbook next time ladies.

Label mates, The Noisettes, were in the balcony looking utterly fabulous, stylish and oh so cool.

The NME were in the crowd and chatted to Johnny afterward about the supposed quarrel he had with his bandmates on stage in Lyon earlier this month, starting rumours that the band are only really together for financial gain. The story is not all that interesting in a shrug of the shoulders type of way.

Go here to see a jpg of the setlist (via a MusicSnobbery commentator).

Overall, it was a good show. Razorlight are popular because they consistently put out singles people can’t seem to get out of their head. They aren’t turning the musical world upside down with their innovation, they are simply making music you can sing along to in your car.

MP3: ‘Golden touch’

You can help as well! Details on the protest below the accompanying story.

Dozens of top British bands and musicians today joined forces to oppose the multi-billion pound replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system. A statement was issued on their behalf, warning that ordering a new generation of nuclear weapons would make the world a more dangerous place. Signatories included Thom Yorke, Damon Albarn, Razorlight, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Super Furry Animals and Supergrass. The statement said: “If Britain says it needs nuclear weapons for its security, other countries are likely to follow suit. To replace Trident, when we face no nuclear threat, could start a nuclear arms race.

“The cost to replace and maintain Trident would be better spent on healthcare, education, alleviating global poverty or tackling the problems of climate change. Let’s choose peace and justice, not nuclear weapons and war.” An anti-Trident demonstration will be held in London on Saturday organised by CND, the Stop The War Coalition and the British Muslim Initiative.The groups said the protest was expected to be the biggest anti-nuclear demonstration in Britain in decades. MPs are expected to vote next month on whether to order a Trident replacement. (via At Ease Web)

The demonstration is this Saturday, the 24th, more info can be found here.

MP3s: Franz Ferdinand – Fade Together (Avalanches remix) + Supergrass – Caught By The Fuzz

After an absolutely cursed attempt to tour the US, Razorlight finally have made plans to have another go starting later this month in NYC. I’ll be there with bells on as this will be the first chance I’ve had to see the British stars. Despite what I’ve heard about their sometimes weak show, I am really psyched to see the boys perform ‘Goldentouch’ live- that was my JAM in 2005. The new song ‘In the morning’ is also pretty darn good: Download trat track here.

Tour Dates:
2/26 – Bowery Ballroom -New York, NY [apparently already sold out, wtf?!]
3/1 – Mod Club – Toronto, Canada
3/3 – Martys – Chicago, IL
3/4 – Varsity Theatre – Minneapolis, MN
3/8 – Slims – San Francisco, CA
3/9 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
3/10 – Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/12 – Salon 21 – Mexico City, Mexico
3/14 – SXSW NME Showcase – Austin, TX

I would like to make this completely unrelated observation after taking a gander at the Bowery calendar, Sons and Daughters in April is still not sold out. Why people, why? They are one of my favourite live acts of all time. I have been waiting for them to tour again for what seems like forever. Buy a ticket and come dance me in [mp3 courtesy of the lovely Jeff Baum at Central Village].