Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com » Bloc Party http://idolator.com Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com Sat, 11 Feb 2012 06:48:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Reading And Leeds Try To Keep Things Current http://idolator.com/5192208/reading-and-leeds-try-to-keep-things-current http://idolator.com/5192208/reading-and-leeds-try-to-keep-things-current#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 03:30:00 +0000 Maura 56a2bf279c3e80e4ccb785ce4df191bb Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Fall Out Boy, the Prodigy, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are among the acts playing this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals, the twinned festivals that will be held in the UK during the last weekend of August. The Guardian notes that unlike other outdoor extravaganzas in the UK, Reading and Leeds are not sowing the oats of nostalgia, picking for its headliners acts that have actually had albums come out during the latter half of the '00s. Progress sure looks funny these days! Full bills after the jump.

More »]]> Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Fall Out Boy, the Prodigy, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are among the acts playing this year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals, the twinned festivals that will be held in the UK during the last weekend of August. The Guardian notes that unlike other outdoor extravaganzas in the UK, Reading and Leeds are not sowing the oats of nostalgia, picking for its headliners acts that have actually had albums come out during the latter half of the ’00s. Progress sure looks funny these days! Full bills after the jump.

Reading Aug. 28 / Leeds Aug. 30:
Kings of Leon
Kaiser Chiefs
Placebo
Fall Out Boy
Deftones
Funeral for a Friend

Reading Aug. 29 / Leeds Aug. 28:
Arctic Monkeys
The Prodigy
Maximo Park
Ian Brow
The Courteeners
Enter Shikari
Eagles of Death Metal

Reading Aug. 30 / Leeds Aug. 29:
Radiohead
Bloc Party
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Vampire Weekend
Brand New

NME Radio 1 Stage (no dates yet)
Gossip
Glasvegas
Jamie T
AFI
White Lies
Friendly Fires
Gallows
The Maccabees
Florence and the Machine
The Gaslight Anthem

Reading and Leeds headiners announced [Guardian]

]]> 1 The “NME” Will Not Let You Forget That It Loves (And Loves To Hate) Oasis http://idolator.com/5139572/the-nme-will-not-let-you-forget-that-it-loves-and-loves-to-hate-oasis http://idolator.com/5139572/the-nme-will-not-let-you-forget-that-it-loves-and-loves-to-hate-oasis#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:30:00 +0000 Maura 796d76241c5ba99bf022e47ff0f68b9a Nominations for the NME's annual addition to the bonfire of British awards shows, the Shockwave Awards, were announced today, with longtime darlings Oasis scoring seven nods—including a Worst Band nomination—and Arctic Monkeys/Last Shadow Puppets frontman Alex Turner amassing six. Of course, the biggest belly-laughs come in the Hero and Villain of the Year categories. The lights of positivity in the NME's world are Turner, the Killers' Brandon Flowers, Brit comedian Noel Fielding, Oasis' Noel Gallagher... and Barack Obama, while the big bad guys (and gal) are Amy Winehouse, George W. Bush, Gordon Brown, John McCain, and Pete Doherty. (Obama, sadly, is the only Hero contender who didn't also get a "Best Dressed" nod; he's replaced in that category by some British "it girl" who isn't Kate Moss or Sienna Miller.) Full slate of nominees after the jump.

More »]]> Nominations for the NME’s annual addition to the bonfire of British awards shows, the Shockwave Awards, were announced today, with longtime darlings Oasis scoring seven nods—including a Worst Band nomination—and Arctic Monkeys/Last Shadow Puppets frontman Alex Turner amassing six. Of course, the biggest belly-laughs come in the Hero and Villain of the Year categories. The lights of positivity in the NME’s world are Turner, the Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Brit comedian Noel Fielding, Oasis’ Noel Gallagher… and Barack Obama, while the big bad guys (and gal) are Amy Winehouse, George W. Bush, Gordon Brown, John McCain, and Pete Doherty. (Obama, sadly, is the only Hero contender who didn’t also get a “Best Dressed” nod; he’s replaced in that category by some British “it girl” who isn’t Kate Moss or Sienna Miller.) Full slate of nominees after the jump.



Best British Band
Bloc Party
The Last Shadow Puppets
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead

Best International Band
Crystal Castles
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
MGMT
Vampire Weekend

Best Solo Artist
Ladyhawke
Laura Marling
Lightspeed Champion
Jay-Z
Pete Doherty

Best New Band
Glasvegas
Late Of The Pier
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
White Lies

Best Live Band
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead

Best Album
Bloc Party, Intimacy
Glasvegas
The Killers, Day & Age
Kings Of Leon, Only By The Night
Oasis, Dig Out Your Soul

Best Track supported by NME Radio
Kings Of Leon, “Sex On Fire”
The Last Shadow Puppets, “The Age Of The Understatement”
MGMT, “Time To Pretend”
The Ting Tings, “That’s Not My Name”
Vampire Weekend, “A-Punk”

Best Video
The Last Shadow Puppets, “My Mistakes Were Made For You”
Late Of The Pier, “Heartbreak”
Oasis, “The Shock Of The Lightning”
Radiohead, “House Of Cards”
Vampire Weekend, “A-Punk”

Best Live Event
Glastonbury
Isle Of Wight
Reading and Leeds
T In The Park
V Festival

Best TV Show
Gavin & Stacey
The IT Crowd
The Mighty Boosh
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Skins

Best Film
The Dark Knight
Juno
Quantum Of Solace
Twilight
Wall-E

Best Dancefloor Filler
Bloc Party, “Mercury”
Crystal Castles, “Courtship Dating”
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris, “Dance Wiv Me”
Friendly Fires, “Paris”
Late Of The Pier, “‘Bathroom Gurgle”

Best DVD
Arctic Monkeys, At The Apollo
Foo Fighters, Live At Wembley Stadium
Kaiser Chiefs, Live At Elland Road
Muse, HAARP
The Rolling Stones, Shine A Light

Hero Of The Year
Alex Turner
Barack Obama
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher

Villain Of The Year
Amy Winehouse
George Bush
Gordon Brown
John McCain
Pete Doherty

Best Dressed
Alex Turner
Alexa Chung
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher

Worst Dressed
Amy Winehouse
Brandon Flowers
Johnny Borrell
Katy Perry
Pete Doherty

Worst Album
Britney Spears, Circus
Coldplay, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer
Razorlight, Slipway Fires
Scouting For Girls, Scouting For Girls

Worst Band
Fall Out Boy
Jonas Brothers
Oasis
Scouting for Girls
Tokio Hotel

Sexiest Male
Carl Barat
Keith Murray
Matt Bellamy
Miles Kane
Pete Doherty

Sexiest Female
Alison Mosshart
Hayley Williams
Kate Jackson
Lykke Li
Stephanie Dosen

Best Website
Bebo
Facebook
Last.fm
MySpace
YouTube

Best Venue
Brixton Academy
Manchester Apollo
London Astoria
Glasgow Barrowlands
London O2 Arena

Best Album Artwork
The Cure, 4:13 Dream
Guillemots, Red
The Killers, Day & Age
Muse, HAARP
We Are Scientists, Brain Thrust Mastery

Best Band Blog
Foals
Lightspeed Champion
Little Boots
Noel Gallagher/Oasis
Radiohead

Shockwaves NME Awards 2009 Nominations [NME]

]]> 12 The Year In B-Sides (That I Heard And Enjoyed) http://idolator.com/5116688/the-year-in-b-sides-that-i-heard-and-enjoyed http://idolator.com/5116688/the-year-in-b-sides-that-i-heard-and-enjoyed#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 03:30:00 +0000 Dan Gibson 9c1483898c29c7f564575ec56908a11c Technically, the era of the b-side is probably long over. Even in digital form, a castoff track is more likely to appear as an iTunes bonus track or as extra material on the Japanese release these days than actually attached to a single. Still, even as the file-sharing age has diminished the joy of feeling like you've heard a song that few other Americans have thanks to plunking down ten dollars for a import single, there's still something special about the non-album track. While the likelihood of finding a "How Soon Is Now?" on the back of a "William, It Was Truly Nothing" is low, there were a few songs this year I thought were worth a mention (and a few listens).

More »]]> Technically, the era of the b-side is probably long over. Even in digital form, a castoff track is more likely to appear as an iTunes bonus track or as extra material on the Japanese release these days than actually attached to a single. Still, even as the file-sharing age has diminished the joy of feeling like you’ve heard a song that few other Americans have thanks to plunking down ten dollars for a import single, there’s still something special about the non-album track. While the likelihood of finding a “How Soon Is Now?” on the back of a “William, It Was Truly Nothing” is low, there were a few songs this year I thought were worth a mention (and a few listens).



As a preface, the qualifications for this list were that a) I heard the song; and b) that there was a YouTube clip to embed.

Bloc Party, “Idea For A Story” (b-side to the “Mercury” single):

Morrissey, “Children in Pieces” (b-side to the “All You Need Is Me” single):

Ida Maria, “We’re All Going To Hell” (I have no idea where this song is from, but it’s not on the album):

The Cure, “Without You” (b-side to the “The Perfect Boy”):

What else was out there? What track were you telling your friends about, followed by the phrase “Well, it makes sense you haven’t heard it, it was only available in Europe”?

]]> 4 http://idolator.com/400585/400585 http://idolator.com/400585/400585#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:00:00 +0000 Maura d29c9d02a5161f4cb55d52da3a6eea34 More »]]> intimacy.jpgThe new album from Bloc Party, Intimacy, will be available for download Aug. 21. Yes, that’s this Thursday. And yes, that would appear to be the cover at left. (Perhaps it’ll be tweaked in time for the physical product to be shipped in October.) Interesting to note that the US shopping-cart page is hosted on Atlantic Records’ official site–could this be a sign of release strategies to come for the label? [Bloc Party]

]]> 9 John Lydon Gets Less Interesting By The Day http://idolator.com/399030/john-lydon-gets-less-interesting-by-the-day http://idolator.com/399030/john-lydon-gets-less-interesting-by-the-day#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:30:00 +0000 Dan Gibson 83b9bff3be5f9003d449e0a9a41a681b This weekend's Summercase festival in Barcelona should have been what most festivals are: A celebrations of commerce intermixed with music you sort of enjoy. But John Lydon apparently couldn't let people enjoy their three-euro water bottles and Bloc Party.

More »]]> disappointedinyoupeople.jpgThis weekend’s Summercase festival in Barcelona should have been what most festivals are: A celebrations of commerce intermixed with music you sort of enjoy. But John Lydon apparently couldn’t let people enjoy their three-euro water bottles and Bloc Party.

Details are still shaky and confusing on several levels, but according to Bloc Party lead singer Kele Okereke, after he asked Lydon if he would ever consider reforming Public Image Ltd., the real excitement kicked in.

Lydon then allegedly became intimidating and aggressive while members of his entourage responded with a racist tirade including the statement “your problem is your black attitude”.

Okereke claims he was subsequently punched in the face and head resulting in severe facial bruising and cuts to his face and body.

Lydon claims that the entire incident has been manufactured for publicity, saying that the other bands on the festival’s bill were jealous of his three-hour autograph session. Whether someone in Lydon’s entourage made a racist comment or not is unclear, and likely not to be resolved, but imagining Lydon as a jackass isn’t terribly difficult. Somehow, I think he’s going to be shouting profanities while pushing his walker around a stage well into the future. Sure, I’m thankful for what Lydon provided to music at some point in time, but is there any chance we could have him sent away somewhere? Maybe not for being an alleged bully, but at this point, for being boring?

Sex Pistols star John Lydon denies racist abuse allegations [Telegraph]

]]> 21 Bloc Party Continue Their Countdown To The Apocalypse http://idolator.com/398030/bloc-party-continue-their-countdown-to-the-apocalypse http://idolator.com/398030/bloc-party-continue-their-countdown-to-the-apocalypse#comments Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:00:00 +0000 Maura eff877c6a2ecaef1d3b4fa1a767e52b4 ARTIST: Bloc Party
TITLE: "Mercury"
WEB DEBUT: July 7, 2008

More »]]> 70.pngARTIST: Bloc Party
TITLE: “Mercury”
WEB DEBUT: July 7, 2008

ONE-LISTEN VERDICT: If the phrase “Bloc Party tries to refashion ‘Toxic’ in its own image, only with tauter drums and some skronky horns lurking in the background at the end” interests you in any way, you might do well to listen to “Mercury,” which pretty much reappropriates that formula. Of course, “in its own image” means that the vocals are more Kele Okereke-bark than Britney-coo, and the lyrics are more about the world’s problems than about bad love, but hey, it still sounds pretty good to me.

WHERE TO HEAR IT: “Mercury,” which premiered on Zane Lowe’s BBC1 show earlier today, is streaming from Bloc Party’s official site, where you can also buy a pretty box-set version that comprises a 7-inch, a 12-inch, and a CD, all of which are filled with remixes. But why click over there, when the song’s Planet Of The Apes-style video has been posted on YouTube already:

Needs more stewardess scenes, no?

Bloc Party [Official site]

]]> 16 Not Even Bands On Vice Records Read “Vice” Magazine http://idolator.com/241644/not-even-bands-on-vice-records-read-vice-magazine http://idolator.com/241644/not-even-bands-on-vice-records-read-vice-magazine#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2007 07:45:11 +0000 Brian Raftery 61dd6437d6ef723a467660609cfd6612 More »]]> blocparty.jpgKele Okerke–the lead singer of anthemically anthemic British band Bloc Party–has suddenly decided that signing to Vice magazine’s record label is a “Don’t.” In an interview, he lamented the decision to partner with the label, which distributes the group’s albums in the U.S.:

He moans, “That’s one of the things that I most regret about our history. I wish I’d voiced my concerns at the time, articulated them more clearly.

“The people that we work with are lovely, and they’re a separate company from the magazine, but Vice the brand just fills me with dread, really. It’s a real kind of nasty vortex, where any decency and general compassion to other people has just been completely obliterated.

“I don’t know if the magazine is still like that, but it certainly was very much so back then.”

We appreciate Okerke’s apparent eagerness to bite the hand that feeds him, but couldn’t he have brought this up when the band first hooked up with the label more than two years ago? It wasn’t as if the Vice brand was any less repugnant back then. As for the magazine editors themselves, they’ve yet to comment on the remarks, noting that they’re busy finishing up a new feature on the 100 Totally Awesome Crypto-Fascists Of All Time.

Bloc Party Call US Label A ‘Nasty Vortex’ [Gigwise]

]]> 3 Liner Notes: Whatever You Do, Please Spare Loder http://idolator.com/236220/liner-notes-whatever-you-do-please-spare-loder http://idolator.com/236220/liner-notes-whatever-you-do-please-spare-loder#comments Tue, 13 Feb 2007 06:04:26 +0000 Brian Raftery e2ceec7546d0b192b47aae018a7085e3 More »]]> loder.jpg- MTV begins layoffs today; alas, the twisted tykes featured on My Super Sweet 16 are not technically Viacom employees, and thus ineligible. [Gawker]
- Bloc Party is editing NME.com this week. Expect lots of stories about how London nightlife is dark and vampiric, all of which will start to read the same after about twenty minutes. [NME.com]
- Thanks to attendees like Al Gore, Keisha Knight-Pulliam, and Sticky Fingaz, this year’s Grammy after-parties were officially the batshittiest ever. [MTV]

]]> 4 Liner Notes: Paul Wall Devises A New Way To Cause Car Accidents http://idolator.com/226977/liner-notes-paul-wall-devises-a-new-way-to-cause-car-accidents http://idolator.com/226977/liner-notes-paul-wall-devises-a-new-way-to-cause-car-accidents#comments Mon, 08 Jan 2007 06:35:24 +0000 Maura 850ba0fea2354faf11b76bf73c3f56ce More »]]>

- Paul Wall introduces a line of cubic-zirconia adornments for cars and SUVs. We’re expecting him to become a Home Shopping Network fixture by July. [AllHipHop]
- Did Bloc Party frontman Kele Okereke come out of the closet in a Guardian interview? [Guardian Unlimited Music, via Towleroad]
- Poor Mos Def: It’s never good when your label’s publicist, when asked if your record was released, responds, “It did and it didn’t.” [MTV via the not-as-crash-prone VH1 via Nah Right]

]]> 3 Liner Notes: Nas Is Not Out To Make Any New Friends http://idolator.com/213958/liner-notes-nas-is-not-out-to-make-any-new-friends http://idolator.com/213958/liner-notes-nas-is-not-out-to-make-any-new-friends#comments Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:12:47 +0000 Maura 122ce773bb6f4fe05e64113e383f39ef More »]]> nas.gif- Nas kicks off his listening party by saying that everyone in the room–among them journalists, Swizz Beatz, and Jay-Z–bears responsibility for killing hip-hop. Okay, that takes balls. [SOHH]
- Alicia Keys covers Mr. Mister’s “Broken Wings” at charity show, prepares to feel the wrath of the Claymates. [Billboard]
- Bloc Party drummer suffers collapsed lung, band pulls out of a few Panic! At The Disco supporting dates. There is an upside for his bandmates, at least: Now, they don’t have to watch mimes for the next couple of nights. [NME]

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