Confessions in Music Advertising #2

For a deodorant brand wanting to emphasise the 'keeps you cool' nature of its new spray, Sure For Men made a great choice in using TDL's Force The Forces track in their ad with the guy on ice skates.

Check out the full track below:

Confessions in Music Advertising #1

You wouldn't expect Kleenex to be at the forefront of cool advertising, but in rolling out this 1966 track by French hipster Jacques Dutronc, Mini Mini Mini, they've reached new realms for tissue advertising. Blowing your nose is suddenly cool again.

In Session - Foster the People

Managed to get an invite from Absolute Radio in the week to see a live session by Foster the People. Having missed them at Glastonbury last month it was great to get the chance to see an up and coming band in such close circumstances.

I highly recommend looking them up. Frontman Mark Foster has an unexpected vocal range that soars above the bouncy, bluesy rhythms, and in meeting them briefly after the show they turned out to be a good set of Californian lads to boot.

Things are looking good for the band and XFM just posted that the band have added a second London date to their UK tour this autumn due to the weight of demand for the first show.

Check out tracks like 'Houdini' and 'Pumped Up Kicks', and go see them if you can!

We Almost Lost Detroit

Plenty has been said and written of late about Gil Scott-Heron, following his sad, recent passing on May 27th, and plenty more will rightfully be still to come. All of the praise, the implied importance and hyperbole are no mere exaggeration. The man was a writer and a wordsmith, who saw the world's problems and called them out, and in true artistic style then succombed himself to many of the social ills which had been the targets of his lyrics. In speaking out about the state of Black America, he was often baring his own inadequecies.

It is impossible to over-emphasise Scott-Heron's pivotally important role in the development of music in America. Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (1970) is effectively the first rap album, and his next two albums were pure jazz-funk (Pieces of a Man and Free Will). The sounds and intent of his work can be heard within hundreds of subsequent artists.

I count myself truly lucky to have seen him live in concert, only just last Autumn in Brixton. A fan since my teens, I even used one of his song titles as the title of my thesis. His voice, not one of a singer but instead of a great orator, held you riveted as he merged seamlessly from tales into tracks and onwards to personal recollections. Having just released a highly-anticipated new album (I'm New Here), he even felt bold enough to leave 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' out of the set list, and the gig was no lesser for it.

And if you think that Gil Scott-Heron is no longer important to music, check out what happens when his material influences and is used by current artists:

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx -- 'NY is Killing Me'

Oh is this the way they say the future's meant to feel

We were somewhere outside of Yeovil when the clouds broke free.

So, after one score and 10 years, I finally made it to my first Glastonbury. Unbelievable. Epic. Grand. It was to be quite honest better than I'd expected, despite the severe mud, pain and lashing rain for a day or so. It was all about the music. It was just what I needed to get this page going again.

big Friday:

The Naked and the Famous Possibilities, hot front woman, catchy sound, but poorly poorly miked up. More investigation needed.

Wu-Tang Clan The mother-effing Wu-Tang Clan! They don't like UK customs, but they did get the weekend off with a bounce and Method Man was in a dressing gown. Hold up your W's!

BB King The King of the Blues himself. Had to virtually be wheeled on stage, and missed a few notes early on. But he's 86 or so! His fingers warmed up, and that voice was as strong as it's ever been, so compelling. "Thankkkkew!"

Heliocentrics ft. Mulatu Astatke Caught them last year in London, and glad to get a second viewing. Like The Naked and Famous however they were really badly miked, so you had to fill in the gaps yourself. Amazing sounds despite that. Mulatu as a true legend.

Fleet Foxes One of a couple of reasons why I went in the first place, the Foxes were all I'd hoped they'd be. Vocal harmonies were outstanding, and didn't even require the musical accompaniment that itself was faultless.

Mumford and Sons Wasn't a huge fan but they created a great vibe throughout the crowd, and despite the constant rain it was buzzing.

DJ Shadow/U2 Bounced in between the two, Shadow's deck wizardy was phenomenal, but perhaps didn't quite fit for me standing alone in a damp field. Jumped over to catch the end of U2, just for the spectacle really.

calm Saturday:

Thea Gilmore sings Dylan's John Wesley Harding A personal one for me, one of my favourite albums. Some things shouldn't be touched by others but Gilmore's voice is class and her band super-talented. A very enjoyable our spent with some 'old friends'.

Aloe Blacc Another I'd come to see. No two ways to say it, he's one cool mother! Slick, stylish and a supreme soul voice. Peaked at the finale with 'I Need A Dollar' and it went off.

Janelle Monae Stayed on at West Holts stage after Aloe and discovered my unexpected highlight of the whole festival. Can't recommend this lady enough. A former backing singer for Outkast, she has all the jump, stylishness and outlandish performance of her mentors. Dancers, painters, actors and a tight, funky band made for a fantastic show. Look her up.

Coldplay Anthemic, sing-along memories. It's kind of part-and-parcel of a festival. They've got plenty of detractors, bur Coldplay know how to do this, and put on a great show. It's what you want from a big headliner.

sunny Sunday:

Don McLean An old master on a sunny Sunday afternoon. 'American Pie' probably lasted for a good 25-minutes. He may even have written more verses on the spot, who knows?!

Laura Marling Impressive folkster. The timid, mouse-like stature belies a powerful voice with equal statements. Not sure how many were about Mumford, but I'd hate to be in receipt of some of those songs.

Paul Simon Better than hoped. His rhythms are tremendous, and a backing band seemingly straight out of Nashville grooved all afternoon. The encore of 'Call Me Al' was possibly one of the most anticipated songs of the weekend by everybody.

Beyonce I had to do it! It's not rock and roll, but she puts on one hell of a performance. Fireworks, dancing, booty-shaking.....it was all in full flow. A good, kick-ass way to close things out.

Roll on 2013.