PROPAGANDA Best of 2008

Nearly forgot - I've just posted my personal best of 2008 over at the FPI blog. The main feature's here, but the highlights are......

In no particular order, here’s the five I loved most this year.

Trains Are … Mint - Oliver East (Blank Slate) (review)

Badger - Howard Hardiman (self published) (full review here)

Laika - Nick Abadzis (1st Second) (review)

Hondle - Matthew Craig (self published) (review)

Spirit Volume 2 - Darwyn Cooke & J. Bone (DC Comics) (review)

And now I’m finished with my favourite 5, my 9 year old Molly wanted to chip in with her favourites. Molly’s no stranger to the FPI blog and this year saw her first ever interview about the DFC appear on our pages. Needless to say, all of her three faves this year are from the DFC. Every week, without fail, she scours the comic for these three:

Crab Lane Crew - Jim Medway (review)

Vern & Lettuce - Sarah McIntyre (review)

Sausage & Carrots - Simone Lia (review)

And there's more at the FPI blog. Go look.

Dresden Dolls & Bellowhead

I found some new music over the last week and a bit (well, new to me anyway). Expect something by both to feature in the end of year list.


Bellowhead I kept hearing about in hushed, reverential voices when talking about exciting new folk music. So off I toddle to download a couple of cds worth of material. First play I nearly deleted the lot but it's grown on me to the point where I'd love to see them live at some point (look at that - a free music = ticket sales example).
Examples on You Tube.


Whereas the Dresden Dolls I sort of heard about back in 2003 when they first arrived on the scene (as I believe the kiddies are calling it). Brechtian Dark Cabaret are what they describe themselves as, although in all truth they're an amalgamation of many, many bands I've heard before. Not that this is necessarily a criticism. Get to my age and everything suddenly starts sounding like something else. It's not necessarily what influences you have that is important, it's reworking the influences into something interesting and good that really matters.
And the Dresden Dolls manage to make it all work very well. I saw Girl Anachronism on MTV 120 Minutes and was instantly sold. Two people, plinky plinky piano, interesting drum rhythms and time signitures, a stoccato delivery, some clever little lyrics and nice hooks and I'm sold on it. So far I've only listened to the first cd The Dresden Dolls, but I've got Yes Virginia and No Virginia to look forward to as well.
Examples on You Tube. Or just go straight to Girl Anachronism.

Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip - Angles

Following on from their fantastic debut single Thou Shalt Always Kill, comes the Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip debut album: Angles.
The hook to the single was one that always gets me interested in rap music; a sense of intelligence rather than thuggery. (Previous favourites in this vein: MC Buzz B & The Streets.) And the album carries this on very well. Thirteen tracks in total, some old and some new. I've already heard the singles Thou Shalt Always Kill, Beat That My Heart Skipped plus the free download Letter From God To Man and the song Angles on their MySpace, and the quality is right up there.
Luckily for me the rest of the albums a great listen as well.
Pip provides the spoken word / poetry / performance whilst Dan Le Sac provides the beats and tunes and some vocals. It works spectacularly well, with music complementing the lyrical content well, providing an interesting and upbeat mix of rap / r&b and hip hop that perfectly complements the intelligent lyrics on show.

But like any rap album, it's not so much about the music as what's being said. And Pip's vocal style and lyrical content is absolutely spot on. There's an awful lot on here, much to think about. They're not afraid to mix it up either running through relationships, politics, theology, comedy and much more in the space of these thirteen tracks.

Well worth it. The only question now is what track will make it onto the annual Best Of Year CD?