Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Writings

The End Of A Very Short Era

2010-04-14T20:42:00.001+01:00

We've decided to put the lovely Helen Of Troy... to bed. We've had awesome times, met some awesome people and discovered some awesome artists along the way. Thanks for sticking with us, it's been a blast. Laterz.

Album Review: Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM

2010-02-21T21:31:00.006Z

Dramatic, cinematic, lush and delicate; Charlotte Gainsbourg's latest album IRM is a bit of a revelation to Helen Of Troy who, rather ashamedly, have come rather late to Ms Gainsbourg's party, having dwelt too long at her father's legendary sleaze-fests. Released in the UK tomorrow (Mon Feb 25) and co-written and recorded with Beck, this 14-track album is a varied but unfalteringly classy affair.

Sparse and bluesy title track IRM is built around the sample of the sound of an MRI (IRM in French) scan, inspired by treatment she received for a cerebral haemorrhage in 2007. The more you listen to IRM the more unsettlingly brilliant the sample becomes and, combined with lyrics about traumas, bandages and x-rays, quickly becomes one of the most menacingly catchy songs about hospitalisation Helen Of Troy... has ever heard (not the most hotly contested title, granted!).

Alongside the hospital-themed high-tech trickery of the title track is a collection of beautiful whispering folk, blues and cabaret which, in this case, is no bad thing.

Sometimes it's obvious who Charlotte and Beck have been listening to - Le Chat du Cafe des Artistes is Serge-esque, evoking the grimy glamour of 1960s Parisian back-streets, Me And Jane Doe sounds like a Moe Tucker Velvet Underground track and Dandelion is could easily be pre-glam T-Rex.

Though IRM wears its influences without shame, its influences are varied enough to lift it from pastiche and Charlotte's hauntingly beautiful vocals tie each song on IRM together into a classy, coherent whole. Have a listen on Spotify here.

8/10

Spotigift - Oldies But Goodies

2010-02-14T15:04:00.007Z

Helen Of Troy... has been feeling rather nostalgic of late, which has resulted in an all thriller and filler, classics playlist. Tracks include the unforgettable Love Is A Battlefield by Pat Benatar, Proud Mary by the ever-youthful Tina Turner, and vintage Madonna in the form of Helen Of Troy... favourite Dress You Up. To check out these tracks and more, go here. Enjoy!

New Music: MNDR

2010-02-05T17:25:00.004Z

Helen Of Troy... first came across MNDR (pronounced man dar) late last year, thanks to blogging favourite Sheena Beaston. Since then, the blogosphere has caught on majorly to this synth-lovin' lady, earning her the much-coveted label of 'one to watch in 2010'.

Hailing from Brooklyn, MNDR aka Amanda Warner, is a fine purveyor of perfectly-crafted "ass tested beats"! Helen Of Troy... favourite C.L.U.B, along with other MySpace-featured track Fade To Black, convey best MNDR's knack for creating cool and accessible IDM (Intelligent Dance Music).

To check out the aforementioned tracks and more, head over to http://www.myspace.com/mndrtronica

Normal Service Has Been Resumed!

2010-02-03T13:36:00.002Z

Helen Of Troy... would like to apologise dear readers (if we have any left!) for the complete lack of posts and updates in 2010. Due to unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances, we were forced to take a longer-than-planned break from the beloved blogosphere. Fear not however, for Helen Of Troy... is coming back with power, power! Watch this space!

Best Albums Of 2009

2009-12-21T23:52:00.008Z

After much deliberation, Helen Of Troy... has finally come up with our best albums of the year (in no particular order). We hope you like it...

PJ Harvey - A Woman A Man Walked By
The XX - XX
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
Peaches - I Feel Cream
Metric - Fantasies
Florence and the Machine - Lungs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Fever Ray - When I Grow Up
Tegan and Sara - Sainthood
Amanda Blank - I Love You

That's us until 2010 (how scary is that?!?!)
We can't wait to see what a new year and a new decade brings.
Have an awesome Christmas and even better new year y'all.
Lynds & Marie-Claire

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Best Lady Singles Of 2009

2009-12-06T18:54:00.010Z

2009 has not been the best year for music, but in amongst the rough there have been some bona fide diamonds. We have return singles from Helen Of Troy.. favourites PJ Harvey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Peaches, plus hot-off-the-press classics from newbies like Micachu, Mini Viva and The XX. Here for your listening pleasure, in no particular order, is Helen Of Troy's best singles of 2009.

As ever, let us know if you think we've missed anything and where we might have gone wrong.

Peaches - I Feel Cream
Britney Spears - Circus
Florence And The Machine - Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero
thecocknbullkid - I'm Not Sorry
Micachu - Turn Me Well
PJ Harvey and John Parish - Black Hearted Love
Amanda Blank - Make It, Take It
Mini Viva - Left My Heart In Tokyo
Janelle Monae - Come Alive (War Of The Roses)
Tegan And Sara - Hell
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
Bat For Lashes - Pearl's Dream
Girls Aloud - Untouchable
The XX - Islands
Lily Allen - Not Fair
Florence And The Machine - Drumming Song
Kelis - Acapella
Thunderheist - Nothing2Step2
St. Vincent - Marrow

Here's a handy Spotify playlist of all the tracks we could get our hands on! Enjoy!

New Music: Nneka

2009-11-30T23:14:00.005Z

If like Helen Of Troy... you never quite got over the tragic demise of Lauryn Hill's musical career, fear not, for we have found the next best thing in the form of deliciously-defiant, continent-hopping Nneka. Based in Hamburg, the Nigerian-born singer-songwriter combines rich soulful sounds with poignant socio-political commentary.

Standout tracks on Nneka's MySpace page include the truly irresistible Heartbeat (so irresistible in fact that Xenomania newbs Mini Viva covered it on Radio 1's Live Lounge earlier this year!), nu-soul delight The Uncomfortable Truth, and the stripped-down Come With Me complete with Neneh Cherry-esque vocals.

Having already bagged her first award for Best African Act at this year's Mobos, 2010 looks set to be a very promising year for this up-and-coming youngster!

h ttp://www.myspace.com/nnekaworld

Kelis - Acapella

2009-11-26T22:41:00.002Z

We may be a bit two thousand and late on this one, but Kelis' new track Acapella is simply amazeballs! Check it out below.

Helen's Albums Of The Decade

2009-11-22T18:11:00.034Z

In response to NME's rather unimaginative and questionable 'Albums of the Decade' list, Helen Of Troy... decided the only thing to do was to put on our proverbial thinking caps and come up with our own lady-led version.

Doing the list was all kinds of fun, but it also made us feel really freakin' old!

So here, in alphabetical, rather than rank, order, is our top 20 lady albums of the naughties.

Bat For Lashes – Fur And Gold

Britney Spears – Blackout

CSS – Cansei De Ser Sexy

Feist – The Reminder

Florence And The Machine – Lungs

Girls Aloud – Chemistry

Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control

Gwen Stefani – Love, Angel, Music, Baby

Kelis – Kaleidoscope

M.I.A.- Arular

M.I.A. - Kala

Madonna - Music

Patti Smith – Trampin’

PJ Harvey – Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea

PJ Harvey - White Chalk

Roisin Murphy – Ruby Blue

Sleater Kinney - The Woods

The Long Blondes – Someone To Drive You Home

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Fever To Tell

Yelle – Pop Up

Did we miss anyone off?

Our Interview With SoundProof Magazine

2009-11-14T15:04:00.005Z

The lovely people at Canadian music website SoundProof Magazine interviewed us last month and have given us an awesome write-up, posted below for your reading pleasure.

Profiles In Blogedness - Helen of Troy Does Counterop Writings

By: Eoghan Macguire

^{November 13, 2009 – Manchester, United Kingdom}

Hidden somewhere amongst the ubiquitous mesh of crotch hugging skinny jeans, indie rock poses and £100 boys haircuts, which combine to make up the postmodern boy band scene, lies an underexposed gold mine of diverse and creative music.

It's a sad fact that—thanks to the boy-centric nature of much contemporary mainstream music—it may come as a shock that many of these burgeoning and talented acts are of the feminine variety. To paraphrase Morrissey by finishing the song he never wrote: "some girls are bigger than others, but most are overlooked by the mainstream media, record companies and music consumers."

Within this conundrum exists the devilishly simple raison d'être of Helen of Troy Does Countertop Writings. Seeking out the very best under-exposed female artists and bands, the UK-based blog aims to shine a spotlight on all things talented and XX chromosome specific.

Founded by journalists Lyndsey Hayes and Marie-Claire Daly, the concept began as an alternative London club night in mid-2008, under the guise of Helen of Troy Does Countertop Dancing. In light of the event's success, the Helen of Troy Does Countertop Writings blog was formed two months later as yet another medium for the best female musicians and a forum for Hayes' and Daly's musical passions.

"After years of reading about skinny, white, indie boy-bands, we decided it was time that female artists were given the same attention. We were surrounded by amazing artists like M.I.A. and Lykke Li and we wanted to comment on it in the hope of redressing the balance. It seemed a shame that the artists who were making some of the most progressive and diverse music around were not receiving the acclaim they deserved. We therefore wanted to provide a place where clued-up music fans could visit to find news, reviews and commentary pieces on the very best female artists around," say Hayes and Daly.

Although the focus on female artists differentiates Helen of Troy from the thousands of other blogs and popular music sites of a similar scale and musical composition, the creators hope that their passion, experience, enthusiasm, quirky style and content will further see their "labour of love" inform and inspire an intelligent and open-minded audience that can look beyond the obvious singularity of sexual characteristics.

"Since launching in June of 2008, our readership has steadily increased, so we must be doing something right. We originally set out with the hope of striking the right balance between humour, politics, and musical knowledge, and our stats tend to suggest our readers feel we have accomplished this.

"Having worked on an arts desk of a national newspaper, we both understand that sometimes people cover artists just to fill space. We hope that our readers trust our judgement, and feel they are getting quality commentary each and every time. Also, we'd like to think that both our writing style and approach are fairly distinctive, and suit the content of the blog. We love all kinds of artists and the blog is not genre specific, therefore we love Girls Aloud as much as PJ Harvey. We believe that a brilliant pop song is as valid as a brilliant rock, indie or electro song. What Helen of Troy would like to see is not just increased representation of female artists, but representation where female artists are not promoted on the strength of appearance, but on the strength of their work."

A glance at some of the site favourites gives a hint as to the genuine nature of Hayes and Daly's claims to musical diversity. "Posts on artists such as Madonna, Florence and The Machine, M.I.A, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Peaches, and Ladyhawke are always really well received. There is also a lot of traffic towards artists such as Madonna, Courtney Love, M.I.A, Brazilian Girls, Patti Smith, Girls Aloud, Salt ‘N' Pepa, Bonde Do Role, Amanda Blank, Peaches—we could go on, and on, and on! Each of the above have been trailblazers in their particular field, inspiring us to both create and maintain the blog. Thankfully, we seem to have a fairly-inclusive readership which we think reflects our content."

The recent success and popularity of the site, which Hayes and Daly refer to, is not exclusive to Helen of Troy. The increasing importance of such alternative information outlets are merely a microcosm of the wider tectonic shifts being felt across the entire media industry, which both Daly and Hayes recognize and see as an opportunity for their own growth.

Passionate and specialized blogs such as Helen of Troy have become indicative of the thousands of low cost niche blogs which are gaining trust, credibility and increasing relevance amongst the most clued up and voracious music fans. This is in stark contrast to the majority of traditional print publications who have failed to adapt to technological advances and have been left facing massive cutbacks, dwindling sales and the terminal illness of irrelevance.

"As paid-for online content becomes the norm, more and more people will turn to the likes of bloggers and social media enthusiasts for their daily dose of news and comment. We check at least twenty blogs per day for new posts and updates. We feel that a lot of enthusiasts follow the same routine as us, and this will only increase as print media continues to decline," say Hayes and Daly.

In contrast to many struggling traditional music publications, the shackles of image sensitive Public Relations Officer's and compromised objectivity, thankfully, does not affect the output of the likes of Helen of Troy and their ilk.

"We're not doing this for money, which means that we have the freedom to write honestly and objectively, with a sense of character and humor. The fact that Helen of Troy is a blog born out of a passion for quality music has contributed to the fact that people respect our opinions. We obviously want our readership to increase as much as possible, but ultimately this is a labour of love and not a business for us. We research and write about new music because we want to share the amazing music we've found with as many people as possible. "

Such genuine and refreshing sentiments ensure that if media trends are to be followed then it would be wise for all girls (and boys) to stick with Helen of Troy Does Countertop Writings.

Helen of Troy Does Countertop Writings were one of a long list of Manchester-based blogs, journalists, artist and club owners who were invited to contribute their picks to SoundProof's Top 20 Manchester Albums of All-Time list which will appear on Monday (November 16).

To check out more, head to www.soundproofmagazine.com

Album Review: Tegan And Sara - Sainthood

2009-10-30T00:10:00.001Z

With an album release schedule that is literally littered with re-releases and greatest hits collections during the run-up to Christmas, the release of Tegan and Sara's long-awaited sixth studio album has arrived just in time to provide the perfect antidote for Helen Of Troy...'s seasonal cynicism.

Following on from their highly-acclaimed album The Con, Sainthood is somewhat of a departure for the dynamic duo, marking a number of changes in both their sound and production. Most notably perhaps being that this is the first album to feature tracks penned by both twins during their illustrious 14-year-long career.

Proceedings kick off with stunning opening track Arrow, introducing a new harder-edged and more electronically-inclined sound that features heavily throughout. Lead single Hell, rather pleasingly sounds as though it could have been lifted straight from Metric's fabulous recent album Fantasies, whilst tracks such as Night Watch and Paperback Head slow things down somewhat by showcasing a more experimental and quirkier sound.

On first listen Helen Of Troy... was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the whole affair, however this album is a grower in the truest sense of the word - two listens and we were well and truly hooked. At the risk of alienating old-school T&S fans, this may be their best album yet!

8/10

Spotigift

2009-10-21T11:12:00.004+01:00

Helen Of Troy... has put together a lovely little playlist to lift your dreary October Wednesday, featuring the brilliant Fuzzbox (pictured), the magnificent Amanda Blank, the superb Micachu and, erm, Barbara Dixon and Elaine Paige. Enjoy!

Helen Of Troy... Oct playlist

New Music: Music Go Music

2009-10-13T22:30:00.017+01:00

Helen Of Troy... has fallen in love (again!). This time the object of our affection are the magnificent Music Go Music. This LA-based trio (which can swell to a seven piece depending on occasion), channel the spirit of the 1970s to create stone cold classics which are equal parts joyous and heartbreaking.

They sound like a mash-up of Abba, Pulp, Belle And Sebastian, Kate Bush, Fleetwood Mac and Donna Summer. Hardly ground-breaking, granted, but every one of the five songs we've heard has an immediacy many bands struggle their entire careers to achieve just once.

Music Go Music will be in Manchester this week, supporting Franz Ferdinand at The Apollo on Saturday. If your fancy isn't tickled by spanking £20 quid on a support band, check out the video below and revel in the majesty of the new queen and kings of high-quality, high-camp pop.

Album Review: Karen O And The Kids – Where The Wild Things Are

2009-10-03T15:27:00.009+01:00

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs' It's Blitz! is still up there as one of Helen Of Troy's favourite albums of 2009, so hats off to Karen O, who's made it into our top ten list again with her delightful soundtrack to Where The Wild Things Are.

Recorded in the guise of Karen O And The Kids, this gorgeous 14-track collection of lullaby-like ditties and shouty, hand-clappy floor-fillers is a delightful diversion from Ms O's day job, and sounds like it'll be the perfect fit for Spike Jonze's freakin' amazing-looking film, Where The Wild Things Are (scheduled for release on Dec 11).

Tracks like All Is Love, Rumpus and Capsize sound like The Yeah Yeah Yeahs playing in a sandpit with The Flaming Lips and The Polyphonic Spree; a joyous, smile-inducing soundtrack to the best kids' party ever.

Where The Wild Things Are isn't all jelly, ice cream and primary coloured happiness, however. Tracks like Worried Shoes and Hideaway portray perfectly the doubt, confusion and sadness that play a part in almost every person's childhood.

Helen Of Troy...'s fear of the pre-pubescent would normally have us running a mile from any album featuring or aimed at children, but Where The Wild Things Are is an absolute joy and the perfect antidote to the doom and gloom of (supposed) adulthood in 2009.

The lovely people at Spotify have put the album up already, so have a listen, fall in love, and let us know what you think.

spotify:album:1GJHGVV5KGS2cV0oBc58VQ

9/10

What a difference a babe makes

2009-09-24T15:20:00.005+01:00

While Sugababes Mark 1 were pretty, polished, and undoubtedly led by the hand by record company execs, there was a genuine feeling that Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan were three girls brought together by a shared love of music, given the chance to make records at a young age because of genuine talent. They were fresh-faced, fresh sounding and made brilliant pop records.

When Heidi 'dead behind the eyes' Range was brought in to replace titian beauty Siobhan, it was clear the Sugababes' MO had changed, but Keisha and Mutya's fierce attitude and classic tracks like Hole In The Head, Round Round, Freak Like Me and Push The Button, ensured the 'babes were still a pop force to be reckoned with. They wrote their own songs, performed with passion, and managed to rise above myriad storms and fashions to become the biggest selling British girl band of all time.

Now, with Mutya replaced by Amelle and, most recently (and cattily), Keisha replaced by newbabe Jade Ewen, Sugababes Mark 4 seem more like sex-selling singers than seriously talented songwriters.

Regardless of line-up changes, the girls' growth form surly teens to surly women was always going to result in changes, but Helen Of Troy... can't help but think that the current line-up is more likely to produce vacuously sexy sub standard Pussycat Dolls tracks than stone-cold survivors' classics like Sugababes of old.

Maybe Amelle, Heidi and Jade will prove us wrong, or maybe we'll see Keisha, Mutya and Siobhan form The Real Sugababes©. Our money's on the latter.

Fight For THIS Love?

2009-09-15T21:21:00.002+01:00

Helen Of Troy... thinks Cheryl Cole's debut solo single, Fight For This Love, sounds like a bad Steps B-Side.

What do you think?

New Music: You're Only Massive

2009-09-10T18:43:00.009+01:00

There may be a few months left of 2009, but Helen Of Troy can say with confidence we’ve found our favourite lyric of the year.

‘Put the cheddar in the pocket put the rest into the jacket – what do you do? Do a runner.’

This super-cool homage to the theft of fromage comes courtesy of Waterford/Berlin electro-poppers You’re Only Massive on their excellent MySpace track Do A Runner.

Maebh Chesty and David Murphy, who make up You’re Only Massive, make infectious shouty electro which combines the childlike chutzpah of early CSS with the pared-down party beats of Peaches.

Current single Under The Neon is one of three delectable disco-tastic tracks available on You’re Only Massive’s MySpace, and if these three fabulous floor-fillers are anything to go by, their debut album, currently in production, should be freakin’ awesome.

Check them out at www.myspace.com/youreonlymassive or have a look at the lo-fi video for Under The Neon below.

Let's get giggical, giggical

2009-09-03T14:38:00.013+01:00

The Mancunian non-festival live music drought draws to a close as those loveable students return to clog up our busses and bars. Spurred on by memories of five-gigs-a-week student days, Helen Of Troy… decided to start booking a few gig tickets to lift our over-too-soon summer blues. While there are a few sweet gigs in the pipeline, we were hardly overwhelmed by the lady talent visiting our fair city of the next couple of months – but here, in our humble opinion, is a brief list of the very best…

Sept 25 – Florence And The Machine
There’s not much more we (or anyone else) can say about the ubiquitous Flo-Mo. She’s awesome, her album’s awesome and she’s, you guessed it, pretty awesome live. Get a ticket if you can. Academy 1, 7pm, £13, sold out, returns only

www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine

Sept 27 - Speech Debelle
By the time 26-year-old Brit-rapper Speech Debelle comes to Manchester, the fate of her recent Mercury Prize nomination will be revealed (winners are being announced next Monday, Sept 8th.) Until then, all eyes (and ears?) will be on the London-based musician, whose debut album Speech Therapy is a soulful, jazzy exercise in considered acoustic hip hop.
Night & Day, 7pm , £8
www.myspace.com/speechdebellemusic

Sept 29 – Nite Jewel
She may only have four songs on her MySpce page, but we’re already all over the work of Californian lo-fi indie diva Nite Jewel, aka Ramona Gonzalez. Jewel’s grainy electro-pop, Cocteau Twins-esque ethereal vocals and slow and scuzzy electro backing is a real treat.
The Deaf Institute, 7.30pm, £5
www.myspace.com/nitejewel

Oct 8 – Micachu
Back in January, Helen Of Troy… picked the lovely Micachu as one of our alternative tips for 2009. Since then, she’s released her debut album Jewellery to almost universal critical acclaim and has been taking her wonderfully weird, lo-fi pop around the world. Micachu’s back on British soil in October, so don’t miss this chance to catch one of the most exciting artists of the year in the loveliest live venue in town.
The Deaf Institute, 7.30pm, £7.50
www.myspace.com/micayomusic

New Music: KiD A

2009-08-27T18:11:00.008+01:00

We might be a little tardy on this, but Helen Of Troy… firmly believes that late is better than never, so we’d like to introduce you to the marvellous KiD A, aka Anni T, whose debut single, wasnotwas, was released on June 15th. Wasnotwas is a delicious slice of scuzzy, repetetative electro-pop aided by Anni’s sweet but sultry drawl.

This Virginia-born singer, composer and producer has been working with dan le sac on forthcoming EP In A Dream House, We All Ride Carousels, which promises to be another example of near-perfect electro-pop.

Head to www.myspace.com/kida for a listen (we especially like the EEPROM ‘on fire’ remix).

Watch this space!

The Backlash Has Begun

2009-08-17T17:30:00.011+01:00

Helen Of Troy hates to monger doom, but after reading Dan Cairn’s insightful prediction for the future of female pop we can’t help but think that the current comparatively wide-open windows of opportunity for female musicians might be slowly closing.

Cairns sees the Mercury Prize nomination of Florence And The Machine, La Roux, Bat For Lashes, Lisa Hannigan and Speech Debelle (pictured) as the first nail in the coffin for interesting lady pop, as the outsiders become the insiders and pop, inevitably, eats itself. Of course, as Cairns states, interesting female artists will still be making music, but a record company exec is less likely to take a chance on a new interesting lady artist when the zeitgeist lies elsewhere.

Helen Of Troy is currently undecided as to whether this industry shift will bring positive or negative results. While we’d hate to see any truly talented musician turned down because their face doesn’t fit, we equally hate to see shitehawke musicians succeed just because theirs does.

Whatever happens, it would be nice to think that, even when the fickle wheel of fortune points again to boys with guitars, some genuine headway has been made for boundary-pushing women in pop/rock over the past five years. Only time (and second and third albums) will tell, but here at Helen Of Troy… we’re feeling pretty positive.

New Music: Amanda Blank

2009-08-09T23:23:00.010+01:00

Thanks to super-cool dedicated blogger Sheena Beaston, Helen Of Troy... has rediscovered the awesomeness of fierce electro-rapper Amanda Blank. Based in Philadelphia, the 26 year-old down-and-dirty emcee released her long-awaited debut album I Love You just last week. Widely known for being a serial collaborator, it came as no surprise to learn that the hedonistic hipster roped in Helen Of Troy... faves Lykke Li and Santigold, for a number of guest appearances on her aforementioned first full-length offering.

Whilst we've not had chance to listen to the album in full, banging lead single Might Like You Better and the wildly-infectious Make It Take It both serve as good indications of what Ms Blank has to offer. Her catalogue of collaborations isn't bad either, with the likes of Bump - taken from Spank Rock's debut album YoYoYoYoYo, and her contribution to the Eli Grayson remix of Britney Spears' Gimme More, showcasing perfectly what she's capable of.

Brassy, trashy, and fabulous - we love you Amanda Blank!

http://www.myspace.com/amandablank - Check out the album in full here.

New Videos For Your Enjoyment - Otherwise Known As A Lame Post!

2009-08-05T15:38:00.007+01:00

Helen of Troy... was super pleased to discover that the next single to be taken from Florence and the Machine's debut album Lungs, is the utterly amazing Drumming Song. You can check out the accompanying video below - we suspect the new sexed-up direction might be a result of Flo and co's much-deserved Mercury nomination. Thoughts anyone?

Next up we have the video for Peaches's upcoming single Serpentine - the woman is fierce! Let's hope the next single to be released will be the awesome I Feel Cream. Enjoy!

Madonna Celebration Single

2009-07-30T16:50:00.006+01:00

Here's the cover sleeve for Madonna's upcoming single Celebration. Helen of Troy... does not like this. The font/text is effing dreadful, and the whole thing comes across as an underwhelming throwback to the hermazing Sex Book.

Also, the full track is now available for a listen on various sites across the interweb. Enjoy!

Happy First Birthday Helen Of Troy...

2009-07-24T09:35:00.000+01:00

Today is a very special day for Helen Of Troy as it marks our first bloggalicious birthday. 365 days and 89 posts ago, we set up as a one-stop shop for all your lady-music needs. Since then, we've made loads of lovely online friends all over the world who have not only pointed us in the direction of some pretty awesome artists, but also left us loads of lovely comments and feedback. We've loved exchanging ideas with y'all and hope you stick around to see what the next year brings.

Lyndsey & Marie-Claire
xxx

Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing Heads To Leeds!

2009-07-18T16:15:00.005+01:00

So after a longer than planned hiatus, Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing is back y'all, and we've had a bit of a makeover! Our new monthly residency takes place across the Pennines in Leeds, and will see us play the very best lady-led electro-pop around, from pioneers like Peaches, Bjork and M.I.A. to newcomers thecocknbullkid, Fan Death and La Roux.

Launching on Saturday 25th July upstairs at the Library, Hyde Park, Leeds, Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing will be the place to hear cutting edge electro cuts, fabulous remixes, unexpected cover versions, and a handful of fluffy electro-pop favourites, all with a female vocal. So if you're out and about in Leeds next Saturday, make sure you drop by and say hello!

Proceedings kick off at 9pm and we'll be kicking you out around 2am, prices are £3, or £2 w/flyer or NUS. HOTDCD will take place on the final Saturday of every month from thereon in.

Expect to hear the likes of... M.I.A., Peaches, Yelle, Yo Majesty!, Thunderheist, Girls Aloud, Madonna, Rye Rye, Janelle Monae, Brazilian Girls, Amanda Blank, Micachu, Fan Death, Ladytron, Donna Summer, Santigold, Britney, thecocknbullkid, Kelis, Menya, Ladyhawke, La Roux, Bjork, Lykke Li, MEN, Grace Jones, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Little Boots, Metric, St Etienne, en vogue, Gwen Stefani, VV Brown, Róisín Murphy, heartsrevolution, Kap Bambino, CSS, Janet Jackson, Le Corps Mince De Françoise, Le Tigre, Bonde do Role, Robyn, Missy Elliot, Ebony Bones, Salt N Pepa, Heloise & the Savoir Faire, Neneh Cherry, Goldfrapp, Mpho, and others.

See you there!

Album Review: Regina Spektor – Far

2009-07-15T13:58:00.008+01:00

Listening to the first track of a new Regina Spektor album is like resuming a conversation with an old friend you’ve not seen in years. Comforting, familiar, and cheering.

Far, Spektor's fifth studio album, is another joyfully rounded release, replete with a myriad of musical short-stories presented in a manner that both moves you and mates you all in the same moment.

Regina’s percussive lyrics, broad vocal range, and elaborate compositions weave together to create a truly unique and full sound, further enhanced by the intimate and delicate production. A plethora of high profile producers including Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Dr Dre) and Jacknife Lee (U2, REM), have clearly had to sacrifice their own styles in order to suit Spektor’s stripped-down purity.

An infusion of Soviet-style classical piano, deft drum beats, and bluesy singing begins to define Spektor’s indefinable style. Thankfully, following her commercially viable 2006 album Begin to Hope, Spektor has not been tempted to tone down her kookiness for her increasing audience figures - even going as far as to poke fun at her new-found popularity in the robotic Machine.

There are many serious and powerful ballads on this album, such as the thought-provoking lead single Laughing With, the epic Human of the Year, and Eet. These are complemented by sparkling pop ditties like Dance Anthem of the ‘80s and The Calculation. However, every track has been carefully constructed to showcase the true vocal and musical imagination of their creator. Spektor’s observations of the minutiae of nature, religion, and the small adventure of finding a wallet are a deliberate stride away from the metropolis-influenced comments of previous albums, an overall theme summed up in the album title.

Overall, Regina’s latest offering delivers. It’s familiar but mature. Kooky with serious undertones. Vocally quirky and musically delicious. Perfect.

9/10

Laura Adlington

What Helen Of Troy... Has Learnt This Week

2009-07-12T20:46:00.004+01:00

Celebrate, lead single from Madonna's third greatest hits package Celebration, is set to hit radio waves around July 28th. The two-disc album, and her last with Warners, will now feature two new tracks and not three as previously reported (though this may be subject to change). As far as Helen Of Troy... is concerned, they aint ever gonna be as good as the rude and lewd Justify My Love!

ActionAid has unveiled a new single for their 6 Degrees project, which aims to highlight the charity's work on women's rights in poorer countries. The single is a cover of Chaka Khan's I'm Every Woman, and features Helen Of Troy... favourites thecocknbullkid, Micachu, and Roisin Murphy. You can download the track by registering here.

Ebony Bones releases her debut album Bones Of My Bones tomorrow! For those who don't have en effing clue who she is, hop on over to her MySpace page and marvel at her spectacularness now - We Know All About U and Don't Fart On My Heart are especially amazing.

And finally... Juliette Lewis has released a new vlog, which details news on the new album and tour, as well as bringing the lols with some quality dancing and flashbacks. Enjoy!

Spotysharing Part Four

2009-07-06T21:41:00.004+01:00

Warning - this playlist is electro-tastic! Featuring Helen Of Troy... favourite Florence and the Machine with latest single Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up), Dismissed by the effing brilliant and ruddy rude Uffie, plus the sublime Lettin' Go courtesy of Ms Janelle Monae. Check it out here.

New Music: Daisy Dares You

2009-07-05T20:56:00.003+01:00

There are many things that make Helen Of Troy... feel positively prehistoric, but perhaps none more so than hotly-tipped trendy teen, Daisy Dares You. At the ridiculous age of 15, Essex-born Daisy Coburn (aka Daisy Dares You) has already garnered a huge amount of interest from journos and bloggers alike. So much so, Jive Records - home to Britney Spears and P!nk - signed the peppy poplet up sharpish, and we can see why. Imagine Avril Lavigne, Lily Allen, and Alex Roots all rolled up into one and you'll start to get an idea of what DDY is about.

Songs featured on her MySpace page include the epic Number One Enemy, which has smash hit written all over it thanks to it's super slick production and catchy-as-fuck chorus. Self-titled track Daisy Dares You, is another big-hitter and easily our favourite of the lot, whilst Talk About The Weather and Next Few Minutes showcase a more soulful side to the youngster.

If this is what she's capable at 15, we can't wait for what's in store.

http://www.myspace.com/daisydaresyoumusic

He Was A Thriller

2009-06-28T14:56:00.004+01:00

We've decided to make an exception to our 'female musicians only policy' for a truly exceptional man. Michael Jackson was one of history's greatest musical pioneers, he was an innovator and a visionary, and he will be greatly missed.

Hole-y Moly!

2009-06-23T18:49:00.001+01:00

Late last night Helen Of Troy... stumbled upon this rather confusing article on the Guardian website. It seems chain-smoking chantress Courtney Love has decided to release her not-so-forthcoming album Nobody's Daughter under her old Hole moniker, despite being the only member of the seminal grunge outfit to be associated with it - Melissa auf der Maur's backing vocals don't really count as far as we're concerned.

So has the decision to revive the aforementioned moniker been made in a bid to help shift more units, or is it merely a statement that the raucous rocker feels Nobody's Daughter is a return to past form and merely wants to brand it as such? Either way, we're chomping at the bit for news on a final release date. C'mon Courtney, show us what you've got!

Just a Quickie

2009-06-21T17:24:00.001+01:00

Helen Of Troy... would like to apologise dear readers, for the horrendous lack of updates you've been subjected to these past few weeks. Whilst we aren't completely blameless (designated blog writing days turning into all-day drinking sessions for example), there have been many changes and developments afoot within the Helen Of Troy... camp, that have left us with little time or energy to do anything else. With any luck, things will start to calm down a bit, and we'll be banging out more posts than your already overly-stimulated brains can deal with!

To tide you over until our next proper post, here's possibly one of the best music videos of all time...

X-Tina Fabulera!

2009-06-11T22:09:00.004+01:00

Back in February, Helen Of Troy was astounded to hear that dirrrty girl Christina Aguilera had secured the services of 'lectro-poppers Ladytron and the gorgeous Goldfrapp. Imagine our surprise, then, when we discovered that the former Mouseketeer has also enlisted the help of the legendary Le Tigre to work on her forthcoming, as yet untitled, album.

While Helen Of Troy... is all about cultural cross-overs, we can't quite decide whether Ms Aguilera is working with these fantastic less-than-mainstream artists because she's a fan, or whether she's just buying cool by association. Either way, it's going to make for interesting listening. We've posted Le Tigre's finest moment Deceptacon below to remind y'all just how awesome they were. Let's see if they can top this with XTina.

New Music: Mpho

2009-06-06T22:02:00.006+01:00

Helen Of Troy... has long loved Echo Beach by Martha And The Muffins, so imagine our joy when we heard that one of our favourite artists of the year, Mpho (pronounced mmmpoh), had sampled the mighty Martha... and turned one of our favourite tracks into a proper anthem for 2009. Box N Lox, Mpho's début single is a catchy, lyrically savvy joy announcing the Brixton-based artist's arrival on the urban electro-pop scene.

This superstar-in-the-making's album, Pop Art, is out now. Filled with a panoply of highly-styled pop gems (have a listen to the album mini-mix on her MySpace page), Pop Art is a rare mix of exciting and accessible 21st-century classics. Check out the video for Box N Lox below, and let us know what you think.

www/myspace.com/mphosounds

Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) - New Florence And The Machine Single/Video

2009-05-28T14:30:00.007+01:00

Don't forget the album drops July 6th. Whoop whoop!

Album Review: Tori Amos - Abnormally Attracted To Sin

2009-05-26T23:40:00.007+01:00

Let me begin by saying that I’m a big Tori Amos fan. I journeyed through adolescence to a soundtrack of Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink, and the absolute glory of To Venus and Back. However, the release of Tori’s tenth studio album Abnormally Attracted to Sin, has left me feeling somewhat disillusioned.

Have you ever listened to a song that puts you in a bad mood? A song that grates on you so much it makes you want to drag your fingernails down a chalkboard just for something else to listen to? Fancy a whole album of songs like that? Me neither, but unfortunately that’s what we have in the case this new offering.

The official Tori Amos website adopts the annoyingly nonsensical acronym ‘AATS’, and claims this album ‘could have come out at any point between her 1992 solo debut, Little Earthquakes, and 2009.’ I can believe this. The album seems to incorporate all the songs you would happily tolerate between adored classics such as Cornflake Girl, Winter, or Space Dog, but who wants an album of filler songs? And an incredibly long one at that!

Once again, Tori has tried to combat the download demons by creating a ‘must-have’ double album, including extravagant art-work and photography, and the obligatory DVD. Unfortunately, all these extra features don’t make up for the fact that this album (and I don’t mind being blunt) isn’t very good! Even the title - a line from Guys and Dolls, and a reflection of Tori’s religion-infused childhood - annoys the shit out of me.

As for standout tracks, there simply aren’t any. The haunting melodies and howling brilliance of her earlier work are nowhere to be heard. Each song is so similar and dreary it makes listening to the album feel like a chore. Ultimately, this album just doesn’t deliver. Let’s pray then that her next offering isn’t as sinful!

3/10

Laura Adlington

Courtney Love’s Album Pushed Back, AGAIN!

2009-05-19T14:35:00.010+01:00

The fact that we love Courtney's off-the-wall antics is well documented by this point, but what we don’t love, is her chronic inability to get her ‘upcoming’ album Nobody’s Daughter ready for public consumption.

Helen Of Troy... has been keeping a watchful eye on the ever-changing release date, and has guestimated that Courtney’s sophomore solo album has been pushed back no fewer than five times – truth be told we think it’s probably more than that. So what the fuck is going on?

The last official excuse came from Courtney herself, who said it was due to a host of paranormal occurrences that had taken place in the studio. To be honest, this doesn’t sit well with us candid cynics, and we can’t help but suspect that the real reason is featured in the video below (skip to 1.54 to see exactly what we’re talking about).

Or, we could be completely wrong. It’s no secret that debut album America’s Sweetheart was plagued with problems from day one, resulting in such poor sales that it was considered a commercial flop by her label and the industry in general. And now the focus is firmly on Nobody’s Daughter, the album that will ultimately make or break Courtney’s solo career – let’s hope it’s the latter. So perhaps she’s simply taking the time to make sure she gets this one right, who knows. It seems we'll have the play the waiting game a little longer in order to find out.

Nobody’s Daughter is currently scheduled for release on the 20^th of July.

Album Review: Peaches - I Feel Cream

2009-05-13T21:45:00.012+01:00

When Helen Of Troy... first discovered that Simian Mobile Disco, Soulwax, Drums Of Death, and Digitalism had been invited to produce Peaches’ fourth studio album, we were a little alarmed. Independently, we’re big fans of all four creative outfits, but we couldn’t help but wonder how our favourite groin-provoking gender bender would fair in amongst these aforementioned electro heavyweights.

Our concern was unnecessary however, because I Feel Cream positively oozes Peaches’ signature style. Lead single Talk To Me, is a stripped down, electro-soul stomping delight, whilst synth-heavy Trick Or Treat wouldn’t sound out of place on phenomenal debut album The Teaches Of Peaches - even with its slicker production.

Standout tracks include swoonsome pop treat Lose You, which showcases a surprising softer side to our Merrill, the hard-hitting Billionaire featuring Shunda K from Yo! Majesty, and title track I Feel Cream, which is a bleeptastic, rave-inducing joy (and easily our favourite). It’s not a perfect offering however, with consecutive tracks Mud and Relax bringing little if anything to the orgy – we’d have culled these in favour of a few remixes.

Ultimately, this album features the progression and clarity that the lacklustre yet brilliantly-titled Impeach My Bush didn’t, resulting in a more mature and solid affair. Peaches is back fatherfuckers, and she’s as fruity as ever!

7/10

Spotysharing

2009-05-06T15:10:00.003+01:00

Time to unveil our sparkling new Spotify playlist! Inspired by recent jaunts and reawakenings, the tracklist features the sublime Civil War Correspondent by PJ Harvey and John Parish, Beat Control by toe-tapping popstrels Tilly And The Wall, plus classic tracks Don't Go and Thorn In My Side by Yazoo and Eurythmics respectively. You can enjoy it in all it's glory here.

Hello Dolly!

2009-05-03T17:06:00.010+01:00

There are many reasons why Helen Of Troy... wants to live in New York, but this week, we're even more jealous of native New Yorkers as they get the chance to see 9 To 5 The Musical. This stage adaptation of the feminist classic may have replaced Dolly, Lily and Jane with a trio of twenty/thirty-something actresses, but the music for this new Broadway show has been penned by Parton and, while first-night reviews have been a bit mixed, Helen Of Troy has been praying hard for this high-camp musical to come to the UK.

Not only has this show reminded us how just how hermazing this film is (it's funny, surreal and has stood the test of time superbly), it's also prompted a re-evaluation of Parton as a feminist icon - see Joan Smith's superb piece in the Independent earlier this week.

So here's to Queen Dolly - one of Helen Of Troy's true heroes. Long may she reign. Check out the amazing Dolly and Disney collaboration below.

Standing In The Way Of CTRL

2009-04-28T23:15:00.024+01:00

Helen Of Troy... favourite Laydeehawke is curating CTRL at the Deaf Institute on Thu Apr 30. Headliner Dan Black may be funky-as-fuck (single Alone seems to be single-handedly attempting to start a slap-bass revival), but Helen Of Troy... can't pay him too much attention 'cos he's a boy. Happily, Ms Hawke has programmed two lady acts we're more than happy to write about - Marina & The Diamonds and the fabulous Fan Death.

Marina & The Diamonds (who's also appearing at Sounds From The Other City on Sunday) cites her influences as Brody Dalle and Britney - which is a frikkin awesome combination. On record (or MySpace and YouTube) Marina sounds more like St Vincent-lite, her plinky plonk piano replacing St Vincent's guitar virtuosity. There's real promise on the Jealousy demo however, which, although dying for a cracking remix, has dancefloor-filler written all over it, with a pop-step bassline and catchy as fuck lyrics.

Delectable Vancouver duo Fan Death, aka Dandi and Marta (pictured) are definitely our favourite of the line-up. This twosome make disco music because they love it, without any hint of sneery irony. Single Veronica's Veil (released back in December - sorry if we're a bit behind the times) is a multilayered, string-laden disco treat - one of the best things Helen Of Troy has heard in a long time - check it out below. Apparently they're pretty frikkin' awesome live too.

There's loads of other good stuff going on this weekend - MAPs Festival, the aforementioned Sounds From The Other City, but Helen Of Troy is too cash poor and liver poorly to contemplate going out so we're going to do loads of free stuff, like learning the words to all Pat Benatar songs ever written, frolicking in meadows, and making pictures of Patti Smith from pasta.

If we can get over our not-going-out misery, we might just write you a little round-up of what's on. If.

Gig Review: PJ Harvey And John Parish

2009-04-24T14:38:00.009+01:00

When Helen Of Troy… last saw PJ Harvey, she was rocking the austere Victorian dowager persona as she promoted haunting masterpiece White Chalk. Two years on, as she took to the stage of the beautiful Birmingham Town Hall on a Wednesday night, Ms Harvey was more Lynchian than Victorian, her fragile frame prowling the stage, conveying equal parts maniacal menace and childlike innocence.

Backed by a brilliantly tight band of be-hatted blokes and flanked by long-time collaborator and co-creator of new album A Man A Woman Walked By, John Parish, Polly Jean seemed at ease from the off.

This ease was evident as Peej and Pals broke countless rock conventions by starting the show with a blistering rendition of current single Black Hearted Love. By the time they’d finished second song Sixteen, Fifteen, Fourteen (a deliciously intense version replete with pounding primal hand-claps) the crowd had been hypnotised.

From thereon-in, the enchanted audience was treated to a selection of tracks from Harvey and Parish’s two collaborative albums, 1996s Dance Hall At Louse Point and the aforementioned A Man A Woman Walked By – the title track of which is a real highlight, as PJ howled with delightful vitriol ‘now it's my turn to laugh! I'll stick it up your fuckin' ass’.

The contrast between this Banshee-like brilliance and the haunting delicacy of ukulele-backed heartbreaker Soldier sums up the essence of this almost perfect gig. PJ Harvey’s seemingly effortless ability to inhabit numerous characters yet still stay 100% Peej makes her a mesmerising prospect be it live, on record or in person.

4.5/5

Florence And The Machine Album Details

2009-04-21T12:06:00.004+01:00

Lungs, Florence and the Machine's debut album, is scheduled for release on July 6th. The artwork's a little meh, but who cares we finally have a release date. The track listing may or may not resemble the below!

1. Dog Days Are Over
2. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
3. I'm Not Calling You A Liar
4. Howl
5. Kiss With A Fist
6. Girl With One Eye
7. Drumming Song
8. Between Two Lungs
9. Cosmic Love
10. My Boy Builds Coffins
11. Hurricane
12. Blinding
13. You've Got The Love

New Music: Menya

2009-04-17T16:37:00.006+01:00

NYC-based, dirty-pop rappers Menya, proffer some of the catchiest DIY-produced electro-hop Helen Of Troy... has heard in ages. Currently students at New York University, the trashy trio of early twenty-somethings somehow find the time to write, record, and mix all their own music. Respect!

Comprising of members, Coco Dame, Angie Ripe, and Good Goose, Menya is nearly an all-girl affair. Since forming back in 2007, the outfit have released two EPs, gigged tirelessly, and attracted enough attention from industry types and bloggers to be termed a ‘buzz band’.

Self-released debut EP, The Ol’ Reach-Around, features six tracks which range from the highly-sexed DTF and Ripe, to the introspective Oh and Lonely Lonely – talk about wide-ranging! Their second and most recent offering, Puss Coital, is another stunning six-tracker, featuring standout tunes Diana (I Heart U), and Philly Gurls (all tracks are available for streaming over at their MySpace page).

These guys are fun, edgy, and refreshing, definitely A* material.

http://www.myspace.com/menyamusic

Bite-Sized News Round-Up

2009-04-13T15:08:00.023+01:00

With Peaches’ fifth studio album I Feel Cream scheduled for release on May 4^th, the video for lead single Talk To Me finally hit the interweb a few days ago. While we’re lovin’ the electro experimentalist’s new do, we're not so keen on the rather uneventful video.

It seems PJ Harvey will be performing sans guitar or piano for her upcoming tour with John Parish. She made the announcement to the Guardian during the pair’s takeover a couple of weeks ago, stating that JP will be performing alongside a full backing band, allowing her to concentrate on her vocals. You can watch the full interview here.

No Doubt’s cover of Stand And Deliver (originally an 80s hit by Adam And The Ants) has been leaked online. To be honest we’re not feeling it. Check it out below and see what you think.

Poor Courtney Love. Our favourite troubled singer is claiming that millions of dollars have gone missing, and suspects the money has been pillaged by some of her former staff. Apparently, she was too fucked to notice, but she’s sobered up now (ahem) and is hoping to reclaim her lost fortune in court. We wish her all the best!

Let's Get Lyrical

2009-04-04T21:13:00.004+01:00

Helen Of Troy... is all about the music. As well as writing about it, we like to talk about it – a lot. Admittedly, we’ve been more interested in our new Guitar Hero sets than anything else lately, but on the odd occasion we’ve managed to drag ourselves away, a particular topic has cropped up in conversation again and again... crap lyrics. Which got us thinking... what are the worst lyrics from the noughties? After much debate and rather a lot of interweb searching, here’s what we’ve come up with.

Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
"Lucky that my breasts are small and humble,
So you don't confuse them with mountains"

Madonna - I Love New York
“If you don't like my attitude
Then you can F off
Just go to Texas
Isn't that where they golf?”

Black Eyed Peas – My Humps
“I'ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps (check it out)”

Britney Spears – Mmm Papi
“Now see, I’m mommy
And that makes you Papi
And that makes us lovey, oww”

Feel free to let us know what makes your list.

While It's Still Free

2009-04-02T19:21:00.007+01:00

Here's a new Spotify playlist for your aural pleasure. Tracks include Sweet 16 from Thunderheist, Black Hearted Love via PJ Harvey and John Parish, plus classic Grace Jones in the form of Pull Up To The Bumper. Enjoy!

PJ Harvey & John Parish - Black Hearted Love Video

2009-03-30T12:39:00.005+01:00

We're a bit late with this, but we figured it was still worth posting as it's completely HERMAZING! Proper post to follow shortly, promise.

Blog Treats!

2009-03-19T19:08:00.005Z

Can you believe it’s been six months (give or take) since we last produced a round-up of our favourite blogs? We can’t either, so we decided it was time to introduce you to a few new blogalicious delights. There are five projects in total, which just so you know, have been listed in alphabetical and not preferential order!

Fans of the Hey! Manchester live music events are probably aware that the lovely Chris Horkan – one of the promoters behind the events, and creator of Mancubist – has produced a brilliant accompanying blog. Anyone interested in all things folk, Americana and experimental happening in and around Manchester, should bookmark this one immediately.

Mercy Recommends... is an offshoot of the inspiring Liverpool-based creative agency, Mercy. Originally a zine back in 2002, they’re better known these days for the gigs, exhibitions and live literature events they put on. As well as keeping you up to date with what’s happening at Mercy and the many artists they’ve worked with over the years, they also aim to provide ‘bite-size chunks of internety goodness’. Yummy!

Next up we have Ninjatronics Lab, which, in their own words, ‘is a (music) blog that includes music reviews, podcasts, music projects, film, flash, animations, videos, short films, movies, and other productions along with commentary.’ Currently our blog de jour, it’s definitely one for y’all to check out.

Ohh Crapp! has literally been our online music bible for well over a year now. The reasons for this are threefold. Firstly it’s updated regularly, which is always a massive selling point. Secondly, it features remixes on top of remixes on top of remixes; it’s basically a Mecca for anyone who, like us, runs a clubnight! Thirdly, Faisal who runs the site is super passionate, and therefore top.

Last but by no means least we have Speech Marks, a collection of published and unpublished articles courtesy of student and writer, Jane McConnell. You’ll find all sorts of brain stimulating treats here, including interviews, news features, reviews and comment pieces. It’s a great read, period!

Juliette And The New Romantiques

2009-03-16T12:43:00.017Z

We can’t say we were surprised when madcap Juliette Lewis and her band the Licks parted ways. After releasing two warmly-received albums, touring relentlessly for four years, and undergoing more line up changes than we’ve had fillings, it was only a matter of time before they eventually ran out of steam.

A few weeks ago, Lewis decided it was time to introduce the world to her latest musical endeavour, Juliette and the New Romantiques. Claiming, ‘this new incarnation is more about disillusionment and hope. Determination and despair. Romance and tragedy. And truly creating music that comes from those conflicts. It is more about a sound and energy than a "band".’ OK then!

Whilst we were once huge fans of JATLs - attending every gig they played in our fair city of Mancunia, as well as rushing out to buy Native American-inspired headwear once we'd seen the artwork for second album Four on the Floor – our excitement has waned dramatically in recent years, and so we were incredibly excited to hear about Juliette’s newest project.

After listening to a selection of tracks over on their MySpace page for a few days now, we’ve gotten past our initial uncertainty and warmed to this mellower, more soulful sound. Be warned, die-hard fans of the Licks may struggle with this new ethos and direction though.

Only time will tell if Juliette and the New Romantiques are speaking our language.

New album Terra Incognita is scheduled for release sometime this spring with a series of tour dates to follow.

http://www.myspace.com/juliettelewis

New Tori Amos!

2009-03-11T13:37:00.007Z

We likey!

Tori revealed the cover art and track listing for her upcoming album Abnormally Attacted To Sin yesterday, scheduled for release on the 19th of May (we're not sure if this is for the UK as well as the U.S). She gave the exciting exclusive to Spinner, you can check out the interview here.

Tracklist

1. Give
2. Welcome to England
3. Strong Black Vine
4. Flavor
5. Not Dying Today
6. Maybe California
7. Curtain Call
8. Fire to Your Plain
9. Police Me
10. That Guy
11. Abnormally Attracted to Sin
12. 500 Miles
13. Mary Jane
14. Starling
15. Fast Horse
16. Ophelia
17. Lady in Blue

New Music: First Aid Kit

2009-03-09T21:09:00.005Z

There seems to be something truly magical afoot in Stockholm of late. Maybe there’s something in the schnapps (sorry readers), we’re not sure. What we do know, is that Stockholm is fast becoming the place to find super-talented, wise-beyond-their-years, teenage lady music makers.

Our first case in point then is Those Dancing Days, purveyors of some of the best Northern-Soul-inspired indie-pop music in recent years. Admittedly they disappointed with their début album In Our Space Hero Suits back in October of last year, but we haven’t given up on the full-of-beans fivesome just yet.

Next in line we have First Aid Kit, a Swedish duo comprising sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, born in 1990 and 1993 respectively (Helen Of Troy... isn’t ashamed to admit that we were watching Byker Grove and dreaming of our first alcopops when these two were but a mere glint in their parents' eyes). Musically, they couldn’t be more different to TDD, but they are just as engaging.

You’re Not Coming Home Tonight, taken from their début EP Drunken Trees, is not only a nod to Bright Eyes, but also a fine example of stripped-down country-infused folk at its best. Jagadamba You Might, also featured on the aforementioned EP, is at once bewitching and sublime. Whilst the rockier Cross River Oceans sees the melodic Swedish sisters step things up a gear.

Enchanting folk melodies sated with crisp haunting harmonies and evocative melancholic lyrics, this is truly magical stuff.

http://www.myspace.com/thisisfirstaidkit

Tracks We Can’t Stop Listening To - Old And New, Just For You, And This Time Legal!

2009-03-03T19:17:00.008Z

Unfortunately, we got ourselves in to a spot of bother over our last post, and as a result it was deleted. Fear not though, we've learnt our lesson and have come up with a completely legal and ehtical alternative... a Spotify playlist. Yes we're rather limited in what we can point you in the direction of, but at least this way we get to keep our good name!

Anyhoo, here are our slightly amended, current musical obsessions. Enjoy!

Click here to listen to the below via our nifty Spotify playlist.

1. Britney Spears - Circus

2. Tegan And Sara - Walking With A Ghost

3. Brazilian Girls - Never Met A German

4. Metric – Monster Hospital

5. Grace Jones - Williams Blood

6. Girls Aloud – Love Is The Key

7. Saint Etienne – Only Love Can Break Your Heart

8. Eartha Kitt – I Want To Be Evil

9. Florence And The Machine – You’ve Got The Love (Candi Staton cover)

10. Sky Larkin – Fossil, I

Wanna see what else we’re listening to? Then check us out over at Last.FM

Helen Of Troy... Makes A Stand

2009-02-19T20:17:00.008Z

We’ve been busy bees of late, what with our new monthly residency at the Underachievers Wednesday Sessions, as well as talking about the possibility of taking HOTDCD further afield later on this year – we’ll let you know more when we do!

In addition to this, we're pleased to announce that we'll be involved in Reclaim The Night North this Saturday - taking to the streets to reclaim them from gender-based violence, and hosting a special Helen Of Troy... event at Club Academy.

All info for the march and for the club event is listed below, courtesy of The Riveters- The UMSU Women's Rights Group.

On Saturday the 21st of February we will take to the streets to reclaim them from gender-based violence.

Start at the University of Manchester Students' Union at 7.30pm and march to reclaim our spaces.

Rally and performers will follow in the Academy, speakers include: English Collective of Prostitutes, Women Asylum Seekers Together, NUS LGBT Campaign and Feminist Fightback.

Performers include: Aileen Quinn, Vanessa Fay - Friendly Feminist Poet, Steph Pike - Feminist Performance Poet, The Spokes - Female Bicycle Dance Troupe, and Helen of Troy will put on a club night to celebrate RECLAIMING.

The event is open to all genders.

Together we can reclaim our spaces and say no to Violence Against Women.

See you there!

What Helen Of Troy... Has Learnt This Week

2009-02-15T19:59:00.030Z

1. We've really missed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

While the last few years have been filled with myriad musical treats, few artists have come along who combine style and substance as effortlessly as Karen O and co. It was with great pleasure and excitement, then, that we learnt the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, It's Blitz!, is scheduled for release on April 13th, with the album's first single, Zero, available for download/purchase on April 6th. It's been three years since the trio released the magnificent Show Your Bones, so we're chomping at the bit to hear their latest long player. Woot.

2. A woman performing at The Grammys on her due date should be treated as more than just a glorified backing singer.

When Helen Of Troy... heard that M.I.A. was still going to perform at the Grammys, despite being ready to drop-sprog that very day, we fell even more in love with our favourite innovative agitator. Unfortunately, while we were hoping to see Ms Arulpragasam perform Paper Planes in all it's world-beating glory, what we actually got was M.I.A. performing for seconds before she was joined onstage by Kanye West, Jay-Z, T.I. and Lil Wayne. While Maya was her usual awesome self, and more than held her own amongst these hip-hop heavyweights, we couldn't help but feel a little short-changed. Have a little look at the video below and let us know what y'all think.

M.I.A. Grammy Performance

3. Some collaborations are just too weird.

Christina Aguilera's 2008 come-back Keeps Gettin' Better was vastly overshadowed by Britney's Womanizer, while her new look was criticized for being a bit too similar to Lady GaGa. It seems XTina is taking no chances with her next project, as she's enlisted the help of Goldfrapp, Sia Furler and Ladytron. Yep that's right, Ladytron! An inspired choice or a desperate grab at underground cool? Only time will tell.

4. That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet. Santogold has changed her name to Santigold. Fact.

Helen Of Troy... Please Try Harder

2009-02-10T23:12:00.008Z

Well dear readers, the time has come for Helen Of Troy... to shapeshift yet again as we start our new residency at Underachievers Wednesday Sessions tomorrow night. We've got a cracking line-up for our inaugural event.

First up is the lovely Clare Helen, who combines intricate fretwork and honeyed vocals to tell tear-stained tales of 21st-century life.
www.myspace.com/clarehelen1

After a dose of beautiful acoustica, we'll jump to the other side of the musical spectrum with space-age pop trio Suki And The Science. This three-piece produce ethereal digi-pop guaranteed to get you dancing.
www.myspace.com/sukiandthescience

Before, between and after these live gems, the Helen Of Troy... DJs will be playing their usual selection of lovely lady music, with Grace Jones, Le Tigre, Brazilian Girls, thecocknbullkid and Carly Simon all scheduled for a spin.

We may have our first event ready to rock, but we're still on the look out for bands/musicians/filmmakers and artists to appear at future events. Drop us an email at clubhelenoftroy@googlemail.com if you have any ideas.

We're well excited about our Underachievers collaboration and hope y'all can make it down. The fun starts tomorrow (Weds 11th Feb) at 9pm and goes on til 1.30am, Saki Bar, Rusholme. It's free in, so there's no excuse.

Wednesdays are the new Fridays don't you know!

New Music: Spinnerette

2009-02-07T12:35:00.004Z

Hole were, for us, the quintessential female-fronted punk-rock band (we’re aware this makes us a tad uncool in certain circles), and whilst the Distillers produced some exceptional material, they never quite reached the heady heights of Courtney and co.

Fast forward to 2009, and sadly neither bands are in existence. Ms Love, aka Cherry Kookoo, is busy blogging about paranormal happenings in her studio providing the perfect excuse for still not having released her sophomore solo album, Nobody’s Daughter. Whilst the more balanced Mrs Dalle has been busy nesting with husband and QOTSA frontman Josh Homme and their two-year-old daughter.

Thankfully it seems rusks and mobiles have lost their appeal - momentarily at least - and Brody has finally embarked upon a new musical endeavour. The band is called Spinnerette, and they’re rather fucking good! Recently released début EP, Ghetto Love, showcases a different direction for the princess of punk, featuring four funky electro-infused punk-rock songs all sated with attitude and ardour. This is gritty stuff, but with a dash of some much needed glitz!

www.myspace.com/spinnerettemusic

Music Round-Up 2nd to the 15th February

2009-02-02T19:48:00.013Z

Friday 6th February – Florence And The Machine
There’s really nothing left to be said about the flipping fabulous Florence And The Machine, except that they’re playing two gigs this Friday and we urge you to catch at least one of them. The first gig comes under the guise of the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour, and features sets from Glasvegas, Friendly Fires and White Lies. The second gig is a recent development and takes place at Lost & Found over at The Ruby Lounge. We think the latter sounds infinitely more enjoyable!
www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic
Details: Academy 1, Oxford Road, Manchester
7pm, £15.59 adv
The Ruby Lounge, High Street, Central Manchester
Midnight, £5 adv

Saturday 7th February – Contort Yourself
This month’s Contort Yourself looks set to be hermazing. With live music courtesy of current hot-popper La Roux, and DJ sets from Rachel Burton (Radio 1), Emma Chibuku and Natalie Esquire, this all-out ladies’ affair is sure to impress.
www.myspace.com/larouxuk
Details: The Roadhouse, Newton Street, Central Manchester
11pm to 3am, £6

Tuesday 10th February – Asobi Seksu
Super stylish New York duo Asobi Seksu (Japanese for casual sex) are bringing their swirling shoegaze soundscapes to The Roadhouse this month, to promote their third studio album, Hush, scheduled for release on February 17th. The two-piece, helped out at live performances by a further two musicians, have been creating waves for a while now with their delightful dream pop.
www.myspace.com/asobiseksu
Details: The Roadhouse, Newton Street, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £7 adv

Madonna Extends Sticky And Sweet Tour!

2009-01-30T12:09:00.007Z

*WARNING - To avoid disappoinment, check your credit card balance before reading further.**

It was announced a few days ago that Madonna would be taking her hugely successful Sticky And Sweet Tour back on the road this summer - maybe she needs a few extra pennies following her recent divorce to Guy! Who cares? We're going!

Now, Helen Of Troy... is the first to admit that Hard Candy is probably one of Madge's worst albums, but it's worth bearing in mind that this latest tour is the highest-grossing tour in history for a solo artist, and has received critical acclaim across the board.

An evening with her Madjesty costs however, and we'd guestimate that it'll cost around £160 to get a good look at those guns of hers. If you're not quite as sad as us, then tickets will cost in the region of £60 to £120 - we did warn you!

Here's the tour schedule as it currently stands...

04 July - London, United Kingdom - The 02 London - On sale Feb 06
07 July - Manchester, United Kingdom - MEN Arena - On sale Feb 06
11 July - Werchter, Belgium - Festivalpark - On sale Feb 07
14 July - Milan, Italy - San Siro - On sale Feb 06
21 July - Barcelona, Spain - Olympic Stadium
23 July - Madrid, Spain - Vicente Calderon
28 July - Hamburg, Germany - Trab-Arena Hamburg Bahrenfeld
30 July - Oslo, Norwary - Vallehovin - On sale Feb 09
04 Aug - Tallinn, Estonia - Tallinn Song Festival Ground
06 Aug - Helsinki, Finland - West Harbour - On sale Feb 09
09 Aug - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi - On sale Feb 09
11 Aug - Copenhagen, Denmark - Parken - On sale Feb 09
13 Aug - Prague, Czech Republic - Chodov Natural Amphitheatre
15 Aug - Warsaw, Poland - Bemowo Airport
18 Aug - Munich, Germany - Olympic Stadium
20 Aug - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Hippodrome

In 2009, Madonna's 'Sticky & Sweet Tour' will also visit Marseille in addition to performances in Bulgaria, Hungary, Russia, Romania, and Serbia. Tickets will be available for purchase through Live Nation.

Helen Of Troy Asks For Help

2009-01-28T21:55:00.009Z

As you may or may not know, Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing is hosting Underachievers Please Try Harder's fabulous Wednesday Sessions, once a month at Saki Bar, starting on the 11th of February.

Alongside your usual dose of Helen's high-quality lady tunes, we want to feature a selection of local female talent; be it/she a band, solo artist, filmmaker, writer or other. The point of the night is to get as many like-minded people as possible in a room together and give them a chance to do what they do best, so we need your suggestions to make it work.

If you are, or know of, an awesome female artist who you think would be perfect for this all-inclusive night, please leave a comment, Facebook us, or email us at clubhelenoftroy@googlemail.com. We want the night to be as varied as possible, so don't let issues of genre or medium dissuade you from wading in. All comers are welcome - we can't wait to hear your suggestions.

Helen's Alternative Tips For 2009

2009-01-25T20:05:00.003Z

We've all heard that the likes of La Roux, Little Boots and the fantastic Florence And The Machine are going to be big news over the next year. Helen Of Troy..., as you well know, likes to offer our lovely readers an appealing alternative. We're always on the lookout for new talent, and we think we might have found some exciting new acts for your aural pleasure.

First off, we have the fantabulous Janelle Monae, who has been described as a female version Prince. She's worked with the likes of Outkast, and proffers a fierce funky brand of 21st century R&B. To experience Janelle at her soulful, sci-fi best, we reccommend you check out the awesome Many Moons. www.myspace.com/janellemonae

Secondly, there's 21-year-old folk-pop experimentalist Micachu, who's currently recording her début album with Matthew Herbert. This madcap multi-instrumentalist creates weird and wonderful soundscapes that combine drum'n'bass, Estury English vocals and Hoover noises. Check out début single Golden Phone. www.myspace.com/micayomusic

Finally, and this one's been on our radar for a while now, we have London-based hip-popper thecocknbullkid (no spaces, no capital letters, no apostrophes!). This 23-year-old, Ghana-born songstress has been tipped for a while now and has worked closely with the uber-cool Metronomy boys. Six months ago, we'd have reccomended There's A Mother In Our Bed, but miss C&BK has improved immesurably with the excellent I'm Not Sorry.
www.myspace.com/thecocknbullkid

New M.I.A. And Santogold!

2009-01-24T12:30:00.008Z

Get It Up! - M.I.A. and Santogold's first collaboration - blew us away last year, and we've been hoping ever since that another work was in the post. Fortunately, it was. The pair's second offering comes via N.A.S.A., which is a kind of ongoing creative project formed by Sam Spiegel and Ze Gonzales. The track is called Whachadoin and can be downloaded via the link below. Let us know your thoughts.

N.A.S.A - Whachadoin (featuring M.I.A. & Santogold)

PJ Harvey And John Parish Tour!

2009-01-19T12:58:00.005Z

Here's some very exciting news that's sure to kick those post-Christmas blues! PJ Harvey and John Parish are to embark on a UK and European Tour in April, when they will be showcasing their second collaborative album 'A Woman A Man Walked By' – released March 30th.

Tickets won't last long so snap up yours sharpish! Details for all dates are listed below.

UK Tour Dates:

Wednesday April 15th – Corn Exchange, Brighton www.gigsandtours.com & 01273 709 709
Thursday April 16th – Regal, Oxford www.gigsandtours.com & 0871 2200 260
Saturday April 18th – Anson Rooms, Bristol www.gigsandtours.com & 0844 444 4400
Monday April 20th – Shepherds Bush Empire, London www.gigsandtours.com & 0844 477 2000
Wednesday April 22nd – Town Hall, Birmingham www.gigsandtours.com & 0121 780 3333
Friday April 24th – Ritz, Manchester www.gigsandtours.com & 0161 832 1111
Sunday April 26th – Queens Hall, Edinburgh www.gigsandtours.com & 0871 220 0260

European Tour Dates:

Saturday May 2nd - Portugal, Porto - Casa Da Musica www.casadamusica.com & +351 220120200
Monday May 4th – Italy, Milan - Auditorium www.ticketone.it
Wednesday May 6th – Germany, Stuttgart - Theaterhaus www.tickets.de & +49 (0)69 - 944 36 60
Thursday May 7th – Germany, Berlin - Passionskirche www.tickets.de & +49 (0)69 - 944 36 60
Saturday May 9th – Sweden, Stockholm - Nalen www.nalen.com & 0771-47 70 70
Sunday May 10th – Norway, Oslo - Rockefeller www.rockefeller.no & +47 815 33 133
Monday May 11th – Denmark, Copenhagen Vega www.billetlugen.dk & +45 70 263 267
Wednesday May 13th – Holland, Amsterdam - Paradiso www.ticketservice.nl & + 31 20 6211288
Thursday May 14th – Belgium, Brussels - Ancienne Belgique www.abconcerts.be & +32 2 548 24 24
Sunday May 17th – France, Paris - Bataclan www.fnac.com & +33 1 41 57 32 28
www.ticketnet.fr & +33 1 46 91 57 57

Don't Speak (Too Soon)

2009-01-18T19:55:00.005Z

In the past week, both Miranda Sawyer and Peter Robinson have put pen to paper to proclaim the death of masculine indie. Both writers bemoan the blandness of the four boys with guitars blueprint, directing readers to a roster of lovely ladies tipped to add colour and character to the charts in 2009; name-checking artists de jour Little Boots, Lady GaGa, La Roux and Florence And The Machine in the process.

Of course, Helen Of Troy... and our lovely readers are already aware that female's where it's at, but it's nice to know that even more people are turning to women when they want their music to be innovative, interesting and delivered with attitude. It's no new thing for women to top the charts, but the class of 2009 seem to exude an attitude and individuality missing from 2008 hot tips Adele and Duffy.

While this is all good news, and believe us, we're incredibly smug at the moment, it's important to note that the battle is far from over. Critics tips and proper crossover successes are completely different things. Just look at the relatively poor chart performance of Lykke Li, Ladyhawke and Those Dancing Days. Even the superb Santogold found it tricky to set the charts alight, despite soundtracking several high-profile ad campaigns.

Unfortunately, if the massive hype surrounding these female artists doesn't start equating to massive record sales, the safe-as-houses indie boys will be back and the under representation of women in music will return. Let's just hope the attitudes of the record-buying public are changing, or we'll be back to bland quicker than you can say Norah Jones.

We Just Don't Get Lady GaGa!

2009-01-14T02:15:00.011Z

So Lady GaGa is this week's number one in the singles chart with her début single Just Dance. How did that happen? We know some people like her, but erm... why?

As most of you are aware, we heart all kinds of pop music over here at Helen Of Troy..., but this highly-stylised twenty-year-old New Yorker just aint doing it for us. Maybe it's her over-inflated opinion of herself 'I'm defying all the preconceptions we have of pop artists', or maybe it's just that her music is completely unoriginal and rather vapid – in our eyes at least. Either way, we're rather dumbfounded by the whole thing, especially now that Alexis Pretridis over at the Guardian has given her début album The Fame three stars!

For those of you who have yet to hear her number one single, check it out below and let us know what you think. For those who are already fans, please, try and help us to understand!

Music Round-Up 15th to 31st January

2009-01-11T19:42:00.014Z

Helen Of Troy... hates the cold dear readers. We don't mind telling you it takes something extra special to force us to leave our cosy little abodes, donned with mittens bought from the Christmas markets and scarves knitted by our nearest and dearest. Fortunately, January is rather a quiet month and provides few reasons to venture out onto the dark, inhospitable streets of Mancunia. However, there's always something going on in our fair city so here are a couple of events to tempt you out of your toasty boltholes.

Saturday 24^th January - Grace Jones
Williams Blood, though only released towards the end of last year, was one of our best-loved tracks from 2008. Taken from latest album Hurricane – her first album to be released in more than twenty years – it surprised critics and fans alike, and although not commercially successful, garnered a much-deserved underground following. Miss Jones has reached the ripe old age of 60 years old, and during her lifetime has been many things: a supermodel, actress, singer, and perhaps most exciting and truest of all, a force of nature. This may be your last chance to see the original diva in action.
www.theworldofgracejones.com
Details: Apollo, Stockport Road, Manchester
7pm, £35 adv (excluding fees)

Tuesday 27^th January - Sky Larkin
Tipped as ones to watch in 2009 (not only by us, but by critics too!), this Leeds-based three piece proffer an unrelenting alt.rock sound complete with enchanting and uplifting summery melodies. Lead vocalist Katie Harkin presents as a rather formidable front woman, calling to mind PJ Harvey in attitude and Bjork and Regina Spektor vocally. Their début album The Golden Spike is released next month on Wichita.
www.myspace.com/skylarkinskylarkin
Details: Night & Day, Oldham Street, Central Manchester
8pm, £6 adv (excluding fees)

New Music: VV Brown

2009-01-08T14:10:00.005Z

When grime and indie joined forces in 2007 to make grindie, Helen Of Troy... was expecting a slew of brilliant genre bastardisations in 2008. They never came. Which is why, at the beginning of 2009, we're super-pleased to announce the arrival of dwindie - doo-wop and indie - a new genre created by hotly-tipped Northampton-born, London-based songstress VV Brown.

Ms Brown's début single, Crying Blood, which was released at the tail-end of 2008, is a fantastically catchy gem that mixes 1960s soul and ska with 21st-century pop sensibilities. It might not have set the charts alight in November, but Helen Of Troy... predicts a 2009 re-release that will put VV on the Britpop map.

On her MySpace page, Brown name-checks The B52's and CSS, which is a pretty good indicator of where her music lies. Part catchy retro-pop. Part party electro.

Next single Leave, a slightly slower affair than its predecessor, is released in March, but we reckon we'll be seeing a fair bit more of Ms VV Brown before then.

www.myspace.com/vvbrown

Normal Service Has Been Resumed!

2009-01-05T15:02:00.010Z

Hello chaps and chapesses, welcome to 2009! Hope you all had fantastic Christmasses and New Years, we certainly did. Anyhoo, normal service has now been resumed at Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Writings, and we're looking forward to bringing you a whole new batch of awesome lady music.

To get us reacquainted why not check out the video below and let us know what you think of one of this year's most hotly tipped outfits, La Roux. If we're honest we're still a little bit unsure and want to know what you guys think, so if you want to swing us in either direction, leave your comment below.

Helen's Happy Christmas

2008-12-17T11:29:00.004Z

We've decided to go against the grain a little over here at Helen Of Troy... and not post anything resembling a round-up of the year or indeed ones to watch in 2009. When we say go against the grain, what we really mean to say is that we don't have the time - what with one of us jetting off to New York imminently and the other being slightly addicted to their new Wii console – and so we're closing down for the holidays in preparation for coming back even bigger and badder in the new year.

Thanks to everyone for reading and making this blog a joy to write. Thanks to everyone who's contributed pieces, and to the likes of Greg, Adem and Thom for their amazing kind words and fantastic promotion; we adore you all.

Merry Christmas everyone and a very Happy New Year too.

Lots of love Marie-Claire and Lyndsey. See you in 2009!

xxxxxx

Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing Gets A Makeover

2008-12-11T15:02:00.007Z

As some of you might know, tomorrow night’s Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing will be our last event for a while. Fear not though dear friends, we’ll be back in the new year and it’s going to be a bigger and better affair; a bit like a Dr Who regeneration, but with more oestrogen!

Though the plans for the reincarnation are far from complete, we can reveal that it will tale place every couple of months and will feature bands, guest DJs and some very special surprises. So watch this space!

We’ve had an awesome time over the past eight months and would like to thank everyone who’s shimmied, vogued or fallen in love on our dancefloor. Also, thanks to those who have supported and helped us out, we know it hasn't been easy.

If you’re worried that a month without Helen... will leave you lacking in lovely lady music, be calm. Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Writings will still be on hand with a bi-weekly dose of music news and comment as well as updates on the future of your favourite feminist clubnight. So if you haven't bookmarked us already, make sure you do!

So it's goodbye from her, and it's goodbye from her...

for now...

muhahahahahahahahaha.

Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing
Friday 12th December at Charlies (Harter Street, off Princess Street)
10pm to 4am, £4, £3 w/flyer or NUS.
See you there!

Album Review: Britney Spears - Circus

2008-12-08T11:01:00.002Z

The excessive airbrushing on the cover of Britney's latest offering, Circus, is sadly indicative of the album's content, which utilises all kinds of digital trickery to gloss over any of the Louisiana pop princesses interesting quirks. All but one or two of the sixteen tracks on the album see Britter's voice vocoded to fuck, which worked on Blackout, as we knew she was probably too wasted to complete a vocal, but now she's meant to be clean, we expected a little more. Lyrically, there are moments of real openness, but more often than not, they're completely cancelled out by a corny cliché or an unnecessary effect.

Though the quality of the album is patchy at best, there are some stone-cold pop classics on Circus, including opening track Womanizer, which has now hypnotised Helen Of Troy..., crushing any early reservations we might have had. Equally fabulous is second track and second single Circus, which we think is as good, if not better, than anything in the Britney back catalogue. When she sings 'I'm like a ring-leader I call the shots', you very nearly believe her. Unfortunately, after the excellence of Circus, we're confronted by one of the blandest ballads we've ever heard, Out From Under, which, given a few lyrical tweaks, wouldn't have sounded out of place on Britney's début album from 10 years ago. Out From Under is followed by two so-so electro tracks, Kill The Lights and Shattered Glass, which though far from bad, are still nothing to get too excited about.

After the bit of bland comes If You Seek Amy, which, if listened to correctly, has the refrain 'All of the boys and all of the girls are dying to F-U-C-K-Me'. Helen Of Troy... loves a good pun, so this song is right up our street. We also love the maniacal laughter and unusual allusions to la Wino. Strangely brilliant. Ms Spears slows the pace for the next song, the gorgeous Unusual You, which proves that Britney doesn't have to choose between high-energy pop classic or bland saccharine ballad. It's a real highlight, and sounds like the kind of material a 27-year-old Britney should be making.

From there on in, the album's either uncomfortably weird or just plain dull. Much has been made of the strangeness of Mmm Papi, which features some of the worst pop lyrics of the of the past 10 years 'Now see, I'm mommy and that makes you papi, and that makes us lovey'. WTF? Another unbelievably awful track is Phonography, which made Helen Of Troy... want to throw the CD out of the window. It really is that bad. The rest of the tracks on the album fall into one of two camps; faceless electro-pop or sickening ballads. Neither of which float Helen Of Troy...'s boat.

Circus pretty much sums up Britter's entire career: when she's good, she's very fucking good, but when she's bad, she's horrid.

5/10

Which Pop Princess Will Usurp The Queen?

2008-12-02T13:59:00.008Z

Magic Madge, the Queen of pop, has spent the last few decades at the top of the popular music tree. But as the clocks wind on, the years fade by and leotard manufacturers become increasingly reticent to clothe Ms Ciccone, the question ascends. As Madonna becomes the Queen Mother of pop, who will become Queen?

If you'd asked that question to early noughties pop fans, they would have probably rattled off a list of potential candidates, including Britney, Christina and P!nk. But in the intervening years the madness, plagiarism, madness, fake tan, madness and generally being shit have all gotten in the way a little. These days it seems like Sarah Palin might be a better candidate!

The thing is that Madonna hasn't simply been musically significant (which she certainly has), but also culturally, sartorially and inspirationally. Like her or not, it's difficult to argue against the fact that she has pushed boundaries artistically, commercially (Pepsi wanted their money back!), and sexually (the D.H. Lawrence picture book). Are there any contemporary Fempops who can hold a candle to her?

Maybe there's Beyonce? Getting the obvious stuff out of the way; she's been phenomenally successful, both in Destiny's Child and as a solo artist. Her music has pretty wide appeal and few could argue with the brilliance of Bills, Bills, Bills and Crazy In Love. At the moment, though, she seems to be playing it extremely safe. The concept for I Am... Sacha Fierce is clever, but the songs are lacking in sass. Did the independent woman up and leave as soon as Jay-Z put a ring on her finger?

What about Gwen then? Stefani's first album was a hoot and the lead track, What You Waiting For? is indescribably brilliant. She also has a successful band career and lots of support from some pretty cool peers. Although the last album wasn't quite up to snuff, she has retained the bleeding edge of cool and is definitely a unique force in music (would anyone else have been absurd enough to try Wind It Up?). All this could be for nought, though, as she saddles up with the No Doubt boys once again.

And what of Britney? She may well have collected the fragile pieces of her mind up off the bathroom floor but her music is now verging on the criminally insane (if I was dating a girl who said the word Womanizer anywhere near as much, I'm sure I'd have put cyanide on her cheesy chips some time ago). Has Britney consistently produced the classic tracks that we need from a pop Queen? Baby One More Time or Toxic are pretty good I guess, but she's yet to blow us all away.

It could be anyone of these artists, or none. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place and it'll be a Lily Allen, an M.I.A. or a Cheryl Cole. Or maybe it's just that the age of the superstar is over. With music available by the track in a hundred different formats, we don't all have to buy the same vinyl or watch the same TOTP any more. If and when the right time and artist comes along, I'm pretty sure Queen Madge will still be in the ring to put the newbie through her paces.

Jordan Stead

Currently listening to...
Alphabeat - Alphabeat
Natalie Imbruglia - White Lilies Island
Cibo Matto - Viva La Woman

New Music: Florence And The Machine

2008-11-30T17:13:00.011Z

The time has come for critics across the land to start unveiling their hot tips for 2009. One of the most popular choices, and rightly so, is loveable London-based quirky collective, Florence And The Machine.

Florence Welch - the integral cog in the utterly compelling and slightly cockamamie musical machine - is like a younger Kate Bush and a much less annoying Kate Nash, replete with a big voice, and a devilishly dotty mindset.

Kiss With A Fist, a firm favourite of Helen Of Troy..., is a brazen anthemic diatribe exploring the hard-hitting truth of destructive relationships, set to a punchy lo-fi indie-pop sound.

Latest single, Dog Days Are Over, is a stunning climatic delight. Featuring an intricate acoustic intro accompanied by Welch's haunting vocals, it steadily builds into a stunning Northern Soul-ish crescendo. If you're yet to hear it, we posted the awesome video here last week.

Let's hope FATM's dog days are over, and next year sees them turn into a well-oiled machine, churning out hit after hit after hit.

www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic

No Doubt Are (Holla)Back

2008-11-28T15:35:00.004Z

When Gwen Stefani released her epic slice of pop perfection What You Waiting For? back in 2004, it seemed that No Doubt might become a mere footnote in pop history. Granted, ND had their own moments of glory, but nothing compared to the magnificent madness of Gwennie Gwen Gwen and her Harajuku Girls.

While No Doubt never officially split, Helen Of Troy... was still a little surprised when we heard last week that Ms Stefani will re-join her bandmates for a world tour in 2009. It has since been announced that the band's first live date in five years will happen in New York in May, and will feature a mix of new material and old classics. While Gwen's loyalty is commendable, Helen Of Troy... would choose solo Stefani over ND any day. Away from the ska-lite constraints of No Doubt, she's blossomed into one of the most delightfully bonkers, culturally important popstars of the noughties, so we don't really understand why she's going back.

Her bandmates had better pull something pretty special out of the hat if they don't want this tour to seem like a pity party!

We're not sure if we're being a little harsh on the old No Doubt boys, so we'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Is this tour a step backwards or can both brand Gwen and No Doubt co-exist in poifect harmony?

Helen Of Troy... Does Audience Participation: Part Trois

2008-11-24T15:40:00.011Z

Well dear audience, it's time for the rock instalment of our ahem... much-debated 'top three favourite...' series. This has been the trickiest selection so far with so many fabulous artists and bands to choose from. Remember we wanna hear who your top three are, so get your proverbial thinking caps on and let us know who makes your list.

Without further ado, here are our top three favourite female rock acts of all time...

1. Patti Smith
Affectionately referred to as the Godmother of punk-rock, without who the acts listed below may never have existed. Need we say more?!

2. PJ Harvey
We heart Polly Jean over here at Helen Of Troy... and consequently believe the wondrous woman can do no wrong – not even by ditching her glorious guitar to produce a piano-based album full of bewitching ballads. She's proved herself an immense and unique talent over the years; transcending genres and stereotypes to become one of the most consistently interesting artists of all time.

3. Hole
Third place was a close call, but we finally decided it should go to Courtney and friends for the sheer impact they had upon the rock world back in the early 90s. They may not be the most prolific of bands, but what they lack in albums they more than made up for in attitude and accolades.

Time to let us know who your top three are. Comment away!

Music Round-up 20th November to 4th December

2008-11-20T14:09:00.010Z

Monday 24th November - Ladytron
Liverpool-formed electro-pop lovelies Ladytron have been plying their stark, stylish, synth-led sound for ten years now. Their fourth studio album Velocifero, released earlier this year, is a gorgeous exercise in industrial indie-dance. Live, the quartet creates a mesmerizing, multilayered sound that more than makes up for their at-times impenetrable detached cool.
www.myspace.com/ladytron
Details: Academy 2, UMSU, Oxford Road, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £12.50 (excluding fees)

Wednesday 26th November - Little Boots
When we saw Little Boots supporting Ladyhawke back at the beginning of October, we were well impressed by the delightful disco-pop this little lady created with her sugary-sweet vocals and weird and wonderful instruments (The Helen Of Troy… Needs A Tenori-On Fund is still on the go btw!). Since then, Ms Boots played a storming set on Jools Holland and looks set for world domination in 2009. Catch her now before she gets too big for her Little Boots (sorry, we couldn't resist).
www.myspace.com/littlebootsmusic
Details: The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Central Manchester
10pm, £5 (excluding fees)

Thursday 27th November - Lykke Li
While Little Boots looks set to be one of the big success stories of 2009, Lykke Li was undoubtedly one of the best finds of 2008. Her début album, Youth Novels, is a superb collection of electro classics that gets better with every listen. When we saw the Swedish singer at the beginning of the year, we were blown away by the difference between her polished studio sound and her raw-like-sushi live performance. Though we were impressed by the former, the fierceness of the latter made us fall in love all over again. We can't wait to find out where she's at now.
www.myspace.com/lykkeli
Details: Academy 3, UMSU, Oxford Road, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £11 (excluding fees)

Friday 28th November - Róisín Murphy
Since Róisín Murphy left Moloko back in 2003, she's been producing some of the most consistently excellent, genre-pushing electro-pop around. By rights, she should be playing arenas by now instead of Manchester Academy (again). While her inability to break through to the mainstream proper might seem unfair, at least it means fans of the Irish songstress get to see her in relatively close quarters and get to stand up and dance when she plays stone-cold classics like Ramalama, Ruby Blue, Overpowered and You Know Me Better. Ooh, and she's supported by the fucking fantastic Bishi, who creates 21st-Century torch songs that ooze drama and combine traditional Asian instruments with electro-pop beats.
www.myspace.com/roisinmurphy
www.myspace.com/bishimusic
Details: Academy 1, Oxford Road, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £16.50 (excluding fees)

Florence & The Machine - Dog Days Are Over

2008-11-19T13:26:00.005Z

We'll be posting a new music piece on this fantastic new(ish) talent over the next couple of weeks. Until then, check out the new single and video below - it's fricking awesome!

http://www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic

Bye Bye Bonkers Britney

2008-11-13T12:47:00.008Z

It's ten years since doe-eyed trailer-trash fox BJ Spears unleashed brand Britney with her poptastic debut ...Baby One More Time and saucy schoolgirl shtick. Within a decade, Britters has gone from teen dream to half-dressed mess in one of the most spectacular falls from grace in the history of pop. We've spent the last five years mesmerized by Britney's tantrums, tiaras and baby dramas, but from now on, if reports are to be believed, we're only going to get the cleaned-up version of the pop princess. While we're happy that the Louisiana lovely is downing vitamins instead of Vicodin, we can't help but lament the passing of the mad-as-a-box-of-frogs superstar; especially upon hearing super sanitized new single, Womanizer.

Had we not adored the magnificent Blackout, released at the height of bad-Britney mania, Helen Of Troy... probably wouldn't give two figs about the future of the former Disney darling, but her fifth studio album was such an awesome schizophrenic electro-pop joy, we fell for the fucked-up sweetheart harder than we could have thought possible. The sneery cry of 'It's Britney Bitch' still excites us more than a year on.

With this in mind, we were well excited when we heard we were going to get a fitter, happier, healthier Britney. Unfortunately, even after a few listens, we're still not feeling new single Womanizer, which got us to thinking... Is Britters only worth listening to when she's clearly clinically insane? and... Is it wrong to only be interested in an artist when they're in meltdown?

Spears is by no means the first artist to burn out brilliantly. From Billie Holiday to Amy Winehouse, people have always been interested by suffering stars, but is it the scuzzy soap opera that excites us, or is the music of the unstable just plain better?

We're yet to hear Britney's new album Circus, but we're rather worried by rumours that it includes a ballad. Helen Of Troy... hates all ballads - fact, but Britney ballads are a particular bugbear of ours; Sometimes and I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman still make us want to do a sick!

While we don't want Britney to fuck up forever, we also don't want her to return to the airbrushed airhead of yore. Here's hoping Blackout wasn't a one-off and Ms Spears can find her fiery bad-ass inner-bitch while maintaining some kind of balance.

Currently listening to...
Girls Aloud - Out Of Control
The Long Blondes - Couples
Ebony Bones - Don't Fart On My Heart, We Know All About You (singles)

New Music: Hearts Revolution

2008-11-10T16:18:00.003Z

Fuck Crystal Castles. Alternative bleep-tastic boy-girl duo Hearts Revolution offer a more accessible and richer DIY-digital sound than their rather more famous and recently NME Cool List-crowned Canadian counterparts. Using Lo's (the girl one) ice cream van to promote and sell the pair's music around various hotspots in LA and New York proved a shrewd move, and resulted in a glow-in-the-dark split 7" with CC early last year, placing them firmly on the scenester's map.

The NYC-based couple, who are big fans of early-90s riot grrrl act Huggy Bear, have previously referred to themselves as boy/grrrl revolutionaries and even remixed the Bear's infamous Her Jazz, which should be etched on the brain of anyone over 25 thanks to their seminal 1993 The Word performance.

Their MySpace page hosts a selection of 8-bit hardcore offerings such as C.Y.O.A. (Create Your Own Adventure) - a scuzzy synth-heavy delectation (and a personal favourite of ours), Switchblade - a frenetic, yet at times, melodic electroclash hit, and Her Jazz - the aforementioned Huggy Bear remix.

Watch out for these kids, they're gonna cause a meltdown!

http://www.myspace.com/heartsrevolution

Album Review: Girls Aloud - Out Of Control

2008-11-07T14:38:00.005Z

Girls Aloud have always excelled at producing frothy, fun-as-fuck pop, but with Out Of Control, our favourite five-piece have managed to mature without leaning towards being boring or worthy. Not only have the Girls' and their excellent Xenomania producers honed their infectious, eclectic pop sound, they've managed to add real soul to their songs with a selection of bloody beautiful lyrics. As Adem With An E pointed out in his excellent review, it doesn't get much better than Untouchable's 'without any meaning, we’re just skin and bone, like beautiful robots dancing alone'.

Anybody who's heard lead single The Promise knows it's pop perfection. It gets better with every listen and has Helen Of Troy... grinning like a loon and feeling like a film star as we sing 'here I am, walking in primrose' while making our way through the sometimes less-than-glamorous streets of Manchester.
It may be perfect, but when Helen Of Troy... first heard The Promise, we were a little worried that the mighty GA were going to jump on the 1960s girl-pop bandwagon and produce an album of Ronson-alike sweet soul songs. Happily, Out Of Control is a completely mixed bag, lurching from high-energy electro tracks like We Wanna Party to the skiffle-icious Love Is The Key.

Though all tracks on the album are excellent, real stand-out moments include the Pet Shop Boys-penned The Loving Kind, which oozes the kind of heart-breaking yet detached emotion that makes Tennant and Lowe's back catalogue so consistently brilliant and the shake-your-ass-tastic Revolution In The Head, which manages to be cool-as-fuck in spite of Nadine Coyle's ill-judged Alesha Dixon-alike 'gimme the ting' rap.

Where as GA's previous offering Tangled Up really only became excellent around the track seven stage, Out Of Control is fierce from start to finish. We never fell out of love with Girls Aloud, but it's all too easy to just remember their singles. OOC reminds us that a great Girls Aloud album is more than just four singles surrounded by fillers. A great GA album is an eclectic joy from start to finish, which is more than can be said about the majority of albums by 'serious' artists.

9/10

Released: 03/11/08 Label: Polydor

Music Round-Up (Nov 3 to Nov 16)

2008-11-03T12:36:00.018Z

The next two weeks are incredibly busy in Manchester lady-music-wise, so this round-up is gonna be a little longer than usual. Bear with us though, as there are some right musical treats coming to our fair city in the next fortnight. Here we go...

Wednesday 5th Nov - Howling Bells
About two years ago, Helen Of Troy... travelled to Liverpool to watch this antipodean quartet and it really was worth the journey. Their swirling combination of country, shoegazing and grunge made their eponymous début album a real treat, with lead singer Juanita Stein's sugary vocals providing the perfect foil for her band-mates' beautifully constructed noisescapes. New single Into The Chaos, released on November 17, might not be as immediate as previous releases Low Happening and Wishing Stone, but it's still great to have them back. The Bells' are supporting the wonderful Mercury Rev, so get down early if you want to catch them.
www.myspace.com/howlingbells
Details: Academy 1, Oxford Road, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £16 (excluding fees)

Friday 7th to Sunday 9th November - Ladyfest
We've already blogged about the brilliant Ladyfest Manchester, but that was before we knew they'd secured the services of the mighty Slits (Sun). We're not shy of self promotion here at Helen Of Troy..., so it should come as no surprise that we wanted to let you know that we're DJing on Friday night after the fabulous Zombina And The Skeletones. Make sure you come along and say hello! Other highlights of the weekend include a discussion about women in the arts featuring Miranda Sawyer and music from Manda Rin (Sat). All this, plus a load of lady-made films, discussions and workshops. Hoorah.
www.myspace.com/ladyfestmanchester
Details: Zion Arts Centre, Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester
Times and prices vary

Friday 7th November - Florence And The Machine
Anybody who's got their groove on at Helen Of Troy... over the last four months will know we're big fans of Florence And The Machine's stomping single Kiss With A Fist. Florence and pals are appearing at The Warehouse Project-housed Bestival Reunion Tour, alongside hip-hop pioneers De La Soul and Bestival head honcho Rob Da Bank - the man who tipped us off to the magnificent Bonde Do Role. www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachinemusic
Details: The Warehouse Project, Store Street -
Beneath Piccadilly Train Station, Manchester
9.30pm to 6am, £17.50 (excluding fees)

Saturday 8th November - Laura Marling
Laura Marling was born in 1990. This makes us feel incredibly old. Happily, the Hampshire-born singer-songwriter's haunting nu-folk melodies, as heard on Mercury Prize-nominated début album Alas I Cannot Swim, are ageless and sung with real soul and authority. She's supported on this date by Brighton-born duo Peggy Sue And The Pirates who proffer a delightfully stripped-down blend of folk, rockabilly and blues. www.myspace.com/lauramarling www.myspace.com/peggysueandthepirates
Details: Club Academy, UMSU, Oxford Road, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £12 (excluding fees)

Sunday 9th November - Emmy The Great
London-based singer-songwriter Emma Lee Moss is another proponent of delightful lady-led nu-folk. New single We Almost Had A Baby, released on November 10, is a wistful kitchen-sink tale of a contraception malfunction replete with 1960s girl-group backing vocals. She appears at The Deaf Institute with a full band who will hopefully add power and edge to the singer-songwriter's sometimes saccharine sound. www.myspace.com/emmythegreat
Details: The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Central Manchester,
8pm, £7 (excluding fees)

Sunday November 9 - Yo! Majesty
If you've had enough nu-folk niceness you should try raising your energy levels with riotous rap duo Yo! Majesty, who we first blogged about back in August. This lesbian two-piece provide the perfect antidote to misogynistic, homophobic hip-hop with their good-time rhymes, down-and-dirty electro beats and awesome live shows. We love 'em, we're sure you will too.
www.myspace.com/yomajesty4life
Details: The Ruby Lounge, High Street, Central Manchester
7pm (supporting Neon Neon, so get down early), sold out, returns only

Friday November 14 - Helen Of Troy Does Countertop Dancing
After the multi-venue madness of the preceeding week, it must be good to know that Helen Of Troy... is a one-stop-shop for all your lady-music needs. We'll be dishing up the usual selection of fantastic tunes by fierce females in what looks like being our busiest event yet. It's always a joy to see your lovely faces, so please come out and play.
www.myspace.com/helenoftroyclub
Details: Charlies, Harter Street, Central Manchester
10am to 4pm, £4, £3 w/flyer or NUS

It's times like this we're to proud to live in Manchester. If only we had unlimited funds and some sort of teleport device we'd be in heaven. As it is, we'll have to make do with squeezing in as much as our wallets and legs will allow while still making time to listen to the new Girls Aloud album. Who'd have thunk Autumn could be so exciting?

New Music: The Joy Formidable

2008-10-30T12:03:00.007Z

We've been meaning to do something on this up-and-coming Wales/Devon three piece for a while now, but for whatever reason the the timing has never been quite right. Anyhoo, excuses aside, the London-based radio-friendly collective proffer a powerful mix of dreamlike epic indie-pop.

Début single, Austere, is a melodic bare-bones climatic rock gem. At just under three minutes long, it manages to pack in a chaotic mass of buzzing guitars and intricate harmony-laden vocals. Influences, including The Breeders and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, are clearly evident in this particular offering, but copyists they aint.

It’s not exactly dance-you-ass-off material, but tracks such as Whirring and Cradle have such a franctic, almost desperate, energy about them, it’s hard not to get swept along.

They’re a joy to listen to, and soon enough they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

http://www.myspace.com/thejoyformidable

Blog Recommendations

2008-10-28T10:07:00.006Z

Following the Manchester Blog Awards, which we attended last Wednesday, we thought it was high time we did our bit for the blogosphere and revealed our favourite blogs of the moment. We wanna point out that the following aren’t listed in any kind of order, oh except alphabetical!

First off is A Boy Like Thom , which has fast become one of our firm favourites. Here you’ll find a selection of Thom’s musical musings as well as ‘opinions and shit’ on a host of other fascinating topics.

Next up is our favourite dedicated music blog Adem With An E , which is your one-stop shop for all things pop and rock. Adem is probably one of the most hard-working and passionate bloggers we’ve come across to date. Definitely one to bookmark.

For those of you who don’t know, Mancubist is a wonderful site dedicated to everything Manchester. Run by the rather lovely Chris Horkan - who we met on Wednesday and is a thoroughly nice chap - there’s no better place to keep abreast of Manchester’s cultural news and events.

Last but by no means least we have Manhattanchester , the home of Gregling’s ‘stories, thoughts, adventures from the pretty, gritty city’. We stumbled across Greg’s blog around the start of the year, and have been avid readers ever since!

So there you have it dear readers, our top tips for what’s happening in the blogosphere at the moment. If anyone would like to direct us to their blog, leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to check it out.

(So) Long Blondes

2008-10-22T15:06:00.010+01:00

Helen Of Troy... wants to take a little time out of its busy schedule to bid a fond farewell to our favourite Sheffield indie-popsters, The Long Blondes. The future of the delightfully kitsch quintet has been hanging in the balance since guitarist Dorian Cox's stroke in the summer, so it was saddening, but not surprising when the band announced their split on Monday.

Happily, Cox has been making a slow but steady recovery, as lead singer Katie Jackson (who's currently working on solo material) explained during a 6 Music interview. 'When it first happened, Dorian couldn't move his leg or his arm at all and we weren't sure how his speech, memory, or intelligence were going to be affected. Thankfully, those things are completely unaffected. He's still the same Dorian, just lovely and hilariously funny. We haven't lost him at all, it's just the arm now that they're working on.'

As that statement indicates, the band are all still incredibly close, so future projects can not be ruled out.

For now, though, we'll have to be content with wearing berets and bright red lipstick while singing along to Someone To Drive You Home and the awesome Couples on repeat. We're also going to get our hands on new compilation, Singles, released on Monday, which we'll be reviewing here over the next couple of weeks.

We'll be spinning a selection of terrific tunes by the mighty Blondes at our next clubnight, (Friday 14th November), so if you have any favourites you want to bust some teary-eyed commemorative moves to, just let us know and we'll make sure we play them.

Helen Of Troy... Does Audience Participation: Part Deux

2008-10-21T09:47:00.013+01:00

As you've probably figured out by now our 'top three favourite...' series is simply a not-so-subtle ploy to get you lovely lot involved with the blog. We wanna hear more of what you've got to say, even if it's to tell us we’re wrong, deaf or illiterate even! This is very much an open forum and your comments are always welcome.

Anyway, on with the show. A couple of weeks ago we announced our top three favourite pop acts of all time, and this week we're moving onto our highly-coveted (ahem) electro section.

So after a little rumination we've decided on the following as our top three favourite electro artists of all time…

1. Bjork
The extraordinary elfin-like songstress is more than worthy of our top spot, not least for being such an intriguing and fantastic visionary. She's released six studio albums to date, each one different, each one groundbreaking and each one absolutely amazing. Her music might not always be easy to listen to, but she's almost always light years ahead of her contemporaries. Bjork, we salute you.

2. M.I.A.
She may have only released two albums to date, but the forward-thinking electro-clash political grime princess has made quite an impact over the past few years. Cherry-picking elements from various genres and cultures, she produces intelligent socially provocative songs that remain opinionated whilst never bordering on preachy. All this is then offset by a host of cruder, fun-as-fuck offerings – just the way we like it!

3. Peaches
A former elementary school teacher who makes mucky rock'n'roll-tinged electro-punk, exploring issues of sexual identity and gender roles. What’s not to love there? Live, she's a-fucking-mazing, performing with the kind of attitude most artists could only ever dream of. All together now... shake your dicks, shake your tits!

Now it’s over to you. Who are your top three?

Music Round-Up (17th October to 31st October)

2008-10-17T15:21:00.008+01:00

Monday 20th October - Jenny Lewis
Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis brings her delightful country stylings to Manchester to promote her second solo album, Acid Tongue. The actress turned singer-songwriter - who once appeared in an episode of the Golden Girls, FACT - will be playing her beautiful brand of heartfelt, harmony-laden Americana, which sounds like a magnificent mix of downbeat Dolly Parton and seminal 1960s singer Laura Nyro.
www.myspace.com/jennylewismusic
Details: Academy 3, Oxford Rd, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £12 adv (excluding fees).

Who'd have thunk that Manchester on a Wednesday night in October was the place to be. I think we all know that's not normally the case, so make the most of October the 22nd, when not one, not two, but three noteworthy events are taking place across the city.

Wednesday 22nd October - Those Dancing Days
We may have been a little disappointed by their début album (see below), but that doesn't mean we don't still love this sprightly Stockholm five-piece. They were frikkin funtastic when we saw them back in June at Night & Day, with just the right blend of youthful naivety and technical ability. They have been touring tirelessly since summer, so it will be interesting to see whether that teenage exuberance is still as infectious, or whether it's been lost on the road in a too-much too-young style. They're supported by up-and-coming London-based indie-rock trio, The Joy Formidable.
http://www.myspace.com/thosedancingdays
http://www.myspace.com/thejoyformidable
Details: The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor St, Central Manchester
10pm to 2am, £5 adv (excluding fees)

Wednesday 22nd October - Tilly And The Wall
Moshi Moshi Records' 10th Birthday Tour is taking place just up the road (we think a bit of gig-hopping might be possible). Headlining the Manchester leg of their anniversary celebrations are the marvellous Tilly And The Wall. Much has been made of the fact that this Omaha quintet have a tap dancer instead of a drummer, but TATW are more than just a novelty act. Their latest eponymous album (also known as O) is a clever, joyous affair, filled with polished, danceable indie-pop gems.
www.myspace.com/officialtillyandthewall
Details Club Academy, Oxford Rd, Central Manchester
7.30pm, £10 adv (exluding fees)

Wednesday 22nd October - Manchester Blog Awards
OK, so it's not strictly a music event, but we still think the Manchester Blog Awards, taking place as part of the Manchester Literature Festival, are worth a mention. Categories include Best New Blog, Best Writing On A Blog, Best Arts And Culture Blog, Best Personal Blog and Best Neighbourhood Blog. Amidst the award-giving and back-slapping will be a number of readings from the likes of Single Mother On The Verge blogger Maria Roberts, plus tunes from music blogger Yer Mam!. The Manchester blogging scene is, and has for some years been, really rather healthy, so these awards offer the perfect opportunity to celebrate the variety and commitment of Mancunian bloggers and put a few faces to some well-known names.
http://manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk
Details: Matt And Phreds, Tib Street, Central Manchester
7pm, £3, £2 adv (excluding fees)

Album Review: Those Dancing Days – In Our Space Hero Suits

2008-10-15T14:41:00.013+01:00

When you come across a group of young, gutsy, charismatic women, who are living your life-long dream, are roughly ten years your junior, and possess the kind of attitude and energy you either never had or know you’ll never have again, it can be quite difficult to warm to them. Our green-eyed monsters stir further when we think about lead singer Linnea’s rather magnificent hair. Helen Of Troy… would be housebound were it not for the creation of ceramic straighteners and the tremendous power they yield over our ungainly frizzy locks, yet the mere sight of Linnea’s frizz-tastic barnet makes us want to weep with flat-haired envy.

Fortunately, Those Dancing Days are responsible for some of this year’s finest Northern-Soul-inspired indie-pop, so we can't, try as we may, hate them. In fact, we were incredibly excited when we heard they were finally releasing their début album; the cutely titled In Our Space Hero Suits.

Our excitment soon turned to mild dissapointment, however, when we first listened to the début offering from the lovable Scandinavian five-piece, which is a fine first effort, but ultimately lacking in the kind of party-pop-punch we were expecting. Tracks like I Know Where You Live and Duet Under Waters are almost featureless, making little, if any impact.

The contrast between this long player and their previously-released self-titled EP, is stark to say the least. Dischoe and 1000 Words - inexplicably ditched tracks from the EP - are utterly dazzling, and infinitely better than anything new they’ve produced for this album.

Clocking in at just under 40 minutes, In Our Space Hero Suits isn’t exactly an arduous journey, but things do get repetitive around the three-track mark. It’s not until you reach Hitten and Those Dancing Days - both of which featured on the magnificent aformentioned EP – that you realise just how lacklustre the whole affair is by comparison. Not all the new material is without merit however. Stand-out tracks Home Sweet Home and Falling In Fall are both multilayered, harmonious delights.

This isn’t a bad album, in fact it’s rather pleasant in parts, we just rather hoped it would be out of this world.

6/10

Released: 13/10/2008 Label: Wichita

New Music: Brazilian Girls

2008-10-13T13:10:00.004+01:00

Helen Of Troy… reserves the right to call Brazilian Girls new, even if they’re on their third album, because we’ve only just heard of them. The New York trio may have been gigging and releasing Stateside for some time now, but to our knowledge, they’ve not yet broken over here, which is a crying shame as they’re frikkin’ awesome.

If you’re looking for a dose of delightfully spritely electro-pop, you need look no further. Current single Good Time is an infectious, smile-inducing shouty joy, replete with dumb-as-fuck lyrics, a Breeders-esque bassline and playschool synth accompaniment. Helen Of Troy… currently spends more time than is healthy trying to copy their ace accents.

Sabina Sciubba, Didi Gutman and Aaron Johnston are more than just one-track electro ponies, however. Tracks like Berlin, which has a delightfully sleazy Weimar cabaret feel, show the myriad diverse influences of the achingly cool trio, who blend decadent European eclecticism and scuzzy New York chic.

Album Review: Ani DiFranco - Red Letter Year

2008-10-10T14:22:00.007+01:00

Given Ms DiFranco’s impressive back catalogue (twenty studio albums in eighteen years), it would be easy to dismiss her latest release, Red Letter Year, as a self-indulgent attempt to simply keep the rock rolling. However, the evident dedication has paid off and resulted in yet another fresh-and-inspired-sounding record.

The songs themselves utilise a structure much favoured by the Buffalo-born chanteuse; metaphor-heavy melodic poetry, set to intriguing off-beat musical riffs. Lyrically, themes chop and change and interweave at each bar, combining informed political opinion with colourful life experiences and delicate observations. Recent motherhood and a happy love life has evidently provided a kind of serenity, demonstrated in Present/Infant and Smiling Underneath, which entice the listener into sharing her good mood, whilst the title track expresses her bitterness at the American government.

With this latest offering we find that DiFranco’s style has matured and settled, resulting in an overall fuller and tighter-produced sound. There are some tracks which allow hardcore fans to reminisce over old-school Ani chord structures and melodies - the subtle, Star Matter, and the cosy, Way Tight, provide soft-interludes to the predominately band-driven melodies, showing off her signature acoustic guitar style in all its glory. The ability to stretch her unique genre to further horizons is also demonstrated, adding a host of new styles to her already brimming repertoire. The funkadelic, Emancipated Minor, is a prime example of this, featuring the use of an upbeat backing track set to relatively dark lyrics.

Hectic touring schedules combined with passionate activism promotions and a new family, make you wonder how she finds the time to write, record, and produce a record every year, whilst still making them pertinent and influential for millions of fans around the globe. Who knows? But from the sounds of this one, she’s got plenty more left in her.

8/10

Laura Adlington

Release Date: 29/09/08 Label ADA

Gig Review: Ladyhawke, The Roadhouse, Sunday 5th October

2008-10-07T11:39:00.005+01:00

After watching Ladyhawke support act Little Boots, Helen Of Troy… knows what it wants for Christmas. The Blackpool-born electro-pop star-in-the-making creates her perfectly-polished sound with a Tenori-On (pictured below).

We’ve had a quick look round, and think they cost about £700. Helen Of Troy… is rich in many ways; spirit, knowledge and experience, but we’re not that rich money-wise, so we’ve set up the Helen Of Troy… Needs A Tenori-On Fund, details of which will follow later.

OK, enough with our begging and on with the gig review. First off is Little Boots, who quite frankly, is impossible not to like. She’s funny, in-control and cute - we fucking hate saying that, but she really, really is. Her electro-pop lite, which is reminiscent of Kylie at her very best, may lack substance, but as fun, danceable pop, it’s hard not to love.

On to the main event, 1980s-loving pop star Pip Brown. Even after a particularly busy and traumatic weekend, we were still well excited about this gig. As you’ve probably noticed if you’ve ever read this blog before, we’re quite big fans. Unfortunately, we left a little deflated. First of all, and this is not Pip’s fault, the sound was atrocious. For the first three songs, Professional Suicide, Manipulating Woman and Better Than Sunday (if our memory serves us correctly), her vocals were almost completely inaudible and without them, her music was rendered a little redundant. As the vocal volume increased gradually (though it was never consistently good) the gig got loads better, and singles Dusk Till Dawn, Back Of The Van and Paris Is Burning were very nearly delivered with the power and passion they deserve.

Secondly, the New Zealand pop star seemed so uncomfortable onstage, you almost felt guilty for asking her to play. It seemed like Pip would rather hide under a rock than rock out. We’ve seen plenty of shy pop stars before and not been bothered by their reticence, but this lack of confidence, combined with the poor sound, meant the gig was more of an apologetic whisper than the proud statement of arrival it should have been.