Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

Arcade Fire have always been favourites with the critics and when they released this, their third album the praise was heaped onto the band. The album, was inspired by the upbringing of two of the band members, Will & Win Butler in a suburb in Houston, Texas. It was recorded in Canada and New York and when the band finished a track, they pressed it onto a 12'' acetate and used it for the master for the CD, therefore the album and CD sound both the same! The sleeve for the album featured 8 variations of the cover too!

Released in the UK in August 2010 it went straight to number 1 in the UK and the US charts and won a Grammy the following year and a Brit for Best International Album. In June 2011 they released an expanded version of the album with a couple of extra tracks and a dvd about the album.

It is an album I never tire of listening to, it has got some great songs on, my faves being Suburban War, Sprawl II and Month Of May but don't take my word for it, go give it a listen!

Tears For Fears - Shout

With news this week that Tears For Fears are going to be back in action this year, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of their first album, I thought I'd feature this single that shot the band into superstardom around the world. Released in November 1984 and got to number 4 in January 1985 and hit the top spot in America the same year. It was off the classic album Songs From The Big Chair and Shout was a change of sound as the band sound was going more towards a synth pop, rock, stadium band sound. The song was basically about protesting rather than keeping quiet, but to think about what you are protesting about rather than just going ahead and just have no idea why you are protesting, also the single lasted over 5 minutes but was still played heavily on the radio. A classic single for classic times, I think it is from one of the last great years for UK pop music!

10CC - I'm Not In Love

This classic single was released in 1975 and became an instant masterpiece. The drummer of the band Kevin Godley came up with the idea of replacing the backing track and to use the bands voices instead. Each member of the band recorded one note which was dubbed and mixed onto a master tape which created a multi layered choir effect. Complete with vocals from Eric Stewart and the secetary of the guys recording studio provided the girl's voice in the intrumental break repeating "Big boys don't cry" which they decided on after she walked in to pass a message to the band.

The band were after a new record contract and signed to Mercury Records after the label heard the track and offered them a 5 album deal. The single was released at the beginning of June and hit number 1 for two weeks and got to number 2 in America. It has become a heavily covered single and has featured on quite a few film and TV soundtracks over the years, an always popular track to feature on love song compilations it remains an ever popular single!