What is it about British music that appeals to me so much? For so many years I've been an Anglophile, not just about music but about everything, which probably explains why I wanted to spend a year abroad there. My brother and I were raised on Eric Clapton, George Michael, Elton John, Phil Collins, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, U2, and even Led Zeppelin. But perhaps more significantly, we were reared to love the Beatles. My parents played the Beatles in our house and on road trips for as long as I can remember, and since then I've enjoyed a long-running love affair with music from across the pond.
For whatever reason, be it because of the climate or the bad food or maybe even pub culture, the character of British music just strikes a chord with me. Look at what's come out of the island in the past decade or so - Radiohead, Oasis, Blur, Coldplay, Travis, Doves, Maximo Park, Hard-Fi, Razorlight, just a few among MANY... is it weird how much I love British music? When I was in London and I could listen to XFM or read Q and NME it felt like I was at home... what is it!!!
Anyway when I was in Princeton with Ellen and Steph I picked up a Q Playlist CD for $1.99 called "Mellow Gold," with 15 "Soothing Sounds for Summer." It's an awesome CD... the type of CD you can listen to all the way through without wanting to skip a track. One of the artists on the CD is such a breath of fresh air, and guess what? He's from Manchester!
Jim Noir mixes modern with retro to create a hybrid of 60s pop rock that can sound like the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and sometimes even Sufjan. I'm not gonna lie, I've never been able to get into Sufjan Stevens (sorry Ellen), but in "I Me I'm Your" Jim Noir takes what's good about Sufjan, makes it a little more interesting, and so very aurally pleasing. I'm so easily enraptured by music that's rich in harmony and very melodic, and this is that. I love classic rock and pop from the past and it's hard to successfully bring a new twist to something that's already so good but Jim Noir definitely does it well. :)
Am I being too generous? Ellen, tell me what you think. Whatever the case, his music is fun and light but interesting and different.
Here are a few tracks from his album Tower of Love, something I'll be listening to non-stop for a while. Enjoy!
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the songs sound good! i admit, i think i'd fall asleep listening to him (especially if i was listening in the car), but "how to be so real" caught my ear. i can definitely hear the 60s influence. not so much sufjan, but maybe i didn't give it a good enough listen.
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