Various - War Child Heroes (The Originals) (@256)

Today I'll urge you to buy a compilation released recently by the War Child International foundation. As they explain in their webpage: "War Child International is a network of independent organisations, working across the world to help children affected by war.
War Child was founded upon a fundamental goal: to advance the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horrors of war. War Child works in many different conflict areas around the world, helping hundreds of thousands of children every year."








War Child Heroes is their latest in the series of very interesting cds they have released; check their older Help from 1995 (which includes a unique collaboration between Paul McCartney, Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher under the name Smokin' Mojo Filters) and Help!: A Day in the Life from 2005. War Child Heroes is equally (if not more) interesting since artists such as Beck, Scissor Sisters, Lily Allen, Duffy, Elbow, TV on the Radio, Hot Chip, Kooks, Estelle, Rufus Wainwright, Peaches, Hold Steady, the Like, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Franz Ferdinand cover songs Bob Dylan, Roxy Music, Clash, Paul McCartney, U2, David Bowie, Joy Division, Kinks, Stevie Wonder, Brian Wilson, Iggy and the Stooges, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Ramones and Blondie respectively. Since most of the covers are well above the average and since part of the proceeds are spent for a good reason, it is easily understood that this cd is very good way to spend your money. So, in order to give you an appetite, I've uploaded the originals.

Tracklisting:
01-Bob Dylan - Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
02-Roxy Music - Do The Strand
03-Clash - Straight To Hell
04-Paul McCartney & Wings - Live And Let Die
05-U2 - Running To Stand Still
06-David Bowie - Heroes
07-Joy Division - Transmission
08-Kinks - Victoria
09-Stevie Wonder - Superstition
10-Brian Wilson - Wonderful/ Song For Children
11-Iggy and the Stooges - Search and Destroy
12-Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
13-Elvis Costello - You Belong To Me
14-Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
15-Blondie - Call Me

download link: here (mirrorcreator) or here (rapidshare)

Slits - Cut (1979) (@256)

Another Island records release. This time, a post-punk album by an all-girl group that lived from the inside the UK punk explosion, but they released their debut when it had already deteriorated. So much the better, I reckon. Within these few years they evolved their sound from the typical UK punk, to a jagged, dub-orientated, discordant hybrid, which came along with the unique squealing vocals of Ari Up.
Amazingly, I read that the Slits are about to release a new album titled "Trapped Animal", their first since 1981's "Return Of The Giant Slits"!

album review link: here

download link: here

Various - Sympathetic Sounds Of Detroit (2001) (@256)

It's the third time that I post something related to the recent credit crunch and its aftermath. The reason is the recent bankruptcy of General Motors, US's largest automaker. Another company failure which was largely caused by the CEOs wrong decisions over the years. Again, the executives will hold their jobs unlike some tens of thousands of Detroit's workers that will enter the unemployment status; "Motor City" the location of the headquarters of the "Big Three" automotive companies (Ford, GM, Chrysler) will see many of its families suffer under the consequences of the recession.
There were plenty of choices about a related Detroit upload. One of the birthplaces of US punk with MC5 (short for "Motor City Five") and Stooges, the city where George Clinton applied his P-funk, the city where Berry Gordy established Motown (again, an abbreviation for "Motor Town"), the birthplace of Detroit techno, to name the most important of them. It is this compilation though, with the impressive industrial complexes photos and the fumes that can be smelled throughout its hearing that comes to my mind whenever I try to get the picture of a city which I have never visited.
Finally, for track 20, I added the White Stripes' track "The Big Three Killed My Baby", where Jack White (in one of his few songs with political context) refers to his hometown's automotive companies as "killers of the common sence".

Tracklisting:
01-The Paybacks - Black Girl
02-The Paybacks - Payback Blues
03-The Dirtbombs - Dirtbomb Blues
04-The Dirtbombs - I'm Through With White Girls
05-The Henchmen - Accusatory
06-Ko & the Knockouts - Black and Blue
07-The Come Ons - Come On Blues
08-The Come Ons - Sunday Drive
09-The Soledad Brothers - Soledad Blues
10-The Soledad Brothers - Shaky Puddin'
11-Von Bondies - Sound Of Terror
12-The Buzzards - High Class
13-Detroit Cobras - Shout Bamalama
14-Bantam Rooster - Banty Rooster Blues
15-Bantam Rooster - Run Rabbit Run
16-The Clone Defects - Whiskey 'n' Women
17-Whirlwind Heat - Decal On My Sticker
18-White Stripes - Red Death at 6.14
19-Buzzards - Buzzard Blues
20-(bonus track - not on the original album) White Stripes - The Big Three Killed My Baby

album review link: here

download link: here

Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure (1973) (@256)

The second, and final, Roxy Music album with Brian Eno as a member showcases the collision of two colossal personalities which resulted in a unique equilibrium between Eno's experimental texture and Ferry's pop art manifesto. Moreover, another masterful release of Island records. Enjoy.

album review link: here

download link: here

Dizzee Rascal - Showtime (2004) (@256)

Since the Island records tribute will take some time to be completed in the way I have planned it, I feel obliged to put a number of posts inside it, in order not to ignore current social and music events. One of those is that Dizzee Rascal, one of my favourite 00's artists that emerged from the UK, hit the top of the UK single chart on May, 24, and remains there the week that ends today, with his brilliant new single "Bonkers".
I bought the uploaded album, the second one in Rascal's discography, enchanted by his first effort "Boy in da Corner", a landmark for grime and for the whole decade as well. Trust me, I was not disappointed at all.

album review link: here

download link: here (mirrorcreator) or here (rapidshare)