As you are all probably aware, there have been talks of the closure of two BBC radio stations, as well as cuts on their websites and T.V brands Switch and Blast!

Today it has been confirmed and BBC 6 Music and the Asian Network are definatly being closed.

But is this the right thing to do? The BBC have decided that 6 Music only appeals to a small market, yet surely the TV liscense is there to fund the Public’s niche wants? Who, apart from the BBC have the money to spend on radio stations that appeal to a small (but dedicated) audience.

Any listener to 6 music will hear talented and well known presenters, such as Richard Bacon, Tom Robinson and Lauren Laverne. 6 Music was a place for new bands to get played and gave listeners a chance to listen to funny, yet grown up radio.

There is hope that the commercial side of radio will create a radio as unique as 6 music, but the issue of money may always be the downfall of this.

Let us know what you think of the cuts to 6 music and Asian network. Will you miss them, or in your view is it the right move for the BBC?

Jade

Howdy,

Just to let you know the first new music podcast is now up on www.smokeradio.co.uk now! Just simply go to Smoke Extra and podcasts and select The new music podcast.

Look out for the smoke podcast each week as we talk about 5 releases, we profile a Westminsters Finest act, we talk about some of the specialist shows and what they’re playing at the moment. We also round up any music news we think you need to know.

We would love to know what you think of the podcast, so please tell us things things you liked, things we could improve, anything. Either comment on this blog post or simply send an email to jamie.king@smokeradio.co.uk or jade.gebbie@smokeradio.co.uk

It can be said that alot of good musical artists take a break from things now and then.For different types of reasons. Lily decided to take a break from Twitter for 5 months and in return to Twitter she has informed her followers “Hello, I’m back:” She goes on to explain that “Just got back from Aus, and I had a wonderful time. Setting up my new office in London, got some really exciting stuff to share with you.” Is it a good thing that she is back with her constant Twitter updates? She cant be too bad, she has 1.9 million followers, but personally i dont care if she is “off to the gym. Went to India over xmas,and the clarified butter has made its way from my tummy to my thighs. eeuuggh.”

Do you care?

9. Up The Bracket by The Libertines (2002)

These days it’s not uncommon to be met with stern frowns when you say you like The Libertines. Given Doherty’s speedy descent into the seedy world of heroin and crack cocaine, it isn’t exactly surprising. But all these naysayers should listen or re-listen to Up The Bracket; an album that leaves you wanting more: with fast paced, catchy songs that overflow with a sound of Britain that was long overdue in being put to music.

The most important and often forgotten thing about this album is that it’s great fun to listen to. It’s not a record where the ear strains to catch the brilliance lying underneath – it attacks the senses from the word go and doesn’t release its grip until the final moments of feedback. Credit must here be given to Mick Jones’ production, which clearly captures the obvious influences, without ever throwing them in the listener’s face.

The stand-out moments of this debut are when it’s most confident. They’re the tracks with yelping vocals, messy guitars and drumming that makes the listener’s arms ache. ‘Horror Show’ is the instant in which all these ramshackle ingredients come together, creating a song that packs such a punch it takes a few listens to fully sink in. The lyric bods amongst you may want to tell me all about the song’s reference to heroin, but the sound of Doherty knocking his microphone over is much more interesting.

Is this album a glimpse at what could have been? Perhaps, but at least this sharp, ambitious and very special half hour was documented so perfectly.

A few honourable mentions: Up The Bracket, Time For Heroes, The Good Old Days.

–Callum Eckersley.

Ok, so where back with on Monday with a special week of broadcasting for re-freshers week. There’s loads going on so make sure you keep listening and checking the website.

There’s been loads of new music coming out this January, we’ve tried to get the very best for you on Smoke Radio. We’ve worked very hard to put together a new playlist for you all. With new Tracks from Plan B, Vampire Weekend, Marina and the Diamonds, Courteeners, Breakage,You me at Six, Timbland and many more.

My big picks have got to be Plan B-Stay too long. which is a little different from his older stuff, with more electric instruments and has alot more energy. Is this a new direction in 2010 for Plan B. Courtneeners are also back in 2010. The new song to the playlist, You overdid it doll from the much anticipated second album. The follow up from a great debut album ‘St Jude’. Mumford and Sons have had a fantastic last few months. With there album being a masssive success, the cave is the latest release for the album.

For the full playlist check out www.smokeradio.co.uk/playlist

Look out for more infomation on bands from your uni, we will be looking into Westminsters Finest over the next couple of weeks

Make sure you listen all next week and look out for the new music podcast coming soon to Smoke Radio.

Contra is the second delve into the weird wonderful world of Vampire weekend. Their first self-titled album was a high octane bustle of chirpy African rhythms combined with American University graduate values and erratic but inventive instrumental choices. Their second is a continuation of this and the most inventive release January 2010 has to offer. The band has branched out with this album building on their previous album’s framework and fleshing it out more. Contra on a whole sounds more accomplished and full than its predecessor.

Every track on the album seems to have something different to offer keeping you on your toes as you listen. One moment you could be listening to the disco influenced “Giving Up The Gun” then you move to a track like the sleek “Taxi Cab”. “Taxi Cab” is a step forward for the band leaving the hectic zoom feeling the band are famous for and swapping it for a laid back almost Classical vibe. The beautiful twinkling piano part shimmers and glides up and down, if not for the drum beat you could be listening to some Classical music. This is further reinforced with strings and a harpsichord. How many places can you find a Harpsichord on an album without being a Classic FM fan?

 This said Vampire Weekend could be accused of being a bit smug and you’re not going to get any grittiness within a Vampire Weekend album but if you take it as an odd trippy holiday for your ears all should be good. Defiantly pack your sunglasses for the joyous tropical sunshine of “Diplomat’s Son”. It sounds completely brain bending. With lyrics ‘a diplomat’s son he was 81’, 80’s computer game blibs and throw in a bit of a time change, it leaves you wondering where you were for a second.

Other tracks to look out for are “Cousins” with its fizzy fast paced feel, “Run” and its slightly bleaker message contained in a still bouncy package, and last track “I Think Ur A Contra”. The last track is a spiralling climax for the album with meaningful lyrics and yet again the song takes you on a journey and is the most deep song the band have ever recorded.

This album does not disappoint, taking you and your ears off to many different places. A step up from their last album and hopefully their albums to come in the future will be as good as this one.   

Lots of love, Edd

Every year there are more Cheesy Chritmas songs being released, or charts of the top 100 Christmas Songs of all the ones we’ve heard time and time again.

I quite like christmas but  I get so tired of hearing the same Christmas playlists OVER and OVER!!

And I reckon you probably feel the same too! So I have complied my Top Ten Christmas Songs… Some of these are new… Some of them are old… But their all brilliant Christmas songs!

10. T-Rex – Christmas Bop

To start off this top ten we NEED some Glam Rock. So, its not particually a surprise there is a 70’s Glam rock band in here… I did have the more obvious choice of Wizard or Slade, but in the end I had to go for the lesser known Christmas Bop, which sounds slightly like ‘Crocodile Rock’ with a pinch of Bowie in it. I love this Christmas song and reckon you will too.

Watch the video below and enjoy Marc Bolan’s Christmas Message at the beginning.

T-Rex – Christmas Bop

9. The Pogues & Kirsty McCall – Fairytale of New York

This song needs no introduction! I had to put a Christmas Anthem in here and how could it not be the song that makes everyone put on their best Irish Accent, whip out their Shane McGowan impressions (if you’ve never done this before, pretending to be the local alcoholic will work just as well) and punch every one in sight! This song has it all… Love, Fights, Alcohol and Swearing… all a song needs to be a Classic Christmas Anthem.

8. James Brown – Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto

I’m trying to keep a variety of genres in this Christmas countdown, so the GodFather of Soul couldn’t be missed out! From 1968, off of his ‘A Soulful Christmas‘ album is probably one of the funkiest Christmas songs there has been.

James Brown – Santa Claus Go Straight to the Ghetto

7. The Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa

For 4 years now The Killers have been releasing Christmas songs, so it only seemed fair to include one in this countdown. I was considering their new song ‘Happy Birthday Guadalupe‘ but I don’t think its their best song, especially when there is the hilariously creepy song Don’t shoot me Santa.

Watch the video below which is disturbing and funny. The Killers are also wearing brilliant Christmas jumpers, which adds to the festive feel!

The Killers – Don\’t Shoot me Santa

6. The Crocodiles and the Dum Dum Girls – Merry Christmas, Baby (Please Don’t Die)

This is the newest Christmas song on this blog, as it was compleated on the 21st of December and send straight off to the Stereogum ‘New Indie Rock Christmas MP3’s for 2009′ list. You can download this song and loads more from their blog. Just click here for all the lastest indie Christmas anthems.

You may have heard of the Crocodiles from several music blogs. Their psychadelic sounds work perfectly with the Dum Dum Girls beautiful vocals.

Download it now to get you in the Christmas spirit!

5. The Ramones – Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)

Chritsmas just wouldn’t be Christmas with out some punk rock. Well, I’m not sure if everyone will agree with that statement, but from now on thats how we should all feel.The fast paced guitar of The Ramones is perfect for dancing at Christmas. And the story at the beginning and end of the video is hilarious, as long as its not you at Christmas!

4. The Blood Feathers – Christmas will Help You Feel OK.

I hadn’t actually heard of The Blood Feathers until I looked at the Stereogum list (see number 6 for link).

This Philidelphia band has been around since 2005 and I think this song is great. Its upbeat, has American, Southern twangs in it and its all about ‘ Scotchy Scotch!’

Give it a listen and I guarantee you will be hooked!

Blood Feathers – Christmas will Make You Feel OK

3. Julian Casablancas – I wish it was Christmas Today

How he’s managed to release a Christmas song, with jingle bells in it yet still sounding cool is beyond me. But Julian Casablancas has managed this. This is definately my favourite song of this year! This song has it all, including a Christmassy guitar solo (but not sounding like a dick… Take note Justin Hawkins).

I wish it were Christmas Today if it meant spending it with the gorgeous Casablancas…

2. Sufjan Stevens – That Was the worst Christmas Ever.

I was considering this song being my number one. But I wanted to leave you all on a happy note. So I’ve put one of the more depressing Christmas songs at Number 2! This song is beautiful and chilling, a lot like most of Sufjan Stevens music. I defy anyone to listen to this song and not get Chills. But, I’d also advise you not to listen to this song on Christmas day itself, it will probably bring your mood down!

Sufjan Stevens – That was the Worst Christmas Ever

1. The Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping

This is offically my number one Christmas song!

This song is perfect, its cheesy, its upbeat and its unbelievably catchy! The Waitresses aren’t really know for much else, but they should be proud of this Christmas Classic! I think this song is the perfect mix, where people know it and can sing along, but its not over played constantly.

Watch the festive video below of my favourite Christmas song to put you in the mood!

The Waitresses – Christmas Wrapping

So let me know if you agree or disagree with my choices. Tell me what I missed out! Have a good Christmas and stay posted for more Smoke Radio Music News.

Jade

This decade has made music the most accessible it’s ever been. With the invention of the ipod, the rise of both legal and illegal downloading and X factor based singles dominating the charts, there has been a huge amount of innovation in the ways we listen to our music, but has this influenced the music being made? As with every decade, we have seen a number of musical trends come and go in The Noughties, with the death of Brit pop, the commercialisation of Hip Hop and growing numbers of Post Punk and Electro Pop revival bands making inroads into popular music, it can’t be argued that it hasn’t been a diverse decade. But has the quality of albums suffered at the hands of technology?

There is little doubt that the Noughties has seen the most widespread change in musical distribution since the introduction of the compact disc, and perhaps since vinyl – however, many pundits argue that this has had a hugely detrimental effect on music itself. In this series of posts I’ll be counting down my top 10 greatest albums of the 00s, to try and prove that music now is as vibrant as it’s ever been.

10. Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not by The Arctic Monkeys (2006).

This quadruple platinum, Mercury prize winning debut sold so well for a reason – the witty, catchy songs are so easy to relate to. With stories of being refused entry to nightclubs (‘From the Ritz to the Rubble’) to the complexities of relationships (‘Mardy Bum’), Alex Turner painted a picture of the world that we’re all familiar with, but have such trouble vocalising.

Up until the album’s release, the band had been entirely self-promoted, handing out their demos for free and hoping people would enjoy them. When these demos were uploaded on the internet to websites like Myspace and online discussion boards, The Arctic Monkeys quickly became one of the most talked about unsigned bands in the country. Suddenly, everyone wanted to sign The Arctics, but the band would only do so on their terms, rejecting any offer that required a compromise of their sound. The label to eventually sign the band was Domino records, a label whose ethos the band liked and felt they could work with. The resulting single release from this deal ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor’ was an instant hit. For the first time in a long while, commercial nightclubs were playing a guitar based indie song with clever lyrics (“no Montagues no Capulets, just bangin’ tunes and DJ sets’) and people were singing along.

With such a popular single, the album was keenly awaited and predicted to do extremely well in the charts. But no one had predicted quite how well it would do – by the end of the first day on sale, Arctic Monkeys were record breakers, with bragging rights to the fastest selling debut album in British history. That week got better and better for the Sheffield band, with end of week sales hitting 363,753 copies. To put that in perspective – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not sold more copies that week than the rest of the top twenty’s album sales put together.

Aside from all these statistical accolades, The Arctic Monkeys had recorded a brilliant album with their debut effort. With guitar work reminiscent of The Strokes and observational lyrics sharp enough to rival Jarvis Cocker, The Arctic Monkeys struck the perfect combination of intelligent song writing with catchy riffs you can dance to.

–Callum Eckersley.

Im just sat here in my dressing gown and thought I would write my first blog for Smoke Radio and I wanted to find out what every one is listening to at the moment?

I am currently giving ‘Sound of Guns’ their first listen and I am liking them alot. Their EP ‘Elementary of Youth’ came out digitally yesturday and it comes out physically on the 2nd of November. Their also touring at the moment so its pretty much all going on for ‘Sound of Guns’ right now.

Heres a link to their myspace… www.myspace.com/soundofguns

Recently I have been listening to Tubelord’s ‘Our American Friends’ pretty much on a loop, in particular Propeller which I think is a well catchy song. But I want to know what you guys think about it as well? Is it a yay or a nay?

Tubelord- Propeller

Johnny Foriengers ‘Grace and the Bigger Picture’ is out to day and hasn’t dissappointed at all, with them still keeping their energy and upbeat catchy songs. Zero 7’s album ‘Yeah Ghost’ took 3 years to come but has been well worth the wait.

So let me know what albums are out that your loving, gigs you’ve been too, or pretty much anything music related.

Also go to this lovely website www.smokeradio.co.uk

Jade

Welcome to the Smoke Radio Music Blog.

This is where you will be able to read about all the music we are getting excited about in Smoke Towers. It’s the summer period at the moment which means we have alot of time on our hands to listen to some great music and hit up the festivals.

There has been some great album’s around this summer, but everyone seems to be talking about Florence and the machine and her debut album “Lungs” a great debut album, from a women with one hell of a voice and her performances at the festival’s so far this summer really causing a fuss, this could be seen as one of the record’s of the summer. Check out “Kiss With A Fist”, “Rabbit Heart” and “Drumming”.

So what album’s are we looking forward to? Well were loving the new Arctic Monkey’s single “Crying Lightning” and hoping the album will measure up to the single. We are also very much looking forward to the new Muse album The Resistance, which is due for release in September. Here is a what you can expect from them, below is Muse’s first single “Uprising” from the new album.

Muse-Uprising

Who else thinks it sounds like DrWho?

Watch this space for the latest on Smoke Radio music, news and what we are listening to.