Extra chunk......


The Observer Music Monthly, written by a bunch of people who think they care about music but really just think they're cool for writing about it and spend their whole time making definitive lists, like living inside 'High Fidelity' world is the only way to appreciate music but hey! I still read it-oh well. Plus I like my own little lists but they do not a magazine make. So anyway, this month they have 'The 100 Greatest British Albums' The Definitive Poll they asked a 'distinguished' panel to supply a list of their 10 greatest British albums you can see the list here. What do you think is missing?


Euro 2004 MP3 round up..... If you don't know how it works I basically post tracks from artists or labels from the countries that won the days matches or in the instance of a draw from both countries. I'll probably make the commentaries pretty short as there's a lot to catch up on.

England beat Switzerland 3-0

Tinchy Strider-Move

This guy's been described as a mini Dizzee Rascal and he has already won Best Newcomer at then Sidewinder UK Garage awards. Strider is part of the East end's Ruff Sqwad although there seems to be quite a lot of speculation over that. He's pretty young at 17 and has already appeared on the MC remix of The Streets 'Fit But You Know It' single. This track is I believe produced by Rapid and Begg.


Croatia drew with France on Thursday

The Bambi Molesters-Chaotica

This is like music from a David Lynch movie, atmospheric and emotive. The Bambi Molesters, have been likened to Man or Astroman?. They are signed to Dancing Bear in Croatia from which you can buy more of their stuff.


France

Gainsbourg, Birkin and Dutronc-Les Petits Papiers

Classic sexy combination, three greats of French pop (although the lovable Birkin is English) together and it's perfect. Gainsbourg was so prolific you can't help but have heard at least one of his songs even if it is only the infamous Je T'aime Moi Non Plus. You can visit his official site here and if you don't own anything you can purchase an anthology here. Birkin has an official site as does Jacques Dutronc. Again, if you don't own any Birkin check out the landmark collaboration with Gainsbourg.



On Friday Denmark beat Bulgaria 2-0


Teitur-Let's Go Dancing

Teitur reminds me of the lovely Kings of Convenience, he hails from Denmark's Faroe Islands and is signed to Universal there. Quiet and beautiful Teitur's voice drips over his lush melodies; I just wrote that as though I was one of those slack OMM journalists that constantly use words like 'lush' which I hate. It's nice. Buy his album Poetry & Aeroplanes.



Also on Friday Sweden drew with Italy 1-1.

Melody Club-Electric

Melody Club are massive in Sweden, their album has gone gold there. True successors to Duran Duran's crown Melody Club are fun synth pop with infectious choruses. There is definitely a great resurgence of sophisticated yet fun pop a la Scissor Sisters at the moment which is a great antidote to ironic 'we think we're funny' covers bands like the Darkness. You can buy their album 'Music Machine' here


Italy

Krisma-Many Kisses

This male/female duo hail from Milan came together in 1976 as Chrisma but changed it Krisma a year later. They lived and worked in London in the late 70's and absorbed the punk scene fusing it with electro disco creating the kind of music that made the NME call them the true inventors of post-punk, electro pop and new wave. Now, I think that's going a bit far but still they were certainly influential and ahead of their time. A good biography can be found here. A good place to start with them would be a compilation they chose called S.H.A.D.O Electro which includes this song alongside more by Krisma and other artists.


Germany failed to beat Latvia in a 0-0 draw.

DAF-Verschwende Deine Jugend

HA! Brilliant the title translates as Waste Your Youth, and you could spend a good couple of minutes trashing stuff to this industrial electro. It's brilliant; big, infectious and full of punk attitude I become like a modern day whirling dirvish manically dancing round my room when I listen to it. This was released on the Mute label in 1981 and comes from the album Gold und Liebe.

Latvia, Portugal, Russia and more from the Czech republic, France and England coming up......