R.I.P 120 Minutes

A year ago today the highly influential music program 120 Minutes shut its doors seemingly for the last time. Having ran on and off since 1990, the show had build up a reputation of not only playing the latest and most cutting edge artists, but also the most innovative artists in the rock, electronic and leftfield genres. To the delight of music lovers in Europe, the program featured no commercial or MTV promotional breaks. The reason it was able to get away with pushing the boundaries so far out was because of the time slot: 1am - 3am. It was quite literally two hours of non-stop alternative music which could range from hip-hop to avantgarde and anything in-between. There were no conventional limitations in what was played and although some of it tended to be hit and miss, the good frequently outweighed the bad. As clichéd as it might sound, there was something for everyone and many new discoveries were made through this program alone.

Out of nowhere then came the announcement that 120 Minutes was to shut up shop. The move prompted much criticism of MTV and though there was a petition made to save it, ultimately there was little anyone could do. Given the unusual time slot and the overall popularity of the show, its cancellation shocked and appalled many regular watchers who deemed the move as 'the death of unconventional music television'. Although due to university commitments, the majority of developments regarding the situation passed me by and I was unable to watch the final episode, coming back to the realization that it is not here anymore has left me feeling disillusioned with the state of music channels on the whole. It is no secret that its absence has left a void within music television that may never heal properly. It is only when it is gone do you realise just how little there is to watch on the music channels at night. R.I.P. 120 Minutes, it was good while it lasted and we may see eachother somewhere down the line.

As I'm dedicating this post to the program, I've decided to go with some of the most influential and innovative artists or tracks I discovered through the show. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

65daysofstatic - Drove Through Ghosts To Get Here
Au Revoir Simone - Fallen Snow
Cornelius - Drop
DJ Mehdi - I Am Somebody
Elektrons - Get Up
Kavinsky - Testarossa Autodrive
RJD2 - Work It Out
UNKLE - Burn My Shadow

TFI Friday #11

It has been unusually quiet around these parts in recent times. Aside from Zombie Nation last week, there is nothing in the immediate future that stands out as a must-see gig. Eric Prydz is coming in a few months and although the frankly awesome Burns is playing in February, he is doing so by supporting Kissy Sell Out, who's the main headliner. I've no problems with Kissy but I've seen him more times than I'd like to admit. Hopefully Burns will be able to make up for it but there's a good chance we'll be too busy drinking copious amounts of alcohol and potentially doing dirty sets to see him. Hoestly, our average ETA to club nights these days is anywhere between 11pm-1am. It's getting ridiculous. Hopefully you guys don't follow our lead and have yourselves a great weekend. Enjoy the tracks.

The Toxic Avenger - Pokerface (Lies In Disguise Remix)
Zombie Nation - Forza (Fukkk Offf Remix)
Candy Coated Killahz - Playboy (Mansion Remix)
Burns - Teknique
Rihanna - Umbrella (Vandalism Remix)

Metal Monday #10

I seem to be spending more time apologising these days than actually writing anything. Once again, I have to say sorry for not updating the blog as regularly as I should have in recent times. Unfortunately my auntie died in the early hours of the morning somewhat unexpectedly a week or so ago so I haven't had the time or the inclination to write anything up. Given the fact that she was undoubtedly my favourite aunt, as you can understand it came as a bit of a blow. The whole family has been in mourning so between family visits, immediate family consolation and the organization and attendance of the funeral I've been very busy. Anyway, R.I.P Máire, you will be missed. On top of this, while I can't speak for anyone else, I've been having some serious computer issues over the last while. After accidently spilling water on my keyboard and mouse (rookie mistake, I know) I have been hereby resigned to using my laptop which is also on death's door at present. To make matters even worse, my internet has been cutting off randomly every couple of minutes or hours for the past month or so. This makes even the most simple tasks take a lifetime and while people say patience is a virtue, I'm finding it hard to stay patient. If you're a believer in karma then I must have done something truly terrible to deserve such unnecessary frustration.

First on the chopping block is Killswitch Engage's My Last Serenade. Although I will admit I was never much of a fan of this track when it came out originally, due in large part to the soppy chorus, in recent times I've started to really appreciate it. This is most likely because I much prefer their original singer over Howard Jones, primarily because, as I've no doubt stated before, I find Howard's almost operatic style to be catering too much towards the mainstream; not that I have some sort of anti-mainstream persona, I actually despise those who consider themselves to be above such distinctions. I just feel that if you're going to play ferocious, unmerciful metal then you might as well go the whole way rather than going the route which sells you the most records. Either way, aside from the chorus, My Last Serenade is a showcase of brutality. The opening 1:38 in particular conveys a sense of uncompromising dedication to their craft. It had a resounding effect on audiences then and I'm pleased to admit that it hasn't lost any of its primitive yet in some ways charismatic appeal. Even the chorus, which admittedly isn't really my thing, if listened to in the right way begins to make sense within the context of the overall structure of the song. It's just a shame Killswitch Engage couldn't work things out with original vocalist Jesse Leach as although he is undoubtedly technically the inferior singer, he adds a much-needed stylistic trait that Howard Jones fails to replicate on a thematic or representational level.

Killswitch Engage - My Last Serenade

The next track is by a band who split metal fans right down the middle. Some adore them, some feel animosity for them. I enjoy their output. If you're wondering who I'm talking about, it is of course As I Lay Dying. The track I've decided to go with today is An Ocean Between Us, the reason behind my choice being that I believe it is one of the few songs that are able to summarise the band within four minutes. Although there is a lot of screaming in this one, it is countered by a juxtaposition in more 'normal' vocal outbursts. Unlike approximately 90% of other metal bands, As I Lay Dying get this parallel in vocal shifts down perfectly. Of course, the grinding rhythmic riff and rolling drum patterns help cement the two different vocal approaches but credit where credit is due, they really knock it out of the park. Whilst some could claim that they're not really bringing all that much originality to the table, aside from a handful of bands, metal doesn't really focus on innovating music on the whole, it focuses upon expressing itself often in the most brutal and impossibly uncompromising way possible. In this respect, An Ocean Between Us delivers almost unanimously.

As I Lay Dying - An Ocean Between Us

In between the rest of the songs I've decided to go with a track that is in a genre I would consider myself somewhat of a specialist in, Progressive Metal. Interestingly though, the band, Blotted Science, are also considered to be a cross between death metal and extreme speed metal. Don't panic, their music is all instrumental. They are distinctive in particular, however, because they are to some extent a supergroup in what they do though. Each member is from notable bands within their field of expertise and to give an example of just how varied the line-up is, we have members ranging from Cannibal Corpse to Watchtower to Behold... The Arctopus. Enough said. The song I'm going with today is arguably the definition of what they're all about, Activation Synthesis Theory and what a tune it is. In some respects, the band serve as a glorification of instrumental music because without the need for a vocalist, they are able to use irregular timing, momentous breakdowns and considerable departures and emergences in presentation to deliver fast and melodic music for a very niche audience. This song serves as exemplification of such characteristics.

Blotted Science - Activation Synthesis Theory

Fourthly I'm going to go with a band I don't talk about too often, DevilDriver. The song I've decided to showcase is a track I opened a mix with a year or two ago, I Dreamed I Died. DevilDriver are unique in a lot of ways because they are one of the few metal bands that almost always work perfectly when mixing with dance music. Of course, it has something to do with BPM, but their borderline industrial technique and flowing yet musically harmonious vocal style just works. I Dreamed I Died isn't necessarily their best, most well known or most distinct song but it is a good introduction to the band if you haven't heard them before and like those old Ronseal ads, it does exactly what it says on the tin. It is frankly astonishing that the vocalist from DevilDriver is the same guy from nu-metal one-timers Coal Chamber but more power to him for branching out and doing what he wanted to do. The opening riff of this track alone demonstrates just how much metal has changed in the last ten years.

DevilDriver - I Dreamed I Died

The final track for today is The Truth Of A Liar by August Burns Red, a band who are the personification of the phrase 'appearances can be deceiving'. To look at these guys, you would in no way think they made the music that they did. By extension, they're also Christians but although their music has been described as 'Christian metalcore', they take the right approach in stating that "Christianity is a religion, not a style of music." This makes me like them even more. The Truth Of A Liar is not for the weak willed or the easily upset. It is, as the midget out of Accept once said, balls to the wall metal. I know relentless is a term that has been overused with regards to metal music, but it really is relentless in spirit and execution. If Killswitch Engage were on one end of the spectrum, August Burns Red would be on the other. Thankfully despite their vocals being strikingly idiosyncratic, the instrumental aspects are augmented perfectly. Not only does each instrument fit in a glove-like fashion but in terms of structuring, while the different instruments don't necessarily adhere to any specific requirements, the band is accomplished enough to adapt, develop and most importantly flourish by approaching the song in their own individual ways.

August Burns Red - The Truth Of A Liar

TFI Friday #10

Welcome to the return of our weekly updates. This week I have a few tasty treats for you folks that'll hopefully brighten up your weekend in this frankly astonishingly bad weather. I'm usually Mr. Cold when it comes to weather but even I have to admit that this is beginning to take the piss. Where I live, it has been snowing non-stop for a good two weeks now and it doesn't look like its going to stop any time soon. I haven't seen anything like this, well, ever really. Could this be the result of global warming? I've no idea. Aren't we supposed to be overdue an ice age by a couple of hundred/thousand years? Again, who knows, I just hope it goes away sometime soon. Either way, make the most of your weekend and enjoy the tracks.

The Proxy - Think First
Filthy Rich - Make You Freq (Miles Dyson Remix)
Digitalism - Taken Away (Disco Trash Music Remix)
Laidback Luke - Need Your Loving (Felix Cartal Remix)
Kylie Minogue - Wow (MSTRKRFT Remix)

Boom Da

I don't usually do this but in this case I feel that it is worth it. If you're wondering what I'm talking about, it is the fact that this post is not a showcase of an artist, not a list of must-hear tracks, but rather a post about one song; a song that has been blowing my socks off every time I've heard it for the past couple of weeks now. I was going to save it for the next TFI Friday post but instead I've decided to unleash it into the blogging atmosphere right now. As you may have already guessed by the post title, the track is called Boom Da and it is done by Brazilian husband and wife production and DJ team Mixhell. If you've been paying attention to the electro scene and, in particular, Soulwax, the name will likely ring a bell, as the latter has been using them as support on the majority of their recent tours over the past year. To those not in the know, Mixhell is comprised of ex-Sepultura and current Cavalera Conspiracy (a band who, alongside the likes of Grooverider and HEALTH, are the ones I regret most missing at Pukkelpop this year) drummer, Iggor Cavalera and his wife who mans the wheels of steel.

As you can no doubt imagine, it is an extremely interesting concept that hasn't really been done to this extent before. Sure, Digitalism have a similar thing going on with their live sets but there is really no comparison between the two. As Iggor is famed for his rough and hardhitting playing style, it is no surprise that he is backed up by some seriously savage beats from his wife. Part of the reason I find it so hard to produce tracks using programs is because of the drum samples. The vast majority of them come across in an almost 'plastic-y' way and they nearly always sound manufactured. Considering almost any instrument is easy to replicate if you have the right tools at your disposal, its somewhat surprising that drumming effects sound so lacklustre. Of course, there is equipment to remedy this issue, but nothing comes close to live drumming, which is why it is such a pleasant surprise that Mixhell have tapped into this. At a recent Soulwaxmas concert, I was quite literally blown away by the sheer intensity of their style, to the point where I found it hard to bust a groove due to being so encapsulated by his hardhitting, rhythmic techniques and her complimentary DJing ability. Such a rare treat only comes around every once in a while so I savoured every moment like it was my last.

Credit where credit is due, however, Mixhell isn't the only one that takes this Boom Da track to the next level, after all it is a Les Petits Pilous remix. You probably know about them by now as their breakthrough hit Wake Up has been doing the rounds more and more over the past year or two and their remix of The Proxy's Raven is one of the best out there to this date. Needless to say, without them, this track isn't quite as compulsory as they add a dimension that isn't in the original. It really is sickeningly good. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't been feeling a lot of the recent output from electro DJs and duos in recent times as I feel too many people are trying to cater to that fidget/wobbly sound that has become the latest fixation in dance music. I wouldn't go as far to say I hate that type of music, but I just don't think it fits the music as well as a grinding synth supporting by a pounding bass and drum line. To me, electro music is all about the build up and the breakdown. While the build up serves as a core component within the music, if the payoff isn't worth it then it isn't going to do it for a dancefloor. With Mixhell - Ba Doom (Les Petits Pilous Remix), it is not only consistent but it is also extremely dirty. I have been missing music like this for quite some time: relentless, filthy, grinding bombshells that get people moving. Though I doubt I'll be hearing this at any clubs in the near future, I'm gonna regularly drop it into any sets I do from here on out. Rather than suggesting the same, I can go one better. Get yourself a pair of 5.1 speakers, turn up the bass and blast the roof off your house. It'll be worth it.

Expect more coverage (and possibly a showcase post) in the future.

Mixhell - Boom Da (Les Petits Pilous Remix)

Rage Against The X Factor

Firstly, I'd just like to apologise for us not updating this blog as regularly as we should have. In case you missed it Thunder Child wrote in a recent post of his that we're taking a break from blogging over Christmas and New Years. If you're lucky, we might be able to whip something tasty up for New Years Eve but we don't get much time off from writing so we're lapping up this newfound freedom. Expect regular content to start running sometime in the beginning of the New Year.

If you've been paying attention to the outside world, and the charts, in particular, in recent times, you will almost definitely have noticed the Rage Against The Machine VS The X Factor chart battle for the Christmas number one. I was initially going to write about it just before the winner was announced but due to other things coming up I didn't get around to it. In an unprecedented shock victory, Rage Against The Machine took home the Christmas number one with the frankly overplayed and overappreciated Killing In The Name.

When I first heard about this campaign, I was immediately skeptical, both of the intent and the reasoning behind such a campaign. Originally, I thought the idea was somewhat preposterous, primarily due to the fact that I just didn't believe a Rage track could loosen the vice-like strangehold that Simon Cowell's glorified karaoke machine had over the UK music scene. On top of this, I didn't particularly agree with the song choice, because aside from it being easily one of the most overly accentuated tracks of the entire Rage disography, there was a certain overarching sense of irony in choosing this particular track. Firstly, through the slogan "fuck you, I won't buy what you tell me" coming from a group telling visitors exactly what to buy, and secondly, through the fact that the entire point of the song is the promotion of independent thinking. Add to this the fact that Rage Against The Machine are on the same record label as industry mogul Simon Cowell and his X Factor cohorts and there is a good chance he not only has investment in the label, but possibly is a shareholder as well, and to me it seemed like a recipe for disaster; a musical statement by the stateless. Had they chosen Know Your Enemy, which in my opinion is much more lyrically befitting of such a campaign than Killing In The Name is, I would have backed it straight away without hesitation and no questions asked. They didn't, instead favouring a song we've all heard a thousand times individually. I bowed out of contributing but secretly anticipated the results.

While I have nothing against The X Factor as a whole and I'm sure it is quality entertainment for those who sit down to watch it on a Saturday night, I don't think it is really bringing anything new to the music industry. 90% of the artists featured on it make their names through covering other people's songs, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if there is one thing the music industry has taught me its that covers are destined to do well no matter who they're done by. People love a classic song and are willing to lap it up regardless of how many times they've heard it in the past. This has been proven time and time again over the years. Remember A1's cover of Take On Me? Number one. How about Madonna's cover of American Pie? Number one. Or what about Five's shambolic rendition of We Will Rock You? Number one. To add insult to injury, how about Westlife's cover of Uptown Girl or Sam & Mark's cover of With A Little Help From My Friends? Both covers, both number ones. The list goes on and on. The simple truth is that as long as you're relatively known, if you cover a classic song, no matter how old or overplayed, you're almost destined to be number one. Record executives have been tapping into this source for years and Simon Cowell is no stranger to it. This is the reason why every single X Factor finalist releases a cover just before Christmas time. The show is strategically set up to end just as the Christmas boom begins. Everyone knows that the Christmas number one is the most lucrative and prestigious of all the number ones, and again, Simon Cowell knows it. I don't despise him for it either. Business is business.

My opinion on the Killing In The Name campaign did drastically change, however, when a certain Joe McElderry made his frankly unfounded opinions known to the world: "I wouldn't buy it. It's a nought out of ten from me. Simon Cowell wouldn't like it. They wouldn't get through to boot camp on The X Factor - they're just shouting." Firstly, just because a hard rock band wouldn't get through boot camp on The X Factor doesn't in any way hinder their creative or artistic influences. Each member of the band is known to be extremely proficient on their chosen instruments and they're one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the last two decades. Just because Simon Cowell doesn't like it doesn't mean that it's bad. Let's not forget that he is the person who brought the Teletubbies and Zig and Zag into the musical world. I honestly believe that if an unknown Paul McCartney had auditioned for The X Factor, he most definitely wouldn't have made it to the finals and may not even have made it past the first round, due in large part to him not having the look or the sound of the direction pop music has taken. With regards to the 'they're just shouting' argument, I believe that sometimes shouting is a good way to get across the point you have to make if you want people to listen to you. All my life I've been greeted with people who dismiss anything that isn't within a specific genre, claiming it to be noise or just shouting. If you don't get it, fair enough, but don't automatically come to the assumption that it has no artistic merit because you don't see the appeal in it. Is shouting not a form of expressionism? The worst part of McElderry's comments is that Killing In The Name actually doesn't involve that much shouting aside from the ending, which is actually cut off in the non-explicit version. Say what you want about Rage Against The Machine but they are still one of the few bands out there who haven't compromised and have made some very important messages - messages that more people should pay attention to. Aside from the context behind their music, Zack De La Rocha has one of the most unique voices in the business and has flow like very few others. It is clear hip hop has a huge influence on the way he sings and only an idiot would think otherwise. I'd imagine the same idiot might throw darts at a rival singers picture as an ill-fated publicity stunt but that's a debate for another day.

Another main reason I decided to throw my 30p into the mix and buy the single is due to the fact that not only would it be a huge victory for the internet but it would also make a Rage Against The Machine track of all things the last Christmas number one of an entire decade. Serious business, indeed. To me, it is one of the most interesting social experiments to take place in a very long time. Who would have thought that a random guy and his wife could almost singlehandedly command the number one spot with no financial support or backing. It is an incredible achievement in all honesty, made even better by the fact that a large portion of the proceeds are going to charity and Rage Against The Machine are doing a free UK celebratory concert - a concert I most definitely hope to attend. I was shocked at just how motivated I became over this chart battle as I usually couldn't give a damn, but what is most fascinating is that ever since Rage hit the top spot, very few people have been talking about it, proving that more than anything it was a social experiment undertaken by those supposedly real fans out there. Regardless of your reasons for picking up the single, there is no denying that history has been made and it is always something people will be looking back on in years to come. Shock victories like that don't happen very often. I still think they should have went with Know Your Enemy but at the end of the day, the lesser of two evils won. I don't know how I'd feel about the world if a Miley Cyrus cover of all things claimed the Christmas number one spot.

Rage Against The Machine - Know Your Enemy

Easy Like Sunday Morning #11

Ok, so Fridays post was missing. Long story cut short I left my house on Thursday to pre-swall for soulwaxmas and I returned home on Saturday evening, on the Friday between I went to ASIWYFA's gig and went to a ludicrous house party the same night (people were arriving when I was leaving at 9am and it was the most active part of the party). ASIWYFA blew Belfast apart, I missed soulwax and Tiga on the Friday (forgot ticket and had to go back) but mix hell blew the roof of the place, 2manydjs however just did the exact same thing they did at Belsonic, it was rubbish the first time and it was rubbish again if you were to listen to the two sets you'd be convinced that no music had been released in the past 6 months as they were pretty much the same. Because of all this my body clock has been all off, I slept a good bit of today as I didn’t go to bed until lunchtime.

For the first post of the day I'm going to be posting Air's - Ce matin là from their stunning album Moon Safari. If I were to try and explain what Easy Like Sunday Morning was about to someone who didn’t get the title (ie a complete idiot), I would just give them a copy of Moon Safari and they would instantly understand what we were trying to show people. I honestly think that this is possibly the most organic sounding album every made and if I were trying to determine if a pair of speakers were worth my money or not, this is the album I'd use. Ce matin là is constantly a song I find getting stuck in my head, I'll find myself on a bus, train or walking around town/uni just humming the infectious brass lead over and over again. Everything from that typical air-esque bass to the steel sounding guitar are perfect in this track. I'm really actually surprised that I haven't posted this track earlier as it is my favorite Air track from what I personally think is the dynamic duo's best work. I urge you to get a copy of this album by any means necessary even if it means robbing it from a shop (I don't condone any criminal activity, this is clearly a sarcastic comment meant to raise a cheap laugh, however if you do decide to do this just use the ten tracks on the album as your defense and the jury will understand and probably let you off), the reason I urge you to listen to this album is that you will almost definitely find a different favorite track to mine, it's just that sort of album. I discovered this album when I was in my 3rd or 4th year of school during the height of listening to metal bands such as Megadeth and going through a typical stage of not wanting to conform (by ironically conforming to something else…), but that alone says a lot about the album, as it is something especially at that time which I would not have expected to like and it is without a doubt beside Grandmaster Flash one of the two key elements in the change that made me listen to music the way I do today. This is definitely, for me, an in bed sort of album, one to go to sleep to and one to wake up to, its therapeutic in ways that therapy could never be and proves that simplicity is one of the keys to perfection. I could go on and on about why this album is one of the best made and why it's so good but i'd rather let you discover it for yourself than let me impose learned habits in regards to how and why you should listen to it. Ce matin là by some sort of beautiful coincidence means "That Morning".

Air - Ce matin là

The next song I'm going to post is another obvious one that has somehow eluded me up until now, Simon and Garfunkel's always atmospheric The Sound of Silence. Anyone who goes to the cinema even semi-often or enjoys film will recognize this track as it is used on a seemingly regular basis within film. The best use of this track is clearly from the film The Graduate, the song plays at a time when Hoffmans character has finished his time at university, graduated and is having off time discovering who he is before he decides to tackle the world. The song very appropriately plays when his family are bothering him about his future and he lies in his pool then immerses himself underwater, hence the song being used (lots of symbolism going on here film fans). The song is a herald to what Simon and Garfunkel used to be before their constant break-ups and reunification's (as of writing this they are together…kinda). The song opens with simplistic guitar work that progresses throughout the song and is backed by the perfect and typical harmonizing voices of Simon & Garfunkel.

Simon & Garfunkel - The Sound of Silence

The next track I want to post is a slight progression for the blog as I don’t think we've talked about the genre yet. Like the track above, most people will probably be familiar with this track through film. The track is Brian Eno's Deep Blue Day which methodical film fans may be familiar with as the track that plays during Trainspotting when Renton dives into the toilet. There's not really much to talk about historically for this track other than it was purportedly first used and written for a documentary by NASA called For All Mankind. It’s a very Caribbean themed track so hopefully it'll warm you up in this shockingly cold winter we're having.

Brian Eno - Deep Blue Day

The next track I'm posting is one everyone should be familiar with, as it was Christmas number one a few years ago, I think it was the last xmas number 1 before x factor began(kudos to rage btw, really didn’t think it was even remotely possible, the internet continues to surprise me). The track also featured in what could perceivabley be my favorite film (after The Trilogy). The song, as the pub-quiz enthusiasts would probably know by now is Gary Jules' Mad World (originally by Tears for Fears). Video game fans may will be familiar with the track through its appearance in one of the trailers for the first Gears of War game (which I personally think completely misled people about what the game would be like). The track is great and one that should definitely be listened to in a relaxing manner (otherwise you'll probably over think it and make yourself depressed) I don’t like to tell people how to listen to music but I'll make an exception here by saying to concentrate on the piano, the keys keep this song alive.

Gary Jules - Mad World

To finish up today, as it's the last Sunday post before Christmas, I thought I'd throw in a Xmas treat for you all to appreciate on this fine Sunday evening. From the nature of the post and what I've just said, some of you may have already guessed that the track I'm going to post; none-other than Oceansize's cover of Walking In The Air. The reason I'm posting this is very specified, so bear with me (in honesty the song justifies itself, kind of making the rest of this post irrelevant, but there is reasoning). Covers to many are a loved thing, to others they can seem gimmicky; I stand somewhere in the middle, mainly because not all covers work and a lot are indeed gimmicky. To me covers can be a work of genius, if done right. The reason for this is that they instantly make genres of music that others may not be familiar with, or willing to explore, very accessible. It gives people an understanding of the track as the cover version will add a "what if?" element to the songs they are applied to. Now I'm obviously talking here about cross-genre covers, covers that try to perfectly emulate the same sound end up sounding shite. Some work (check for Chris Cornell's live acoustic version of Billie Jean, the one he recorded for Carry On just didn’t work imo) and some don't (ie Will Young desecrating The Doors legacy - im not even linking to this one). This is something that works and can easily be enjoyed by all, it's an upbeat and completely original look on a classic that everyone is familiar with, if you want someone to become a post-rock fan this Christmas then show them this, they may just thank you for it.

Oceansize - Walking In The Air