"I don't want it unless it's brand new"

Hey!

A couple of things to go through today, so let's crack on straight away, shall we? By the way, all the mp3s are on Megaupload today because it seems to be the only hoster I can get to work.

Far and away one of the strangest moves ever by a leader of the opposition occurred today when Conservative head honcho and all-round paragon of all that is yoof-related, David Cameron met with Chi-town upcoming hip-hop star, Rhymefest for a "cup of tea". The reason for this was because Cameron had said something like, "Yo, kids! This rap music leads to a life of crime. It's totally wack. You best check yourself before you wreck yourself, yo!" and then tried to make a 'w' with his fingers, but it looked more like the Star Trek 'Live long and prosper' hand symbol.

Anyway, 'Fest then challenged Cameron to a rap battle that took place today at the House Of Commons, with the guys calling an amicable draw after 30 minutes of sick flow and some truly breathtaking human-beatboxing from Cam'ron (as he now likes his name to be spelt). 'Fest took Cam's "Yo Momma's so big, she's got her own MP" jibes on the chin and proclaimed that the Tory leader should make an appearance at next year's Scribble Jam.

Seriously though, what the hell kind of world do we live in when our politicians are meeting up with MCs to discuss their lyrical subjects? The two should never mix, but it did lead to a rather amusing piece in today's Mirror, where the massively misinformed Rosa Prince writes that Rhymefest "refers to women as bitches". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of a Rhymefest track where he calls a woman a bitch*. He uses the word occasionally in reference to his detractors, but there's not really much mysoginy to be had in his debut album Blue Collar. Anyway, that's The Mirror for you, so you shouldn't really expect anything different.

What I really didn't expect though was to turn on my television and see 'Fest stood outside the House Of Commons reciting the lyrics to 'Bullet'. It pretty much made my day though. What price a meet between Jack Straw and devout Muslim, Lupe Fiasco?

To read what actually happened, go here.

Rhymefest feat. Citizen Cope - Bullet (mp3)

*Other than 'Brand New', of course! Forgot about that.

Possibly one of the most eagerly-awaited debuts of the year, The Long Blondes' Someone To Drive You Home has surfaced. Well, I'm pleased to announce that it's an absolute delight and a real contender for the best British release of the year. It pretty much delivers on the promise shown by the demos and the early singles with the kind of aplomb you'd expect from seasoned pros, rather than keen young turks.

Someone... is packed with the kind of dramatic, literate pop that you don't hear enough of in British music today. In fact, if this album doesn't manage to sell double what The Kooks' album has already sold, then I'm fucking off to Finland or somewhere. The newly-recorded versions of the singles improve on the versions that we've all already played to death, with 'Giddy Stratospheres' in particular taking on new dizzying heights.

Of the songs that you may not be all that familiar with, 'In The Company Of Women' is a fantastically tart and acidic treatise on why women can be so bitchy sometimes, 'Swallow Tattoo' wraps a tale of jealousy around a giddy, sugary hook and 'Lust In The Movies' shows their adeptness at shoutalong choruses. The instant album standout though is the jaw-droppingly hubristic epic 'You Could Have Both' that has one of the best spoken breakdowns in years.

It doesn't all hit home, token ballad, 'Heaven Help The New Girl' just plain doesn't work. What The Long Blondes have done here though is set the benchmark for any upcoming Brit bands planning their debut as Kate Jackson (definitely one of the sexiest women in music right now) and her crew have gone and set the bar pretty high.

The Long Blondes - Swallow Tattoo (mp3)

More tomorrow,

JMx