I Eat Music

Running from 14-16 Aug in Leicester, Summer Sundae features a fine mix of new and established talent, plus some of the finest comedians the UK has to offer (taking a brief rest from the Edinburgh Festival). Headliners this year are The Streets, The Charlatans and The Zutons. And as well as them, you’ll be treated to the likes of Mr Hudson, Bon Iver, Saint Etienne, Dan Black, Future Of The Left, Beardyman, 65daysofstatic, Qemists, Jeremy Warmsley and more. Here we pick some of our favourites for a Summer Sundae CMU-Tube selection.

01: Bombay Bicycle Club – Always Like This
I, like many people I know, formed an opinion of Bombay Bicycle Club long before actually hearing them. And it took a long time to listen to them, because I assumed they wouldn’t be for me. But they are. Oh yes they are. Such lovely pop music, here showing off some afrobeat influences. A bit like Vampire Weekend, but good.

02: Chairlift – Bruises
‘Bruises’, or “that song off the iPod advert” as it is more commonly known, is one of the standout tracks from Chairlift’s debut album. Such a nice song about falling over I never did hear before. And that refrain of “you-ooo-ooo-oooooo oo oo ooo” gets me every time.

03: Chipmunk – Diamond Rings
Yeah, alright, it does feature the sort of wealth-based braggery that turns many off mainstream rap, by the ska tones of this single should help Chipmunk slip in amongst the rest of the Summer Sundae line-up quite nicely. That chorus will be in your head for days too

04: Idlewild – A Modern Way Of Letting Go
I tend to forget about Idlewild for long periods of time. I think I get it into my head that I don’t like them. But then I’ll hear a song like this one and remember that I bloody love em. Okay, not every album has been a corker, but they great stuff far outweighs the just okay stuff. And they’re amazing live.

05: The Airborne Toxic Event – Sometime Around Midnight
I know a lot of people were very struck with this band’s debut album, although it didn’t do a great deal for me. I’ve not seen them live, though, and I’m told that I should. This song is one of the tracks you can really see working well drifting over a festival crowd.

06: The Charlatans – The Only One I Know
The Charlatans, eh? They’ve been around a while now. Here’s some early work. ‘The Only One I Know’ was their second single and their first top ten hit. Still a mainstay of indie discos, it will forever cause me to get up and dance. I’m not even typing now, I’m on the other side of the room dancing.

07: The Dykeenies – Clean Up Your Eyes
Look at The Dykeenies. Look how emotional they are. Currently working on their second album, they’ll be taking a break from the studio to bring their own brand of beefy, synth-tinged pop rock to get the crowd jumping.

08: The Streets – Fit But You Know It
You see this sort of thing all the time these days, but back in 2004 this video looked really impressive. Actually, it still does. A simple idea that fits with the lyrics of the song well. And the song rips off the riff from ‘Jean Genie’. What more do you want?

09: The Zutons – Valerie
Poor old The Zutons, this song will forever be thought of as an Amy Winehouse song now. In fact, some of their newer fans already assume their version is a cover. Why not help them out at Summer Sundae by shouting “Good job for writing this song, The Zutons. I think your original version is just as good as, if not better, than the Mark Ronson cover version that Amy Winehouse sang on” when they play it.

10: Wild Beasts – Hooting & Howling
Very, very buzzy at the moment, Wild Beats’ set at Summer Sundae is sure to draw a sizeable crowd, particularly with their second album out last week, so be sure to get there early to pick a prime spot.

You’ve read all this waffle, now watch the videos, here:

For more CMU-Tube stuff, go to www.thecmuwebsite.com/tube. Meanwhile check out all things Summer Sundae at www.summersundae.com

Yes, it’s one of CMU’s very favourite festivals this coming weekend, the early Summer little brother of the mighty Bestival. The three-day Camp Bestival is well and truly one for all the family – think village fete meets music festival. In a castle. Music wise, Bestival-chief Rob da Bank has once again got together an eclectic array of top quality bands and artists for your enjoyment. Here Team CMU picks ten of its favourites to offer you at home a Camp Bestival CMU-Tube selection.

01: Baddies – Battleships
Let’s kick things off with a solid rock track, shall we? This track shows off everything we love about the still buzzy Baddies: it’s loud, slightly odd and a little bit poppy. The video also matches this description. Plus, it might give you motion sickness, which is a great way to start things off, I think you’ll agree.

02: Dan Black – Yours
I’ve always said that the problem with most music videos these days is that they don’t have enough people with massive guns for heads in them. Thankfully, this one goes some way to rectifying that. “I don’t wanna be yours no more”, says Dan. And nothing says “It’s over” like having a massive gun for a head.

03: Florence And The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
We love Florence And The Machine, and we don’t care who knows it. That lady has quite a voice on her. She also knows how to have a weird party in the woods, as this video proves.

04: Laura Marling – Ghosts
Laura Marling also has a good voice, but she keeps it quieter that Florence. By which I mean she’s sings quietly, not badly. This video features a nice combination of Fuzzy Felt and digital animation. And Fuzzy Felt is another thing too often lacking in music videos these days.

05: Micachu And The Shapes – Lips
The thing about Micachu And The Shapes is that they sound like they’ve just stumbled across some instruments and decided to have a go at playing them. In a good way. Possibly. I’ve still not made my mind up, to be honest. All the more reason to check them out at Camp Bestival.

06: Phoenix – If I Ever Feel Better
This song came out nearly ten years ago, and in that time has carved itself a special little place in my internal jukebox. There’s something comforting about its chorus that means I don’t mind when it revolves endlessly around my head. It’s nicer when the whole song is played properly all the way through, though.

07: PJ Harvey – C’mon Billy
Do I need to say anything about this? It’s Peej. She is good. This song is obviously quite old now, and I probably should have picked something a little newer. But, hey, it’s a good song and she’ll almost certainly play it at Camp Bestival.

08: Roots Manuva – Witness 1 Hope
How have I never seen this video before? It is a work of genius. Still reeling from the fact that he came last in every event he entered at his school sports day when he was aged nine, Roots decides to get in shape and have another crack at proving his sporting prowess. I won’t spoil it by saying any more.

09: Tinchy Stryder – Number 1
When this single was released it went straight to number one in the singles chart. We feared that if it stopped being in that position it could bring about the end of the universe. It didn’t though. Everything was fine.

10: Will Young – Leave Right Now
This is going to do little for my hyper cool image, but this is one of my favourite music videos ever. Pop acts don’t tend to make good videos (I refer you to the previous Tinchy Stryder video), but this is a major exception. All filmed in one shot, the visuals and lyrics combine to tell a story. I like stories.

Now you’ve read the blurbs, find out what we’re banging on about by actually watching the videos, here:

For more CMU-Tube stuff, go to www.theCMUwebsite.com/tube. And to check out all things Camp Bestival at www.campbestival.net.