To promote or not to promote?

2013 was an interesting year for music - dramatic comebacks from David Bowie and Daft Punk, the live return of The Rolling Stones and game-changing albums from the likes of Kanye West, Vampire Weekend and Arctic Monkeys made sure of that. Besides all that, you also had a ton of exciting new bands honing their craft and releasing tantalising glimpses of what to expect from them, with the likes of Lapsley, THUMPERS and MANSIONAIR all ready to makes waves in 2014.

However, the standout trend of the year had to be the the contrast in how major artists decided to promote their new releases. Whilst the majority elected to pursue the familiar channels, some of the biggest names in the business shocked the world with their novel promotional campaigns.

The year was bookended by surprise releases from two artists. On this day in 2013, his birthday, David Bowie brought the internet to a standstill by unveiling the video for new single 'Where Are We Now?' without any prior warning. Whilst rumours of ill-health circled in the years prior to the release, the abrupt return to action meant Bowie was rewarded with his first number one album in twenty years, since 1993's Black Tie White Noise.

Perhaps the ploy influenced another global popstar, for on December 13, 2013, Beyonce dropped her fifth studio album without warning. Despite spending the year rejecting claims that the album was in progress, the bombshell caused 1.2 million tweets in just twelve hours and propelled it to the top of the album charts all over the world, selling 600,000 copies in three days. Two unorthodox album releases with no promotion, and two remarkably successful records.

But in between these two releases, other artists elected for a different approach. Canadian band Arcade Fire embarked on a two month-long campaign to promote their fourth album, Reflektor. It started with cryptic graffiti appearing in cities across the globe, with the messages slowly unveiling a more and more details about the album. Then, going under the pseudonym of The Reflektors, they released a 15-second snippet of a song on Spotify in September. By October, when the album finally came out, the promotional campaign had been as meticulous, ambitious and successful as any seen before it.

Daft Punk elected for a similarly-grandiose approach to their campaign. After three months of snippets of the new album, including clips on Saturday Night Live, Coachella Festival and the duo's website, lead single Get Lucky was finally released in April 2013. Their approach to the campaign had been inspired by the past: the gradual rollout of material and large Sunset Boulevard Billboards. Like all of the other albums mentioned here, Random Access Memories shifted thousands of units and debuted at the top of album charts across the world.

The difference between the promotional campaigns of the four of the biggest-selling records of the year was huge, and it's a contrast that hasn't been seen before. Although we saw a huge variety of different styles and genres trouble the mainstream in 2013, one thing remained consistent: albums aren't selling as well as they used to. The apparent determination of artists to break the mould of traditional promotional campaigns is a striking change from previous years.

Whilst we're unlikely to see million-selling albums again, something that was commonplace until the 90s, what is clear is that artists are having to find new and enterprising ways to deal with the proliferation of music piracy. To sell more records and be a greater success, some have plumped for massive marketing campaigns, others have chosen to do absolutely nothing in the way of promotion. Sometimes, less is more.

It's a promising sign that artists aren't resting on their laurels and are reacting accordingly to the slump in the music industry. 2014 may tell us whether the biggest artists on the planet decide to continue this trend and avoid the traditional marketing techniques, or go down the well-trodden path once again.

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Album of the Week #7

Artist: Moby Grape
Album: Moby Grape
Year: 1967
Label: Columbia

I hate the feeling of being too stuffed after eating a meal. Sure, the steak was fantastic, but did you really need to serve all of those dressings too? Sometimes it's best to serve as much as you need, enjoy all of it, and stop punishing yourself  by scraping the last few sprouts into your mouth hours after you started eating. Let's be honest, you probably stopped enjoying the meal after twenty or thirty minutes anyway.

Take another example of this. Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 1974 live album, Welcome Back, My Friends, to the Show That Never Ends...Ladies and Gentlemen, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. I feel stuffed after reading that album title alone. It was a trifold (luckily, that term never became a word) album. Arguably the most ridiculous album ever released, these 109 minutes of pure self-indulgence leave the listener feeling a little nauseous afterwards. It's too long. Too much hair. Too many keyboard solos. Too many guitar solos. Too many oboe solos. Too many sprouts.

So it's quite amazing that just seven years prior to Emerson, Lake and Palmer officially hurling themselves up their own arses, we had none of this needless self-indulgence. It was just the good stuff, and nothing more. 1967 in particular was a stellar year for album releases - The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Doors and Love all released career-defining efforts - so in a sense, it's no wonder that Moby Grape's eponymous debut album might have slipped under the radar in recent years.

Twenty nine minutes and twenty three seconds is all Moby Grape needed to make a classic album. They were a band in the truest sense, fostering the aesthetics of their other 60s contemporaries not just in sound, but also in the fact that all five band members wrote songs for the album. It's a collaborative effort that recalls the DIY spirit of the decade.

As you might imagine from a 60s album heralding from the San Francisco scene of the time, you can draw parallels with the likes of Jefferson Airplane and Buffalo Springfield (Skip Spence, one of the Moby Grape guitarists, was the original drummer for Jefferson Airplane). Together with Spence, the other two guitarists, Peter Lewis and Jerry Miller, combined in a way that was pretty much unseen at the time - only Buffalo Springfield's three guitar-pronged approach could light a candle to it.

The album kicks off with furious 60s rock 'n' roll (Hey Grandma) and rattles through songs with similar vibes throughout. It manages to capture a moment in time expertly - if you want the signature sound of this fabled decade, here it is. Most songs come and go in the blink of an eye, complete with that woozy, laid-back vibe throughout. And at 3.13, Changes is the longest song on the album. No bloated song structures or extended solos here. Moby Grape only give you what you need.

The highpoint of the album arrives early on, in the majestic 8.05. A yearning call for a lost love, it's probably been on hundreds of those compilations of the best songs of the decade, with good reason. It's not forced, it's delicate, and nothing here is being forced upon you. There's nothing unnecessary on this album. Because, after all, who really enjoys sprouts anyway?

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Feature: The Best Gig of 2013

As a post-Christmas treat, here's a special feature on my favourite gig of the year: Arcade Fire at London's Roundhouse.

12th November 2013. Just ten minutes had elapsed, yet I had already bought a Pete Doherty t-shirt, my mate had done likewise with an Amy Winehouse number, and now I was in advanced negotiations to purchase a top hat. Yep, I could only be in Camden. The trendy North London suburb is home to the famous Roundhouse venue, which would be hosting Canada's finest tonight: Arcade Fire. Or, 'The Reflektors', as it had been billed. On arrival, I was actually slightly disappointed to find a genuine band called The Reflektors hadn't pulled off the greatest marketing ploy since somebody decided to price an item at 99p. Ah well, I would have to make do with seeing one of the biggest bands in the planet at the 3,000 capacity venue instead. 

I was one of the lucky few to have snagged a golden ticket to the gig, after the customary event of waking up at the crack of dawn and bashing refresh like a crazed maniac. Although, I say that, but I actually found this to be one of the easiest gigs to get tickets to - my refresh count must have been in single figures before racing through the purchase page. But judging by the Twitter reaction afterwards, I was pretty much on my own in that respect. Make no bones about it: this was a hugely in-demand gig, and I had secured a ticket to it pretty comfortably. Naturally, I immediately felt vastly superior to other people.

My innate fear of pint prices in London came to the fore in the first drinking establishment that we frequented. £4.20 a pint!! The night was threatening to be totally derailed, thanks to a crippling state of sobriety. But having turned down the opportunity of looking like a complete bellend by buying and wearing a bloody top hat, the day (night) was miraculously saved! Happy Hour 5-7pm? 50% off all drinks? We had found our Camden watering hole and all was well in the world once again.

But I should probably stop prattling on about top hats and affordable pints- I'm sure you want to know what the band were actually like. On to the gig then. Scanning the sizeable queue to the Roundhouse, you could already sense that the atmosphere here was a little different to normal...thousands of people in suits and fancy dress does that, I suppose. For a cold, wet Tuesday night in London, people were in great spirits - and with good reason, too.

On entering the plush surroundings of the Roundhouse, it was really something else. This was going to be special. People had really gone to town on their fancy dress and I especially looked absolutely fantastic in my suit. Then, I noticed that a disguised Win Butler was singing lead for the Mariachi band upstairs. There was free face painting by the bar. Arcade Fire mystifyingly seemed to get some stick for the mandatory dress code idea, but from what I experienced, it only contributed to a uniquely jovial atmosphere.

The set itself was Reflektor-heavy, as you might expect. Kicking off with the title track, each and every cut off the new record received a rapturous reception. The band really seem to have nailed these songs live already- if anything, they come across better in these surroundings. Whether they will translate as well to festival headline slots is another question, but in an intimate venue such as this, you can really start to 'get' Reflektor.

The older songs that were interspersed with the newer material - Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out), Haiti and Sprawl II - went down similarly well. Yet the best-received songs had to be the sweaty, pogoing Normal Person and Here Comes the Night Time, which was accompanied by a mass explosion of confetti. This was half disco hall, half Haitian festival.

For a band who have sometimes been accused of taking themselves too seriously - there are, after all, a heck of a lot of doomsday lyrics in their repertoire - this marked a new chapter in their career and a noticeable shift in their sound, look and attitude. Arcade Fire are back, and this time, they're going to enjoy themselves.

Feature: Five of the Best...TV Performances of the Year

I know, I know, you're sick of lists. Best albums, best tracks, best artwork, best EPs, best outfit, best guitar strings...it's been pretty exhaustive as usual. But bear with me. I've seen a helluvah lot of impressive live performances on TV this year, but no list to commemorate them. What an oversight! Luckily, I'm here to save the day with a special feature: the five best TV performances of the year. Enjoy.

1) Kanye West - Bound 2 - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Kanye West - Bound 2 (Feat. Charlie Wilson... by BlakMusicFirst

Bound 2 is already a glorious conclusion to a pretty stunning, if divisive, album. But Kanye manages to bring it to life on this live performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Backed by a junior choir and a full live band, this track has old-school Kanye vibes, which isn't exactly in line with the sound and atmosphere of the rest of Yeezus, is made to sound like a bona fide pop classic. A rare example of a live version becoming undoubtedly better than a studio version of a song.

2) Deltron 3030 - City Rising From The Ashes - Late Show with David Letterman

Here's a pretty stunning performance. Hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030 absolutely go to town with this live version of City Rising From The Ashes, backed by a full orchestra, choir and band. It's fast, it's frenetic, and it's pretty bloody exciting. Kid Koala tears it up on the decks and Del's flow is absolutely relentless throughout. Why can't all live hip-hop be like this?

3) Tyler, the Creator - Rusty - Late Show with David Letterman

More hip-hop now. Although this performance lacks the grandeur and panache of Kanye and Deltron, the gritty, aggressive flow of Tyler, Earl and Domo makes for an intense show. And for live TV, it's pretty rare to be so enthralled by a performance like this. No band, no live music, just three MCs at the top of their game. The build up to Tyler's explosive verse (possibly his best?) and finish is quite something.

4) Arcade Fire - Afterlife - YouTube Music Awards

OK, an admission. I wanted to put John Grant's performance of Black Books on Jools Holland here...but it's mysteriously disappeared from the internet. Grrr. Still, this is a more than capable replacement. If only for the amazing Greta Gerwin dance.


5) Arctic Monkeys - Hold On (We're Going Home) - Radio 1 Live Lounge

Is it just me who thinks this is miles better than the original sung by Drake? I doubt it. The Arctic Monkeys manage to totally bring this already-great pop tune to another level, complete with Alex Turner's embarrassing-drunken-uncle dancing and Helders' I-can't-believe-he's-from-Yorkshire backing vocals. 

Album of the Week #6

Artist: Detroit Social Club

Album: Existence

Year: 2010

Label: Polydor

Although defunct North-East bands from the late 00s aren't usually my speciality, I have to reserve special praise for this six-piece for whom I had (and still have) a lot of love for. In the midst of a pretty impressive year for album releases - Kanye West, The National and Arcade Fire all released career-defining efforts - Existence never really got the attention that it deserved. Despite support slots with the likes of Ian Brown, Primal Scream and Oasis, together with a 2010 Glastonbury appearance, the band regrettably split up in early 2011, with frontman David Burn electing to concentrate on his career as a music producer. Months after releasing their debut album they even left their record label Polydor and set up their own - the cunningly titled Fuck Pop - to release subsequent single I Am Revolution, which is also a cracker.

But where were we? Oh yeah. Existence. It hits you like a train. After a slow, brooding build-up for epic opener Kiss the Sun, it explodes into an anthemic, furious, gospel-like track which really sets the tone for the rest of the album. And anthemic has to be the buzzword here. Guitars, synths, pounding drums, strings...it's a whole cacophony of noise that has been expertly controlled and nurtured: no song here feels overblown or overdone in any way. It's OK throwing all these ideas into the ring - and clearly Detroit Social Club had loads - but managing the mixing pot and making sure all of those elements blend together well is something else entirely.

Despite the generally frenetic pace that the band set, after Kiss the Sun comes the delicate, string-laden ballad Northern Man, which you may or may not have heard gracing the interludes of Sky Sports News. Who said these guys were unknowns!? It offers a great counterpoint to the fast-paced opener, even if it doesn't exactly give an indication of things to come.

Even throughout the slower, more delicate efforts from the group, none of the anthemic soundscapes and epic atmospheres are lost, which are something of a trademark for the group. It is a remarkably assured effort for a debut album and it is even more impressive that they had managed to already carve out a trademark sound that has echoes of several influences - think 90s Brit Pop and 70s gospel and soul - yet remain pretty unique in their own right.

Although the album is packed-full of singalong anthems, punchy choruses and LOUD NOISES, the expert songwriting behind the glitz and grandeur cannot be overstated. No song feels too long, has too many verses or too many bridges, and that is symbolic of the assured sound throughout that has already been mentioned. Whilst some bands may have been overly tempted by the lure of adding a few extra minutes onto every song, Detroit Social Club resisted that and, discounting the hidden track, just one song exceeds five minutes (5:01!).

Around six songs in you start to feel a little worn out by the unrelenting pace - so it's a blessing that the final three songs take on an altogether different vibe. Jangly guitars, tribal drums and lovely vocal harmonies guide the listener through to the end, and it's quite a journey. What a shame that Detroit Social Club broke up before they really realised their potential. I Am Revolution gave an exciting glimpse of the direction that they were looking to take, but perhaps overflowing frustrations with the music industry cut short the lifespan of a once-promising group. I doubt they were the first, and I doubt they will be the last.

Check the album out on Spotify below.