This is the same syndrome as Diesel-U-Music just a few days ago: the careful manufacturing of the appearance of freshness; the polished semblance of being unpolished. Just look at the cover, with its handwritten form-filling looking like the cover of a master tape or CDR that's been hastily compiled in a demo studio. It's just the "in association with MTV" that kind of gives it away.
Calvin Harris has been all over 6 Music recently with his Acceptable in the '80s song, which frankly gets on my nerves. And not just because I was born two decades earlier.
I picked this CD off the shelf last weekend, and since then these 'tips' have been following me around like a prophecy. Both Jack Peñate and Does It Offend You, Yeah? (yeah, it does, since you ask — well done) cropped up on Gideon's show on Monday.
Then Terra Naomi (which offends me too, even though no one asked) is playing at the ICA next week, following swiftly on the review of her album.
Finally, Harris, Peñate and Mika were all nominated as "Best Breakthrough Artist" in the Q Awards.
Well done to all of them. All this attention is surely a reflection of talent and merit, and nothing to do with music industry hype and insider plugging. Because Music Week and MTV wouldn't go for that.
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