Kaiser Chiefs have just released a new track:
https://youtu.be/I15E5zkdGRk?list=PLF7574221DB0176D4
(Their next album is due out 7th October.)

So what do you think of Parachute?

I've been a fan for 12 years and I'll stick with them because they're one of my favourite bands, but I have to admit for the first time ever I'm a little bit disappointed with a new KC song. I don't hate it, but it's so forgettable. Sounds like they're trying to be hip and trendy instead of being themselves. Hope the new album isn't all like this.

Always liked their music and I really like this. Welcome back!

But baffled by the long wait for the album though

Although the music snob police don't like to admit it, the last Kaiser Chiefs album Education Education and War was actually pretty damned good.

But this... mmmm…is it reflective of the albums sound? We'll see. I may like the new track after a few listens its not bad really. But it does sound like the Kaiser Chiefs produced by David Guetta or Avicci or Kygo or any other Ibiza europop DJ. I find this a bit sad. I guess the Kaisers came to the conclusion if they went with their trademark sound it wouldn't get played on radio due to how conservative playlists are now.

Nothing against electronic sounds but why is it always the most bland or cheesy ones that dominate now? A lot of the older indie acts seem to be going down the EDM up your sound route now. Coldplay seem to have started the ball rolling and even the likes of Richard Ashcroft seem to have jumped on the bandwagon. Guess its the way they have to go to survive.

Still a bad Blur I'm afraid.

BIB. This. Bland I'm afraid. Unrecognisable as the band who gave us "I Predict a Riot". I just hope this is a one off and the rest of the album is more like them.

I loved EEE&W too, one of their best ever albums I think.

I think what you are saying is very true. It's a shame that bands feel they have to change their sound and go all electronic so they can get on the Radio 1 playlist. Other better stations would have played them anyway, I'm sure.




They sound more like Coldplay with this track. Even the title is borrowed from the name of a Coldplay album! Quite funny really. I wonder if they are aware of that, how appropriate that title is, given this new sound?

oh god

I'd rather listen to the Pretty Things' Parachute. That's real rock.

Not sure what these better stations are but the plan has failed anyway if that is what they intended it has been completely ignored by Radio 1 so far, and be interesting to see if their other supporters Radio 2,X and Absolute still play them. I think its the Capital playlist they want to be on with this sound and it wont happen.

It just gets worse then eh!

Chris Moyles was talking about it this morning. He says it's a grower but I'm not too keen. Is there even any guitar in it ?

If you listen very closely you can just about hear a tiny amount of guitar here and there but it is buried very, very, very, very deeply in the mix. Well, if they had it too loud the radio playlisters would have a nose bleed when they listened to it wouldn’t they?

All things considered I don't think this song will win the Kaiser Chiefs any new fans nor as others have said does it seem to be opening the doors to getting airplay on stations that won’t play them anymore. I can imagine their label demanded a song in this style because "Look, its worked for Coldplay!" But I'm not sure its done them any favours really given the contempt it has caused amongst their existing fan base.

It all goes back to radio though that is forcing the change. Why does the current radio hierarchy seem to be infested with 40 something controllers who think extremely dated old hat Ibiza/trance/euro DJ sounds of the 90's that they now call EDM is exactly what kids should be listening to? And god damn it, even if our falling ratings and focus groups say otherwise were just going to keep playing this sh*t because we're having our midlife crisis and want to relieve our clubbing 20's youth and screw anybody else who disagrees with us.

They've totally shafted guitar/rock music to play this crap, claiming that guitars are now dated. How the f**k is any of the 90's based EDM sound any less dated??? "Kids don't like the sound of guitars now." Well maybe if they got a chance to actually hear one...

Indeed they've totally shafted most of the good electronic music out there too as they don't play that either. Just the usual club based formulaic repetitive crap all recycling the same sounds and tricks.

Something I noticed was when both Bowie and Prince died all the cacky EDM based chart crap died (for a bit). Why? Well I personally think that was because you had all these kids going on YouTube to see who these strange people were. On actually seeing two giants of the music world who made great music, with great musicianship that funnily enough used both guitars AND electronic sounds in their music they were blown away.

They then looked what was playing on radio or trending on the web this week...and it wasn't so interesting anymore because they had seen what true musical genius sounds like.

But it not all stations doing this though, mainly Radio 1 and Capital, and they basically just play chart music and current pop. There's other stations where you can still listen to guitar based music, rock, indie, etc, such as all the Absolute stations, Radio X, BBC Radio 6, The Arrow, Kerrang! and Planet Rock.

True, but let’s use Radio 1 and 6 as examples. The BBC sell it as this great thing that we now have Radio 6, their adverts promote it like its some sort of special bastion for those with "good taste."

But the reality is it really exists just they so they can dump all the indie stuff from Radio 1 (i.e. the station most people listen to) so they then don't have an obligation to play it anymore unless its charts. Which if we are following the vicious circle through it rarely does because it’s not getting the airplay on Radio 1 in the first place.

No fan of the Tory party what-so-ever and I am glad the BBC escaped privatisation in the new licence fee deal. But I do wish they had given Radio 1 a giant rocket up its arse. Part of why Britpop happened in the early 90's was because the Tory's of the time threatened privatisation unless Radio 1 varied its output from that of commercial radio. It became the launchpad for the careers of Suede, Blur, Oasis, etc and the rest is history.

Its a fair point though, why should a radio station funded by public money be nothing me than the major labels bitch?

I remember when they were having one of the Radio 1 Big Weekend music festivals they got Taylor Swift as the headliner. Nothing against that, but here's what I don't like. I very much suspect one of Swift's conditions for playing that gig was that she got even more sodding airplay than she already did on the station in the run up to the show. Every morning my clock radio would go off with Nick Gwimshaw exclaiming "Its Swifteeeeey!!!! And yet another of her back catologue would play.

The funniest thing was they had a phone in for free tickets where a so called fan would simply have to answer what the lyrics were in one of her songs. And the thick muppets would always get it wrong. I'd think jeezus how can anybody get these lyrics wrong when they play these songs ever bloody morning on repeat, even I know the answer!!!

But the point is why is public money and airtime being squandered giving an artist who really does need any more exposure, yet more exposure on the tax payer?

Same deal with Lady Gaga's flopped last album. Even though it was critically mauled, it didn't sell well and even her own fans didn't like it, Radio 1 lead its playlist everyday with whatever single she and her label wanted ramming down peoples throats.

As Radio 1 is not reliant on advertising money to exist they are in a unique position where they could say no, but they never do. Kanye West talking yet more mentally ill bollocks about how he's a living god-give him even more airplay and yet another interview. Another boring Ed Sheeran song- yes please. Rock guitar -NO, James Bay MOR guitar-yes please!