So I'm here listening to the amazing latest release by Mikey Skinner and The Streets "Computers and Blues" reading how, they're done. Yet another farewell.
2011, the year of 'last tours' apparently. The Streets last go round this side of the pond will occur at Terminal 5 in New York City, on August 5th.
I know someone who will be there. Lucky. Did The Streets ever win an US market? They certainly won me over years ago but it seems to me they just never got enough press here. The hipsters missed out, he could have been their hero.
Quoting Skinner to The Guardian, on the farewell-"It's obvious. I've been doing it for 10 years and I've always tried to do something different with each album," he says. "Some [of my work has] been amazingly received and some of it hasn't been, and I've run out of new avenues.
"As uninteresting as the Streets is to talk about, the most interesting element of anything is its death, so if you're going to talk about the Streets, ending the Streets is probably a good thing to talk about," he continues, ceding the point that there might yet be some purpose to our interview, which is only two minutes old. "But it's not interesting really. I haven't really got anything more to do."
Its unfortunate, I suppose, that I will not see the band live but I think I will survive. I have trouble with the concept of seeing a DJ live. Its spinning skill meh, whatever I cant imagine its as intricate as it is recorded. Weird isn't it, that the recorded in my view would surpass a live show? Yup, that's me; complex.
Back to Computers and Blues. I am such a fan of this recording, its another simplistic fun release. This makes 2 found this month, not a bad score. There is an underlying beat with that ever awkward white boy rap over some fascinating swirly music. Top picks "Roof Of Your Car" and "We Can Never Be Friends". There are stand out lines in everyone of these songs. "Trust Me" has to be the most 70s inspired hot mess of all time. Its hilariously good. If you take your Streets with a dash of humor it works like a charm.
The Streets may be calling it done but Skinner will still be around in some form another. He has to at least keep writing. There just isn't much fun in music anymore, I'll miss this.