They're great, a little too refined.

The Hush Sound, composed of Greta Salpeter, Bob Morris, Darren Wilson and (formerly) Chris Faller. They make pop music, so don't let their supporting bands or label fool you.

They're music is vintage; it has elements of the forties and fifties, combined with the more modern idea of big introductions. The lyrics to their songs are haunting, poetic, and fun, and the soulful voice of Salpeter combined with the voice of Morris deliver music that is catchy and atmospheric.

The Hush Sound, however, are a bit... rich, in regards to personality. Don't let that fool you though- they're a good band, and they're entertaining on stage, but their intelligence and subtly self-induced title of "unique" can sometimes get a little off-putting when used too often. If you've heard about three Hush songs, you've heard them all.

However, downloading them and checking out this nonsensical new video for "Medicine Man" are worth your time (bottom of post). They are, in fact, on Vinyl's current top 10.

Songs to check out:
-Wine Red: the epitome of The Hush Sound's vibe. This one of the most popluar anthems in the indie crowd.
-Hurricane: Arguably their best song, the haunting, relative feel this song leaves you with is effective.
-The Boys Are Too Refined: The song of THS that can get you moving. It's quite good.


Medicine Man

Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale

If The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield had to be described in one word, haunting is, without a doubt, the only adjective that blankets the novel. Told from the perspective of Margaret Lea, a biographer, the story takes us from the past to the present, chronicling the life of Vida Winter, a reclusive and ailing author. But don't let the plot fool you. The gothic novel is jam-packed with subtle suspense, hair-raising chills, and a mood and excitment that won't soon leave you.

Setterfield's writing is smooth and graceful, but taught with a dark elegance. As we learn of a set of feral twins, a disturbed family, a warm groundskeeper, and, most importantly, the sarcastic and cynical Vida Winter, we fall in love with the characters. The book captures you and has you awake late into the night.

Vida Winter, a famous novelist, is dying, and with the requested help of Margaret Lea, our protagonist, she wants for the first time to set the story of her mysterious life to paper. Her story is wrought with heartbreak, love, elegance and darkness. With a twist that will leave you reeling, and a plot like none you have read before, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a fantastic read for anyone who loves to be lost in a novel. 9/10 stars.

Sexy? Yes yes yes.

This is Girls Aloud. And they are the absolute best thing the modern music industry holds. They are (left to right) Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, Kimberly Walsh, and Cheryl Cole. They are British, they are fashion icons, they are intelligent. They are backed by Xenomania, who are behind everything brilliant under the sun- they write brilliant, quirky, dark, electrofied, and artistic songs.

Girls Aloud's fifth studio album, Out of Control came out yesterday, and it is absofuckingutely slap your motherly amazing. The album is electropop meets retropop, as Girls Aloud have always done. But this one is more versatile. It is very 60's, very sexy, very emotional, and very catchy. The Loving Kind, the song written exclusively for Girls Aloud by The Pet Shop Boys, is a tearsonthedancefloor piece of brilliance, with constant synths and haunting vocals. This will certainly be the next single. Untouchable is a haunting, evoking song about being apart from the one you love, lamenting the distance amidst heavy synths and big notes. The song starts off slowly and innocently before bursting into a full-throttle electro piece. Single? Miss You Bow Wow is as strange as the title. As in all Girls Aloud songs, it is a combination of random, catchy melodies and it will surely be in your head for a while. It is very 60's, and almost even 40's. We Wanna Party has the most brilliant line IN A SONG EVER. We said it. Stop the press.

"We dress in black, but we won't be light. We're so depressed we wear our shades at night."

Christ on a bike. Then we have Fix Me Up, a sexy, catchy, funky song, and The Promise, their current single, a complete 60's flashback. All in all, the second best album. Sorry, but you just can't be an album like their last one, Tangled Up, when it has songs like Sexy! No no no, Call the Shots, Girl Overboard and Close to Love. But it is brilliant. It's sex and tears.

For those of you who don't know Girls Aloud at all or that well, here are some tracks to get you to know them. Either download them, or watch their videos on YouTube. And then download them.

• Sexy! No no no - the best song ever written. Fast, edgy, gothic, sexy. Best music video, too.
  

• Call the Shots - amazing. It will have you coming back. It is a grower, so listen more than once.


• Biology - this song embodies the oddities one experiences on a GA album.


• The Loving Kind


• Something Kinda Ooooh - fast, sexy, electric, intelligent


• Can't Speak French - unqiue, a grower. You've never heard something like this.

Tell us what you think of Girls Aloud after those, and we will give you a free song. E-mail us at avenuevinyl@gmail.com

We Wanna Party

We are Vinyl Avenue. We are music. We are fashion. We are movies. We are the trends and the threads that bind them together. We are the ones who walk down the hall and make your heads turn, but we are also the ones that, after you get to know us, you realize how fantastic our taste is. We're not mean, we're not loud. We're opinionated and relaxed.

But what the christ is Vinyl Avenue? It doesn't exist, let's stomp that theory right now. Physically, at least. It is the mental place that those of us with a clue go, where music throbs in the step of the street, where the many styles of today's people walk and speak. Where the best shops and cafes line the road, and the lights at night shine brighter than the sun, any day. A place that doesn't sleep. Where books are read and films are watched.

But enough with the imagery and personification. If we offend you, good. To be offended is to be enlightened (you can quote us etc.) We will tear down those artists of music, film, fashion, and the written word that don't deserve their pedestal, and we will raise to the highest those who deserve it. We may trash your favorite band, and tarnish your favorite author. But we may, just maybe, praise your favorite film and fill your want for better fashion.

Stick with us. The trends and opinions we fixate today may be obliterated tomorrow. We will make you laugh. We will supply your iPod with the best shit, fill your closet with style, stock your bookshelf with the best reads, and put the best films onto your screen.

If we can be bothered.

I'm Jack Collier. I'm in charge of this place. Any problems, requests, suggestions, bitchings, praisings, gossip, news, etc can be e-mailed to us at avenuevinyl@gmail.com

Check around every once in a while. We're here to stay.