Counterfeit Week 4

Amanda and I had a great time presenting Counterfeit this week in SYN studios. This week's show featured an interview with Editors' guitarist, Chris Urbanowicz, coinciding with the placement of the single Munich in the British Top 10 charts this week. We had an interesting, if not slightly tense, chat to Chris about success on an independent label, their collaborative efforts with Elbow and the band's b-side ethic. Look out for this band when they tour Australia in May!

Talks with Chris from Editors fed into our featured Counterfeit Mix Tape: a tape of bootlegs and b-sides. Inspired by Eddie Argos' description of his little brother who just discovered rock n roll, Amanda and I explored the consequence of bootlegs and b-sides to music-lovers everywhere. We also played some great obscurities from The Arcade Fire, The Smiths and The Cure. Swoon.

For me, at least, b-sides provide some kind of insight into a band's fundamental approach to music. You know, it's the kind of music the band would produce if they knew their fans would accept almost any musical off-cut, just for obscurity's sake. In an ideal world, our favourite musicians would produce consistently great music, despite its a or b side status.. but as interesting as b-sides are, my lazy, smacked up, ridiculous musical heroes rarely match a-side quality to b-side quality. Except for The Cure's Halo. That song is sublime.

Amanda has different theories on this topic but I'll leave it to her to post a comment.. as for YOU, reader. I invite you to do the same.

Playlist for Monday 16th January
Moloko - The Time is Now
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Radio 4 - Beat Around the Bush
Out Hud - It's for You
Badly Drawn Boy - Once Around the Block
Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer
House of Love - Shine On
Editors - Bullets
Editors - You Are Fading
Art Brut - My Little Brother
Arcade Fire and David Bowie - Wake Up (live)
The Smiths - Some Girls are Bigger than Others (live)
The Cure - Halo
Daft Punk - Digital Love
Nine Inch Nails - Only
Q and not U - Tag Tag
Editors - Fingers in the Factories
Elbow - Forget Myself
The Infadels - Jagger 67
Pet Shop Boys and David Bowie - Hallo Spaceboy
Ian Brown - Fear

Coming up on Counterfeit: Next week, we talk to James from California's Dirty Little Secret. Also, look out for our interview with Big Day Out headliners, the Kings of Leon and our chat with ever-dreamy Carlos Barat, formally of The Libertines. Enough? Enough! x