Tonight’s guest had a list of albums which he could’ve chosen but finally Ash settled on Enter Shikari – Take To The Skies (2007)

The album was Enter Shikaris debut album and peaked at #4 in the UK album charts, which for a band of this type is impressive. Ash presented the album in a way that we haven’t seen for a while and more focussed on the history attached to the album giving stories and annecdotes of days at college and profiteering from gigs.

Alongside this Ash compared the songs lyrics and musical style to that of his college life, stating that alot of the lyrics have a very “Chilled, relaxed, not a care in the world college days” attitude and sttates that the band too seem to have that sort of sounds, that they a re just a bunch of mates, making music they like because they want to and enjoying it.

Having heard on Enter Shikari before but not this album made it interesting to see where the band had originated musically and it was refreshing to hear such a varied album going from hard hitting fast hardcore to the more melodic tracks present later in the album. Overall I felt that the album was well produced, but not over produced and still retained a certain roughness and felt that that
this was a band that enjoyed what they had made and that too came across in the music. Plus any album with a Stingray reference for a track name has to be a winner right?

So the albums final rating was:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

Track Listing Below:

1. Intro – Stand Your Ground
2. Enter Shikari
3. Mothership
4. Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour…
5. Interlude
6. Labyrinth
7. No Sssweat
8. Today Won’t Go Down in History
9. Interlude 2
10. Return to Energiser
11. Interlude 3
12. Sorry, You’re Not a Winner
13. Interlude 4
14. Jonny Sniper
15. Adieu
16. OK Time for Plan B
17. Closing

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Tonight saw the return of past guest Eddy, and a second attempt to gain that prestigious seal of approval. This time with the Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (2010)

Again the album was a very produced offering that produced some big singles such as Stylo and On Melancoly Hill. The album had a really varied sound with some tracks being quite fast and upbeat and others being somewhat slower and slightly darker.

Again, this was another album that was difficult to judge as whilst the music its self was ok and a few tracks stuck in my mind, again it didn’t really grasp me in any way however it had kept me interested enough to keep listening through out the show.

As a result of this, a new star system was implemented into the shows rating system in order to try and make it slightly easier and less “Black and White” in its ratings. Therefore if the album receives higher than 2.5 Stars its a pass, any lower then its a fail.

So overall the album received:

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

Track Listing Below:

1. Orchestral Intro
2. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach
3. White Flag
4. Rhinestone Eyes
5. Stylo
6. Superfast Jellyfish
7. Empire Ants
8. Glitter Freeze
9. Some Kind of Nature
10. On Melancholy Hill
11. Broken
12. Sweepstakes
13. Plastic Beach
14. To Binge
15. Cloud of Unknowing
16. Pirate Jet

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Tonight’s guest Sean brought with him Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Californication (1999)

The album marked a change in sound for the band and was as such their most successful studio album, providing several popular singles. The reason Sean chose this album was not only because of the varied musical style but also because of the messages and stories evident in the albums lyrical material. Alongside this it hold memories of driving and chilling out with family and friends back home.

The album was very difficult to assess as whilst Sean did raise a fair argument for its cause, I felt that the album didn’t have enough influence on me to for it to succeed however, there was also nothing expressly wrong with it in order to fail it. In the end the decision hinged on the strength of the track ”I Like Dirt” and the bass work of Flea. Hence finally, just about the album received;

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

Track Listing Below:

1. Around the World
2. Parallel Universe
3. Scar Tissue
4. Otherside
5. Get on Top
6. Californication
7. Easily
8. Porcelain
9. Emit Remmus
10. I Like Dirt
11. This Velvet Glove
12. Saviour
13. Purple stain
14. Right on Time
15. Road Trippin’

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Chris Iredale tonight brought the album. Dan Le Sac vs Scroobilus Pip – Angles.

The band themselves were a back-room duo so to speak, with much of the album being recorded either in a bedroom or shed using fairly normal equipment and gear.

The songs on the album all touch on subject that are considered as taboo such as suicide, drug use and depression. The lyrics concentrate on the other “Angles” to the situations that may not normally be touched upon. Hence the album title.

Its because of this bravery to touch on such taboo subjects but in a way that is quite delicate and respectful whilst also being thought provoking that compliments the very rough round the edges and realistic feeling to the album that compliments the under lying messages. These reasons lead to the final conclusion of;

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

Listen Again On MixCloud!
Track Listing Below:

1. The Beat That My Heart Skipped
2. Development
3. Look For The Woman
4. Rapper’s Battle
5. Tommy C
6. Fixed
7. Angles
8. Letter From God To Man
9. Magician’s Assistant
10. Back From Hell
11. Thou Shalt Always Kill
12. Waiting For The Beat To Kick In
13. Reading My Dreams

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Welcome back to Groundbreakers. A little late on parade but hope all you guys had a great Xmas and New Year! So for our first show of 2012 we had Cameron Ward with us showcasing the Arctic Monkeys debut - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006)

Cameron decided on this album for a few reasons. The origins of the band;  being based around near his home town and sounding “Local” to the area. The second is due to the widespread success of such a young act and the influence the album had on the musical scene of the time and the final, and probably biggest reason is due to the story that each song tells in a way that can either be related to past mischiefs or to more “taboo” subjects.

Whilst originally I wasn’t of the singles from the album, I was however by the end of the show more impressed by the al;bum, leading to the final success and seal approval. The main reasons being due to the relate-ability and also the bravery of such a young band to risk writing and performing songs that covered such “Taboo” subjects and still pulling it off.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

Listen Again on MixCloud!
Track Listing Below:

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Tonight I was joined by George, one of Storms programme controllers with his favourite album The Pixies – Dolittle, which has been influential to him since his school days.

The biggest appeal of this album to me is the music that it influenced in its wake, bands such as Nirvana and Puddle of Mudd as well as so many other grunge sort of acts would just not really be the same without this offering. Along side the influence the album has had it is also very bass heavy which also appeals and therefore I am proud to give it the title of “Groundbreaking”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - Seal Approved.

Track Listing Below:

1. Debaser
2. Tame
3. Wave of Mutilation
4. I Bleed
5. Here Comes Your Man
6. Dead
7. Monkey Gone to Heaven
8. Mr. Grieves
9. Crackity Jones
10. La La Love You
11. No. 13 Baby
12. There Goes My Gun
13. Hey
14. Silver
15. Gouge Away

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Tonight’s guest was Bob Chatterley, with his chosen album World Record by Lower Than Atlantis. Bob chose this album as it was released around a time when he did a lot of thinking and can relate to many of the songs and also remembers how he felt when it was released.

1. (Motor) Way of Life
2. Beech Like the Tree
3. High at Five
4. Uni 9mm
5. Another Sad Song
6. Marilyn’s Mansion
7. Deadliest Catch
8. Bug
9. Up in Smoke
10. Could You? Would You?
11. Working for the Man by Day, Sticking It to the Man by Night
12. R.O.I.

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Tonight’s Ground Breakers was  a Hallowe’en special and instead of featuring a guest as we usually do we instead decided to feature an extra special Ground Breaking album with a darker feel to it. So I (Biscuit), decided that the album that was most fitted to this special show would be Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War Of The Worlds. (1978).

This was a concept album based around a combination of progressive rock and orchestral string music which retells the classic 1898 H.G.Wells, War Of The Worlds story in a wholly new way. Not only this but it also had a string of big names in the music and movie world of the time.

The album coupled the story with songs that in their own right are also very individually important and influential. The single “Forever Autumn” for example holds a special significance to myself.

Whilst the album is in no way new, it deserves it’s place among our other Ground Breaking albums as it was something very new that hadn’t been attempted before and it’s influence can be seen by the fact that it is still a best selling musical at Londons West End over 30 years later!

Track Listing’s:

(The Coming of the Martians)

1. The Eve of the War
2. Horsell Common and the Heat Ray
3. The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine
4. Forever Autumn
5. Thunder Child

(The Earth Under the Martians)

1. The Red Weed (Part 1)
2. The Spirit of ManThe Red Weed (Part 2)
3. Brave New World
4. Dead London
5. Epilogue (Part 1)
6. Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA)

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