Friday, November 17, 2006

Jim Noir












Bowler hat, blazer, matching slacks, striped shirt and tie. He's a proper English bloke, a fine gentleman. Noir is from Manchester, the borough so many richly talented artists have called home. His music is a nice blend of charming pop and multi-instrumental psych-folk.

To date he has released one album, Tower of Love (Barsuk, 2005). This past summer he rose from obscurity to minor fame when 'Eanie Meaney' was used in that wonderful Adidas World Cup ad campaign (Jose+10) in which he sings "If you don't give my football back, I'm going to get my dad on you". Surely an allusion to his childhood days in Manchester, supporting the city blues. 'My Patch' is another great nugget, his single from this past May. Fightin' words with some nice strings. It's also the funniest vid I've seen in a while, featuring a fight with a giant chicken. His sound has been continuously compared to that of the Beach Boys, and while I don't completely buy it, certain songs ('Turn that Frown Into a Smile', 'A Quiet Man') have sonic similarities to older pop groups fused with eclectic instrumentals and dreamy soundscapes.

Jim Noir - My Patch [mp3] [MV] [yt]
Jim Noir - Eanie Meany [mp3]
Jim Noir - Turn that Frown Into a Smile [mp3]

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Dan! Bet you didn't think I would find this! Anyway, saw your post on Jim Noir and deemed it worthy of a comment. I love his work to bits. I slap on his album when I need some light and cheery music, usually just before I hit the books.

Keep it going!

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