The new album by The Streets album is called 'The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living' and is out on April 11th

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It's out in April, apparently.

The Streets have revealed that their new album will be called 'The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living'.

The album, due for release on April 11, is also loosely based on Mike Skinner's life after the success of 2004's 'A Grand Don't Come For Free'.

"It isn't a narrative," Skinner told NME. "But to be honest I don't think I could write an album without feeling like there are plots going on. Actually this album is a true story. After 'A Grand Don't Come For Free' I was like, 'What am I going to write about?' I can't moan I've got no money any more, but then it gradually dawned on me that my life is so crazy! You'd never believe some of the stuff that's happened to me along the way in countries far away."

Skinner spent the summer recording his third album at home and then he went to New York in October to finish the tracks. He worked with an engineer who would email over the sounds Skinner requested and The Streets frontman would put the pieces of the record together.

Skinner revealed that he wanted Snoop Dogg and Gwen Stefani to appear on the new album. He said: "I've spoken to loads of people - it could prove difficult. Maybe on the next album we'll do it, but it's definitely an idea I'd like to pursue."

He also revealed some unlikely influences. "I love The Smiths, but to me it all sounds quite similar - I want to be more like The Who. Every album I make I want to move the sound on. The first one was grungey garage, the second was really slow and dark. This album is going to be a bit more polished and bit faster, hopefully exciting."

http://www.nme.com/news/streets/21864

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

It's going to be shit, isn't it?

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:46 (nineteen years ago)

Also: ALBUM ALBUM ALBUM. I'm an idiot. Someone change the thread title, please.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:47 (nineteen years ago)

the streets are so over...like new laddism

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 7 January 2006 12:54 (nineteen years ago)

saying "[artist] is so over" is so over

― marc h. (marc h.), Saturday, 7 January 2006 13:18 (nineteen years ago)

True - but there was something of the zeitgeist about The Streets. Like Blur and Oasis in 1995.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 7 January 2006 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

"but then it gradually dawned on me that my life is so crazy!"

This is the precise moment that Skinner lost it. I'm not expecting much. But if there's one track as good as FBYKI then it'll all be ok.

― Affectian (Affectian), Saturday, 7 January 2006 13:40 (nineteen years ago)

I have faith.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 7 January 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

True - but there was something of the zeitgeist about The Streets. Like Blur and Oasis in 1995.

But Blur were still good after that! Or are you just saying now is the moment the Streets won't be trendy anymore? I'd buy that.

Come to think of it, though, that Gladwell quote on another thread ("for the second time in 30 years, the British have taken something black and done it better" or whatever) was probably the Streets' shark-jump

― marc h. (marc h.), Saturday, 7 January 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

I'll second the "I have faith" - two good albums in a row, no good reason to think the third won't also be good: there'll never be that "hey, what a good new artist" moment but I think he's a very good writer & a smart businessman = he's not likely to make a record you don't like if you like the Streets

Marc madly OTM about declaring things over being way over

― Mr Straight Toxic (ghostface), Saturday, 7 January 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

Declaring that declaring that things are over is over is so over.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, two albums in and he's washed up. Nah, fuck that noise, put me in the "faith" camp.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:26 (nineteen years ago)

oh god the stardom album. well, considering i expected it to be the subject of the last one, i guess we got off lucky.

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

provided there's no moaning about how hard his life is, i'm keeping my fingers crossed.

― cancer prone fat guy (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:27 (nineteen years ago)

I think it'll be more along the lines of "Whahey, look at the wacky situations I insist on getting myself into". See: "Soaked By The Ale", "Too Much Brandy".

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 7 January 2006 15:29 (nineteen years ago)

THIS IS AWESOME NEWS!! I had NO IDEA he was recording a new album!! Will it be the album of the 21st century like the last one? Only time will tell.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:21 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner's too funny to do a "isn't stardom horrible?" album. I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure the scenesters have already jumped ship.

― Excelsior Syndrum (noodle vague), Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:43 (nineteen years ago)

that the album's called the hardest way to make an easy living can't be a good sign.

― it gradually dawned on me that my life is so crazy (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:47 (nineteen years ago)

Oh come on! This is a guy that's written a grand total of one-and-a-half duff songs his entire career. Of course it's gonna kick ass.

― Mr. Snrub, Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:54 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner's too funny to do a "isn't stardom horrible?" album.

So was Jarvis Cocker. 'Till he made a "isn't stardom horrible?" album. But then a lot of people seemed to like This is Hardcore, so who knows? In any case, it doesn't seem as if Skinner is going to go "dark" ala Cocker, instead, according to him, it's going to be a "more polished and bit faster, hopefully exciting" take on the fame game.

Actually, thinking back, I thought A Grand Don't Come For Free would be 'ruined'/diluted by the effects of the success of his first album. So...

― Merryweather (scarlet), Saturday, 7 January 2006 16:58 (nineteen years ago)

Jarvis was always funny but always bleak. TIH is an exaggeration of the bleak, but it's still wonderful.

On a slightly separate note, the Sway album sounds great on a first listen.

― Excelsior Syndrum (noodle vague), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:06 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who can turn a Bloc Party record into a song about successfully stealing a Neumann microphone from the BBC studios isn't likely to moan about the pressures of stardom.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

If anyone gives this a positive review other than Nuts Magazine I'll be very surprised.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:23 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2004190509,00.jpg

― öROXYMUZAKö (roxymuzak), Saturday, 7 January 2006 17:42 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who can turn a Bloc Party record into a song about successfully stealing a Neumann microphone from the BBC studios

― Jordan (Jordan), Sunday, 8 January 2006 04:46 (nineteen years ago)

above-the-line bonafide genius. so rare. faith for me but i never was a scenester.

― john clarkson, Sunday, 8 January 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone who can turn a Bloc Party record into a song about successfully stealing a Neumann microphone from the BBC studios
??

Streets remix of the Bloc Party song Banquet where Skinner admits nicking one of Jo Whiley's microphones after they did their Live Lounge session on Radio 1.

― David Merryweather Goes To Far (scarlet), Sunday, 8 January 2006 18:56 (nineteen years ago)

Skinner's too funny to do a "isn't stardom horrible?" album.

even so it's hard to escape the conundrum of being known for writing about your everyday life, then your everyday life turns out to be the everyday life of a famous adulated person. eminem has only dealt with this intermittently well.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 8 January 2006 19:00 (nineteen years ago)

Oh man, I can't wait.

Seriously though, what's with the skepticism? He's barely made a wrong move yet. Besides, "The Hardest Way to Make An Easy Living" could refer to anything... "A Grand.. etc" actually sounded at first like the title to an "Isn't stardom crap?" album and look what it turned out to be.

― Roz (Roz), Sunday, 8 January 2006 19:07 (nineteen years ago)

"the hardest way to make an easy living" is a common expression used by poker players to describe their work

― robin (robin), Monday, 9 January 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

i don't know if that has anything to do with it or not

― robin (robin), Monday, 9 January 2006 02:44 (nineteen years ago)

I can't wait for this.

― Stephen C (ihope), Monday, 9 January 2006 02:54 (nineteen years ago)

HELLOOOO he's technically an MC, spitting about fame has, y'know, worked occasionally in the past...

― Lukas (lukas), Monday, 9 January 2006 03:33 (nineteen years ago)

i was wondering when he was going to put something new out.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Monday, 9 January 2006 03:43 (nineteen years ago)

"the hardest way to make an easy living" is a common expression used by poker players to describe their work

LOL TO BUY FR3SH V1@GRA AND TEX4S HOL''DEM POKER FROM TEH ST33TZ TURN THE P@G3!

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Monday, 9 January 2006 04:02 (nineteen years ago)

http://images.thesun.co.uk/picture/0,,2004190509,00.jpg

― öROXYMUZAKö (roxymuzak), Friday, 13 January 2006 21:37 (nineteen years ago)

April 11th = April 1 DOUBLED = The Feast of St. April Fool's

Mike Sinner rides a pale horse

― Lukas (lukas), Friday, 13 January 2006 22:23 (nineteen years ago)

When I said he wouldn't make an "isn't stardom horrible?" album I meant it wouldn't be a whiny "isn't stardom horrible?" album. More like a wry "isn't stardom bollocks?" kind of a thing.

― Flower King of Flies (noodle vague), Friday, 13 January 2006 22:26 (nineteen years ago)

I'm excited.

― adamrl (nordicskilla), Friday, 13 January 2006 23:22 (nineteen years ago)

Maybe he'll become the George Best of gambling.

Streets remix of the Bloc Party song Banquet where Skinner admits nicking one of Jo Whiley's microphones after they did their Live Lounge session on Radio 1.

Would anyone be kind enough to post that here?

― Gatinha (rwillmsen), Saturday, 14 January 2006 20:55 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

01 Pranging Out
02 War of the Sexes
03 The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
04 All Goes Out the Window
05 Memento Mori
06 Can't Con an Honest John
07 When You Wasn't Famous
08 Never Went to Church
09 Hotel Expressionism
10 Two Nations
11 Fake Streets Hat

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:06 (nineteen years ago)

guess this one won't be ending on a philosophical note, then

― Lukas (lukas), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:09 (nineteen years ago)

New Single is garbage

― Erock LAzron, Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:16 (nineteen years ago)

Where can I hear it??? I'LL be the judge of that!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:52 (nineteen years ago)

YSI thread.

― jimnaseum (jimnaseum), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 00:53 (nineteen years ago)

the new single's great! i say this tentatively.

― mark p (Mark P), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:12 (nineteen years ago)

Jesus the new single is horrendous! Only listened to it once, but even so...ugh.

― Hat (Hat), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:34 (nineteen years ago)

i'm with "hat"

― s1ocki (slutsky), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 01:36 (nineteen years ago)

It's great. Not tentative.

― Abu Hamster (noodle vague), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 02:00 (nineteen years ago)

If you like "Fit but you know it", this is probably your thing.

― chrisco (chrisco), Wednesday, 15 February 2006 04:09 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 231 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

lots of otmness there

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:04 (nineteen years ago)

Do you think if "Do You Really Like It?" had actually been publicised as being by Kamanchi Sly and all these other, cough, "credible" rappers from the early 90s it would a) have been better critically regarded b) sold less copies?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:09 (nineteen years ago)

Also: "Dry Your Eyes" to me seems like the "The Drugs Don't Work" of the 00s, and I'm wondering if there's an argument to be made for The Streets fitting in the same place in the landscape as The Verve did. And I can't help but think that Chris Moyles is the kind of elephant in the room (lol fat) when it comes to talking about The Streets.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:11 (nineteen years ago)

not sure about a but definitely b

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:21 (nineteen years ago)

'dry your eyes' is as bad (worse! even) than 'the drugs don't work' but different emotional territory - girls vs vague existential angst.

=> it's the 'angels' of the 00s. sick and wrong!

who is kamanchi sly?!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:33 (nineteen years ago)

'the drugs don't work' is also about a girl!

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:39 (nineteen years ago)

to continue the blur comparisons it's "no distance left to run", innit?

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

but really the streets is kindof incomparable to any other pop act because even though he is channeling Britpop and Two-Tone ideas through a hip-hop medium, no one really sounds like this. It's very satisfying in this way to think that in a time where mainstream pop is arguably taking a nosedive, we can still say "look, here's something original, intelligent and accessible that succesfully works on a number of levels and that everyone can enjoy".

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:46 (nineteen years ago)

haha i didn't know that, i thought it was about drugz being bad? yes v probably over-literal interpretation oh god please don't tell me the drugz are a metaphor for the girl :ooooooooo

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:48 (nineteen years ago)

It's very satisfying in this way to think that in a time where mainstream pop is arguably taking a nosedive

it is not! ciara, three 6 mafia, nelly, beyoncé, amerie, ll cool j, 50 cent, girls aloud - they've all had massive and amazing and high-charting pop singles in the past year!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:51 (nineteen years ago)

... and they're all miles better than The Streets into the bargain

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

haha i didn't know that, i thought it was about drugz being bad? yes v probably over-literal interpretation oh god please don't tell me the drugz are a metaphor for the girl :ooooooooo

i don't think it's about a girl, it's just that el rich has to add 'mah love' after each line. it's about someone dying? a girl maybe! but on reflection it could be about a drug-maintained relationship breaking up. better song than 'dye'.

xpost

please to be ysiing an amazing 50 cent song from the past year.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:54 (nineteen years ago)

would you like 'candy shop', 'outta control' or 'just a lil bit'?

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:56 (nineteen years ago)

no thanks!

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 13:59 (nineteen years ago)

well you should!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

Lex, Three6Mafia got to the same fucking chart position as Mogwai.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:01 (nineteen years ago)

please to be ysiing an amazing 50 cent song from the past year.

and for that matter, all those bands you mention ;-)

and also get one dictionary and look up "arguably".

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

er it got to no 3 i thought?

also gwen stefani, sean paul and the new nelly furtado singles for the chart-pop-not-in-decline side.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:04 (nineteen years ago)

lex, they haven't scrubbed the top twenty. there'll always be chart pop, i think.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:06 (nineteen years ago)

They got to #33

Other songs to get to 33 in the past year:

The Duke Spirit- Love Is An Unfamiliar Name
The Departure- All Mapped Out
LemonJelly- Make Things Right
InMe- So You Know

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

X-Press2 featuring the dude from Lambchop, and... Lady Sovereign!

lol pop.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:10 (nineteen years ago)

yes. it is about a girl who is dying.

it was #1 but then Elton had to 'ruin' things by writing that even worse song about some other girl who had died.

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think The Drugs Don't Work is about anything more than taking spliff with a chick and being a cockfarmer.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:14 (nineteen years ago)

I thought the Drugs Don't Work was about that one guy from the Verve that kept quitting the band?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

but i'm SURE 'stay fly' was a massive hit. i heard on the bus and everything. chart positions don't mean anything these days anyway!

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

it's about a couple who've just realized all that's keeping them together is the e, and they're not getting any younger, and it's probably best to end it, 'like a cat in a bag, waiting to drown'.

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:16 (nineteen years ago)

But I know I'll see your face again

'Cause baby, ooh, if heaven calls, I'm coming, too
Just like you said, you leave my life, I'm better off dead

OK relationship (with a girl!) dying

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

McCabe? Possibly, but I doubt it. Ashcroft's not imaginitive enough. Did anyone hear him on Chris Moyles this morning? I didn't hear it but supposedly he was a total idiot, borderline racist, rude, and wannabe-profound. I can't think of anyone more odious than him right now.

Triple-X.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:17 (nineteen years ago)

haha i'd forgotten how bad the lyrics to that song were.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

It's Richard Ashcroft, it means fuck all

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:23 (nineteen years ago)

death = metaphor for drugs = metaphor for love

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:27 (nineteen years ago)

'dry your eyes' is almost too comprehensible, though, isn't it?

― 25 yr old slacker cokehead (Enrique), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

People need comprehensible.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ashcroft, though, didn’t take defeat lying down. Reassembling the group in late 1996 (albeit without ace guitarist Nick McCabe), he set about writing a batch of songs which were a long way from the psychedelic space jams of previous albums. Foremost among them was The Drugs Don’t Work, an aching acoustic ballad inspired by the death of Ashcroft’s father.

sez Radio 2

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:32 (nineteen years ago)

Ah, yeah. I seem to remember something about his father dying when Ashcroft was about 11 or so.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

― TS: Mick Ralphs vs. Ariel Bender (Dada), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:35 (nineteen years ago)

xpost which leads us *gasp* back to the streets on "we never went to church"

psych!!

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

I thought McCabe rejoined Verve during the recording of Urban Hymns, then left again about a year later?

Mike Skinner can't sing.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

Well he can, but it sounds shite.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:50 (nineteen years ago)

I thought McCabe rejoined Verve during the recording of Urban Hymns, then left again about a year later?

he did indeed -- i guess ashcroft wrote solo.

― N_RQ, Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

He did write solo - most of the credits for UH are to Ashcroft alone. Two or three songs are band compositions, and one by McCabe alone, I think. BSS is a mess cos of the Loog Oldham thing.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

no he can't and oughtn't.

"fay---eee-mas"

― dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:54 (nineteen years ago)

ciara, three 6 mafia, nelly, beyoncé, amerie, ll cool j, 50 cent, girls aloud - they've all had massive and amazing and high-charting pop singles in the past year!

But those were all from at least six months ago!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

five of them are from this year.

― The Lex (The Lex), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 15:08 (nineteen years ago)

This thread is insane.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Wednesday, 19 April 2006 15:25 (nineteen years ago)

I'm listening to all three albums on random play and I've gotta say that maybe the Streets are secretly one of my favourite bands out today. Still not sure about the new album. It seems to have taken the same third album step as Human After All, Talkie Walkie and a bunch of other bands where the artist follows up their big conceptual album with a sort of lacklustre knocked off version of their original vibe but somehow forgetting to add any soul to it.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 20 April 2006 00:32 (nineteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

Whenever anyone says a Streets song has made them cry, I never believe them!

I know I slagged it off upthread, but Never Went To Church is pretty much the only record ever purely to reduce me to tears on its own merits alone. I think most of the rest of the album is terrible but gave it another chance on the bus home tonight - my opinion was unchanged but this one track reduced me to a complete mess.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 14 May 2006 03:04 (nineteen years ago)

the haters are honestly mentally retarded

sorry rox but i'm still not sure about this. i like "never went to church" but skinner ruins it with his little spiel about hedging your bets. it is a very sad tune though.

― dog latin (dog latin), Thursday, 18 May 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

this album sure is boring.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Thursday, 18 May 2006 14:48 (nineteen years ago)

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