Dave Owen

Time for my first music post, and where better to start than with one of my favourite DJ's of the last year. Dave Owen is currently one of the top Drum and Bass producers stateside and is beginning to make a name for himself on our side of the pond as well.

The man from Indianapolis, has caught the attention of the genre's leading promoters in the UK such as Fabio, Grooverider and Bailey, and it was on Bailey's BBC radio show just over a year ago that Owen was brought to my attention.

His American RnB/Hip-Hop vibe was instantly apparent when I first heard 'Loose Lips'. The song uses the vocals of Musiq Soulchild's RnB hit 'Just Friends' and incorporates a liquid Drum and Bass backing. The track has not yet been released, although rumour has it a date is immanent.

His long overdue first major release was 'Beatin Up The Block' in September 2010. The EP contains four signature Owen tracks, starting with the stunning 'Tru That'. The song takes a chilled out piano sample, mixes it with your everyday Drum and Bass backing and uses a lyrical sample from Notorious B.I.G. The lyrics, " Who rock grooves and make moves with all the mommies. The back of the club, sippin Moet, is where you'll find me" from Big Poppa is played on a loop throughout the song and helps create a relaxed but catchy tune.

The final track on the EP 'Great Scott' has a jazz feel to it and meets the chilled out feel the preceding tracks produce. The song samples old school Hip-Hop track 'They reminisce over you' by Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth. The only thing reminiscent about Owen's track is 1930's Blues music on the streets of New Orleans thanks to the saxophone loop used throughout the track.

The self confessed Manchester United fan, is almost single handedly filling a niche in the Drum and Bass market with his soulful, nostalgic spin on the genre. Only Mike Slott and Mutt are producing similar music to Owen's high standards, in my opinion.

Another long wait for a second EP release was made easier with the production of tracks such as 'Loose Lips' and 'All that we've been through'. The later features female RnB vocals and effectively uses an almost Latin American guitar riff to create another chilled out classic from Owen.

To coincide with his latest release 'Hoes and Shows EP' Dave Owen made his first live performance in the UK. He preformed in his second home, Manchester to a thrilled audience. Although the EP was not quite as striking as his previous works, as Owen ventured down a more modern, almost dubstep route, it is still definitely worth a listen.

To date their is no word about a future EP release, and for the time being Owen is committed to managing his record label Toolbox Music. For those of you that happen to find yourself in Indianapolis, stop in by The Melody Inn, where you will find Dave Owen performing with a few of his friends, who collectively, go by the name of Juxtapoze.

Until then enjoy some of his music from the links below. If you are a Drum and Bass fan you must listen to Owen's work. Even if you don't care for the genre, his music is still sure to satisfy you.

Dave Owen - Loose Lips  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRMG5f1zwnM

Dave Owen - All That We've Been Through http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG73K4C86jc

Dave Owen - Still Waters http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmBKGF8zD2A

Dave Owen - Tru That http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWGP7_6R9WI

Dave Owen - Great Scott http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51brDkr6QXc

Dave Owen - On Point http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIHFOWpHYGU

Napoli: The Rise and Fall and Rise Again

Napoli had always been a team that made up the numbers in Italy's Serie A, with mid table finishes year after year. The odd trophy win now and again, meant Napoli were well and truly stuck in their comfort zone. President Corrado Ferlaino knew something had to change. Napoli had to rise above the continuous acceptance of mediocrity.

He took a risk. He called upon a 24 year old Argentine maverick. He broke the world record transfer fee by paying £6.9 million to Barcelona for the services of a certain Diego Armando Maradona. As 75,000 passionate Neapolitans queued for hours to watch one of the world's greatest players pull on the light blue jersey, Ferlaino knew he had found the catalyst to take Napoli to a new level.

Maradona quickly became a club legend, but the club's progress was slower than expected. Before Diego departed to Mexico to represent his country - where he single handedly won Argentina the world cup (literally) - he drew up a shortlist of players that he believed would give Napoli the final touch, the winning touch.

The following season, the new additions were proving to be money well spent. Maradona went on to score 17 goals in 41 games and helped Napoli to their first 'scudetto' title and for good measure made it a double with an emphatic 4-0 cup win over Atalanta. Napoli and Maradona had made history. Napoli were the first team from the south of Italy to win the league title.

However, Napoli got a bit caught up in the moment. They failed to maintain the high standards reached in the 1986-87 season. The following campaign, plagued with inconsistency, left them in contention for the league title, but their hopes were hanging by a thread. All hopes were dashed after an uncharacteristic end of season slump, rumoured to have been caused by a betting scandal.

A trophyless campaign in 1987-88 was backed up by a UEFA cup win in 1989, before Maradona's stay turned sour. Run in's with the Camorra mafia and apparent cocaine abuse caused a bitter fall out between Ferlaino and his marquee signing. In Carlos Tevez like fashion, Maradona returned home to Argentina and refused to return to Napoli, after being denied a move to Marseille. In 1992, after receiving a 15 month drug ban, Maradona said goodbye to Naples, only after a brief renaissance where Napoli controversially won a second league title after being awarded two points for an incident which saw one of their players being hit with a coin.

Fast forward a decade and Napoli had slipped back into their comfort zone, only this time it resulted in relegation to Serie B. Their big name signings in the 80's began to catch up with them, as they struggled financially. In August 2004, with debts of around £70 million, Napoli filed for bankruptcy. It was the end of an era. Despite having one of the biggest fan bases in Italian football, Napoli were as the Italians say 'finito'.

But not for long. Thanks to the help of a local film producer, Napoli immediately started over. They would have to start at the bottom and work they way up, but at least their fans still had a team to follow. And mainly due to the support from their fans, Napoli gained back-to-back promotions. Before they knew it, Napoli were once again mixing it with the big boys. In a bizarre twist of fate, Napoli had subsequently eradicated their ever problematic comfort zone.

The first few seasons back in Serie A were surprisingly good, with the club finishing eighth and eleventh in consecutive seasons. Napoli then called on the services of former Sampdoria manager Walter Mazzarri who guided them to a sixth place league finish and a return to European football. Napoli were beginning to recapture the glory days of Diego Maradona and co.

Mazzarri showed an ability to find young up and coming players. His unorthodox tactics continued to out smart league rivals, and Napoli finished the 2010-11 season in third place. This resulted in qualification to the Champions League. In just under seven years Napoli had gone from the bottom tier of Italian football to Europe's paramount club competition.

Napoli made a good account of themselves in this years Champions League. After being drawn in the so called 'group of death', many naive fans outside of Italy saw Napoli to be cannon fodder for the big guns. They proved to be anything but, qualifying for the knockout stages, before being narrowly knocked out by a rejuvenated Chelsea. Napoli had, however, by no means disgraced themselves in the spotlight.

As far as the current league campaign goes, Napoli are making a late push for another top three finish. With a team containing mainly Italians and South Americans, Napoli play an exciting style of counter attacking football. A somewhat unconvincing defence, is neutralised by a dynamic strike force, lead by the much sought after Edinson Cavani.

So, two decades after Diego Maradona left Napoli in typical Maradona fashion, Napoli have seen it all. Bankruptcy, promotion, European football and title contention have all been written into Naopli's roller coaster history since they parted company with the Argentine. There is no doubt that the Maradona effect transformed Napoli - for better or worse is for you to decide. One thing is for sure, today's Napoli are creating a new comfort zone, but this time it's a comfort zone that sees them challenging for titles.

AS Monaco: An All Time Low

Hovering over the relegation zone in the second tier of French football, Monaco are a long way from their Champions League final in 2004. In just eight years they have gone from the pinnacle of the European game to relegation fodder. Now the seven times champions of France are in touching distance of third division football.

With French World Cup winner Didier Deschamps at the helm, Monaco surprised the whole of Europe by conquering the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid to reach the final of Europe's maiden competition in 2004. Although the final was somewhat of an anti-climax, with Jose Mourinho's Porto brushing them aside 3-0, Monaco had assembled a strong side, an abundance of self belief and a reputation of being an exciting and clinical team.

Monaco had many big names in the season they flirted with European success, none more so than Fernando Morientes at the point of attack. The Spanish hit man finished top goalscorer in the tournament with 9 goals, one ahead of team mate Dado Prso. The team was captained by fans favourite Ludovic Giuly, who via Barcelona, Roma and PSG is now in his second spell at Monaco as captain and is the only one of Deschamps finalists still playing at 'Le Roux et Blanc'.

Current manager Marco Simone is the eighth manager since Deschamps left. Several mid table finishes followed by a couple of near relegation's, forced chairman Michel Pastor, followed by Jerome De Bontin, into appointing five managers in three years. For a brief spell it seemed like the mass exodus of mangers had worked for Monaco, as they eventually found Guy Lacombe. Lacombe had a good record in French football and built a young talented side that finished a respectable eight position in the 2009-2010 season.

However, it was some what of an over achievement for the young team. Too much pressure was placed on the players to perform. The young prospects realised that Monaco was not the best club to further their development, as the pressure for results mounted. One-by-one Monaco's star players were heading straight for the exit. It was an ever occurring problem for the club. They have always struggled to keep and attract big name players.

By the beginning of 2011 Monaco found themselves in a relegation battle and Lacombe was sacked. Laurent Banide was left with the near impossible task of steering them away from relegation, and subsequently failed. In a dramatic fall from grace, one of French football's most renown clubs were to become a tier two side just seven years after narrowly missing out on European club footballs top accolade.

In December 2011 the club was sold to an investment group led by Billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev. The Russian helped stable the finances at Monaco, but performances and results on the pitch have been a stark contrast. With just six wins in twenty eight games Monaco are facing a meteoric demise. Back-to-back relegation's is now on the cards as they sit one place above the relegation zone having played a game more than the teams below them.

I can't help but think that if Marco Simone and Ludovic Giuly can rally the troops at Monaco and keep their side in Ligue 2, then they might be able to rekindle some of the magic that enchanted not only the people of France, but the people of Europe. With the the financial backing of Rybolovlev, their picturesque stadium and their proud history, Monaco will be an attractive destination for any player. This will allow them to rebuild a team capable of promotion and once they return to the promise land who knows what might happen.

Hoffenheim: Talk of Europe to German Mediocrity

This time three years ago a German club from the town of Sinsheim were the talk of Europe. Thanks to huge financial backing, Hoffenheim were locking horns with German big guns such as Bayern Munich, Hamburg and rivals Stuttgart. They were not only pushing for a Champions League place, but, in fact, the league title.

The Hoffenheim fairytale was particularly appealing to us Brits who love an underdog story. But this was the pinnacle of underdog stories, you could not have made it up.

Until 2000 the club were sitting in the German fifth division, when German software entrepreneur Dietmar Hopp decided to make his dreams reality. A life long Hoffenheim fan, Hopp took control of the club and had the vision of making them a top flight German side. In just eight years his dream had come true. Hoffenheim were a Bundesliga team.

For the first half of the 2008-2009 Bundesliga season, Hoffenheim were holding there own and even had an outside chance of winning the league. With a devastating strike force of Ibisevic, Ba and Obasi they were crowned the 2008-2009 'Herbstmeister', which if I recall from higher German translates as Autumn Champions. Ibisevic had scored 18 of his clubs 42 goals in the first 17 matches. But this was to be the peak for the club.

As a result of cruel injuries and suspensions to key players, which included Ibisevic being out of action for the remainder of the season, Hoffenheim's season somewhat derailed. A run which saw no wins in twelve saw them finish seventh in the league. The small town club's 'fun in the sun' had come to an end.

Fast forward three years and much of Hoffenheim's talented young side that overachieved in their first Bundesliga season, were being sold off -  Luiz Gustavo to Bayern, Demba Ba to West Ham, Carlos Eduardo to Rubin Kazan, Vedad Ibisevic to Stuttgart. Soon after, manager Ralf Rangnick who had masterminded their rise to the top, resigned. Hoffenheim were fast becoming a run of the mill team. As the big names left, so did their exciting style of football, and eventually the media began to turn against them. Hoffenheim were now writing the headlines for the wrong reasons.

The club's lack of tradition and a proper fan base was the focal point of the criticism. The village from which the club hails has only 3,300 inhabitants. Does the word Gretna ring any bells? And we all know what happened to them.

Further criticism was drawn after a home match with Cologne. Away fans complained of a loudspeaker placed above the end designated to travelling supporters, aimed at drowning out their noise. Hoffenheim obviously ridiculed these claims, although later investigation found the allegations to be true, and that the ploy was used in other matches. In a country that prides itself on its traditions and passionate supporters, this was seen as nothing short of a disgrace.

This season Hoffenheim have failed to break the shackles of mediocrity, and sit five points off bottom place in the league. After being destroyed 7-1 by high flying Bayern a few weeks ago, things must change quick, or else Dietmar Hopp's dream might soon become a nightmare.

Scottish overachievers Gretna promised much in their first season with the big boys, before a similar collapse to that of Hoffenheim saw them fold. Romanian outfit Unirea Urziceni also found themselves in a similar situation. After receiving colossal financial backing, Unirea won their domestic league and subsequently made Urziceni the smallest town to have a team in the Champions League. However their wealthy owner soon got bored and a year after winning the league withdrew his investments from the club. They were forced to sell their big name players and were relegated. The season after relegation Unirea decided against enrolling in the Romanian second tier and as a result dissolved.

Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, wealthy businessmen do not have money to waste on football projects. The two examples above are just two of many. For Hoffenheim's sake, lets hope Dietmar Hopp does not lose interest in his beloved Hoffenheim or German football might find themselves a club short.

Viva Espana

What odds would I get if I were to ask William - that's Mr Hill to you and me - for a Spanish treble? Spain to win the European Championships, Barcelona or Real Madrid to win the Champions League and Valencia, Athleic Bilbao or Athletico Madrid to win the Europa League?

I think whatever odds I get, it is a banker.

Today's Barcelona are arguably the greatest club team ever. They are miles ahead of everyone else in Europe, well apart from one team. Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid may not be as dynamic and easy on the eye as their Catalan rivals, but they are more methodical and have the ability, seen in every team the 'Special One' has managed, to grind out results. And despite having their lead cut by two points at the weekend, Real Madrid are still an impressive eights points clear at the top of the Spanish La Liga.

Before the weekend, a first league title since 2008 for Madrid seemed a foregone conclusion. Even Pep Guardiola was controversially quoted as saying, "Forget it, we won't win this league title". But Guardiola's men were given a glimmer of hope, with the help of Spain's equivalent to Man City, Malaga. The big spending Andalusian club prevented Real from winning a twelfth straight match in La Liga, thanks to Santi Cazorla's 92 minute equaliser. The last manager to win twelve league games in a row as Real Madrid manager was Manuel Pellegrini, coincidentally now the manager of Malaga. However, I would be very surprised if Sunday's result was anything more than a stutter for the champions elect.

Barcelona's best chance at stopping Mourinho's Madrid is in Europe's maiden competition. An 'El Classico' Champions League final seems inevitable, especially with the two avoiding each other in the quarter final and semi final draws. An inconsistent AC Milan, before a likely tie against an inconsistent Chelsea are all that stand in the way of the Catalans and a third final in four years. Barca will also aim to become the first team since AC Milan in 1990 to retain the title.

Real Madrid have a less straight forward run to the final. They must firstly overcome the Cypriot champions Apoel Nicosia, before a probable tie against free scoring Bayern Munich. The German side have undergone a renaissance in recent years, and under the management of former Madrid manager Jupp Heynckes - who won the champions league with Madrid - have scored twenty goals in their last three games.

Valencia, Athletic Bilbao and Athletico Madrid sit third, seventh and ninth in La Liga respectively. Similarly to the Champions League, all remaining Spanish contingents avoided each other in the quarter final draw. Apart from Bilbao, who face a tricky tie against Schalke, the Spanish sides face relatively easy opponents. Athletico Madrid face mid table German opponents Hannover, who have very little pedigree on the European stage. A highly improved Valencia side will face AZ Alkmaar of Holland. Although AZ are top of the Eredivisie, only five points separate them and sixth place. Many people in Holland believe if would be in the best interests of Alkmaar to take one eye off the Europa League if they want to win their third league title, after some unconvincing results in recent weeks.

So with all five Spanish teams avoiding each other in last weeks European draws, the possibility of two all Spanish finals is highly likely. If I had to choose right now, I would predict a Barca - Madrid Champions League final, and a Bilbao - Valencia Europa League final. After humiliating Man United in the last round, if Bilbao can knock out Schalke I can not see anyone standing in their way.

That just leaves the national team. La Furia Roja - The Red Fury - as they are known, are the defending World and European champions. Their most likely line-up features ten players that play for the top three in Spain (Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia). Only a certain David Silva gatecrashes the party, a man who is odds on to be voted the best player in England. On that basis, Spain are strong favourites to retain their title in Kiev. However as far as my bet goes, I think this one is the most likely to be the downfall. No team has ever defended the European Championship. If I was to bet on anyone, apart from Spain, it would be Germany. You can never write off 2008's runners-up. Before 2008, Germany had finished runners-up twice in European Championship history and had gone on to win the following tournament on both occasions. Will Joachim Low's men show their 'bouncebackability' once again?

The Blue Flag is Flying High at the Bridge Again

First things first, lets not get ahead of ourselves. Chelsea's mini revival consists of four wins against a 10-man Stoke, two championship teams and a Napoli side who are somewhat lacking experience in the big European nights.

However, the quality of football is certainly better, the players seem happier and Torres has remembered how to score.

Wednesday's Champions League win against Napoli was very much a show of the irreplaceable 'old guard'. Sunday's FA cup win over Leicester gave much of the 'new guard' a chance to show that the old guard could be replaced, a chance which they grasped with both hands.

On a weekend that was overshadowed by the tragic events surrounding Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba, it was fitting that former Bolton team mate and friend Gary Cahill scored the opening goal in Chelsea's 5-2 triumph. The England defender proceeded to show his support for Muamba by lifting his shirt in celebration to display the message 'pray 4 Muamba'.

In an exciting cup tie, Chelsea found themselves 2-0 up at the break thanks to a man who has threatened to be part of a Chelsea new guard for several years without really delivering, Soloman Kalou. Maybe this will be the beginning of something new for the Ivorian. Then cue Fernando Torres...

In Physics, the term Torr is used to measure pressure. In fairness to the Spaniard the pressure placed on him, mainly by the media, was off the scale. The striker had gone 24 hours without a goal for the London side, a drought that looked to be prolonged after missing several good chances prior to his goal. When Raul Meireles aimed a low cross in at Torres, only for the Spaniard to scuff the ball goalwards it seemed initially as if it were another missed opportunity. But as the ball trickled across the line, it seemed to take an age, but it was worth the wait as Torres was now back on the goal trail, at long last.

After Jermaine Beckford grabbed a goal back for the Foxes, Torres proved that he really was back in business, by flashing a header into the far corner of the net from a Juan Mata corner. He then went onto bag his second assist of the day by returning the favour, unselfishly, for Meireles to complete the scoring. Two goals and two assists, not a bad return for a £50 million striker. It's just a pity it has taken so long, too long.

After scoring, surprisingly, only his second and third FA cup goals - having scored only one in his time at Liverpool - Torres admitted, " I needed those goals. I was working so hard to get them". Manager Roberto Di Matteo added, "Torres was terrific today and his goals will help him. We all have a lot of belief in him and when you work as hard as he does, the rewards will eventually come".

I'm sure most reasonable football fans wish that today is the beginning of a new era for Fernando Torres, and he can forget all about the embarrassing two years that have preceded him. If the blue flag is to fly high at Stamford Bridge, with tough games against Man City and Spurs, as well as crucial cup runs on the horizon, Chelsea will need every man to be accounted for.

Celtic's Treble Hopes Kill-ed

The last month has been near perfect for Scotland's champions elect. Today should have just been another routine win for Neil Lennon's men against a decent Kilmarnock side. However, it was anything but routine.

Admittedly, after watching the match and extended highlights, it is hard to believe that the Ayrshire men came up trumps in this encounter. However, if I were to say that Killie goalkeeper Cammy Bell was awarded man of the match, it might go some way to explaining the outcome.

The game was won by Belgian journeyman Dieter Van Tournhout, with a goal in the 84th minute, leaving Celtic with very little time to respond. Before today, Van Tournhout had more red cards then goals to his name for the club, having failed to score and having picked up one red card. However, in only his 7th appearance for the club, he has now written himself into Kilmarnock folklore.

Even with only six minutes to respond, there was a part of me that felt Celtic were still likely to score. But Kenny Shiels men defended bravely and prevented Celtic from scoring domestically since their home tie with Hibernian at the end of October. And it was Edinburgh's other half who were the last domestic team to beat the Bhoys, 2-0 at the beginning of October.

It was not only Kilmarnock who were showing signs of bravery, whistle blower Willie Collum held his nerve in the dying moments as he waved away dramatic protests for a penalty from the men in green. As Stokes was sent one-on-one with the Kilmarnock goal tender, I'm sure everyone was thinking the same - "Here we go Stokes equaliser. Kilmarnock restart the game. Celtic retrieve the ball and pile on the pressure. And Celtic take the lead". Instead, Collum booked the Irish strike man for simulation, much to Stokes outrage, an outrage displayed on Twitter that might result in further disciplinary consequences.

Every none Old Firm Scottish football fan had been waiting for a decision like this to happen for years. A game changing decision in opposition to the Old Firm was as common as a Rangers bank statement in the black. And the irony is, it may have been the wrong decision.

There was no doubt Kilmarnock rode their luck at times, however in doing so they have hopefully set two precedents. Firstly, that referees will refrain from constantly 'getting the old firm out of jail'. Secondly, that the rest of the SPL will begin to compete with Celtic for the remainder of the season.

It is crucial for the remaining dignity of Scottish football, that Celtic's league run in is not as straight forward as we first thought it would be. Kilmarnock's win will hopefully encourage those remaining teams in Scotland's maiden knockout competition, that anything is possible. Lennon's triple Scotch that he ordered might just turn out to be a single.

Welcome...

Welcome to the my blog You Only Sing When You're Winning.

Find me a man on this earth who doesn't like football or music. Personally, I could not live without both.

In this blog I will express my opinions on the world's greatest game, whether it be current debates or historical reminiscences. Expect the odd post on other sports that are hot talking points.

The blog will also contain posts that aim to provide you with information on today's hottest music. Expect song recommendations artist reviews and album reviews.

Please feel free to comment and instigate discussion.

I am a proud Aberdeen and Chelsea supporter and have a somewhat 'alternative' music taste. Although I will try not to be to bias, I'm sure my posts will cause much debate.