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The Streets | |
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 Mike Skinner at John Peel Stage, Glastonbury in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Birmingham,West Midlands, England |
| Genres | |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | www |
The Streets is an English musical project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalistMike Skinner. The project was founded in the early 90s inBirmingham, while Skinner was still a teenager; however, no music would formally eventuate until the early 2000s. In the initial run of The Streets, the project released five studio albums:Original Pirate Material (2002),A Grand Don't Come for Free (2004),The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living (2006),Everything Is Borrowed (2008) andComputers and Blues (2011). The Streets also released a string of successful singles during this time, which reached the Top 40 on theUK Singles chart – including "Has It Come to This?", "Fit but You Know It", "Dry Your Eyes" (the project's onlynumber-one single), "When You Wasn't Famous" and "Prangin' Out". After disbanding The Streets in 2011, Skinner pursued several other musical projects before ultimately reviving the moniker in 2017. A mixtape,None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, was released in 2020. The Streets' sixth studio album,The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light, was released in September 2023.[1]
The Streets is considered one of the most important and influential acts within the trajectory of hip-hop,garage andgrime music within the UK.[2] In 2020,Pitchfork describedOriginal Pirate Material as "a landmark forUK rap",[3] whileDazed wrote in 2018 that the album "soundtracked the beginning of a decade – recovering from theBritpop hangover and comedown fromNew Labour euphoria – but also defined it."[4]
Mike Skinner sent a demo tape to a record shop in north London, run byA&R Nick Worthington.[5] The song developed into Skinner's first single, "Has It Come to This?", and was released under the name The Streets.[5] The song peaked at number 18 on theUK Singles Chart in October 2001.[6]
The Streets' debut album,Original Pirate Material, was released in March 2002. The album was successful both with critics and the general public. In the UK, the album was nominated for theMercury Prize.[7]Original Pirate Material was nominated forBritish Album of the Year, and The Streets was nominated forBritish Urban Act,British Breakthrough Act andBritish Male Solo Artist at the2003 BRIT Awards.[citation needed]NME namedOriginal Pirate Material as the third best album of 2002.[8] Subsequent singles fromOriginal Pirate Material include "Don't Mug Yourself", "Weak Become Heroes" and "Let's Push Things Forward".
In May 2004, Skinner released the single "Fit but You Know It", which peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Chart.[9] The single was later used byEA Sports as part of the soundtrack for its video gameFIFA Football 2005.[10] "Fit But You Know It" appeared on The Streets' second album,A Grand Don't Come for Free. The album entered the UK album charts at number two, but later reached number one after six weeks.[11] The album's second single, "Dry Your Eyes", debuted at the top of the chart in the UK.[12] "Blinded by the Lights", the third single fromA Grand Don't Come for Free, peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004.[13]
The Streets' third studio album,The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, was released on 10 April 2006. In the UK it debuted the album chart at number one.[14]
In September 2008, The Streets released their fourth studio album,Everything Is Borrowed.[15] One song from the album was on Skinner'sMyspace page for a while before being replaced by a cover of "Your Song". In a posting on his Myspace blog, Skinner noted that the group's upcoming LP would contain "peaceful, positive vibes" in comparison with 2006's "weird guilt-ridden indulgence" that wasThe Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living.[16]
In a blurb about the album on Skinner's Myspace, he says, "This album started off life as parables but then I realised that it might get a bit cheesy so I got rid of the alien song and the devil song replaced them with more straight up songs. I've pretty much kept my promise that I made to myself not to reference modern life on any of them though which is hard to do and keep things personal at the same time."[citation needed]
In November 2010, Skinner announced on the official The Streets website, that he would release what he referred to as amixtape album calledCyberspace and Reds, consisting of various recordings he had made since he had finished work on the final Streets album,Computers and Blues.[17]Cyberspace and Reds was released in January 2011, initially only for download via the StreetsiPhone app.[18] A so-called "deluxe" edition was later made available for general download through the Streets website.[19]
The fifth albumComputers and Blues was released on 7 February 2011,[20] the first single being "Going Through Hell".[citation needed]
On 22 December 2017, The Streets released two new tracks: "Burn Bridges" and "Sometimes I Hate My Friends More Than My Enemies".[21] It was The Streets' first new music released in six years.
In 2018, The Streets released three singles: "If You Ever Need to Talk I'm not Here" was released on 31 January,[22] "You Are Not the Voice in Your Head..." was released on 30 March,[23] and "Call Me in the Morning" was released on 22 November.[24]
On 1 April 2020, Skinner announced a new single featuring Australian music projectTame Impala, included on amixtape titledNone of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive, released 10 July 2020.[25] The track premiered onAnnie Mac'sBBC Radio 1 show.
In March 2021, following the UK Government's announcedCOVID-19 restriction easing timetable, The Streets released the single "Who's Got the Bag (21st June)". Referencing the earliest possible date when nightclubs could reopen and the names of members of government[26] the single was described by Skinner as a "end of lockdown celebratory track".[27]
In October 2023, the first studio album in twelve years,The Darker the Shadow the Brighter the Light, was released.
Current members
Current contributors and live musicians
Former contributors and live musicians
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| Studio albums | |
| Extended plays | All Got Our Runnins (2003) |
| Mixtapes | |
| Singles | |
| Other songs | |
| Related articles | |
