The best and the rest from 2009 and 2010.
2010
Band – St Leonards
Album – St Leonards
Label – Evalilly Records
Out Now? 6 December 2010
Info – Decent Australia bands don’t come along everyday so it’s with a bit of apprehension that we play the self titled album by St Leonards which appears to the vehicle of songwriter and vocalist Shane (good aussie name that) Frisch. The name reminds of a quaint rundown English sea side town but it’s the music that needs to be classic not the moniker. Music – It starts with a bonzer tune, ‘Opened up my eyes’ is a fair description of what this opener does, it makes you sit up and take note. It has quite the pace about it, some smashing guitars and sets the scene for a spot of atmospheric alt rock. ‘It’s you’ brings down the pace but ups the ante, there goes the atmospheric intro, gently building onto a plateau where Frisch’s vocals should a bit like James’ Tim Booth, it shares that feeling of attempting the epic that Booth does too, a blinding tune. ‘Walk beside me’ is subtle, well crafted and adds slide guitar into equation, really nice feel to it. Unfortunately ‘Questions’ whilst been pleasant enough it musically sounds a bit err Texas, bit unfortunate that. ‘Like the start’ moves away slightly but still keeps a brighter feel with a bigger drum beat but still doesn’t really grab, it’s nice enough but we want more than that. Fortunately ‘Breathe out’ perks things up before things get serious and seriously good… ‘I don’t want to say goodbye’ brings down the pace and up the atmosphere, it has echoes of Ashcroft / Verve and the piano only serves to add to that feel as do the lyrics as they too mirror those themes that Ashcroft visits only too often. Even the guitars manage to break loose too, well for a moment anyway before the piano reappears for the intro of a splendid ‘Watch me burn’, don’t know why but the chorus slightly reminds of Morrissey musically again Verve spring to mind and that’s no bad thing, not at all! ‘A Peace’ is a nice light tune, not as intense as some as soon gently flows by for the closer ‘Mow that we’ve grown’. Again the game is raised for a big ending, the drums and guitars perk up and Frisch goes for the big vocals too, you can hear a bit of Coldplay in those drums as it goes for that ‘epic’ finale and it don’t fall flat neither, big end to a decent album. Pick of the bunch – ‘Opened up my eyes’ as an opener is on the money but if you want something to get your teeth into ‘I don’t want to say goodbye’ is where it’s at. Worth a punt? Oh yes! There are claims of influences of the likes of Smashing Pumpkins, Coldplay, U2 and The Verve so as long as they stay this side of the U2 line they shouldn’t go far wrong. Despite a couple of tunes that slightly miss the mark this is a good, good album and to those who like a bit of big alt rock won’t feel short changed by St Leonards.
Band - Seagull Kinevil
Album - To Insanity and beyond
Label - n/a
Out Now? 6 December
Info - Great name, high expectations are expected of a band that have irony attached to sea birds and the legendary bus jumper. However, the expectations are dampened when you spin the CD case over to see the band seemingly dressed in jump suits, ah it's not going to be prog rock is it?? Music - Well we aren't going to be polite about this so those of a squeamish nature turn away now! Title track and opener 'To insanity and beyond' starts with a monk like chant then goes really average crap rock and then there's a bit of chat in the middle, some trad guitars and err the singer doing chicken impressions, oh my god and the monks reappear… why oh why! 'Dream rubble' is better but only cause you can get from behind the sofa to listen to it! By the way its sub Levellers kind of stuff, the alarm bells were ringing on the sleeve when Marcus Peachey (assuming this is a made up name!) plays mandolin, banjo and fiddle. So we'll skip past the post prog / Levellers average ness of 'Fog patches' and go straight to perhaps the low point of the album… basically it's called 'You're fucked (but it's ok) and the lyrics over a kind of punk funk are 'We're all fucked mate' what the hell is this dirge! What is the point of this? Is it me or is it actually 2010? Why in this day and age do people feel the need to write such garbage?! 'Booby traps' creeps out of the gutter for a Terrorvision style rock romp, ok but Bradford's finest do it better and in some style too. Oh god the fiddle is back for some reason on 'Electric fireshoes'… next! 'Failed' is an average kind of guitar pop song, nice and inoffensive which on an album like this is a real bonus! My god they are going for big rock drums on 'Black lemons' but the lyrics are just a nonsense, 'Oh black lemons banana man' is about the sum total of it all, why oh why oh why, there is no point, it's just a complete waste of space! Talking of wastes, why would you write a song about 'Betty's cakes' and expect good reviews? It's not insanity it's just stupidity! Hooray it's back to the average on 'Footsteps', there's a tune, the vocals are okay and even when the cheesy rock kicks in and out it doesn't mar proceedings too much, phew! Unfortunately its downhill again on the prog nonsense of 'The Wives', instantly forgettable. Now '54 Beef street' is a very poor song title and it sounds like some kind of weird chant but only lasts a minute so onto 'Good Guys' which sees them go for the big rock finale, maybe not!Pick of the bunch - Actually this is quite difficult but if we had to pick one it'll be 'Footsteps' cause it isn't complete shite! Worth a punt? Not in any dimension would this be a good idea, leave well alone in fact only insanity would lead you to wanna listen to this, the only beyond would be a trip to the local secure unit!
Band - Suede
Album - The Best of
Label - Suedelimited
Out Now? 1 November
Info - There was a time before Oasis that British music was on the run, on the back foot and well and truly out of fashion. Baggy had self imploded amide drugs and an invasion of scruffy American rockers had batted 'our' music into submission. But as ever the music press wanted a new scene, on the crest of this wave were the saviours of English guitar music, Suede. They were bold, smartly dressed, intelligent and despite the hype they were good, really good. History has almost ignored their part in the reinvention of British music instead giving bragging rights to Blur and Oasis but without Suede there would be no reinvention of British music, period. They were an exceptional package, they looked glam, sang about sex and drugs and their records not only sounded great but looked great too, and their sleeve art is exceptional. Their self titled debut was a musical event but it would be eclipsed in what followed, as 'Parklife' and 'Wonderwall' took the world by storm Suede's second album 'Dog man star' went epic, the band imploded but had never sounded so good. After a major reshuffle the band recorded a further two albums before calling it a day. Obviously they are now back and look as good as ever, the 'best of' is here to prove their place on the British pop culture top table. Music - Where do you start with 35 tracks and a band as influential as Suede? Well the beginning is the only place you can start; 'Animal Nitrate' harks way back to the bands debut and a blinding single too, amazing guitars and lyrically on the money, the drug and sexual references (the seedy underbelly of life) which were key to Anderson's repartee, great start then! In fact the start of disc one is a bit of bang, bang, bang with singles a go go including the in yer face 'Trash' from the oft ignored third album 'Coming up', it is the obvious brash Brett that is only one side of the Suede coin, possibly the beautiful one! That part of the Suede story usually gets the airplay, take 'She's in fashion' (from the fourth album none the less!) which does get plenty of plays but it's the darker, sinister, slower Suede that is worth more of a listen and thankfully the band haven't been shy in including plenty on this compilation. It's the second disc that offers more, firstly we'll cite 'By the sea' from the aforementioned 'Coming up' but then you really have to go further back to Suede's opus, the album that nearly finished the band and lost them Bernard Butler (once revered like Johnny Marr and Noel Gallagher), 'Dog Man Star'. This album isn't pop music, it's not indie it's ART, it transcends genres in such a way that little has done likewise in the following sixteen years, epic is an understatement. For a taster of the grandeur check out 'This Hollywood life', the sumptuous stripped back piano and Anderson's glorious vocals on 'The 2 of us' and then the epic, epic gorgeous 'the Asphalt world', it's music for the soul. As on 'Dog man Star' they follow 'the Asphalt world' with 'Still life' which is so beautiful it could make you a grown man cry, Anderson's voice is just amazing, it soars with guitars and an array of instruments which makes it sound more classical than pop, words cannot describe just how fantastic 'Still life' is. Strangely it's not the final word on here that honour falls to the finale off the debut, 'The next life' which is the only song that could really try to overshadow it, it doesn't really but it's a great end to a bumper 35 tracks of such quality. Pick of the bunch - Now how difficult is this? Do we go for the obvious 'big' singles like 'Animal nitrate', 'film star', 'She in fashion', 'Trash'? Or say look at the quality of the b sides 'Killing of a flashboy' and all the tracks off the 'Stay together' single which never featured on any of the albums! Or alternatively do we go for the seedy, epic Suede? Hell those tracks off 'Dog man star' are brilliant afterall. But truth be told there is no 'pick of the bunch' this is truly a 'best of' just savour the lot! Worth a punt? Is this a question that we need to answer? Suede are on of England's most endearing and influential bands of a generation and 35 tracks is not so much of an introduction but one hell of a calling card. This 'best of' proves that Suede couldn't have done a singles album as it wouldn't have done them justice, their back catalogue including splendid album tracks and b sides shows a band of real quality and class. Lets just say if you don't own the albums, the rarities compilation (sci fi lullabies) then this should be on top of your list. Sheer brilliance.
Band - Mutineers
Album - Friends, lovers, rivals
Label - Tri Tone / Pias
Out Now? 1 November 2010
Info - These Manchester types have some Cv between them; Haven, Marion and Johnny Marr's Healers amongst them. So plenty of musical past, what of the future? Music - Well not the current vogue of synths and beats but more traditional dark indie fair but to be honest if you do this well then you're onto a winner. Opener 'Infidelity' (and single too) is such a winner too, Nicholas Mallins vocal is sweet as a nut, spiritedly guitars but those dark undertones which sets the scene for the mood of the entire album. There's a sense even by the second track, 'Shadow kisses' that Mutineers really know what they are doing, this takes on the indie gauntlet and really runs with it. 'One last chance' adds some keyboards and an injection of pace whilst 'You used to be okay' keeps up the pace and provides evidence that they know a half decent melody when they hear on. This really is a good listen; there's no posturing just a knack of a decent tune with melodies and chorus'. 'The landlords daughter' goes darker down, the energy replaced with atmosphere, slow but Mallins vocals copes admirably with it, more than one trick ponies then. Whereas 'My words desert you' is lighter altogether, some splendid guitars take the plaudits from Michael Reed on this, little bit Cure but well poppy. 'Apologies' takes a similar guitar tact, kinda Echo and the bunnymen / Cure with some neat and tidy melodies and Mallins extremely listenable vocal, these are very, very good songs! There's echoes of Boxer Rebellion at times and Manchester stars Puressence too, in fact the latter sounds like a direct influence on 'Stick together'. It gets even more so on 'The Auctioneer', that lush guitar and 'big' sound, quality. They go for the big ending on 'Alone in our ideas', more great guitars and melodies with the pace picked up for one last time, 'kids beyond their years' indeed. But despite our promo copy having ten tracks listed, there is another! What a kick ass song it is too, the ante is upped and then some a massive dark sing along hooligan of an indie anthem, blinding (and by all accounts it's called 'Hyde Road' too). Pick of the bunch - Plenty of contenders, the guitars and epic nature of 'The Auctioneer' then the classic opener 'Infidelity' is pretty hard to beat. Well beaten they are by the mystery track 11, 'Hyde Road' is awesome! Worth a punt? Hell yeah, Mutineers have really taken the best of their former bands and put together a fine, fine album. It is the right side of dark, the right side of poppy and has bags of melodies and a sack full of tunes… did we say they were from Manchester too, nuff said!
Band - Jerzey Street Band
Album - Jerzey Street Band
Label - n/a
Out Now? 15 November 2010
Info - Possibly the worst name in the world ever especially hailing from Manchester! The signs here are all wrong, a UK band stating they have been 'raised on soulful American sounds' blah blah blah. Then there's the quote 'a self confessed freight train rock band influenced by a collective love of country, blues and gospel'. This has disaster written all over it! Music - Well well, so on paper this is a real recipe for disaster, English lads pretending to be from across the pond but bizarrely it actually works against all the odds. It works for one reason and one reason only, they can write decent songs. There isn't much original brought to the table here but that can be excused if what's been done is done well enough and it is. It starts off in fairly obvious manner but the vocals are sweet enough, admittedly in a rather mock Yankee rather than manc accent! 'Pale Blue River' is neat and tidy whilst Jagger and co would be happy with 'Rebels'. 'Mersey Angel' reminds of the Stones at their most sincere; that blues influence and the steel guitar coupled with a really good vocal, lovely song. 'Reason to speak' provides the evidence that they like to rawk, still plenty of melodies which is the saving grace, similar vain to a major influence County Crows but never overblown nor boring, they are trending the line but fortunately always staying the right side of it! There are a few downtimes, 'Landing' isn't spectacular and at times a bit obvious and too much and the piano on 'First in line' is a bit too much Counting Crows for their own good! Whilst closer 'Hey, I'm over here' is a bit over the top it's still a rousing tune, big guitars and all those influences rolled into one, about as subtle as a brick but with rawk don't come subtlety does it! Pick of the bunch - 'Mersey Angel' is a lovely tune. Worth a punt? This is definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea but if your idea of a decent day out is pretending your heading across route 66 on a big Harley then this is an album for you!
Band - The Rolling Stones
DVD - Ladies & Gentlemen
Label - Eagle Rock Entertainment
Out now? - 11 October
Info - Obviously not strictly an album review but when a vintage Stones DVD comes into your possession its rude not to give it an airing. So to the most pointless intro of all time cause if you don't know who The Rolling Stones are then you want shooting! So lets have a look at 'Ladies and Gentlemen' then, it's a live concert DVD dating way back to 1972 and was filmed in Texas on the 'Exile on main street' tour and actually had a US cinema release in '74. Music - Well anyone who has ever seen the Stones will know they can really put on a show and this is no exception, it features the 'legendary' Stones line up including the egos of Jagger, Richards, Watts and Bill Wyman (plus assorted others on random instruments including sax and horns). On the music front, well it's only rock and roll but I like it, proper dirty rock, sleazy guitars and Jaggers' unique vocals all nailed in only the way the Stones can. Visually it's a good watch, the youthful Jagger is in his prime, the camera loves him and his sometime chicken dance and skin tight jump suit! There's some blinding performances too, if a gig kicks off with 'Brown sugar' then you know you're in for a treat! So if you want the classics theres also 'Gimme Shelter', 'You can't always get what you want', 'Jumpin' jack flash' and 'Street fighting man' on the menu too, nice! There's also plenty of original rawk too, overblown to the point of excess ('Midnight Rambler') but what the hell this is the bloody Stones in the Seventies so what do you really expect, in fact would you want it any other way? Hell no! Just look at Jagger in the finale 'Street fighting man' how he owns that stage and even throws petals over his band mates as they nail it big style, its just how it should be done. Pick of the bunch - Normally we'd say 'Jumpin' jack flash' and here it's a billion mile an hour frenzy but think we'd plump for 'Gimme shelter' it's just stunning. Worth a punt? God yeah, if you don't love the Stones then you don't love rock music. This is vintage Stones, over the top and to excess, it's a fantastic performance and a not so gentle reminder of just how stadium rock should be done. A real treat.
Band - Ictus
Album - The Grand Glorification of sound
Label - One Two Productions
Out now? - 4 October
Info - Alarm bells ring when the album sleeve looks crap, like some dodgy prog nonsense and the fact that they are onto their second album and we've never heard of them afore. That said the Leicester four piece promise big pop tunes so here goes. Music - 'Golden boy' bounces around like a hedgehog on acid, like most of the album its obvious stuff but catchy as hell and as immediate as a pie in the face. Sometimes you don't wanna think too much and just jump around to stuff like 'run' with storming guitars sing-along chorus'. Guitars manage to shift through the gears on 'Carcrash', still retains a pop punk edge though, nice! They draw the usual comparisons to Blink 182, Enter Shikari, Good Charlotte and You me at six, 'Whilst the world turns' has the pop punk ethos that unites all these bands and more besides. There's a few times when the foot is taken off the gas but fortunately not too often and they are their best in full flow which is where '9 years and a day' fits nicely. 'Roulette' goes for the epic and anthem feel, while it doesn't quite get there it's a pretty damn good stab that their more successful American cousins would be no doubt pleased as punch to cull their own. Whereas 'Call me on' goes back to the tried and tested formula of buzzing guitars, catchy chorus and bags of energy. Perhaps they should have stuck with the Dropkick Murphys sounding 'hey you' for the finale as 'Harder and harder' sounds like not only has it been recorded at the wrong volume but the wrong speed too!Pick of the bunch - Well they all do pretty similar, guitars and chorus with a boat load of adrenalin but you can't go too far wrong with the likes of 'Run' and 'Carcrash'.Worth a punt? Actually yes, some well crafted punk fuelled catchy 'up' pop tunes, disposable but a banging 43 minutes all the same.
Band - Everything Everything
Album - Man Alive
Label - Geffen / Polydor
Out now? - Yep, 30 August
Info - Manchester so much to answer for and all that, well here's the next out of the Manchester musical mecca and getting loads of Xfm airplay along the way too. Music - And here's the track that has got Xfm well and truly smitten, 'My KZ, ur BF' (or for those of a non text speak nature - 'My keys, your boyfriend'!) is a blinder of a tune, bit of the fantastic beats that are all the rage at the moment but more importantly catchy as hell with a leftfield feel and banging chorus, what a start. There's no let up neither, 'Qwerty finger' (great title lads) blasts off with beats a plenty and even manages to kick up the pace too, twin vocals are married between catchy and a tad on the shouty but it works pretty well, shaping up well is this. So we look to see if Everything Everything can make it three out of three, well so so to be fair, 'Schoolin'' fails to hit's the heights of its predecessors but its got a good chorus and a looser free form feel about it. Bizarrely 'Leave the engine room' tries its best at indie electro ballad, slow moving but gently aims for the epic, perhaps falls short but listenable along the way anyway. 'Final Form' continues in the atmospheric mode, more slow drum beats perhaps but still shy's away from the immediate pop of 'My Kz, ur Bf'. However, 'Photoshop handsome' has the big beats up, foot tapping, head nodding and has that catchy chorus without losing sight of that left of field vibe, is that a guitar solo? Brilliant! It's slowed right down again unfortunately for 'Two for nero' which might be sweet but kind of drifts along without ever doing much of anything, bit of a damp squib. Good news then that 'Suffragette Suffragette' at times tries to pick up the pace but bad news not all the time, when its good its really good but when its out its just a bit too subtle and gutless, half a good tune then! The ante needs to be upped and the poppy 'Come alive Diana' does just that, the vocals are as ever a bit angular but it suit's the feel just nicely. But then 'Nasa is on your side' goes back to the slow 'epic' stance , its alright but nothing special which is unfortunate. Whilst 'Tin (the manhole)' has another stab at atmospheric, if its yer bag then you're gonna like it otherwise you'll want more pop! So onto track 12 and 'Weights' brings up the rear and it ain't no arse neither! Big chorus and whilst it isn't really single material its not a bad little number and even has a stab at the big ending too. Pick of the bunch - There's some catchy stuff but nothing that gets near 'My Kz, Ur BF', you aren't going to hear many better pop tunes this year. Worth a punt? Not the perfect album many were expecting and not as poppy as possibly expected neither but there's some blinding tunes on here to wet the appetite. Definitely one for the list.
Band - The Klaxons
Album - Surfing the void
Label - Polydor
Out now? - Yep, 23 August
Info - What is there not to know about Klaxons? New rave, saviours of indie dance or just self indulgent nonsense? Well our jury was well and truly out with the debut 'Myths of the new future' which veered from the sublime to the bloody awful. Can they rid themselves of them self indulgent tendencies and give is an epic? Music - Well hooray for this, its starts in fine, fine fettle. The single 'Echoes' is a belter, it has all the hallmarks that makes Klaxons great and at the top of their game; there's a mixture of guitars and effects, there's rock and dance without been overtly either, it's a top tune and of that make no doubt. 'The same space' isn't of the same calibre but isn't dead in the water neither, bigger on beats than 'Echoes' but far less pop overtones. It takes only three tracks for the wheels to start to work themselves loose, 'Surfing the void' has a messy as hell intro and despite some neat touches there's some really gory bits too, oh dear it's the title track too! 'Valley of calm trees' is more straight forward, decent tempo and some good vocals, excellent chorus in fact, fills the 'void' left by the previous track. 'Venusia' mixes traditional Klaxons influences and his a bit of a sci fi edge about it, not too bad but not a shot in the arm neither. Whereas, 'Extra Astronomical' is too damn heavy, self indulgent and shows Klaxons at their worst, oh dear. 's Fortunately 'Twin flames' lightens the load, better beats and vocals means a better listening experience, it's better but fails to recapture the gold of 'Echoes'. The heavy vibe resurfaces for 'Flashover' it does have a nice friendly chorus and a rip roaring tempo but there's just too much that verges on the dirge. That in fact is the problem with The Klaxons on the edge of brilliance and hopelessness! 'Future memories' has single written all over it, brighter and could even have the 'pop' word levelled at it, this is why Klaxons infuriate us, they can make stuff like this but out of the nine tracks thus far it's only the second truly worth it's bloody salt. In true Klaxons style 'Cypherspeed' wraps it up, it has flashes of why these are held in such high regard and then aspects of self indulgent electro nonsense, sums it up really. Pick of the bunch - 'Echoes'. Worth a punt? Sure Klaxons devotees will no doubt love it, we don't! Our advice continue to stick with the singles to avoid disappointment.
Band - Redtrack
Album - Whole Town's Heart
Label - Fandango / Fierce Panda
Out Now? 7 September 10
Info - Take four lads from Southend (one of whom has survived a meat cleaver attach, fact) give them buzzing guitars and matching outfits and here come Redtrack. Music - Starts off like a train, 'Whole town's heart' is a million mile an hour, bit new wave and all that but with a cracking chorus plus weighing in at four seconds under the magic three minute mark too! There's plenty of further evidence of the new wave element to their power pop, 'Been there' is class too. It's not all one trick and ponies though, there's a spot of electro down in the mix on 'The Trier' amongst the rabid guitars that is. Ahem, is that an acoustic guitar we can hear on 'Memory Card'? Sure is , stripped back showcases Billy Wrights vocal talents (is that really his name, cool is it is). 'I miss you, not' heralds the return of the punchy guitars, not at the expense of a tune and there's a cracking chorus in there too. 'Pole Dancer' has quirky lyrics, plus plenty of old skool 'oi oi oi' shouty backing vox, like Ordinary Boys at their poppy best. 'Catch me out' does what it says, starts out a bit understated but then bursts into life with a catchy as hell chorus, the sing-along chorus does appear to be somewhat of a Redtrack trademark, not that there's anything wrong with that obviously. 'Whole town's Heart' finishes in rampant style, 'Pretty Boy' with its buzzing intro bursts into a storming duet of epic post punk pop proportions, bizarrely the guest vocal is given by a Hollyoakes starlet, strange but true, fair play to her it works a treat. Pick of the bunch - Well it's first and last, title track and opener is smart but for guts n' balls you can beat finale 'Pretty Boy', top stuff. Worth a punt? Yes without a doubt, it's not quite the finished article but as debuts go it's a damn fine try. Packed with buzzing guitars and to die for choruses, it's a winner alright.
Band - The 99's
Album - The 99's
Label - Tri-Tone
Out Now? Yep, release date was 16 August
Info - Three lads hailing from the moors near Manchester, are gonna get a new Oasis or maybe a spot of indie, electro dance perhaps. Well no actually it's the pursuit of the three minute pop tune that our lads in question attain to. Music - Right from the off its bright and breezy northern pop, 'Oh me Oh my' is that 'up' pop song that so many bands flatter to deceive to get right, The 99's on the other hand are right on the money here. 'Miles apart' actually sounds like Milburn, those now defunct indie pop urchins from t'other side of t'pennines who failed to get out of The Arctic Monkey's epic shadow a few years ago. 'Turn of the tide' on the other hand has the feel of that retro Last Shadow Puppets, that bass and drums but it still retains Johnny West's breezy vocals which fit on top quite nicely. 'Dear Sir' comes out of the blocks kicking (not screaming thankfully) with melodies to burn and some fine 'ahh' backing vocals for effect. Whereas 'Make it on your own' may well carry on but also adds some slightly heavier guitars, hardly Iron Maiden mind so don't worry too much that it's going to get in the way of the pop song! Now 'Sunshine' sounds so familiar it's painful, a bit folky or even the old fashioned alt country put it somewhere near Mumford & Sons territory and hats off for the lyrics, proper stand up and take note stuff. 'Rooftop' is back to the indie pop formula, blinding melodies and simple yet effective guitars; they don't try anything spectacular or indeed daft just solid honest songs. 'Say a prayer' gets a bit of a slow down, slide guitars give it another alt country / folky sound but as ever the catchy melody is retain throughout. 'One man show' starts a bit introverted but still manages to crack into a big chorus, not an album to be bogged down in melancholy this one, they even manage to throw in some big guitars late on for good measure too. 'How long is too long' is pleasant enough but misses a big chorus or two along the way. The album does end in true style though, 'Elmet', not a huge pop number but a classy nigh on epic tune which incorporates a bit of brass and features some of West's vocals on the album too, great ending. Pick of the bunch - 'Sunshine' takes some beating, bit different too but for sheer pop go for 'Oh me Oh my'. Worth a punt? What a great debut, honest as the day is long and avoids the fashions and fads of the day. It's the sound of three northern lads who want to make great music. And to that aim they have achieved everything they set out to do. One of our albums of the year, yep that good.
Band - Calamateur
Album - Each Dirty Letter
Label - Autoclave Records
Out Now? 02 August 2010
Info - He's Scottish and has a real name, Andrew Howie. Calamateur sounds better! Music - Take lo fi, folky, indie pop and wash over with some to die for melodies plus strangely engaging melodies and you have 'Each Dirty Letter'. It's a fairly tried and tested formula that we have to agree but went its done well it's a real treat. Take 'Banoffee' which is systematic of just how it's done well or 'Repeat' which follows but goes into duet territory, Jo Mango adds some sweet, sweet vocals which only adds to an already splendid tune. Sometimes you get the celtic twang others does kind of slip into almost American, 'A bad friend' has a bit of the Evan Dando's about it but always its laid back. He does almost get hot under the collar on 'Testimony' but it's soon out of the system and back to what he does best. No worries as by the time 'Touch my skin' comes along he's very much back to his very best. Away from the music gotta add points for the artwork too, the illustrations (or drawings as we like to call them!) complete the picture; quaint and very much lo fi and provides a fine companion to the music. Pick of the bunch - 'Banoffee' is as sweet as it suggests and 'Touch my skin' does stand out but to be fair this isn't about individual songs, it's a fluid musical journey that is best listened to in its entirety. Worth a punt? If you like laid back, cool, semi acoustic melodic guitar pop with an indie and folky bias then this album should be in your collection. Just a lovely forty minutes of music, love it, we do.
Band - Chris Singleton and the Distractions
Album - Lady Gasoline
Label - IRL Records
Out Now? Yep, 28 June was the day
Info - Chris Singleton is the main man here, he's written all twelve tunes plus does the singing, guitars and err organs and synths - does he need or have any spare time for any distractions?! Anyway they do a fair job of bringing up the rear, sterling job of bass, additional guitars and drums etc. By the way Chris Singleton hails from Ireland and sports a natty pair of specs. Music - Splendid stuff, Chris has a knack of writing a cracking 'up' pop tune. 'Lose it' has all the ingredients needed; bonzer melody, neat guitars and that feel good factor. In fact it's a bit of a feel good album, it kicks on with quite a pace to it, 'Bad Ambitions' keeps up the good work with a immediate pop hit. Chris takes pop, a spot of indie, some guitars, some obvious influences (well one track is called 'Lou Reed' no prizes for guessing here!) but stamps his own personality all over the whole thing. 'Caught in the sun' is mellower whereas 'Lady Gasoline' with its underlying synth beat is more agro and in yer face. 'Sold the world' heads back into mellow, melody territory and sounds like so many tunes you've ever heard you cannot put your finger which one it reminds off most. 'Blood' starts like it should be rooming around Radiohead but actually gets a 70's guitar lick and goes off into a mellow pop direction instead which is just as well! 'Momma Miss America' finishes off with a bit of a Velvet Underground sound, well if they did pop that is! Pick of the bunch - Plenty to grab the attention, 'Let me out', and 'sold the world' are contenders but 'Lose it' just about steals it. Worth a punt? Oh God yeah, a great sunshine record for sure but there's plenty of scope for this to find it's way back onto the turntable even when summer is long gone. Splendid stuff indeed.
Band - Oasis
Album - Time Flies
Label - Big Brother
Out Now? 21 June
Info - Surely of all the bands in Britain Oasis are the one that need no introduction. To those who have had their heads in a bucket of sand for the last couple of decades Oasis are the band that singlehanderley redefined and re-energised English music in the early to mid ninties, from their debut single way back in '94 there was never a dull moment in the Oasis camp. Is this over egging Oasis the band, no not at all, in the days where Cast are trying to state they were an important band to drum up sales to a not very welcome come back tour this just amplifies just how mega Oasis were. Music - Rather than the edited highlights package this is a straight down the line no messing singles collection, a bumper 27, yes count them 27 tracks in all. So if you want Noel's 'version' of a 'greatest hits' collection then best go for the 2006 'Stop the clocks' compilation instead. But what you get here are all the songs that have graced the airways for the last sixteen years including the stella early hits 'Supersonic' and 'Rock n roll star' which tore up the indie guitar rule book and sent the Gallaghers into stardom. The music, especially the early stuff has Noel and Liam's 'influences' all over them, take a pinch of Lennon, throw in some Who add a bit of Stones then add a huge bottle of attitude shake widely and then you have some right tunes! Talking of Lennon, also included is the oft ignored and string laden 'Whatever' real good to hear that one again. But the we have all the tunes that made them the million sellers, just how good are the likes of 'Wonderwall' and 'Don't look back in anger' oh man no guessing on how they became the best and biggest band in Britain with quality like that, blinding. Away from the early stuff 'Time Flies' also proves that their post 'What's the story' career isn't as bad as what some would make us believe. In fact Noel didn't rest on his laurels for the last decade, check out 'The importance of being idle' and more recent 'Shock of the lightening' as definitive proof. Pick of the bunch - From a 27 track Oasis singles album this is one hell of an ask, there's some many great and we do mean great tunes on here it's nigh on impossible to pick one. That said as we have to we'll go for 'Wonderwall' its obvious but obvious for a reason, its just a glorious song and one of those 'one in a generation' tunes. Worth a punt? Another few quid for Noel then? Probably, but in a post Oasis landscape 'Time Flies' really proves that they raised the musical bar and will take some beating, so yeah its essential stuff.
Band - Envy of the state
Album - Soundtrack for your life
Label - Red label Records
Out Now? 14 June 2010
Info - Telford ain't well known as a hotbed of rock but that may well be about to change as Envy of the state unleash their debut album, 'Soundtrack for your life' onto an unsuspecting public. Music - 'Soundtrack for your life' gets off to a real rock unroll flyer, 'Rags to riches (riches to rehab)' is a beast of a tune; tempo of a jet plane, stella guitars and a melody to die for, if this is your soundtrack then it's the one of getting set for a real big night out. There's no let up neither, in fact it gets harder and faster on 'Silver screen', still with a tune amongst the high energy and guitars. There's quite a trick to ensuring there's a tune worth seeking out amongst buzzing guitars and booming drum rhythms but fortunately Envy of the State manage it with some ease. Reference points are most obviously Lost Prophets and probably more obviously a shed load of black clothing to boot. Variety wise it more often than not fist pumping stuff but as most rock bands do they do go for the occasional slow, fast, slow number and 'Lives Collide' is done to pretty decent effect without ever falling foul of the horrific rock ballad which should be avoided at all costs! Whereas 'Soundtrack for your life' goes hell for leather with chainsaw guitars, full out rock out, like Soundgarden with a bit of shouting in for good measure. 'Blind' is back to the high octane best, guitars on fire with some class rock vocals, nice one Scott! 'Our time' keeps the tempo a pumping, following a similar vain except for a bit of the 'slow' before cranking back up, big style. Thirty three minutes and ten tracks polished off in double quick time, it just flies by. Good stuff and top title too! Pick of the bunch - Plenty to pick from but opener 'Rags to riches' edges it, proper rock with a quality pop edge. Worth a punt? If you like your rock then hell yeah.
Band - Kele
Album - The Boxer
Label - Polydor
Out Now? 21 June 2010
Info - Everybody's fav indie festival band Bloc Party take a sabbatical and lead singer Kele Okereke goes off and goes straight back into the studio and crafts a ten tracker under very much his own steam. Music - It moves out of the indie undergrowth and firmly into the indie electro field, throws beats around for fun and a rather bizarre army matching chorus 'Walk Tall' sets the stall out widely away from his Bloc Party roots. Whilst it isn't jet off to Ibiza and throw your hands into the air stuff it's not a million miles away, early doors there's no sight of the obvious guitars / drums / bass / vox formula. 'On the lam' has a great groove, female backing vocals and manages to retain a melody which should mean old fans shouldn't be scared off and be running to the hills. 'Tenderoni' has a beat that dance anthems wouldn't be ashamed off and blasts off good style, one that the remixes we're sure can have a field day with! Kele's vocals come to the fore on 'Everything you wanted' and with stripped down beats firmly in the background this tune will definitely appeal to those with an ear on his back catalogue, good strong vocals too. A rather irritating phone tone mars the peered down 'The new rules', Kele's vocals are delicate and balanced by some sweet backing by a female guest star. This is a move back away from the electro feel as it's more a traditional song, more than one string to the solo bow then. In fact "Unholy thoughts' has, gasp, guitars on it! It trots along very nicely and probably wouldn't go amiss under the Bloc Party moniker. That there electronic edge reappears on 'Rise' but nowhere near the euphoric tunes found early doors on 'The Boxer'. Vocally 'All the things I could never say' is in the Bloc Party ball park and then some female vocals appear for real balance, it's a slow burner that never really ignites despite some promise. The show is rapped up with 'Yesterdays gone' with a natty drum machine beat in the background and Kele's vocals back to the fore. Unfortunately it's another that fails to reach the heights, pleasant enough but not the big finale that would be fitting for 'The Boxer'. Pick of the bunch - Without a shadow of a doubt that's 'Tenderoni'. Dodgy title but one hell of a tune. Worth a punt? Starts off like some electro train but there's enough variety to suggest he ain't no drum machine obsessed one trick pony. Whilst it isn't always 100% on the money it's still very much a qualified success. Old fans won't be dismayed and they'll find enough to keep them entertained and it shows enough to make it worth grabbing a copy.
Band - Detroit Social Club
Album - Existence
Label - Fiction Records
Out Now? 31 May 2010
Info - Taken down to the basics DSC are an indie band hailing from the north east, Newcastle in fact. David Burn who is the king pin of the band has some unusual influences including sixties soul and 'Spector' stuff so we're expecting something a little different. Music - In an arse about tit we're going to start the review half way through and concentrate on why we chose to download the album to review, simply that track is 'Sunshine People'. It's been kicking around for a while and was released as a single too, rightly too it's awesome. It has a blinding riff, magical chorus (one of those that buries into your skull and won't leave you alone) and then boom a kick ass guitar meltdown which to be fair you don't see that often in indie land. It's one of those tracks that aren't two a penny so you have to grab them when you can; foot stomping, sing along genius. We're going to zip around the album in fact for something a bit different and the fact we downloaded it kinda in the wrong order! This probably suites DSC as they are a bit different and the styles do vary a tad. Take opener 'Kiss the sun' it brings in some big atmosphere and throbbing guitars then has vocals that resemble trappist monks before breaking down into a big bombastic indie anthem (big chorus and guitars), that's one way to kick things off then! 'Northern man' includes strings but still retains that 'big' sound, suppose that where the Spector wall of sound vibe comes in, it actually also has a bit of a Verve edge too. Burn does have a knack of creating soundscapes which also encompasses enlightening choruses which makes them exceptionally listenable too. Burn also is one who makes that extra effort with his lyrics too, so give them a listen (plus you can read them on the DSC website too). 'Prophecy' which is released as a single to promote the long player, a bit darker maybe with some atmospheric vocals but still retains the pop edge as a right decent chorus too which does seem to be a feature of this album. The ten tracker comes to slow end with a low key 'Lights of life', not disappointing just relaxed and one to tap along to whilst nodding the head in the realisation that this is a damn fine album. Pick of the bunch - 'Sunshine people' see above, nuff said. Worth a punt? Yeah definitely, thought it has to be said that one the first listen we didn't really connect thoroughly with 'Existence' it takes a few listens to get really under the skin but once it's there you'll know. Detroit Social Club then? A damn inviting place that you'll wanna revisit time and time again.
Band - The Universal
Album - The Universal
Label - Diffusion Music
Out Now? 17th May
Info - ''Sharp dressing Liverpool band The Universal'' is usually a turn off on two counts, one 'sharp dressing' usually mean they look like twats and secondly they are from Liverpool, nuff said… arr The La's, still have flashbacks now! But they look pretty cool and there's plenty of 'Fred Perry' on the album sleeve which is nice and they don't sound like The La's nor The Farm neither, another couple of plus points then. Music - Straight from the off the musical influences are pinned to the mast, 'Revolution' is pure Weller. The vocals are just so modfather and the tune is there or there abouts too, that said it's a fine tune and the female backing singer is used to great effect. I suspect The Universal are gonna be a bit of a marmite band, if you get it you're gonna like it but if you aren't a fan then you are gonna really, really hate it! The guitars on 'Shine on' are belting but chief Universal Terry Shaughnessy's vocals are just a bit too much Weller. Musically 'Day in Day out' is a little more adventurous with a fine chorus, the guitars are biting and it's a bit of a call to arms, good on 'em. The guitars start to come to the fore and by the time 'Stand up' hit's they are fair buzzing, there's a million influences flying around but they are knitted around the guitars and pretty well done too. One think you are never going to say about The Universal is they are the most original band in the world but what they can do is put out a fair tune. 'It ain't what you know' brings the beat down and Shaughnessy's vocals actually sound better for it, the phase swagger is banded around when describing The Universal and it's on this track with spades, confidence that isn't misplaced. Whereas 'Get Yourself together' is more Weller / Ocean Colour Scene territory but with a glorious chorus, nice and laid back not epic but relaxed. 'Can you feel it' has backs of energy, the guitars are up and the vocals a bit more like himself, vocally this continues through 'I believe' which is a bit more introverted. Now introverted is not a word that can be used to describe the final duo on the album, 'I believe' has some heavy guitars interspersed with more mellow vocals but when those guitars kick in, they kick in. Then they kinda rock out on finale 'Let it burn', plenty of urgency and stomping guitars and that's how an album should conclude. Pick of the bunch - Gotta be 'Day in Day out'. Worth a punt? If you like your music on the mod side and you're a fan of Weller / Oasis / Ocean Colour Scene etc then hell yeah. You like the vocals and there's some rocking tunes. Now if you aren't a fan of the above then I'd avoid if I was you!
Band - The Blueskies
Album - Souvenir
Label - Killing Moon Records
Out Now? 3rd May
Info - Just to start this isn't so much a long player as a mini album, but we also go for quality rather than quantity anyway! Music - Well firstly lets say there some synths involved in fact Q magazine is quoted as saying 'Primal Depeche Mode meets The Killers in a dark alley with stories of loves lost and may strange friends'. First up of the 6 tracks is 'Matthew' which does indeed marry synth pop with left field indie pop, it tips it hat to the 80's whilst still having feet planted firmly in the 21st century. There's some great story telling going on, very clever lyrics from the lips of Mike Fawcett setting the scene much in the great British tradition carried on by the likes of Pulp and Suede. The lyrics of 'Hen nights and homeless' are truly sublime and worth picking this mini album up for alone, musically it's pacey, punchy with some super synths. They also show their tender side, although at their true best with plenty of guitars and beats behind them they can do a nice tidy 'down' tune, more than one string to these lads bow. But there real calling is knocking out a electro indie pop tune, 'Royal Blood' is such a tune with blinding synths and beats taking the tune along at a merry old pace, they can do infectious when the mood takes. Pick of the bunch - For the sheer audacity of the lyrics and the story of 'the usual' night out it has to be 'Hen nights and homeless' a class tune but the story it tells is spot on. Worth a punt? Yep, six songs ain't a lot but they are all spot on. The lyrics and story telling is like a breathe of fresh air and The Blueskies definitely know what a decent tune is too, marriage made in heaven then.
Band - Black Soul Strangers
Album - Animate
Label - Squeek Records
Out Now? 5th July, 2010
Info - Hailing from across the Irish Sea from Donegal, 'Animate' was fashioned in the famous Windmill Studios in old Dublin town. The band pic in the inner sleeve looks the part, all dark clothes, pouting looks and not a stylish hair out of place all in front of an atmospheric derelict 60's tower block. Can they live up to their looks? Music - Starts off in great form, 'Panic sets direction' tees up nicely into a blinding 'Lies' with a banging drums, epic guitars and blows through three minutes in double quick time. Couple it all with a crashing vox courtesy of Barry Gorey (with accompying backing vocals too) and it's a real blast. 'The Haunting' takes the foot off the gas and goes into a real reflective mood, one they really excel at too. First time that the phrase 'Boxer Rebellion' crops up and any band that reminds us of the most underrated bands on the scene are always welcome on our stereo. 'Leave' brings them back to the boil, some really neat choppy guitars and Gorey's vocals just ooze atmosphere and a cranked up chorus creates a right corker of a tune. Corey's vocals go back to brittle for a dark and brooding 'Monster' but they still heat it up with building guitars so just when it looks like there going for the jugular it tails off for a reflective finish. 'Tristia' carries on in much the same vein, a fine low key tune which doesn't reach the heights but 'Gallows' certainly does! The ante is upped as is the pace with buzzing guitars flowing to dazzling effect and it's followed by the big tune that is 'Witchia'. It has just what you want, great chorus, plenty of angst it's proper dark indie rock. By now they are in full flow and 'Leave' keeps up the groove and they have the formula off to a tee, it's actually pretty catchy stuff! The album finale sees Black soul strangers in far darker territory, with brass and atmospheric drums for company but 'harp' is a fine end to a splendid thirty seven minutes musical entertainment. Pick of the bunch - This ain't an album that makes you jump for the skip button, 'Lies' is pretty damn hellfire whilst straight after the atmospheric and lonely 'The Haunting' is a flawed beauty. When they are on one they are as powerful as indie gets, 'Witchia' is a fine example of them at their buzzing best. Worth a punt? Too right, this is a blinding album from a band who look and sound the part. It mixes dark brooding tunes with quality rock pop classics. Ones to really watch in 2010 and definitely an album that stirs the emotions, Animate yourself to grab hold of this album pronto.
Band - Dropkick Murphys
Album - Live on Lansdowne Boston MA
Label - Cooking Vinyl
Out Now? Yep, 16th March (for St Patrick's Day).
Info - If you don't know who Dropkick Murphys are then ten to a penny you ain't gonna like them! They've been going for donkey's years and are veterans of the American underground / overground punk scene. They mix hardcore, punk, folk and rock and blast it out and pretty damn high volumes. Music - Well if you haven't guessed this is a live album and it's a compilation of a run of seven gigs they did in their hometown of Boston, USA to celebrate St Patrick' Day in 2009. So the clues are all here, St Patrick's day and Boston so they are the 'Irish / Americans' so expect that the tradition shouty yankee punk is mixed with a decent dose of high octane Irish folk (see the free DVD for some rather natty Riverdancing… not by the band themselves fortunately enough!). It's not for the faint hearted, they'd be the types to try and crack the egg with a sledgehammer but there's plenty of tunes hiding behind the thrashing guitars and twin shouty vocals. '(F)lannigans Ball' shows that there's melodies to have and their green hearts whereas stuff like openers 'Famous for nothing' and 'The state of Massachusetts' shows why the are godfathers of the punk scene across the pond. Whereas 'Caught in a jar' shows why the album is labelled 'St Patrick' day anthems'! It's not all good news though, 'Citizen CIA' is just too much and is a bit of a messy blur and at times the inbetween songs banter is a bit sickly but that's live albums for you. On the fact it's a live album, it has a decent sound to it and there's plenty of cheering and crowd participation plus it's not polished in anyway, pretty damn honest recording. Female guest vocals are a welcome distraction on 'The Dirty glass' and the crowd joining in with the chorus sounds pretty cool, it has that Irish thing going on big time with guitars on fire! Out of the blue comes 'Forever' which shows a lighter side to the 'Murphys, well as delicate as they can do, soon counteracted by a pipe infused romp through 'Worker's song'! The 'Let's go Murphy's' chants are in full effect for the obvious encore of 'I'm shipping up to Boston' which really sums them up, energy and bags of it plus they are joined by friends and fellow hardcore legends The Mighty Mighty Bosstones for quite a finale. Pick of the bunch - There's actually some good stuff on here and 'Captain Kelly's kitchen' has it all, it's a million miles an hour, plenty of shouting and a good honest guitar romp with some of that old fashioned old country influence in there for good measure. Worth a punt? If you are a fan then this is a must especially with the free DVD to go with it. If you are a fan of punk and wanna get into the band then again it's well worth a punt. However, if you prefer music that don't blow out yer ear drums then best give it a miss then!!
Angus & Julia Stone
Album - Down The Way
Label - Flock Music
Out Now? 15 March, 2010
Info - According to the blurb Angus and Julia Stone are Australia siblings and this is their second long player ('A book like this' their first). It also says that 'Down the way', "gravitates from sparse to rich and textured arrangements yet never loses its etherealness and charm' - that's some big claims! Music - 'Hold On' sets the musical standard, dreamy Julia vocals with gorgeous string drenched melodies laid back and beautifully relaxed. The female vocals of 'Hold on' are replaced by Angus but still nice and relaxed with a light American twang and mix of strings, drums and acoustic guitar backing them to perfection. Julia returns for the purest of pop, 'For You' which features more guitars and her tuneful tones has a spot of a Celtic edge, say Cerys Catatonia at her sweetest. Angus takes centre stage again on 'Big Jet Plane', more of a standard indie folk pop tune, bit Magic Numbers, still pleasant but a bit away from what makes them really quite special. The vocals are shared on 'Santa Monica Dream'; Julia's shine through on this beautifully simple little ditty, an acoustic guitar for company and like the title suggests this is a dream of a tune. 'Yellow brick rock' with it's slide guitar and feel goes down the folk / alt country route, it still has a simple yet crafted sound which evokes thoughts of west coast sun and surf. 'And the Boys' which has been picked as the first digital single of the album has Julia's vocals amongst a up tempo, punchy drumbeat and brass background, probably the most immediate track on the album but possibly not the most satisfying, that said still a good listen. The limelight swings back to Angus again for 'On the Road' then for the chorus Julia takes back the spotlight amid the slide guitars, fine alt country that reminds very much of the splendid UK outfit Mojave 3 (and the like) and at times hits a brisk pace too. Simple and beautiful, that's how 'Walk it off' commences, Julia's splendidly understated vocals with some slow strings, then it builds as the strings up the ante and the vocals follow with some brittle edged power. Harmonica and a folky drumbeat echo Angus' understated vocals on 'Hush', one of his highlight tunes. 'Draw your swords' starts very, very slowly just Angus and some sparse guitars; nearly half the song is over before a slow drum beat appears. His voice is joined by Julia's as beautiful backing as then it picks up and Angus get all excitable before it cools just sort of the seven minute mark. Julia is back in the box seat for 'I'm not yours' which she shares for vast chunks with just a piano for company, very pleasant and neat too when the guitars kick in. This lovingly written collection ends with acoustic guitars and piano, with Angus showing the lighter side of his vocal ability. 'The Devil's tears' is the perfect way to round off 'Down the way' especially with a gorgeous little bonus track tagged on the end too. A suprisingly refreshing, subtle and rewarding listen. Pick of the bunch - 'Julia's' vocals tend to edge out the male vox in the battle of the siblings, 'Hold On' takes some beating but 'Santa Monica Dream' with it's divine dual vocals and simple acoustic guitar melodies is too dreamy to ignore. Worth a punt? Whilst it may not get the pulses racing it'll certainly cleanse the soul. Those who want to forget about the troubles and dramas of their life should curl up, lower the lighting and immerse themselves in 'Down the way', dreampop of the first order.
Band - The Pocket Gods
Album - Plan Nub, Behind the fridge
Label - Nub Country Records
Out Now? 01 April 2010
Info - The Pocket Gods are positively old skool indie, they have created a 16 track opus all about the delights of B movies and Sci fi. They are that indie in fact the cover sleeve is done in felt tip and crayons! Music - File well under lo fi! After the Howard Hughes does Smashie and Nicey pre ample, 'Trailer park on mars' sounds quite like Ash (especially with the ..on mars bit). So its starts poppy enough, plenty of indie guitars and the vocals from 'Billy childish enters the space race' onwards sound like fashion jumper Damon Albarn. The vocal wheels start to fall off however from 'In nub country' where they start to sound a bit tuneless, a theme that unfortunately does ping its head at regular intervals throughout the rest of the album. In fact on the fabulously title 'I'm the ed wood of indie pop' the vocals seem to have been recorded on a different planet and dumped well under some squeaky indie guitars, it's a bit Mark E Smith under some pinky and perky indie noodlings! After a very brief intermission (that's track 8 by the way!) 'Carry on behind' features some neat twee guitars but vocally it's not great and it's onto track 10! 'Nipple fight' with its woeful title and lyrics ('there's a nipple fight in the car park' and we quote!) actually has quite a new wave sound so ignore the singing and enjoy the tune! The vocals fall off the side of the planet completely on 'Nub country life' as the album seems to be heading away from twee to subThe Fall dirge. The guitars keep coming and the vocals keep getting worse as we head through tracks 13 to 14, 'Joe Meek' is a bit better as the music tries to drown out the vocal and it only lasts a minute and a half. Bizarrely enough 'Zeta Reticulli' musically sounds a bit like early PJ Harvey or Pixies, should have left it at that and then Howard Hughes pops back up to congratulates you on actually seeing the album out. Pick of the bunch - The first half of the album is far superior to the second and 'Trailer park on mars' is really the standout track, which is a shame cause it's actually the first proper song on the album! Worth a punt? Unless you like your indie well and truly left field and out there best give it a wide berth but if you want something that's a little 'unusual' then by all means jump onto a flying saucer and head over to behind the fridge, just beware of the strange noises.. oh that's the vocals sorry!
Band - Shy Child
Album - Liquid Love
Label - Wall of Sound
Out Now? 15 March 2010
Info - Outta NYC, USA Shy Child have been knocking around for a while now, in fact 'Liquid Love' is their fourth long player. Their third album 'Noise won't stop' been the one to turn heads and saw them tour with the likes of Hot Chip and Klaxons. Music - Alright lets dance! Poppy, left field dance grooves from start to finish, opener 'Liquid Love' sets the scene and they rarely vary from the formula. Now that might seem like a gripe but it's not as the formula works a treat! 'Disconnected' takes the gauntlet and runs away with it, fine beats and killer rhythm, top stuff. If you want the beat a bit heavier try 'Criss Cross' reminds of our old Manchester friends The Whip and that's always a good thing in our book! Whereas 'The Beatles' has a beat that wouldn't sound amiss on the white isle but as with the rest of the album the tune has a good structure and it'll just begs for some shapes to be thrown!! 'Esp' is a great example of 'the formula'; great vocals, splendid synths, a beat to die for and plenty of energy. In our book that's a pretty good formula to have. 'Depth of feel' is perhaps the only disappointment, intro sounds a bit knight rider and throughout it just seems a little off target, but you're allowed one bum track! Fortunately 'Strange emotion' is more like it whereas finale 'Dark Destiny' actually plays the moody card, slowed down with synths to the fore which they just about pull off. Pick of the bunch - 'Disconnected' is infectious dance pop genius! Worth a punt? God yeah! If you got Delphic's album and loved it then you'll think this is a right blast. Indie dance don't come much better than this, it'll make you wanna hit the dance floor with avengeance!
The Automatic
Album - Tear the signs down
Label - Armoured Records
Out Now? 8 March 2010
Info - Now onto their third album the Welsh guitar pop wizards may have lost that bit of edge when Pennie left after the likes of 'Monster' and 'Recover' went through the roof. But his shouty vocals were a bit marmite; you ever loved or hated them. What is left behind is a more straight forward indie rock proposition and now recording without the constraints of a label as 'Tear the signs down' is on their own Armoured Records and was recorded in their own Cardiff studio too. Music - It starts it almost obvious fashion, 'Insides' is a bit punk pop by numbers, does get better as it goes on but not great. Unlike 'Interstate' which is a blast, has single written all over it, all the elements needed for a great indie gem, plenty of guitars, great chorus and as catchy as the plague, up there with some of their best. 'Cannot be saved' could have easily fallen off their first album, another tune that buries its way into the brain and cannot be shaken off and a real blast. 'Run and Hide' will be the second single to drop off the album and starts a bit Cooper Temple Clause before a real catchy chorus with plenty of buzzing guitars behind the vocals. Unfortunately 'Sweat Heat Noise' is a bit Automatic by numbers, nothing really wrong with it just fails to buzz or shine. Fortunately 'High Times' bucks that trend with it's butch drum intro and decent poppy chorus and then feeds into the choppy 'Race to the heart of the sun' with a harder, deeper guitar edge, proper indie rock. Talking of indie rock, the intro for 'Can I take you home' promises the same before it breaks out into a big, big indie pop romp and just listen to those buzzing guitars in the background too, nice! There's guitars flying all over the place in the overblown and messy 'Something else', there's a pop tune in there just bouncing around amidst the rock frenzy! It ends in a more predictable and poppy manner, 'Tear it town' actually lacks the intensity of 'Something else' but is a more straight forward Automatic tune. It don't last for long, 11 tracks in a mere 37 minutes, it fair breezes by but isn't that the point? Always a pleasure and never a chore! Pick of the bunch - 'Can I take you home' is a right old tune and a half but it has to be 'Interstate', a blinding tune with killer hooks and stella chorus. Worth a punt? Yeah?! Whilst The Automatic hardly push back the musical boundaries they are a damn fine listen. Plenty of bright and breezy pop tunes with loads of guitars thrown in for good measure too.
Dephic
Album -Acolyte
Label - Chemeric
Out Now? Yep - Released early January 2010
Info - Hype, hype, hype, hype. Manchester's Dephic have spent the last few months pushing all the right buttons across the nations press and public and are hovering around the top of the tips of 2010 polls of those in the know. So Acolyte has plenty to live up to but then again it has the opportunity to put down a real musical marker for the new decade. Music - ''A call to arms, a call to arms, a call everything you wanted, it's your life, it's your life'' is blasted out in opener 'Clarion call' which starts slowly before kicking firmly into life, already a glimpse of the electro influence flowing out. Delphic aren't shy, single 'Doubt' shows why they have become one of the 'next big things', confidence runs through the electro pulses along with an eye for a decent tune too. Many have been quick to point the figure towards the likes of New Order (and their Joy Division roots) through to the their recent peers Klaxons. 'This Momentary' shows they aren't afraid to mix it up either, layers of beats and vocals showing real depth but not forgetting the listening experience. Unfortunately 'Red Lights' could do with a slightly stronger vocal but the tune itself is a thriller, quite bouncy in fact! 'Acolyte' proves that in true Manchester tradition they can do atmosphere live the best of 'em, some splendid haunting vox too. A mere five tracks down and it's plainly obvious that this isn't any old plain indie album, no it's more akin to the dance field and you can imagine that Delphic live is a real hands in the air affair, bit like city mates The Whip in fact. 'Acolyte' ends up just that way as it heads past the eight minute mark! 'Halcyon' is a more straightforward joyous and dancey tune with bags of pace. Its away from dance for a moment as 'Submission' has big atmospheric vocals with a more downbeat feel, in fact quite a 'big feel' about it, electro stadium anyone?! 'Counterpoint' bounces back poppy, bizarrely sounding familiar like half a dozen or so other songs, great chorus and knob twizzling. Finale 'Remains' lays down the beat from the outset, quite brittle and introverted to begin with before breaking out into a splendid pop tune with that unashamedly dance edge. Wonderful! Pick of the bunch - Plenty vying for pole position whether it be the New Order inspired pop of single 'Doubt' or the sheer danceablity of 'Red lights' with it's hands in the air beats. To be honest wouldn't like to make a judgement as to be fair it works well as a full album and not just a collection of ten tracks, great flow to it. That said we do love the atmospheric 'Acolyte'! Worth a punt? Absolutely, Delphic have indeed put down the first musical marker of 2010 anyone with the merest interest in indie / rock / electro or dance will find plenty to please amongst Acolyte's ten electro pop.
Ocean Colour Scene
Album - Saturday
Label - Keep on Moving / Cooking Vinyl
Out Now? 1st February 2010
Info - Blimey how time has flown by, Ocean Colour Scene are celebrating their 21st year by releasing 'Saturday' their ninth studio album. Best known for their Weller / Oasis patronage and a love of mod / retro guitar pop Ocean Colour Scene. Music - OCS often sound like they write music for films because so much of their stuff has graced movies and television, '100 Floors of Perception' however actually sounds like it's been lifted from The Who's 'Tommy', just has that feel. 'Mrs Maylie' sounds half good except for the 'trip' into yellow submarinesque trippy nonsense, aside for this is a big rocky number which should have left the ill advised foray on the drawing board. Album title track 'Saturday' sees them in splendid and familiar territory, great melody, blinding vocals from Simon Fowler and a distinct retro feel. Should keep the OCS fans of old happy that one! 'Just a little bit of love' is pretty pleasant but 'Old pair of jeans' sounds a bit like a tune Liam Gallagher wrote and discarded, perhaps nothing wrong with it just not that sparkling and if the album was 11 or 12 tracks rather 14 songs then it wouldn't have survived the cull. Fowler is back to his best on 'Sing Children sing', with old skool r n' b backing vocals supplied by the colourfully entitled choir of angels, it sees them back in the comfort zone and at their best too. Single choice 'Magic Carpet days' is an obvious choice for release, poppy and accessible with that Ocean Colour Scene sound, perhaps not the best track on the album an easy three minute listen. 'The Word' sees Fowler and co in downcast mood, not their best mood a quick skip then. 'Village Life' stays slow tempo wise but has a better feel about it, good mod or kinks references here. As with other OCS releases there are tracks that border on the average, 'What's mine is yours' kinda falls into that category and best forgotten. Fowler is backed by a piano for 'Fell in love on the street again' and there's a steel guitar to give a slight country tilt, on paper sounds dull but in practice actually quite sweet. 'Rockfield' brings up the rear but is a blinder, some unusual musical tricks add to Fowler's fine vocals, just ends a bit too soon! OCS are technically really, really good Craddock's guitars are on the money time and time again, but they sometimes just miss that ''exciting'' edge. Pick of the bunch - When Ocean Colour Scene are good they are really good, stuff like 'Saturday', 'Sing children sing' and 'Rockfield' are bloody good! Worth a punt? Old, true fans will no doubt immediately wander out and grab their copies of 'Saturday' and won't be disappointed and no doubt their turn out in their droves to see them tour it across the country in February and March. Should the none believers be bother by this here ninth album? Well yes actually, they mastered their art of mod fuelled retro guitar melody pop a long time ago and 'Saturday' sees them lay down some really good tunes. To be fair it's a good listen, not great but still worth a punt all the same.
The October Game
Album - Wildblood
Label - Carmandie Records
Out Now? 22 February 2010
Info - The October game hark from Bedfordshire, not known for it's musical heritage but the core four piece attempt to break the musical mould by drafting in additional musicians. The come to play some rather out of left field instruments which include Viola, violin, cello, trumpet, trombone, accordion, ukulele, banjo and even a didgeridoo. Notably the album was mastered Frank Arkwright who has also worked with Arcade Fire and rumour has it Guy from Elbow was seen purchasing a copy of the album after an October Game gig. Music - Lovely, indie with melodies to burn but not afraid to try something a little out there (see above for list of unusual instruments to feature on the album) The October Game have gone out to make a beautifully crafted album. Names banded about for influences and contemporaries include the likes of Arcade Fire, Sigour Ros, Belle and Sebastian plus the likes of Gomez, opener 'Wildblood' last the merest of time but opens the curtain for single 'Greenbacks' which certainly cements the Arcade Fire influence. But that should take nothing away from The October Game as this is a fine, fine tune very lush and a great melody. 'Right on time' is a straight forward little ditty but 'Concrete (When we were invincible)' with it's killer title is a gorgeous song, introverted but lovely and the vocals of Luke Williams are as sweet as candy. They do like the occasional meander, 'Boxing Underwater' sure fits into that category, nothing wrong with it, quite pleasant in fact but just doesn't actually go anywhere! To be honest it's one of those albums you'd pop on if you wanna escape for an hour, drift away from the real world into the music. 'Something wrong' gets a foot tapping and there's strings too which are very welcome. 'Biplanes at 2am' with another great song title hits the gas (well in terms of the album, don't expect Pendulum or anything) and there's layered vocals and pronounced drum beat which carries the track along. The percussion is prominent too on 'Where the devil loses out', a more traditional track less lush but one that would no doubt translate well live. 'Cast these waves' builds itself up into quite a jubilant and rousing five minutes, quite a big tune in fact. 'These words of mine' brings the pace back down, nice medley of instruments with Williams' sweet vocals for company, sounds a little downbeat after it's predecessor but still manages to build up a decent head of steam without ever sounding like it's going to break out, for the good too. Rumour has it The October Game were going for the big ending with 'Night Vessels'. It starts off slowly, introverted and drifts along nicely for over four minutes with a nice little electronic backbeat in the distance, by the five minute mark it's starting to come across a bit more punchy but still simmering away nicely with Williams' light vocals. Then the heat kicks in at six minutes drums hits off electronics for a minute or so before a gentle fade out. The rumour is spot on then, great finish to a decent album. Pick of the bunch - You'd have to plump for 'Greenbacks' as it's a bit obvious why it was picked as a single but 'Concrete' is a fine tune too and the finale 'Night Vessels' is definitely the way to finish an album too. Worth a punt? Yep, they may not be a household name but don't let that put you off. This is a lovely album packed with wonderfully understated songs which let the lush melodies do all the talking. On his BBC6 radio program Tom Robinson described The October Game as 'A truly wonderful band' and we'll whole heartily agree.
Dakota
Album - Heart and Soul
Label - Genuine Records Limited
Out Now? 29th March 2010
Info - Dakota are non too surprisingly named after the building John Lennon was gunned down in front of which is a bit better than naming yourself after your home town of Leamington Spa. Music - They go for some big, big tunes intermingled with downtrodden introspective numbers. There's an air from the off that they might have like Suede as it has a bit of the 'sound' of suede, the lyrics are also a bit reminiscent of Anderson & Co plus at times Ben Talbot's vocals do have a bit of a Brett edge especially doing the more 'down' tunes. When they go for it they have some proper lofty ambitions, take 'Why do you like me?' obviously about a girl is a big, big tune with stadium tendencies and some mega guitars. We've seen others mention the Keane word along with Dakota but don't believe that, Dakota are far better than this, a damn sight more compelling to be sure. They can also write better tunes too, 'Taking over' is poppy, brash and instantly likeable too. So they have cornered the radio friendly anthems then but there's also the other side to their game, the suedesque beauty of finale 'Closure song' is going for anthem and isn't far short of it neither. Pick of the bunch - If you want the big tunes then seek out 'Why don't you like me?' takes a hell of beating. Worth a punt? Sure, Dakota have aimed for the stars via the gutter of a love boot to the heart with 'Heart and Soul'. It might not always make it out of orbit but there's enough here to make you wanna go for repeat listens. Love hurts but like on 'Heart and Soul' usually creates a decent set of tunes!
Ardentjohn
Album - On the Wire
Label - Slow Train Records
Out Now? 25th January 2010
Info - Scottish as they come, Edinburgh via the Isle of Bute and recorded on the shores of Loch Fyne, new folk for Ardentjohn 'On the Wire' is their debut offering. Music - Bit strange this cause in the other room I was listening to XFM and they had on Rage Against the machine's 'hit' 'Killing in the name of' on so as I walked into the next room and popped on 'On the Wire' you couldn't get a more chalk and cheese experience. One loud and shouty the next low key and soft, a more dramatic change you could not imagine. Stuff like 'Colours of the day' are as downbeat as they come, a simple semi acoustic affair but with a heart warming melody, quite enchanting. They can be a tad on the dark side, 'Follow me' has the same ingredients but with just a disturbing tinge to it with added strings to add to the ambience. They can do punching up tunes too; 'Open Road' is splendidly light with quite a decent flow to it, 'Fleeting moments' has the soft, light melody of say a Mojave 3 which is no bad thing at all. 'Home' feels a bit cheesy but 'One step behind' craps the mantle, bit Idlewild with a rockier feel then the preceding tunes but still fits in. 'Pride of Place' is back down to melancholic alt country / acoustic / folk and 'Believing man' carries it on too. They end on with another fine melody too, 'Morning Song' reminds also of the ilk of Mojave 3 amongst others, laid back and one for the dreamers! Pick of the bunch - Dark 'Follow me' is good but 'Open Road' is the pick, light and up tempo with splendid melodies to boot. Worth a punt? If you're a fan of indie acoustic music or laid back alt folk then hell yes however if you're more a fan of Rage against the machine I'd probably give it a miss!
2009
Daniel Land and the modern painters - Love songs for the chemical generation
Label: Saint Cecilia Records
Website: www.myspace.com/danielland
12 Tracks - Length 1 hr 11 mins 0 seconds
Intro - Proving shoegaze is definitely no longer a dirty word Daniel Land has assembled a band from here, there and everywhere and emerged from their Manchester studio with modern shoegaze for a new generation. The Music - 'Within the boundaries' with it's vague beautiful title sets the musical standard, a gorgeous soundscape, sounding akin to early luscious Slowdive at their most floaty and it seamlessly blends into 'Codeine'. From early on it's obvious that this is a fine album, one thing it flows perfectly, not merely a collection of 12 sounds but using the old fashioned ideal of making an album, one piece of music and this in the day of 'pick a track' on the likes of Itunes is a rare artform. 'Codeine' itself is another slice of idealised dreampop, Lands' vocals soar and fly without ever really been fully understandable which is possibly the point, mysterious and with endless personal meanings, you could never tell Slowdive's neither! 'Benjamin's Room' gets a spring into its step, bit like Piece's Spiritualised, which in our book is never a bad thing at all. 'Locust' slips back near Slowdive territory but Land easily avoids merely been a pastiche of those 90's bands and adds their own stamp and style to each and every song. Take 'Run Silent, run deep' Land's vocals add another dimension to swirling guitars. 'Love lies bleeding' showcases the atmosphere that Land and co can generate with dreamy guitars whilst 'The magic in my head' manages to drift round for six minutes without feeling the need to speed anywhere. Detractors of the shoegaze / dreampop 'genre' always argue this to be a fundamental flaw, not a jot! It shimmers up into 'Good speed, good fun' which has more urgency without ever feeling rushed, a more traditional song but still with sweeping guitars. 'Lighting out for the territories' brings the curtain down, not only have Daniel Land and the modern Painters gone for quantity (this is well over 70 minutes of music) but quality as well, it's a lengthy old album but never, ever outstays it's welcome. They go for the big ending too with guitars aplenty, 'Love songs for the chemical generation' wrapped in some style.Highlights and Lowlights - 'Love songs for the chemical generation' is one of the finest album titles of the year and the music lives up to that billing. Don't try to pick out favourites, listen to this album as a whole and savour. Verdict - One of the finest dreampop albums made in the last 18 years, it's an odyssey through the beautiful world of music. You won't find another album this year that glides and soars like 'Love songs for the chemical generation'. Stunning. File Under beautiful songs for the chemical generation.
Howie Beck - How to fall down in public
Label: 13 Clouds
Website: www.howiebeck.com
9 Tracks - Length 31 mins 25 seconds
Intro - It's not often we quote direct from press releases but this is pretty cool, 'How to fall down in public makes the case that modern melancholy is best understood through sheer sonic pleasure'. That we like! Anyway a rather strange thing happened when we opened the album sleeve up, our name is in it. Now that's cool but to be fair I don't actually know who Howie Beck is and he's Canadian too, guess there's more than one Colin Newell in the world then, sounds like he's got a decent taste in music too. Howie Beck is a one man show who also does a bit of producing on the side (including Broken social scene) and has appeared with plenty of his native Canadians and also our own Ed Harcourt. The Music - 'Flashover' is one of those most pleasant songs, melodies to burn, nice and light with a few 'la la la's' in the chorus and sweet guitars, one of those you can imagine driving a soft top down the pacific highway in the states to! 'Save me' adds a bit of brass to the party, a fine laid back tune to really enjoy. 'Don't put your arms around me no more' has possibly the longest song title this year which he manages to sing without taking a breathe, a bit heavier but with a bit of an alt country vibe however still manages to maintain the light and breezy guitars. 'Fin' drops the vocals but adds piano and some light strings but clocks in at only just over two minutes. Also on the short side and defo back into alt country territory is 'Over and under', that guitar gives it the trademark North American sound. 'La La La' has guest vocals from Fiest but it's the natty beat and chorus that grabs, another simple but effective tune and that's quite a trick, simple but beautifully crafted. The piano in 'If I ever come home' makes it sound a little on the lounge side but it's rescued by Beck's understated and cool vocals. The short but oh so sweet album finishes with some more piano based lounge style but again 'Beside this life' never gets away from Beck due to his soft, smooth vocals and never really goes down the cheese route! Highlights and Lowlights - To be honest it's a consistent album, of a decent standard too, there isn't any that you'd be reaching for the skip button on. Something like 'Save me' or 'Don't put your arms around me no more' would best illustrate Howie's craft and in some style too. 'La La La' has guest vocals from Fiest but it's the natty beat and chorus that grabs, another simple but effective tune and that's quite a trick, simple but beautifully crafted. Verdict - This is Howie Beck's forth album and he sure has got a pretty good handle on how to write, play, sing and produce a lovely laid back album. It's one of those records you can put on whatever the mood and the stress just oozes away and you can become absorbed in the tunes. File Under sonic pleasure.
The Pony Collaboration - If these are the good times
Label: Series 8
Website: www.the ponycollaboartion.com
10 Tracks - Length 32 mins 39 seconds
Intro - Huge band with over eight, yep count them eight members which boasts instruments from the normal guitars through brass to cello, pedal steel to glockenspiel! The Music - Nice and sweet, loads of brass and percussion plus a boat load of melodies. 'I never knew' is twee but with some pace, loads going on and splendid multi vocals, what indie was invented for! There's a lot of nice laid back tunes, bit of a Mojave 3 vibe going down on stuff like 'model/actress' and in our book there's always place for that. There's some lovely strings to back up the laid back male / female vocals on 'no reunions', plainly excellent music to nod your head along to. 'http 404' may have a title that should feature on some industry metal album but it's another charming tune, amongst many. 'Leaving with your heart' is one of the few songs to get up and dance, still with the same indie sensibility mind, so best sit down after a few minutes and don't make a scene. 'Home' is that sit down and relax track, polite and understated which possibly best sums up 'If these are the good times'. Highlights and Lowlights - In the sense of the phrase there isn't any highlights or lowlights, the album runs seamlessly from one song to another, if you snoozed for a while you'd probably not realised you missed three tracks but that's the beauty of 'If these are the good times'. A well crafted album with 10 lovely songs, 33 minutes of pleasure! Verdict - This is good old fashioned indie, quite beautiful in parts, always laid back, cool and bordering the twee. Never loses sight of a fine melody and the multi vocals are lovely and very, very effective. It ain't gonna set the world alight nor unfortunately sell a million copies which is a shame but for now The Pony Colloration can be our lovely little secret. File Under indie
Ian Brown - My Way
Label: Fiction / Polydor
Website: www.ianbown.co.uk
12 Tracks - Length 43 mins 16 seconds
Intro - Any introduction needed? Well here goes, 'My Way' is the 6th studio album from the legend that is Ian Brown, former 'Rose and still king monkey. The Music - Right, the formula stays the same, beats and that with Brown's trademark vocals rasping over the top. 'Stellify' was actually written for Rhianna, who thought she couldn't beat Brown's vocals and she's dawn right, it's up there with 'Fear' and acts as a benchmark and possibly a milestone for the album (by that as in everything else has to live up it!). 'Just like me' does keep up with a blinding tempo and 'In the year 2525' at first glance ain't much but is a real grower and with some real off the wall influences and natty lyrics. 'Always remember me' is a real tune, downbeat but sounding tough and Brown's vocals sound better than ever and again proving he can hold a decent tune when he needs to. 'Vanity kills' keeps the same vibe, lovely lush backing vocals bulk up Brown's spot on vocals and the thought provoking lyrics are probably the best on the album. Another on the thought provoking side is 'For the Glory' and check out the 'Roses name check too. 'Marathon Man' as you expect from the title kicks up the beat with a retro hip hop feel. Let's face it giving the album the title 'My Way' is quite a statement from the Brown camp and just listen to 'Own Brain' for more self analysis. Saying that we'd not wanna be the subject of that's behind 'By all means necessary' although he does 'wish 'em well' then mixes it by saying the can gotta hell! Last up comes 'So High' a neat and tidy tune and again catch those words, ouch! Highlights and Lowlights - His beats and bollocks tunes always grab the attention, 'Stellify' is awesome in fact but the splendidly low key 'Always remember me' actually showcases his ability as singer and (joint) songwriter far better. Verdict - As ever with Brown's solo work you never get a full album of classics but that been a tad harsh as 'My Way' is a damn fine album with some stella tunes and the song writing bar has been raised a notch or two on this album too. File Under Brown's way.
Athlete - Black Swan
Label: Fiction / Polydor
Website: www.athlete.mu
10 Tracks - Length 44 mins 17 seconds
Intro - Fourth studio album from the band who have a knack of writing a pretty damn fine pop tune. The Music - Did you expect Athlete to change much? No thought not and thank god for that, 'Superhuman Touch' has that trademark Athlete sound down to a tee and is a mighty fine whereas 'The Getaway' starts with beefed up guitars before the soaring vocals kick into, really nice! 'Black Swan song' is a touching pleasant little ditty which will make the head nod along in tune. Slightly different is the heavily stripped back 'Love come rescue' which actually showcases Joel's vocals along side an acoustic guitar. Whereas 'Light the way' comes back to what Athlete do best; keyboards, guitars, bass and drums together with a damn fine tune, it's just how indie pop should be done. 'The unknown' is yet again another fine song, pretty solid stuff. 'Magical mistakes' (which sounds like it should be called shockwaves) is another nugget of Athlete gold pop and 'Rubik's cube' cleans it up with a low key, subtle little tune which nicely ends another nice Athlete album. Highlights and Lowlights - 'The Getaway' soars and 'Light the way' is just the way to do indie pop. 'Magical mistakes' is a belter too! Verdict - Don't suppose it really matters how many units this album shifts as they're always gonna do alright on the live circuit, they may be as fashionable as swine flu but most people realise that if you see Athlete live you are guaranteed a good nights entertainment. Still 'Black Swan' is good enough to give even the most reluctant fan some joy and the devoted will know doubt love it like the previous three. It's doubtful it'll bring many new faces to the fold but those already in the Athlete bosom should want to stay there for some time longer. File Under plainly just Athlete.
The Boxer Rebellion - Union
Website: www.theboxerrebellion.com
11 Tracks - Length 45 mins16 seconds
Intro - The Boxer Rebellion have always been square pegs in round holes; part British, part aussie and part yank and one of the last bands signed by Alan McGee before he jacked off the record industry. Their debut album 'Exits' is a criminally underrated album that, one with real atmosphere and power, if you've haven't got it, then get it! They have also been pretty unlucky; illness blighted their early career then the Poptones debacle left them without a label. But of late that luck has been in reverse and without a label 'Union' has put them back on the musical map. The famous Itunes single of the week promo thrust them into the limelight and the album has been available only in cyberspace for a while and you could get a CD only at gigs earlier in the year. Again the usual band label relationship has been spurned and the 'proper' physical release of the album comes via a tie in with HMV direct to their stores. So in beating the man have they created an album worthy to follow 'Exits'? The Music - It starts off in dramatic fashion, 'Flashing red light means go' has all the drama, atmosphere and sheer power that we had hoped for, five glorious minutes with some real moving vocals and searing guitars. 'Move on' keeps the album ticking along nicely before they pick up the ante with some real power, 'Evacuate' is a big, big tine. It has power by the bucket load, hammering guitars yet still manages to have a grand atmosphere about it, no wonder it went mega when picked up by Itunes. 'Soviets' comes down a notch or two but still is a fine four minutes. 'Spitting fire' comes in at under three in a slightly lighter fashion, with dare we say it a bit of jangle on those guitars. 'Misplaced' is pleasant enough but doesn't really hit the highest heights that despite a shoegazesque noise ending! Another failure to brighten fully is 'The Gospel of Goro Adachi' but then up pops 'The Walls are thin' which packs a mighty punch in just two and a half minutes, great guitar hook too. It perks things up a treat as 'Forces' comes on strong, dark beating guitars and that emotional atmospheric sound that makes The Boxer Rebellion such a great live band too. 'Semi-automatic' takes a little while to warm up but by it's finale it's buzzing along nicely then slows just in time to finish! 'Silent Movie' is pure Boxer Rebellion, loads of guitars creating such a uber cool atmospheric sound and then add in Nathan's vocals, just shows that they really can produce the goods. Highlights and Lowlights - That opener is just class, the atmosphere and guitars really take some beating. Then 'Evacuate' shows why Itunes were right to pick it up and why 560,000 people downloaded it! 'Forces' has quite a kick too! Verdict - Not quite the 100% classic that we hoped for but it's still a blinding album and an essential purchase either by download or this new physical release. There's plenty of other bands in this genre (Editors, Doves etc) but 'Union' shows that The Boxer Rebellion are still in there kicking a screaming, here's already waiting for album number three. File Under doing the Boxer beat!
Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Label: Domino Records
Website: www.arcticmonkeys.com
10 Tracks - Length 39 mins 20 seconds
Intro - Much anticipated third long player from the Sheffield four piece (although you're more likely to see them down in the big smoke these days rather than the steel city). But a lacklustre Reading Festival and lukewarm album reaction leads us to ask, what's the story Turner? The Music - It all starts in a rather low key manner, most untypical, 'My Propeller' hardly grips in the way that 'Brainstorm' grabs you by the balls on 'Favourite worst nightmare', not really the start we expected then. But there's a bit of a pick up with 'Crying lightening', Turner's vocals get revved up and the lyrics are a bit more up the monkeys street, more like it then. 'Dangerous Animals' promises more than it delivers, it's disjointed, like they can't decide what to do with the guitars. 'Secret Door' brings the beat down but it seems to be more in keeping with Turner's side project The Last Shadow Puppets which is a tad worrying as the line between the two bands seems to have become blurred on 'Humbug' as if Turner has lost the sat nav telling him which direction to follow. 'Potion Approaching' also has that blur of the bands, the drums and beat sound like they have been directly lifted from TLSP with a mix of a sixties Dooresque influence. Again they fail to really explode into action. 'Fire and the thud' is pleasant enough and Turner's vocals do have some delicacy about them but does kind of transform into a sixties homage by the end. 'Cornerstone' is neat and tidy, a mature song which showcases Turner's vocals. 'Dance little liar' is another slow burner and to be honest another track that could have been a contender for the next TLSP album too. But then 'Pretty Visitors' is a mess, buzzing round here and there without any real direction, it's a pretty damn ugly listen. 'The Jewellers hands' is thankfully a decent tune but again sounds like that other band, where are the monkeys of old? Highlights and Lowlights - Well unfortunately it's hardly packed to the gills with winners is it, that said 'Crying lightening' is as good as it gets. Verdict - 'Humbug' lacks the spike , social comment and the plain humour of 'Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not' but it also misses the likes of '505' or the blitz of a 'Brainstorm' or 'Teddy Picker' from 'Favourite worst nightmare' too. 'Humbug' fails to ignite the blue touch paper like its two predecessors; it is the sound of Turner growing up in public but smacks of 'that difficult third album'. It's not coherent nor does it having you jumping around for more. One can only hope it's going to be a grower but would you pick it off the shelf over its two rivals for a leisurely listen, no. Back to the crossroads then dear Turner, which way now? File Under Bah Humbug
Idlewild - Post Electric Blues
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.idlewild.co.uk
11 Tracks - Length 40 mins 33 seconds
Intro - Blimey this is Idlewild's seventh album and follows a best off and a change of label. By all accounts Idlewild have moved away from trying to write songs that would sound good on the radio (probably the former label trying to push them to shift a few units) to sounding great live which they appreciate will be better for fans and band alike. The Music - Always fitted nicely into indie mixing in ALT / Folk / Country / celtic and 'Post Electric Blues' doesn't go outside their musical box neither, lets put this to bed that isn't a negative but very much on the plus side. It kicks off in fine style with 'Younger than America' which gets some nice female backing vocals to complement Roddy's distinctive talent. It gets better by the track with the storming 'Readers and writers' which has all that makes Idlewild leaders in the indie field and then adds some, bags of tempo and a bit of brass too, quality. 'City Hall' is trademark 'Wild, a blooming great 'up indie guitar pop' tune, love it! 'Dreams of Nothing' is another beast of a track; they sound at their very best going hell for leather with a few jangley guitars in tow for effect too. 'Take me back to the Islands' is a more downbeat folky number, this showcases the other side to Womble's vocals, powerful but subtle. Title track 'Post Electric' is a blinder too, great chorus, singalong with some rather unusual lyrics and super guitar infused instrumental ending. The big tunes just keep flowing as the Idlewild sound is tuned up to great effect on the head nodding brilliance of 'To be forgotten'. In fact those passionate fans of Idlewild will love this album; 'Circles in the sand' is again just pure Idlewild of old and sounding great with it. 'Take me back in time' finishes things off in a more introspective mood, something they've always managed to carry off pretty well. Highlights and Lowlights - There isn't a duff track here. Whether you prefer the folky 'Take me back to the Islands' or the bruising tempo of 'Readers and writers' or 'Dreams of nothing' then it's all there in abundance for you. Verdict - This is a cracking album from the oft ignored and underrated Idlewild. It has all the hallmarks of Idlewild of old plus is a super collection of fantastic songs written in the tradition of great songwriters and performed by a seasoned band of musicians. This quite possibly is Idlewild's best and most complete album yet. So in the process of trying to make an album to sound great live they've come up with 11 songs that will sound blooming awesome on the radio, in your lounge, in the car.... anywhere in fact! File Under Seventh Heaven!
Shattered Atom - The Knife, The Thief
Website: www.shatteredatom.com
10 Tracks - Length 34 mins 39 seconds
Intro - Hailing from LA, 'The Knife, The Thief' is the self funded debut by Shattered Atom who cite influences as Coldplay, Arcade Fire and The Killers. The Music - From the opening chords of 'Under the stars' you know you're in for a good time for the next ½ hour or so, it's immediate yet has the promise to grow with every listen. It's easy to see where The Killers comparisons and influences come from as they share a combined musical dna but don't worry they aren't just clones. 'Will you call?' shows just how they have got the pop chorus down to a tee, catchy as hell in fact. 'Shadow' offers delves a bit deeper, a bit Boxer Rebellion at their most poppy limits. The low key 'Muse' emphases Jeremy Wilford's accent and the fact he can really hold a tune. But it's the indie guitar rock and roll in which they really excel and 'Hold me closely' shifts back through the gears. Finale 'Innocent' goes for the piano led epic ending but it's a shame they don't sign off with a bigger bang. Highlights and Lowlights - Can't believe a debut album can sounds like it could hold it's own in a stadium! The big tunes of 'Hollywood' and 'Under the stars' shine the light and it's only really dimmed for moments like 'Muse'. Verdict - Splendid stuff, they actually have quite a European feel (as do The Killers come to that) and would do pretty well this side of the pond. They do however, retain that American edge, desire if you will to make big, big tunes (see 'Hollywood' for that) which some of our bands lack, they miss that killer instinct. 'The Knife, The Thief' is a great take on that indie / alt / pop sound and well worth 35 minutes of anyone's time. File Under America comes up with the goods, again.
Five Sentence Album Review: Dolores O'Riordan - No Baggage
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Who: She was the voice of The Cranberries who went from nice Irish indie starlets to dullard mega unit shifters in the mid to late nineties. What: 'No Baggage' is O'Riordan's second solo album and her vocals don't really differ from The Cranberries, nor in fact does the music. It goes from the pleasant to bordering on a tad boring, still least she ain't gone trance or anything!Sounds Like: Yep, The Cranberries.Verdict: No real adventure, it's solid enough but never really excites the senses. File Under: Just another solo album from the voice of The Cranberries.
Five Sentence Album Review: Tom Morello / Boots Riley - Street Sweeper Social Club
Label - Cooking Vinyl
Who: Anyone in the rock world who doesn't know Tom Morello needs feking shooting, he is the power behind Rage against the Machine (plus Audioslave) whereas Boots Riley comes from a hip hop background but both are big political players in their own right. What: Morello provides buzzing guitars and booming bass whereas Boots gives it up in vocal department and the lyrics are cutting as per expectations. Sounds Like: There's more than a hint of Rage Against the Machine in here with bumper bass but Boots' stylish vocals should not be underestimated as it gives some edge to the rock beats. Verdict: Could have gone horribly wrong and sounded terribly naff but it hits all the right notes and shows Morello has again got the know how to come up time and again with the musical goods. File Under: Rock rap crossover not to be ignored.
Five Sentence Album Review: Lucky Elephant - Star sign Trampoline
Label: Sunday Best
Who: New left field pop four piece hailing from the Isle of Wight but with a singer with the best name in the world in Emmanuel 'Manu' Labescat who not too surprisingly was brought up in France! What: Recorded on 2" analogue tape to give it a warm feel 'Star sign Trampoline' is one of those left field off the wall indie albums that rarely gets made these days. Sounds Like: Melodies! 'Reverend Tilsley & his magic lantern' may have the most bizarre name but it is a fine sun drenched pop tune and it's not the only one amongst the 11 tracks neither. Verdict: A good listen, not your usual thing, Lucky Elephant obviously know what they wanna do and just get it done no matter what anyone else things, that said we like it! File Under: laid back indie cool.
Five Sentence Album Review: Dub Pistols - Rum & Coke
Label: Sunday Best
Who: Do Dub Pistols need any introduction, hell this is their fourth album and the Dub in the name is always a bit of a giveaway. What: There's no end of special guests packed onto 'Rum & Coke' including the appearance of Freak Powers' Ashley Slater on no less than three tracks, cool! Sounds Like: Blimey where do you start? There's laid back grooves, ska, hip hop, roots, rock and plenty more besides. Verdict: Despite the many influences 'Rum & Coke' still manages to sound like a fluid album with a deeply listenable and friendly sound, this album should do Dub Pistols no harm whatsoever. File Under: fancy a rum and coke anyone?
Five Sentence Album Review: Gary Go - Gary Go
Label: Decca / Polydor
Who: 'One man coldplay' Q magazine it states on the sticker on the front of Gary Go's self titled album, well what we do know is that Gary sports a neat pair of specs and does have a rather fine voice. What: Not sure about Coldplay as it doesn't seem to have the edge they manage but there's plenty of the 11 tracks that are instantly enjoyable and worth a listen. Sounds Like: A slick singer songwriter of well crafted tunes with a voice of velvet which is what Gary Go is! Verdict: A fine debut with some lovely moments but just needs an extra edge, a bit of spice a possibly a harder edge but still well worth a laid back listen. File Under: Gary to stay?
Match of the Day - The Album
Label: Sony Music
40 Tracks
Intro - Tie in albums to non music related programmes are usually a tad dubious but to a Sky free footie fan MOTD is still the main way of getting a football TV fix. It's both a football and indeed television institution plus they've always played plenty of decent stuff especially the goal of the month and the slightly more leftfield MOTD2. Also if you ever been to a game at Eastlands and heard the pre match Manchester indie disco over the tannoys you know that music and football are definitely related. The Music - Where do we start with 40 tracks?! Well it covers plenty of guitar bases; classics are covered by The Clash, The Jam, The Specials and Undertones, Ladrock has the pleasures of Oasis, Kasabian, The Enemy and t'roses, miserable indie has the delights of Editors, Doves and Embrace, Rock features Foo Fighters and err Nickleback plus it even manages to shoe horn a few footie classics too. The two closers are the best ever football songs, disc 1 gets the splendid 'Three lions' whilst Disc 2 concludes with New Orders' stunning 'World in motion' still a sing-along epic today. Highlights and Lowlights - It's packed full of monster tunes, take the first five tracks as prime example… Food Fighters' 'Best of you', Oasis 'Supersonic', Killers 'Somebody told me', Mgmt 'Time to pretend' and then how could you disapprove of the Roses' 'Waterfall'? You could probably live without the likes of Metro Station and The Hoosiers but overall there isn't too much to make you to leap for the skip button. Verdict - Well worth a punt, some excellent songs but there is a bit of a downside… why no MOTD theme tune? Plus there's a bonus disc of some of the most random 100 premiership goals too, not sure who picked them but they do have the two best Kinkladze goals he scored in a City shirt so fair play to them! File Under They shoot, they score!
Lonely Dear - Dear John
Label: Regal / EMI
Website: www.lonelydear.com
11 Tracks - Length 41 mins 54 seconds
Intro - We were lucky enough to be captivated by the 2007 Lonely Dear album entitled 'Lonely, Noir' which we loved so much that we declared 'Beautiful indie folk never sounded so damn sweet'. So the follow up by Swede Emil Svanangen has plenty to live up to then. The Music - Album opener 'Airport Surroundings' takes a off at a decent tempo, some subtle electro beat under the eloquent vocals of Emil Svanangen. 'Everything turns to you' add lots of 'la, la' backing vox to the mix and is again quite up tempo but the low key elegance that has made Lonely Dear a universally loved but underrated underground indie legend returns on 'I was only going out', unashamedly indie and twee, it's laid back glorious heaven. 'Harsh words' adds more and more sounds into the mix, giving it a bigger and bolder indie sound whilst 'Under a silent seat' has a more understated approach, with some almost dance flavours coming in mid way through, a bit different but not out of place neither on the song nor the album. Vocals sound like lush Simon and Garfunkel on 'Summer', plenty of neat 'la,la's' and splendid tempo drive the tune along to a bontempo beat conclusion. 'Harm / Slow' is a gentle reminder of just how beautiful the vocal talent of Emil is, the song is just a little music just some which acts as a real showcase of the understated vox. And then comes along 'Violent' which is one of the most glorious indie folk songs, in fact rather than trying to explain just how good this is just buy it - you will not be disappointed! How do you follow that then, well album title track 'Dear John' is the finale but cant get near it, should have spun them round and had 'Violent' as the true finale, that said 'Dear John' isn't a bad song, far from it in fact and it builds up to quite a moving number with a spot of brass for good measure. Highlights and Lowlights - What lowlights? Just flows so well as an album it's just one long highlight. Verdict - Another splendid album from Lonely Dear which does nothing but enhance the reputation of Emil Svanangen. It's one to put on and forget the world's woes, get taken away by the music and truly enter the world of Lonely Dear. File Under Scandaindie heaven.
The Lemonheads - Varshons
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.thelemonheads.net
11 Tracks - Length 39 mins 19 seconds
Intro - Evan Dando and 'his' band The Lemonheads were the slacker indie band of the early nineties that had the US and just about the world at their feat but lost it all as Dando slipped into drug addiction and become a indie gossip joke with his dalliance with Courtney Love. That said a generation has passed since those times and Dando has come back strong with his own new material and now decided it's time to treat us some of his influences and takes on tunes aplenty. The Music - He starts with probably the most obvious cover, Dando was always a massive fan of Gram Parsons so 'I just can't take it anyone' is the one that most would have expected to be on here. It's a decent tune too, alt country which suits Dando's style nicely. To be fair a lot of US indie borders on alt country, especially the laid back variety, remember country no matter how much it's laughed at in the UK is still big bucks stateside. 'Layin' up with Linda' written by a GG Allin has the most bizarre lyrics (Linda ends up dead!) and has a more rocky country tempo. 'Yesterlove' is a dark 1969 wonder, it has a bit of a Nick Cave influence in the vocal, bleak and yet uplifting and the band would later give up it's bassist to Motorhead, weird! Talking of weird Kate Moss pops up on a really fucking off the wall 'Dirty Robot' which throws away Dando's rule book and then throws it into a dank dance club and comes out smelling of dark, bass infused electro grooves - it works though! Another stab at Nick Cave vocals is 'Mexico' which has some great music but the vocals don't really work. Then up pops the star of the show, the beautiful and talented Liv Tyler adds some stunning vocals to Dando's laid back tones on Leonard Cohen's 'Hey, That's no way to say goodbye'. It's one of those tunes you could have on repeat for a week and never tire of, simply stunning. Despite some wacky and far out songs on here probably the most surprising inclusion is 'Beautiful' made famous by Christina Aguilera, Dando does a grand job on it too and it well merits it's place as the finale. Highlights and Lowlights - Cohen is usually good for a highlight and Liv Tyler comes up trumps on 'Hey, that's no way to say goodbye'. It's just an amazing tune and done true justice by Dando and Tyler. On the downside there's still a bit too much on the outer edge of 'who the fuck are they'! 'Mexico' has a good tune but Dando's vocals are just not up to speed, too low and just not right. But having 'Beautiful' to finish is a masterstroke. Verdict - It's no surprise that Dando has done a covers album; they actually made their name via a cover of 'Mrs Robinson' which was amazing! The strap line for this album is it should be like mixtape whereas you never know what comes next which is fair. But the usual problem with mates mix tapes is that usually there is some crap mixed in with the gems so it's no surprise not all 11 tracks are worth their salt. Overall though well worth a listen and 'Hey, That's no way to say goodbye' is probably one of the best versions of the song ever, another Cohen classic living up to his high standards. File Under mixtape and beyond.
Wave Machines - Wave if you're really there
Label: Neapolitan
Website: www.wavemachines.co.uk
10 Tracks - Length 39 mins 12 seconds
Intro - We seen one website called Wave Machines as a disco band! We also have to admit when the album popped through our door we were reluctant to actually bother playing it as we'd been less than thrilled at their performance headlining above James Yuill and Post War Years and the masks did nothing for us neither! Despite all this we did venture the CD out of it's case and onto the stereo…. The Music - It's starts of really low key and quite reflective with plinky plonky 'You say the stupidest things'. Whereas 'Carry me back to my home' which follows shows glipses of sweet, sweet pop with that art pop left field sound that we yearn. The 80's disco starts with 'I go I go I go' which has echoes of Hot Chip and seems to have effects straight off a sinclair ZX81, well retro! Whereas 'Keep the lights on' has dark and deep overtones which works really, really well with falsetto vocals. The catchy beat of album namesake 'The Greatest escape we ever made' gets the feet immediately moving and they don't stop through; immediate, poppy and again those high, high vocals just fits like a glove and a blinding beat. Whereas on the other side of the coin the vocals are downright painful on 'I joined a union' and makes us cringe every time it comes on as we head for the skip button, sounds like Blondie done by Pinky and Perky! Fortunately the bonza beats return on 'The Line' which has us skipping again with joy! It's ends really from whence it came with a low key 'Dead houses', shame it doesn't go off with a bang but does show that there's more to Wave Machines that fashionable dancy indie disco. Highlights and Lowlights - We love the 80's chic of 'Igo I go I go' and the buzzing beat behind 'The Greatest escape we ever made' but 'I joined a union' arrr! Verdict - It's true to say this isn't the best album we've heard this year however lets not dismiss it way out of hand. It's in part a capable and engaging listen with some splendid pop moments. From the jaws of defeat comes a bit of a surprise and for which we salute Wave Machines! File Under Indie Disco!
The Hours - See The Light
Label: Is Good
Website: www.thehours.co.uk
10 Tracks - Length 51 mins 10 seconds
Intro - The Hours proved one of the surprise hits of 200x with the stella album, 'Narcissus Road' which spawned such classics as 'Ali in the Jungle' and 'Back when you were good' plus a barrel load of swearing along the way. Basically, a two piece of Anthony Glenn and Martin Slattery who had done the rounds as everything from session musicians to producers hit the jackpot with their classical infused atmospheric misaberlist indie rock. It also had the haunting skull artwork done by a certain Damien Hirst too! Well they are back for album number two expanded to become a huge band (most of the tracks still written by Glenn / Slattery) and with a new twist on the Hirst artwork, musically more of the same would be nice! The Music - It starts in true Hours fashion, 'Big Black hole' is like they haven't been away. A bit more immediate than expected but a killer of a tune with a bit of piano thrown in for good measure, has big single written all over it. The album is definitely more immediate to start with and less dark than it's predecessor but still retains the same feel and given more than a fleeting listen to start to provide more and more depth, bit of a grower then. 'Never see you again' is the point in question, a damn fine song that just gets better with age, great piano in the background with some stylish vocals riding the waves of atmospheric guitars. 'Car crash' starts with just vox and piano before branching out to a big, big musical number. 'Think again' almost makes that difficult step into being a beautiful piece of art rather than just being a song, Glenn and Slattery just have the gift of producing intelligent, sophisticated and stunning pop music. 'Love is an action' has the jumped up beat, the tempo and the chorus to provide another single cut. 'The Girl who had the world at her feet' confirms too that lyrically 'See the lights' isn't a backward step and this none too complementary view of fame is systematic of The Hours confident and articulate writing. 'Wall of sound' has the simple yet beautiful sound, still quite classical in structure (Anthony Glenn's vocals have a 'big sound' too). Then 'See the light' follows it in glorious style, it's like listening to music in techicolour! Layers of instruments, those brass and yet sensitive vocals just mixed together to form near perfection, what a shame it's the last song…more! There is a short not so hidden track too, in which they sing 'All my dreams come true, when I find you' couldn't agree more. Highlights and Lowlights - It's weird but this is a full on album, one of those rare records that seems like an album than ten songs put together. But if it's arms behind backs time then you won't hear much better than 'See the light' near perfection indeed. Verdict - Whilst it's true to say that there's no 'Ali in the jungle' and a damn sight less swearing 'See The Lights' is a more complete and rounded album that the debut 'Narcissus Road'. What they have done is take the foundations they laid and build some stunning soundscapes on them, not so dark but still with great depth. Glenn, Slattery and the expanded Hours line up can be happy in the knowledge than in this keenly fought genre 'See The Lights' is going take some beating. File Under Second album success story.
Twisted Wheel
Label: Columbia / Sony
Website: www.thetwistedwheel.co.uk
11 Tracks - Length 35 mins 38 seconds
Intro - Blatant English three piece hit the scene running and recently bagged the Oasis support slot (bands who are either really good or bloody rubbish in equals numbers!). Their live performances have become fair legendary with their verve and energy but getting that down on record is always a challenge. The Music - Take two parts The Jam, add one part The Who, a pinch of Clash, some Oasis essence and little Small Faces and you have the general idea of where Twisted Wheel are coming from. 'Lucy in the castle' kicks things off and pretty smartly too and ends with a bit of the old 'Modern world' rift for good measure. It's then a bit low key until the record nearly blows off the stereo, 'Oh, what have you done' has some memorable lyrics and really captures the live vibe; hundred mile an hour, bags of attitude and Jonny Brown's vocals have that cock sure sneer to them, quite a noise for a three peice. Further down the line the guitars in 'Let them have it all' live up to the title, another thrash through gears with a bit of an Arctic Monkeys vibe to it. 'Bad Candy' keeps up the tempo but then it all kicks off! 'You stole the sun' is one of those songs that don't come around very often, catchy as hell with mental guitars and just goes off, one for ten pints down the indie disco! 'Bouncing Bomb' brings down the vibe and shows some maturity in the song writing, lets face it there was no way they could keep pace of 'You stole the sun'. They finish off with a blinder of a slow burner which reminds of The Who to a certain extent, 'What's your name', ends it off in style. Highlights and Lowlights - You ain't gonna beat 'You stole the sun'! Verdict - Not quite matched the intensity and sheer bloody energy of their live performances but all the same it's a good album and remember it's their debut offering. Plenty of promise and worth the money for 'Oh what have you done' and 'You stole the sun'. File Under England 2009!
Post War Years - The Greats and The Happenings
Label: Wealth Recordings
Website: www.postwaryears.com
12 Tracks - Length 47 mins 29 seconds
Intro - Four piss thin white boys with a liking for cardigans and bad jumpers take on the indie world, the usual mix of guitars, drums, and bass but with the en vogue trend of electro influence into the mix too. The Music - 'The Red Room' has a booming excellent bass line, kinda Hookyesque with the rest of the song built on top of it, cracking indie stuff. It's very much a left field album, angular vocals (bit Talking Heads at times) and although it has an electro influence it always stays the indie side of indie dance. Former single 'Whole world on its head' has a damn catchy beat! Great chorus too and a bit of a nod and a wink towards Friendly Fires. It's followed by 'Den' at a slower pace but impressive synth backdrop and drums giving it some atmosphere. 'Off the rails' has a right messy start and although they try to pull it back round the jury's still out on their success. Whereas 'Red and blue' kicks off with mesmerising drums which canter throughout the whole song, it's got a bit of a 80's synth retro feel to it but doesn't suffer too badly for it. 'Soul owl' has a long, long instrumental intro then shows it true colours, having epic anthemic tendencies. Whereas the sort but none too sweet 'Ghost door' does nothing. 'False starts' isn't like the name suggests, it cranks the pace back up, adds some brass and is up there with 'Whole world on its head'. The end comes on a more mellow note, 'That's all' is pretty apt despite the 'hidden track' soon after. Highlights and Lowlights - 'Whole world on its head' has it all but on the downside 'Ghost door' is pretty pointless. Verdict - Fitting in nicely with the current crop of white boy indie bands, Post War Years have produced a worthy album to pitch them towards the top of the class. A good listen too. File Under class of 2009.
The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
Label: Fiction / Polydor
Website: www.themaccabees.co.uk
11 Tracks - Length 37 mins 25 seconds
Intro - Christ it's two years since The Maccabees released 'Colour it in'? As indie pop albums go it was right up there and included some solid gold slices of quirky 'up' pop. 'Wall of arms' has plenty to live up to then. The Music - 'Love you better' kind of continues where debut 'Colour it in' finished, nice and accessible, decent tempo and a cracking start. Fortunately The Maccabees haven't rested on their laurels and tried to replicate their debut, no they have taken their sound and added to it and most would say improved the formula. 'Can you give it' is a good example, more down trodden but with a healthy blast of guitars. Plus the likes of title track 'Wall of Arms' adds a serious element plus takes them away from the 'throw away pop' track… and then there is 'No Kind words'. Where to start with 'No kind Words'? It's one of those songs that don't come along too often, blinding intro, deep and dark whilst always having a pop undercurrent. Then there's Weeks' vocals, he can do tasty pop we all know that but he takes it up several notches to add to the ambience and then without warning it finishes, pure genius. For a return to the quirk pop look no further than 'Kiss and resolve', blinding up tempo affair with trademark Weeks vocals. It ends on more serious notes, 'Seventeen hands' is followed by an introverted 'Bag of bones' with it's serene feel which actually still really strangely suits Orlando Weeks' vocals. It's the Maccabees but better! Highlights and Lowlights - No lowlights, the stand out track 'No kind words' - nuff said! Verdict - Perhaps not quite as immediate as 'Colour it in' but definitely a better album, it takes the formula from the illustrious debut and adds to it. It has a feel of added maturity and confidence and the songwriting has been taken up a peg or two. There's still fine songs on here but it does work better as a full album. A right big thumbs up for 'Wall of arms' then, oh yes indeed. File Under indie pop with an edge at it's finest.
Five Sentence Album Review: Art Brut - Art Brut Vs Satan
Who: Call it Art rock , indie or New Wave but what a great name for an album! What: Is this what irony is supposed to sound like? And how childish are made up names? Take vocals by Eddie Argos and some of the most cringe worthy lyrics ever - see 'DC Comics and Chocolate milkshake' as an awful example of how not to write a great song! Sounds Like: A group of people who ought to now better, Art Brut vs Satan make a have a great title but that's where the greatness starts and well and truly ends. The vocals are sub Mark E Smith and, lyrics childish at best and the music behind it all distinctly average. Verdict: It's not big and it's not clever, Art Brut Vs Satan is rubbish so write a feking song about that & see if you can sleep at night now! File Under: Away win (3 points for Satan!).
Five Sentence Album Review: Filthy Dukes - Nonsense in the Dark
Who: Hailing from the capital and recorded entirely on analogue equipment Filthy Dukes come of the electro indie pop production line of recent years but manage to pack in guests from the likes of The Maccabees, Late of the Pier and Secret Machines into the mix. What: Unique, analogue electro-indie-kraut-pop is what it says here! Sounds Like: A bit of 80's synth pop ('This Rhythm'), plenty of The Whip (dancetastic 'messages') and lashings of New Order. Oh, there's a rap track too ('Tupac robot club rock') thrown in for good measure! Verdict: Kicks The Klaxons off the park! Bags of grooves & infectious tunes make 'Nonsense in the Dark' one to own in '09. File Under: The indie electronic revolution continues here.
The Broken Family Band - Please and thank you
Label: Cooking Vinyl
Website: www.thebrokenfamilyband.com
12 Tracks - Length 46 mins 27 seconds
Intro - By all accounts the Broken Family Band have been together for donkeys years and now shed the accordionists, cute girl singer (shame on them!), banjo players and the American drawl. Well they may well have dispensed with the comedy instruments but the American drawl remains. Cause if you didn't know better they could easily sound like they were writing about Milwaukee rather than St Albans! The Music - The claim that this, their seventh studio album is their best to date and to be fair we haven't heard the other six but we'd still agree as 'Please and thank you' is a damn fine listen. It maybe isn't the most exciting with those wanting to rock out probably advised to look elsewhere. However, those who like a loose indie tune with a hint of alt country should seek it out and give it a good listen. Highlights and Lowlights - 'Please yourself' is a pleasant opener whilst the off beat and oft funny lyrics in 'St Albans' make it a one go for. 'You did a bad thing' is a brilliantly constructed song, super understated vocals which many a high profile indie band would die for. 'Mimi' is a straight forward, no nonsense lovely indie tune and all the better for it. They are even able to crank it up and get past the foot tapping on comically titled 'Don't bury me'. Verdict - Not the most obvious of success stories but The Broken Family band after eight years of trying have cooked up with a fine, listenable endearing piece of music, a definite thank you to The Broken Family Band then. File Under - Low key, indie, alt country but above all good!
Gomez - A New Tide
Label: Eat sleep records
www.gomeztheband.com
11 Tracks - Length 44 mins 09 seconds
Intro - My god it's a decade since Gomez were Mercury Prizewinners. At the time they were the indie media darlings but always seemed to be a bit of a square peg in a round hole, mainly due to the unusual vocal style of Ben Ottewell plus their blues influences which rarely is seen in indie guitar circles. The Music - 'A New Tide' is undoubtedly Gomez, this sound harks back to their very roots and first recordings. Stuff like 'Little Pieces' and 'If I ask you nicely' are accessible, bright and breezy but have the Gomez guitars and vox stamp all over them, the latter pitches some quaint keys in there too for good measure. The thing about Gomez is that there always seem to be their own men, despite been media darlings they always sounded different, mixing folk, blues, indie and a bit of the sixties too. As the press moved their attentions from one 'new' band to another Gomez have just kept on being Gomez and with that comes confidence and a honing of the sound. 'Bone Tired' using Ben Ottewell vocals to give it a broadly American feel, it has a pleasant feel to it with some low key guitars whereas 'Airstream Driver' brings dirty guitars back up the mix and pushes up the tempo. 'Natural Reaction' has a stylish alt country sound and suggests why Gomez remain popular over the other side of the pond too. There's plenty of introverted, subtle moments too, which see Ian Ball take the vocal duties, a fine example is 'Other plans'. 'Sunset Gates' ends in a similarly manner to the ten tracks that proceed it, a mix of influences bringing out a relaxed alt yankee style done right in the Gomez way, it finishes with a twist of breakdown brass but will let them off with that! Highlights and Lowlights - Picking lowlights would be a tad harsh as this is a solid album so best concentrate on the pluses. 'Airstream Driver' has boundless enthusiasm with a slack blues influence mixed with some rock riffs and retro keyboards, blinding. Verdict - If you're a Gomez fan (and by the fact their album tour is of Academy sized venues there is still plenty out there) you'll love 'A New Tide'. If you've never heard of Gomez but like a bit of slackness to your blues and folk infused indie then this album is well worth a punt. File Under blues / county / retro indie guitar pop!
Five Sentence Album Review: Mongrel - Better than Heavy (Wall of Sound)
Who: Much has been said about the fact Mongrel are part Reverend and the makers, part ex Arctic Monkeys and part Babyshambles but probably the most important part has been mainly forgotten, that is the rappers as this isn't much of an indie album but has more a rap and hip hop stance. What: It's also very political too, we all knew that the Rev had some outspoken views but they are blown up big time on Better than Heavy. Sounds Like: There ain't much of Arctic Monkeys nor Babyshambles on here but a bit of the heavier side of the Makers, mixed with some skool rap and also a bit of the catchy side of Gorillaz too. Verdict: Those purchasing because of the 'featuring members of…' may get somewhat of a shock but to be fair it's nice to hear a some rap that ain't about money, guns and a bit of ass, serious stuff. File Under: The Rev is preaching again!
SHORTWAVE FADE - DELETIA
Label: Slice the pie
Website: www.myspace.com/shortwavefade
11 Tracks - Length 42 mins 26 seconds
Intro - Hailing from Leicester and describing themselves as indie electronica Shortwave Fade gained fifteen grand to record their debut album via the website www.slicethepie.com This is a website that gives music fans the chance to invest £1 in the next big thing and bands access these funds to record albums like 'Deletia'. The Music - 'Widescreen dream rock' Time Out reads the end of the press release that comes with this album. Often these quotes are taken out of context or not in anyway shape or form half way correct but not this time it's spot on. 'Stay as you are' is a killer start to a splendid debut, it's bright and breezy yet has a big sound and dark under currents, that's no easy combination to pull off either. 'Too late to tell' carries the torch on, they manage to make their sound immediate enough to like on the first listen but with enough depth to return. Chris Holloway's vocals are expansive yet subtle and combine brilliantly with the guitars of Ben Allen. 'Lost in a Hurricane' has more of a distant vocal and has echoes of the now defunct The Departure and The Cooper Temple Clause (at their most guitar based best). It has a blinding tempo and really does rock. 'You were right' brings down the pace to a crawl and attempts a more brittle side and to be fair Chris' vocals don't sound too bad before the song is allowed to break out. 'Now we are weapons' has a coopers sounding title and does have a dark electro vibe, fans of the Reading outfit will love this five minute romp! 'Cover your eyes' has a great back beat, atmospheric vocals and then kicks in the guitars.. totting up the album there isn't a duff track in six, that's pretty impressive shouting thus far. 'Leave' is darker and starts harder before entering Editors territory and then taking off big style, the albums anthem perhaps? The Cooper Temple Clause comparisons return with the brilliant 'Onto the Ark' with a killer tempo, beefy drums, electro influence and infectious chorus, a perfect mix of in your face rock and deep dark undercurrent, splendid! The darkness takes hold with the slow, quick, slow 'Low' about two minutes through it gets unnerving then ends quite suddenly. Title track 'Deletia' mixes regular and affected vocals and pandas about before developing a buzzing beat and breaking loose into a bit of a second half thunderbolt. Shortwave Fade decide to end up in a more refective mood, 'Army of two' shows it isn't just banging tunes as they conclude in a subtle fashion. Highlights and Lowlights - There isn't any lowlights, this is quite a debut album. Verdict - It's great on the first listen but just gives more and more each time you plant into onto the stereo, it's probably the best debut album of 2009 so far. It has got the lot, plenty of pop to such you in and then the dark edges to make you wanna keeping coming back for more. File Under Stunning indie / dream rock / electronica!
Iain Archer - To the Pine Roots
Label: Black Records
Website: www.myspace.com/iainarcher
9 Tracks - Length 39 mins 41 seconds
Intro - Iain Archer has quite a musically pedigree, aside from solo albums he's also been a member of Snow Patrol and indie collection The Reindeer Section. Add to this touring with the likes of Athlete and you've got a man knows a bit about music and to be fair is well respected for it. The Music - 'The Acrobat' states the scene, an acoustic guitar and lovely warm vocals. It's very much in the vain of say a Stephen Fretwell; sometimes referred to as alt country, folk, acoustic but whatever pigeon hole you find it's a nice relaxing listen. 'Songbird' has a title to match it's velvety texture, a splendid laid back tune. There's a bit of question mark over the vocal in 'Black Mountain Quarry', the song is good and a tad more upbeat but the vocal isn't the best and doesn't quite work in the same way as the first couple of tracks. 'Hey mia, Don't be lonely' brings the vibe back down again with just a acoustic guitar and occasional harmonium for company, it sound fragile and quite lovely. 'Everest' is another splendid tune, bit more alt country vibe (think Mojave 3 and you wouldn't be too far wrong) again with special vocals. 'Frozen Lake' has another question mark about the vocals, just doesn't quite seem right so onto 'Streamer on a kite' which is a load more up tempo and has the feel of an early Thrills, bit of a twang in the vocal too. Taking a break from the low key 'Streamer on a kite' is definitely a foot tapping success. 'To mend and move along' comes back down again and the acoustic guitars in finale 'The nightwatchman' are something to behold, a fine well crafted song which just about sums up what Iain Archer is about. Highlights and Lowlights - Plenty of up's on 'To the pine roots'. Archer seems well at home with a relaxed acoustic vibe. 'Songbird' and the fantastically titled 'Hey mia, Don't be lonely' takes some beating. 'Steamer on a kite' is the most up tempo and most definitely pretty pleasing on the ear. The only lowlights are a couple of question marks over the vocals on a few tracks but overall a damn fine listen. But something as good as 'The nightwatchman' deserves a decent audience. Verdict - Looking at Archer, he looks like a bloke who has seen a bit of live and more often than not that's where the best song come from, a bit of live experience. Recorded wholly in Germany, it doesn't have a European feel other than it's well crafted! Iain Archer has a excellent track record and it's maintained by 'To the Pine Roots', lovely. File Under low key, indie and proud!
Morrissey - Years of Refusal
Label: Decca / Polydor
Website: Not Mozer's site but for the ethical treatment of animals as quoted in the sleeve notes visit www.peta.org
12 Tracks - Length 43 mins 27 seconds
Intro - So Moz is back and still riding a wave of critical and commercial success after several years on the indie sidelines. But he's back well and truly into the fold and fully deserving of his indie grandmaster tag, lets face it this man is the daddy of indie. The Music - From the opening chords of 'Something is squeezing my skull' it's obvious that this is vintage Morrissey, it's all there; Boz Boorer excellent guitars, Mozer's unique and over the top vocals plus just take a look at those song titles… 'One day goodbye will be farewell' and 'I'm ok by myself' - need we say more! Highlights and Lowlights - The single 'I'm throwing my arms around Paris' is blatant Morrissey, unashamedly in fact, it's bloody great and you can just imagine the man throwing himself around a stage to it very easily. It does sound a bit lightweight after the booming 'Black cloud' with it's beastly Boorer guitars and banging drums. 'All you need is me' is as good as anything Moz has put out in his vast solo career, musically and lyrically plus a great fly along tune too. Another typical of the pen of Morrissey is the splendid 'That's how people grow old', lyrics that involve the word sweetie, car crashes, bruises, disappointment, sorrow and the spectre of death, usual day in the life of Morrissey then! 'One day goodbye will be farewell' has all the Moz hallmarks, again the usual subject matter, a great tune and all with added trumpets. 'You were good in your time' takes the tempo down and shows off the softer side to Mozzer's voice, quite delectable. It all ends with a damn fine romp 'I'm Ok by myself' is big and bruising with yet more trademark Moz lyrics and a killer breakdown ending. A brilliant way to end a brilliant album. Verdict - Vintage Morrissey. The loyal fans will embrace it and love it like they're own and even the most impartial will find it hard to pick fault with 'Years of Refusal'. It's littered with everything that makes Moz so damn interesting and unique; blinding lyrics, that voice and Boz Boorer's excellent guitars. 'Years of Refusal' proves that he's still got it and cements his place at the head of indie's top table. File Under Greatness.
Steve Craddock - The Kunadalini Target
Label: Mosesley Shoals Records
Website: www.myspace.com/stevecraddockthekundalinitarget
11 Tracks - Length 30 mins 33 seconds
Intro - Ever heard of Ocean Colour Scene, well Steve Craddock was a fundamental part of them and if you haven't heard of OCS (crikey!) then when Paul Weller hits your local venue usually stood to his right on stage is Steve Craddock on guitar. The Music - Bizarrely 'Something better' actually is a request as the opener is really too low key for it's own good. However, as instructed 'The apple' upon which follows it perks up considerably, I guess we all know what we are gonna get from this record, Steve doesn't veer much from his day jobs with Weller (in fact Weller provides backing vocals on 'The apple') nor Ocean Colour Scene. That may sound like a bit of a criticism and perhaps it is a little but let's be fair he knows what he likes and also what he is good at. So this far into his career the confidence this brings shows through with pleasant tunes like 'running away'. Unfortunately like some of Ocean Colour Scene's work it can appear a little too dull, 'You paint your picture' falls into this category and never really goes anywhere. 'The Clothes they stood up in' has a bit of a psychedelic feel with twisted vocals, bit Harrison in fact but not nearly long enough at under two minutes! Straight after 'Still Trying' has a more traditional and straightforward feel but has some great organ parts, really a neat little tune. Not sure about the lyrics in 'It's transcendental' but you can see why Liam Gallagher is quoted on the cover sticker as being a fan with stuff like this, it'd be right up his street. 'Beware of falling rocks' is probably the most stereotypical of Craddock's work. It's well crafted, a fine song with a feel of musical history and Craddock's vocals are actually surprisingly good too. Final track 'Kundalini's target' actually ain't much of a song just the preceding tracks mashed about in a weird and wonderful manner. Highlights and Lowlights - Let's start with lowlights, a few move too far away from alright to a bit dull but without ever actually sound offensive! 'The transcendental' has a good feel but 'The Apple' is the high spot, damn fine tune. Verdict - Fans of Ocean Colour Scene should add this to their collection, as should fans of Weller and the like. Craddock has that vintage sound knocked down to a tee, he knows fully well what he likes - bit of Weller, Beatles, Stones, motown, northern soul and the like then puts a bit of his own (and OCS) personality over 10 or so tracks. Never really jumps up and screams mad excitement but a fine album to chill out with a beer to. File Under chill out to reworked musical heritage.
The Race - In my head it works
Label: Shifty Disco
Website: www.inmyheaditworks.com
12 Tracks - Length 37 mins 45 seconds
Intro - This is the second album from The Race and one that is sure to get their name up in lights because rumours abound is that's a cracker. The Music - 'Begin' really does just that, a one minute opener and it's second track 'I get it wrong' where this album really begins. It's a big, big song with a big, big sound, it's got indie anthem written all over it, smashing guitars (including some early Radiohead crunchy guitars) with a brazen vocal, very much in the mould of Arcade Fire. The bar is raised pretty high by 'I get it wrong' and the standard is kept high with second single 'Rude Boy'. It's based around a blinding bassline that hooky would be proud of with roaring guitars and a unique vocal, not immediate but quite a grower. 'Moorwood' starts quietly before roaring into life, mixing understated with big epic interludes. The press info claims that The Race have moved their attention away from many English bands have instead found solace in bands such as Arcade Fire and The National, they also seem to have a knack of been on similar wavelength to Snow Patrol which isn't a problem either. 'Better to slip away' is a great example of why The Race are a success, vocals that go from understated to a huge, with matching melodies and guitars, splendid stuff. A great melody underpins 'Gloves' while 'Racing car game' gets a bit messier and noisy with the vocals a bit distorted and taking a back seat to hearty guitars, not the finest moment on the album but does show a bit of versatility. It ends in some style too, 'Give me your bible' has blasting guitars mixed with mellow moments and vocals that are up and down, with some lovely backing vox all blended together with some considerable style and grace. Highlights and Lowlights - One of the weakest songs 'Summer' has some good moments but others that just appear too clumsy and a bit shouty. Whereas at their best, and to be fair most of the album is in this vain The Race produce a soundtrack that Arcade Fire would have been well proud of. They have managed to produce some epic tunes and have put the anthem back into indie music. 'I get it wrong' is a blinded as is 'Give me your bible' and there's plenty in-between to shout about too. Verdict - The Race has cooked up quite an album, which should push them right up the indie pecking order. 'In my head it works' is going to work in plenty of heads, not just those five in The Race, give it half a chance it'll be working in your head too. File Under indie, anthems and class!
Five Sentence Album Review: Lily Allen - It's not me it's you (Regal / EMI)
Who: You have to be joking! Lily Allen is one of the most recognisable faces on the UK pop scene, oh and her dad is Keith Allen! What: Second long player from misunderstood pop princess which has spawned the number one single and shadders fav 'The Fear'. Sounds Like: Probably similar to her debut! It's pop throughout, some really clever and personal lyrics from somebody who has really lived the fame game. I suspect that she might get a phone call from the carpenters people over the music behind 'Fuck You' and messers Barlow, Owen, Howard & the other one already have their name on the credits for 'Who'd have known' which has more than a passing resemblance to Morrisons showtune 'Shine'. Verdict: Can be a bit one dimensional at times but overall it's a fine listen and the lyrics means it stands well above the usual pop fayre. File Under: Pop with a bit of a twist and a lot of swearing!
Jake Shillingford - Written Large
Label: Exilophone
Website: www.jakeshillingford.com
12 Tracks - Length 42 mins 41 seconds
Intro - Now this is a bit of a cheat really, this isn't actually a new record as it was released back in March 2008 but we thought it was worthy of a full review as we got it sent to us and Jake Shillingford was leadman of the fantastic My Life Story. MLS came recommended to us from a friend down in the big smoke during the epic Britpop years and they didn't disappoint neither. A twelve piece with full string section, a unique take on big pop tunes mixed with classical instruments and one of the best frontmen of the era. Written Large promises to be a collection of acoustic songs from his MLS days, four new tracks and from his Exile Inside persona. The Music - A collection of acoustic songs it is but also features piano and strings. My Life Story were most famous for big flamboyant tunes and at times Jake Shillingford vocals doesn't really sound at home (title track 'Written large' does suffer), however when there is a touch of pace to the song it comes into it's own and then again on 'Under the ice' it's sensational. Those expecting the big show tunes may be a bit disappointed but sit back and relax with 'Written Large' and it comes into it's own. Highlights and Lowlights - Lets start with the finish as 'Under the ice' back from the My Life Story days actually ends the album. But end it in true style, it is a beautiful song (and always has been) but recorded in this way sounds truly outstanding; sombre strings with the piano driving the song blending splendidly with Shillingford's vocals. Worth buying the album for on it's own! 'Exile inside' is another splendid song this time from post MLS, sounding more beautiful than ever in fact. 'You can't uneat the apple' was always a popular tune from My Life Story and here stripped back Shillingford's vocals sounds better than ever (with lovely backing vox), the song now quite simple in structure sounds just timeless. Verdict - Whilst Shillingford's vocals don't always hit the heights this is on the whole a great collection of songs that deserves to be heard by a big, big audience. Jake has a unique talent and personally that you don't see often in this world of bland tv show pop. As the lyrics go in 'You can't uneat the apple' - thank you for tempting me and this album is very tempting and far tastier than any forbidden fruit! File Under stripped back but plenty of strings and substance.
Roses Kings Castles
Label: Self release via Shellshock
Website: www.roseskingscastles.com
10 Tracks - Length 29mins 04 seconds
Intro - Roses Kings Castles is the solo project of Adam Ficek who is best known as the drummer from Pete Doherty's Babyshambles. But don't let that put you off cause this is where Adam gets to be the musician he wants to be, oh and plays most of the instruments on the album plus sings too!The Music - Don't expect a Babyshambles tribute album cause this is far better and completely different. It's indie with a capital I, beautifully twee and at times just downright pretty. Highlights and Lowlights - Album opener 'Entroubled' sets the standard and tone for the whole ten tracks, neat and tidy with a lovely laid back old skool indie sound. 'Broken homes' is a beautiful little ditty, stripped back except for some well placed strings, Ficek's vocals are exceptionally well suited and there's echoes of the beatles in there too, just simply lovely! Ficek is never better than when he is in indie full flow and 'Burn your town down' is that and then some with a brilliant horn in there too for good measure. 'Folk song' is simply lovely, just a magical vocal and guitar, so simple yet so effective. It's just a shame it's all over and done with in less than half an hour.Verdict - If you love your indie with nice and twee guitars and pretty as a picture vocals then this will definitely float your boat. It's great to hear somebody come out of a famous band and sound nothing like them and really put down his own musical marker. File Under Belle and Sebastian and not Babyshambles.
Five Sentence Album Review: Grand Duchy - Petits Fours
Who: Well it's former Pixies frontman and general allround profilic musican Frank Black / Black Francis and his wife Violet Clark (bit strange that as I always thought he was gay? Actually that might be Bob Mould of Husker Du but don't quote me on that either!). What: Nine tracks that came about more by accident then design. Sounds Like: When Violet is control can be nice and cute yankie indie pop, bit like Dandy Warhols or the like but when Francis is in vocal charge can be a bit harsh and horrible (although Fort Wayne is his highlight!). Verdict: Fans of Pixies will no doubt find something worthwhile here, as will those who like a bit of American alt rock, otherwise try before you buy! File Under: Another guise for Frank Black but more of the same.
It's A Misery Business (Anti Love Songs for the anti Valentine) - Various Artists
Label: Rhino
Website: www.rhino.co.uk
19 Tracks - 1 hour 08 mins 34 seconds
Intro - If we are been cynical about this we could say that it's a big a cash in as Valentines Day itself, hey why not give your emo sweetheart a black rose this 14th of February! Anyway the other point of view is that Rhino records have got together some premier rock, punk, emo and metal together and knocked out a half decent rock compilation. The Music - It's a bunch of rock bands, kinda goes that it's a rocky 19 tracks. Featured artists include Nickleback (who start off the album in true half arsed style), Paramore, Slipknot, Panic at the disco plus UK artists Gallows, Elliot Minor and Biffy Clyro - starting to get the picture yet? Highlights and Lowlights - As mentioned above Nickleback is bobbins but followed by the sublime 'Misery Business' by Paramore gets the show most definitely back on track, a track that could grace any rock album and steal the whole show. Slipknot's 'Dead Memories' sounds more musical than some of their offerings, which is a big plus! Atreyu take the hard arsed metal route, next! Gallows pitch in with 'Orchestra of wolves' which doesn't let up the sonic abuse much neither. Kill Hannah bring some much needed relief and dare I say melody to proceedings, 'Lips like morphine' actually sounds like a love song too! Bring out the pop as everyone's favourite power pop post busted rock combo show their tender side, joking aside 'Jessica' is actually a fair song so hats off to the minor boys. Fucking edits blight one of the best rock tunes from the other side of the Atlantic, Panic at the Disco's 'I write sins not tragedies' has even the damn removed, how rock and bloody roll is that, shame as it's one of the best tunes on here too, shame on you Rhino! If you didn't know Cobra Starship could be Panic at the Disco, everyone loves 'emo pop' then! Simple Plan seem to favour the 'rock ballard' for their inclusion, 'Your love is a lie' is more a let down. Madina Lake show the way, 'Pandora' shows you can marry a decent tune with good hearty guitars. Whilst Kids in glass houses are the first to take a jaunty attack but those trademark emo vocals blend it back into crowd rather than make it stand out which is a shame. The amps are kicked up a good few notches as Fighting with wire live up to their barbed name, 'Everyone needs a nemesis' does pack a good tune despite it's harder centre. Then as if by magic pings one of the best songs of 2008 and the highlight of Biffy Clyro's long career. 'Mountains' is a blinding song and for all those buying the album cause of the high American content this is the song that should really bring them back across the ocean with a vengeance. Bit of a disappointment for Billy Talent, as 'Try Honesty' can't live with Biffy at all, too much shouting and obvious melodies. 'Better off with him' sounds like a good Feeder romp but turns out to be A, weird. Jacks Mannequin have a great name and 'The Mixed tape' ain't bad neither, good pop content with melodies but still plenty of guitars for your money. Talking of good names, the best on the album award must go to Cute is what we aim for! 'Loser' takes the well-worn Panic at the disco patch, plenty of nice melodies though and pretty pleasant all the same, in fact sounds a bit like Elliott Minor! Amanda Palmer win the award for best song title with 'Leeds United' but it's a strange choice to end this compilation with. It ain't exactly a big rock tune and it sounds like there is brass and a piano in there! A big quirky indie tune but not really on the same wavelength as the rest of the album. Verdict- As with most compilations you can't please everyone all of the time and this album is no different. It's a fair mixed bag but there is plenty of excellent rock on here to merit its existence. Still think it's as much a cash in on the whole Valentines Day nonsense as buying a card and plastic rose from Clinton Cards. But at least with this album you get the likes of Biffy Clyro, Paramore and Panic at the disco for your money here and they shouldn't be gathering dust come March! File Under - Make rock not love!