The best new albums (and re-releases too!) for 2012 (and 2011 for the time being) plus no doubt some of more dubious quality too!
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March 2012
Band…. Skint and Demoralised
Album… This Sporting Life
Label … Hit or Heist Records
Release date… 12 March 2012
Who…Now this is one hell of a story so hold on tight. Front man Matt Abbott hailing from the Yorkshire City of Wakefield made quite a name for himself doing spoken word and poetry, he was then asked if he fancied doing it as a band, Skint and Demoralised (named after a line in a Reverend and the makers song) was born. Before you can say star in the making they'd featured on radio one, given away 10,000 downloads and were in New York recording their debut album for a major label. However, this is where the story takes a massive turn for the worse, their 'big' single failed to make the impact the label thought it would and pulled the album, before you can say 'bye bye' the dream was over, the band no more and Abbott was working in HMV in Sheffield as a temp. But he went back to the spoken word and then before you know it the band is back together and recording in their own studio, doing things their way and recording an album purely for the love of music, that album is 'This sporting life'…. Well that was August 2011, now its back to be re-released in March 2012, some things need that second chance! What's it like… Well to be honest the weakest track on the album 'Hogmanay Heroes' kicks things off, its not quite this or that, it still has a catchy chorus which does appear to a common thread through the whole ten tunes but its just a bit disposable really. However, that's not something that can be levelled at '43 Degrees' which is an absolute cracker. Firstly lyrically it's a beauty, Abbott truth be told is a fantastic story teller (in true Yorkshire tradition see also Arctic Monkeys, Pulp etc), his vocal is really tuneful which is something he has been criticised for in the past and the song itself is a poptastic blast of summer excellence, indie pop at its best. The guitars start to jangle on 'Maria, Full of grace' and the chorus again is class, the album is really starting to hot up. It all goes really poppy on 'All the rest is propaganda' the guitars have that old skool Smiths vibe (they are an influence) and Abbott is again proper singing, this is really good; really, really good. There's a slight diversion next, as they go a bit Irish, mixed with a slice of English indie pop that is, 'The Lonely Hearts of England' will get the meanest man dancing, well if its gone midnight and the ale is following anyway (see the lyrics!). Things get more serious with the slowed down 'Voluntary Confinement', it perks up with those jangle, jangle guitars for the chorus but the story through the lyrics is not perky but that of alcohol abuse, a common threat through the thought provoking lyrics on 'This Sporting Life'. The poppy 'Maybe you are after all' passes in a blur before the serious stuff kicks off with a slow and sensitive 'Did it all go to plan'. This adds keys to the guitars and Abbott's vocals sound splendid, subtle and rich in fact it's a cracking song, something different but very special. Talking of serious, 'Fireworks' is a seriously awesome tune, one of those that starts slow and builds into a real killer tune. It adds atmosphere and real depth to the music which backs up Abbott's vocals perfectly. You'd be puzzled to why this isn't the album until that is 'Low life' kicks off and it really fucking kicks off too, it's amazing! The guitars absolutely fly around in a sonic blur and then there's the lyrics, my god Abbott paints a real picture here, what a tune this is. Probably the tune of the year by a country mile but listen to those lyrics, venom in the vocals too, a heady cocktail of musical excellence. No that's where the story should actually end, but it doesn't because 'This Sporting life' may be the first actual album release but there's the previous unreleased major label financed 'Love and other catastrophes' which Skint and Demoralised now have the rights to. Originally it was released as the debut album, so if you are lucky enough to get hold of the album as a double album you are in for some bonus pop action! Most notable is the former single 'Red Lipstick' which is as poppy as hell with its cheesy backing vox and comedy lyrics! It's a right tune! But seriously you can see the maturity of Abbott's vocal style on 'This Sporting life' in comparison and less of an accent too! It is worth a listen though, the spoken work background features throughout which did see comparisons with The Streets at the time but there's still the pop choruses to enjoy and saviour. Pick of the bunch…It's a real toss up which is the pick of the bunch to be honest, there are plenty of choices. Can you afford to dismiss the summer pop blast of '43 degrees'? Surely plenty will be taken in by the drunken dance charms of 'The Lonely Hearts of England'. But then there's 'Fireworks', great tune on any album but all are eclipsed by 'Low Life' it's just awesome, both musically and lyrically, it was hard to beat in 2011, in fact it was without doubt the shadders stand out track of the year and will take some beating this year too!
Marks out of ten… 9
Final Comment…'This Sporting Life' is a real class album, one of the best last the year to be honest. It has all the elements; great lyrics and stories, that killer chorus, a big dose of pop and great vocals. Shame on those major labels for missing out on such talent but their loss is our gain, for in adversity and HMV Skint and Demoralised came back with a real blinder and as such it really deserves a second chance.
February 2012
Band…. Janice Graham Band
Album… It’s not me
Label … Acid Jazz
Release date… 27 February 2012
Who…Hailing from Manchester these four youngsters have quite a musical agenda and a list of influences to boot too. And for a young, up and coming band to break away from the musical conventions and decide to create a ‘concept’ album they must have some mega confidence, it’s a bit of a gamble to put it mildly. In fact the band themselves claim the album is ‘a soundtrack to a film screening in the mind of the listener and in the grooves of the record. The album deals with the questions and answers on love, life, sex and death. It concerns itself with the harsh brutality of life seen through the eyes of a man whose hedonistic incline leads him down a dark and twisted path of increasing questionable morality and self destruction.’ Okay that does sound a bit up their own arses, so plenty of pressure on themselves, if they get this wrong that’s a whole lot of egg on their faces. What’s it like…Well it starts off pretty damn weird, a strangely hypnotic instrument ditty by the name of ‘Thirty pieces of silver’ that concept album starts to ring true! Fortunately the second track has a more conventional feel, well for a bit anyway and that’s if you ignore the big brass sound running through it and then it blows up, ‘Hacienda’ is an apt title. It’s at this point that it is becoming plainly obvious that the Janice Graham Band are no ordinary bunch of manc scallies with guitars; they have a sound all their own and a range of influences as long as your arm and it has to be said bet their record collections take some believing! ‘No money honey’ manages to mix slack grooves, big brass, brash vocals and a boat load of attitude… oh and some classic hat stand lyrics as well, who mentions Mary Poppins in music these days! That said it’s a proper top class pop tune! It goes a bit weird again straight after, remember the words concept album, ‘Love Letter’ has the backing of some cheesy listening elevator music with basically spoken word over it, surreal but foot tappingly true! Musically its difficult to pigeon hole this lot, there from Manchester so there’s a bit of all that in there but there’s a bag load of ska, funk, punk and if we knew what dub was then you could probably throw that in as well! There is a good pop sensibility and we’d still give them a bit of an indie label too, just with more of an edge that probably describes the music better… on the edge and possibly over it on occasion too! ‘Front Door’ is pretty epic, it has 60’s guitar feel but also features cow bells plus a bag load of energy, then it just ends. It’s replaced by a forty four second non track, so that’s ‘Burn it all’ and onto album title track ‘It’s not me’ which defo has a ska vibe and punching vocals, little bit more subdued that others here and lasts just a little over two minutes and makes way for some proper weirdness! So if you’ve got a song called ‘Machete’ how’s that gonna go then? Well with spoken word over a ska soundscape talking over a blokes love of a machete and how he’d use it (along with screams), now you don’t get in the X factor do you?! So how would you follow that? Well quite obviously with a song called ‘Murder’! The band themselves admit that the lyrics are brutal and the sound isn’t here to make you feel at ease, it starts with a chilling ‘Murder’ then over a ska influenced backbeat we have a pretty bleak story which again isn’t going to be on Simon Cowell’s list of potential Christmas number 1 covers come Christmas 2012, although that would be pretty epic some insipid wannabe doing Janice Graham tunes! After that carnage ‘S.M.F’ comes and goes without any need for the police to be called and despite one of the best song names of 2012 ‘Crazy solitary bingo’ is really only notable for its use of spoken word again. Talking of the cops ‘All in the name’ is a low key ode to the old Strangeways motel, for those not from that side of the Pennines that’ll be the infamous nick then. Finale ‘Another winter’ is a bit of a relaxing cool off minute or so of music, to calm down from what has come before it and to be fair you might need a cold shower after this album! Pick of the bunch…Most will pick out ‘Murder’ so we’ll join that crowd, it is a mental tune.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment…It takes some proper bollocks to contemplate a ‘concept’ album for your debut, this is a band who aren’t afraid to take some massive risks, hey they are called the Janice Graham Band after all and as far as we can see their aint nobody called Janice or Graham amongst their racks. Whilst it isn’t a complete unqualified success it does prove if you pop your balls on the line you gonna reap the rewards. There’s enough here to make this album high on your shopping lists for 2012. Janice we don’t know who you are but we like you all the same!
Band…. Dead Wolf Club
Album… Dead Wolf Club
Label … Scene Not Herd Recordings
Release date… 1 February 2012
Who…Checking out google Dead Wolf Club brings up the following kinds of comments 'Noize merchants', 'post punk' and a 'teen no wave pop quartet' (whatever that is apart from there are four of them!). Plus we've seen comparisons to Nine Black Alps, These New Puritans, Die Die Die along the way too. They hail from one of our fav parts of the world in Tintagel via London and by all accounts specialise in loudness, quietness, darkness and light so this could be an interesting listen then! What's it like…Anti fashion and harks back to a day when bands like Sonic Youth and even at times Nirvana strutted their stuff with a bag full of effects pedals, no interest in cute vocals and plenty of noise. It does have a bit of an underground American alternative indie post punk sound, but it never sounds too 'heavy' nor trying to be a replica sound neither. It's actually a refreshing listen, they aim to marry loud guitars, and distorted vocals with pop melodies and to the best part pull it off too. Their press bumf has possibly one of the most surreal influence lists for any band, here goes…The band draws their bulk of influences from knitting, tea, comics, cardigans, Nintendo consoles and the crumbling city that is London, indeed! 'Radar' encompasses what they trying to achieve it features buzzing guitars and fucked up vocals but then a glorious chorus all in around 2 minutes and forty seconds! There's plenty of angst both in the flaming singing and the guitars but it never goes across the line to sounding bleak nor desolate, the vocal vitriol would never allow that for a start. 'Creatures' even manages to capture the energy that their live shows promise. Whereas 'Wave' actually points to a more dare we say, delicate side that's probably the pop side coming out a bit more. Still there's heavier stuff to come so don't worry, on the very next track 'Disappear' in fact. 'It's not what it seems' brings an end to proceedings with a decent mix of buzzing guitars and urgent vocals, old fashion quick slow quick which always makes for a decent romp. Pick of the bunch…'News at ten' has rocket guitars and at times you can actually tell what the lyrics are!
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment…An interesting listen indeed. Fine mix of old skool frenzied guitars, feedback, angst and just enough indie pop to bind it all together. Dead Wolf Club do definitely specialise in plenty of loudness and darkness but there's plenty of light at the end of this musical tunnel too.
January 2012
Band…. The Maccabees
Album… Given to the wild
Label … Fiction
Release date… 09 January 2011
Who…Southern five piece who have created an indie stir in the past with the exciting live shows and eye for a cheeky indie pop tune hit that 'third album'! What's it like…Well there's a move away from the really in your face indie pop that The Maccabees have created in their first couple of albums, not that there was a problem with that, 'Colour it in' and 'Wall of arms' are both fine albums but this is a record that adds maturity and a real subtle edge along with their pop sensibilities. Orlando Weeks vocals have grown immensely, less chirpy than on their debut, a fuller sound now. They start almost in reflective mood, 'Child' is really quite subtle but in a good way but 'Pelican' does allow the shackles off and trots on at a decent old pace with punchy guitars and at times quite atmospheric vocals. Talking of atmosphere has it in spades, from the guitars through Weeks vocals and then back through some stunning guitars again as they move through the musical gears, wonderful! There has been loads of positive reviews for this album but there has been a couple of odd men out in which the main gripes are that it either apes Coldplay, U2 or Arcade Fire too heavily and fails to hits the highs. Now we do think there is an element of Coldplay and Arcade Fire but 'Given in the wild' isn't a imitation record nor are The Maccabees trying to rip nobody off neither, this is a band growing into themselves, 'Heave' shows they can add the maturity and still have a sound that you can trace back to your musical roots. 'Went away' runs in a similar vain, more grown up but has that pop edge and perkiness that the bands previous long players had. There's a lot of album here for your money too, weighing in at over fifty minutes and twelve proper tracks (plus a couple of minute intro to kick off), quantity and quality then. It finishes off in reflective, moody even style with a glorious 'We grew up at midnight'. A fantastic album with some great songs but also as an album it really flows, it truly is sum of its parts and overall a great listen. Pick of the bunch…Now 'Pelican' is a good old fashion indie pop tune but 'Forever I've Known' shows how much the band have moved forward and what The Maccabees can create.
Marks out of ten… 9
Final Comment…So who says indie is dead then? This is the first great album of 2012 by a band that have put the graft in, both in terms of hitting the road and knocking albums out. The hard work has truly paid off and The Maccabees have created an immensely likable and listenable album that will grow and grow on you, give yourself to The Maccabees wild side you'll love it!
2011 Releases
Band…. Snow Patrol
Album… Fallen Empires
Label … Fiction / Polydor
Release date… 14 November 2011
Who…Six, count them six albums from the celtic indie fav's. From nobodies to stadium fodder with a string of bona fide indie anthems behind them. What's it like…Dare we say it, it sounds like Snow Patrol! Talk of experiments and new directions may have been banded around but truth be told the sixth studio album isn't a huge deviation and shouldn't alienate their ever growing fanbase. We aren't here to judge whether they are cool or fashionable, lets face it they probably aren't on both counts but you don't listen to a nice pair of jeans and a hair cut do you! What Snow Patrol excel at is been uncool and writing a cracking tune and for 'Fallen Empires' that cracking tune happens to be 'Called out in the dark'; it has a decent beat, the trademark melody and a brilliant chorus. To be fair it'll have everyone on their feet in the arena's Snow Patrol populate these days. Also akin to their previous work, 'This isn't everything you are' stumbles into the big indie anthem territory with Gary Lightbody's trademark vocals. There are glimpses of trying something a bit 'new', the electronica beat of title track 'Fallen Empires' actually works as a great foil for the vocals of Lightbody, it's not over the top neither and still retains the Snow Patrol 'sound' rather than somebody else's song badly transplanted onto the album. Strangely one of the other highlights of the album is actually at the other end of the musical spectrum; 'Lifening' is stripped back and acoustic and sounds lovely. The lyrics are beautiful, something that Snow Patrol are never given enough credit for, sounding really personal and meaningful, 'this is all I ever wanted from life' indeed. They obviously still fancy a bit of epic now and again as 'New york' heads firmly in that direction! Whereas stuff like 'In the end' are just good indie rock songs, singalong indie pop, like what Coldplay used to make! At fourteen tracks it's maybe a couple overloaded but there isn't ever really a point where you'll be heading for the skip button on a regular basis. It ends in reflective mood; they are quite good at that too! So it sounds still like Snow Patrol, a bit of variety and a couple of classics thrown in for good measure too. Pick of the bunch…It's no one trick pony but 'Called out in the dark' is awesome!
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment…Another good honest Snow Patrol album which will no doubt retain their place at indie's top table and shift plenty of units as it ends up in a heap of Christmas stockings. It'll also irritate plenty for not been cool enough or not pushing the musical boundaries but forget all that, it's a good listen by a band who can write blooming good tunes.
OCTOBER 2011 Releases
Band…. Kings Of Leon
DVD… Talihina Sky
Label … Revolver Entertainment
Release date… 31 October 2011
Who…Kings of who? Hell it's only American's premier stadium rockers of the old 'Sex on fire' million copies shifted fame. What's it like…Well those expecting a new live Dvd in time for Christmas can now look away now. No this is a 'on the road and back home again' documentary. As most reviews have pointed out it's pretty straight forward, hey look at us we're rock star disposable stuff when speaking to the band on the road and a few 'oh look at me smoking drugs' shots which are a tad dull. However, what steals the show is not the band but their fucked up no brains all American hillbilly relatives who to be frank are absolutely mental! The interviews with random family members are awesome, if at times pretty hard to understand, yeeeh haaa! Hell the Kings of Lyon are on the 'Price is Right' shout all and sundry as it turns out a copy of 'Rolling Stone' magazine is on the show with KOL on the cover, bizarre people! It does give an insight of just how religious a community they managed to escape from, the old footage of the singing brothers for hire is quite amusing. It does shed some light, if not all, on the reasons behind the recent breakdowns with than the usual rock and roll tour circus, drinking, internal tensions and the rather unusual fight between god and the devils rock and roll. There's a few live snippets especially from 'the early days' but it could have perhaps done with a few full songs featuring along the way. The pictures of the old folks at their local KOL arena gig is different! Pick of the bunch…The hillbillies!
Marks out of ten… 6
Final Comment…I'm sure that hardcore KOL will get plenty out of this; plenty of the background information whilst not exactly new will still be of interest to fans. Some of the 'on the road' footage will obviously float their boats too. Whilst those who aren't that bothered by the stadium fillers might wanna borrow a copy to marvel at the hillbilly hell!
Band…. Placebo
DVD… We come in pieces
Label … Elevator Lady / Eagle Rock
Release date… 31 October
Who…According to wiki, wiki wah wah Wikipedia Placebo are 'Since their formation, the band have attracted popularity and notoriety in equal measures for their subversive musical content and androgynous image' which kinda sums up little singer Brian Molko and co. They have developed quite a devoted following over the fifthteen years since their debut album was released. In fact according to the blurb on the back of the DVD the tour this live recording comes from was the finale to a world tour that took in 143 shows in 44 countries playing to a whooping 2.5 million people, that's quite a few to be fair! What's it like…Firstly fair play to the designers of the packaging, it looks fantastic, the brilliant photo's (of the band and across the globe) on the cover and the mini in package booklet certainly look the part and fit in nicely with the bands image. Now onto the 'main' DVD, the live 'Battle for Brixton' performance, now a lot of recorded gigs are very formulated but this isn't, there are a huge variety of camera angles including 'in crowd' shots, they have really tried to capture the spirit of a live performance and have easily achieved their aim, it is a good watch. In fact the venue lends itself to the aim too; it is a fantastic place to witness gigs. And for value for money you aren't going to moan neither, this performance weighs in at a heady twenty tracks. One thing that has let them down in the past and this is from personal experience is the standard of their live shows but again now worries here. The ranks are bolstered from the original three piece which helps matters and Molko who suffered a real off day when we saw them years ago is on form. Back to the tracks, it's from across the whole career and actually starts with arguably their most famous and real early hit 'Nancy boy' through to a number from their last album 'Battle for the sun' but a notable absentee is unfortunately our favourite 'Pure Morning' but there's bound to be casualties when you released six albums! By the time 'Teenage Angst' also from their debut is aired they are covered in sweat and the crowd sing it back word for word. By 'Post blue' the stage is covered in streamers which looks great which continues through to closer, 2000's 'Taste in men' which shows the edgy guitars of Placebo to the full. They aren't the normal average indie guitar band; part glam, part goth, part rock with Molko unique vocals. Placebo are one of those bands that split opinion, usually you love them or you hate them! Here they are captivating to put it mildly. And if all that wasn't enough then there's a bonus six tracks recording at a variety of venues across the world from Mexico through Japan and around Europe, including one, 'Speak in tongues' that isn't included at Brixton. The recordings are of variable pro quality (not dodgy camcorder nonsense) but still worth a viewing with 'Trigger happy hands' from Pukklepop with it's buzzing bass chords is the pick of the bunch, in fact see all those hands in the air, quite impressive! If all this wasn't enough then there's disc two which has a couple of documentaries and weighs in at a whopping seventy minutes! 'Coming up for air' has some brilliant images and cinematography and tries through interviews and snippets with the band to look at who they are and where they are going. There's plenty of music thrown in for good measure too. A good watch and interesting watch too.
Pick of the bunch…Everyone is going to have their own favourite; you can perm anyone from about sixteen across the discs! We'll battle it out with 'Nancy Boy' and the Pukklepop version of 'Trigger happy hands'.
Marks out of ten… 8
Final Comment…There is so much packed into the DVD it's quite amazing, Placebo fans will have a field day with this. The Live DVD is worth the money on its own and the rest is a proper bonus, the devotees will love it and should win over a few new fans too. Highly recommended.
Band…. 93MillionMilesFromTheSun
Album… Northern Sky
Label … InAtTheEye Records
Release date… 24 October
Who…If you onto google and pop in shoegaze and Doncaster we'd guess you'd only get one result… 93MillionMilesFromTheSun. 'Northern Sky' is their second long player with their debut getting a decent reception by all accounts back in 2009. What's it like…Well the album blurb says they are pioneers in drone rock and there's an awesome description! It sounds like My Bloody Valentine, Spiritualized and Slowdive and that my friends is enough, review over, buy this album! Anyway, it has that 'lasagne' style, layers and layers of guitars, of drums, of effects, of noise; of music with the vocals hidden well underneath, lyrically virtually anonymous. It's one of those albums that pulls you into the music, amongst the looping guitars swooning around Nick Mainline's vocals drenched in the beautiful noise. Although the songs themselves are all but redundant as they flow from one to the next they do have some great titles including the obvious 'Sonic Assault' through 'Sorrow song', 'Time lasts forever' and the brilliant 'Tall buildings in large cities'! The album has atmospheric written the whole way through it like one big stick of musical rock, pretty tasty flavours too. Make no doubts about 93MillionMilesFromTheSun that music like this isn't easy to get this good, you have to be technically gifted but have the vision and the imagination to pull it off and pull it off they have. Make no doubts this is a sonic masterpiece. Pick of the bunch…Forget about the traditional structure of an album, 'Northern sky' should be viewed as one continuous piece of music therefore it's all the pick of the bunch!
Marks out of ten… 9
Final Comment…Probably the best shoegaze album this year, admittedly there's not a huge choice but this is a splendid music journey and to think it came out of the cultural wasteland of Doncaster just makes it even more remarkable!
Band….Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Album…Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Label …Sour Mash
Release date…17 October 2011
Who…If you need that question answering then you probably need shooting or have had your memory from the last twenty years erased! So when Oasis finally imploded (or exploded on whoever version you believe) Liam took the rest of the band to form Beady Eye whilst Noel took himself and the songwriting talent off and holed himself up for a bit and took his time to release his solo record. And despite the high flying birds this is a Noel Gallagher record, all the song written by him and jointly produced by Noel too, whilst the 'High Flying Birds' are interestingly referred to as 'were' rather than 'are' on the sleeve notes. Anyway it's a Noel Gallagher record at last, can this live up to his high writing standards? What's it like…Unusually we're gonna start with the highlight, skip to track 6 to 'AKA what a life' it is an awesome track, not what we were expecting too much of either ie power and pace, we expected the best to be some acoustic number but this is a sure fire belts and bracers rock and roll classic. In comparison the rest of album is a bit one paced, which does seem to be a bit of a common criticism and it fails to have something like 'Bring the light' like Liam's Beady Eye debut does but also it doesn't have the three or so songs that kinda don't really cut the mustard like Beady Eye's album. So there is no acoustic tracks as expected, in fact quite a bit sounds akin to 'Don't believe the truth' era Oasis especially the likes of 'Dream on' and 'The death of you and me'. Flipping back and forth around the album leads us back to track 3 and the other high point of the album 'If I had a gun' is a brilliant tune, starts of a bit slow but cracks onto becoming a epic tune with what the other expectation of Noel… excellent lyrics. And onto the final track (said we are flipping round somewhat) and a track that Noel had confirmed has been kicking around since Oasis but failed to get done to feature on one of their albums 'Stop the clocks'. It's been built up a bit too much and despite the fact it's a nice little number that is allowed to break free for a bit of a fanfare ending doesn't quite live up to that Oasis hype. Pick of the bunch…'If I had a gun' is class but 'AKA what a life' is truly worth buying the album for on its own, what a tune.
Marks out of ten…7
Final Comment…One would suppose if this had been the debut album by joe doe off the street it would probably score higher but expectations are amazingly high when it comes to Noel Gallagher. Still it's a decent 'solid' offering with a few real gems, doubt that Oasis fans will be disappointed and there's more than enough to satisfy the casual observer too and with another album touted for early 2012 then the future looks bright for this Gallagher brother.
Band…. You me at six
Album… Sinners never sleep
Label … Virgin Records
Release date… 3 October 2011
Who…Award winning Brit rockers third long player sounding less like it comes from Surrey, more like Sarasota! What's it like…Well it promises to extend their existing scope and present a more mature sound, whilst no doubt still rocking out a bit too! Well it starts off nicely enough, that radio friendly guitar strewn pop punk rock that has made plenty of stadium bands stateside is well and truly evident in 'Loverboy' and with a catchy as hell chorus too, good wholesome rock! It carries on a pace too with another guitar punk pop packed 'Jaws on the floor' which is damn sure to win plenty of friends in rock circles. So far plenty of evidence that the three minute rock romp ain't dead this side of the Atlantic (although it was recorded in LA and you could be forgiven for thinking they hail from 'over there too). 'Bite my tongue' starts very much in the same vain, perhaps a tad heavier but still has the chorus and melodies in place but then takes a turn for the darker and ends up a bit of a guitar and shout fest. Then things become a lighter, 'This is the first thing' definitely has that poppy American edge, it mixes a bit of rock with some first sounds of something a bit more dare we say it balladry! It stays that way with 'No one does it better' always on the right side of the rock line and with guitars still very much evident but it is more 'grown up' and serious, they always manage to retain that to die for chorus though! They do the old quick, quick, slow trick to great effect on 'Little death' and when it gets going it rocks, it really does. 'Crash' takes a step backwards, shows that more 'mature' side and heads into that epic rock ballad territory, it's a big song and never, never sounds like the horrible cheesy bon jovi nonsense a lot of bands end up sounding when they give this stuff a stab, that's a winner then! 'Reckless' bounces back into the power punk pop category with some real vigour, that's gonna get some people down the front at gigs without any doubt at all. The gloves come off for 'Time is money' guitars more punchy and the pace goes through the gears, proper rock and then to prove the point further the guitars go heavier and the shouting commences, not that we here are bit fans of all that malarkey. Back to the serious stuff again for a 'little bit of truth' and the lyrics actually sound so personnel it has been written about a particular person which is not an easy thing to do. 'The dilemma' is a light and poppy rock romp which then morphs into some kind of pomp rock monster, whilst sounding a bit blink 182 on the side. For the closer they can't resist the 'big ballad' finish, 'When we were younger' does go on a bit and isn't the 'big bang' finish the album actually deserves, still mustn't grumble too much the previous eleven tracks have plenty to shout home about. Pick of the bunch…There's plenty of choice to be fair as there's quality throughout the album, its obvious why 'Loverboy' was a pick as a single (although 'Reckless' can give it a run for its money) and if you want something a bit more thought provoking try a slice of 'Crash'.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment…As power punk rock albums goes this is up there with the best of the year, it does show some maturity whilst still giving it some vigour and energy in equal measures. There'll be criticism of sounding too 'American' but still it's still a damn fine listen.
SEPTEMBER 2011 Releases
Band…. Nirvana
Album…Nevermind
Label …DGC / Geffen / UMC
Release date…26 September 2011 / 24 September 1991!
Who…Well if you don't know then they know nothing about the music of the last twenty years! Kurt Cobain / pre Foo's Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic created one of the most iconic rock albums of the 20thcentury with their second long player. Their debut on Seattle's own subpop label 'Bleach' had bubbled under with some critical success a couple of years previous but 'Nevermind' really captured the spirit of the new 'grunge' sound which was redefining the whole rock scene blowing. What's it like…It's easy to judge the album through rose tinted spectacles, in cleaned up remastered status and especially as Cobain on and after his death was seen as a leader of a generation. But fortunately the 20 years anniversary edition (in single disc format anyway, there is a two disc set that adds b sides and rarities to the mix) has the same track listing as the twenty year old version that is currently sat in the shadders CD player! So to track one… probably the most recognised intro ever and one of the best rock records ever released, it was 'Smells like teen spirit' that catapulted a relatively unknown regional American rock band into mega stardom. It has it all, an anthem for a generation, amazing drums, bitter sweet lyrics, monster guitars and a singalong rock chorus, no wonder indie disco's when ballistic ever time it was played back in 1991. What a fucking tune! Remember rock in the late 1980's had degenerated into poodle hair nonsense like Bon Jovi and Motley bloody crue, what a breathe of fresh air this tune was no wonder MTV which had a monopoly in music television played it to death. Then we move onto a rasping 'In bloom', again featuring Grohl's sensational drumming, it's easy to forget with this Foo Fighters catalogue what a class drummer he actually was, lyrically guns appear along with the classic line 'Nature is a whore', nice! 'Come as you as' featured some awesome bass from the oft ignored Krist Novoselic and it explodes into the chilling Kurt singing 'I swear that I don't have a good' if only. 'Breed' is a straight forward kick ass rock song, plenty of guitars fighting Cobain's vocals for supremacy. 'Lithium' gets another great intro and then just blows up, a fury of guitars, there's a few breaks where Krist's bass again is bang on the money before Kurt goes off again, great stuff. Never really liked 'Polly', think it's the lyrics more than everything, perhaps why the album only scores a nine and not a ten! Whereas 'Territorial pissings' is just a musical powerhouse, a million miles an hour which a massive punch and just ends as a big old blur of guitars and Cobain screaming, brilliant. 'Drain you' is another fine rock song, more structured with a great mid section where drums and guitars really connect before going off on one. 'Lounge Act' again has some magical bass which is then succeeded by Cobain's snarl and guitars. Talking of snarling, Kurt is on real form on 'Stay away' another tour de force, it kicks off with drums then bass and the guitars fly in, the pace is relentless, it's a band in total unity and the break down at the end makes it sound like it's recorded live too. 'On a plain' in comparison really sounds like quite a tradition song, it's definitely easier on the ear but still has a good rock edge. The album finishes on a more sombre note, 'Something in the way' could nearly be described as a ballad, Cobain's vocals really are quite haunting. There is another track, well hidden fourteen odd minutes into track twelve which is more, hardcore can we say! Pick of the bunch…Not an easy pick, there's plenty to choose from but it's always been 'Smells like teen spirit' for the connection with a generation and such a ballsy rock tune.
Marks out of ten…9
Final Comment…Sure dead rock stars always carry a certain cult status and Cobain today still retains that air of the lost genius cut down by his inner demons. 'Nevermind' was a landmark album in 1991 and changed rock music; twenty years later it still sounds fantastic. Cobain never managed to recreate anything near this album, but to be fair not many people have. It even features one of the most iconic sleeves ever too, that amazing shot of the baby underwater chasing the dollar, brilliant. A must have album in anyone's collection.
Band…. Pocketbooks
Album…Carousel
Label …Oddbox Records
Release date…19 September
Who…'A pop group from London'… Well to be a little more precise an indie pop band from London harking back to when indiepop was listened to pasty boys in bed sits. They also help organise the indiepop festival 'Indietracks' set on a railway in Derbyshire, one of favourite events on the calendar so we have really looked forward to this the second album from Pocketbooks with much interest. What's it like…Hooray it doesn't disappoint, this is as indie as indie pop gets, they promise 'bright harmonies, shimmering guitars and gorgeous strings' and they delivery all these and more. As most indie pop is 'Carousel' is understated, there aren't many big bangs but what you get is beautifully crafted tunes which ooze melodies. Bizarrely it was recorded during the winter of 2010 as it sounds so light, bright and like a blast of those heady sunny summer days. Take 'Promises, Promises' it has the harmonies, melodies, the strings and Emma Brown's vocals are really, really lovely, ooh what a splendid tune. In fact vocal duties are shared between the delightful Emma and songwriter Andy Hudson who also has a voice fit for indie pop stardom too! Still it's Emma who pulls the heartstrings, take 'Sound of the carnival' wonderfully poppy. 'Gaumont state cinema' sees Andy take stage with his piano for company, stripped back but really moving. 'Harbour Lights' sees Andy going down the poppy road for a splendid little ditty with Emma joining him over the piano too. 'The Beaujolais lanes' has a great title and despite it starting sparsely it soon bursts into life, those melodies are to die for and Emma's vocals are again just plain delightful. 'Five day forecast' features a bit of a sing off with Andy and Emma on top of a bright and breezy which will no doubt get crowds nervously shuffling at pocketbooks gigs! It has to be said that there are some fantastic song titles on 'Carousel' and finale 'The end of the pier' is one of them! It is subtle with some splendid piano and wonderfully sad lyrics, echoes a little of suede and a fine end to a lovely listen. Pick of the bunch…'Promises Promises' as it has it all.
Marks out of ten… 8
Final Comment…Rarely does an album evoke such lovely times, it could easily soundtrack those relaxing lazy summer days or in fact the ethos of the indie tracks music festival. Wonderful way to while away forty minutes of your life, lovely!
AUGUST 2011 Releases
Band…. Skint and Demoralised
Album… This Sporting Life
Label … Hit or Heist Records
Release date… 02 August 2011
Who…Now this is one hell of a story so hold on tight. Front man Matt Abbott hailing from the Yorkshire City of Wakefield made quite a name for himself doing spoken word and poetry, he was then asked if he fancied doing it as a band, Skint and Demoralised (named after a line in a Reverend and the makers song) was born. Before you can say star in the making they'd featured on radio one, given away 10,000 downloads and were in New York recording their debut album for a major label. However, this is where the story takes a massive turn for the worse, their 'big' single failed to make the impact the label thought it would and pulled the album, before you can say 'bye bye' the dream was over, the band no more and Abbott was working in HMV in Sheffield as a temp. But he went back to the spoken word and then before you know it the band is back together and recording in their own studio, doing things their way and recording an album purely for the love of music, that album is 'This sporting life' What's it like… Well to be honest the weakest track on the album 'Hogmanay Heroes' kicks things off, its not quite this or that, it still has a catchy chorus which does appear to a common thread through the whole ten tunes but its just a bit disposable really. However, that's not something that can be levelled at '43 Degrees' which is an absolute cracker. Firstly lyrically it's a beauty, Abbott truth be told is a fantastic story teller (in true Yorkshire tradition see also Arctic Monkeys, Pulp etc), his vocal is really tuneful which is something he has been criticised for in the past and the song itself is a poptastic blast of summer excellence, indie pop at its best. The guitars start to jangle on 'Maria, Full of grace' and the chorus again is class, the album is really starting to hot up. It all goes really poppy on 'All the rest is propaganda' the guitars have that old skool Smiths vibe (they are an influence) and Abbott is again proper singing, this is really good; really, really good. There's a slight diversion next, as they go a bit Irish, mixed with a slice of English indie pop that is, 'The Lonely Hearts of England' will get the meanest man dancing, well if its gone midnight and the ale is following anyway (see the lyrics!). Things get more serious with the slowed down 'Voluntary Confinement', it perks up with those jangle, jangle guitars for the chorus but the story through the lyrics is not perky but that of alcohol abuse, a common threat through the thought provoking lyrics on 'This Sporting Life'. The poppy 'Maybe you are after all' passes in a blur before the serious stuff kicks off with a slow and sensitive 'Did it all go to plan'. This adds keys to the guitars and Abbott's vocals sound splendid, subtle and rich in fact it's a cracking song, something different but very special. Talking of serious, 'Fireworks' is a seriously awesome tune, one of those that starts slow and builds into a real killer tune. It adds atmosphere and real depth to the music which backs up Abbott's vocals perfectly. You'd be puzzled to why this isn't the album until that is 'Low life' kicks off and it really fucking kicks off too, it's amazing! The guitars absolutely fly around in a sonic blur and then there's the lyrics, my god Abbott paints a real picture here, what a tune this is. Probably the tune of the year by a country mile but listen to those lyrics, venom in the vocals too, a heady cocktail of musical excellence. No that's where the story should actually end, but it doesn't because 'This Sporting life' may be the first actual album release but there's the previous unreleased major label financed 'Love and other catastrophes' which Skint and Demoralised now have the rights to. So if you are lucky enough to get the album as a double album for some bonus pop action! Most notable is the former single 'Red Lipstick' which is as poppy as hell with its cheesy backing vox and comedy lyrics! It's a right tune! But seriously you can see the maturity of Abbott's vocal style on 'This Sporting life' in comparison and less of an accent too! It is worth a listen though, the spoken work background features throughout which did see comparisons with The Streets at the time but there's still the pop choruses to enjoy and saviour. Natty bonus this! Pick of the bunch…It's a real toss up which is the pick of the bunch to be honest, there are plenty of choices. Can you afford to dismiss the summer pop blast of '43 degrees'? Surely plenty will be taken in by the drunken dance charms of 'The Lonely Hearts of England'. But then there's 'Fireworks', great tune on any album but all are eclipsed by 'Low Life' it's just awesome, both musically and lyrically, be hard to beat this year without a doubt.
Marks out of ten… 9
Final Comment…'This Sporting Life' is a real class album, one of the best of the year to be honest. It has all the elements; great lyrics and stories, that killer chorus, a big dose of pop and great vocals. Shame on those major labels for missing out on such talent but their loss is our gain, for in adversity and HMV Skint and Demoralised have come back with a blinder.
Band…. Acrylics
Album… Lives & Treasure
Label … Gung Ho! / Friendly Fire
Release date… 01 August 2011
Who… Boy / Girl duo hailing from the East coast of America by the names of Jason and Molly and 'Lives & Treasure' is the debut offering. What's it like… Quite dreamy at times, the boy / girl vocals work exceptionally well with 'Molly' having quite an ethereal sound. Opener 'Counting sheep' has is laid back whereas 'Molly's Vertigo' features more umph and pop, there's a natty beat and the all female vocal sounds a bit more up and at 'em. There is a strange lyric obsession with sleep on here and a number of the tracks have a nice relaxing feel about them. The overwhelming feel is kind of dreampop, not layers of swirling guitars but a more easy orthodox semi acoustic sound where a lot of time the vocals carry the feeling, especially in the a tune like 'The Window'. There is times where they branch out into more experimental territory, there is nods towards Arcade Fire, alt country vibes and the backing music to 'Lives & Treasure' has quite an eighties feel to it whereas the vocal sat on top sounds like Auteurs off shoot Black Box Recorder. 'Tortoise shell shades' has that alt country guitar sound, a nice sixties mellow pop tune, Jason takes vocal responsibility and makes a damn fine job of it too. 'It's cool here' is the only track on the album where things down work out, musically not so bad just don't really buy the vocals. 'Asian Pear' is the 'big' track on the album, not fast motion but the vocals sound louder, it has a definite sound of an Arcade Fire, it's good, really good too. To finish with they cover plenty of bases, 'The Catacombs' has a dreamy vocal supplied by Molly but has more of an up tempo to it, not quite as good as some of the earlier tracks but not the worse way to end an album on. The thirty five minute running time kind of just glides by. Pick of the bunch… Most people will gravitate to 'Asian Pear' for it's big sound but we like 'Tortoise shell shades' too, something a bit different.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment… It's a nice album, normally nice means a bit wish washy, just alright but here nice is a good thing. It's a nice relaxing album, perfect for warm summer nights, perfect for escaping the daily grind. Just a nice listen.
JULY 2011 Releases
Band…. Isaac's Aircraft
Album… Two is a crowd
Label … Crash Records
Release date… 4 July 2011
Who… A band from Cambridge who to those outside the flatlands will be complete unknowns. This album has a rather unusual story, faced with a 'funding problem' ie they didn't have enough cash to record their album they decided to revise and rethink their live set and rejig it acoustically. They then recorded a full album in a day and thus 'Two is a crowd' was born. What's it like… Well it's acoustic then! That's only half the story as in the band there's a classically trained pianist and they cite influences from Chopin to Arcade Fire. So 'Two is a crowd' is a ten song review of their songs, it doesn't always work nor at times appear that interesting but at times you can feel a real flair for music and the song writing craft. There's also a feeling of great optimism throughout none more so than on 'Good man' with its guitar slapping licks and up-tempo vibe. It doesn't sound one dimensional neither, 'Dry' could easily be one of those summer good time feeling advert tunes (that actually isn't meant in a bad way!), it has a bit of an alt country feel about it too and a natty piano groove behind some nice guitar work. Zak, front man of Isaac's Aircraft can do serious too, the downbeat 'Boogie in boots' confirms this, the piano and guitar expresses melancholy not joy, it's a good track and a style that actually quite suites them too. However, they do appear at the best at the helm of a bright up pop tune, 'Friends and foes' tries a bit too hard and fails to make the grade here but you can see it'd make a decent live song without much doubt. They wrap up proceedings with something quite unexpected, it's downbeat but Zak's vocals along with some lovely female guest vocals act as a wonderful foil for the piano which really steals the show, simple, stripped down but really effective. Pick of the bunch… 'Dry' has a good feel to it but 'Final state' has the air of a band who could do really good things and takes the pick of the bunch crown.
Marks out of ten… 6
Final Comment… This isn't by a long chalk the best album you'll hear this year, it does however show a band that can mix things up, take stock and come back and record something a bit different, fair play to them for that. There's promise of a full 'proper' album later in the year, maybe it's worth waiting for that or actually getting this so you'll know what to expect when the 'real' Isaac's Aircraft stand up.
JUNE 2011 Releases
Band…. Quiet Rebellion
Album… Still talking scribble
Label …Local Nobody Records
Release date… Out Now
Who… Shaun T Hunter basically, he is the man behind the name and project. According to the blurb he was active in the indie scene in the 1990's before releasing solo stuff in his own name for a decade. A change of tact led to Quiet Rebellion being born, 'Still talking Scribble' is the second album released under this guise. To be honest we'd never heard the name so google came into play, there is a wealth of reviews of Quiet Rebellion and Shaun T Hunter material all of which seems to come highly rated from the Scot now relocated to the West Riding. What's it like… Well to be fair it isn't shy, 15 tracks plus a bonus track to boast it up to 16 and they ain't three minute pop blasts neither, so get somewhere comfy and be prepared to listen. You won't be disappointed neither Shaun T Hunter is obviously a man who has mastered the art of song writing (and so he should have he does lectures on the art!) and his talent and craft really shine through on the full length of the album, it sounds like a real labour of love full of heard and soul. It's weird that it can be anything that you mood takes, you can sit back, listen, relax and let the music flow over you or you can immerse yourself in the album and feel the intensity. Hunter not only wrote the album but also recorded it in full, all the musical parts plus he didn't want to take the easy route of recording it in a convention studio, oh no he wanted to record where there was 'an inspiring window space'. So he ended up with a 16 track recorder and a draughty industrial mill which was haunted all of this adds to the fact that this man is quite a unique talent. Musically obviously it should just be the traditional one man and a guitar combination but it's that and a whole lot more. From ethereal sounds to splendid sonic soundscapes and some neat acoustic folk rock in there too. There's also a Bruce Springsteen cover of 'Dancing in the dark' which he says was inspired by the settings and needed to be on the album. Pick of the bunch.. It would be completely unfair to pick any one of the 15 tracks wrote by Hunter, listen as an album.
Marks out of ten… 8
Final Comment… Quiet Rebellion aka Shaun T Hunter deserve better than the 'cult' status he has, 'Still talking scribble' is a fantastic album. Buy it!
Band…. The Brights
Album… A Trivial Pursuit
Label … Lemonpop
Release date… 13 June 2011
Who… Not ones to normally cut and paste biogs we kinda liked this from The Brights facebook page 'Indie-pop group The Brights are four fellas from Chelmsford who, now armed with their debut album of heartfelt melodies, jangly guitars and upbeat rhythms, are planning a pop music revolution!' Nice introduction that! What's it like… Let's put it this way it ain't heavy! You aren't gonna get a brighter, sunnier, more poppy album this side of indiedom this year. It isn't from this era neither, this is indie pop from a time before Oasis when thin pale men risked the wrath of townies to listen to music with jangly guitars and melodies to burn, not the type of thing you'd normally expect to escape from Essex. So let's get the Smiths / Marr guitars out of the way, they are blatant at times especially in 'London belongs to me', expect a lawsuit from Johnny for them! In fact they even name check The Smiths in the first track 'Footsteps', now that's what I call nailing your influences down really early. Front man David Burgess don't really sound like Morrissey though, his vocals are a damn sight more immediate and throwaway pop (that isn't actually meant in a bad way neither!). Other names mentioned are The Style Council which makes a shed load of sense when you hear the beat in 'Memories of you' but overall it's a very, very British sounding album and that's meant definitely in a good way. There's times when you listen to the songs and think, that sounds like… then about a dozen songs or melodies go through your mind 'Monday lives next door' is just like that, just reminiscent of loads of tunes but still sounds like The Brights and 'A trivial pursuit'. The Brights know how to write a tune that doesn't overstay it's welcome neither, plenty of three minute wonders on here whilst always packing plenty of melody. That said 'Hands across the ocean' adds something more into the mix, really good guitars gives a 'bigger' sound and the vocals are a bit 'harder' too, a bloody great tune and lasts a minute longer than the normal three too. But to end we'll go back to the beginning, opener 'Footsteps' is a good old English dandy of a pop tune, like the majority of 'A trivial pursuit' it'll have you humming along for days. Pick of the bunch… Obviously Smiths fans will favour 'London belongs to me', pop lovers will stick with opener 'Footsteps' but for a something a bit special pick 'Hands across the ocean'.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment… Pretty disposable indie pop from an era before ego's sold shed loads of albums. It is however a fresh and enjoyable indie romp and you could do a lot, lot worse then this, go on just enjoy yourself with a bit of pop The Brights style!
Band…. Arctic Monkeys
Album… Suck it and see
Label … Domino
Release date… 06 June 2011
Who… Sheffield's finest return and with something to prove too, their first two albums may have been two of the best ever Northern albums of all time but their third, 'Humbug' was truly disastrous in comparison. That difficult third album syndrome times a thousand, Alex Turner trying so hard it was painful, thinking he had to act 'grown up' move on without knowing exactly where he was going or why. So will Turner and co return to form or is it so long monkeys? What's it like… Firstly those hoping it'll return to the formula of those golden first couple of long players can forget it; those halcyon days are long gone. But opener 'She's thunderstorms' does give hope for 'Suck it and see'. Lyrically it's smart, in fact there are some blooming clever lyrics throughout the album which was sadly lacking in 'Humbug' and musically in 'She's thunderstorms' there's good drums and guitars, not so bad at all. Turner's lyrics and humour was stuff of legend, one of the best lyricists of his generation, a real storyteller, like Sheffield's Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker before him. In 'Black treacle' he even allows his Yorkshire twang to reappear from time to time and anyone who can get the line 'I feel like the sundance kid behind a synthesiser' is bob on in our book! 'Brick by brick' starts a little too heavy but there's a neat chorus interspersed with some wayward guitars, not the best on the album but still not 'Humbug' standards so fingers crossed with three down and nine to go! 'The Hellcat spangled shalalala' is brilliant, light and airy with some blinding guitars, simple but so very effective and get that title and the line 'sing another fucking shalalala'! Whereas it's followed by a rather sinister 'Don't sit down 'cause I've moved your chair' with it's ripping hard as arse guitars buzzing around and a rather dark Turner, be afraid. 'Library pictures' moves into retro, shadow puppets territory mainly by the guitar sound and Turner's vox but shows the fine line between side projects and main jobs, it's been crossed here. The crack of drum sticks kicks off 'All my own stunts' which is pretty close to the line too, bit understated, not the best here but still worth a listen all the same. 'Topless models doing semaphore' is a corking line, this is what we want to see Turner writing, the whole of 'Reckless Serenade' is littered with one line gems, take 'Called up to listen to the voice of reason and got the answer machine' quality. The song itself is pretty low key but that just bigs up the lyrics, swearing too and a hint of accent too. Again 'Piledriver waltz' doesn't set the world alight musically but the Turner knack of story telling is back with vengeance. 'Love is a laserquest' despite it's brilliant title is a bit dull, not really going anyway but the guitars swirling around in the background are nice enough, nice? 'Suck it and see' is better, much better. It's a great tune, the lyrics up there too; there are even echoes in Turner's voice of a certain Mr Morrissey, another well known fantastic story teller of the finest English order. Finale comes in the shape of a stunner 'That's where you're wrong' is a great pop tune, there's a brilliant bassline flowing through it alone with great guitars and Turner's vocals are on true form, just a great song and a stormer to finish with too. Pick of the bunch… 'The Hellcat spangled shalalala' is a simple but classic tune, three minute pop heaven! It's eclipsed however by the finale 'That's where you're wrong' just can't recommend it highly enough.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment… Great album title, always good to whip up the Americans (certain stores covered up the album due to its risqué title!). Whilst it isn't up the standards of those first couple of albums the band have obviously moved on, grown up and there's enough here to suggest that 'Humbug' was a major one off. It's not the best album of this year and that in it's self is a shame but its good and at this point after the horror of 'Humbug' that all is what we were looking for. Good.
MAY 2011 Releases
Band…. Primal Scream
DVD… Screamadelica Live
Label … Eagle Rock
Release date… 30 May 2011
Who…Lets cut the crap, we all know who Primal Scream are! 'Screamadelica' is the classic, seminal album from 1991 which sound tracked along with The Stone Roses and The Happy Mondays an entire generation. The 'Scream have joined the band wagon of revisiting their old albums live, like it or not this is a great chance to see it in full for the full time whether you were there back in the day or from a new generation who hold it in great regard. What's it like… Well let's start arse way up, the extras first; they are made up of a 'rock and roll' set played prior to the 'Screamadelica' album. It is pretty damn fine in its own right to be fair, 8 tracks including 'Country girl', 'Swastika eyes' and 'rocks'. Most of the Primal Scream genres are covered including the retro tinged ballsy rock and the dance tinged guitar and electro mash up. The quality is absolutely excellent too, a myriad of camera angles and the strobe effects / lasers look awesome, bet the bluray version looks amazing. The band are in top form too, Gillespie still looks like a drug addled car wreck but that just makes him a better front man, his vocals are top notch throughout and the band never miss a beat. So onto 'Screamadelica' the first thing is that it actually isn't played in the correct album order, is this a bit picky? Which makes a wonderful start and end but a bit of a mid set slump, bit of a shame that really, that said what an ending.. More of which later! So true to the album they kick off with 'Movin'on up' and what a start, the full band plus gospel choir, doubt it has ever sounded much better live. There's plenty of shots of the amazing graphics that accompany the gig throughout and loads of crowd shots so if you were there try and see yourself down the front! In order 'Slip inside this house' follows on with its funky dance rhymes kicking off which leads us onto a brazen 'Don't fight it. Feel it' never has the title being more apt! The strobes puncture the air, the beats fly out and the packed Olympia is buzzing, rave anyone?! Now the jumping around starts and err stops, they skip to 'Damaged' which stops the crowds joyous dancing as it's a bit of a slow one that said it shows that Gillespie's vocals again really are on the money. 'I'm coming down' follows, one hell of a come down track too just listen to those lyrics, my god they have a brass section too! So just when the gig needs kicking on they do 'Shine like stars', the lighting looks brilliant but the track doesn't exactly bring the gig back to the boil… this is the mid set lull. 'Inner flight' sounds lovely, flute and all, laid back almost shoegaze in feel, the gospel choir in fact make it sound more stargazing! Lovely that it is it doesn't get the place bouncing but you know that big ending is coming; after all it's written on the back of the box isn't it. 'Higher than the sun' starts to get the rhymes moving before boom it's 'Loaded' time. From that opening 'just what is you want to do… we want to get loaded' sample Olympia is buzzing, they are going to have a good time and indeed have a party! The choir is on, the brass section, the beats, the hands in the air, throwing of old skool shapes, mani looks like he is in his element, Gillespie with his 'stones vocals, the guitars… my god does this song have the lot? God yeah! So the big, big ending starts with 'Loaded' and ends with a mighty 'Come together'. The sample, then the keys, then the drums, the bass and its still building and building. Gillespie and backing vocals join and it's still building and building. The beat drops, a request for a sea of arms before the choir kicks off the chorus, Olympia is indeed a sea of arms and dancing bodies. Gillespie goes through the traditional part of the tune before they go for that big love in ending! This is essential viewing for anyone who was there, any 'Scream fan big or occasional. It's a great gig and a storming album. Pick of the bunch… From the extras it would be too obvious to just plump for 'Rocks' so we'll go for the electro dance buzz of 'Swastika eyes' , no actually 'Rocks' does live up to its name it's bob on. And for the 'Screamadelica live' main event it's perm any of the first and last three tracks of the set, so for it's epic samples and the fact it has influenced more than any other Primal Scream track we'll plump for 'Loaded' what a tune, 20 years on and it still sounds as fresh as a daisy.
Marks out of ten… 8
Final Comment… The Scream at their rock and roll best, buzzing testament to a corking gig and album.
Band…. Primal Scream
DVD… Screamadelica & bonus live CD
Label … Eagle Rock
Release date… 30 May 2011
Who… Well this the companion to the Screamadelica Live DVD and gives the lowdown on who Primal Scream were and are and how they came from nowhere to create one of the seminal albums of the 1990's. What's it like… It's a load of talking to be honest and not a lot of music. There are a few clips from shows of the era like a really embarrassing Top of The Pops but a far better live nougat from infamous party show The Word. There's interviews with all the band and main players in the 'Scream story including Andrew Weatherall and label boss plus friend Alan McGee, oh and a comedy former manager. Fans will no doubt know most of the story but there's some great stories including how they lost the prize money from the Mercury Prize and how one of the band ended up with a gun to his head in an American bar at 4am! Basically the interviews really confirms that they were a rock band who kinda fell into 'Screamadelica' by accident and shows the influence of Weatherall, talking of whom he comes out of the DVD looking like a inspired chancer who created a masterpiece without knowing what he was actually doing! For fans of the album and / or band it will be of real interest but if you're not really a huge fan you'll probably watch once, enjoy and then put to one side. Oh and McGee as usual comes across as a bit of an arse, as usual he says these are the best band on Creation and the only band he signed he loved, sure I've heard him say this about Oasis too! As a sweetener to the deal they have also thrown in a CD version of the Olympia 'Screamadelica' which is a nice little bonus. However, it loses the impact of the show on DVD which has epic visuals and there's still questions marks over how much the changing of the track listing alters the dynamic. Still 'Loaded' sounds awesome and it does make the package better value.
Marks out of ten… 5
Final Comment… Essential viewing for true fans and muso's, those who have just a passing interest would be better suited to the live DVD instead.
Band…. Twin Atlantic
Album… Free
Label … Red Bull Records
Release date… 09 May 2011
Who… Four lads from Glasgow; the usual guitars, drums, bass and vocals (with the occasional piano or strings thrown in) with 13 tracks looking to make a big impact. What's it like… Lets rock! To label the album in a genre would be 'punk power pop rock'; opener 'Edit me' has the flaming guitars and flies by at a hundred miles an hour but retains that listenable pop edge. 'Time for you to stand up' adds an epic chorus into the mix. To be fair it's not the most original of sounds and there's of bands that are on very similar lines but when you get it right it's still worthwhile searching out and the likes of 'Apocalyptic renegade' are on the money. There's plenty of buzzing guitars and XX on vocal is going for that anthemic sound whenever he can, big tunes. You really get a taster of the Scottish accent on 'Yes, I was drunk' many likening to Biffy Clyro and we can see this now, the song is slower but definitely has a harder edge to it, less reaching for the stars and back down to earth. The guitars are back on 'Dreamember' and the vocals seem harder until that big chorus kicks in, they like them chorus' and 'Free' is no different, rock anthems is what Twin Atlantic thrive on and 'Free' is up there with best on this debut long player. Just as Twin Atlantic are getting typecast the acoustic guitar appears, along with some strings, hell it's been done before but 'Crash land' sounds alright, the growly Scottish accent of Tom McTrusty gets extra power and a new dimension in this different musical environment. The big power pop rock returns post haste as 'Make a beast of myself' comes along, it, as most of the album has some confidence, Twin Atlantic wanna sound big! There's more big drums and growls in 'The ghost of eddie' punctured by some chorus, it's pretty heavy stuff interspersed with some poppy melodies, double bubble or schizophrenic, you decide! They rein themselves in for one of those rock lads does mellow numbers on 'Serious underground dance vibes' which doesn't live up the name! They do allow some guitars which build up and create a neat soundscape but no dance vibes in sight. Things get back more on an even keel for the pop rock formula covered to a tee on 'Eight Days'. Unfortunately they flip back to melodrama for 'Wonder sleeps here', bit obvious without enough bite, too mainstream rock. Back on the otherside of the coin Twin Atlantic decide to go large for a 'We want better, man' finale, whilst not the best track on the album it goes for that fast, fast, slow, slow, fast format and has some sneering vocals to boot. Pick of the bunch… Gotta be 'Free'.
Marks out of ten… 6
Final Comment… While it's not the most original sound this side of last century and probably containing a couple too many tracks Twin Atlantic still manage to nail down a reasonable collection of tunes that will make them plenty of friends.
APRIL 2011 Releases
Band…. The Airborne Toxic Event
Album… All at once
Label … Mercury records
Release date… 25 April 2011
Who… Second album from American Airborne Toxic Event who despite the name aren't a death metal band! Far from it in fact as 'All at once' proves. What's it like… Track 8 'Half of something else', it starts all subtle with Jollet's vocals starting all atmospheric then builds, drums setting the pace before exploding with guitars before again receding back, Anna Bulbrook providing backing to Jollet and then boom it goes off again into one of those hands in the air moments, the intensity in the vocal amazing but before it ends it goes back down for a simple yet effective finale. It proves that The Airborne Toxic Event have some amazing songs on here, a vast array of tunes in fact as the twin 'The Kids are ready to die' and 'Wedding Day' which have courted some controversy back in their homeland for being 'anti American'. The first of the two is a real stripped down, backs to the wall angry anthem to the modern day imperial war mongering; it shows Mikel Jollett's voice at it's most powerful and moving. As it fades away it starts a big drum beat rolling into one hell of a post punk monster rock tune, Green dayesque. Although 'Wedding day' may at first listen just sound like a big fek off rock ride, it has a more in depth subject matter, the war on terror and how it will fail to win the 'hearts and minds' of those involved. There does seem to be a bit of a fight between atmospheric and intensive indie and the big ballsy rock numbers, single 'Numb' fits nicely in the former category but with a belting chorus, like Temper Trap on steroids! Whereas something like 'Changing' with its fiddle and guitars is in yer face rock and it's most entertaining. 'All I ever wanted' is in a similar vain too, plenty of fiddle and guitars vying for pole position at quite a decent pace dragging Jollet's vocals along too! Finale 'The Graveyard near the house' starts with a bit of a folky guitar, Jollet sounding unashambly American too although the tune sounds like somebody like our own Stephen Fretwell, nice stripped back way to meander to an end. Pick of the bunch… 'Numb' is pretty good, whereas 'The kids are ready to die' is great for different reasons but we'll plump for 'Half of something else'.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment… Shockingly good album from the other side of the Atlantic who are intelligent to write some moving lyrics but aren't afraid to have a good time neither.
Band…. Steve Craddock
Album… Peace City West
Label … Kundalini Music / Absolute / Emi
Release date… 04 April 2011
Who… Steve Craddock is best known for his day job as guitarist in the Britpop stalwarts Ocean Colour Scene but is also known for being mates with Liam Gallagher and Paul Weller. He is also known for actually been part of Weller's backing back for best part of twenty years. He is well respected in the game for his effortless retro style, 'Peace City West' is actually his second solo outing following the 2008 'The Kundalini Target' which gains plaudits from the likes of Paul and Liam! It's actually not a bad listen so fingers crossed for more of the same. What's it like… That's a fair assumption to make, more of the same, as Steve's style is very much the style of Ocean Colour Scene and his mate Paul Weller who again pops up for some cameo work as he did on Steve's solo debut. His style is definitely retro and I doubt there would be much argument on that score, obvious reference points towards The Kinks, Small Faces, The beatles et al but that actually isn't a band thing as these are some of the best bands that this country has produced. Steve is also a very intelligent writer and getting his wife to do backing vocals is a masterstroke as she has a really, really good voice which brings me to Steve's vocal talent, it's good. Many a guitarist who have picked up a mic oft fall on their arse ('Roses John Squire the most notable in question) but Steve doesn't have to worry on that score. Yes it's self indulgent in places but most solo albums tend to fall into that track, the almost prog 'Kites rise up against the wind' is the worst offended with it's bloody flutes, not good! Still it is followed by the beautifully English sounding 'My Scooter sits idle' with it's wonderfully Beatlessque feel, great listen. Steve's wife appears on backing vocals and she stars on 'Steppin aside' which sounds different again, good groove behind it. 'Little girl' is excellent, the rift sounds really familiar (brass in pocket?) but breezy vocal makes it a lovely tune. The track that really kicks off the shoes though is 'I Am' with it's brutish guitars and bizarre guest vocals from none other than Jay from The Inbetweeners, that'll blow any cobwebs away! Pick of the bunch… 'Steppin aside' is pretty groovy and Steve vs Sally vocal works well, great chorus too but check out the guitars on 'I am' awesome and powerful stuff.
Marks out of ten… 6
Final Comment… Probably a couple of tracks too long but there's some really nice stuff on here, obviously Weller makes an appearance but the backing vocal of Sally Craddock is probably more impressive. 'Peace City West' ain't gonna blow your socks off but it's a good solid listen and any fan of Weller, OCS, mod and Oasis probably won't regret parting with some hard earned on it.
Band…. The Undertones
Album… True Confessions (Singles=A's+B's)
Label … Union Square Music
Release date… 04 April 2011
Who… What really you don't know? Ireland's premier new wave pop band of the late 70's and early 80's and they only did one of the pop songs of all time, 'Teenage kicks' is absolute genius. What's it like… First single is 'Teenage kicks' at 2 minutes 26 seconds it is the most fantastic way to start any album, their first single and undoubtedly their best too. It has energy, buzzing guitars and effortless mixes pop and rock in equal measures, it was John Peel's favourite ever song and he's a fair judge on music, nuff said! Nuff said, no not really cause just listen to the lyrics, they are awesome, many a teen angst or fumble must have been performed with Fergal Sharkey's voice as a backdrop! A couple of the b sides to the debut masterpiece as worth seeking out, 'True Confessions' which lends its name to this compilation is a punk pop powerhouse of a tune. Other gems on disc 1 which concentrates on their early career are 'Jimmy jimmy' (which must use the title in the song about a million times in less than three minutes!) is nice and poppy but it's B side 'Mars Bar' has the most cringe worthy lyrics of all time and in the very good booklet that comes with the cd's it's claimed this could be a single, err no not really! Anyway back to the gems, 'Here comes the summer' is even more poptastic and as they title suggests would be the perfect tune for that trip down the beach, brilliant spikey guitars too. That's the beauty of disc 1 at least, plenty of buzzing guitars and the search for the perfect three minute punk pop tune. Next single 'You've got my number' actually sounds a little bit more 'grown up' but lacks a little whereas 'My Perfect Cousin' hits the nail right on the head. The lyrics are awesome, real humour (mothers little golden boy indeed) and the guitars / drums combo gives it a real pop punch. Its b side 'Hard luck' with limited singing and harder edged guitars give an indication of a musical shift. And onto disc 2 and off and running with 'Wednesday week' which was a top 20 hit back in 1980 but Sharkey's voice sounds a bit off to us and the music seems to have a lost a bit of it's early spark. The B side 'I told you so' has a bit of energy but it turns out it's from 1976! The changes are fairly obvious as there brass featured on 'It's gonna happen' and next single 'Julie Ocean' from 1981 has lost all it's venom and is quite err mellow. As this is how disc 2 goes as the band move away from their early trademark sound looking to branch out, with unfortunately limited success. The b side to 'Beautiful friend' called 'Life's too easy' sounds a bit calypso, weird! By late into disc 2 and into 1983 the songs aren't up to an awful lot, a band in the process of calling it a day and knowing it too. Shame really but that's life sometimes, disc 1 then is the must listen and disc 2 one for once in a while only. Pick of the bunch… err 'Teenage Kicks' pure pop genius, alright!
Marks out of ten… 5
Final Comment… Like we've said compilations that include B sides are always gonna be a bit dodgy and the second part of their career, disc 2 in other words shows a band not sure who they are or where they wanna go. That said disc 1 has a few absolute crackers but you're probably best off getting their best of album instead.
MARCH 2011 Releases
Band…. The Charlatans
Album… Us and Us only (deluxe edition)
Label … Island Records
Release date… 28 March
Who… If you ask this question then you know absolutely fuck all about music in this country over the last two decades! First they were one of the bands that got caught up with the whole Manchester scene even thought technically they weren't from the city at all, they fell out of fashion somewhat as the whole scene imploded but even in the dark days they managed to put out two great and very underrated albums in 'Between 10th and 11th' and 'Up to our hips' then Britpop happened and boom they were riding a crest of a wave again. Their self titled four albums had the hits, 'Crashin' in', 'Just when you're thinkin' things over' and 'Just lookin'. They were back and big time, they were all over TV and even the main support for Oasis mega Knebworth monster gigs. Their fifth album carried on the hits with real big hitters like 'North Country boy'. But it had come with a real price, they had been broke plus a stretch in prison and then the band paid the ultimate price when Rob Collins, the man many said defined The Charlatans sound with his mazy Hammond keyboards died in a car crash. It could have been enough for many a band to call it a day but not Burgess and co. It actually made them stronger as a unit; they brought in Tony Rodgers and signed to a major label. 'Us and Us only' was the 1999 resulting album. What's it like… Taking the original album first it's first of the eleven tracks kicks off in formidable fashion, Tony Rodgers fills Rob Collins shoes admirable as the intro to 'Forever' is as mean as The Charlatans get, the keys throb throughout and Burgess is in fine fettle as he sneers over those keys, one of the Charlatans finest works to date, brilliant stuff. That Hammond sound as ever flows through the whole album and it is the backbone of their sound, pop is the other constant, they can do a bloody good pop tune and make no doubt of that fact. 'Impossible' takes the Hammond adds some harmonica and a great dollop of pop for another cracker. Another huge tune, 'A house is not a home' has Burgess really knocking it out with the keys battling Mark Collins' guitars for supremacy, stella stuff. They have their influences of course, Burgess can sound a bit Mick Jagger at times, bit of Dylan and the keyboards do draw some comparisons with The Doors too. But by the sixth album they sound, well very much The Charlatans! There is a beauty around 'My Beautiful friend' which lyrically sounds like a very public lament to the late Collins, a lovely tune too. 'I don't care where you live' has a country edge to it, something Burgess would touch upon in later work but the keys made it definitely Charlatans. 'The Blind stagger' is another corker, real pop edge but with some killer guitars again trying to joust Rodgers' keys out of the way, they definitely win this battle! Oh yeah forgot to mention, they ain't afraid to mix it up neither, take the couple of 'Good witch / bad witch' the first of which is a 30 second instrumental the second is equally as weird and gets some mixed up Burgess vocals thrown in too. Fortunately they end in familiar pop territory with 'Watching you' showcasing Burgess' talent as Rodgers / Brookes / Blunt / Collins provide a meaty musical accompaniment behind him. So that's the 1999 album then and what an album too, even down to the excellent cover art which is a montage of individual pics of the band, 'Us and Us only' indeed. So onwards to the bonus features then, it's the usual mix of remixes, b sides and live tracks. To be fair The Charlatans have always been at the forefront of indie meats dance so no surprises there and as a live band they have always been bang on so check out 'Reading festival' live recordings. Is it worth buying the album again for? Maybe, maybe not but the album really passes the test of time so it's definitely worth getting wholly on its own merits. Pick of the bunch… Gotta be 'Forever' just for the power of those keyboards, the intro is blinding and it is just a powerhouse of a tune. 'My Beautiful friend' is a lyrically the pick and a neat tune too.
Marks out of ten… 8
Final Comment… As with all 'Deluxe' or 'Extended' reissues the bonus features are just a bonus, 'Us and Us only' is a cracking album and deserves another day out in the sun.
Band…. Elbow
Album…build a rocket boys!
Label … Fiction / Polydor
Release date… 07 March 2011
Who… Award winning Elbow that's who! From being the most underrated bands from t'other side of the Pennines to well and truly flavour of the month. That said it's up the ante and the pressure of being a 'stadium band' can really mess up a bands dynamic so now the nation expects… What's it like… Fortunately it's just like the Elbow we know and love and weighing in at over fifty minutes they are hardly cutting corners for the mass market neither. So when they start the album with a track at eight minutes long you get the feeling it's a statement that success won't be changing them, 'The Birds' is typical Elbow. To be fair as is 'Lippy kids' is too, it really showcases Guy's unique talent, as we've always said that his gorgeous voice hardly fits his frame! The song is slow burning, mellow even which fits the vocal nicely and for a tune that lasts six minutes that doesn't really go anywhere but flies by, that's the beauty of Elbow! The halle youth choir compliment Garvey a treat on 'With Love' but again another really mellow track which only hots up a bit on 'Neat little rows' (single, obvious why!) as the vocal gets a bit of a tweak and guitars are allowed to pump up a tad. Taking it down a peg or two, 'Jesus is a Rochdale girl' (which is the winner of the 2011 best song title award by the way) is really, really understated which again just suites Garvey's voice to a tee, really lovely stuff. If there's ever a song that will sum up Elbow it's probably gonna be 'The night will always win', understated and mellow with Garvey's fantastic vocals, see them hairs on the back of you neck stand up! Then they come out and pitch it up, 'High Ideals' contains the likes of a trumpet, violin and voila plus the unusual flugelhorn, why not! Partly sounding like it should be on the soundtrack to 'Get Carter' and partly Elbow of old, pretty good combination! 'The River' is musically stripped back, mainly just a piano and the Halle youth choir to keep Guy company and just drifts by in little under three minutes. So thus far it's not an album packed with 'big, epic' tunes but that does change a bit as 'Open arms' gets a decent Halle accompaniment and Guy goes for it and even gets a decent ending too! After a rather brief 'birds' reprise Elbow go for the finale, 'Dear friends' just about fits the bill. Not quite the really huge ending but a good band tune all the same. Pick of the bunch… 'The night will always win' is just classic Elbow of old.
Marks out of ten… 8
Final Comment… It might not contain the fireworks that some had expected 'Build a rocket boys!' shows Elbow for what they are, always have been and hopefully always will be… purveyors of the finest, sweetest, lovely and downright miserable music you could ever want to listen to. As captivating as ever and Garvey's voice is just plainly unique
FEBRUARY 2011 Releases
Band…. Beady Eye
Album… Different Gear, Still speeding
Label … Beady Eye Records
Release date… 28 February 2011
Who… Well it's like Oasis but without the bloke who wrote the tunes, well most of them anyway, well in the early days, well most of the hits. Anyway yep it's Liam's much hyped return to the scene with in tow the final version of Oasis except without the other Gallagher brother, Noel. What's it like… It's far too easy just to blurt out 'it's just like Oasis' and only really half true. Now lets start by confirming Liam still sounds like Liam so obviously it's gonna sound a bit like Oasis as it's voice leading the way plus he still carries around his influences in a big bag marked listen to me, this is what music I love, much in fact like a lot of Oasis' work too. So anyway 'Four letter word' kicks things off and it's a belter, Liam really can crack off a big rock and roll number when he's in the mood and by golly he's in the mood right now! The guitars rev around, the tempo is bombing, it's just a blinding tune - wow if the rest of the album is like this then Liam is onto a right winner! Unfortunately bad news time it's not all like this so we'll kick off with the good points… 'Bring the light' is perhaps the highlight of the album, brilliant keys kick off for Liam's cracking vocal to follow, again a right hum dinger of a tune with more guitars and some neat backing vocals, bit of a retro feel but mega tempo blasts into the 'corr perhaps Beady Eye can be a brilliant band territory'. The bad news is at 13 tracks it's probably could do with dropping a couple which would make it a more coherent album plus there's a few too many mid tempo tracks that don't really hit the perks necessary. As mentioned earlier the influences are at times a bit too blatant, there is an a lot of Who on here(plus Liam does go into Lennon territory from time to time) and just listen to 'wind up dream' blooming 'eck! Still for every minus point there seems to be a plus, 'Kill for a dream' is a beauty of a song, laid back with some great guitars and Liam's voice, magic! Pick of the bunch… Well there's 'Four Letter word' and 'Bring the light'… there's only one way to find out which is best, fight!
Marks out of ten… 6
Final Comment… Not the fantastic album we secretly hoped for but probably the album we were expecting, some killer tunes, some average tunes, some blatant tunes but overall a shed load of Liam tunes, still speeding indeed.
Band…. Ringo Deathstarr
Album… Colour Trip
Label … Club AC30
Release date… 14 February
Who… A three piece hailing from Texas, USA but sounding like they grew up in the Thames Valley! What's it like… It's actually reasonably easy to sum up in about three words… My Bloody Valentine! They blast off the album in fine style with the trademark shoegaze / dreampop drone guitar sound, more lighter guitars are thrown into the mix with the vocals on 'Imagine Hearts' almost hiding amongst the guitars, but weren't that always the shoegaze way. It was once levelled at Slowdive they were like a musical lasagne, layers and layers of sound, fair description that. The guitars are let loose again for 'Do is everytime' where the female vocals are combined nicely with some monotone male vox but it's the guitars that steal the show, fantastic. 'So High' is brighter and lighter, perky guitars fly along at a fair pace, dare it be said? Indie pop! The MBV comparisons come back with a vengeance on 'Two girls' , ethereal vocals and is that a break for some light guitars before it's effects pedals down and guitars off the hook. 'Kaleidoscope' is a mix up of their dreampop roots and indie pop, it's nice but not of the intensity of 'Two Girls' or 'Do it everytime'. Whereas 'Day Dreamy' lives up to its name, it's to be honest a bit trippy! Just check out the song titles, now that's proper shoegaze stuff but there is one striking feature none of the tracks really hang around and the album if done and dusted in about half an hour, usually bands of this ilk are a tad more self indulgent! Now 'Tambourine Girl' has the most wonderful droning guitars, what an intro and then it blasts off leaving the guitars in its wake, then the drone returns, oh wait its bright and breezy… wow it's like two songs chopped and shaped into one! 'Chloe' is definitely one song and another that aims at the stars courtesy of a big dab of MBV, subtle to be fair Ringo Deathstarr are not, good at it they are. 'Never drive' starts off like gun shots (good enough to wake a sleeping cat, that's the truth) before the guitars, vox and drums fight for supremacy which none really wins, well perhaps the guitars on points then. 'You don't listen' has a tune under the layers of guitars, an indie pop tune hiding, lurking even in with those guitars, still those guitars are damn good as ever so it'd be a shame not to give them a blast, for the final time really. That's cause the last Track, 'Other things' for some reason is a bit stagnant by comparison to virtually the rest of the album, not entirely sure why they would want to go out on something of a damn squib but there you have it. Not the most original of albums but when those guitars are played with such verve and vigour then why the hell not. Pick of the bunch… 'Do it everytime' those guitars, winners big time.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment… MBV with a twist, shoegaze alive and well in Texas.
Band…. The Boxer Rebellion
Album… The Cold Still
Label … n/a
Release date… 7 February
Who… This is the Boxers third long player so they've been around for a bit now but have had quite an eventful journey. Firstly they are quite the international band including an American singer, Aussie guitarist and a couple of Englishmen on bass and drums bringing up the four piece. They've also had near death experiences and plenty of record label nightmares along the way too, musically file under alternative rock with leanings to dark, moody and epic too. What's it like… It starts in quite a subtle way, 'No harm' features a heavy drum sound with delicate vocals and it signals that it isn't going to be a radical overhaul of the sound of it predecessors 'Exits' and 'Union'. To be honest both of these albums have hinted, along with their live shows that they can achieve greatness despite the adversity that they have come across in their career. Unfortunately 'No harm' isn't the hammer blow start that we expected, that is left to 'Step out of the car' which is an absolute blinder! It packs the punches; a killer guitar riff, a frenetic pace and some outstanding backing vocals which complement Nathan's vocals perfectly. It is quite simply one of the best tunes that The Boxer Rebellion have ever done. The pace drops again for 'Locked in the basement' which is quite haunting especially those backing vocals in combination again to great affect with Nathan's brittle tones. 'Cause for Alarm' uses Piers drums as the basis of the tune, again with haunting vocals and guitars, subtle is the key again but still manages quite a sweeping sound at times. Perhaps surprisingly the melancholic feel of the album continues through 'Caught by the light', those expecting a collection of 'big' tunes may be disappointed but this album is a real grower and tunes like this give more in the long run than perhaps some immediate 'disposable' pop tunes. 'Organ song' none too surprisingly features an organ but it's Piers drums that control the song with Nathan and co being built onto top of those beats, the pace is allowed to rise and creates a bit of a stomper which we are sure will be a hit in the live arena. Guitars battle with Nathan's more forthright vocals on 'Memo' which features a great melody and a great moody riff behind it. 'Both sides are even' is another great song; starts quite subdued but has some sweeping guitars, some keyboards enter the fray before Nathan's vocals build and build, doesn't let itself go fully but great stuff. The pace is picked up and they build on the success of 'both sides are even' with a hard hitting 'The Runner', heads down guitars sit on top of banging drums and Nathan lets the lyrics fly out, excellent. They can't however resist finishing on a downer! 'Doubt' punches the balloon and Nathan's big vocal sits neatly along side understated guitars, shame they didn't go for the 'big' ending really, it does build up somewhat but not really in an overblown 'epic' way. So that's 'The Cold Still' not a disappointing 'third' album but not the 'great' album that they so obviously have in them neither, still that's three good albums under their belts, greatness still beckons for them, someday. Pick of the bunch… 'Step out of the car' is one of the best things they have ever done, you can see why it got the attention of Letterman in the states on which they got to play it live which to be fair is still quite a coup.
Marks out of ten… 7.5
Final Comment… Some great songs but not yet that 'great' album, here's to album number four.
JANUARY 2011 Releases
Band…. Chapel Club
Album… Palace
Label … Interscope
Release date… 31 January
Who… Chapel Club are five lads who look they couldn't fight there way out of a paper bag but there's a shed load of buzz around their debut long player 'Palace'. One wag had likened them to 'Shoegaze with balls', that we liked the sound of! What's it like… Well best of skipping past the intro, track 1 as nothing happens! It all kicks off on 'Surfacing' and 'Five Trees' as the shoegazing with balls comes up smiling of shoe leather. 'Surfacing' follows the intro with a throbbing bass line before some splendid lyrics, by all accounts the 'dream a little dream' took some clearance but worth the wait to be sure. The guitars in 'Five trees' are amazing, My Bloody Valentine would have been well proud, firstly that droning then flashing into life, a big dreampop tune if we've ever heard one plus that trademark MBV end to a tune too, nice! 'After Flood' continues where 'Five Trees' left off but listen to the drums on this, gives it some punch, this ain't no weak indie fly by night, this has a real big sound with some mesmerising guitars. There is depth though; take 'White Knight position' has a bit of a goth feel, powerful guitars and deeper vocals. The My Bloody Valentine tag may be justified at times but there are echoes of Joy Division, New Order and Cure present at times too. 'The Shore' again goes darker using bass lines to fine effect then flashes of heads down guitars are interspersed amongst the gloom laden sonic landscape it projects, lovely! 'Blind' sounds much lighter and positive by comparison, bit more poppy (dare we say it!) with a definite chorus with a bit of a new order vibe too. 'Fine light' starts off all dark and slow moving but then springs to dramatic life with quite a beat behind it and then morphs into a guitar frenzied attack, we've always been a sucker for three songs in one! 'O maybe I' has a blinding Joy Division bass line, ooh just listen to that bass but the lyrics that really grab the attention, 'fuck around with somebody else's wife' indeed. 'All the eastern girls' starts again with that booming bass line but soon tunes into a blinding indie pop tune, deeply likable in fact. The party has to come to end sometime unfortunately and in this case 'Paper thin' brings down the curtain. It goes for a slow start, atmospheric again going for the painting of the sonic scene rather than an outright sonic assault. It maybe should have gone for that big ending but perhaps that would have been too obvious. Pick of the bunch… Not much to diss here though the double act of 'Surfacing' and 'Five trees' take some beating.
Marks out of ten… 9
Final comment…. What a debut this is, Chapel Club can't half create a sonic picture.
Band…. Little Comets
Album… in search of elusive Little Comets
Label … Dirty Hit
Release date… 31 January
Who…Well by the power of google we've found out that they are from the North East (Jarrow, Newcastle and Washington which is all pretty North East for us!), they were signed by Colombia but not anymore, they have got degrees (not daft lads then) and play afrobeat kitchen sink indie whatever that is.. What's it like… Also by the power of google it appears that afrobeat indie is a bit like Vampire Weekend but we'd like to throw The Maccabees into the musical melting pot too for good measure. It is true they like their indie on the jangly side and don't half like a good 'up' tune. They start their fantastically titled debut album with a couple of crackers too, former single 'Adultery' is natty enough but surpassed with ease with a fabulously catchy 'One night in October' which could get easily the most miserable sod up onto the dancefloor, indie disco time! Current single 'Joanna' kicks off appearing to be on the gloomy side but by the time the chorus kicks in it still retains that pop sensibility just perhaps a tad more serious. It gets altogether more serious and downbeat on 'Her black eyes' which to be honest doesn't really work nor suites Robert Coles vocal style, bit too many 'oh oh oh' for our liking. 'Isles' perks things up, 'panic in the street' and 'the kids are running wild' gives a flavour of what Coles is saying here but with another splendid chorus. It's all nice but can sound a bit samey, 'Darling alistair' doesn't really have anything that hasn't been done slightly better elsewhere on the album, not that it's bad or anything. 'Tricolour' has those 'afrobeat' rhythms going down and Tarzan like backing vox which is a bit annoying and detracts from the rest of the song, keep off the vines lads! Now then 'Lost time' is a bit of a gem, cracking drum beat cranks up the pace and nice indie guitars in their too, really back on track. Now we can really hear those 'afrobeats' (oh that's the backing vocals!) on 'Dancing song' which lives up to the title, a bloody top 'up' tune which creates quite a stir in a matter of two and a bit minutes, nice. 'Mathilda' is a bit too obvious, not quite enough umph, again not a bad song just better on here. They go for the delicate ending with piano and everything, 'Intelligent animals' they may be but those earlier pop tunes work better and is what this album is best remembered for. Pick of the bunch… Go for the obvious indie disco floorfillers like 'Lost time' (aptly titled) 'Dancing song' and 'One night in October'.
Marks out of ten… 7
Final Comment… indie pop is still alive and kicking up Newcastle way then.