Monthly Archives: June 2011

The return of Morrissey (well, a slight return…)

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Morrissey is reportedly ready to issue his tenth solo album, just as soon as he can find a record company to do it (he has said his talents do not lie in DiY). He does seem to have got through a LOT of Record companies in his now almost thirty year long career (Rough Trade, HMV, RCA, Island, Sanctuary…). I’m sure someone will!

On Tuesday night he did a session for Janice Long on Radio 2, and these three tracks that he did can be streamed below ‘Action Is My Middle Name,’ ‘ The Kid’s A Looker’ and ‘People Are The Same Everywhere.’

See what you think…

Morrissey – Action Is My Middle Name (BBC Session) by TheNJUnderground

Morrissey – The Kid’s a Looker (BBC Session) by TheNJUnderground

Morrissey – People Are The Same Everywhere (BBC Session) by TheNJUnderground

Album Review – Battles

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Battles -‘Gloss Drop’ (Warp)

It’s funny, the word ‘Prog’ normally rings alarm bells for me. So, how come when it’s banded about concerning Battles I take no offence but am actually inclined to agree. Especially when a band with such a cool pedigree has released an album that also has quite a ‘pop’ sensibility.

I first heard Battles five years ago with the release of their EP B/C EP compilation. The following year I walked into the record shop where I had previously worked to be played two 12″ singles, both of which ended up providing a substantial part of the soundtrack to my year. One was ‘Waters of Nazareth’ by Justice; the otehr was ‘Atlas’ by Battles. Both attendant albums were great, but Battles’ debut Mirrored had the edge. Since then, this sophomore album has had a difficult birthing process. Fourth member Tyondao Braxton left the band – yet this seems to have galvanised them into action.

For starters, they got guest vocalists in. First single ‘Ice Cream’ features vocals from one Matias Aguayo. Rather like with ‘Atlas,’ the feeling is that of ‘I have no idea what this is -but I know that I like it.Another contributor is Gary Numan, who contributes to ‘My Machines,’ which sounds like a perfect Numan song title. Who knows, maybe this album will provide more interest in his work?

It is an astonishingly easy album to love, this. Whether instrumental of featuring guest vocalists, this album is exciting from start to finish. Proof that experimental does not have to mean unlistenable, that music with a progressive bent can be pop, and once again, why the Warp label is synonymous with cutting edge music, even in its third decade.

****

Gloss Drop is out now on Warp.

Battles – Ice Cream (Feat. Matias Aguayo) by weallwantsome1

Stream Gloss Drop via NME.com

Album Review- Lorelei

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Lorelei ‘Faces’ (Fat Hippy Records)

What comes over most of all on this album is a sense of fun. There’s a mixture of uptempo scots folk with a punk attitude, inducing an urge to dance. There are a number of excellent tunes -‘Love Is Blind’ ‘Liar’ and ‘Singer Sings.’

Unfortunately, what lets the album down is the muddy sound quality which seriously detracts from giving as much pleasure and enjoyment as it should. This often happens with live recordings but it really shouldn’t happen with studio recordings.

This is a real pity because it detracts from what is otherwise a heap of fun. The strength of the band and the power of their songs and playing are indisputable and I would love to see them live. This is their first album in a long time, and I hope that this review does indicate I think they are a strong act.

***

Album Review – Mechanical Bride

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Mechanical Bride ‘Living With Ants’ (Transgressive)

Living With Ants is the debut album from self-taught musician Lauren Doss. While the cynics might ask if the world needs another singer-songwriter (and Lord knows I have been one of those cynics), put any suspicion or wariness you might have aside, and listen to this.

One of the many redeeming things about this album is that it is not drowning in (self-centred) angest. It’s a beautiful album – if you’ve heard the free single ‘Colour of Fire’ (included here) you should have an idea of what to expect. It’s a fiarlystripped down set of pervormances, led by Lauren’s voice and (I assume) her piano, with occasional guitar and strings.Her voice is reminsicent of Joanna Newsom, with hints of Kate Bush. ‘Demons’ is perhaps the strongest track here, featuring a hint of 1920s jazz. Other standout tracks include ‘Walk Into The Forest’ and’Peach Wolves.’

There is a lot of beauty on this record and some excellent ideas. There is much to be excited about here, and while I would like to see ms. Doss vary her palate a little more, she is streets ahead of much of the competition. It won’t appeal to everyone -but those who understand it will surely take it to their hearts.

***1/2

Living With Ants is out now on Transgressive

Mechanical Bride – Colour Of Fire by Stayloose

Album Review – Dave Stewart

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Dave Stewart -‘Blackbird Diaries.’ (Proper Records)

Not since the most recent Toploader album arrived on my desk…oh, two months ago, have I felt such trepidation about reviewing an album…

I should clarify: as a child I loved the Eurythmics, the band that Stewart was one half of throughut the Eighties with his ex-girlfriend, Annie Lennox. Even now, there are still Eurythmics songs that I will defend to the hilt ‘Sweet Dreams,’ ‘Beethoven’ and ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’ to name but three. Savage was one of the first albums I ever bought.However, the bits of Stewart’s solo career I had heard previously were not impressive. And this album feels like a pointless exercise.

It’s not an awful album, but it is painfully dull. In over thirty years in the business, Stewart has demonstrated that he can write tunes. So why has he produced this boring album? The album features contributions from Stevie Nicks and The Secret Sisters (the latter who released an album a few months back that I think is really good), yet the vocals here are used almost in parody. Stewart’s voice does not help matters -it’s reminiscent of Bob Dylan using autotune, and does not add to my enjoyment of the album.

The one redeeming feature of this album is the duet with Martina McBride ‘All Messed Up.’ Other than that, it is hard to see (m)any redeeming features on this record.

*1/2

Blackbird Diaries is released on Proper Records on June 27.

Dave Stewart – Magic In The Blues by trendingrecords

Album Review – Bella Hardy

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Bella Hardy ‘Songs Lost and Stolen.’ (Navigator Records)

On her previous records, Bella Hardy has made a name for herself both as an interpreter of folk songs, and a songwriter herself. This latest album is her first to feature all her own material.

Hardy has a strong voice and the album features a number of excellent songs. My favourite herein is ‘The Herring Girl’ about an English girl who comes north to work in the fish factories of Scotland.I also really enjoyed ‘Bridge of Dean’ and ‘Written In Green.’ Of particular interest to folk afficionados will be the impressive pedigree of the album. It was produced by Mattie Foulds, a member of the Burns Unit, the Scots/Canadian folk collective that also includes King Creosote and Karine Polwart. Guitar comes from Anna Massie who has previously played with both Eddi Reader (who has done a lot to bring the work of Robert Burns to a wider audience over the last ten years) and Kate Rusby. Hardy is now also sharing a label with current folk stars; the likes of Bellowhead and Kris Drever.

Bella Hardy is an undoubtedly talented singer-songwriter. On this evidence, I believe that she could become viewed as an equal to the likes of Eliza Carthy, Kate Rusby and Karine Polwart. Whether the record will appeal and make its’ presence felt outside the folk community remains to be seen…

***1/2

Songs Lost and Stolen is out now on Navigator Records

Bella Hardy – Songs Lost & Stolen by Proper Music Distribution

More music from my Inbox

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There’s a lot of exciting stuff coming into my inbox at the moment and as ever, I’m not getting to listen to at least half of it, and quite probably more…I’m pretty shattered and trying to give fair amounts of attention to everything…it’s not happening, the heart is willing, the flesh and brain are weak.

First up, Inc.

inc

4AD’s latest signings, Inc, may not look like the typical signings to the label. The fact that Andrew and Daniel Aged have played and toured with the likes of 50 Cent, Elton John, and Cee-Lo Green, may seem a long way away from the 23 Envelope sleeves and the arty take on gothic which the label made its’ name with. Then think about Ariel Pink’s Haunted Grafffiti and Twin Shadow, and it all starts to make sense…

Inc -‘Swear.’ mp3

Whilst on the 4AD/Matador/Beggars Banquet side of things, Kurt Vile’s Smoke Ring For My Halo is one of the best albums of the year so far, along with the likes of PJ Harvey, Gang Gang Dance and Rayographs. He has just made this version of ‘On Tour’ available as a free download, taken from a session recorded for the Rhapsody website. It’s rather fine, to these ears…

Kurt Vile and the Violators -‘On Tour (live).’ mp3

Kurt Vile is also returning to the UK on tour very soon:

September
4th – End of the Road Festival, Dorset
5th – Sound Control, Manchester (w/ Woods)
6th – Stereo, Glasgow (w/ Woods)
7th – The Fleece, Bristol (w/ Woods)
8th – Scala, London (w/ Woods)

Scottish band The Pineapple Chunks will release their debut album in August and it’s going to be called A Dog Walked In. They’ve made this available as a free download:

The Rapture are gearing up to release their long-awaited third album. It’s scheduled for September and entitled In the Grace Of your Love. This track is the first to surface:

DFA White Out Sessions – How Deep Is Your Love? by The Rapture from DFA Records on Vimeo.

Finally, loving this single from Milk Maid released on June 13:

Off to try and sleep…

The return of Beirut

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A mere four years after The Flying Cup, Beirut will return with their new album at the end of August.

The new album by Zach Condon and his merry men is entitled The Rip Tide, the tracklisting is as follows:

A Candle’s Fire
Santa Fe
East Harlem
Goshen
Payne’s Bay
The Rip Tide
Vagabond
The Peacock
Port of Call

‘East Harlem’/’Goshen’ has been released as limited 7″ out now, and the album is released on August 29.

The cover artwork for the 7″ features these gorgeous dogs, Beagles, I think. Meanwhile, you can stream ‘East Harlem’ and download it for free below. Rather lovely -I’ve just played it six times on the trot. The PR company have promised me a copy of the album very soon…

Beirut – East Harlem by Revolver USA

Schnapps

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Schnapps -‘Nasty Buffet.’ (El Rancho)

Exactly what a nasty buffet is, I’m not quite sure.A possible -and rather unnerving clue- is offered by the donut on the front of the album cover. When you peer closer, you realise that it is not actually jam, but a human nipple. Riiiiighhhhtttttt

Schnapps emerged last year with the really rather good single ‘Cross dresser.’ An excellent debut single, it made quite a few people’s ears prick up, including this reviewer. Now their debut is here with us. In a style indebted to Richard Hell, and with a speed appropriate to the Ramones, they race through nine tracks in twenty-five minutes.

Several listens later, I still feel that ‘Cross Dresser’ is the standout track. However, there’s a lot of fun to be had within. It’s a spirited debut that suggests there’s some enetertaining live shows to be had. It is definitely worth checking out.

Finally, thinking of the album title, one of the two promo copies I got sent had the press release stuck together with what appeared to be a red liquorice bootlace. Whether this was chance or design I have no idea…

***1/2

Nasty Buffet is out now on El Rancho

SCHNAPPS – CROSSDRESSER by leithrecords

No Contact – Schnapps by El Rancho Records

Album Review – The Robot Heart

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The Robot Heart -‘The Robot Heart’ (Bleeding Heart Recordings)

I’ve spent a lot of time over the past month or so trying to get my ahead around this album. On a purely superficial level, it can be said that this is a very nice record, and i can see it appealing to people who enjoy fragile, epic indie (cf. Coldplay, Elbow, Radiohead circa The Bends) .

While I haven’t been blown away by it, I have certainly enjoyed it. One of the reasons I have kept coming back to it is the sense that underneath the surface there is something else. It’s a bit folky, a bit electronica (y?), and each successive listen has revealed something else. The two tracks that bookend the album ‘Singing To the Ghost’ and ‘The Machine’ are probably the most exciting here, as it feels that the band are experimenting more.

There’s a lot of promise here, and some really lovely tunes, but I also have a sense that the band seem to be holding back from unleashing more of the madness inside-and I’d like to see them do that on their next record.

***

The Robot Heart is out now on Bleeding Heart Records