The return of The Libertines

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It’s been eleven years – but the Libertines are back! All four members as we knew them and about to unleash their third album Anthems For Doomed Youth.

The album’s out on September 4 and the tracklisting is as follows:

1. Barbarians
2. Gunga Din
3. Fame and Fortune
4. Anthem for Doomed Youth
5. Heart of the Matter
6. Belly of the Beast
7. Iceman
8. You’re My Waterloo
9. Fury of Chonburi
10. The Milkman’s Horse
11. Glasgow Coma Scale Blues
12. Dead for Love

The Bonus tracks are
1. Love on the Dole
2. Bucket Shop
3. Lust of the Libertines
4. 7 Deadly Sins

The first track to hear (not available to download yet as far as I can see) is the awesome ‘Gunga Din.’

Album Review: Babyshambles

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Babyshambles -‘Sequel To The Prequel.’ (Parlophone)

A few weeks ago, the first single from Babyshambles’ first album in six years ‘Nothing Comes To Nothing’ started doing the rounds. And the thought was: this is pretty damn good.

Unless you’ve been under a stone for the last decade or so, you’ll be aware of Pete Doherty. And the chances are that whether or not you’ve heard a note of his music (solo, as a member of The Libertines or Babyshambles or a collaboration), you’re aware of him as a character. Much like Courtney Love or Madonna or (well, the list could go on, couldn’t it) the music that made him famous has often got left behind.

And listening to Sequel To The Prequel, you feel that here again is a reason -well, a number of reasons, actually, why his musical career has lasted as long as it has. Because he is actually a great songwriter. But not only that, it’s an album made as a band, which is why it’s out as Babyshambles, rather than his own name. The aforementioned ‘Nothing’ is pretty damn good, as is ‘Maybelline’ and for my money, the dark closing track ‘Minefield’ is the finest thing here.

To hell with whatever you have read, forget the tabloids and enjoy the music.

****

Sequel To The Prequel is out on September 2 on Parlophone.

More great music that’s appeared on my radar

…This time, the source wasn’t my inbox, but tips I got from reading the NME website.

First up, this is a free download from Peter Doherty’s forthcoming solo album Grace/Wastelands.

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Whatever you think about the ongoing soap opera that seems to surround him, I think this track will surprise you, in a good way.

Peter Doherty -‘New Love Grows On Trees.’ mp3

meanwhile, the Maccabees are a band I know next to nothing about, but I like this…

Maccabees-‘No Kind Words.’ mp3

Oh, and unrelated BUT I will be doing a re-post of the Motorcycle Boy stuff very soon too…