I've been thinking back to my hopes and expectations for music in 2007. At the start of the year, I was most looking forward to new albums from Arcade Fire and The Innocence Mission and hoping that Tindersticks would get back together and record a new album. I was also hoping to attend more gigs than I did last year.
Well, I attended less gigs than in 2006 but the shows I did get to were absolutely brilliant. Tindersticks did get back together and record an album, but we have to wait until 2008 to hear it. The Innocence Mission and Arcade Fire albums were both excellent, although The Arcade Fire didn't manage to improve on 'Funeral'. But as with every year in music, 2007 brought some excellent new discoveries for me.
I don't know how I managed to avoid getting into the Hold Steady until this year, but from the moment I heard 'Boys and Girls In America', I was hooked. Certainly through the summer and early autumn I played little else but their three albums. Seeing them play live in July was one of the highlights of my year. I also discovered The National, who are a kind of American version of Tindersticks. As for new artists, I really liked the work of Twilight Sad (I still think of them as a mix of The Proclaimers and My Bloody Valentine, no matter what anyone says), the moody Tiny Vipers and the indie-folk of Emmy The Great, who surely will hit the big time next year.
One unexpected pleasure was the sheer brilliance of 'In Rainbows', which is 'a grower' of extreme proportions and I never expected, ten years after 'OK Computer' to love a Radiohead record as much again.
There were disappointments of course. The Bill Callahan record was, to my ears, poor. I spent a few weeks pretending to like it and trying to force myself to get into it, but it just seemed so unfocussed and meandering. The Iron and Wine record left me cold, despite the fact that I loved 'Our Endless Numbered Days' and it was sad to hear Wilco dismantle everything that made them great over the last five years.
What is sadder than any of these things though, is the fact that my home town of Bedford now doesn't have a record shop. Since I was a boy I have shopped for records in Bedford. I remember when we had an HMV! As I grew up and got into more alternative music I would spend hours perusing the racks of Andys Records and Sounds Good To Me, now we don't even have a Music Zone or a Fopp. It is sad for me because I have to order records online and wait for my visits to London but it is even sadder for music fans growing up today, who will never know how much fun it is to spend half an hour in a record shop with £20 in their pocket, choosing records on the quality of the sleeve and asking the friendly record shop owner if they can have a listen. Tragic. They will never know what they are missing.
Anyway, 2007 was great. My gig of the year was Mountain Goats at the Union Chapel, my album of the year will be revealed (as will the full top 30) next week.
Here's to 2008 and new LPs from Tindersticks, Mountain Goats and American Music Club.
Friday, 14 December 2007
Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Emmy The Great
While I still haven't got over the excitement of finally seeing The Mountain Goats play live and the joy of it being every bit as good as I hoped, I wanted to also write about how much I enjoyed the set from Emmy The Great.
Emmy is Emma-Lee Moss, born in Hong Kong, now living in London. She performed with a second singer/piano player and a violinist. Her songs are a mix of indie and folk, sounding a little like Belle & Sebastian may have sounded at times had Isobel Campbell had a stronger singing voice. She only played five or six songs but they were all strong and the performance of the band overall was very assured. Highlights were a superb cover of John Prine's 'Christmas in Prison' which has been stuck in my head ever since Saturday and current single 'Gabriel.
You can hear more on Emmy's Myspace site:
http://www.myspace.com/emmythegreat
Emmy is Emma-Lee Moss, born in Hong Kong, now living in London. She performed with a second singer/piano player and a violinist. Her songs are a mix of indie and folk, sounding a little like Belle & Sebastian may have sounded at times had Isobel Campbell had a stronger singing voice. She only played five or six songs but they were all strong and the performance of the band overall was very assured. Highlights were a superb cover of John Prine's 'Christmas in Prison' which has been stuck in my head ever since Saturday and current single 'Gabriel.
You can hear more on Emmy's Myspace site:
http://www.myspace.com/emmythegreat
Sunday, 9 December 2007
The Mountain Goats - Union Chapel 8th December 2007
So, I finally got to see The Mountain Goats play live. Last night The Union Chapel played host to the Pineapple Folk Festival, featuring TMG, Micah P Hinson, Emmy The Great and Alisdair Roberts. With all due respect to the other artists though (and Emmy The Great played a very nice, if short, set) this, for me, was about finally seeing John Darnielle and Peter Hughes play their amazing songs live.
The Union Chapel is a beautiful venue, easily my favourite in London. The acoustics are as clear as you'll find anywhere and in between sets there is some lovely scenary to look at. The Goats arrived on stage at 8.30, wearing some smart suits which according to my girlfriend made Peter Hughes look like Nathan Petrelli from Heroes. John played acoustic guitar and sang and Peter played bass.
They opened with 'Wild Sage' from last year's 'Get Lonely' LP, John singing with the hushed whisper/gasp in evidence throughout that album. As the set progressed we were treated to some real favourites including 'Dance Music', 'Jenny' and 'This Year'. The atmosphere was fantastic, the auidence were so enthusiastic and John seemed really happy and looked to be enjoying himself immensely.. One of the highlights was him moving away from the microphone during 'Maybe Sprout Wings' to sing unamplified, the Church was so silent that you could hear him clearly and the effect was spine-tingling.
For the closing song of the main set they played 'Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton', yes, complete with the 'Hail Satan' singalong ending and were joined on stage by Eddie Argos from Art Brut. The only complaint I have was that the set wasn't longer, but it was great that a) John said they would be back in 2008 and b) the title track of the new LP 'Heretic Pride' was played and was absolutely brilliant...very lively and upbeat too.
This was a wonderful night, one of the best sets I have seen and I hope John enjoyed it as much as us fans did.
Full review of the Pineapple Folk night later in the week, but for now, here is the TMG setlist...
Wild Sage
Tollund Man
The Recognition Scene
You or Your Memory
Cobscook Bay
Love Love Love
Heretic Pride
Tulsa Imperative
Jenny
Dance Music
Maybe Sprout Wings
This Year
The Best Ever Death Metal band in Denton (with Eddie Argos from Art Brut)
Encore: Houseguest
The Union Chapel is a beautiful venue, easily my favourite in London. The acoustics are as clear as you'll find anywhere and in between sets there is some lovely scenary to look at. The Goats arrived on stage at 8.30, wearing some smart suits which according to my girlfriend made Peter Hughes look like Nathan Petrelli from Heroes. John played acoustic guitar and sang and Peter played bass.
They opened with 'Wild Sage' from last year's 'Get Lonely' LP, John singing with the hushed whisper/gasp in evidence throughout that album. As the set progressed we were treated to some real favourites including 'Dance Music', 'Jenny' and 'This Year'. The atmosphere was fantastic, the auidence were so enthusiastic and John seemed really happy and looked to be enjoying himself immensely.. One of the highlights was him moving away from the microphone during 'Maybe Sprout Wings' to sing unamplified, the Church was so silent that you could hear him clearly and the effect was spine-tingling.
For the closing song of the main set they played 'Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton', yes, complete with the 'Hail Satan' singalong ending and were joined on stage by Eddie Argos from Art Brut. The only complaint I have was that the set wasn't longer, but it was great that a) John said they would be back in 2008 and b) the title track of the new LP 'Heretic Pride' was played and was absolutely brilliant...very lively and upbeat too.
This was a wonderful night, one of the best sets I have seen and I hope John enjoyed it as much as us fans did.
Full review of the Pineapple Folk night later in the week, but for now, here is the TMG setlist...
Wild Sage
Tollund Man
The Recognition Scene
You or Your Memory
Cobscook Bay
Love Love Love
Heretic Pride
Tulsa Imperative
Jenny
Dance Music
Maybe Sprout Wings
This Year
The Best Ever Death Metal band in Denton (with Eddie Argos from Art Brut)
Encore: Houseguest
Monday, 3 December 2007
The Innocence Mission 'We Walked In Song'
Clearly, my profession of choice would be a record reviewer. However, even if I had the talent to perform this duty, I am starting to wonder if I would find it possible to work to the guidelines required. I have read a review of The Innocence Mission's new album in Uncut, it can't be much more than 100 words, it is a 'safe' three star review and sticks to Wikipedia type facts about the band and offers the insight that as the record is largely about Karen Peris' Father who died while the record was being written, it is sombre. If someone asked me to give them 100 words on the new Innocence Mission LP, I think I would find it impossible.
I first became a fan of The Innocence Mission in 2001 after a recommendation from a friend. They are husband and wife Don and Karen Peris with assistance from bassist Mike Bitts. Karen sings and plays guitars and piano, while Don plays most of the guitars, drums and occasionally sings backing vocals. Their music is a kind of dreamy, light, folky sound, with mainly acoustic guitars and Karen's beautiful, childlike vocal over the top. The songs often focus on themes such as childhood, religion and friendship.
2003's 'Befriended' was written shortly after the death of Karen's Mother and it is partly a tribute to her life and partly an album about coping with her death. It remains one of my favourite albums of all time and will inevitably, at some point, make you cry.
This year the follow up album finally arrived. Released in January 2007 in the USA and out in the UK next January, 'We Walked In Song' is, in many ways, a companion album to 'Befriended'. I have lived with this album for most of this year and there haven't been many weeks when I haven't listened to it at least once.
Karen's Father died during the writing of this album and if you listen to the album just once and read the lyric sheet through, you might get the impression that this is a sad, sombre album. You'd be wrong. Instead of dwelling on sadness and loss, the lyrics look for hope, joy and happiness in the things that remain. So there are songs about members of Karen's family as well as several songs about the kindness of strangers and the way that moments like these can light up the day.
Opener 'The Brotherhood of Man' sets the scene with lyrics such as:
"Waiting at the airport on my suitcase,
a girl traveling from Spain became my sudden friend,
though I did not learn her name.
And when the subway dimmed
a stranger lit my way.
This is the brotherhood of man."
Elsewhere on the same song, the sadness shines through...
"We meet an older man who seems to know
I miss my dad.
And he smiles through the limbs.
We talk easily with him
until the rain begins."
Karen sings this song beautifully, complemented by intricate guitar pickings from Don. 'Happy Birthday' and 'Love That Boy' are tributes to members of Karen's family but it is after these two tracks that the album really hits it's stride.
'Into Brooklyn...' is the most upbeat, catchy song on the album and the first to contain anything so loud as a drum! Its a song, you'll be humming for days after you first hear it. 'Lake Shore Drive' has more of an alt.folk sound than anything else here, it is a joyous song too, as Karen decides to leave regret and grief behind whilst never letting memories fade
"It seems the right time
to let go of the steep incline
of this day and to know you’re mine
forever and I will be fine.
In me will you shine,
shine, shine, will you shine"
Later on, 'Since I Still Tell You My Everyday' is an impossibly sad and lonely song, performed with a very sparse acoustic arrangement and 'Over The Moon' and 'A Wave is Rolling' focus on optimism for the future with some very nice imagery.
As has become something of a tradition on Innocence Mission records the final track features harmonies between Karen and Don. They sound great singing together, as Don's voice compliments Karen's very well. 'My Sisters Return from Ireland' is a great closer with Karen's lyrics hoping that she too can show kindness to others in the same way as it has been offered to her.
There is not a huge variation in sound or themes on this record so don't expect that. But, if you want to hear gentle, emotional songs performed by great musicians and singers than you won't go far wrong with 'We Walked In Song' and you'll probably find yourself gradually purchasing all of The Innocence Mission's superb back catalogue. There is a lot more to them than meets the eye.
9.8
I first became a fan of The Innocence Mission in 2001 after a recommendation from a friend.
2003's 'Befriended' was written shortly after the death of Karen's Mother and it is partly a tribute to her life and partly an album about coping with her death. It remains one of my favourite albums of all time and will inevitably, at some point, make you cry.
This year the follow up album finally arrived. Released in January 2007 in the USA and out in the UK next January, 'We Walked In Song' is, in many ways, a companion album to 'Befriended'. I have lived with this album for most of this year and there haven't been many weeks when I haven't listened to it at least once.
Karen's Father died during the writing of this album and if you listen to the album just once and read the lyric sheet through, you might get the impression that this is a sad, sombre album. You'd be wrong. Instead of dwelling on sadness and loss, the lyrics look for hope, joy and happiness in the things that remain. So there are songs about members of Karen's family as well as several songs about the kindness of strangers and the way that moments like these can light up the day.
Opener 'The Brotherhood of Man' sets the scene with lyrics such as:
"Waiting at the airport on my suitcase,
a girl traveling from Spain became my sudden friend,
though I did not learn her name.
And when the subway dimmed
a stranger lit my way.
This is the brotherhood of man."
Elsewhere on the same song, the sadness shines through...
"We meet an older man who seems to know
I miss my dad.
And he smiles through the limbs.
We talk easily with him
until the rain begins."
Karen sings this song beautifully, complemented by intricate guitar pickings from Don. 'Happy Birthday' and 'Love That Boy' are tributes to members of Karen's family but it is after these two tracks that the album really hits it's stride.
'Into Brooklyn...' is the most upbeat, catchy song on the album and the first to contain anything so loud as a drum! Its a song, you'll be humming for days after you first hear it. 'Lake Shore Drive' has more of an alt.folk sound than anything else here, it is a joyous song too, as Karen decides to leave regret and grief behind whilst never letting memories fade
"It seems the right time
to let go of the steep incline
of this day and to know you’re mine
forever and I will be fine.
In me will you shine,
shine, shine, will you shine"
Later on, 'Since I Still Tell You My Everyday' is an impossibly sad and lonely song, performed with a very sparse acoustic arrangement and 'Over The Moon' and 'A Wave is Rolling' focus on optimism for the future with some very nice imagery.
As has become something of a tradition on Innocence Mission records the final track features harmonies between Karen and Don. They sound great singing together, as Don's voice compliments Karen's very well. 'My Sisters Return from Ireland' is a great closer with Karen's lyrics hoping that she too can show kindness to others in the same way as it has been offered to her.
There is not a huge variation in sound or themes on this record so don't expect that. But, if you want to hear gentle, emotional songs performed by great musicians and singers than you won't go far wrong with 'We Walked In Song' and you'll probably find yourself gradually purchasing all of The Innocence Mission's superb back catalogue. There is a lot more to them than meets the eye.
9.8
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
Bonnie Prince Billy 'Ask Forgiveness'
I have been accused of liking everything I review, so I am going to make a concerted effort to find some absolute rubbish to listen to in the next few weeks. In the meantime, I have been enjoying this absolutely lovely eight track EP of covers by Will Oldham.
Albums of cover versions are often recorded as contractual obligations or to buy an artist some time while they are working on new original songs, but this has evidenly been made as a result of Oldham's sheer love of music in general and these songs in particular.
This is a very low key release with no fanfare and the packaging does not contain a tracklisting, just a list of the writers of each song. For TracksandGigs this has meant some 'internet research' had to be carried out. Each of the songs is recorded with a light acoustic sound with hushed vocals and harmonies (courtesy of Meg Baird from Espers), making them sound like a companion piece to last year's mellow 'The Letting Go'.
The first track is a cover of Mickey Newbury's 'I Came To Hear The Music' which happens to be my Mum's favourite song ever and apparently the first song I ever heard, as a child of a few day's old! Here it sounds quite beautiful, sparse and low key but still powerful. Oldham's version of Bjork/Thom Yorke's duet 'I've Seen It All' is equally memorable and almost hypnotic. Those who have never heard the song before will find themselves hanging on every word of the extremely engaging lyrics.
The quality continues, there is no duff track here at all. Halfway through he even throws in a brand new original song, 'I'm Loving The Street' which is maybe the most joyful Oldham song I have ever heard. The highlight comes at the end with an unexpected version of R Kelly's 'The World's Greatest', drawing attention to the power of the words and doing away with the vocal histrionics, it is a revelation.
This is a really wonderful collection of songs and a joy to listen to.
9.0
Albums of cover versions are often recorded as contractual obligations or to buy an artist some time while they are working on new original songs, but this has evidenly been made as a result of Oldham's sheer love of music in general and these songs in particular.
This is a very low key release with no fanfare and the packaging does not contain a tracklisting, just a list of the writers of each song. For TracksandGigs this has meant some 'internet research' had to be carried out. Each of the songs is recorded with a light acoustic sound with hushed vocals and harmonies (courtesy of Meg Baird from Espers), making them sound like a companion piece to last year's mellow 'The Letting Go'.
The first track is a cover of Mickey Newbury's 'I Came To Hear The Music' which happens to be my Mum's favourite song ever and apparently the first song I ever heard, as a child of a few day's old! Here it sounds quite beautiful, sparse and low key but still powerful. Oldham's version of Bjork/Thom Yorke's duet 'I've Seen It All' is equally memorable and almost hypnotic. Those who have never heard the song before will find themselves hanging on every word of the extremely engaging lyrics.
The quality continues, there is no duff track here at all. Halfway through he even throws in a brand new original song, 'I'm Loving The Street' which is maybe the most joyful Oldham song I have ever heard. The highlight comes at the end with an unexpected version of R Kelly's 'The World's Greatest', drawing attention to the power of the words and doing away with the vocal histrionics, it is a revelation.
This is a really wonderful collection of songs and a joy to listen to.
9.0
Monday, 26 November 2007
a non-music weekend / darjeeling limited
I have just had, very unusually for me, a weekend with very little music involved. Didn't go to a gig, didn't buy a record, didn't listen to much music. Weird. What did I do?
I went swimming, but thats not unusual, I go swimming every day. On Saturday I went to the football with my brother, Luton Town beat Southend. It was a great game. I mean, technically it wasn't, but we won and we probably deserved to and I just enjoyed it so much. The worse Luton Town are, the more I love them. When they were good recently, I lost interest slightly.
Yesterday, we went to see The Darjeeling Limited which is the. new. Wes. Anderson. film.
This is a huge event for me. At the risk of turning this blog into TracksandGigsandFilms, I am a big Wes Anderson fan and The Life Aquatic, which came out two years ago, is my favourite film ever. I enjoyed Darjeeling, but thats not enough for me and a Wes film, I expect to be affected by it, touched by it and I expect it to carry me through the two or three years til the next one. Was it that good? Truth is, I don't know yet. I need to go and see it again and I may do that this afternoon (I have a day off). The soundtrack was great though, as it always is for a Wes film.
Anyway, I am saying nothing of note here so I shall leave. I will return tomorrow with my more considered thoughts on The Darjeeling Limited. and other things.
Buffalo Tom in London on Saturday. 'Phew rock n roll' eh readers?
I went swimming, but thats not unusual, I go swimming every day. On Saturday I went to the football with my brother, Luton Town beat Southend. It was a great game. I mean, technically it wasn't, but we won and we probably deserved to and I just enjoyed it so much. The worse Luton Town are, the more I love them. When they were good recently, I lost interest slightly.
Yesterday, we went to see The Darjeeling Limited which is the. new. Wes. Anderson. film.
This is a huge event for me. At the risk of turning this blog into TracksandGigsandFilms, I am a big Wes Anderson fan and The Life Aquatic, which came out two years ago, is my favourite film ever. I enjoyed Darjeeling, but thats not enough for me and a Wes film, I expect to be affected by it, touched by it and I expect it to carry me through the two or three years til the next one. Was it that good? Truth is, I don't know yet. I need to go and see it again and I may do that this afternoon (I have a day off). The soundtrack was great though, as it always is for a Wes film.
Anyway, I am saying nothing of note here so I shall leave. I will return tomorrow with my more considered thoughts on The Darjeeling Limited. and other things.
Buffalo Tom in London on Saturday. 'Phew rock n roll' eh readers?
Thursday, 22 November 2007
American Music Club- new LP
Both of my long term favourite bands release new albums in February, and both have returned with 'modified line-ups'. I speak of course of Tindersticks and American Music Club.
AMC are back with only Mark Eitzel and Vudi present from the original line up. My view on this is, that as long as Mark and Vudi are there it is still AMC and it is perfectly OK.
I became a fan of American Music Club in the late 90s when they were on, so it seemed then, a permanent hiatus. During the years before they got back together I saw Mark Eitzel play a solo show at Dingwalls and this remains one of the greatest gigs I have ever seen. I have never felt so supportive and protective of an artist as I was in those two hours. Just getting through the gig without walking away seemed to be a personal battle for Mark and for every sulk or change of guitar, you knew there was an amazing song coming up if he could keep going. I'll never forget the version of 'Last Harbour' he played that night.
I got to see AMC play live twice after they reformed in 2004. The first was an exceptional gig and a real joy to see Mark looking so happy and comfortable on stage, the second was a bad gig mainly due to sound problems. Mark had a face like thunder throughtout. This is how it is with Eitzel and AMC, you never know what kind of show you're going to see but its always worth going along because the good nights make up for ten of the bad.
So, now they're back. New album 'The Golden Age' is out in February with a UK tour at the same time. Their US record company have put a track from the album on their website (see link below). Its called 'All The Lonely Souls Welcome You to San Francisco', a title that only Eitzel could come up with. Its a lovely song, more 'California' than 'Love Songs For Patriots', with a chorus that you'll be humming all day. Enjoy.
http://www.mergerecords.com/news.php?month=Nov%202007#327
AMC are back with only Mark Eitzel and Vudi present from the original line up. My view on this is, that as long as Mark and Vudi are there it is still AMC and it is perfectly OK.
I became a fan of American Music Club in the late 90s when they were on, so it seemed then, a permanent hiatus. During the years before they got back together I saw Mark Eitzel play a solo show at Dingwalls and this remains one of the greatest gigs I have ever seen. I have never felt so supportive and protective of an artist as I was in those two hours. Just getting through the gig without walking away seemed to be a personal battle for Mark and for every sulk or change of guitar, you knew there was an amazing song coming up if he could keep going. I'll never forget the version of 'Last Harbour' he played that night.
I got to see AMC play live twice after they reformed in 2004. The first was an exceptional gig and a real joy to see Mark looking so happy and comfortable on stage, the second was a bad gig mainly due to sound problems. Mark had a face like thunder throughtout. This is how it is with Eitzel and AMC, you never know what kind of show you're going to see but its always worth going along because the good nights make up for ten of the bad.
So, now they're back. New album 'The Golden Age' is out in February with a UK tour at the same time. Their US record company have put a track from the album on their website (see link below). Its called 'All The Lonely Souls Welcome You to San Francisco', a title that only Eitzel could come up with. Its a lovely song, more 'California' than 'Love Songs For Patriots', with a chorus that you'll be humming all day. Enjoy.
http://www.mergerecords.com/news.php?month=Nov%202007#327
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Tiny Vipers 'Hands Across The Void'
The name Tiny Vipers suggests to me a punk band or at the very least an indie-rock band, especially when the label releasing the album is Sub Pop. In fact, Tiny Vipers is the name being used by Seattle-based singer songwriter Jesy Fortino and this is her debut full length album.
This seven track LP takes some getting to know. On first listen, it is cold and uninviting but perserverance pays off here. The majority of the songs here are solo, acoustic numbers with Fortino creating sparse repetitive melodies and singing over the top of them with a voice somewhere between Joanna Newsom and Chan Marshall.
The opening two tracks 'Campfire Resemblance' and 'On This Side' follow this formula perfectly, the latter featuring some touching lyrics and a catchy melody. It is on the six-minute 'Forest On Fire' that things really take off. A gentle ballad with a chiming acoustic melody, halfway through the acoustic guitar gradually gives way to discordant white noise which builds up as the song progresses before taking over the song completely. Its an amazing sound and an incredibly haunting effect.
This is followed by 'Shipwreck', a gorgeous, melodic song with lyrics about loneliness but with the hopeful refrain "We want to live 'cause we know that life is beautiful/ Though surreal at times." Still to come is the extraordinary ten minute long 'Swastika' which has three distinct parts, with the noise returning at the end.
This is not an easy album but it will reward those listeners who return to it after the first, confusing listen. Fans of early Low in particular will find the sparsity and atmosphere of these songs a delight. I'm really looking forward to seeing Jesy play live in a couple of week's time. In the meantime, this album is highly recommended.
9.1
This seven track LP takes some getting to know. On first listen, it is cold and uninviting but perserverance pays off here. The majority of the songs here are solo, acoustic numbers with Fortino creating sparse repetitive melodies and singing over the top of them with a voice somewhere between Joanna Newsom and Chan Marshall.
The opening two tracks 'Campfire Resemblance' and 'On This Side' follow this formula perfectly, the latter featuring some touching lyrics and a catchy melody. It is on the six-minute 'Forest On Fire' that things really take off. A gentle ballad with a chiming acoustic melody, halfway through the acoustic guitar gradually gives way to discordant white noise which builds up as the song progresses before taking over the song completely. Its an amazing sound and an incredibly haunting effect.
This is followed by 'Shipwreck', a gorgeous, melodic song with lyrics about loneliness but with the hopeful refrain "We want to live 'cause we know that life is beautiful/ Though surreal at times." Still to come is the extraordinary ten minute long 'Swastika' which has three distinct parts, with the noise returning at the end.
This is not an easy album but it will reward those listeners who return to it after the first, confusing listen. Fans of early Low in particular will find the sparsity and atmosphere of these songs a delight. I'm really looking forward to seeing Jesy play live in a couple of week's time. In the meantime, this album is highly recommended.
9.1
Monday, 19 November 2007
Stina Nordenstam 'The World is Saved'
Sometimes an album that isn't considered to be great or even to be the best example of an artist's work will, for some reason that you can't quite put your finger on, become one of your favourite albums and end up meaning a lot to you.
This is the case for me with 'The World is Saved'.
Stina Nordenstam is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Unfortunately for those of us who are fans of her's, she is reclusive, never plays concerts and releases an album approximately once every five years. She has an amazing voice, soft and gentle but also powerful and unforgettable. The music she makes takes in a number of different styles, from rock to jazz.
'The World is Saved' was released in 2004 and remains one of my favourite records. The music is a mix of jazz, pop and rock with pianos, strings and synthesisers at the forefront. It is possibly the most 'wintry' album I have ever heard. Stina's voice is like a whisper, sometimes barely audible over the music. This is an album to be played from October to March, listening to it reminds me of cold December days and climbing the steps of Luton train station on the way to meet my girlfriend after work. The opening track 'Get On With Your Life' starts with the following memorable opening verse
"They put a needle once in my spine
It took them so long to find it
I can't get this porn film out of my head
Let's get on with it."
The song is uplifting, even with the downbeat lyrics.
'Winter Killing', a song about a love triangle, acknowledges the feel of the album with the line "I knew I had to leave, cos Spring was coming". Spring is no time for Stina to be around. 'Parliament Square', a gorgeous piano and strings ballad sums up the tone of the album's lyrics in one line "This is a downcast position, at least it is real".
Everything on this record sounds great: the range of instrumentation, Stina's voice and there are some lovely tunes here too. 'Butterfly', an upbeat jazzy number is maybe the most funs ong Stina has ever recorded.
But, as I said sometimes records touch you for no reason that you can easily put into words. I always turn to this record when I'm feeling lost. It makes me feel cold but it is a comfort. To me, this album feels like a long walk in the snow, followed by a sit by the fireplace with a hot drink. Marks out of ten don't even cover it.
If you've never heard any of Stina's music, I strongly recommend you go to:
http://www.stinanordenstam.net/html/media.html
This is the case for me with 'The World is Saved'.
Stina Nordenstam is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Unfortunately for those of us who are fans of her's, she is reclusive, never plays concerts and releases an album approximately once every five years. She has an amazing voice, soft and gentle but also powerful and unforgettable. The music she makes takes in a number of different styles, from rock to jazz.
'The World is Saved' was released in 2004 and remains one of my favourite records. The music is a mix of jazz, pop and rock with pianos, strings and synthesisers at the forefront. It is possibly the most 'wintry' album I have ever heard. Stina's voice is like a whisper, sometimes barely audible over the music. This is an album to be played from October to March, listening to it reminds me of cold December days and climbing the steps of Luton train station on the way to meet my girlfriend after work. The opening track 'Get On With Your Life' starts with the following memorable opening verse
"They put a needle once in my spine
It took them so long to find it
I can't get this porn film out of my head
Let's get on with it."
The song is uplifting, even with the downbeat lyrics.
'Winter Killing', a song about a love triangle, acknowledges the feel of the album with the line "I knew I had to leave, cos Spring was coming". Spring is no time for Stina to be around. 'Parliament Square', a gorgeous piano and strings ballad sums up the tone of the album's lyrics in one line "This is a downcast position, at least it is real".
Everything on this record sounds great: the range of instrumentation, Stina's voice and there are some lovely tunes here too. 'Butterfly', an upbeat jazzy number is maybe the most funs ong Stina has ever recorded.
But, as I said sometimes records touch you for no reason that you can easily put into words. I always turn to this record when I'm feeling lost. It makes me feel cold but it is a comfort. To me, this album feels like a long walk in the snow, followed by a sit by the fireplace with a hot drink. Marks out of ten don't even cover it.
If you've never heard any of Stina's music, I strongly recommend you go to:
http://www.stinanordenstam.net/html/media.html
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
The Hold Steady 'Boys and Girls in America' (special edition)
The first time I listened to 'Boys and Girls in America' I had bought it on the back of a good review and played it once, decided it was "ok but a bit too Americana" and put it on the pile of cds to sell on ebay. Ten months later, my house has three copies of the album, two copies each of 'Separation Sunday' and 'Almost Killed Me' and two t shirts purchased at what I consider to be my favourite gig of all time. How did all this happen?
I have The Guardian's Laura Barton to thank. Reading her 'Hail Hail Rock n Roll' column one Friday, I liked a verse she quoted from a Hold Steady song and decided to revisit the album. I put it on that evening while we were doing the washing up and the rest is you know what.
If you let The Hold Steady into your life, you have to be aware there is a good chance you will fall for them in a big way. This has happened to me. I started to get to know the songs on BaGiA. The anthems made the biggest impression to start with. 'Chips Ahoy' is a fun song about a girl who can predict which horse is going to finish first, it has a great chorus and you will find yourself singing it walking round the house. 'Chillout Tent' is 'Summer Nights' re-written for the 21st Century and 'Party Pit' with it's "Gonna walk around and drink some more" hook may as well have been named 'The Ballad of the Hold Steady'. This is a record you can get to know really quickly.
Its the third Hold Steady album and singer Craig Finn wrote the words so that all the songs would fit under the banner of the Kerouac quote "Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together". His literate storytelling sits on top of some anthems and big ballads in the style of the E Street Band or The Replacements. This is good, old fashioned celebratory rock and there is nothing wrong with that. Finn makes it special. He is a ball of nervous energy, repeating lines from other songs and giving his all to the record, its a wonderful vocal performance.
There are so many highlights, possibly the two standout tracks are 'Stuck Between Stations' a tribute to John Berryman and 'First Night' where Holly, Charlemagne and Gideon (characters from the previous two Hold Steady records) suffer the comedown of the morning after the night before, Franz Nicolay's keyboard sound making this song particularly magical.
I enjoy listening to this record so much, in many ways it is pure escapism. I sing along with every song and there are numerous verses and lines that make me smile every single time. You have to be aware that The Hold Steady will do this to you, you'll start quoting lyrics at people, playing songs to people who have already said they're not keen, you will start to simply refuse to believe that not everyone believes they are the greatest band in the World.
So, if you don't own this album yet, I can't recommend it any more highly. Just be prepared for the possibility that you probably won't want to listen to any other music for the next few months. Then you'll buy the first two albums and find they are equally as good.
If you already own this album, do you need to buy the special edition? My advice is that if you're a Hold Steady fan, you need to get this. The bonus disc is a live acoustic cd and features two previously unavailable songs 'Modesto's Not That Sweet' and 'You've Gotta Dance...', but it also features some stellar recordings of Hold Steady classics. 'First Night' sounds great here and 'Cattle and The Creeping Things' is thrilling.
The only thing left to wonder is where The Hold Steady go from here. The news that they have demoed enough tracks for a new album and are already playing some of these songs live is very welcome indeed. For now we should raise a glass to the album of the year.
9.8
I have The Guardian's Laura Barton to thank. Reading her 'Hail Hail Rock n Roll' column one Friday, I liked a verse she quoted from a Hold Steady song and decided to revisit the album. I put it on that evening while we were doing the washing up and the rest is you know what.
If you let The Hold Steady into your life, you have to be aware there is a good chance you will fall for them in a big way. This has happened to me. I started to get to know the songs on BaGiA. The anthems made the biggest impression to start with. 'Chips Ahoy' is a fun song about a girl who can predict which horse is going to finish first, it has a great chorus and you will find yourself singing it walking round the house. 'Chillout Tent' is 'Summer Nights' re-written for the 21st Century and 'Party Pit' with it's "Gonna walk around and drink some more" hook may as well have been named 'The Ballad of the Hold Steady'. This is a record you can get to know really quickly.
Its the third Hold Steady album and singer Craig Finn wrote the words so that all the songs would fit under the banner of the Kerouac quote "Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together". His literate storytelling sits on top of some anthems and big ballads in the style of the E Street Band or The Replacements. This is good, old fashioned celebratory rock and there is nothing wrong with that. Finn makes it special. He is a ball of nervous energy, repeating lines from other songs and giving his all to the record, its a wonderful vocal performance.
There are so many highlights, possibly the two standout tracks are 'Stuck Between Stations' a tribute to John Berryman and 'First Night' where Holly, Charlemagne and Gideon (characters from the previous two Hold Steady records) suffer the comedown of the morning after the night before, Franz Nicolay's keyboard sound making this song particularly magical.
I enjoy listening to this record so much, in many ways it is pure escapism. I sing along with every song and there are numerous verses and lines that make me smile every single time. You have to be aware that The Hold Steady will do this to you, you'll start quoting lyrics at people, playing songs to people who have already said they're not keen, you will start to simply refuse to believe that not everyone believes they are the greatest band in the World.
So, if you don't own this album yet, I can't recommend it any more highly. Just be prepared for the possibility that you probably won't want to listen to any other music for the next few months. Then you'll buy the first two albums and find they are equally as good.
If you already own this album, do you need to buy the special edition? My advice is that if you're a Hold Steady fan, you need to get this. The bonus disc is a live acoustic cd and features two previously unavailable songs 'Modesto's Not That Sweet' and 'You've Gotta Dance...', but it also features some stellar recordings of Hold Steady classics. 'First Night' sounds great here and 'Cattle and The Creeping Things' is thrilling.
The only thing left to wonder is where The Hold Steady go from here. The news that they have demoed enough tracks for a new album and are already playing some of these songs live is very welcome indeed. For now we should raise a glass to the album of the year.
9.8
Friday, 9 November 2007
the most gorgeous thing you will hear today
Radiohead did a 'webcast' last night. I'm not sure if 'did' is the correct verb, but if you can suggest a better one, please let me know.
Tracks and Gigs were either watching Heroes or asleep at the time, so did not catch it live. However, from the session a cover of Bjork's 'Unravel' has come to my attention and it is unspeakably beautiful. Just piano and Thom Yorke's voice, this is magical and very lovely. You can hear it here
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/46999-radiohead-entanglement-webcast-including-unravel-bjrk-cover
Tracks and Gigs were either watching Heroes or asleep at the time, so did not catch it live. However, from the session a cover of Bjork's 'Unravel' has come to my attention and it is unspeakably beautiful. Just piano and Thom Yorke's voice, this is magical and very lovely. You can hear it here
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/forkcast/46999-radiohead-entanglement-webcast-including-unravel-bjrk-cover
Luke A Murcott
Sometimes you stumble on some really nice music and you can't even remember how you found it.
Tracks and Gigs has discovered the myspace page of Luke A Murcott and there is some lovely music to listen to there. You only have to look at Luke's influences to get an idea of what to expect: Tindersticks, Nick Cave, Lee Hazelwood, Leonard Cohen....
Sure enough, what you hear is solo acoustic songs delivered with just a 12 string guitar and a voice. And what a voice. Initially odd, unsettling even but when you get used to it, it becomes a wonderous thing indeed. Somewhere between the voices of Cohen and Staples but deeper than either, it is a slow, warm croon. The lyrics are as you would expect, all rivers and midnight and forests and heartbreak. The guitar playing is dreamy but powerful. This is lovely, sad folk music delivered with great care and meaning.
Luke A Murcott apparently has recorded an album, but Tracks and Gigs has yet to find anywhere to buy it. For now you can hear these songs here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=213452488
Tracks and Gigs has discovered the myspace page of Luke A Murcott and there is some lovely music to listen to there. You only have to look at Luke's influences to get an idea of what to expect: Tindersticks, Nick Cave, Lee Hazelwood, Leonard Cohen....
Sure enough, what you hear is solo acoustic songs delivered with just a 12 string guitar and a voice. And what a voice. Initially odd, unsettling even but when you get used to it, it becomes a wonderous thing indeed. Somewhere between the voices of Cohen and Staples but deeper than either, it is a slow, warm croon. The lyrics are as you would expect, all rivers and midnight and forests and heartbreak. The guitar playing is dreamy but powerful. This is lovely, sad folk music delivered with great care and meaning.
Luke A Murcott apparently has recorded an album, but Tracks and Gigs has yet to find anywhere to buy it. For now you can hear these songs here:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=213452488
Thursday, 8 November 2007
too busy
Having a full time job and trying to keep tracks and gigs updated is sometimes very tricky. I have several posts and reviews in my head but getting them from my head and onto the worldwide interweb is proving challenging this week.
On Monday there will be a review of the 2CD deluxe re-issue of The Hold Steady's 'Boys and Girls in America'. This is already my Album of the Year by a long, long way but the fact that they are re-issuing it with a bonus live cd just gives me another opportunity to write about it and that is a great thing.
This week I've been mostly listening to 'In Rainbows' which I may have previously underestimated. Its a gorgeous album and really grows on you with each listen. 'Faust Arp' is currently my favourite.
anyway, proper update soon...
On Monday there will be a review of the 2CD deluxe re-issue of The Hold Steady's 'Boys and Girls in America'. This is already my Album of the Year by a long, long way but the fact that they are re-issuing it with a bonus live cd just gives me another opportunity to write about it and that is a great thing.
This week I've been mostly listening to 'In Rainbows' which I may have previously underestimated. Its a gorgeous album and really grows on you with each listen. 'Faust Arp' is currently my favourite.
anyway, proper update soon...
Monday, 5 November 2007
Blitzen Trapper 'Wild Mountain Nation'
Blitzen Trapper, from Portland, Oregon, have apparently released two albums before this one but they only came to my attention with 'Wild Mountain Nation', an album that will make you think Pavement's 'Wowee Zowee' had a kid brother waiting in the wings all this time.
Every year there seems to be a 'new Pavement'. In 2006 it was Tapes n Tapes, although their album 'The Loon' was probably more Pixies than Pavement. This year, it is undoubtably Blitzen Trapper and there is some justification to this label.
'Wild Mountain Nation' is an album which contains references from just about every genre you can think of. At it's core is a kind of skewed lo-fi country jangle which works best on the title track and 'Summer Town' which are lovely sing-a-longs with sweet lyrics and probably more heart than you'd find on any Pavement record. Elsewhere there is lots of chaotic indie rock with some weird sounds and rhythms.
All in all this is a very enjoyable record with two or three really beautiful songs. Well worth a tenner of your money.
8.2
(out today on Sub Pop)
Every year there seems to be a 'new Pavement'. In 2006 it was Tapes n Tapes, although their album 'The Loon' was probably more Pixies than Pavement. This year, it is undoubtably Blitzen Trapper and there is some justification to this label.
'Wild Mountain Nation' is an album which contains references from just about every genre you can think of. At it's core is a kind of skewed lo-fi country jangle which works best on the title track and 'Summer Town' which are lovely sing-a-longs with sweet lyrics and probably more heart than you'd find on any Pavement record. Elsewhere there is lots of chaotic indie rock with some weird sounds and rhythms.
All in all this is a very enjoyable record with two or three really beautiful songs. Well worth a tenner of your money.
8.2
(out today on Sub Pop)
Friday, 2 November 2007
a tale of two Dylan covers
I finally invested in 'I'm Not There', the Dylan covers album. Was a bit sceptical because I have yet to hear anyone do a better version of a Dylan song that Dylan himself. However 'I'm Not There' contains tracks from such a dazzling array of artists that it has to be checked out.
Unsurprisingly, after a couple of listens, it appears to be a mixed bag. Rather than attempt to comment on all of the renditions, I thought I would highlight a couple of efforts that show how wildly inconsistent covers albums like this can be.
The Hold Steady's version of 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window' is wonderful. Choosing a relatively unknown song from the 'Highway 61 Revisited' era, the song starts quietly with just Craig and Franz Nicolay's keyboards in evidence before turning into a full band stomp with some wonderful guitar and those great cymbal sounds that I love from 'Chips Ahoy'. Just when you think things can't get any better, Craig shows that his habit of taking lines from songs and placing them in other songs isn't just confined to Hold Steady songs, as the coda features a line from 'Positively 4th Street', "You've got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend". It fits perfectly and the song is evidence of a band at the very top of their game, full of confidence.
On the same record Sufjan Stevens takes on 'Ring Them Bells', one of my favourite Dylan songs. It is on 1989's 'Oh Mercy' album and, along with 'Man In The Long Black Coat' which Mark Lanegan does a great version of here, was a sign of Dylan rediscovering his muse. A beautiful, dark, haunting ballad. Here it is an ugly, lazy mess. Starting off quiet with Sufjan singing the words with very little feeling, the last three minutes of the song sound like the soundtrack to a children's party. Musically it sounds like an out-take from the 'Illinois' out-takes album, vocally it sounds like Sufjan is totally disinterested. The whole thing completely loses the feeling and meaning behind the original song and ends up sounded like an unedited jam. Appalling.
I think the difference between these two covers is that one is from the heart and one is from the brain and we all know that music from the heart wins every single time.
Unsurprisingly, after a couple of listens, it appears to be a mixed bag. Rather than attempt to comment on all of the renditions, I thought I would highlight a couple of efforts that show how wildly inconsistent covers albums like this can be.
The Hold Steady's version of 'Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window' is wonderful. Choosing a relatively unknown song from the 'Highway 61 Revisited' era, the song starts quietly with just Craig and Franz Nicolay's keyboards in evidence before turning into a full band stomp with some wonderful guitar and those great cymbal sounds that I love from 'Chips Ahoy'. Just when you think things can't get any better, Craig shows that his habit of taking lines from songs and placing them in other songs isn't just confined to Hold Steady songs, as the coda features a line from 'Positively 4th Street', "You've got a lot of nerve to say you are my friend". It fits perfectly and the song is evidence of a band at the very top of their game, full of confidence.
On the same record Sufjan Stevens takes on 'Ring Them Bells', one of my favourite Dylan songs. It is on 1989's 'Oh Mercy' album and, along with 'Man In The Long Black Coat' which Mark Lanegan does a great version of here, was a sign of Dylan rediscovering his muse. A beautiful, dark, haunting ballad. Here it is an ugly, lazy mess. Starting off quiet with Sufjan singing the words with very little feeling, the last three minutes of the song sound like the soundtrack to a children's party. Musically it sounds like an out-take from the 'Illinois' out-takes album, vocally it sounds like Sufjan is totally disinterested. The whole thing completely loses the feeling and meaning behind the original song and ends up sounded like an unedited jam. Appalling.
I think the difference between these two covers is that one is from the heart and one is from the brain and we all know that music from the heart wins every single time.
Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Pineapple Folk Yuletide Gathering
Grrrrrr. If this was a blog about work, you would probably see the steam rising from your monitor everytime you point your browser at Tracks and Gigs. Am I having a bad week? Yes. But, this isn't a blog about work so I shall say no more.
Anyway, there is life and there are great upcoming gigs. Recommending a forthcoming gig is a bad idea really. As anyone who has ever seen Cat Power live will know, anything can happen at a gig. But still, all things being equal the wonderfully named Pineapple Folk Yuletide Gathering will be an amazing night.
It takes place at Union Chapel in Islington on 8th December (with additional nights in Glasgow and Manchester. Check local listings for details). Union Chapel is easily my favourite venue. Still a working church, it is such a beautiful place to see a concert and I've seen some great gigs there over the years.....Smog, Low, Iron and Wine and Willard Grant Conspiracy all spring to mind.
The line up for the PFYG is simply superb.
Opening up will be Alasdair Roberts, the Scottish singer and guitarist who plays some lovely traditional folk songs. I have yet to see him live and can't imagine a better place than the Chapel to finally hear him play.
There will also be an hour long set from The Mountain Goats (see the post from last week for more on them), which I am tremendously excited about, especially as they will most likely be playing some songs from their forthcoming new album 'Heretic Pride'.
Headlining will be Micah P Hinson. Micah is a singer-songwriter from Memphis who has led a colourful live and produced two stunning albums of country noir. 2004's 'Gospel of Progress' album recorded with the assistance of the Earlies was a stunning debut. I saw him play live twice that year, a wonderful show at The Borderline (which incidentally was the first gig I ever attended with my girlfriend) and a night at The Union Chapel supporting Iron and Wine. I have yet to see him play a full band show though and have heard these are awesome, so if anyone from Pineapple Folk is reading, will this be an acoustic or electric show??
Anyway, Micah returned last year with 'The Opera Circuit', another collection of gorgeous country, rock and folk songs. Looking forward to seeing him play again.
If none of this is enough to convince you, there will also be a 'Special Guest' and there will be roast chesnuts, mulled wine and other festive treats on offer!
Tickets are on sale now from wegottickets.com
a review of the night will appear here on 10th December.
Anyway, there is life and there are great upcoming gigs. Recommending a forthcoming gig is a bad idea really. As anyone who has ever seen Cat Power live will know, anything can happen at a gig. But still, all things being equal the wonderfully named Pineapple Folk Yuletide Gathering will be an amazing night.
It takes place at Union Chapel in Islington on 8th December (with additional nights in Glasgow and Manchester. Check local listings for details). Union Chapel is easily my favourite venue. Still a working church, it is such a beautiful place to see a concert and I've seen some great gigs there over the years.....Smog, Low, Iron and Wine and Willard Grant Conspiracy all spring to mind.
The line up for the PFYG is simply superb.
Opening up will be Alasdair Roberts, the Scottish singer and guitarist who plays some lovely traditional folk songs. I have yet to see him live and can't imagine a better place than the Chapel to finally hear him play.
There will also be an hour long set from The Mountain Goats (see the post from last week for more on them), which I am tremendously excited about, especially as they will most likely be playing some songs from their forthcoming new album 'Heretic Pride'.
Headlining will be Micah P Hinson. Micah is a singer-songwriter from Memphis who has led a colourful live and produced two stunning albums of country noir. 2004's 'Gospel of Progress' album recorded with the assistance of the Earlies was a stunning debut. I saw him play live twice that year, a wonderful show at The Borderline (which incidentally was the first gig I ever attended with my girlfriend) and a night at The Union Chapel supporting Iron and Wine. I have yet to see him play a full band show though and have heard these are awesome, so if anyone from Pineapple Folk is reading, will this be an acoustic or electric show??
Anyway, Micah returned last year with 'The Opera Circuit', another collection of gorgeous country, rock and folk songs. Looking forward to seeing him play again.
If none of this is enough to convince you, there will also be a 'Special Guest' and there will be roast chesnuts, mulled wine and other festive treats on offer!
Tickets are on sale now from wegottickets.com
a review of the night will appear here on 10th December.
Friday, 26 October 2007
Beirut 'The Flying Club Cap'
Zach Condon, aka Beirut, returns with his second full album after last year's critically acclaimed 'Gulag Orkestar'.
The Balkan stomp of Beirut's debut left me a little cold. It had some nice sounds and was good background listening but I was looking for songs and I didn't find any memorable ones. To add to the disappointment I found his voice rather annoying. I tried so hard to like it, the record got an awful lot of attention and it felt like I was missing out on something wonderful, but something just didn't click for me and that record.
With this album, Condon has moved away from the Eastern European sound and fixation and turned his attentions to France. 'The Flying Club Cap' is essentially a baroque pop album with lots of piano, brass, violins and accordion. It feels like a much more relaxed album than its predecessor with several low key piano ballads.
Some of the arrangements are stunning, particularly on the gorgeous 'A Sunday Smile' and listening to the music is a real pleasure. I first listened to this album after a particularly awful day at work and it had a remarkably soothing effect.
I am still not a fan of Condon's voice and the lyrics can be a little patchy although often very evocative, but this is a sumptuous listening experience.
8.0
The Balkan stomp of Beirut's debut left me a little cold. It had some nice sounds and was good background listening but I was looking for songs and I didn't find any memorable ones. To add to the disappointment I found his voice rather annoying. I tried so hard to like it, the record got an awful lot of attention and it felt like I was missing out on something wonderful, but something just didn't click for me and that record.
With this album, Condon has moved away from the Eastern European sound and fixation and turned his attentions to France. 'The Flying Club Cap' is essentially a baroque pop album with lots of piano, brass, violins and accordion. It feels like a much more relaxed album than its predecessor with several low key piano ballads.
Some of the arrangements are stunning, particularly on the gorgeous 'A Sunday Smile' and listening to the music is a real pleasure. I first listened to this album after a particularly awful day at work and it had a remarkably soothing effect.
I am still not a fan of Condon's voice and the lyrics can be a little patchy although often very evocative, but this is a sumptuous listening experience.
8.0
Thursday, 25 October 2007
The Mountain Goats
The fantastic news that The Mountain Goats are coming to the UK in December has inspired me to write something about them, despite the fact that the new album isn't out til next year.
The Mountain Goats is essentially U.S singer-songwriter John Darnielle and assorted friends and colleagues, mainly Peter Hughes and Franklin Bruno. John has been making music under the TMG moniker since 1991 and all albums up to 2002 were recorded in a lo-fi , boombox style which consisted of John strumming an acoustic guitar whilst singing/shouting his lyrics over the top. These early albums make for incredibly intimate recordings but would be largely useless were it not for the fact that John is one of the best lyricists and storytellers I have ever heard.
TMG first came to my attention in early 2003. My friend Jason recommended them to me and I purchased 'Tallahasse' in HMV Oxford Street during a pre-gig (Smog at the Union Chapel) spending session. Playing it the next day I immediately loved it. I knew nothing then of John's lo-fi history, but this was a beautiful album presenting the story of a married couple on the verge of divorce. The songs generally mixed pretty acoustic melodies such as 'Idylls of the King' with blazing, loud expressions of anger such as 'See America Right' and 'Oceanographers Choice'. It made for a heady mix and is still a really exciting listen. It also contains the magnificent 'No Children' which contains fantasic lyrics like
"I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow
I hope it bleeds all day long
Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises
We're pretty sure they're all wrong
I hope it stays dark forever
I hope the worst isn't over
And I hope you blink before I do
Yeah I hope I never get sober"
It has to be one of the most sing-a-long-able songs ever! Anyway, 'Tallahasse' got me completely hooked on TMG (9.0).
After spending some time buying as many of the lo-fi albums as I could find and afford, and coming to the conclusion that 'All Hail West Texas' (8.9) was the best, I didn't have too long to wait for the next album as 'We Shall All Be Healed' arrived in early 2004. This was billed as John's first ever autobiographical album and contained songs about his teenage years. The Mountain Goats website declared "All of the songs on We Shall All Be Healed are based on people John used to know. Most of them are probably dead or in jail by now." The main themes of the album were motorcycles and drugs. To my ears it wasn't as amazing as 'Tallahasse' and had a few too many forgetable songs. It had some great songs too though, such as the gorgeous 'Your Belgian Things' but I don't find myself playing this much (8.2).
2005 brought the release of 'The Sunset Tree', another autobiographical album concerning John's youth but this time focussing on domestic violence and John's relationship with his stepfather. This is an absolutely stunning album with both poignant and escapist lyrics. The first five tracks of the record make for an unbelievably enthralling opening and you will be singing 'This Year' ("I am going to make it through this year/ If it kills me") to yourself after a couple of plays. The album ends with news of his stepfather's death on 'Pale Green Things' a beautiful, quiet finale. This is a superb record. Two years after its release I still play it regularly and if you are new to TMG, this is probably the album to start with. (9.8).
Last year saw the release of 'Get Lonely' and I'll post here a review of this album that I wrote at the time...
The Mountain Goats ‘Get Lonely’
4AD
The Mountain Goats, essentially singer-songwriter John Darnielle and assorted friends, built up a solid fan base on the back of their early lo-fi releases recorded directly onto cassette player. The albums featured Darnielle’s nasal, shouty vocals over violently strummed acoustic guitar and showed him to be a wonderful storyteller and lyricist. Since signing to 4AD in 2002 the Goats have discovered recording studios and production and have made a series of polished albums all focussed on a particular theme.
Last year’s ‘The Sunset Tree’ was an extraordinarily powerful album about Darnielle’s childhood experiences with a violent stepfather and was probably his finest work yet. This time he has written a set of songs about the end of a long term relationship and there are marked differences from his previous records.
The shouty vocals have gone, to be replaced by a hushed whisper and quieter, slower singing voice, the music is lush, all acoustic guitars, piano and strings and the songs are some of the saddest you’ve ever heard. The lyrics are incredible studies in loneliness and desolation. Unlike other break-up albums, there is no anger or bitterness, the album simply describes the character’s struggles to get through each day. There are only two breaks in the sombre musical tone, ‘Half Dead’ uses The Smiths’ trick of coupling incredibly painful lyrics with a jaunty melody and could well get radio play, while ‘If You See Light’ is an incredible two minute blast of paranoia where the character hides from neighbours and friends during an attack of panic (“when the villagers come to my door/ I will breathe shallow breaths from high up in my stomach”).
Elsewhere the songs paint a portrait of sadness and loneliness but the album is never depressing. It may take a few listens for the melodies to properly form, but when they do this is a superbly polished album. With acoustic balladry ever more popular, Darnielle may win new fans with this collection of acoustic songs that are a million times more literate than those in the charts at the moment. (9.5)
I've never managed to see John play live, so I'm really looking forward to the London show in December, but if you've never heard of TMG or bought any of their music, I hope this post may inspire you to check them out.
The Mountain Goats is essentially U.S singer-songwriter John Darnielle and assorted friends and colleagues, mainly Peter Hughes and Franklin Bruno. John has been making music under the TMG moniker since 1991 and all albums up to 2002 were recorded in a lo-fi , boombox style which consisted of John strumming an acoustic guitar whilst singing/shouting his lyrics over the top. These early albums make for incredibly intimate recordings but would be largely useless were it not for the fact that John is one of the best lyricists and storytellers I have ever heard.
TMG first came to my attention in early 2003. My friend Jason recommended them to me and I purchased 'Tallahasse' in HMV Oxford Street during a pre-gig (Smog at the Union Chapel) spending session. Playing it the next day I immediately loved it. I knew nothing then of John's lo-fi history, but this was a beautiful album presenting the story of a married couple on the verge of divorce. The songs generally mixed pretty acoustic melodies such as 'Idylls of the King' with blazing, loud expressions of anger such as 'See America Right' and 'Oceanographers Choice'. It made for a heady mix and is still a really exciting listen. It also contains the magnificent 'No Children' which contains fantasic lyrics like
"I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow
I hope it bleeds all day long
Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises
We're pretty sure they're all wrong
I hope it stays dark forever
I hope the worst isn't over
And I hope you blink before I do
Yeah I hope I never get sober"
It has to be one of the most sing-a-long-able songs ever! Anyway, 'Tallahasse' got me completely hooked on TMG (9.0).
After spending some time buying as many of the lo-fi albums as I could find and afford, and coming to the conclusion that 'All Hail West Texas' (8.9) was the best, I didn't have too long to wait for the next album as 'We Shall All Be Healed' arrived in early 2004. This was billed as John's first ever autobiographical album and contained songs about his teenage years. The Mountain Goats website declared "All of the songs on We Shall All Be Healed are based on people John used to know. Most of them are probably dead or in jail by now." The main themes of the album were motorcycles and drugs. To my ears it wasn't as amazing as 'Tallahasse' and had a few too many forgetable songs. It had some great songs too though, such as the gorgeous 'Your Belgian Things' but I don't find myself playing this much (8.2).
2005 brought the release of 'The Sunset Tree', another autobiographical album concerning John's youth but this time focussing on domestic violence and John's relationship with his stepfather. This is an absolutely stunning album with both poignant and escapist lyrics. The first five tracks of the record make for an unbelievably enthralling opening and you will be singing 'This Year' ("I am going to make it through this year/ If it kills me") to yourself after a couple of plays. The album ends with news of his stepfather's death on 'Pale Green Things' a beautiful, quiet finale. This is a superb record. Two years after its release I still play it regularly and if you are new to TMG, this is probably the album to start with. (9.8).
Last year saw the release of 'Get Lonely' and I'll post here a review of this album that I wrote at the time...
The Mountain Goats ‘Get Lonely’
4AD
The Mountain Goats, essentially singer-songwriter John Darnielle and assorted friends, built up a solid fan base on the back of their early lo-fi releases recorded directly onto cassette player. The albums featured Darnielle’s nasal, shouty vocals over violently strummed acoustic guitar and showed him to be a wonderful storyteller and lyricist. Since signing to 4AD in 2002 the Goats have discovered recording studios and production and have made a series of polished albums all focussed on a particular theme.
Last year’s ‘The Sunset Tree’ was an extraordinarily powerful album about Darnielle’s childhood experiences with a violent stepfather and was probably his finest work yet. This time he has written a set of songs about the end of a long term relationship and there are marked differences from his previous records.
The shouty vocals have gone, to be replaced by a hushed whisper and quieter, slower singing voice, the music is lush, all acoustic guitars, piano and strings and the songs are some of the saddest you’ve ever heard. The lyrics are incredible studies in loneliness and desolation. Unlike other break-up albums, there is no anger or bitterness, the album simply describes the character’s struggles to get through each day. There are only two breaks in the sombre musical tone, ‘Half Dead’ uses The Smiths’ trick of coupling incredibly painful lyrics with a jaunty melody and could well get radio play, while ‘If You See Light’ is an incredible two minute blast of paranoia where the character hides from neighbours and friends during an attack of panic (“when the villagers come to my door/ I will breathe shallow breaths from high up in my stomach”).
Elsewhere the songs paint a portrait of sadness and loneliness but the album is never depressing. It may take a few listens for the melodies to properly form, but when they do this is a superbly polished album. With acoustic balladry ever more popular, Darnielle may win new fans with this collection of acoustic songs that are a million times more literate than those in the charts at the moment. (9.5)
I've never managed to see John play live, so I'm really looking forward to the London show in December, but if you've never heard of TMG or bought any of their music, I hope this post may inspire you to check them out.
Tuesday, 23 October 2007
favourite song
Choosing one favourite song has to be the hardest thing in the world to do. Picking a favourite album is bad enough. Most days I would say 'Don't Stand Me Down' by Dexys is my favourite album of all time, for a bunch of reasons which I will write about one day but at the moment I can't think of any album being better or more 'playable' than 'Separation Sunday' by The Hold Steady.
As opposed to reviewing the Twilight Sad or Tiny Vipers albums, today I thought I would write about the song that if I absolutely had to choose one, I would probably say is my favourite song.
It is 'Walking' by Tindersticks.
It is a low-key, quiet, murmur of a song. When they play it live you don't hear cheers from the audience like you would when they play 'City Sickness' or 'Patchwork'. It is so gentle it is almost a lullabye. But it is perfect. Perfect.
Opening with a sombre keyboard refrain, it doesn't sound much like a Tindersticks song until you hear Stuart Staples murmur
"Wake up
Its alright
I don't need to know where you've been
You went for a walk
out of my sight
You went astray again"
Such a typical Tindersticks lyric. He repeats it as the song goes on, adds a verse, repeats it again, changes it slightly, all while the song builds ever so slightly, the hint of a violin here, the strum of an acoustic guitar there. You wait for it to build into a Tinderstick-esque crescendo, all violins, trumpets and guitars, like a 'Sleepy Song' or a 'Raindrops'...
but it never does. It keeps on building towards this, but never gets there. and the song is all the more magical for that.
There's no conclusion to the lyric, no resolution, no twist at the end, just a feeling that continues throughout the 5 minutes and 7 seconds of the song.
There are times and days when I only want to listen to this song.
As opposed to reviewing the Twilight Sad or Tiny Vipers albums, today I thought I would write about the song that if I absolutely had to choose one, I would probably say is my favourite song.
It is 'Walking' by Tindersticks.
It is a low-key, quiet, murmur of a song. When they play it live you don't hear cheers from the audience like you would when they play 'City Sickness' or 'Patchwork'. It is so gentle it is almost a lullabye. But it is perfect. Perfect.
Opening with a sombre keyboard refrain, it doesn't sound much like a Tindersticks song until you hear Stuart Staples murmur
"Wake up
Its alright
I don't need to know where you've been
You went for a walk
out of my sight
You went astray again"
Such a typical Tindersticks lyric. He repeats it as the song goes on, adds a verse, repeats it again, changes it slightly, all while the song builds ever so slightly, the hint of a violin here, the strum of an acoustic guitar there. You wait for it to build into a Tinderstick-esque crescendo, all violins, trumpets and guitars, like a 'Sleepy Song' or a 'Raindrops'...
but it never does. It keeps on building towards this, but never gets there. and the song is all the more magical for that.
There's no conclusion to the lyric, no resolution, no twist at the end, just a feeling that continues throughout the 5 minutes and 7 seconds of the song.
There are times and days when I only want to listen to this song.
Monday, 22 October 2007
Bob Dylan - The Other Side Of The Mirror - Live At The Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965
It should be noted that this review is not of the DVD which is released next week, but of the film broadcast on BBC4 last week. Although I am led to believe they are one and the same, so, anyway...
This film documents Bob Dylan's appearances at the Newport Folk Festivals in 1963, 64 and 65. It contains previously unseen footage, along with some bits that you may have seen on 'No Direction Home' and various documentaries.
Not being a huge fan of Early Folky Bob, I was not particularly excited about the songs from 1963, however the footage here is brilliant. Firstly it reveals a different world from festivals and gigs of the 21st Century. For part of his performance, Dylan sits in the middle of the audience, who are listening attentively to his every word. One guy sat behind him seems to have had a big grin attached to his face and he doesn't seem to even blink throughout. Compare that to audiences at gigs these days, who would be chatting to each other during the less well known songs and taking photos of Bob with their camera-phone.
The highlights of the 1963 film are probably 'Talking World War III Blues' and 'Who Killed Davey Moore', both bright, brilliantly written songs that have passed me by due to my prejudice against the early days of Dylan's career. I now know what I was missing. It is wonderful to watch the young, fresh faced Bob sing these songs. The only disappointing song here is a diabolical version of 'Blowin' in the Wind' where Bob is joined by Joan Baez, The Freedom Singers and Peter, Paul and Mary. It is hard to hear anything at all apart from Baez's very 'distinctive' singing.
1964 shows Bob looking more confident and dressed all in black. You can start to see signs of what is to come. This is probably the weakest performance of the three. Joan Baez joins Bob for most of the songs and seeing them giggle their way through 'It Ain't Me Babe' seems to entertain the crowd but does not make for great viewing forty years on. It is impossible not to feel sorry for Baez though, you can see her devotion to Dylan and you are aware that he is about to embark on a complete change of direction that will be hard for her to understand. Highlights of the '64 footage are 'Mr Tambourine Man' which Dylan performs solo and 'With God On Our Side' with Baez. It is amusing to see the festival announcer trying to introduce the next act and being completely drowned out by shouts from the audience for Dylan to return.
When he did return in 1965 it was with a band and an electric guitar. Much of this footage, you may have seen before. He starts with a thrilling version of 'Maggies Farm' and although you know the story already, it is still shocking to hear the volume of the boos when they finish playing. Next up is a version of 'Like A Rolling Stone' which is almost as magnificent as the version at the Albert Hall concert a year later. Again the song ends with booing and Dylan and his band leave the stage. It does seem that a lot of the booing was because of the poor sound quality as well as an unwillingness to appreciate Dylan's new sound because when the announcer asked if the audience would like 'Bobby' to play one more song, there is a huge cheer. He returns with an acoustic guitar and plays 'Mr Tambourine Man' before ending with 'Its All Over Now Baby Blue' which is a goodbye to the Newport Folk Festival and that era of Dylan's career.
This is a magnificent film. If you are a Dylan fan it is required viewing, just to see the amazing change in Bob in just three years and some absolutely amazing performances. Even if you are not a Dylan fan, the film is a superb document of the time and the changes that were taking place. Enthralling stuff.
9.7
This film documents Bob Dylan's appearances at the Newport Folk Festivals in 1963, 64 and 65. It contains previously unseen footage, along with some bits that you may have seen on 'No Direction Home' and various documentaries.
Not being a huge fan of Early Folky Bob, I was not particularly excited about the songs from 1963, however the footage here is brilliant. Firstly it reveals a different world from festivals and gigs of the 21st Century. For part of his performance, Dylan sits in the middle of the audience, who are listening attentively to his every word. One guy sat behind him seems to have had a big grin attached to his face and he doesn't seem to even blink throughout. Compare that to audiences at gigs these days, who would be chatting to each other during the less well known songs and taking photos of Bob with their camera-phone.
The highlights of the 1963 film are probably 'Talking World War III Blues' and 'Who Killed Davey Moore', both bright, brilliantly written songs that have passed me by due to my prejudice against the early days of Dylan's career. I now know what I was missing. It is wonderful to watch the young, fresh faced Bob sing these songs. The only disappointing song here is a diabolical version of 'Blowin' in the Wind' where Bob is joined by Joan Baez, The Freedom Singers and Peter, Paul and Mary. It is hard to hear anything at all apart from Baez's very 'distinctive' singing.
1964 shows Bob looking more confident and dressed all in black. You can start to see signs of what is to come. This is probably the weakest performance of the three. Joan Baez joins Bob for most of the songs and seeing them giggle their way through 'It Ain't Me Babe' seems to entertain the crowd but does not make for great viewing forty years on. It is impossible not to feel sorry for Baez though, you can see her devotion to Dylan and you are aware that he is about to embark on a complete change of direction that will be hard for her to understand. Highlights of the '64 footage are 'Mr Tambourine Man' which Dylan performs solo and 'With God On Our Side' with Baez. It is amusing to see the festival announcer trying to introduce the next act and being completely drowned out by shouts from the audience for Dylan to return.
When he did return in 1965 it was with a band and an electric guitar. Much of this footage, you may have seen before. He starts with a thrilling version of 'Maggies Farm' and although you know the story already, it is still shocking to hear the volume of the boos when they finish playing. Next up is a version of 'Like A Rolling Stone' which is almost as magnificent as the version at the Albert Hall concert a year later. Again the song ends with booing and Dylan and his band leave the stage. It does seem that a lot of the booing was because of the poor sound quality as well as an unwillingness to appreciate Dylan's new sound because when the announcer asked if the audience would like 'Bobby' to play one more song, there is a huge cheer. He returns with an acoustic guitar and plays 'Mr Tambourine Man' before ending with 'Its All Over Now Baby Blue' which is a goodbye to the Newport Folk Festival and that era of Dylan's career.
This is a magnificent film. If you are a Dylan fan it is required viewing, just to see the amazing change in Bob in just three years and some absolutely amazing performances. Even if you are not a Dylan fan, the film is a superb document of the time and the changes that were taking place. Enthralling stuff.
9.7
Friday, 19 October 2007
Laura Barton, who I think I have yet to disagree with, writes in today's Guardian about how note perfect warbling of the type we hear on X Factor and Mariah and Whitney records rarely actually conveys any emotion at all despite the vocal histrionics. It is all about false emotion and this is what makes X Factor an essentially pointless exercise.
Emotion in music rarely goes hand in hand with note perfect singing. This got me thinking about some of the vocal performances that always stick in my mind but wouldn't get the singer past the audition stage in the X Factor:
If you have never heard Mark Eitzel's 'Songs of Love' album, you are missing something truly special. A recording of a gig at London's Borderline in 1991, when Mark sang some songs accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, the album is pure emotion from start to finish. Listen to him singing 'Western Sky' close to tears and at one point having to stop himself mid-song to compose himself
"Please be happy baby
and please don't cry
Even though the parade has passed us by
you can still see it shining
shining in a Western sky"
Its an incredible performance.
I also love the way Craig Finn sings 'Cattle and the Creeping things', particularly this verse
"she's got a cross around her neck that she ripped off from a schoolgirl in the subway on a visit to the city
she likes how it looks on her chest with three open buttons
she likes the part where one brother kills the other
she has to wonder if the the world ever will recover
because cain and abel seem to still be causing trouble."
I don't know why I love the way he sings this song so much. He sings it the same way he sings all the Hold Steady songs, as kind of a shouty war correspondent reporting from the front line. Its just when I hear him sing that verse, I always want to hear it again straight away.
I also love hearing 'What a Life' by Juliana Hatfield because I really like the way she coughs right at the start of the song.
Anyway, I think Laura is right. There are lots of funny and strange reasons why you might like certain vocals or even just the way someone sings a certain syllable. But they very rarely have anything to do with hearing a pitch perfect singing note. Unless you are Simon Cowell.
Emotion in music rarely goes hand in hand with note perfect singing. This got me thinking about some of the vocal performances that always stick in my mind but wouldn't get the singer past the audition stage in the X Factor:
If you have never heard Mark Eitzel's 'Songs of Love' album, you are missing something truly special. A recording of a gig at London's Borderline in 1991, when Mark sang some songs accompanied only by an acoustic guitar, the album is pure emotion from start to finish. Listen to him singing 'Western Sky' close to tears and at one point having to stop himself mid-song to compose himself
"Please be happy baby
and please don't cry
Even though the parade has passed us by
you can still see it shining
shining in a Western sky"
Its an incredible performance.
I also love the way Craig Finn sings 'Cattle and the Creeping things', particularly this verse
"she's got a cross around her neck that she ripped off from a schoolgirl in the subway on a visit to the city
she likes how it looks on her chest with three open buttons
she likes the part where one brother kills the other
she has to wonder if the the world ever will recover
because cain and abel seem to still be causing trouble."
I don't know why I love the way he sings this song so much. He sings it the same way he sings all the Hold Steady songs, as kind of a shouty war correspondent reporting from the front line. Its just when I hear him sing that verse, I always want to hear it again straight away.
I also love hearing 'What a Life' by Juliana Hatfield because I really like the way she coughs right at the start of the song.
Anyway, I think Laura is right. There are lots of funny and strange reasons why you might like certain vocals or even just the way someone sings a certain syllable. But they very rarely have anything to do with hearing a pitch perfect singing note. Unless you are Simon Cowell.
Thursday, 18 October 2007
a song for today
I haven't listened to 'Ys' by Joanna Newsom much this year. I listened to it virtually non-stop at the end of last year but I just haven't felt like listening to it much recently.
This makes me think that it may be an 'Autumn album'. It wouldn't be alone, I listen to the Innocence Mission almost exclusively in Autumn and Winter, they just don't make so much sense in the Summer. I remember walking to work in the snow last February listening to 'Birds of my Neighbourhood' and at that moment it felt like the greatest album ever.
Anyway, this morning something made me want to listen to 'Emily' on the aforementioned 'Ys'. Its funny how songs can sometimes just pop into your head like that.
So, I'm sitting here at work with one ear of my headphones in and listening to the most amazing music, which has nothing to do with my today or the place where I am but is raising my spirits all the same.
I think I'll be listening to this a lot for the rest of the year.
This makes me think that it may be an 'Autumn album'. It wouldn't be alone, I listen to the Innocence Mission almost exclusively in Autumn and Winter, they just don't make so much sense in the Summer. I remember walking to work in the snow last February listening to 'Birds of my Neighbourhood' and at that moment it felt like the greatest album ever.
Anyway, this morning something made me want to listen to 'Emily' on the aforementioned 'Ys'. Its funny how songs can sometimes just pop into your head like that.
So, I'm sitting here at work with one ear of my headphones in and listening to the most amazing music, which has nothing to do with my today or the place where I am but is raising my spirits all the same.
I think I'll be listening to this a lot for the rest of the year.
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Radiohead 'In Rainbows'
Tracks and Gigs have been bothered by the postal strike. My copy of the new Beirut album has yet to arrive, despite being posted last Wednesday. Which makes it all the more pleasant that 'In Rainbows' arrived approximately 3 minutes after I ordered it.
I'm not fond of download releases. I like to buy a record or a cd and peruse the sleevenotes whilst listening to it for the first time on my stereo at home. Call me old-fashioned. So, I will buying 'In Rainbows' in a physical format in December and therefore paid 'very little' for this download.
I am also old-fashioned in that I was a huge Radiohead fan up to the point when 'Kid A' was released. Just couldn't get my head around it, where are the songs?? I liked 'Amnesiac' a bit more and 'Hail To The Thief' a bit more still but I basically never stopped hoping they would come back with a 'guitar album'.
I saw them live in 2003 at Earls Court, which is a horrible venue. I'm used to seeing gigs in small venues, not sitting in an aircraft hanger while requiring binoculars to even see the video screen of the band. Possibly the least intimate gig I have ever attended. I also found Radioheard to be awkward. Every time they played a 'Paranoid Android', a 'Let Down' or a 'Just' they would always follow it up with a 'Gloaming' or a 'Scatterbrain'. I can understand why they did it, it just annoyed me.
I have played 'In Rainbows' four or five times so far and it is my favourite Radiohead album since 'OK Computer'. Its not a return to guitar based music or an album of songs with choruses that you can sing along to, but something about it just sounds and feels like a step forward and a raising of the game. '15 Step' and 'Bodysnatchers' open the album in a surprisingly upbeat way, the latter even sounds positively punky. After that a more sedate pace takes hold, but the album is never less than enthralling.
'Nude' is a quite beautiful ballad, 'Weird Fishes' is fast and entertaining and at one point reminds me of 'Planet Telex', 'Faust Arp' is a poppy Beatles-ish number and 'Reckoner' is the best track here, a sublime, woozy thing of great beauty.
For an album released as a download which arrives as separate mp3s, this is a remarkably complete album. Its an album you'll want to play all the way through, because it creates a mood of its own. This sounded great on Friday evening, at the end of a very stressful week and on Sunday morning, in the middle of a relaxing weekend. Its just a great album to listen to.
8.8
I'm not fond of download releases. I like to buy a record or a cd and peruse the sleevenotes whilst listening to it for the first time on my stereo at home. Call me old-fashioned. So, I will buying 'In Rainbows' in a physical format in December and therefore paid 'very little' for this download.
I am also old-fashioned in that I was a huge Radiohead fan up to the point when 'Kid A' was released. Just couldn't get my head around it, where are the songs?? I liked 'Amnesiac' a bit more and 'Hail To The Thief' a bit more still but I basically never stopped hoping they would come back with a 'guitar album'.
I saw them live in 2003 at Earls Court, which is a horrible venue. I'm used to seeing gigs in small venues, not sitting in an aircraft hanger while requiring binoculars to even see the video screen of the band. Possibly the least intimate gig I have ever attended. I also found Radioheard to be awkward. Every time they played a 'Paranoid Android', a 'Let Down' or a 'Just' they would always follow it up with a 'Gloaming' or a 'Scatterbrain'. I can understand why they did it, it just annoyed me.
I have played 'In Rainbows' four or five times so far and it is my favourite Radiohead album since 'OK Computer'. Its not a return to guitar based music or an album of songs with choruses that you can sing along to, but something about it just sounds and feels like a step forward and a raising of the game. '15 Step' and 'Bodysnatchers' open the album in a surprisingly upbeat way, the latter even sounds positively punky. After that a more sedate pace takes hold, but the album is never less than enthralling.
'Nude' is a quite beautiful ballad, 'Weird Fishes' is fast and entertaining and at one point reminds me of 'Planet Telex', 'Faust Arp' is a poppy Beatles-ish number and 'Reckoner' is the best track here, a sublime, woozy thing of great beauty.
For an album released as a download which arrives as separate mp3s, this is a remarkably complete album. Its an album you'll want to play all the way through, because it creates a mood of its own. This sounded great on Friday evening, at the end of a very stressful week and on Sunday morning, in the middle of a relaxing weekend. Its just a great album to listen to.
8.8
Friday, 12 October 2007
admin information
TracksandGigs is a Monday-Friday operation. You will find nothing new here at weekends. Just so long as you know.
Next week, I will have reviews of the new Beirut and Jens Lekman records. I buy all the records I review. In the unlikely event of you being a band/record label and wanting me to review your record, please contact me via this blog. Cheers.
Next week, I will have reviews of the new Beirut and Jens Lekman records. I buy all the records I review. In the unlikely event of you being a band/record label and wanting me to review your record, please contact me via this blog. Cheers.
Paul Heaton new songs, gigs
Tracksandgigs will receive no credibility points and certainly will not get a mention in Drowned In Sound or Pitchfork for admitting to a liking for the work of Paul Heaton. But, we don't care.
The Beautiful South may be unfashionable but Heaton is and always has been a superb songwriter and a great singer. I have seen the Beautiful South live on two occasions. The first time was in a very small venue and Heaton was extremely drunk, the second was in a much larger venue and Heaton appeared to be sober. Both gigs were great and unlike some I wasn't bothered by the amount of middle-aged couples wearing matching sweaters at the gigs. Who cares if they know that some of the lyrics are 'ironic'? I have to say I know little of the drug fuelled world of Holly, Gideon and Charlemagne but that doesn't stop me singing along to all the songs when I see The Hold Steady play live. Some people liked TBS because Heaton was a great songwriter and other people liked them because the tunes were nice and easy to listen to and they liked the other singer better because he had a "nicer" voice. It matters not.
Anyway, TBS split up last year due to "musical similarities" but now, as TracksandGigs suspected, Paul Heaton is BACK with a new band, new songs and a tour. Paul is now calling himself Horace Heaton Jr (his mum and dad are Horace and Doris Heaton...) and the new songs sound NOTHING like the Beautiful South, if anything more like the Housemartins. Upbeat, guitar-driven and fresh, this is a very exciting new direction for Heaton.
Hear demos of the songs here:-
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=242459102
Paul, please add a second London date. Cheers.
The Beautiful South may be unfashionable but Heaton is and always has been a superb songwriter and a great singer. I have seen the Beautiful South live on two occasions. The first time was in a very small venue and Heaton was extremely drunk, the second was in a much larger venue and Heaton appeared to be sober. Both gigs were great and unlike some I wasn't bothered by the amount of middle-aged couples wearing matching sweaters at the gigs. Who cares if they know that some of the lyrics are 'ironic'? I have to say I know little of the drug fuelled world of Holly, Gideon and Charlemagne but that doesn't stop me singing along to all the songs when I see The Hold Steady play live. Some people liked TBS because Heaton was a great songwriter and other people liked them because the tunes were nice and easy to listen to and they liked the other singer better because he had a "nicer" voice. It matters not.
Anyway, TBS split up last year due to "musical similarities" but now, as TracksandGigs suspected, Paul Heaton is BACK with a new band, new songs and a tour. Paul is now calling himself Horace Heaton Jr (his mum and dad are Horace and Doris Heaton...) and the new songs sound NOTHING like the Beautiful South, if anything more like the Housemartins. Upbeat, guitar-driven and fresh, this is a very exciting new direction for Heaton.
Hear demos of the songs here:-
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=242459102
Paul, please add a second London date. Cheers.
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
"its funny how you remember the summers by the records"
So said Kevin Rowland on 'Reminisce Part 2' and of course he was right.
This Summer (the Summer that never begun) will forever be the Summer when I fell in love with the music of the Hold Steady. 'Boys and Girls in America' will always be the album of this Summer and 2nd July 2007 will forever be remembered for the best gig I have seen so far.
I used to go to lots of gigs but things have changed a bit. I suffer from anxiety and one of the results of this is I worry about sleep. Going to gigs became something that was really difficult to do and I've only been to a few in the last couple of years. Everything was organised perfectly for the Hold Steady gig though- a couple of days off work, we booked a hotel in London quite near to the venue, nothing could go wrong.
And incredibly it didn't.
I had an idea of how amazing it might be to see the band live and I thought I could only be disappointed, it could never quite reach the highs I was imagining. But it was even better. Craig Finn was an unbelievable frontman that night, so full of energy. The songs all sounded great, I sang along as much as I could whilst trying not to draw attention to myself. I got 2 great t shirts. We had a wonderful time and I'll never forget that gig.
Thank you to The Hold Steady. You can't possibly know how much that gig meant to me.
Now I need to have the confidence to have more nights like that.
This Summer (the Summer that never begun) will forever be the Summer when I fell in love with the music of the Hold Steady. 'Boys and Girls in America' will always be the album of this Summer and 2nd July 2007 will forever be remembered for the best gig I have seen so far.
I used to go to lots of gigs but things have changed a bit. I suffer from anxiety and one of the results of this is I worry about sleep. Going to gigs became something that was really difficult to do and I've only been to a few in the last couple of years. Everything was organised perfectly for the Hold Steady gig though- a couple of days off work, we booked a hotel in London quite near to the venue, nothing could go wrong.
And incredibly it didn't.
I had an idea of how amazing it might be to see the band live and I thought I could only be disappointed, it could never quite reach the highs I was imagining. But it was even better. Craig Finn was an unbelievable frontman that night, so full of energy. The songs all sounded great, I sang along as much as I could whilst trying not to draw attention to myself. I got 2 great t shirts. We had a wonderful time and I'll never forget that gig.
Thank you to The Hold Steady. You can't possibly know how much that gig meant to me.
Now I need to have the confidence to have more nights like that.
Buffalo Tom - Three Easy Pieces
Buffalo Tom have been making music for almost twenty years. God, I feel old.
I remember my best friend giving me a tape (cassette tape. look it up on wikipedia kids) of 'Let Me Come Over', Buffalo Tom's third album, released in 1992. I still have the tape for sentimental reasons. I instantly loved the album. 'Let Me Come Over' mastered the quiet/loud/quiet alternative rock sound of the time and featured some killer rockers and some gorgeous ballads. Its a great album to play now if you want to hear how alternative/indie rock sounded in the early 90s. It contained 'Taillights Fade' an anthem of such majesty that I find it hard to believe, even now, that it wasn't a huge hit. Embarrassingly, 18 year old me liked to think the lyrics were about me and Winona Ryder..
"Read a thing about this girl
She was a hermit in her world
Story was much like mine
She could be my valentine
and although we've never met
I won't forget her yet"
Gaaaah! Who didn't have a crush on Winona Ryder in 1992 though?
Anyway, Buffalo Tom were always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Dubbed Dinosaur Jr Jr early in their career they released two superb alt.rock albums ('Let Me Come Over' and 1993's 'Big Red Letter Day') at a time when all anybody wanted to hear was grunge. Then, when they returned in 1995 with 'Sleepy Eyed' a really poppy, catchy collection of upbeat rock songs it was the summer of Britpop and The Tom did not live in a house, a very big house in the country so the album received none of the plaudits it warranted.
After one more album, the subdued 'Smitten' in 1998, nothing more has been heard from them; I assumed they had split up. Vocalist and guitarist Bill Janovitz released a couple of countrified solo albums and bassist and also vocalist (as documeted in the sleeve notes of their Best Of album, he always sings the sensitive ballads) Chris Colbourn worked on various 'projects' and I have no idea what drummer Tom Marginnis was up to. Anyway, now, unbelievably, they are BACK! With a new album and a tour!!
I have lived with this album for a couple of months now because I wanted to get a real feeling for it before writing my thoughts down. I approached the album with some trepedation because, honestly, Buffalo Tom have such a great back catalogue it was hard to know how they could make a new album that could make me want to see them live and hear anything other than all the old stuff.
Well they have. Its like they've never been away. As ever, the album is a mix of rockers and ballads. Chris Colbourn sings more than he used to, its almost 50/50 between him and Bill. The first two tracks are great, catchy rockers that could have been on Sleepy Eyed (great opening line for the album by the way- "I'm gonna draw you in like a bad phone call/ I'm gonna draw you right in" . Buffalo Tom fans- you can just hear Bill singing that line in that gruff, yearning voice of his can't you? Well its as good as it sounds.
Track 3 'You'll Never Catch Him' is a lovely Colbourn ballad but then track 4 really ups the ante. 'Bottom of the Rain' is a very, very fine song indeed. A straight-ahead rocker with some wonderful guitar, it contains a chorus that you will be singing all day long and could be an anthem for the now grown up indie kids of the early 90s...
"Where'd they go?
Where are all those golden years"
Luckily, the album is able to maintain these high standards. There are only a couple of forgettable tracks ('Good Girl' and 'Gravity') and there are some wonderful highs including piano ballad 'Pendleton' and the epic final track 'Thrown' which sounds like it means an awful lot to Bill Janovitz.
I am not sure how many new fans this album will attract ("not Buffalo Tom again", said my girlfriend last night, as I headed towards the stereo), I have a suspicion that you may have "had to have been there" to appreciate how great the Tom were in the early 90s and I am pretty sure that their London gig in December will contain more thirty-somethings than a This Life convention.
Still, if you're a fan you will love this and if you've never heard of the band and are curious, give the new album or 'Let Me Come Over' a try. Pretty sure you won't be disappointed.
9.0
I remember my best friend giving me a tape (cassette tape. look it up on wikipedia kids) of 'Let Me Come Over', Buffalo Tom's third album, released in 1992. I still have the tape for sentimental reasons. I instantly loved the album. 'Let Me Come Over' mastered the quiet/loud/quiet alternative rock sound of the time and featured some killer rockers and some gorgeous ballads. Its a great album to play now if you want to hear how alternative/indie rock sounded in the early 90s. It contained 'Taillights Fade' an anthem of such majesty that I find it hard to believe, even now, that it wasn't a huge hit. Embarrassingly, 18 year old me liked to think the lyrics were about me and Winona Ryder..
"Read a thing about this girl
She was a hermit in her world
Story was much like mine
She could be my valentine
and although we've never met
I won't forget her yet"
Gaaaah! Who didn't have a crush on Winona Ryder in 1992 though?
Anyway, Buffalo Tom were always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Dubbed Dinosaur Jr Jr early in their career they released two superb alt.rock albums ('Let Me Come Over' and 1993's 'Big Red Letter Day') at a time when all anybody wanted to hear was grunge. Then, when they returned in 1995 with 'Sleepy Eyed' a really poppy, catchy collection of upbeat rock songs it was the summer of Britpop and The Tom did not live in a house, a very big house in the country so the album received none of the plaudits it warranted.
After one more album, the subdued 'Smitten' in 1998, nothing more has been heard from them; I assumed they had split up. Vocalist and guitarist Bill Janovitz released a couple of countrified solo albums and bassist and also vocalist (as documeted in the sleeve notes of their Best Of album, he always sings the sensitive ballads) Chris Colbourn worked on various 'projects' and I have no idea what drummer Tom Marginnis was up to. Anyway, now, unbelievably, they are BACK! With a new album and a tour!!
I have lived with this album for a couple of months now because I wanted to get a real feeling for it before writing my thoughts down. I approached the album with some trepedation because, honestly, Buffalo Tom have such a great back catalogue it was hard to know how they could make a new album that could make me want to see them live and hear anything other than all the old stuff.
Well they have. Its like they've never been away. As ever, the album is a mix of rockers and ballads. Chris Colbourn sings more than he used to, its almost 50/50 between him and Bill. The first two tracks are great, catchy rockers that could have been on Sleepy Eyed (great opening line for the album by the way- "I'm gonna draw you in like a bad phone call/ I'm gonna draw you right in" . Buffalo Tom fans- you can just hear Bill singing that line in that gruff, yearning voice of his can't you? Well its as good as it sounds.
Track 3 'You'll Never Catch Him' is a lovely Colbourn ballad but then track 4 really ups the ante. 'Bottom of the Rain' is a very, very fine song indeed. A straight-ahead rocker with some wonderful guitar, it contains a chorus that you will be singing all day long and could be an anthem for the now grown up indie kids of the early 90s...
"Where'd they go?
Where are all those golden years"
Luckily, the album is able to maintain these high standards. There are only a couple of forgettable tracks ('Good Girl' and 'Gravity') and there are some wonderful highs including piano ballad 'Pendleton' and the epic final track 'Thrown' which sounds like it means an awful lot to Bill Janovitz.
I am not sure how many new fans this album will attract ("not Buffalo Tom again", said my girlfriend last night, as I headed towards the stereo), I have a suspicion that you may have "had to have been there" to appreciate how great the Tom were in the early 90s and I am pretty sure that their London gig in December will contain more thirty-somethings than a This Life convention.
Still, if you're a fan you will love this and if you've never heard of the band and are curious, give the new album or 'Let Me Come Over' a try. Pretty sure you won't be disappointed.
9.0
Thursday, 27 September 2007
various
Have just had no time for an update in ages. The Edinburgh festival was amazing, work is now extremely hectic....plus I am currently swimming 'the Channel' for charity.
anyway, here are a few random things:-
- The Magnolia Electric Co boxset is well worth having, even at £30
- The new Iron & Wine album is a major disappointment. Why mess with a winning formula?
- Rumble Strips album 'quite' good
- Hold Steady still the GREATEST band in the World. Live version of 'Cattle and The Creeping Things' from last year's Lollopalooza is the one track you should download from itunes if you only have 79p.
- White Stripes tour cancellation is a major major disappointment. hoping against hope that Arcade Fire release some more tickets for their November tour.
- Have been rediscovering my youth and listening to some Fish albums. My new motto is "If I liked it once, I can like it again".
will try to write some reviews soon.
seeing Buffalo Tom on Dec 1 (hopefully) so will try and review that.
anyway, here are a few random things:-
- The Magnolia Electric Co boxset is well worth having, even at £30
- The new Iron & Wine album is a major disappointment. Why mess with a winning formula?
- Rumble Strips album 'quite' good
- Hold Steady still the GREATEST band in the World. Live version of 'Cattle and The Creeping Things' from last year's Lollopalooza is the one track you should download from itunes if you only have 79p.
- White Stripes tour cancellation is a major major disappointment. hoping against hope that Arcade Fire release some more tickets for their November tour.
- Have been rediscovering my youth and listening to some Fish albums. My new motto is "If I liked it once, I can like it again".
will try to write some reviews soon.
seeing Buffalo Tom on Dec 1 (hopefully) so will try and review that.
Monday, 6 August 2007
Kiss all the pretty ones goodbye
Give everyone a penny that cry
You can throw all my tranquil' pills away
Let my blood pressure go on its way
For my autumn's done come
My autumn’s done come.
Lee Hazlewood, My Autumn’s Done Come"
just wanted to say Rest In Peace Lee. a true legend.
today's a very very sad day.
Give everyone a penny that cry
You can throw all my tranquil' pills away
Let my blood pressure go on its way
For my autumn's done come
My autumn’s done come.
Lee Hazlewood, My Autumn’s Done Come"
just wanted to say Rest In Peace Lee. a true legend.
today's a very very sad day.
Friday, 27 July 2007
Okkervil River 'The Stage Names' first couple of listens
I remember being handed a flyer at a Bonnie Prince Billy gig announcing a new album by a band called Okkervil River. It described them as a mix of tindersticks, nick cave and american music club. After reading that, I didn't exactly have any choice but to buy their album.
'Down The River of Golden Dreams' (9.2) turned out to be a lovely album. A mix of the lush orchestration of tindersticks and the overwrought angst of Bright Eyes. Vocalist Will Sheff is a great storyteller and this album was one of my favourites of 2003. It led me to check out their earlier album 'Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See' (8.5) which was not quite as great but did contain the epic 'Listening To Otis Redding Alone at Christmas' which was worth the price of the cd on it's own.
2005's 'Black Sheep Boy' (7.4) was a bit of a disappointment, to Tracksandgigs anyway. The lush melodies were largely absent and the tone was dark. All in all it felt like quite a depressing listen, although it did have some nice songs, Tracksandgigs objected to the production which made the record sound as if it was recorded in a dungeon.
So, The Stage Names is finally out. Well sort of. Its not actually released until August but if you pre-order the cd from their record company, you receive a free digital download of the album. TracksandGigs has done this, so that you don't have to.
So, this 'review' must come with a warning. TracksandGigs have listened to this album TWICE so far. Both times on an ipod. So, until proper listening (on a record player at home) has taken place, this review is a work in progress, but I feel sure enough to say that this is a return to form! The Stage Names is a very lovely album.
Opening with the epic and just fantastic Darkness-esque 'Our Life is Not a Movie Or Maybe' the record sets out to entertain. The opener is nothing short of thrilling. Will Sheff's voice reaches hights that you never thought it could reach and listening to the song is genuinely exciting. 'Unless It's Kicks' follows in the same vein, with a really catchy guitar riff and you realise that most of these songs are about performance or acting or at least playing a part.
Track 4, 'Savannah Smiles' is simply lovely. The music is pretty, with a xylophone throughout, although the lyrics are dark. Tracksandgigs would like to say Hi to Amber at this stage, since she is a huge Okkervil River fan and her sister is named Savannah...
Of the remaining songs, 'A Girl At Port' is gorgeous, reminding me of old style OR track 'Yellow', 'You Can't Hold The Hand of a Rock Star' and 'Title Track' are, so far, a little disappointing but the closing song 'John Allyn Smith Sails' is great.
This is a really good album, that much is clear. Tracksandgigs likes the lighter feel of the album and the return to the more acoustic sound of earlier OR records, however the standout tracks are two rockier numbers...
This review is a work in progress and I will update again next week when I have listened more, but at the moment The Stage Names is a 9.0
'Down The River of Golden Dreams' (9.2) turned out to be a lovely album. A mix of the lush orchestration of tindersticks and the overwrought angst of Bright Eyes. Vocalist Will Sheff is a great storyteller and this album was one of my favourites of 2003. It led me to check out their earlier album 'Don't Fall In Love With Everyone You See' (8.5) which was not quite as great but did contain the epic 'Listening To Otis Redding Alone at Christmas' which was worth the price of the cd on it's own.
2005's 'Black Sheep Boy' (7.4) was a bit of a disappointment, to Tracksandgigs anyway. The lush melodies were largely absent and the tone was dark. All in all it felt like quite a depressing listen, although it did have some nice songs, Tracksandgigs objected to the production which made the record sound as if it was recorded in a dungeon.
So, The Stage Names is finally out. Well sort of. Its not actually released until August but if you pre-order the cd from their record company, you receive a free digital download of the album. TracksandGigs has done this, so that you don't have to.
So, this 'review' must come with a warning. TracksandGigs have listened to this album TWICE so far. Both times on an ipod. So, until proper listening (on a record player at home) has taken place, this review is a work in progress, but I feel sure enough to say that this is a return to form! The Stage Names is a very lovely album.
Opening with the epic and just fantastic Darkness-esque 'Our Life is Not a Movie Or Maybe' the record sets out to entertain. The opener is nothing short of thrilling. Will Sheff's voice reaches hights that you never thought it could reach and listening to the song is genuinely exciting. 'Unless It's Kicks' follows in the same vein, with a really catchy guitar riff and you realise that most of these songs are about performance or acting or at least playing a part.
Track 4, 'Savannah Smiles' is simply lovely. The music is pretty, with a xylophone throughout, although the lyrics are dark. Tracksandgigs would like to say Hi to Amber at this stage, since she is a huge Okkervil River fan and her sister is named Savannah...
Of the remaining songs, 'A Girl At Port' is gorgeous, reminding me of old style OR track 'Yellow', 'You Can't Hold The Hand of a Rock Star' and 'Title Track' are, so far, a little disappointing but the closing song 'John Allyn Smith Sails' is great.
This is a really good album, that much is clear. Tracksandgigs likes the lighter feel of the album and the return to the more acoustic sound of earlier OR records, however the standout tracks are two rockier numbers...
This review is a work in progress and I will update again next week when I have listened more, but at the moment The Stage Names is a 9.0
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Tindersticks 'BBC Sessions'
It has been over four years since the last Tindersticks studio album and it has been a difficult time for devotees of the band. Amid rumours of a split, Stuart Staples released two solo albums, with assistance of Tindersticks Neil Fraser and David Boulter and it seemed that the band were no more.
Now it seems that there will be a new Tindersticks album and tour next year, but mysteriously three founder members of the band may not be present. The plot thickens...
Fans of the band can listen to this compilation of BBC radio sessions while they wonder what on earth is going on in Tinderworld. These recordings were made during various Radio 1 sessions, mainly with John Peel and Mark Radcliffe, between 1993 and 1997, which is considered by many to be the band's heyday. The band have handpicked the selections themselves, Stuart Staples has designed the cover-art and David Boulter has provided interesting sleeve notes.
Although, almost every serious Tinderfan will own these songs in at least one other guise, there is still plenty here of interest. In fact, some of these recordings are better than the original album versions of the songs; 'My Sister' is superb, reminding me of hearing the song live at ATP 2004, 'Tiny Tears' is string-less and sounds all the better and sharper for it and 'Raindrops' is simply stunning and heartstopping.
There are also some radically different versions of classic Tindersticks songs. A piano-led version of 'Her' is just marvellous and duets 'Travelling Light' and 'Buried Bones' sound very different when sung solo by Stuart.
This compilation has made me all the more excited about the possible return of the band and has reminded me of the massive contribution David Boulter makes to Tindersticks. He is at the forefront of many of these recordings, something which doesn't always happen on studio albums, and his keyboard and piano work is one of the highlights of the cd. It is a shame that none of the band's later work was captured in this way because the three albums Tindersticks released after 1997 were also very special indeed.
This compilation would serve as a reasonable introduction to the uninitiated, as it contains many of their finest songs, but for connoisseurs of Nottingham's finest this is a simply essential purchase.
9.5
Now it seems that there will be a new Tindersticks album and tour next year, but mysteriously three founder members of the band may not be present. The plot thickens...
Fans of the band can listen to this compilation of BBC radio sessions while they wonder what on earth is going on in Tinderworld. These recordings were made during various Radio 1 sessions, mainly with John Peel and Mark Radcliffe, between 1993 and 1997, which is considered by many to be the band's heyday. The band have handpicked the selections themselves, Stuart Staples has designed the cover-art and David Boulter has provided interesting sleeve notes.
Although, almost every serious Tinderfan will own these songs in at least one other guise, there is still plenty here of interest. In fact, some of these recordings are better than the original album versions of the songs; 'My Sister' is superb, reminding me of hearing the song live at ATP 2004, 'Tiny Tears' is string-less and sounds all the better and sharper for it and 'Raindrops' is simply stunning and heartstopping.
There are also some radically different versions of classic Tindersticks songs. A piano-led version of 'Her' is just marvellous and duets 'Travelling Light' and 'Buried Bones' sound very different when sung solo by Stuart.
This compilation has made me all the more excited about the possible return of the band and has reminded me of the massive contribution David Boulter makes to Tindersticks. He is at the forefront of many of these recordings, something which doesn't always happen on studio albums, and his keyboard and piano work is one of the highlights of the cd. It is a shame that none of the band's later work was captured in this way because the three albums Tindersticks released after 1997 were also very special indeed.
This compilation would serve as a reasonable introduction to the uninitiated, as it contains many of their finest songs, but for connoisseurs of Nottingham's finest this is a simply essential purchase.
9.5
Wednesday, 18 July 2007
Elvis Perkins 'Ash Wednesday'
As every single review of this album will doubtless tell you, Elvis Perkins is the son of actor Anthony Perkins, who died of an AIDS related illness in 1992, while his mother Berry Berenson died on September 11th as she was on one of the planes that were flown into the World Trade Center.
Much of Perkins' debut album touches on the subject of death, as well as life after death but the tone is never sombre or mournful.
The real problem with this album is that the first three songs set a standard that it is almost impossible for him to maintain. 'While You Were Sleeping', the six minute long opener, is simply brilliant. It starts off quiet and acoustic but builds into something of an epic with an orchestral sound. Perkins' voice is a delight, you can never be sure where he is going to go next as he rejects standard singer-songwriter territory to let the emotion of the song carry him along. The lyric concerns the simple pleasure of waking up every morning to start a new day, while reflecting on a night of fearful dreams.
[ Anyone who's anyone,
Has that same dream.
Were you falling,
Were you flying,
Were you calling out,
Or were you dying?]
Its a wonderful opener.
'All the Night Without Love' which follows is almost as good. A violin-led upbeat pop song it maintains the album's momentum into 'May Day!' which is a joyful 70s stomper and a lot of fun.
Unfortunately Perkins can't quite keep up the momentum from here on. He falls into standard acoustic singer-songwriter territory on a couple of the more forgettable tracks ('Moon Woman II' and 'It's Only Me' and the album drifts off course in the middle.
It is not all bad news though; 'Emile's Vietnam in the Sky' is lovely and heartbreaking all at once while tracks like 'It's A Sad World After All' recalls the edginess of early Sparklehorse. 'Good Friday' closes the album on a high point and leaves the listener wondering which direction Perkins will take his music on next.
This is a really promising debut. He may well have been better off losing a couple of the mid-album songs and reducing the length of the album a bit because it does sometimes struggle to last the pace, but the highlights here make this album well worth checking out.
7.6
Much of Perkins' debut album touches on the subject of death, as well as life after death but the tone is never sombre or mournful.
The real problem with this album is that the first three songs set a standard that it is almost impossible for him to maintain. 'While You Were Sleeping', the six minute long opener, is simply brilliant. It starts off quiet and acoustic but builds into something of an epic with an orchestral sound. Perkins' voice is a delight, you can never be sure where he is going to go next as he rejects standard singer-songwriter territory to let the emotion of the song carry him along. The lyric concerns the simple pleasure of waking up every morning to start a new day, while reflecting on a night of fearful dreams.
[ Anyone who's anyone,
Has that same dream.
Were you falling,
Were you flying,
Were you calling out,
Or were you dying?]
Its a wonderful opener.
'All the Night Without Love' which follows is almost as good. A violin-led upbeat pop song it maintains the album's momentum into 'May Day!' which is a joyful 70s stomper and a lot of fun.
Unfortunately Perkins can't quite keep up the momentum from here on. He falls into standard acoustic singer-songwriter territory on a couple of the more forgettable tracks ('Moon Woman II' and 'It's Only Me' and the album drifts off course in the middle.
It is not all bad news though; 'Emile's Vietnam in the Sky' is lovely and heartbreaking all at once while tracks like 'It's A Sad World After All' recalls the edginess of early Sparklehorse. 'Good Friday' closes the album on a high point and leaves the listener wondering which direction Perkins will take his music on next.
This is a really promising debut. He may well have been better off losing a couple of the mid-album songs and reducing the length of the album a bit because it does sometimes struggle to last the pace, but the highlights here make this album well worth checking out.
7.6
Monday, 16 July 2007
ratings
a quick note about ratings:
every album TracksandGigs has ever heard has received a rating between 0.0 and 10.0 and this rating will be given every time an album is mentioned as well as when a new review appears. For example Dexys Midnight Runners 'Don't Stand Me Down' scores 10.0, while The Fiery Furnaces 'Rehearsing My Choir' scores 0.8.
every gig TracksandGigs reviews will be given a rating between 0 stars and 5 stars.
every album TracksandGigs has ever heard has received a rating between 0.0 and 10.0 and this rating will be given every time an album is mentioned as well as when a new review appears. For example Dexys Midnight Runners 'Don't Stand Me Down' scores 10.0, while The Fiery Furnaces 'Rehearsing My Choir' scores 0.8.
every gig TracksandGigs reviews will be given a rating between 0 stars and 5 stars.
Grant Lee Buffalo
The re-issue of the first and third Grant Lee Buffalo albums, has given me a chance to look back on this band.
When I first heard Fuzzy (9.3) I thought it was one of the best albums I had ever heard. It got quite a lot of attention at the time too and there was a lot of talk about it's 'cinematic' sound. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars and Grant's style of vocals which made him sound like he was narrating a state of the nation address made the record sound unique. It still sounds great now and has aged really well, the mix of angry political songs and touching balladry is just as appropriate as it ever was.
Their second album, which strangely has not been included in the re-issue series, Mighty Joe Moon (9.6) was even better but got less attention from critics. It is a kind of concept album about the state of the USA at the time (1994) with topics such as the Waco siege and the death of Kurt Cobain. It is also a beautiful, heartfelt album and the sound of a band at the top of their game. It is timeless and if you have never heard this record, you should go out and buy it now. 'Mockingbirds' remains one of TracksandGigs' favourite songs of all time.
If they were ever going to make it big, MJM would have been the time, but it never happened. Grant Lee Buffalo were in many ways a band out of time. It would be interesting to see how they would have done now, at a time when a band like Arcade Fire have made it so big on the back of word of mouth. Their next album Copperopolis (8.7) veered into more traditional alt.rock territory, moving away from the cinematic sound. It still had some wonderful moments but was a sign that GLB could not quite keep to the amazing standards they had set themselves. After that, the end was in sight. Paul Kimble left and the final album Jubilee (7.9) was made under strict record company instructions to find a radio-friendly hit single. They found several candidates including the catchy 'Truly Truly' but typically radio was not interested and the group disbanded.
Grant Lee Phillips' solo career has been patchy. After a beautiful acoustic EP Ladies Love Oracle (8.8), the first album proper Mobilize (7.5) suffered from the lack of a band, Grant played all the instruments himself and there was a synthetic sound to the record that didn't suit his voice. The critically acclaimed Virginia Creeper was a step into alt.country territory and it delighed fans of that genre but it had no edge or passion, to these ears anyway, hence (4.5).
The latest LP Strangelet (8.0) is a very nice album indeed. The passion and anger of the past are gone but the songs remain strong and the album is extremely listenable.
Incidentally, Tracksandgigs saw Grant Lee Phillips play live at Shepherds Bush Empire in 2002 and a wonderful show it was too. Grant is a fine performer and always puts on a good show whether solo or with a band......which is why TracksandGigs is so disappointed that Grant's Dingwalls show in August sold out before I managed to get a ticket!
When I first heard Fuzzy (9.3) I thought it was one of the best albums I had ever heard. It got quite a lot of attention at the time too and there was a lot of talk about it's 'cinematic' sound. The mix of acoustic and electric guitars and Grant's style of vocals which made him sound like he was narrating a state of the nation address made the record sound unique. It still sounds great now and has aged really well, the mix of angry political songs and touching balladry is just as appropriate as it ever was.
Their second album, which strangely has not been included in the re-issue series, Mighty Joe Moon (9.6) was even better but got less attention from critics. It is a kind of concept album about the state of the USA at the time (1994) with topics such as the Waco siege and the death of Kurt Cobain. It is also a beautiful, heartfelt album and the sound of a band at the top of their game. It is timeless and if you have never heard this record, you should go out and buy it now. 'Mockingbirds' remains one of TracksandGigs' favourite songs of all time.
If they were ever going to make it big, MJM would have been the time, but it never happened. Grant Lee Buffalo were in many ways a band out of time. It would be interesting to see how they would have done now, at a time when a band like Arcade Fire have made it so big on the back of word of mouth. Their next album Copperopolis (8.7) veered into more traditional alt.rock territory, moving away from the cinematic sound. It still had some wonderful moments but was a sign that GLB could not quite keep to the amazing standards they had set themselves. After that, the end was in sight. Paul Kimble left and the final album Jubilee (7.9) was made under strict record company instructions to find a radio-friendly hit single. They found several candidates including the catchy 'Truly Truly' but typically radio was not interested and the group disbanded.
Grant Lee Phillips' solo career has been patchy. After a beautiful acoustic EP Ladies Love Oracle (8.8), the first album proper Mobilize (7.5) suffered from the lack of a band, Grant played all the instruments himself and there was a synthetic sound to the record that didn't suit his voice. The critically acclaimed Virginia Creeper was a step into alt.country territory and it delighed fans of that genre but it had no edge or passion, to these ears anyway, hence (4.5).
The latest LP Strangelet (8.0) is a very nice album indeed. The passion and anger of the past are gone but the songs remain strong and the album is extremely listenable.
Incidentally, Tracksandgigs saw Grant Lee Phillips play live at Shepherds Bush Empire in 2002 and a wonderful show it was too. Grant is a fine performer and always puts on a good show whether solo or with a band......which is why TracksandGigs is so disappointed that Grant's Dingwalls show in August sold out before I managed to get a ticket!
Thursday, 12 July 2007
stuff coming up
by way of a preview of sorts, I thought I should mention the things that I intend to write about in the next week or so. They would be the new Buffalo Tom album, the new Broken Family Band album and I will write something about why Tindersticks are the best band in the world ever.
The Hold Steady
here is a review I wrote of The Hold Steady at Shepherds Bush Empire. This was published in the reader reviews section of The Independent newspaper.
The Hold Steady at Shepherds Bush Empire – 2nd July 2007
The Hold Steady’s frontman Craig Finn declared from the stage that this was the biggest headlining gig they had ever played but they will certainly have the opportunity to top the billing at larger venues still if they continue to put on shows like this.
The Hold Steady’s third album ‘Boys and Girls in America’ is causing quite a stir on both sides of the Atlantic with its heady mix of literate storytelling and Replacements and E-Street band style anthems and the audience at Shepherds Bush Empire seemed ready for an evening of celebration. Finn set the mood when he arrived on stage and declared “we are the Hold Steady and we are going to have some fun tonight” with a wide grin across his face already.
The anthems arrived immediately. Opener ‘Stuck Between Stations’ sounds like Born to Run era Springsteen, a huge windswept anthem with some humorous lyrics (“she was a really good kisser / and she wasn’t all that strict of a Christian”). It set the tone for the evening and when new single and massive sing-along anthem ‘Chips Ahoy!’ arrived just a few songs later the atmosphere in the Empire was incredible. Finn is a ball of nervous energy, when he isn’t singing he is mouthing the words he has just sung or holding his hands out towards the audience. He is a supremely engaging and energetic front man and it is impossible not to be swept along by his obvious pleasure and excitement at being able to sing these songs to so many people.
The Hold Steady are also extremely accomplished musicians though. Guitarist Tad Kubler put in an extraordinary performance, showing himself to be a highly versatile lead-guitarist and keyboardist Franz Nicolay was as enthusiastic and entertaining as his front man..
It is a testimony to the quality of the band’s music that only three albums into their career they can produce a completely consistent 90 minute set and still leave the audience wanting more. Repeated song requests from the audience were met with a deadpan “yes those are all songs that we wrote” from Finn. They played the whole of ‘Boys and Girls in
After closing the main set with ‘Southtown Girls’ and the incredible ‘How A Resurrection Really Feels’, the encore started gently with a mellow, acoustic ‘Citrus’ before one of the moments of the night as epic ballad ‘First Night’ filled the room. It would have been an ideal closer but after a lengthy ‘thank you’ speech from Finn they finished on a high with ‘Killer Parties’. Finn circled the stage, seemingly wanted to thank each member of the audience individually. He seemed to want the concert to go on forever and the huge ovation he received showed that all those in attendance felt exactly the same way.
5 stars.
tracks and gigs
Welcome to Tracks and Gigs, a blog for reviewing and commenting on music releases and gigs. I aim to update this as often as I can (which isn't much of an aim when you think about it, but still)
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