Monday 31 August 2009

Radiohead...astonishing Reading performance online now

Radiohead continue to dazzle and amaze me.

An hour's worth of footage from their stunning set at Reading last night, featuring a terrific rendition of 'Paranoid Android, is available to view online now, here..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00mgwv4/Reading_and_Leeds_Festival_2009_Radiohead/

Friday 28 August 2009

The Fiery Furnaces 'I'm Going Away'

Bonkers.

The Fiery Furnaces, brother and sister Matt and Eleanor Friedberger and assorted helpers, have walked the line between genius and madness for six years now, rarely has a band divided opinion so much.

I first came across The Furnaces when their debut 'Gallowsbird's Bark' was released in 2003. It was a likeable set of stripped down indie rock songs that drew comparison with The White Stripes but aside from a lyrical quirkiness did not at all hint at what was to come. I saw them play at 2004's ATP and was utterly blown away- 45 minutes of the most enjoyable live music I had ever witnessed. They played a medley of songs from their debut mixed with songs from the forthcoming follow up, it was frenetic, off the cuff and quite brilliant. I left the hall to hear many other people saying what I had just said..."that was incredible".

So too was the record that followed. 'Blueberry Boat' was a sprawling concept album taking in subjects as wide ranging as piracy (as in...with real pirates...on the seas), lost dogs and Champions League football. The sound was dominated by organ and frequent slide guitar solos, the vocals were shared, stories were told...it was funny but also touching and it had melodies to die for. Many wrote it off, the NME gave it 1/10, but to those who believed, it was one of the greatest things ever recorded. Really. That good.

Since then, The Furnaces seem to have been so desperate to make even grander statements that the plot has been lost somewhat. They recorded an album that was sung in the main by their 80 year old Grandmother, they released two further, difficult concept albums and they released a 54 track live album with no tracklisting and instructions not to try to listen to it all at once. There was just too much music, too many words, too many song titles and it was not easy to keep up.

Now, with 'I'm Going Away', the Friedbergers are back on track. This is their best record since 'Blueberry Boat' and their most accessible album to date. Ironically, this may disappoint their most ardent fans.

'I'm Going Away' is short, punchy and has no great concept. Its a collection of bluesy rock songs, led by organ and electric guitar. Eleanor sings most of the songs, and we are talking about songs here, rather than pieces of music. Songs like 'Drive To Dallas', a gorgeous ballad and 'Charmaine Champagne' a frantic, funky rocker that somehow reminds me of The Hold Steady . It is feelgood stuff with some exceptionally catchy melodies, notably on 'Even In The Rain' which is all handclaps, piano and a melody that you can't believe hasn't been written before.

It is an exceptionally enjoyable record and 'Take Me Round Again', a big 'lets do the show right here' sing-along epic finishes the record perfectly, leaving the listener wanting more.

The Fiery Furnaces have plenty to offer and 'I'm Going Away' is the best thing they could have done at this point. Without the prog and the difficult lyrics, this is a fun record. If you liked the first two albums, it is safe to buy this album!

8.8

[I'm Going Away' is out now on Thrill Jockey]

Sunday 23 August 2009

Single Of The Week

No doubts this week...

Noah & The Whale 'Blue Skies'

"This is a song for anyone with a broken heart...this is a song for anyone who can't get out of bed" sings Charlie Fink. Not for me then...my heart is intact and I am usually out of bed first thing in the morning to go for a swim or a run, or both. But still, this is a gorgeous single. The turning point of the 'First Days Of Spring' album, the song where Fink tries to let go of his lost love and look to the future and the "blue skies (that are) calling". It sounds as lush as it gets. Strings, a choir and a bit of brass at the end. Just a great song. Although, I will say that this radio-edit has been 'jazzed' up a bit, which is un-necessary because the version on the album is, as near as damn-it, perfect.

Out now on download and 7".

Friday 21 August 2009

new Grant Lee Phillips record

Since Grant Lee Buffalo split, frontman Grant Lee Phillips has released a string of every more disappointing solo albums, each sounding further and further away from matching the euphoria and poignancy of a Grant Lee Buffalo record. 2007's 'Strangelet' was a collection of entirely pleasant...and entirely bland pop/rock guitar songs. Totally inessential and really disappointing.

You started to wonder if the fire still burned for Grant. Well, it seems it does. In October, Grant will release 'Little Moon' on Cooking Vinyl and you can listen to it now here: http://www.reverbnation.com/grantleephillips

On first listen, it is a fine collection of songs recorded with a full band and containing the same diversity and experimentation as the best of GLB. It has fiery rockers, such as the immense 'Good Morning Happiness', heart-felt ballads such as 'Older Now' which was written about Grant becoming a father at 44 and the sort of quirky, exhuberant, slightly glam numbers that Grant used to make, in the shape of 'It Ain't The Same Old Cold War Harry'.

In short, the record is a blast. It sounds like it was fun to record and it is great to listen to. Mark this one in your diary, out in October! Nice one Grant.

Thursday 20 August 2009

The Duke & The King 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'

What a lovely little album this is. I say 'little', because it will only take up just over half an hour of your life to listen to it, but it is a beautiful collection of songs and a fresh mix of folk and soul.

'Nothing Gold Can Stay' is the result of a collaboration between Simone Felice from the Felice Brothers and Robert Burke. The songs are acoustic-led, mostly ballads but with soulful vocals carrying a hint of gospel. Whilst the music is light, the subject matter weighs heavy. These are songs of regret, sadness and loss but lifted by the hope that things will get better and a feeling of coming home.

Opener 'If You Ever Get Famous' sounds like a standard. A hushed lullaby urging the listener to remember their roots, it is delicate but catchy. 'The Morning I Get To Hell' is darker altogether but with a soulful, light vocal and a surprising but effective drum-led outro.

One of the standouts is 'Union Street' an acoustic ballad with a rambling lyric recalling childhood memories and hoping for a return to those days ("if I could just get to Union Street/ everything would be alright"). Towards the end of the record, a couple of truly lovely ballads, beautifully sung lighten the mood, 'Summer Morning Rain' in particular is as warm and bright as the summer day it describes. There is a darkness around this album though, that you only catch if you listen to the lyrics. Going off to war is a recurring theme as are death and loss. The lyrics are very direct and the listener sometimes feels that they are intruding on something private. The only time the music hints at this darkness is some guitar distortion on 'Lose Myself'.

When 'One More American Song' ends proceedings on a similar tone to the opening track, you get the urge to play the record again and delve deeper. You feel like you've listened to something extraordinary, yet on another level it is a breezy summer listen. It is an almost unique record, mixing soul and country in a way I've never quite heard before and adding in some hard hitting confessional lyrics.

Brilliant stuff.

9.0

['Nothing Gold Can Stay' is out now on Loose Records. The Duke & The King are playing some UK shows over the next few months]

Tuesday 18 August 2009

Richmond Fontaine 'We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River'

Richmond Fontaine are a band who have never completely clicked with me. If you read Uncut, you'd think they were the saviours of modern music, so ridiculously over-praised have they been by that magazine's editor. In truth, on their seven albums before this one, they have simply produced some pretty good Americana, little inspiration musically but with a singer songwriter (Willy Vlautin) who is an excellent storyteller.

Here, on their eighth record, they make some kind of lurch towards the mainstream. 'We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River' (and that is the last time I'm typing that out in this review) is a slightly more poppy version of the same thing. Vlautin's throaty, country-style vocals are not to everyone's taste, so the songs here are broken up by some nice, wistful instrumental interludes. It works well.

When he does sing, Vlautin sings some of the most depressing sets of lyrics to see the light of day this year. The songs almost exclusively concern themselves with the desperate, the drunk, the downtrodden and the lonely. Men trying hard to make a living whilst doing right by their woman and kids. Its the sound of blue collar America and it gets a bit wearing after a while. I could in particular have done without the "sometimes I was almost too drunk to get us home, but I always got us home" line, even if not meant literally.

There are some good songs here though. 'The Boyfriends' is upbeat and rocky, almost sounding like The Hold Steady and Vlautin's vocals move slightly away from the norm, 'You Can Move Back Here' is radio-friendly country rock, ticking all the boxes for a Replacements-style anthem, best of all is 'The Pull' a weary ballad about a washed up boxer.

Musically and lyrically though, there is not enough variety. The standout songs sound vibrant and driven, but too often the record sinks into easy rockers and dreary, dusty ballads.

Great title, sometimes great lyrics, average record.

6.4

['We Used To....' is out now on Decor Records, cd/lp/dl]

Friday 14 August 2009

still nothing new to review, but...

The new David Bazan LP sounds quite something.
Thats all.

Wednesday 12 August 2009

new Mark Eitzel record and other stuff

Morning.

You catch me midway through my week off, with a spare 5 minutes between swimming, watching cricket and listening to awful cds that I have to review for the other site I work for. I can't imagine I'm going to write about them on here, various reasons, but mainly it just doesn't feel right. Its nice to be sent free music to listen to though...this has only ever happed with 'the other site I write for', never Tracks and Gigs, hmm, hint, hmm, hint....

Anyway, I'm slightly panicked about the amount of records that are out on 31st August this year. God knows how I am a) going to afford to buy them all, b) going to find the time to review them all.

Nothing to review so far this week, but I am going to re-write a review of the God Help The Girl album later this week. I'm not afraid to say that I got that album badly wrong when I first reviewed it. In the 2 years I have been writing this blog, this album is the one that has most made me think "oops, why didn't I wait a while longer before reviewing that", so I am going to do it again. Sorry to all concerned.

Great news today in that the Mark Eitzel LP now has a tracklisting. It is out in September, tracklisting below, am still waiting (not so) patiently for tickets to his London show to go on sale..

1 Buried Treasure
2 Like a river that reaches the sea
3 The Blood On My Hands
4 I Miss You
5 There’s Someone Waiting
6 What Do You Got For Me
7 The White Of Gold
8 I Live In This Place
9 Why I’m Bullshit
10 Remember
11 Antennas
12 Ronald Koal Was A Rock Star

Saturday 8 August 2009

Radiohead 'Harry Patch...in memory of'

Can't believe there is anyone who doesn't already know this, since it has been reported everywhere from Pitchfork to Radio 4, but it is worth saying that Radiohead's tribute song to Harry Patch is worth £1 of anyone's money.

Despite being written, recorded and released in a very short space of time, it is on a completely different level from most music I have heard this year. Managing to sound haunting, sad (it almost reduced me to tears on first play), defiant and angry at the same time, it sounds orchestral and beautiful whilst describing the futility and tragedy of war.

Anyone who downloads this from somewhere non-official without paying for it, or even just listens to the stream should hang their head in shame. All proceeds go to the British Legion and as I said, this track is worth far more than £1.

Purchase from here:
http://download.waste.uk.com/Store/did.html

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Mountain Goats UK Tour Dates

Just received the marvellous news that the Mountain Goats return to the UK this Fall/Autumn, to play two shows...and even better news is that they are playing a nice venue in London this time (I'm not a fan of the ULU). Here are the two dates, not sure when they go on sale, they don't appear to be yet...

10 - QEH, London, England
11 - Ruby Lounge, Manchester, England

Both dates are solo acoustic...so no Peter Hughes unfortunately.

Tuesday 4 August 2009

Noah and The Whale 'The First Days of Spring'

If you had told me, at the start of this year, that by the end of summer we will have a shimmering, gloriously melancholic, orchestral masterpiece released, I would have struggled to have guessed that it would have come from Noah and The Whale. Nice though their upbeat, chirpy debut album was, there was simply no sign that they were in any way likely to make a record like this.

'The First Days of Spring' is a concept record, documentating the last days and aftermath of singer Charlie Fink's relationship with his girlfriend (who by all accounts, was Laura Marling). Fink has written a fine set of lyrics that document despair, confusion, heartbreak, reflection and finally, hope. He sings these words with a calm assurance, sounding at times a little like Bill Callahan and indeed some of the songs remind me of mid-period Smog.

The words alone would make a fine poetry collection, but luckily for us music fans, Noah and The Whale, along with a choir, orchestra and string section have combined to make Fink's concept into a beautifully arranged, evocative and uplifting piece of music, perhaps the best released so far this year.

The record is split into three distinct sections. The opening four songs document the end of the relationship. The title track sets the scene, building into a Tindersticks-style orchestral epic whilst Fink ponders his life at a crossroads("I do believe everyone has one chance to fuck up their life"), 'Our Window', with the sound of rain hitting the window occasionally in the background, is slow and mournful, piano-led, the sound of a couple on the verge of a split, both looking the other way. Its the most heartbreaking and desolate track here, especially Fink's refrain "its been a while, since I've stared at the stars".

After another couple of tracks with the same feel, a change is needed and we certainly get one! A couple of lush instrumentals bookend 'Love Of An Orchestra' which is rich with strings and a choir, completely overblown and utterly joyful.

The third section of the album looks to the future. After the slightly subdued 'Stranger', Fink searches for optimism and happiness on the graceful 'Blue Skies' which he introduces as a song for "anyone with a broken heart". He sounds most like Callahan on this track, wounded and hurt in the verses but lifting himself for the "Blue skies are calling" in the chorus. The record ends with 'My Door Is Always Open', lyrically reaching closure and peace and musically resisting the urge for a big orchestral finish but finding something just as uplifting, although understated.

'The First Days of Spring' is an extremely accomplished piece of work. Sure, its sad and melancholy but it is never, ever depressing or miserable...either tugging at your heartstrings or being uplifting and joyful. I haven't been able to stop playing this since I received it. Its a very bold attempt to produce something fully formed, rich and adventurous, without sounding overblown or ridiculous. They completely succeed. Noah and the Whale must stand a very good chance of winning the Mercury Prize for 2010. This is the finest British album I have heard in a long, long time.

[this was reviewed from a promo. 'First Days of Spring' is out on August 31st on cd and cd/dvd (more on the dvd soon) via Mercury]

Saturday 1 August 2009

Single of the week...

The Twilight Sad 'I Became A Prostitute'

The Twilight Sad return with the first single from their forthcoming album 'Forget The Night Ahead'. Louder and faster than recent EPs, this is a return to the sound of their first album. Dense, dark, thrilling....and with just a hint of a chorus..this is just as good as I'd hoped and there was a lot of expectation around this record. Looking forward to hearing the album.

For now, this is out on 7" and download, via Fat Cat Records.

more on the Zak Sally cd..

The Zak Sally cd has arrived from the States and I have to say it is one of the nicest handmade cds I have yet seen. Well worth getting if you are a fan of Zak (or were a fan of Low-era Zak), the cds are all signed and numbered.

More on the actual music soon, along with the new Twilight Sad cd and the Noah and The Whale album (which I have to say is stunning).