ALBUMs
- Album Reviews
For anyone looking for a new Leonard Cohen in his prime, look no further. Dan Michaelson already has an impressive back catalogue via band days with Absentee and his more recent solo focus with his Coastguards. ‘Saltwater’ (2009), Sudden Fiction' (2011) and 'Blindspot' (2013) are all great records and now 'Distance', which is out via 'The State51 Conspiracy' Label on 18th August cements his growing legacy of fine albums.
The front page of Dan's website is just a plain white page with the band name and album title in black which seems like a good summary of the soundscape you will hear on the record. Music you can immerse yourself and get lost in, just shut your eyes and don't be distracted.
I hope the lyrics of some of the songs here do not relate to Dan's personal experiences too much. Whilst things may lighten towards the end of the record (slightly) two thirds are songs of broken relationships and lost love, quite brutal in their clarity of the subject matters.
The new LP was produced and mixed by Ash Workman (Metronomy, Big Deal, Summer Camp) so, that must have been a complete change of pace for him, after finishing the Metronomy LP. The production is first class mixing the band to Dan's deep, deep vocals perfectly.
Joining Dan in the studio for the album were The Magic Numbers’ Romeo Stodart (bass), Henry Spenner (drums), Laurie Earle (guitar and piano), Horse (guitar and pedal steel), Nightworks/Metronomy’s Gabriel Stebbing (cello) and Johnny Flynn (violin). Let's hope we see this unit out on the road soon.
At some point Dan's records have got to start reaching a wider audience, so come on all you Leonard Cohen fans, give Dan Michaelson and the Coastguards a listen, for those who follow Dan's music, there won't be any disappointments here.
Pete
10/11
As an afterthought, ' Distance' ends with an instrumental which moves seamlessly into the new Keaton Henson album 'Romantic works' if you want to play the two back-to-back.
You can listen to the single, 'Burning Hurts' HERE
You can pre-order the album HERE
Track Listing
Evergreen
Bones
Burning Hearts
Every Step
Getting it all Wrong
Evening Light
Your Beauty Still Rules
Somewhere
Website
facebook
- Album Reviews
The front cover of this week's London 'Time Out' has the word "Jawdropping" on it (referring to the new Planet of the Apes movie). Plugging in Slow Club's 'Total Surrender' has much the same effect. The duo's ability to change their sound could be best described as "Jawdropping".
A very sweet and soulful LP is Sweet Surrender, with Rebecca Taylor's vocals up there with the best. It would be interesting to know what has been on their car stereo for the past six months, you can only imagine, both driving around Philadelphia with the sun shining and the windows wound down and the local 'rnb' radio station on at full blast. Perhaps that was what happen, only in Sheffield.
But that is the heart of the matter, for whatever the sea change in sound the heart and soul of Slow Club remains intact. Songs are still about love and loss, they just sound glamorously bigger. It is going to be interesting to see how Charles and Rebecca pull these songs off Live.
A band certainly not standing still, enjoy this fabulous record all summer long!
Pete
9/11
1. Tears Of Joy
2. Everything Is New
3. Suffering You, Suffering Me
4. Not Mine To Love
5. The Pieces
6. Number One
7. The Queen's Nose
8. Complete Surrender
9. Paraguay and Panama
10. Dependable People And Things That I'm Sure Of
11. Wanderer Wandering
12. Don't Call Me Kid
13. Not Mine To Love (Acoustic)
14. Wanderer Wandering (Acoustic)
- Album Reviews
I am a sucker for the banjo and even more of a sucker for widescreen Americana sung sweetly by a band of wonderful musicians and, there you have, The Duhks.
'Beyond the Blue' is a fan/self-funded album from the Winniepeg outfit , which is their fifth LP after a two year hiatus from a thirteen year career so far. Produced by Mike Merenda and Ruth Unger of the Mammals, and with the return of vocalist Jessica Havey and the addition of fiddler Rosie Newton, drummer/percussionist Kevin Garcia, and guitarist/bouzouki player Colin Savoie-Levac joining Leonard Podolak the band are on a firm footing indeed.
All of the people who have been in the band over the years, including non-touring founding members Tania Elizabeth and Jordan McConnell (who both appear on the album) have shaped the record you will hopefully be playing soon.
The record is a dream from the outset; nicely paced it evokes mental pictures of wide open landscapes, log cabins and songs on the porch, whilst these stories of life, love and loss just seem to whizz by.
The title track and opening song for example was written by Beth Nielsen Chapman and Gary Nicholson and starts with Leonard's claw hammer banjo and the lap-steel of guest Charlie Rose which when combined with the voices of Jessica and Rosie, you know you have a decent record ahead of you.
So sit back and enjoy. Half way through the record comes ' Black Mountain Lullaby', probably the sweetest song you will hear this year. As we get to 'Je Pense à Toi' the album takes a shift into a true world music vibe 'You Go East' I'll Go West' has an Eastern European rhythm, ' Just One Step Away' takes us into gospel territory.
So it's welcome back to a truly rejuvenated Duhks and hopefully a UK tour soon!
Pete
9/11
Beyond The Blue
Banjo Roustabout
Suffer No Fools
Burn
These Dreams
Black Mountain Lullaby
Tønderhoning
Lazy John
Je Pense à Toi
You Go East, I'll Go West
Just One Step Away
Je Pense à Toi (Reprise)
- Album Reviews
It's fair to say that I know nothing about this band, except that they are from Asbury Park, NJ and according to their twitter profile "An American Rock and Roll Band".
A search on the internet also reveals very little but from the stark black and white, nightmarish imagery of an unknown figure on the album cover, it's not suggesting sweet acoustic pop music.
The 50 minute, 8 song album kicks off with the distorted Jesus and Mary Chain-like Coke Straw, all layered guitars, pulsing beat and grungy vibe. Excellent start.
Album highlight for me is up next. A 12 minute track called Going Back to Haiti. It's a rhythmic, repeating, chugging song that would lend itself to being even longer live and evoking a trace like state into the listeners.
Ruby picks up the pace slightly with its dirty sludgy guitars but the mood remains the same.
Piedmont Aire and Adult Life lighten the mood (slightly) with the former being the nearest thing to a potential single off the album. But who needs singles ? We're thrust back into that trance like state by next album highlight, the menacing Leaves On The Leaves On The Ground....again, repeating vocals, groaning guitars, pulsing beat.
The penultimate track is the 8 minute instrumental The Designing Women of Asbury Park before closing with the nearest thing to a traditional rock song they have I Love Me, Dark Wizard. Very Zep like guitar hook and almost a chorus.
Wreaths are a difficult band to pigeonhole - part grunge, part post rock, part shoegaze.... Whatever the hell they are, they create a hell of a noise that both exhilarates and scares the life out of the listener....and I like that a lot. Check them out HERE.
9/11
Keith @kjsmith4082
LINEUP:
Ralph Nicastro – Guitars/Vocals
Shaun Towey – Guitars/Vocals
Jamison Lauer – Guitars/Organ
Kevin Beeg – Bass
Colin Carhart – Drums
- Album Reviews
A sparkling and infectious debut from Teleman who are a new band, but already, they are veterans. Three members of the band were part of Pete & the Pirates and since forming Teleman seem to have been constantly gigging for the past two years. This has meant that they sound on top of their game for their debut LP which, arrives after a couple of promising EPs.
Thomas Sanders, Jonny Sanders, Pete Cattermoul and Hiro Amamiya are Teleman and the album was produced by Bernard Butler. The sound can best be aligned to that of 'The `Shins' if, you are looking for comparisons, indeed the ten song set is just packed full of rhythm and sparky lyrics.
Festival appearances throughout the summer bode well for this hard working band who really deserve all the attention they can get
Pete
9/11
Cristina
In Your Fur
Steam Train Girl
23 Floors Up
Monday Morning
Skeleton Dance
Mainline
Lady Low
Redhead Saturday
Travel Song
- Album Reviews
I had the idea nestled in the back of my mind that The Hazey Janes came from America or Canada with all the glamour attached to that idea (for us this side of the pond), as it turns out, their crisp clean sound actually emanates from Dundee in Scotland adding themselves to the armoury for that country's fine musical output like Camera Obsura, Frightened Rabbit. Admiral Fallow, The Twilight Sad, and Broken Records, yes the list keeps growing.
The Hazey Janes release their new album, Language of Faint Theory, on Monday 2nd June via Armellodie Records which is the follow-up to 2011’s The Winter That Was
Apparently inspired and rejuvenated by their time in Spain, during their tour with Wilco the band ensconced themselves in the country’s South-west to record their fourth album together with the team that produced and mixed their debut, 2006’s 'Hotel Radio'.
Language of Faint Theory sees The Hazey Janes in fine form and in particular, Alice Marra's vocals as strong and golden as ever, whether it’s a ballad or rock tune she is singing.
Perhaps a good synergy for this band would be a Scottish equivalent of the The Cowboy Junkies they certainly have the quality and quantity of songs as well as the musicianship to be on that level.
Bassist and Alice's brother Matthew talked about the inspiration behind the new record; “While the recording of the album may have been geographically detached from the East coast of Scotland, there’s a strong narrative of our lives in Dundee running through Language of Faint Theory. The year leading up to the recording was a particularly emotional one for the four of us and that certainly infiltrated the writing process. All the songs depict events, people and places in and around the City of Dundee.”
Let's hope that there are some shows outside of their upcoming Scottish tour that will help spread the name of this fine band even further afield in 2014
Pete
9/11
1. Iwan
2. The Fathom Line
3. All Is Forgotten
4. In Shadows Under Trees
5. If Ever There Is Gladness
6. Beyond the Heath
7. The Genesis
8. (I'm) Telescoping
9. Language of Faint Theory
10. Bellefield Moon
Andrew Mitchell – Vocals, Guitars
Alice Marra – Guitar, Keys, Vocals
Matthew Marra – Bass
Liam Brennan – Drums, Vocals
- Album Reviews
I'm a big Coldplay fan, I don't mind admitting it. I've never really understand people hating on them so much, yet when they headline Glastonbury you can barely get into the field. Having shipped over 250,000 units of their new album Ghost Stories in a little over 48 hours, someone out there must like them. I digress.
The well documented divorce of front man Chris Martin and his wife has been well documented in the tabloids these past months, as has the build up to this album. I really enjoyed Mylo Xyloto their previous record, and Every Tear Drop Is A Waterfall is probably one of my favourite tunes of theirs, so I had high expectations of this record. Especially when they announced their collaboration with Brian Eno.
I've been left with a sour taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong this album may grow on me over the coming months, but having played it relentlessly for the past 72 hours I don't find myself falling in love with it.
What may have been better as a Chris Martin solo record called Reflections or the slightly cheesier, She's The Only One For Me, this record never really goes anywhere. It can really only be described as the Coldplay concept album, where they found a synth and the vocoder button on Pro Tools and decided to be a bit edgy (like most indie bands do on their second album).
Each song has a wishy-washy approach that has a graining affect on your eardrums, by track five you are pleading for something a bit more up tempo.
It's not until the penultimate track that it takes a turn with A Sky Full Of Stars, a single that seems a bit out of place. It's easy to imagine the label telling the band they need at least one song to market to the masses, and that's what they got.
My one saving grace for this record is another single Magic, which in my thoughts is a corker from start to finish. All in all though.... Meh.
Joe @thejoeeley
6/11
- Album Reviews
Two practised musicians getting together and forming a band, the latest incarnation of that theme is 'The Rails' who for their debut LP, 'Fair Warning' have been able to revive the famous, pink Island Records label.
Already garnering comparisons with Richard & Linda Thompson (Kami Thompson is their daughter, and James Walborne is an exceptional guitarist), the pair have hit the ground (rails) running with, an absolute gem of a record.
The album was produced by Edwyn Collins and it certainly has his gentle touch on the record.The recording is deliberately simple; singing, guitar and fiddle with pair harmonising exceptionally well on what can best be described as, folk songs with a slight twist.
This pair could find a career in folk circles with this and subsequent records. I don't know if it is a full time commitment or a side project to their other musical adventures? (James had been a guitarist with Peter Bruntnell, Son Volt, The Pretenders and Edwyn Collings amongst others, as well as having a solo record to his name. Kimi also has a solo album; she worked on her mother's comeback album and has been a vocalist on tours including Sean Lennon and Bonnie Prince Billy). So whatever the long term plans are, let's for now just enjoy this wonderful debut from as The Rails.
Pete
9/11
Songs:
1. Bonnie Portmore
2. Breakneck Speed
3. Jealous Sailor
4. Younger
5. William Taylor
6. Panic Attack Blues
7. Send Her to Holloway
8. Grace of God
9. Fair Warning
10. Borstal
11. Habit
- Album Reviews
A sublime album from Welsh outfit 9Bach and a band showing real progression and confidence as they motor along the music highway. Formed by Lisa Jen and Martin Hoyland in 2005 'Trincian' is the Band's second album and is out now on Real World Records.
The record is based around their home environment of Gerlan, North Wales. As Lisa Jen explains, 'tincian can mean a lot of things, to move with a tinkling sound, to ring and make a clear sound. Depending on what area of Wales you are from, the meaning varies. It comes to life in dialogue when you use sentences like "I gave him such a talking to, he didn't know what had hit him...he was 'tincian'." It's almost like a cartoon image of someone's head being hit by a hammer'. Tincian can also mean 'to resonate... it's like the bell of your memories, the sound in your mind that awakens to things forgotten. It would have also been used in sentences like "ma na rhyw *dincian ymhlith y bobol". ("There is a murmur amongst the people"). That kind of whisper, that fear or excitement of a (bad) report amongst the people like a wave of noise'.
Sung in Welsh all I can say is Lisa Jen's vocals are exsiquite but, without a translation I can't undestand a word (more studying to be done there!). The musicanship is excellent and with this sunny weekend ahead, you could do worse than lay down in the park with your headphones (and sun cream) on, shut your eyes and drift away with 9Bach. I hope the lyrics aren't too dark when translated!
You can also buy the record from "The oldest record shop in the world" HERE
Pete
8/11
Lliwiau
Llwynog
Pebyll
Plentyn
Wedi Torri
Pa Le?
Ffarwél
Llwybrau
Babi'r Eirlys
Asteri Mou
- Album Reviews
An album that has a sound that you don't expect well, not since 'Daisies of the Galaxy' anyway. In an instant you find yourself loving that recognisable gravel voice this time, just with an acoustic guitar on some songs.
An 11th album for EELS, apparently made up of revisited demos that Mark Everett decided were too gloomy to release at the time of recording. Believe me, the time is certainly right now as these songs have created an exceptional record.
The tone is gentle, the lyrics compelling, and with the two CD version, 13 more songs and session segments that will keep you engaged and enriched for some time. Indeed it is well worth buying the deluxe version for a Tom Petty (Full Moon Fever) esque spoken moment on 'To Dig It'
It seems impossible for Mark Everett to make an inconsistent record, thank heavens!
Pete
9/11
Songs:
1. Where I'm At
2. Parallels
3. Lockdown Hurricane
4. Agatha Chang
5. A Swallow in the Sun
6. Where I'm From
7. Series of Misunderstandings
8. Kindred Spirit
9. Gentlemen's Choice
10. Dead Reckoning
11. Answers
12. Mistakes of My Youth
13. Where I'm Going
- Album Reviews
A very sweet three track EP from The Untrollables via Active Hive Records. 7 minutes and 44 seconds are enough to show the promise of the band who start things off with the indie toe tapper and A side song, ‘I’d’ve Stayed Awake.
B side and second song is a dreamy guitar slower paced Belle & Sebastian like lament ‘Flame Retardant’ and the final track is again a bounce around the room indie tune ‘Til Something Moves Her’. Opening lyrics, ‘Amateur restoration, Gucci Gucci shoe on the main Eyes thinking of her when I hitched a ride to Electra Lane’ is the staple catchy song writing that is found throughout the EP.
Ok, 7 minutes and 44 Seconds is not long enough for the band, let’s hope there is more soon.
Pete
6/11
More details on Active Hive’s facebook page
- Album Reviews
Early May, and London band Death And The Penguin will release a six track debut EP called ‘Accidents Happen’.
Sounding somewhere between later era Radiohead, Bloc Party and The Mars Volta, opener Snuffed Out sets the scene for the rest of the EP with an urgent spiky pace and machine gun drumming.
Space 1998 has more emphasis on the bass lines, and dare I say it, a Prog rock sensibility with its complexity and time signature.
3rd track An Opening, slows the pace and is the shortest track here. It seems to exist to give the listener time to catch his breath after the ferocity of the openers. Single Strange Times follows and we're back to the urgency and explosive mood as before.
Bitumen is the last original song here and starts relatively slowly and quietly before slipping back into a maelstrom of drums, bass and edgy guitars. Excellent stuff.
The final track is a cover of the PJ Harvey song The Words That Maketh Murder. In DATPs hands, it sounds even more sinister than the original.
A really promising debut which on repeat listening seems to uncover more and more layers like any good art rock sound should. I'm looking forward to hearing more and seeing these guys live.
DEATH AND THE PENGUIN are: Tobias Smith (Vocals, Guitar); Christopher Olsen (Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals); Andrew Acred (Bass Guitar, Keyboard, Vocals); and Timothy Brennik (Drums, Percussion, Vocals).
Keith @kjsmith4082
7/11
