ALBUMs
- Album Reviews
Well what more could you want from an I Am Kloot album?’ 'Let It All In’ is the band hitting another creative peak and surely on course for another Mercury nomination. Co-produced by Elbow front man Guy Garvey, every song is a story, which you like to think, are all from the gritty side of Manchester.
“Bullets’ starts with sparse acoustic guitar, “I kept the note you never wrote” is the opening line and the scene is set for an album, just like a good book that you can’t put down. The song ends with metallic guitars behind an electric solo.
The feeling of the title track ‘ Let Them All In’ is one of warmth as the sound of the whole band joins in. ‘Hold Back the Night’ has a blues vibe then ends with a startling strings crescendo.
Ten songs on the record, each so different your attention span never wanders. ‘Even The Stars’ another stand out song is true bliss to listen to and that appears at the start of side two, with four more gems to follow!
‘Mouth on Me’ “We were young and I had a map on me” well any map I Am Kloot are holding must be heading to the stars. Five albums in, this record must surely push them further into the zone that Elbow found themselves after their Mercury prize win. Fingers crossed.
Pete
11/11
UK tour in February dates are on the band’s website
- Album Reviews
Arbouretum have not lost their folk sensibilities nor any of their raw post rock powerhouse sound on ‘Out of the Fog’
This is a band with an immense sound either when in ‘full-on’ electric mode or acoustic. There is some tremendous guitar work on the record the only downside being when ‘The Promise’, ‘All At Once The Turning Weather’ and ‘Easter Island’ fade out, if they were the Grateful Dead, these tunes would go on for another fifteen minutes quite happily.
It’s a room filling sound, Dave Hadley’s pedal-steel guitar is a delicate highlight amongst the mix and Dave Heumann’s vocals are as gritty and haunting as ever . Apparently, the drums were tuned specifically for almost every song and analog tape was used to achieve the warmth of the sound. Played this morning in very icy conditions, I can agree with that, all encompassing warmth of sound.
Pete
10/11
1. The Long Night
2. Renouncer
3. The Promise
4. Oceans Don't Sing
5. World
6.
7. Coming Out of the Fog
FEBRUARY:
Wed 20 - The
Thu 21 - Corsica Studios,
Sat 23 - De Barra's, Clonakilty
Sun 24 - Whelan's,
Mon 25 -
Other Tour dates are HERE
- Album Reviews
Snowgoose are Jim McCulloch, Dave McGowan, Anna Sheard, Raymond McGinley and Stuart Kidd and their debut album ‘Harmony Springs’ was released last year and at the time slipped under our radar somehow.
We had already had the lovely album from Lightships “Electric Cables’ in 2012 via Teenage Fanclub’s Gerard Love and this time around, Snowgoose includes Teenage Fanclub’s Raymond McGinley.
Originally formed as a three-piece with Jim (The Soup Dragons and BMX Bandits) on guitar, Dave on bass and Anna Sheard on vocals. Raymond (guitar) and Stuart (drums) joined to make the band a five-piece.
- Album Reviews
I thought I would let this album sink in before reviewing. It’s not particularly long so just plays around on a loop and it but it did arrive with quite high expectations following reviews of Christopher’s gig at St Giles Church last December.
Overall I’d say the only disappointment is the length of the record just scrapping in over the thirty minute mark which, if you are going to tour on the back of, means either using songs from the old band or covers. I would think however that before the next
Let’s not fret about the future too much though, let’s just enjoy this lovely record. Very gentle, nice changes of pace and sweet vocals. This is reportedly a concept album named after an ex-girlfriend, and with
There is an instrumental almost Midlake undertow to the theme music of ‘Lysandre’ which reoccurs throughout the song cycle. There is a touch of fuzzy guitar here and there, but in general, this is an acoustic based, flute, strings, strummed guitar heart wrenching gem of a record.
The indie success of ‘Girls’ (Christopher Owens previous band) has been shunted into the sidings just as their reputation was growing, perhaps a sign of genius? Let’s hope the next relationship he writes about is a long one, so we can hear more of this man’s songs
Pete
9/11
1. Lysandre's Theme
2. Here We Go
3.
5. Here We Go Again
6.
7. Love Is In The Ear Of The Listener
8. Lysandre
9. Everywhere You Knew
10. Closing Theme
11. Part Of Me (Lysandre's Epilogue)
Union Chapel Show 29 May ... Tickets HERE
- Album Reviews
It’s back to Fire Records for our second review of the year. This time, Wooden Wand and his second record for the label, ‘Blood Oaths of the New Blues’ which is an Americana gem straight out of the box.
Wooden Wand is the moniker for singer/song-writer James Jackson Toth, who is to Americana what Ty Segall is to Garage Rock, prolific! He reportedly has over 100 releases to his name from official albums to handmade CDRs and limited-edition vinyl.
Last year’s Brairwood receiving impressive reviews. James has actually described Blood oaths as “Sunday morning's wake and bake" after "Briarwood's Saturday night revelry."
Album opener, No Bed for Beatle Wand / Days This Long is a Dylanesqe length slow burner followed by a raw sunset, with the wind whipping up and blowing dust into your eyes songs, for the rest of the album.
Musicianship is excellent, eerie, and stirring in equal measure. This album could really be growing on you very soon and not just on a Sunday Morning.
Pete
9/11
- Album Reviews
First album in three years and the first record on the Fire Records label for
Still the nearest thing we have to a working twisted Talking Heads unit, the band remain a quirky as ever on ‘Lady from
Already hungry for new music this early in January? Well, this record will easily satisfy that craving. It’s an album of original ideas and a record that sparks the brain back into action after all that holiday excess.
Surprising, groove laden and thought provoking music for a new year and with a
There is a vinyl release of the album that is pressed at 45RPM and spread across two records and a book is also available about the making of the album called ‘Chinese Whispers’
9/11
Pete
- Album Reviews
The Postman always rings twice and on opening the door on a cold wet November morn, there was my delivery (earlier than expected) of a lovely 10” vinyl ep from ‘you walk through walls’.The debut 5-track EP from South London’s Matt Bartram, James Harrison (both formerly of Air Formation) and Harry Irving is very limited, and on transparent blue vinyl 10" to boot!
The weather out of the window actually supported the ep as it spun on the turntable for the first time with brooding power. On ‘Say Goodbye’ the guitar hits that high pitch shoegazing tone and as the trio all comes in, an uplifting wall of sound reverberates around the room. Promising start.
‘Sleepwalking’ has the body swaying and toe tapping from the first cords. The sound remains widescreen as it does, throughout the five songs.
9/11
Say Goodbye
Sleepwalking
Not Like You At All
To The Core
Complicity
- Album Reviews
A bright sparky new band will hit the marketplace with a new ep just as the Christmas lights and New Year fireworks fade.
January sees the release of the debut seven-song ep `
All the energy, enthusiasm and hunger of a new band fill the speakers if you play
The band can be found HERE
1. Mow Mow.
2. Liebe Hear the song HERE
3. October
4. Stupid Is As Stupid Does
5. Lady Die
6. F**K You And The Horse You Rode In On
7. 16s
- Album Reviews
The first thing I thought after listening to Viv Albertine’s The Vermilion Border was, let’s hope we don’t have to wait 25 years for the follow up. After playing the record through a second time, I realised just how good the songs were.
An album of stories, chock full of life that allow you picture the characters from those stories as the songs play. An honest no holds barred record. Mentions go to Poly Styrene on 'Still England' which is lovely. Jack Bruce joins her on 'In Vitro' and other guest bassists include Tina Weymouth and Glen Matlock. Mick Jones adds guitar but all that just enhances what is Viv’s record and songs.
'Hookup Girl' opens with, 'In another town you would be a whore, but in
A fine record
9/11
Pete
1. I Want More
2. Confessions of A MILF
4. When It Was Nice
5. Hookup Girl
6. The False Heart
7. Don’t Believe
8. Becalmed (I Should Have Known)
9. Little Girl In A Box
10. The Madness of Clouds
11. Still
- Album Reviews
Bob Mould apparently got the idea for Silver Age whilst remastering the Sugar back catalogue for release. Thank heavens he took that step - what he has produced here is an album of such ferocious menace that it just blows you off your feet from the start. That is not to say it's heavy metal or Post rock. It is very much a Bob Mould signature album from those Husker Du and Sugar days, dragged into 2012.
The first four songs get your brain entirely focused on the sound emanating from the turntable, indeed after song number four, ‘Briefest Moment’, you would not be surprised to look around at the record and see it melted on the turntable.. Then comes (without pause) ‘Stream of Hercules’ - the most immense and (even more) powerful song on the record.
It’s not until the closer ‘First Time Joy’ that there is even a semblance of a quieter tune. An absolutely magnificent record!
Pete
11/11
- Album Reviews
We have featured Anglo-Welsh-American rockers Howl Griff over the past couple of months and now their album Fragile Diamond has been officially released on Dockrad Records.
It goes without saying that if you like the Super Furry Animals or Gruff Rhy’s Hotel Shampoo, if you like sixties rock with a surf filler or you just love clean, sharp lines, then, this is a record for you.
Pete
8/11
You Don't Have To Leave On Your Own
Fragile Diamond
Sharkfins In The Sky
Radio Revolution
Runaround
Meet My Maker
Puppet Operation Time
She Walks On By The Flame
Rose of Emily
FÜßßBÜKKËR
International Dateline
Everything
The Album is available HERE
- Album Reviews
This could well be the best debut album of the year from this young band. The record is jammed packed with over 60 minutes of quality original songs. Dog is Dead have arrived!Harmonies spark the spirit of the Beach Boys, riffs reminiscent of The Strokes, Editors and The Shins, songwriting in tune with any of the current indie crop.
The band have earned their spurs on the gig circuit over the last couple of years, indeed we interviewed them at the Lexington in the summer of 2011, the past 12 months must have been a rollercoaster for them all.
The songwriting and musicianship is very solid on the album. The band are signed to Atlantic Records UK and have benefitted from that machine by way of publicity for the album but, rest assured this is publicity you can trust.
‘All Our Favorite Stories’ really does sound just that, what the band have experienced, discussed, lived with over the past couple of years. The band are not afraid to change styles either, the album starts with ‘Get Low’ a nice slow burner of a song, ‘Do The Right Thing’ is an open the curtains wide sunshine song, ‘Teenage Daughter’ has a ‘big sound’ feel with ‘Editors” like guitar and so on, ‘‘Glockenspiel Song’ adds a touch of Jazz and the album’s jewel crown ‘River Jordan’ is a pure widescreen delight!
So don’t hang around, buy this record (don’t download individual songs) as soon as you can or at least, get it on the Christmas list, much like the first Strokes record, this band could be enormous very soon.
Pete
10/11
