Right! Write? To be fair to Steven, I haven’t been doing a lot of it recently. Recently being…2 months or so, apart from that one blip on the slacker radar. And that wasn’t even in my subject criteria oh dear oh dear.

To carry on from where I left then and where to start, for this year I think has provided such a wealth and wide array of musical talent that it is difficult to know where to dive into first. Still, I suppose that’s the role I’m meant to fill. I might as well start off with what I’ve been listening to for the last few months and then I’ll segue neatly into new and classic music.

So in a ‘Fast Show’ homage, over the last few months I’ve been mostly listening to:

The Arcade Fire – Funeral
Read my previous review

Hard-Fi – Stars Of CCTV
Our little local band makes it big with a Specials meets a more rocky sensibility.

Beck – Guero
It’s summer so it must be. Returning back to his Odelay! style, far more groove based than previous offerings.

The Subways – Young For Eternity
The new Ash but with more punk. Catchy sugar filled teen rock songs.

The Rakes – Capture / Release
The new Libertines pt. 1. Songs about life, much like the Streets wrapped up in a new wave/art rock delivery.

Arctic Monkeys – 5 Minutes With The Arctic Monkeys
The new Libertines pt.2. Humorous lyrics with deadpan delivery. Like Art Brut, except well, better.

Editors – The Back Room
The English Interpol. Dark, brooding new wave guitars and baritone-esque lyrics. Very good, they’re going to be big.

The Frames – Burn The Maps
Irish punk rock. Fast, frenetic and spiky.

Maximo Park – Apply Some Pressure
It’s art punk from oop North.

The Fiery Furnaces – Blueberry Boat
Songs about anything and everything. They range from 2 minute blasts to 10 minute epics. A brother and sister duo, so the White Stripes if they were completely mad.

The Magic Numbers – The Magic Numbers
60s style summer pop songs. Nothing much more needs to be said that hasn’t been said already.

The Boxer Rebellion – Exits
Coldplay if they were tough. Richly layered angsty rock tunes, kind of like ‘Parachutes’ turned up very loud and plugged in.

Goldfrapp - Supernature

So that’s what I’ve been absorbing over the summertime. I apologise for the brief summaries, just trying to give a taste of what they are like. It doesn’t do much for a writing style but hopefully I’ll make up for that now. To the new album of the week I hear you cry. Well, it couldn’t be anything else this week. Everyone’s favourite horse-loving, sex obsessed, spiky, electro glam minx returns. It’s Goldfrapp of course! They are back with their third album ‘Supernature’. Having now abandoned completely the sound of their debut ‘Felt Mountain’ (the soundtrack to every film never made), Alison and Will have created another electro-glam masterpiece in the footsteps of ‘Black Cherry’. Except much more so. Where ‘Black Cherry’ had its slow songs that almost subsided into electronic squelch, ‘Supernature’ remains solid throughout. The danceable groove is retained and showcased superbly on opener ‘Ooh La La’. If it doesn’t make you grind your hips, nothing will. From these promising beginnings, the album goes from strength to strength. The bass is dirtier and more vibrant than before and vocals more breathless and downright sexy. This is the album that will make Goldfrapp, so expect to see it everywhere.

DJ Shadow – Endtroducing…

As well as new releases, this column deals in classics you all should own. Or at least download. Normally there would be another new(ish) small time band album reviewed here but I don’t think that’s necessary, what with the vast number of albums mentioned above. So, the classic this week is ‘DJ Shadow – Endtroducing… ’. This album is absolutely indispensable, its one equal in the field of post hip-hop in the mid-90s is Beck’s ‘Odelay!’ If anything, this album is more relevant today than ever before. The album is filled with intimate atmospherics and painstaking details that fit perfectly into the surround-sound iPod culture. This album was six years in the making, each song crafted from obscure samples lifted and transformed into works of beauty. Songs echo from hip-hop instrumentals, cut with rock, funk and previously forgotten jazz. What lifts this above the competition however, is the innate comprehension of rhythm and melody, exemplified by most tracks, showcasing hypnotic string harmonies over the controlled fury of hardcore beats. The high point of trip-hop.

I pen this article from a small room in Ljubljana, Sloevnia. There is a rather romantic tinge to the name, conjuring Eastern bloc linearism combined with new Western influx. In fact its just rather gorgeous here with huge rolling hills leaning far back into the distance and remarkably picturesque buildings sitting prettily on the banks of the river that flows through the centre. This is the third country so far, the seventh city. It has been eleven days of flowing from one place to the next in a stream of continuity. Night and day have lost much of their meaning now, I just eat when im hungry and sleep when i’m tired. We leave for Venice this evening, aiming to arrive the next morning. Now that sounds romantic.

I’ve experienced most of Germany, Austria and Switzerland through a train window, disembarking where possible and exploring round. So far, I’ve stayed in Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg and Ljubljana. I’ve seen the Alps in all stages of light, the Danube, the Rhine, all the rivers oh yes. Next up is the coast, navigating down the Italian shoreline on a hopefully winding route, finding our way down to the beauty of the Amalfi Coast and Capri, then perhaps across to Brindisi and Greece. Two weeks left of adventuring, money fast dwindling. However its a very content state of mind to be in.

I’ve encountered many other travellers on similar sorts of pilgrimages, making the European rounds. Emails have been traded, stories swopped, drinks exchanged. Each memory of a city or place has been coloured by the people i have met there, Munich by Dan the Canadian who was a football jock typified but great fun with it, Tony the musician in Vienna who performed inpromtu for the entire hostel and Robbie in Salzburg. Without him, we would have never made it to Slovenia, his descriptions resulted in us changing all plans on the spot, forsaking Swiss maidens for Slovene godesses. The joys of Interrail.

It has also been a cultural mesh, a bubbling hotpot of crossover. The epitome of this was one evening in Vienna. It began in a pub, travelled across the city to the Rathaus where an open air classical concert was being put on in the shadow of the immense Hofburg Palace and then culminated in a sleazy scuzzy underground indie club full of writhing girls, where we stayed until 4am. That my friends is an evening. South German beer halls, Austrian schnitzel bars where food is served by the wheelbarrow and Slovene parks where every girl is enough to turn the head and drop the jaw. Seriously, they are that gorgeous. It must be something in the water.

Well i hope i’ve inspired some envy on your part, or maybe you are having a far better holiday than i am. Either way, this is one of the best experiences of my life, no boundaries, no rules, i do not have to be anywhere for anyone and plans can change at the drop of a hat. The main change is the pace in life. No one goes out until at least 9pm, if not later. Most clubs open at 12, perhaps 1. Its much more staggered, there is no rushed drinking and everyone is much nicer for it. Well must dash, Italy awaits.

All musicians in bands have one thing in common. They are there because they love making music and therefore being paid to do this for a living is a dream come true. Fame however is a far more fickle creature and the majority of musicians chase it. Only a few ever succeed and only a fewer percentage ever achieve major stardom. This week sees the release of Coldplay’s third album. Already one of the most famous bands in the world, this third release is their bid to become the biggest band in the world. Do they succeed?

Coldplay – X&Y

The Velvet Underground & Nico – The Velvet Underground

The Raveonettes – Chain Gang Of Love

2 Many DJs – Radio Soulwax Presents Pt. 2

‘X&Y’ has been a long time in the making. It has been three years since the multi-platinum, world conquering success of ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’ and there have been a large number of people questioning where on earth Coldplay step up from there. A band’s ideal second album moves the goalposts so dramatically from the first, that the first now seems risible in comparison. ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’ did this, moving the quiet melodic strummings of ‘Parachutes’ into a far more wide reaching soundscape laden with piano and guitar hooks. The same is expected of this third album – it has to make ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’ look dated and shift the notion that Coldplay are one trick ponies. Thankfully, both for them and us, it does.

‘X&Y’ marks a huge progression in sound for the band. The term ‘band’ in this case is interesting too. Quite often during the first two albums, one felt that Coldplay were in fact a one man show, dominated by Chris Martin and his piano. However here, each element of the musical set-up depends on one another. None of the songs would stand up particularly well if one part was removed and this is what makes it great. Bass, drums, guitar, piano and organ all mesh to create a huge sound and some genuinely fantastic songs. ‘Fix You’ is perhaps one of the most moving and inspiring songs I have ever heard and Coldplay repeat their trick of writing something that you feel is both directly meant for you and at the same time applicable to everything else. I defy anyone not to feel something when the guitar line comes in half way through that song, building to a spangly climax. It’s a classic within two listens. That is of course one of the album’s highlights and it is an album of notable moments. In every song there is something to love. It is certainly something you have to get into, far less immediate than the previous two albums and for the casual listener it is somewhat of an undertaking at over an hour in length. The sole complaint is that sometimes the songs can blend into one big Coldplay mass but as a statement for world domination, it is hard to beat. I imagine I will get tired of it though, once it’s everywhere. And with the quality of the songs, it will be.

Other bands never achieve the fame they covet during their lifetimes. It’s only after they have finished can their influence be truly measured. One of the most influential bands ever for present day music is the Velvet Underground. It is fair to say that they helped create rock and roll; they certainly created a drug culture at the very least. They were the brainchild of Andy Warhol and never before had a band so closely combined art and music. Their greatest achievement was in teaming up with the black angel of Europe Nico and creating their debut. It immortalised heroin in rock culture as never before and the song ‘Heroin’ still stands as the musical epitome of a drug rush. As shown on the latest Oasis album, their songs such as ‘I’m Waiting For The Man’ are still being copied, demonstrating their originality and influence. At the time, their music was daring and experimental. It is a credit to them that even today it sounds as vital as it did then. Required listening.

Whilst there is a time and a place for experimentation, there is also a place for throwing back and reliving past eras of music. And this is exactly what the Raveonettes have done. Hailing from Denmark and following an almost Dogmé style of rules to music making, they have captured the sounds of 50’s rock music in a sexy swagger crossed with tinges of the blues. All songs are written in B flat major and aren’t much over three minutes, but there is more than enough to sustain interest here. The boy/girl duo maintain a sexual intrigue and keep it short, sharp and sweet at all times. The vocals are gorgeous and breathy dispatched with detached decadence and the whole album reads as a cinematic B-movie template.

In a column celebrating musical innovation (well, to an extent) it seems pertinent to mention 2 Many DJs. Not content with the songs in their own right, here in this hour long non-stop compilation, the Belgian duo have blended and melded 45 songs into 30 tracks. This compilation just does not pause to draw breath at any point and it is perhaps the ultimate party album. It is also a masterclass in dj-ing – who would have ever have imagined that The Stooges could be crossed with Salt ‘n’ Pepa or that Dolly Parton sounded good with Röyksopp? Some of the mixes are laugh out loud funny whilst others make you wonder why the original record wasn’t like that in the first place. This series of DJ mixes is 10 long, but Part 2 is the only one ever officially released (though how it got clearance I’ll never know, they certainly never got copyright for any of the samples used) and in my opinion it is the best of the lot and well worth having.

It has come to my attention that you perhaps are not aware of my music tastes. This may seem like a trivial matter, but when you are reading what I have to say about all these different albums and different types of music, you might like some idea of my subjectivity when dealing with the reviews. If I had to be pegged, I would class myself as an indie fan. My favourite bands ever are Radiohead, Muse and Interpol and really, if you feel inspired to listen to them, pick any of the 11 albums between them and you won’t go far wrong. But enough, and on to the second big release of the year….

The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan

The Black Keys – Thickfreakness

Engineers – Engineers

Mint Royale – On The Ropes

2005 looks all set to be a fantastic year for music. There has already been a phantasmagoria of superb releases and these next few weeks marks the return of the biggest names in music today. I reviewed the Oasis album two weeks ago, which comes out next Monday and the Monday after that sees the arrival of the new albums from Coldplay and the new album for this week from the White Stripes. With the release of ‘Elephant’, the White Stripes became huge. Jack White was the saviour of blues music, rocketing it forward into the present day with the use of dirty blues guitar and simple yet effective pounding drumming from his sister Meg. The question of the next album did therefore beg the question, where to go from here? The answer lies in ‘Get Behind Me Satan’ and it is, lose the guitar. Aside from single ‘Blue Orchid’, the brash cocksure scuzz of the guitar is notably absent, most songs relying on bluesy piano and occasionally, marimba. It is both a step backward in terms of technology and a step forward in progression for the band and it is good to see them making music for themselves, rather than anybody else. The songs are far less immediate and much deeper than on ‘Elephant’ and there is a fascination with the cult of celebrity dealt with during the songs. The White Stripes have taken a massive step forward musically, delving deep back into America’s roots and it sounds all the better for it. An intriguing album, and there’s even a bass on it.

It felt apt therefore in a review of the White Stripes that I also mention the Black Keys. Already the similarity in name is obvious and there is also a similar furrow ploughed in terms of musical bent. The Black Keys deal in fuzz filled blues rock and each song comes covered in a voice that sounds as if it’s been soaked in whiskey for the last 30 years. As with the White Stripes again, the Black Keys haven’t overpopulated themselves with musicians, there is just a guitarist/singer being driven by the powerful beat of the drummer. However their sound is much deeper, richer and earthier than that of the Stripes’ and ‘Thickfreakness’ has both gloriously dirty riffs combined with lament filled ballads that sound as if from a different era.

Now to move from one vocal extreme to another, we have Engineers. They deal with hushed tones melding with ambient, slow drifting lullabies and the results are nothing short of fantastic. They have managed to locate an atmospheric midpoint somewhere between Elbow and The Beta Band, filled with a slumberous groove that gives to way to stark, placid beauty. With summer approaching, this album just begs to be played in the slight dusk between sunset and dark. Beatific.

Finally, the sun is out and there is a palpable heat in the air. Pale pallid legs are being exposed to the air and sunglasses are being dug out. Mint Royale have made an album that fits alongside these summer items so well that you cant help but sway along to the sugary sweet pop melodies. This is simply the happiest album I know and every song has something to love about it. It is dance meets electronica meets pop sensibilities filled with catchy looped vocals and you just cannot go wrong with it. Use sparingly as an after party pick-me-up.

At the risk of sounding like a low grade website (and yes you do know the ones i mean), click ‘more’ to see more. It’s worth it, believe me.

Gorillaz – Demon Days

Sigur Rós – ()

Bright Eyes – Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil. Keep Your Ear To The Ground

Erlend Øye – DJ Kicks

So to plunge straight into the major release of the week. Which I feel is far more interesting than my random scribblings on a page. This week sees the second album from the band that doesn’t actually exist in real life. Side projects represent an interesting area in music. A famous musician from a band feels maybe stifled by the pressures heaped upon his musical outfit and so decides to retreat into the safety of experimental music under a different name. It spelled the end for Blink 182 – but then again maybe people didn’t especially mind…. Not to say anything against them though. I like Blink 182. But yes, with Gorillaz and their new album ‘Demon Days’, Damon Albarn has succeeded in creating the first fully cartoon band. To much derision they released their first album which shocked by the fact that it was huge success. Gorillaz’s sound is far removed from the Britpop roots of Blur, delving into far more urban and electronic territory. But it still works and here there is a far greater mastery of these techniques. DJ Dangermouse, of Grey Album fame, produces and they have created twisted, slightly scary, pseudo hip-hop that you can dance and sing along to. The album concerns itself with worries for the future, hence the title. But don’t worry, the theme never overwhelms the goods within and ‘Demon Days’ is full of tunes. I’m not sure how they’ll play it live though…

By all accounts, Sigur Rós should be the most annoying band in the world. Not only do they sing in a made up language (which the singer delights in calling ‘Hoplandish’), with this album they have also forgone the necessities of both a title and any track names. However by the end of this quite astonishing album, trivial matters like this cease to matter. This is an album on an epic scale combining guitars played with cello bows, pianos, drums and angelic vocals into sonically huge crescendos that seem to beckon in an apocalyptic ending to the world. Sigur Rós hail from Iceland and the music seems to fit with the jagged harshly hewn landscapes that bear more resemblance to the moon than anything else. Put simply, this album does what all great albums do, which is that it takes you to another place completely. It’s an exhausting journey and by the end, the whole ‘no words’ concept starts to make sense too.

In contrast, Bright Eyes has words to spare. The title itself is perhaps the longest I’ve ever come across spanning 14 words and it sets a tone for the album. The beauty here lies in Conor Oberst’s eloquent word play that both fascinates and delights to equal degrees. The other quirky aspect to the album is that it sounds like he has literally pressed record and played the whole album through from beginning to end. It commences with the sound of a road outside and dialogue and the image it creates is that he is actually playing on the roadside. His voice, which is definitely not the most tuneful, retains a cracked simplistic quality which is far more endearing on this album with the way that he sounds like he’s singing directly in front of you. The album is full of mistakes, but in no way do they detract from it as a whole. Instead it makes the album even more appealing as document of human frailty.

Erlend Øye is someone that you might not have heard of, but you certainly have heard him. He is the mastermind behind Kings Of Convenience, as well as singing on many Röyksopp tracks, most notably ‘Poor Leno’. Here he has branched out into the world of being a DJ, with surprising results. Here he has created a cohesive electronic album with throbbing beats laid beneath his soothing vocals. He has re-imagined quite a few famous songs in his own inimitable style and also dug out lots of obscure releases from The Rapture, Phoenix and his old friends Röyksopp. This album is perfect background music and also music you can show off your knowledge with. I can’t see what else you’d do with it really.

As one man once said ‘the times they are a-changin’. I forget his name though. Bob something? If I can’t remember then it can’t be important. And it is this that is the essence of what I’m referring to. It’s all about me. Me me me memememe this is my column. Yes I’m supposed to be reviewing something or other, or maybe drawing your attention to some overlooked dusty treasure in the corner, but why bother when I’m so much more interesting?

So in that vein, I’d thought I’d try something a little different. Three columns in, I reckon I can get away with a break from the norm. So boys and girls, are you all sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. This week’s theme is….NARCISSISM! As hard as it maybe to believe, there are actually other people out there who think more of themselves than I do of me. Maybe not Anthony….but that’s a different story for a different time. Anyway, congratulations for getting this far, now I’ll get to the point.

Albums

Razorlight – Up all night

The Libertines – The Libertines

Oasis – Don’t believe the truth

Art Brut – Bang Bang Rock and Roll

Thoughts

Rock stars tend to be narcissistic creatures. Belief in themselves and their own music is key if they want to succeed in the notoriously fickle music industry, but some are far more obsessed with their own image than others. One fine example of rock vanity is Oasis. They have made a great show of being the sole upstanders of British rock, leading the Britpop standard with beer soaked anthems. Unfortunately that was ten years ago. The music scene has changed considerably in that time, but Oasis’ conviction that they are the best thing since the proverbial sliced bread hasn’t and each successive album following ‘95s Morning Glory has ridden on the coattails of their debut successes. Therefore, Don’t Believe The Truth has arrived with the traditional Oasis hype that it matches those two era defining albums. Unfortunately for them, they are wrong again. Whilst being a solid album, possibly the best of the last 4, it is still mediocre stuff, shamelessly lifting ideas from other, better, artists. Its certainly not going to endear them to a new legion of fans. At best it will maintain the fan base they already have, due to the fact that its still true Oasis.

Johnny Borrell loves himself. He is utterly convinced of his genius. Fortunately, some of his songs are actually quite good, and coupled with this cocky swagger of an attitude means that he is adored by legions of fans. I myself know plenty of girls in love with him, prepared to make any concession to his arrogant statements, especially a certain girl from down south. Up All Night boasts some great tunes and ripples with barely contained sexual fever. At times the beat poetry style of delivery is a touch annoying, but what would you expect? It’s a sprint through a late night London wonderland, unlike Art Brut who take the listener on an ironic journey through the media. At times its clever and witty, the English LCD Soundsystem. At others though its drawn out normal scuzzy indie rock that isn’t as funny as it thinks it is. Finally the album that made me think of this theme, the Libertines. One of the songs is called Narcissist doncha know. It’s a heartfelt journey of exploration through the troubled relationship of Doherty and Bar’t, one that is compelling to listen to. As with Johnny, it is easy to love this pair (just refer to Steven and Mikes’ blogs) and they do also love themselves. This album documents their mythology as it happens and it is a roller coaster ride through English culture. Not to be missed.

Friday April 29th

In this column, release dates are of no especial concern. It’€™s simply a guide to what is worth investigating and maybe, sometimes, even eventually you might unearth a gem from my ramblings. I hope you do, and if you’€™re successful do let me know.

Albums

Weezer – Make Believe

The Arcade Fire – Funeral

The Superimposers – Superimposers

Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow

Thoughts

The major release this week is from Weezer. You may dismiss them as old, hackneyed, geek pop rockers but in fact this album is the aural equivalent of ‘€œThe Catcher in the Rye’€? and other such novels. What I’€™m getting at is the dissection of the American dream. The lyrics burrow deep into the heart of it whilst the music retains a glorious harmonious sensibility. Cuomo’€™s lyrics, whilst superficial on the surface, actually carry many layers of meaning which make the songs a joy to listen to. He has his credentials too ‘€“ he has been reading English Literature at Harvard in between band time for the last 6 years.

The next 4 albums span a total time of 38 years. Admittedly most of those are supplied by Jefferson Airplane, but it sounds grand doesn’€™t it? In fact, Surrealistic Pillow was released in 1967 and what makes it exemplary is that it still sounds fresh today. Like many great albums, it works best as a whole fitting in haunting anthems combined with breathless rock and roll. Breathless is an adjective that can also be applied to the Arcade Fire. They are the indie gods of tomorrow, so unlike anything else its like its from the upper celestial reaches of a frantic heavenly orchestra. It’€™s a sprawling epic which darts from moments of intoxicating Polyphonic Spree to frenetic Pixies. Another band dealing in celestial lushness are the Superimposers, though their celestial leanings are more a tripped out surf movie. It’€™s an aural montage echoing the best of the sixties and you couldn’€™t really do better for a summer’€™s day.

Hi there. Pleased to meet you. I’m being employed to solve all your album choice woes, slowly, week by week. Offering you incisive comments on the latest releases, the oldest releases and some downright obscure releases. Remember, I’ve dedicated a lot of my life to obtain and listen to all of these things for you so be nice. You don’t have to take my word for it though. I like an argument. Also feel free to make up some more nicknames for me. So far I have 15.

Richard will be writing every Friday. You can read his first column here.

Friday April 29th

Hi there. Pleased to meet you. I’€™m being employed to solve all your album choice woes, slowly, week by week. Offering you incisive comments on the latest releases, the oldest releases and some downright obscure releases. Remember, I’€™ve dedicated a lot of my life to obtain and listen to all of these things for you so be nice. You don’€™t have to take my word for it though. I like an argument. Also feel free to make up some more nicknames for me. So far I have 15.

Albums

The National – Alligator

The Features – Exhibit A

Eels – Blinking Lights

Stephen Fretwell – Magpie

The Go Betweens – Oceans Apart

Thoughts

The top album released this week is without a doubt ‘€œBlinking Lights & Other Revelations’€? from the master song crafter that is E of Eels. And its value for money too ‘€“ 33 tracks sprawling across two cds. As if that wasn’€™t enough, the subject matter is hardly light going either. The album, 7 years in the making, concerns itself with life, death, love, hate and our place in the universe. It might sound hard to involve yourself in such deep lyrical themes but the music itself is short and sweet ‘€“ brevity being a key attribute. One of the best albums this year and certainly E’€™s masterwork.

For those of you craving a less mainstream niche, here are a few albums to tide you over. First off, Oceans Apart marks the return of the Go-Betweens since their 11 year hiatus. It’€™s the third album since that time and by far the best, packed with poetic melodic pop, harmonies and jangly jangles that all these albums need. Quite like Belle & Sebastian. By contrast, the National are pure indie rock, a combination of early REM, Pixies and Jesus and the Mary Chain. Exhibit A takes things slightly punkier with rockier vocals and a dash of synth. Weezer, Kings of Leon and At the Drive in for influences maybe? Finally the quieter side of music with Magpie. Don’€™t worry, its not David Gray ‘€“ Stephen Fretwell has songs plucked out acoustically that are unashamedly lovely. A hidden treasure.