NaS - Illmatic (1994)

Absolutely definitive album from '94. Slick jazzy beats provide the backdrop for Nas' lyrical genius. Probably my shortest review ever, but the only way to appreciate this album is to have it.

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Ryan Adams - Demolition (2002)

Got my tickets for Ryan Adams back in Nottingham the other day so I've been listening to him a lot again. As a consequence I thought why not up an album, 2002's Demolition which is mainly made up of B-sides and songs which didn't make the cut for the first two-albums, but surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) the record is full of gems, highlighting why this period of Adam's career is regarded as his finest.
Beginning with clean-cut "Nuclear" Adams shows us a different style of song, not present on Heartbreaker or Gold which he revisits a couple more times to great effect. Between these simple rockers' are a varied bunch of brooding country classic and beautiful ballads which showcase Adams ear for melody. Possibly the highlights are the male-female vocals on "Tomorrow" and the plodding street-corner rock 'n' roll on "Tennessee Sucks". The latter in particular shows how well Adams can compose a song, and really bring the most out of each individual instrument.
So, if you're a fan of Adams early work, give this a try as it really is just another very good album, and not a random collection of outtakes!

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Fionn Regan: Cockpit, Leeds, Oct 26th

Looking fairly timid as he entered the stage to the cheers of the substantial crowd you could be mistaken for thinking Fionn Regan was new at this. However, as soon he begins to play, you are immediately reassured that he is the real deal.
Starting slowly on his lone acoustic, fittingly illuminated in a warm orange glow, Regan eased his crowd in before welcoming on stage the rest of his band, assembled from various other bands including Babyshambles. Luckily, the bands performance was very unlike Pete Doherty's men and a tight rhythm section gave the songs the additional lift they needed. An additional percussionist added to the atmosphere and worked really well when he reverted back to the lone acoustic for a couple songs.
Regan's lyrics are filled with clever lines and on the whole, nice and upbeat which left the crowd smiling rather than staring at their shoes. As I was unfamiliar with him before the gig I didn't know what to expect from Fionn Regan but I guess now, I can see what all the hype is about.

Normal service will resume...

Just posting to say that, very soon I will be back up to regular posting again so keep coming back. The past month or so has been hectic, starting life in Leeds and my university and although I've heard a load of great music I haven't been rushing to get it on the blog. That leaves me with a lot of cool stuff to review though, so hopefully you'll be seeing it all very soon! I have a request to put out there as well;

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Tyranny of Distance

Josh x

Silversun Pickups - Carnavas (2006)

With their thickly layered guitar and tight rhythm's the Silversun Pickups are a band that instantly catches your attention but the question is whether they can keep hold of it.
A four-piece hailing from California they got their most early gigs in all the famous L.A. clubs and began to get attention from there. With vocals from bassist, Nikki Monniger, and more often, guitarist, Brian Aubert, the psychedelic melodies are complemented by crashing drums and clever keyboard work, that often involves looping the single guitar to create a layered affect. In my opinion they are one of the best new live bands around, after their set at Leeds absolutely blew me away so aside from checking out this album...try and catch them in a venue near you.
Anyway, I digress. Back to the album. Firstly you will be struck by the riffs and drumming, especially on second track "Well Thought Out Twinkles" but if you listen deeper and further in, then you will start to notice everything that makes this band. The dual, harmonized vocals on "Little Lovers So Polite" collide beautifully with the hypnotic drumming and heavy riff. Haunting synth adds to the ever increasing number of pluses and be sure to check out the awesome bass and drums on "Waste It On".
So, while not a classic, this album shows that Silversun Pickups are a band to keep tabs on and here, they have a really good debut. Definitely recommended for those who are growing ever tired of the jangly Brit-pop that is flavour of the month.

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Band Of Horses - Everything All The Time (2006)

Band Of Horses are essentially alt-rock with country and folk influences but saying just that could nowhere do them justice. They are one of those bands who sounds like many others, but still sound very individual and with this album they have a cool debut that's definitely caught the attention of quite a few. Songs range from faster paced, KOL style, rockers to lazy, slow, winding songs which remind you of The Shins and Iron & Wine. Personal favorites would be the quirky "Wicked Gil" and the stomping "Our Swords".

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The Departure: Cockpit, Leeds, Sept 28th

Taking the best parts of Duran Duran and the rest from a lot of far cooler acts, The Departure’s earlier work certainly went down a treat, with old favourites such as “Lump In My Throat” and “All Mapped Out” getting the small Cockpit crowd moving. It was in the new material however, that the interest lied as they showed off a range of material from the forthcoming album, including latest single “Chemicals” and the rousing “Seven Years”. In these new songs lays a degree of pop appeal that the band never managed to grasp before, however brilliant and bleak their first release was.
The funky bass of Ben Winton and thick, layered guitar of Sam Harvey showed individual talent and this all tied together in a great sounding show. Front man David Jones crooned and leant over the stage with a certain degree of menace, which matched his sharp, witty lyrics but always finished with a smile as the band clearly enjoyed their warm reception.
Much has changed for the Departure since their first album, the loss of two members and a distinct shift in sound but sometimes change is for the better, and perhaps now they will get the attention they have always deserved.

Mates Of State - Team Boo (2003)

Bearing similarities to Brendan Benson and many others this Husband-Wife duo produce a really full sound and all round interesting record, bursting with kitsch, fun tunes. With too much focus often being placed on their relationship status, I can't help but feel Mates Of State are a band being overlooked by many people who potentially, would love their work.
I haven't always been a fan of organ/keyboard sounds like the ones used but MOS seem to make it work and with clever melodies, make the sound very much their own signature. The use of the boy/girl vocal harmonies adds a classic touch which many are a sucker for while quirky structure keep the songs unique and make the album work very well in its entirety. This is real sugary sweet but sometimes, we all need a little sugar.

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Busy Times

Just got back from Berlin on Friday night and therefore haven't had any posts in a while. Had an amazing time though, Berlin is a truly unique city with so much to experience and I'd recommend it to anyone, also the Circus Hostel in the Mitte was great with really warm and friendly staff so a big thanks to them!
Back to the blogging, I'm starting university in Leeds this Saturday so I apologise in advance for infrequent posting but things may be a little busy with freshers, settling in and finding a new job! I will keep going though, and once settled I can assure that the blog will be teaming with new stuff. Keep coming back, props to the other great blogs keeping the net interesting, and guys...start leaving some comments!!!
x

Carling Festival 2007: Leeds (Part 3)

With the little known activity of sleep far lower on our list of priorities, waking up on Sunday proved to be a much more difficult task than previously. Despite that, we were off to the main arena bright and early for a spot of everyone's favourite pop-punkers, Paramore. Despite plugging the new album at a rate of about three times a minute, they were entertaining and managed to keep the crowd interested for their 30 minute set. After this we were struggling and ended up at the hands, or guitars, of Teenagers where my ears were sonically raped, so much that I felt violated enough after 10 minutes and had to leave. Continuing this trend a friend and I managed a whole song and a half of Good Shoes before we surrendered and left in search of a musical saviour.
Luckily, it was time for The Shins and they played a fairly rocky set on the main stage right in the blazing mid day sunshine to which I think 95% of the audience were smiling and swaying along to. Rightly so, as I thought they were excellent and really brought a calm and soothing vibe to Bramham Park. Bravely missing out crowd favourite "Caring Is Creepy" the set seemed to include material mainly from the 2nd and 3rd albums with my favourite being recent single, "Australia".
Deciding to opt for some alone time, my next visit was to the Carling Tent to catch Oxford's technical dance-rockers Foals. Really tight and full of variation in their songs, I was very impressed by this 5-piece and so it seemed was everyone else, with a overflowing tent moving to every beat. They didn't seem to miss a note and it was really cool to see a new band with such technical proficiency, a definite band to keep on your radar! On a friends recommendation I stuck around for Cobra Starship, a band I'd never heard of, and for a start I was pretty unimpressed. It was only when the songs moved from disco, to pop-rock that I became more interested and the members started to show a few more of their skills. Despite this, I think they may have trouble distinguishing themselves as anything more as another Panic or FOB.
Coming towards the end we quickly got over to the Dance Tent for a spot of "Bizzle Bizzle" and general fun times. Lethal Bizzle is a UK garage/hip-hop artist who has made significant inroads into the indie/pop markets, evident in his appearance at this years festival. A full tent was definitely enjoying the show and, even on my last legs, I did spend most of the show dancing like a complete idiot. It's a show I enjoyed, but not necessarily something I really listen to at home. Despite that, LB is someone you should at least check out.
With the whole crew reunited, I found myself in a good spot for Bloc Party on the main stage and they weren't bad at all, at least for a start. Mixing it up between the two albums and seemingly keeping the crowd entertained. It was only when I got home, and found out that they did exactly the same set at Glastonbury right down to the between song banter, that I felt slightly cheated! I mean, sort it out guys and show a little bit of charisma.
Taking the risky decision to shun indie behemoth The Arcade Fire, myself and a friend went to the half empty Carling Tent to see the significantly less hyped, Silversun Pickups. Sound wise, this band actually had the hairs standing on the back of my neck with the beautifully heavy, layered and looped guitar work. Backed up by solid bass, soaring keyboards and crashing drums the Pickups paint a musical picture much richer than most and they have some tunes too, with songs like "Well Thought Out Twinkles" and "Little Lover's So Polite" rocking the Leeds crowd. The band have an awesome stage presence too with two static figures left and right, leaving loads of space for the highly entertaining theatrics of drummer, Christopher Guanlao, and front man, Brian Aubert. While I expect the Arcade Fire were still working their magic upon the Main Stage we literally ran across to the NME, my lone attempt to get around the logistics of this horrible tent, in order to catch the start of Biffy Clyro. Both really excited about the Biff, they did play pretty well but there was something missing. I have to admit, I was really excited about seeing them so perhaps I am being extra harsh when I say they weren't quite as good as I expected. Still, they were better than most and rocked out especially with "Saturday Superhouse" and "Living Is A Problem" from the latest album.
Finally, cold, hungry but still wanting a little bit more, I searched out the huge flag my friends were now equipped with and found my place within the crowd for the legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers. Starting with lots of energy and some cool extended jams, everything was promising and the crowd, including myself, seemed captivated. However as more and more new songs displaced the favourites everyone was waiting for and the jams got longer, and less fluid it was in the air, that patience was wearing thin. On their last leg of an 18 month world tour, it was evident that the Chili's were tiring quickly and never was this more evident than when the encore started with the decidedly flat album track, "C'mon Girl", a complete let down. I know the pedigree of RHCP and in no way will this performance change my opinion of them overall, but it was disappointing that the festival had to end this way! Never mind, the madness of Sunday night quickly put any disappointments to the back of my mind and my Leeds experience was complete, along with the dirtiest burger I have ever received, just in time to eat while the sun rose again, signalling the real end of this amazing weekend.
Huge amounts of love to everyone who shared the weekend with me, x.

Set List
'Can't Stop'
'Dani California'
'Other Side'
'Charlie'
'Throw Away Your Television'
'Snow (Hey Oh)'
'Get On Top'
'Emit Remus'
'Don't Forget Me'
'So Much I Wish'
'She's Only 18'
'Right On Time'
'Californication'
'By The Way'
'C'mon Girl'
'Give It Away'