THE MUSIC ROOM

2011, the year in musical pictures...

2011-12-31T11:21:00.000Z

...which kind of mostly means me posing with female musicians...

Nerina Pallot is lovely isn't she....?

I work the "Harry Potter" look with Tina Dico

Florrie, who is fantastic by the way.

Touring Memphis in a Rock 'n' Roll bus was fun

Me and the Quebe Sisters.

Me and Veronica Ballestrini

Me and Carter's Chord. They were very lovely.

Me and the JaneDear Girls

Outside the Grand Ole Opry

Inside the Grand Ole Opry

Me on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, on the circle of wood taken from the Ryman Auditorium

Another view of the Opry from outside

Me and Anna Wilson. She was lovely too.

The Ryman Audtiorium

Mickie James at the Hard Rock Cafe

Mickie James meets The Icon...

The Grand Ole Opry stage set up at the Ryman Auditorium

Mandy Barnett at the CMA

Me and Mandy Barnett

Thompson Square on stage

Anna Wilson on stage at the Opry

Studio B at Nashville. Where the likes of Roy Orbison and Elvis cut some of those killer tracks

Me and Sarah Darling

Beale Street, Memphis - Birthplace of the Blues

Gracelands entrance

A shot from inside Gracelands

Sub Studio's, Memphis. Genuinely one of the best days of my life.

Me with Elvis' microphone

Top 40 Albums of 2011... 20-1

2011-12-30T11:29:00.000Z

So here they are, my favourite 20 albums of 2011. It's a little bit country-centric but that's what a holiday in Nashville does for you.

20) JANEDEAR GIRLS (JaneDear Girls)
I was introduced to this one purely because they were an act at the Country Music Festival I was going to and I hadn't heard of them. One spin of their breakthrough single Wildflower was enough to have me ordering the album. And whilst that song remained the best one on the album this is a CD jam-packed with modern toe-tapping Country stompers. And if you know me, you know I love that kind of thing. CHOICE CUT: Wildflower

19) ON A MISSION (Katy B)
I have to admit to being a little non-plussed at first by that one she did with Ms Dynamite (mainly because I didn't have a clue what the guest was babbling on about) but it did grow on me (to the lengths that I was annoying people at work by constantly humming it) and a fair portion of the album has the same effect on me. Doesn't hurt that she's rather cute either does it? It might have snuck even higher if Louder had been on it. CHOICE CUT: Katy On A Mission

18) PAST LIFE MARTYRED SAINTS (E.M.A)
Arguably the most "difficult" listen on this list, it is worth persevering with this one as repeated listens reward you with an experience quite unlike any other you will have had in 2011. People have mentioned artists as varied as Patti Smith, Nirvana and Bat For Lashes as influences and/or sound-a-likes but whilst that might give you some idea as to the sound it doesn't begin to really describe it. CHOICE CUT: Milkman

17) THE SECRET SISTERS (The Secret Sisters)
The one album off this list that I nicked from my Dad. Then again, I did buy it him. I can understand why he likes it given that it's 1940s/1950s country influences are worn distinctly on it's, erm, sleeve and the line up of stellar musicians on hand is quite incredible. The songs come from varied sources, such as George Jones, Buck Owens and Bill Monroe but such is the gorgeousness of the harmonies from sisters Laura & Lydia Rogers that every song is made their own. CHOICE CUT: Why Baby Why

16) YEAR OF THE WOLF (Nerina Pallot)
Yes, I do love Nerina and yes, I am biased but this was, in my opinion, a step up from The Graduate, and I liked that a lot too. In fact in Put Your Hands Up and All Bets Are Off it has two of her best ever songs. This is typically intelligent, catchy and moving fare from Nerina. CHOICE CUT: All Bets Are Off (which is my favourite Nerina song ever).

15) DAYBREAK (Sierra Hull)
You might be mistaken upon hearing this for the first time that you've stumbled across a hitherto unknown Alison Krauss album and there is no denying that Sierra Hull does have that sound. And yet for all the comparisons (and it's not doing either of them a disservice to make that comparison) there is something unique and fresh about Hull's way of doing things and her fiddle and mandolin playing is second to none. But for all the nod's to the past this is not slavishly following bluegrass trends; it's taking them and making them her own. CHOICE CUT: Don't Pick Me Up

14) STRANGE MERCY (St. Vincent)
Back in 2009 St Vincent' Actor took the top spot in my album of the year chart. This follow-up hasn't quite reached those heights but it is another cracker even if it never fully convinces as a whole in the same way that it's predecessor does. CHOICE CUT: Surgeon

13) SWEET DREAMS (Mandy Barnett)
Mandy Barnett is perhaps my favourite Country N Western vocalist of all time. I know half of you will be wondering why I have such a "favourite" in my collection but there you go. Unlike countless of modern singers Barnett can sing Country like it should be sang. She's a throwback to a bygone age if you'd like to put it that way. A long career only reaches it's fourth album here but given that Barnett came to fame for her portrayal of Patsy Cline it was perhaps fitting (if LONG overdue) that she released an album of Cline songs. And this is stunning. She's as good as Cline, if that's not too blasphemous. Absolutely anyone who is anyway inclined to this kind of thing has loved this when I've introduced them to it in 2011. Plus I got to meet her in Nashville, and see her perform live twice. CHOICE CUT: Walking After Midnight

12) SUCK IT & SEE (Arctic Monkeys)
A bit like Franz Ferdinand, stay with me here, Arctic Monkeys seem to get more interesting to me the "less" commercial success they have. Here they returned to the tunes that were missing from predecessor Humbug whilst keeping some of the willful strangeness in the lyrics. It just goes to prove that sometimes bands can indeed be better when, you know, they don't go out of their way to write songs that aren't radio friendly. CHOICE CUT: Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair

11) FEEL IT BREAK (Austra)
It took me a while to get into this (and an insanely delayed flight from Memphis to New York helped give me some "quality time" with it) and it's fair to say that it's one of those "dance" records that you can't really dance to. But slowly over time it really dug it's fingers into me. It has some great potential singles but also meshes together as a collective whole. CHOICE CUT: Beat And The Pulse.

10) WOUNDED RHYMES (Lykke Li)
This was an example of someone coming back from a debut album that didn't wholly convince me with something that utterly struck me down numb, to the level that I had to revisit the first album just to see if I'd gotten it wrong the last time. I hadn't, just about, beacuse Youth Novels was definately a work in progress whereas Wounded Rhymes is fully realised in every sense. Heralded by the awesome Get Some, the rest of the album lived up to that first taste and more so. CHOICE CUT: I Follow Rivers

9) YOU & I (The Pierces)
Initially I was a bit upset that The Pierces had shunned their slightly weird side to hook up with some bloke from Coldplay and records an album of radio-friendly smashers, but then I realised that who was I to question a career move of that nature, especially when it seems like the other option had been giving up altogether. And deep down this still has that strangeness that made them such a standout proposition in the first place. CHOICE CUT: Love You More

8) OH LAND (Oh Land)
I don't normally go in for bemoaning the state of the record industry, but it perplexes me that someone like La Roux (one and a half decent songs) can have quite a bit of success and someone like Oh Land labours somewhat more towards the bottom end of the charts when Nanna Oland Fabricus has an album like this where virtually every song on it SHOULD be a decent chart hit. Still as long as she keeps producing albums like this I can live without the hits... CHOICE CUT: We Turn It Up

7) KITTY WELLS DRESSES (Laura Cantrell)
Another album on my list that consists (mostly) of cover versions, this time seeing Laura Cantrell singing the songs of Kitty Wells. It's also another CD that I bought for my dad and then promptly stole from him. The arrangements are generally simple and relatively sparse but that's all this fantastic collection of songs need. Great timeless songs sung by a great timeless singer. What more do you need? CHOICE CUT: It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels

6) CINDERELLA'S EYES (Nicola Roberts)
After the abysmal solo effort by Nadine and the really rather bland Americanised pap that Cheryl offers up it was with some trepidation that I met the news of Nicola's solo project. But bugger me, if it wasn't a smasher. Lead single Beat Of My Drum was an effective showcase for an album packed full of weird, wonderful but above all catchy pop tunes with a lyrical sensibility that can make you both laugh and cry, sometimes within the one song. CHOICE CUT: Porcelain Heart

5) CONCRETE (Sunny Sweeney)
If Dolly Parton was some kind of time travelling queen and started her music career in 2011 she might well have been something like Sunny Sweeney (and I know that Sweeney had one stab at stardom back in the previous decade). That's not to say that this has a "Dolly" sound at all (and in fact lyrically, its more Tammy Wynette) just that Sweeney is one of the precious few around in the modern Nashville scene who can really sing the style and mean it from the bottom of her heart. It doesn't fit entirely with what Nashville Radio is after, but when it's something this good, who cares? CHOICE CUT: Helluva Heart

4) ANNA CALVI (Anna Calvi)
In some ways she was this year's Bat For Lashes; in that a beguiling and mysterious characterisation was backed up by some of the finest songs knocking about at the moment. A virtuoso voice and some seriously kicking musical beats. And if you were ever in any doubt that this was all style over substance along comes The Devil, with just Calvi, a guitar and some haunting raw emotion. A genuine experience you could get nowhere else in 2011. CHOICE CUT: First We Kiss

3) GRAVITY THE SEDUCER (Ladytron)
I've been a fan of Ladytron since happening upon the delectible Seventeen for some long forgotten reason years ago. Gravity The Seducer was, in my ears, their best album since Light & Magic. There are a high number of instrumentals here and on other tracks the vocals seem less important to the atmosphere than ever before and it didn't get a universal reception compared to Velocifero, but I'm right. This is even better than that. CHOICE CUT: Ritual

2) EXPERIMENTS (Florrie)
You may accuse me of cheating. You'd be right too. Yes, this was only a 6 track EP but as every track was a belter (and I could have fitted all six songs into my top, say, 30 songs of the year without any trouble) and she was the most exciting "pop" act of the year for me (in the true sense of the word) I had to put this in this list and it had to be as high as it is. I hope 2012 is the year she makes a proper impact even if my usual curse proves to come true again. CHOICE CUT: Experimenting With Rugs

1) LITTLE RED BOOTS (Lindi Ortega)
As soon as I heard this album my first thought was that this was the best thing I'd heard all year. I haven't changed my mind either. It's perhaps fitting given the year I've had that a "Country" album grabs the top spot but this is more than a great Country album, it's a bloody brilliant album full stop. Sass, attitude and lyrical wit combine with killer tunes to make an album that doesn't have a less than great song on it. Absolutely stunning. CHOICE CUT: All My Friends

Albums of 2011 - 40-21

2011-12-29T11:14:00.000Z

Time is against me to do "reasonings" behind ALL my top 40 albums, so here as a preview for the rest is the first half of the countdown, from number 40 down to number 21.

40) FATHER, SON, HOLY GHOST (Girls)

39) CULTS (Cults)

38) 21 (Adele)

37) SIBERIA (Lights)

36) THE ENGLISH RIVIERA (Metronomy)

35) CONATUS (Zola Jesus)

34) LAST (The Unthanks)

33) EL CAMINO (The Black Keys)

32) ALL YOU NEED IS NOW (Duran Duran)

31) BARTON HOLLOW (The Civil Wars)

30) ANIMAL/CANNIBAL (Ke$ha)

29) VOYAGE (The Sound Of Arrows)
28) WILD DEVINE (Alela Diane)

27) PERFECTIONIST (Natasha Kills)

26) LAST SUMMER (Elanor Friedberger)

25) WASTING LIGHT (Foo Fighters)

24) METALS (Feist)

23) VIRTUE (Emmy The Great)

22) TUMBLE BEE (Laura Viers)

21) COUNTRYPOLITAN WORLD (Anna Wilson)

Top 20 rundown will follow tomorrow...

My Favourite 20 singles (sort of) of 2011

2011-12-28T11:13:00.000Z

Ok, so now it's time for the top 20 singles of 2011. Except some won't be "singles" in the traditional sense of getting a release and getting into the charts in the UK and all that but I have tried to make sure that these are 2011 songs that in some logical form or another could be counted as "singles" even if they weren't strictly adherent to the usual sense of the word. Hell, it's my list; I can put what I want in it.

20) MAMA'S BROKEN HEART (Miranda Lambert)

Everything that is great about Country Music can be found in here; this mixes the old sensibilities and the modern arrangements to come up with something totally intoxicating.

19) SHAKE IT OUT (Florence & The Machine)

I wasn't convinced by the album, which was all the more of a shame after this corking single. Truth be told, I've never been convinced by the Florence, ahem, hype machine (but that's a rant for another time). This is just dreamy and gorgeous, but with that hint of darkness.

18) NEED A LITTLE SOMETHING (Florrie)

It's not my favourite song on the Experments EP but it was the only that got the (kind of) official single treatment in that sense so I will sneak it on here just for the fact that Florrie was the pop find of 2011 for me.

17) VIDEO GAMES (Lana Del Ray)

Well given the hype I couldn't well leave it out. That said, I've put it in at a low position on this chart so that whilst I can say I noticed it and was beguiled by it, I can both annoy people who love it and have people who don't like it thinking I'm just trying to be cool by including it on my list at all.

16) BOO SHUFFLE (The Pipettes)

A great song and although they're plainly not "The Pipettes" of old given all the Sugababes style moving on of singers, this was a wonderful little ditty that harked back to their debut album and it's impossible to listen to it without smiling.

15) LOVE YOU LIKE A LOVE SONG (Selena Gomez & The Scene)

Not since JoJo's (Get Out) has there been a better throwaway pop song lyrical deconstruction as there is in this one. And it irritates people when I tell them what a great song this is. And it is, I stand by that.

14) SEX RULES (Sky Ferreria)

This was 2011's version of Annie's Chewing Gum. In that it has absolutely everything to be a monster pop smash...but it wasn't. Still, it's a bloody fantastic pop tune with the kind of catchy but inappropriate chorus that schoolkids should be singing to horrify their parents and teachers. She's got loads more like this as well.

13) DEDICATION TO MY EX (Lloyd feat. Lil Wayne & Andre 3000)
Ok so it's a bit rude. And misogynistic. But it is one hell of a tune. It's good enough to fit on that double Outkast album whose name I have momentarily forgotten. It's THAT good.

12) OURS (Taylor Swift)

Whilst Nashville made it almost impossible for me to get anywhere near her during my holiday there (and that was with an EIGHTEEN HOUR signing session) I genuinely think Taylor Swift is a "proper" talent. This was a new one and whilst it's pretty much the same as most slow(ish) songs that she does why would you mess too much with a winning formula?

11) ROPE (Foo Fighters)

It was a long wait, but Dave and the boys finally hit back on the old form in 2011 and this single was a very good example of what they do best!

10) BEAT OF MY DRUM (Nicola Roberts)

On the quiet she was always my favourite Girls Aloud member (at least since Nadine became so annoying and then did an absolutely AWFUL album) and this debut single was a masterpiece.

9) WOLVES (The Good Natured)
I have no real idea how I got onto this one, but it is a bloody fantastic tune. (And ok, it wasn't technically the "lead" on the EP but as I've said, it's my bloody list!)

8) THROUGH THE NIGHT (Ren Harvieu)

Luckily I can say that I'd "heard" Ren Harvieu before she got on the BBC Sounds List. She won't win it, no doubt, but she is the best thing on there and this is one reason why. It almost sounds like something Burt Baccarach would give us. Yes, it's that good.

7) DON'T SIT DOWN... (Arctic Monkeys)

I'm still not entirely sure whether or not the lyrics of this are supposed to be a micky-take or not, but it's an instant grunge/garage classic which showed that even now the hype has died down, the Arctic Monkeys remain on the top of their game.

6) WHITE NIGHTS (Oh Land)

I'll probably be accused of only liking this one because it's sung by a cute, blonde haired Scandinavian. Ah well, I know better...

5) HOUSE (Ben Folds Five)

Even if it had been rubbish the mere fact that Ben Folds Five were recording again would have been awesome. Luckily this was very far from rubbish. Worth forking out on the Ben Folds compilation for this alone!

4) SHAKE (Little Boots)

After a long absence Little Boots returned with an absolute stomper. Another one of those that went on repeat for an hour after I first listened to it. This was good enough as a slightly hidden away part of one of her mixtapes but in it's own right it's just an infectious pop-dance tune that was the best of it's kind in 2011.

3) ROLLING IN THE DEEP (Adele)

I don't like Adele as an artist/musician/singer but I cannot deny that this is an absolute belter. And it's not even the best song on the album (that honour goes to Rumour Has It - although admittedly they are the only two great songs on the album). I'm not the target audience for the "other" song that everyone else likes (and I'm miserable like that anyway) but for me this was always the winner. It's stunning.

2) FOREVER IN BLUE (Ren Harvieu)

Ok so I don't know whether this strictly counts as a single, but it's not on an album and got "released" into the internet on it's own, so I'm having it. A strange mix of a song that could be in a David Lynch movie, a western, or even a slightly mellow Bond theme this was one of those songs this year that I listened to for the first time and then spent the next hour with it on repeat.

1) PUT YOUR HANDS UP (Nerina Pallot)

I don't think it's exactly a secret that I love Nerina Pallot but even with my inbuilt bias, this was undoubtedly my favourite single of 2011. And it's not even my favourite song on the Year Of The Wolf album. It's catchy, it's uplifting, it's got a great sing-a-long hook....what more could you ask for?

Top 5 "Re-issues" or Compilations of 2011

2011-12-27T13:35:00.006Z

It's been a long time I know. Two years in fact. I may (hopefully) post some reviews of, you know, stuff in 2012 but until then I will be doing some "best of" 2011 lists.

We start with the Top 5 re-issues or compilation albums of 2011.

5) Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage - REM

The title itself is no doubt intended as one of those kind of jokes that are both funny and too close to the knuckle to be that funny. There was a general "it's for the best" vibe surrounding the announcement in 2011 that REM were to split; commercial success never wholly equates to artistic merit of course but in REM's case the dwindling (yet still relatively strong) sales of their past few efforts was perhaps "deserved". That said, I don't think there is an REM album that doesn't have "it's moments".

So whilst there is definitely a tail off on this compilation and whilst I would have to admit that the trio of new songs pretty much sum up the 21st Century output from the boys (far from dreadful but far from memorable) there is enough on display here to show just how good REM were at their best. And if you've ever found yourself humming an REM tune but never got around to investing in a CD this is an absolute winner.

4) Some Girls - Rolling Stones

By a quirk of fate, Some Girls was the only studio album of the Rolling Stones that I had ever bought. I now have it twice! Rolling Stones going "disco" in the form of opener Miss You has perhaps a particular resonance in 2011 given Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" but this is more about the late 70's Stones trying to fit in with the (then) modern pop world and pulling it off with supreme ease. Throw in a great second disc of other tracks (which would make for a killer album in their own right) and you have a great package.

3) Best Imitation Of Myself - Ben Folds (Five)

It might not mean much to the uninitiated, especially given the success Mr Folds has had since dropping the "Five", but I'll always consider his solo stuff as second best to his Ben Folds Five days. So the surprising news that the trio would be contributing THREE new songs to this collection was one of 2011's most welcome musical developments. Not your traditional "greatest hits" collections (mainly because Folds would himself readily admit he hasn't got many hits) this showcases all that is great with both Folds and his old band. One CD of the "favourites", one CD of live stuff (and Folds is a superb live performer, so it makes perfect sense) and one CD of rarities makes this a must have package for any fans of the man and his old band. And if things go well 2012 could see the Five come back with a whole new album...

2) The Monument Singles - Roy Orbison

One of the finest voices of any era, Roy Orbison is a true great. This collection, compiling together the A and B sides of his Monument recordings is absolutely essential. And let's face it if all Orbison had was Pretty Woman his place in history would be assured. But the classics just keep coming at you on this collection; Only The Lonely, Running Scared, It's Over, In Dreams.... but there is also a lot of great stuff on the flip side too, showing just what a talent Orbison was. This collection shows him at his peak. (The bonus DVD is great too!)

1) Elvis Is Back/Something For Everybody - Elvis Presley

1960's Elvis Is Back is regarded by many as his best album and you won't find me disagreeing with that point of view. Here it's remastered beautifully, has added singles Stuck On You, It's Now Or Never, Are You Lonesome and Surrender with their b-sides (mostly). It also has 1961's Something For Everyone album on disc two which whilst not as good in terms of the songs contains what could be Elvis' best vocal performances AND has yet more singles and B-Sides. Superb and sublime.

Don't worry folks, the next couple of lists I do will make up for the fact that these were all blokes!

Top 20 Albums of 2009

2009-12-31T14:00:00.002Z

20) A LITTLE HAPPINESS (Aimee Allen)
The aim of this album was said to be "to get people in a good mood and show them life is to be enjoyed” and it certainly achieved that aim. Not everything is a winner (it does get alarmingly all “Jack Johnson” at times, but the strength of the song writing means that this is a light, summery winner. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Save Me, Calling The Maker

19) THE GRADUATE (Nerina Pallot)
Sadly, it wasn’t anywhere near a “Fires” but Nerina Pallot’s third album has enough winners to make it another good album. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Real Late Starter, I Don’t Want To Go Out

18) SCARY FRAGILE (Butterfly Boucher)
It took a long time to come (over five years) but the follow up to Flutterby finally made it to the wider world in 2009 and it proved that her first album was no fluke. The kind of quirky “pop” music that could be huge but probably never will be, thankfully it avoided the trap of concentrating on castigating her former record label and just concentrated on the great tunes. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: I Found Out, Gun For A Tongue

17) DO YOU WANT THE TRUTH OR SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL? (Paloma Faith)
I kinda ignored Paloma Faith when she first shot to prominence. But her funny turn on Never Mind The Buzzcocks had me smitten (I’m aware it was pretty a much Marmite moment) and after seeing the hilarious youtube video diary where she went into HMV to buy her own album I took the plunge. And I was glad I did. There is an argument that the album is purely an attempt by a record company to fill the gap until Amy Winehouse is sober enough to record her new one, but there are some genuinely good songs on here and it’s a very good album. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Smoke & Mirrors, New York

16) WE TOLD YOU WE WERE FREAKY (Flight Of The Conchords)
The genius of the Flight Of The Conchords is that it’s very difficult to listen to the songs they parody once you’ve heard their versions. Can anyone take the R’n’B likes of R Kelly seriously once they’ve heard tracks like “We're Both In Love With A Sexy Lady"? Does the Black Eyed Peas “My Humps” have any relevance once you’ve digested “Sugalumps”? Similarly, you’ll never quite listen to the Police’s “Roxanne” the same way again once you’ve heard “You Don’t Have To Be A Prostitute”. This is more than pastiche; it’s more than parody; it’s a bloody good record in it’s own right. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Hurt Feelings, Sugalumps, Carol Brown

15) THE DUCKWORTH-LEWIS METHOD (Duckworth-Lewis Method)
The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, doing a concept album about Cricket…? Well it shouldn’t work, but work it did. There’s no denying that SOME liking for Cricket helps the experience (it could all be a bit baffling otherwise) but at the end of the day the songs are strong enough to stand up on their own two feet. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Jiggery Pokery, Meeting Mr Miandad

14) FIRST LOVE (Emmy The Great)
I was listening to the radio late one night, and I heard a live version of We Almost Had A Baby not knowing who the hell I was listening to (and the radio didn’t offer me any further clues) and it was still by accident that I bought this album and realised that that track was on it. And whilst that still remains my favourite Emmy The Great track, it’s by no means the only quality song on here. A stunning debut. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: We Almost Had A Baby, Bad Things Are Coming We Are Safe.

13) FEARLESS (Taylor Swift)
Someone criticised me liking Taylor Swift because she does “music for twelve year old girls”. Which may be a by-product of her record company’s attempt to market her in this Country (because Country music is traditionally a hard sell over here) but truth be told, none of that matters. Her debut album was accomplished enough, but this was another step up. There is some genuinely good song-writing going on here, and if it at times it all gets a bit “teenage” and “High School Musical” we shouldn’t forget that she’s not exactly an old lass is she? ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Fearless, Forever & Always, The Best Day

12) IT’S BLITZ (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) Cynically, rock-punk band coming back with an "all-new" electro sound should have been a sign that things were going to be “ho-hum” but I was proved wrong with a stomper of an album that never once gets dull or boring. I can imagine why some people got “upset” over this, but as “pop” isn’t a dirty word in my book, I loved it! ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Heads Will Roll, Soft Shock

11) TONIGHT (Franz Ferdinand)
Franz Ferdinand may never regain the critical acclaim that surrounded their debut album and the monster that was Take Me Out but I think they’ve remained constantly good and, perhaps as importantly, interesting. For me, Tonight, their third album, is up there with the debut overall and the likes of Ulysses, No You Girls and What She Came For are the kind of punchy indie-pop gems FF made their name on. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Ulysees, No You Girls,erm...What She Came For.

10) TRANSMITTER FAILURE (Jenny Owen Youngs)
Taking everything that was so beguiling about her debut, adding a commercial sheen but losing nothing of what made you fall in love with her in the first place, Transmitter Failure is a triumph. The sheer scale of emotions she can take you on shows again that she can both tug at the heart strings and, with her tongue-in-cheek attitude, make you laugh and that is some combination. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Led To The Sea, Here Is A Heart, What Beats Within

9) TWO SUNS (Bat For Lashes) Fur And Gold should have won the Mercury Prize (it really should) and whilst in some ways Two Sun’s nomination for the same award felt like an acknowledgement of that fact, this is still a stunning album which if not quite matching Fur and Gold, proves that ambition and quality can go hand in hand. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Daniel, Sleep Alone

8) WONDER (Lisa Mitchell) Largely known (if at all) for a song from an advert for Fabric Softener or something, it’s a shame that Mitchell’s beguiling debut album is destined to be largely ignored. A shame because it’s really rather good indeed. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Neopolitan Dreams, Sidekick, Animals

7) HARDSHIPS (Jenny Wilson)
Some albums defy easy categorisation, and so it is with Hardships. Theoretically this is an “R’n’B” album, but if it is then it’s unlike any one that you’ve heard before. Perhaps the best compliament I can pay it is that it’s packed full of songs that would be mega hits if certain other singers recorded them, but that kind of misses the point., Wilson’s genius is of it’s own. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: The Wooden Chair, Pass The Salt, Anchor Made Of Gold

6) DON’T STOP (Annie)
There was the potential problem that an album that combined Annie (excellent) with Xenomania (excellent) and Richard X (excellent) couldn’t possibly live up to the potential. Happily such fears were unfounded. Songs Remind Me Of You (produced by Richard X) is arguably my favourite pop song of the year and Loco (produced by Xenomania) is exactly the sort of pop stomper that Girls Aloud would have done before they got far too serious for my liking. Granted not everything on the album “works” but most of it does and it’s just a shame that, once again, the record buying public at large completely ignored an Annie album. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Songs Remind Me Of You, Loco, Don’t Stop

5) THE FAME [MONSTER] (Lady Gaga)
It’s by no means a perfect album (it’s far too long and certainly has its fair share of filler) but there probably isn’t a record this year that’s had as many genuine, ahem, monster hits in its midst’s as this one has. And given that at least 5 of the 8 “bonus” tracks on the Fame Monster version are winners, this certainly deserves its top 5 spot in my rankings. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Just Dance, Poker Face, Bad Romance, Alejandro

4) WE HAD A THING (Lisa Donnelly)
I’ve still no real idea how I “discovered” this album, but within one play of it on Spotify (genuinely a great invention) I was online (Aimee Street – a great place for this kind of “unknown” stuff) downloading the album. Such is the wide range of sounds on this album, it’s a difficult one to sum up in terms of style but don’t imagine that an attempt at a different sound on almost every track means that the album doesn’t hang as a cohesive whole. It does. In fact, it’s a stunning album. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: End Of Time, Laugh

3) YES (Pet Shop Boys)
Yes was the proper “return to form” that Fundamental ultimately proved not to be. Yes saw PSB sounding as fresh as they have done in years, gave a trio of cracking singles (Love Etc., Did You See Me Coming and All Around The World) and had plenty more to recommend within it too. Pandemonium, in particular, is probably their best non-single for a decade or more. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: All Around The World, Pandemonium, The Way It Used To Be, More Than A Dream

2) HANDS (Little Boots)
Ok, so the backlash began before the album had even hit the shops, and there is no getting around the fact that I am in love with Miss Hesketh, but Hands is a brilliant pop record. The singles (as good as Remedy was) don’t really tell the whole story. The likes of Symmetry, When Hearts Collide and Click are better than the singles and if justice played a part in the music business, would be huge hits. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Remedy, Symmetry, When Hearts Collide, Meddle

1) ACTOR (St. Vincent) Never content to limit herself to a particular style, Actor is an album that constantly surprises you. From the opening haunting choir on The Strangers to the last strings on the album closer The Sequel you will listen to this never quite knowing what's coming next. One particular case in point would be Black Rainbow whose pop symphony opening gives way to disturbing scuzzed up guitars reminiscent of some Horror film soundtrack. It’s obvious to say it, but this was easily my album of the year. I thought it when I first heard it, and time has proved me right. ESSENTIAL TRACKS: Actor Out Of Work, Marrow, Black Rainbow

Top 10 Concerts Of 2009

2009-12-31T13:59:00.001Z

Obviously, these are only concerts I have seen; so all this Radiohead/Muse/Coldplay bollocks will have to go elsewhere for their praise.

10) LITTLE BOOTS (12th March – 53 Degrees, Preston)
Normally I wouldn’t have two concerts by the same artists in this list (which kinda gives away that the lovely Victoria will be making another appearance as we go along I know) but I had to make an exception to my own rule this year. It’s not just the concert itself (which was amazing, naturally) but the whole day just made for one hell of an entertaining schmozzle. An on/off train journey was followed by a hotel that was 10 miles away from where my mate thought it was. Then there was enough alcohol to make Oliver Reed proud, meeting Little Boots’ brother who then introduced us to half their extended family (including her mum), being chatted up (and being taught dance moves) by a group of teenagers and failing to remember how we made it back to the hotel. This was finished with both of us being so sick that the sink almost overflowed, although we just about managed to clean up. The concert itself was great as well….

9) TAYLOR SWIFT (24th November – MEN Arena, Manchester)
Whilst I did expect there to be some youngsters in the crowd for this one, I was not prepared for there to be quite so bloody many screaming young pre-teen girls. At least I went to this one with my mate Marie and not my usual concert-going partner Gee as TWO men in their 30’s sat amongst the kids might not have been the best look. In amongst the incessant screaming and me being hit on the head with a glow stick, this was a very good spectacle although it was all a little High School Musical for my tastes. That said, I can appreciate the effort that was put into it all, and Miss Swift does have some killer tunes to back up the glitz and glamour.

8) LADYHAWKE (17th May – Academy 2, Manchester)
Another “Matt was pissed” night, but what are you going to do? This was one of those concerts where I was a little wary of what to expect, but in the end it turned out quite brilliant.

7) PALOMA FAITH (17th November – 02 Academy, Liverpool)
She as mad as a bag of spanners, but very very good live. I also appreciated the fact that she’d put some effort into her show.

6) LISA MITCHELL (11th November – Night & Day, Manchester)
Singer-songwriters are ten a penny at the moment, so it does take something a little special to stand out. Lisa Mitchell, who came through Australian Idol or something similar, is indeed something special. She’s very very lovely as well. So lovely, I felt compelled to buy a Lisa Mitchell tea-towel.

5) IMELDA MAY (11th February – Baby Blue, Liverpool)
This would have got it for the Tainted Love cover alone, and for the fact that it was one of the few concerts of the year where I didn’t feel old (even though those two jailbaits were obviously trying to make a move on us), but Imelda May comes into her own in the live arena.

4) FRANZ FERDINAND (6th March – Academy 1, Manchester)
Critically their reputation is shot, but they are still the duck’s nuts as far as I am concerned and for nearly two hours they thrilled with great track after great track and, perhaps just as importantly, seemed to be having a good time themselves!

3) LITTLE BOOTS (10th December – Academy 2, Manchester)
So here she is again. This was the 4th time in 2009 that I saw Little Boots in concert and it was undoubtedly the best. The nerves from her summer performances had dissipated and a much more confident performer was stood before us, belting out some of the best pop tunes of the year.

2) PET SHOP BOYS (20th December- MEN Arena, Manchester)
Well, ok, I am biased, but Pet Shop Boys are THE greatest pop act of the last 25 years, and this triumphant show was another of their spectacular live shows. Who would have thought so much entertainment could have been generated by 200-odd cardboard boxes? I also appreciated the song choice (including album tracks from Please) though I can imagine that more casual fans may have been more interested in the hits. The addition of What Have I Done To Deserve This and the Christmas encore made this the stand out show of the three of theirs I saw in 2009.

1) JENNY LEWIS (26th June – House Of Blues, New Orleans)
It’s probably predictable, but in the end there was no other choice. I didn’t even know she was playing in New Orleans when we got there, but a chance detour after a ride on a Mississippi River Steamboat found us walking past the House Of Blues. “Does that really say Jenny Lewis…tonight?” As she’s made it to number one in this list, obviously it did. Perhaps it was the booze (although Al, who’d just turned 30 and is 6 foot 7 couldn’t drink because he had no ID) or perhaps it was the fact that we were in a warmer climate (though not necessarily drier) but seeing the delightful Ms Lewis in this setting just seemed perfect and she seemed better than ever.

We Had A Thing - Lisa Donnelly

2009-08-30T14:15:00.001Z

As the opening track of Lisa Donnelly's We Had A Thing kicks in, you might start to think that you are merely in, say, Sara Bareilles territory. Not that there is anything inherently wrong in that, just that you fear you are in for 45 minutes or so of perfectly pleasant, but ultimately forgettable, Radio 2 music. But even if the lyrics in the opener (such as "open your heart and close your legs, they only want what makes them beg") don't tip you the nod that you're dealing with something else, the funky disco opening of the follow up track, Little Devil soon let you know that this is a whole different kind of ride.

Some might decry the sheer scope of different sounds on We Had A Thing, but when Donnelly can switch so effectively from the delightful up-tempo pop of Naturally to the blues sound of Stuck In A Rut (which reminded me of old favourite Matraca Berg) via the eastern sitar sounds of Blue it would be churlish to complain. And why should showing more invention in the space of one record than a lot of acts manage in an entire career count against her too much?

“Life takes a lifetime,” sings Lisa Donnelly in Naturally, so you've more than enough time to sit down and enjoy this stunning album.

A Little Happiness - Aimee Allen

2009-08-29T13:27:00.002Z

According to her website, Aimee Allen is described as an “explosive, outspoken voice” which might confuse people who know her purely from her "Cooties" Hairspray turn, or indeed anyone who comes to her new album, A Little Happiness, blind, and hasn't had the pleasure of her "previous" (and largely unreleased career). After all the mostly acoustic and generally lilting pace of the album only just manages to stay this side of Jack Johnson banality.

Indeed one of her new found artistic aims is to "to get people in a good mood and show them life is to be enjoyed" (incidentally this aim was influenced to a certain extent by being the victim of an assault in the summer of 2008 that left her with a broken jaw and serious head injuries) band this album certainly goes a long way to reaching for those aims.

The lilting reggae-lite tones of the likes of Save Me and On Vacation are perfect summer tunes (the slightly off-kilter whistling on the former is disarmingly adorable - hopefully it's not "ghosted" by some bloke in the recording studio...) whilst the perky piano backing and the soulful chorus on Calling The Maker make for something rather wonderful indeed, probably resulting in the highlight of the album.

But really, whilst the quality does slip slightly on occasion there's little here that you wouldn't want to listen to over and over again. Some reviewers have labelled this as a perfect "summer" album but that, to me, would be to do it an injustice. Whilst it certainly would fit nicely on a hot summer's days out in the garden, I'd wager it's just the thing to perk you up in a cold winter's evening as well. As Allen reminds us, the world isn't perfect, but you'll love sharing it's imperfections with her whilst listening to this delightful album.

Ready For The Weekend - Calvin Harris

2009-08-26T12:30:00.000Z

Most reviews that I have read of Calvin Harris follow up to the rather good I Created Disco have gone along the lines that last time out Harris was chasing the "cool" sound of the likes of LCD Soundsystem whereas this time around he's aiming right for the jugular of populism. Whilst I cannot see the argument that first time around Harris was aiming for anything else, it's certainly true that his stated ambition for his second album to make “stadium dance” music, certainly wasn't wide of the mark.

In places the album is distinctly simple in terms of its tunes but driving beats and cheesy hooks make Ready For The Weekend a shamelessly crowd-pleasing affair...at least for the majority of the album.

In all honesty, the tracks work in isolation. Few would cause you to leave the dancefloor when you're out on a Saturday night, but any more than two or three in the comfort of you own home and you're unlikely to stay amused for long. It doesn't help it either that the best track on here is his collaboration with Dizzee Rascal, whose lyrics may be as banal as Harris' but at least have a sense of mischievousness and fun that are lacking from Harris originals. And whilst Harris', erm, lack of a singing voice may be part of his charm, it doesn't half start to grate when you are subjected to it for any continuous length of time.

So whilst Harris has enough on here to keep those top 10 chart smashes coming (even if at times he comes dangerously close to sounding like the Vengaboys) it would seem that his natural position on your MP3 player is as an artist to dip into when you're in need of a big pop smash hit rather than put the whole album on your favourites list.

Guilty Pleasure - Ashley Tisdale

2009-08-23T12:07:00.000Z

If Ashley Tisdale's 2007 debut, Headstrong, was exactly what you would expect from a Disney-pushed pop act then this follow up perhaps deserves to be tarnished with the same brush.

Yes, Tisdale is now attempting to prove that she's "grown up" (which shouldn't be difficult considering she's 23 now) and this introduces itself as the kind of lame "power pop" that gives, well, pop music a bad name.

As ever with these kind of things there are a couple of songs that are at least catchy and relatively memorable. Masquerade chugs along pleasantly enough with it's rock riffs and Hair is the kind of upbeat, but slightly odd, pop song that should be a big hit even if it's lyrical content (young Ashley seems to love how her boyfriend twirls her hair) is more suited to the 12 year old girls that this album is presumably targeted at than it is to me.

Of course where the album really falls down is the ballads; other than the slightly brave How Do You Love Someone - which may be a terrible song but at least has the guts to tackle something different lyrically (divorce) the rest just sail by on a stream of dullness.

And that's the crux of the matter; Tisdale has gone to great lengths to "grow up" but the whole product is unable to shake that "corporate" stench. Co-writes from Kara DioGuardi (Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood), Toby Gad (Beyonce, Fergie) and Diane Warren (erm, well just about everyone) simply highlight the desperation to hit the charts and the whole thing is completely devoid of any distinctiveness or imagination.

Last time around I said there Tisdale had a smattering of songs that could be hits in the right hands but that there was no evidence, as a whole, that Tisdale was that right vehicle. Her role in High School Musical might work in the short-term, but in the long-term it seems like I was right first time around.

Travelling Like The Light - V V Brown

2009-08-17T18:23:00.002Z

Philosophical question of the day; is it possible to be a "pop" star without having any hits?

Stay with me, because I'm not just being obnoxious for the sake of it. It's because VV Brown, who comes with her fair share of hype, so far has had two singles fail to trouble the charts (Crying Blood and Leave) and one just scrape into the top 40 (Shark In The Water). Does the British public not know what's good for it, or is VV Brown quite rightly relegated to the status of an also ran along side the likes of La Roux, Little Boots (who for all the backlash has a top 10 album and two top 20 singles) and, yes, even Pixie Lott?

To be honest, it's probably a bit of both. Crying Blood and Leave! are decent enough singles, but aren't anything that can't be found better elsewhere. Things aren't helped by album opener, Quick Fix, being intensely irritating. And after an album's worth, Brown's 50's and 60's influenced style is really rather grating. And to be honest, despite the fact that Brown has a good voice and seems to be able to pen a decent enough tune, the whole things smacks of ticking a corporate box for a "pop" version of Amy Winehouse. And that need not necessarily be a bad thing when executed better than it is here, but nothing rises above the parapet enough to really draw you in.

As her version of This Charming Man on the B-side to Leave showed, someone would like you to think that VV Brown is cerebral and vital and bringing something credible to pop music. Take my word for it, she's not.

Jessie James - Jessie James

2009-08-15T14:54:00.003Z

Sometimes I do things I'm not particularly proud of. Agreeing to watch Confessions Of A Shopaholic isn't one of them (regardless of the, ahem, reasons), but the soundtrack of that said movie did introduce me to Jessie James, through the track Blue Jeans. It was the kind of sassy, sexy pop tune that grabs my attention from time to time and made me anxious to check out more from where that came.

Well, I had to wait for a while, but finally James' debut album has hit the airwaves and despite some suggestions that James can be classified as a "country" singer this is a straight up pop album all the way (as evidenced by the Katy Perry co-writes on two tracks).

Opener Wanted sounds very much like Christina Aguillera, but thankfully like one of her better songs, whilst second track Bullet (one of the Katy Perry's) is everything a great pop song could be. It's catchy, slightly odd (the use of a banjo, for instance) and very difficult to get out of your head once you've listened to it once. In the space of three minutes it also seems to sum up what James is aiming for. And whilst "is that a gun in your pocket or are you just happy to see me" is certainly a cliche is strikes a playful note that adds to the entertainment on show.

The "country" element does, I suppose, show up on the delightfully slinky, almost Nashville Rap style, My Cowboy, whilst the likes of Big Mouth and Burn It Up are the kinds of songs that Pussycat Dolls would kill for (and no doubt take to the top of the charts for weeks).

Ok, so as is almost a prerequisite these days, the album sinks when there's some demographic-grabbing ballads and the album certainly starts better than it ends, but for a good two-thirds or so this really is a special pop album, packed full of catchy hits-in-the-making.

Of course it's easy to be cynical about things like this, and there would seem to be little doubt that Jessie James is shamelessly aiming for pop-superstardom but this cracker of an album should surely help her get there.

The Lost Get Found - Britt Nicole

2009-08-13T14:11:00.002Z

If you're really paying attention to my ramblings on this site, you may recognise the name Britt Nicole. Her 2007 album Say It wasn't brilliant but it did have a smattering of top-quality pop singles so it wasn't without some anticipation that I gave her new effort, The Lost Get Found, a spin. Much like last time, if someone hadn't told me I'd have had little clue that this was "Christian" music - again Britt Nicole sounds a little bit like Avril Lavigne (back when people liked her) and Kelly Clarkson.

When this "sound" works, we get some pretty good pop tunes. How We Roll is a catchy, upbeat song, Headphones tries to channel the Timabaland effect to surprisingly good effect whilst Welcome To The Show had me hooked with it's carnival intro before hitting out with a heavy pop-rock drive. Best of the bunch, however, is the disco-tastic Like A Star, which would be out of place as a Kylie smash hit single.

Of course as with most things of this nature there is your fair share of pleasant but ultimately forgettable ballads (the one exception would be the really rather beautiful album closer Have Your Way) but if you take the good songs on their merits, there is enough here to please most pop fans.

The Dandy Warhols Are Sound - Dandy Warhols

2009-08-10T13:18:00.002Z

With the money rolling in from THOSE telephone adverts, 2003's Welcome To The Monkey House was seen as The Dandy Warhols big attempt to become megastars, known for more than Bohemian Like You. As you'll be aware, that never panned out.

It was a mild success, but was largely ignored by those same people who waxed lyrical over their big hit. Like much to do with the Dandy Warhols, however, the whole project was mired in controversy. Mainly that the original mix that the band intended to release was deemed unsuitable for public consumption by their record company, who promptly got a shiny pop producer in (Peter Wheatley, who can count the Sugababes and Sophie Ellis-Bextor amongst his other "clients"), without any input from the band themselves.

Well now in 2009, the "original" mix (mixed by Russell Elavedo) has surfaced on the Dandy's own record label so we can all see how wrong the record company were...well that's the theory anyway.

The fact is that whilst the original mix obviously more clearly aligns itself to the intentions of the band, it's difficult to say that it's either markedly better than the album that hit the shops or that there's THAT much difference between the two. The original is perhaps a little less "shiny" than what was released six years ago, but its tempting to suggest that for once a record companies intervention produced the right result, however much that might disappoint the band themselves.

In the 2002 documentary Dig! Courtney Taylor-Taylor infamously declared “I sneeze and hits come out” but this "original mix" of the album perhaps definitively shows us that those of us who thought that the band treated their, you know, hits as mere novelties that somehow obscured what they really wanted...their credibility, were right all along.

Music For Men - Gossip

2009-08-09T12:44:00.002Z

We live in a strange world. "Pop" musicians can get pilloried for having a huge unexpected hit on the back of an advert or being featured on a TV show or for having an "image" that overshadows the music. If you're a "serious" artist however, we'll merely pass on thanks that such attentions have brought your music to the wider audience that it deserves.

As you might gather then, I'm not a huge fan of Gossip. At best they are a perfectly serviceable "one hit wonder" band, with Standing In The Way Of Control being a rather good tune that completely overshadowed anything else on the album of the same name. And when you consider that, as far as I am concerned, the lead single from Music For Men, "Heavy Cross" was little more than a sub-par rehash of "Control" there doesn't seem much hope.

And indeed, there isn't.

At least with Rick Rubin at the production helm things sound clear, but that can't make up for some pretty uninspiring tunes. Those of you looking for anything new here might be more than a little bit disappointed. And in the final analysis I can't imagine that this will change anything in the world of Gossip. They, if indeed most people realise that there is more than Beth Ditto to the band, will still remain more famous for Beth Ditto than they will for their music. Which in some ways is a shame (Ditto does have a wonderful voice) but in other ways is entirely appropriate.

Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella!

2009-08-08T13:01:00.003Z

I bet you woke up this fine morning and thought "you know, the one thing missing from my music collection is a compilation of "a cappella" versions of Ben Folds songs."

What? You didn't?

Yeah, it seems like a pointless exercise doesn't it and there's no way at all that Mr Folds would invite college a cappella groups to send in their cover versions and then collect the best of them on a compilation CD is there?

What? He did?

Of course to those familiar with Folds' live concerts most will recognise that one of the highlights of the night is usually the bit where Folds orchestrates the audience singing along to Army so perhaps it's not THAT much of a surprise.

Your enthusiasm for this concept will of course depend on one of two things; you're either a big fan of Ben Folds (Five) or of a cappella music. If you're not one or the other turn away now. From my standpoint as the former, this has a curiosity value but little more than that for most of the album. There are occasions, like The University Of Chicago's take on Magic when you feel you're listening to something really special. The problem is that as I'm not in the latter of the two categories, there's only so much "Flying Pickets" I can take in one sitting.

In the end, this is periodically amusing if you're a fan of Folds, but you never really escape the feeling that there is no real need for what you are listening to to exist in a commercially available form. Despite Folds' protestations to the contrary, this is mere novelty.

Complete Me - Frankmusik

2009-08-06T17:42:00.000Z

Thanks to his support slot on the recent UK dates by the Pet Shop Boys I've had the "pleasure" of seeing Vincent Frank, aka Frankmusik, twice in concert. Prior to this I'd not really got an opinion on him either way. He was just another one of those seemingly endless artists who seem hell bent on taking us back to 1985 with their take on electro pop. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing of course; that was just an observation.

I have to be honest and say that his live gigs didn't really grab me; yes there was a handful of catchy tunes but that was about it. Sadly, for me anyway, the album is pretty much the same in terms of the hit/miss ratio.

For every song that, however fleetingly, grabs me (such as When You're Around - which works perhaps DESPITE it's weird melding of Golden Brown) there's three or four which are pleasant but immediately forgettable.

As the disappointing chart position of number 26 for Better Off As Two showed (and it's failure to become a "hit" meant the album release was put back) the main problem is that whilst there is little on here that is offensive to listen to, there's also nothing that hasn't been done better by some of the other recent "electro pop" throwbacks. Unfortunately for Frank, he may well get lost in the shuffle. Although maybe that Holly Valance (shudder) cameo will push Confusion Girl towards the top of the charts...

Pet Shop Boys LIVE

2009-07-13T23:37:00.000Z

As the Pet Shop Boys are a true rock’n’roll band, the Liverpool Summer Pops date of their Pandemonium tour featured a completely different set list from their Manchester date…well ok. It didn’t. But it was another good show and played well in the arena setting. The other thing of note was the “technical difficulties” at the start of the show which saw various bits of the opening song Heart blasted out irregularly. Oh and that the T-Shirt I bought kind of fits me. So once I’ve lost a few more pounds it should be just about perfect. Mind you, even if it hadn’t have been, I’ve long felt that the lack of a PSB T-Shirt in my wardrobe has been an oversight that needed correcting.

Jenny Lewis LIVE

2009-06-26T23:35:00.001Z

Imagine my surprise when on holiday in New Orleans and a random detour, which was really out of the way for my hotel, leads us to the House Of Blues. “Ooh, I wonder what sort of gigs they’ve got on” was the cry and a quick look at the board resulted in a double take. Jenny Lewis? Tonight? We’re having some of that. Of course I could swear that I’d checked every New Orleans venue prior to the holiday and seen that no-one of any interest was on. Indeed I even knew that the delectable Miss Lewis was in the middle of an American tour and I’d bemoaned the fact that her itinerary missed anywhere I was. But hey. Maybe there is such a thing as fate after all. Either that or some form of reverse stalking is in effect.

Anyway, it was exciting to be going to a concert in foreign climes, even if my mate’s excited pronouncement that “for once both of us will be able to get schvizted at a concert” proved to be false. Because those peculiar American’s (w ho had two nights earlier asked for no ID as I drank the night away with a bunch of strippers) wouldn’t give my mate a wrist band to prove to the bar-staff that he was old enough to drink as he didn’t have any official identification. Bear in mind that the previous trip to the Strip Club had been to celebrate his THIRTIETH birthday. Still, I could drink, that was the main thing. Even if, when you think about it, I couldn’t even hand him my mate my drink when I went to the toilets lest he get arrested on the spot for impersonating an adult.

The support was the Heartless Bastards, who weren’t bad but in all honesty were neither here nor there. As for Jenny Lewis, well any regular reader of this page, or indeed anyone who has ever took the time to read this page even once, will know that I love her. So naturally I am biased. But this was REALLY good. In fact I would go as far as to say that this was the best form that I’ve seen her in. And I don’t say that just because she was wearing tight shorts. Maybe I’m just imagining it, but there was just something about it all that seemed, well, right. In a way that Jenny Lewis on a cold and wet night in Manchester just seems to have that little something missing when compared to Jenny Lewis on a sweltering and balmy New Orleans night. Quite why she chose to sing a little snippet of “Man In The Mirror” as her tribute to the recently dead Michael Jackson in the encore though is beyond me. Still, I could forgive Jenny Lewis almost anything.

Pet Shop Boys LIVE

2009-06-18T23:32:00.000Z

It’s no secret that I think (know) that Pet Shop Boys are the finest British pop group of the last twenty-five years (if not of all time, but I’m not getting into that right now) and it warms my, ahem, heart, that their Outstanding Contribution award at the BRITS has seen something of a critical and commercial renaissance (witness the sold out O2 concert, at a capacity at 16,000) and, in my opinion, recent album Yes was their best since 1993’s Very. All of which boded well for a great night’s entertainment at the Manchester Apollo.

Ok, so £15 for a programme was more than a little bit excessive (even if it was obviously produced to the same exacting high standards that everything they do) but I suppose you’re not forced to buy it are you? And when the evening’s entertainment is as good as this was, you can forgive almost everything.

It’s difficult to imagine that a stage set which consists of little more than a few hundred cardboard boxes could be so entertaining, but these are no ordinary cardboard boxes. Well…no, they actually are ordinary cardboard boxes, but they do double as video screens, walkways, weapons…well you sort of get the idea.

If their last tour was decidedly a “hits” experience, the Pandemonium tour is slightly different. All the usual favourites make their appearances but thrown in were some surprising choices, some of which had never been performed live by the boys before. The problem with this was that whilst the die-hard fans (such as myself) appreciated the likes of Two Divided By Zero, Why Don’t We Live Together?, Kings Cross and lesser hits such as Love Comes Quickly and Jealously, those just in attendance for the hits may have been left slightly non-plussed, especially when some of these tracks were lumped together.

Still by the time the evening ended with the encore of West End Girls, few will have felt disappointed. The Pandemonium tour is another winning spectacle from the Pet Shop Boys and proves that there is plenty of life left in them yet.

Hands - Little Boots

2009-06-07T14:52:00.004Z

Perhaps it shouldn't surprise me that the Little Boots "backlash" has kicked off before her debut album has even reached the shops. In fact, let's be honest, it kicked off before her debut single had even reached the shops...and then blew up when New In Town failed to reach the top 10. The problems seems to be as thus; the BBC voted her as the Sound of 2009, she's quite a pretty girl and the height of her ambition seems to be to make catchy pop songs in a world where "pop" is still a dirty word.

Well no one seemed to pour as much vitriol into slamming 2008's "Sound" winner (the dull and derivative Adele) nor 2007's winner (Mika), nor 2006's (Corrine Bailey Rae) and if anyone can tell me that any of that trio are particularly inventive or ground breaking you will be lying through your teeth. And that's before we even get to 2005 winners The Bravery (presumably currently looking for other employment).

Of course half the journalists slamming her purely for winning that poll forget that it's partly voted for by their brethren, nor do they slate Florence And The Machine (who have two single releases under their belt that never threatened the top 40) who won that Brit award, which really is shameless publicity to the 'n'th degree. But silly me, Florence is a "serious" musician isn't she?

Well with that diatribe out of the way, what is Hands actually like? Well as far as I'm concerned it's really rather good. Obviously some tracks that have been knocking around for months (Stuck On Repeat, Meddle, Mathematics) set the bar pretty high but they are far from the only highlights. Having Phil Oakey duet on the shimmeringly wonderful Symmetry might seem like a gimmick but it not only works, but exceeds all expectations, Tune Into My Heart, with it's icy, mellow sound proves that she's far from a one trick pony whilst upcoming single Remedy is the sort of song that Kylie would kill her producers for.

And therein lies the crux. The pompous music snobs out there will spend the next few months telling us everything that Little Boots isn't (and crucifying her for it) rather than focusing on what Little Boots IS.

The solo credits for a couple of the tracks (Click, Ghosts) show that the choice of producers on the other tracks are just that, a choice and haven't necessarily been forced upon her. At least half the tracks on here are superb and the other half aren't half bad either. Jam packed with catchy and memorable choruses it will do little to convince those that think "pop" is a dirty word and those who kid themselves that "promotion" and "hype" are 21st century inventions in the music industry. Yet despite the hype, the pressure and the (perhaps) inevitable backlash, Victoria Hesketh has proved that all of those of us who kept the faith when all around seemed to be laying into her were right all along. She's definitely a talent. Hands may not be a perfect record, but is a very damn good one nevertheless.

Scary Fragile - Butterfly Boucher

2009-06-06T14:27:00.002Z

It's been a long time since 2003's Flutterby, the rather wonderful debut from the Australian born Butterfly Boucher (yes, that is her REAL name) although the five year gap doesn't tell the whole story. This album was completed three years ago but seemingly fell victim to the 21st Century need to label every music "product" as something tangible.

As the lady herself stated, "they say [my music] is too quirky. They always say it's too pop for the indie scene and too indie for the pop scene." With backing like that from your record company, it's perhaps not a surprise that Boucher parted company with them, but at least she had the good fortune to work out a deal to keep the masters of her new album, hence the "DIY" release of her second album.

You might think that the opener, I Found Out, has been added since parting company from her label with lyrics such as “I found out I can only be who I am. I can only do what I can. I won’t try to describe the relief". Thankfully though, Boucher seems able to get MOST of this out of her system in the opener, leaving the listener to concentrate on the quality of her songs.

And whilst, as a whole, the album may not quite live up to the excellent debut, it has more than it's fair share of highlights.

Lead single Gun For A Tongue is a seductive, if slightly creepy, number whilst Just One Tear is a rocker that for some reason reminded me of Ladyhawke, without actually sounding anything like her whatsoever. Keeper comes across as almost a long-lost Bond theme whilst Bright Red might well have proved to be the "hit" that Boucher was presumably under immense pressure to produce if only her record company had given it the chance.

Having been absent for so long, it's almost tempting to look no further than being pleased she's back at all, but thankfully Butterfly Boucher has also returned with a very good album which proves that Flutterby was no fluke. One can only hope we get the third installment before 2014.

Good Evening - Nite Jewel

2009-06-03T13:04:00.002Z

One review of this album that I read suggested that if Nite Jewel released this album in the 1980's, a spot on the soundtrack of Romancing The Stone (a film I love by the way) would have been all but a formality...and you can certainly see their point. It also covers the fact that Good Evening is another one of the long list of albums released over the past year or so that decidedly hark back to the 1980's.

In this case it's one of those albums of this ilk that most definitely sounds as if it WAS actually recorded in the 1980's - there are precious few indications when you are listening to this that it's a modern record. And therein will lie it's charm, or alternatively it's hideous kitsch-ness for the listener.

On the first listen through, most people would probably be in the latter camp and be unable to look past the vaguely ridiculous mid-tempo keyboard sounds and the baffling mumbling lyrics that at times you can hardly hear and most of the time definitely can't make out. Those that can persevere might find their rewards, even if Ramona Gonzalez, the person behind Nite Jewel, frustratingly seems more interested in the sounds she's making than making those sounds into "proper" songs.

It would be easy to say that with a bit of tweaking here and there this could have been something very good indeed, but perhaps that's missing the point. For all it's readily apparent faults, Good Evening is what it is, even if what it is might end up being described as pleasant background music without any real punch.

Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Phoenix

2009-06-01T12:45:00.000Z

If you didn't already know it prior to putting this album in the CD player for a spin you'd probably struggle to tell that Phoenix are French purely from listening to this album. You might, on the other hand, guess that they, along with their record company, might be hoping that given The Killers undoubted position in the music buying public's hearts this might be the time that they can finally make that elusive commercial breakthrough.

They might, but I wouldn't be putting the mortgage on their chances. The problem is that when they started, Phoenix were arguably ahead of the trends to come; now, four albums in, they've been superceded by those that have followed them and there's no real new tricks on display to be able to suggest that they've managed to stay ahead of the curve.

In fact, despite the fact that the album clocks in at barely over 30 minutes there's a real feeling that there's a deficit of ideas and whilst their one idea might be reasonably catchy, it doesn't half get monotonous fairly quickly.

There's a couple of standout tracks (opener Lisztomania and the purposefully silly Lasso) but my overall feeling is that whilst this is an adequate record, I can't see why anyone who had heard of The Killers would want to listen to it more than once.

Rockwell - Anni Rossi

2009-05-31T12:20:00.002Z

It's ironic that this should follow the Jarvis Cocker review, as Anni Rossi's debut album is also produced by Nirvana producer Steve Albini. Calling it a debut album might be slightly pushing it as it's got five of the six tracks from last years Afton EP and is less than ten minutes longer than that EP to boot.

That said, the duplicated tracks are not "duplicated" in their entirety; well if you're going to hire an expensive producer you might as well get your money's worth out of him. And, to be fair, it's a move that seems to have worked for the most part.

Her "unique selling point", that is her virtuoso Viola playing, is not lost in the shuffle but only the most eclectic of music listeners would suggest that the steadying hand of Albini hasn't improved matters.

The "old" tracks are probably account for most of the album's highlights; Ecology benefits from the addition of some keyboards and is about as mainstreamly catchy as you'll get on the album.

It's just a pity that most of the record companies promotion seems to revolve around her cover of Ace of Base's Living In Danger. Pleasantly cute it may be, but it's still nothing more than a novelty, no matter how "straight" Rossi treats it. That it follows perhaps the album highlight in the form of the creepy but eminently catchy Deer Hunting Camp 17.

You can't imagine this catching on with the wider populace, a la Feist, but that doesn't mean that it's not worth a listen, or ten, for a music fan with an open mind. And that's not just me being biased thanks to it's Icon-approved running time of less than 30 minutes - for once an artist seems to have realised that less is most certainly more.

Further Complications - Jarvis Cocker

2009-05-30T12:37:00.002Z

"I met her in the museum of paleontology and I make no bones about it". There's certainly one thing you can't take out of Jarvis Cocker no matter who you get in to produce his album and that's his trademark wit.

Yet there also seems little point in bringing in Steve Albini, producer to Nirvana and The Pixies most famously, to drown out Cocker's wit in a wall of noise.

The result is an album that never really quite gets going. There's nothing particularly wrong about listening to Jarvis "rock out" but there is so little variety on display that you've not even got half way through the album before you're starting to tire of it. And, whisper it quietly, when you do get the chance to listen to the lyrics there's little variety there either, with song after song about sex as if Jarvis is undergoing some form of mid-life crisis.

It's not a dreadful record (to put it into perspective it's nowhere near as dire as Chris Cornell's recent "change of direction") and it may well only be because I expect so much more from him that it falls flat. But at the end of the day, there's no way you can label this classic Cocker.

Polly Scattergood - Polly Scattergood

2009-05-28T12:15:00.002Z

With an opening track that kicks in at seven minutes long, you're pretty much going to know by the time I Hate The Way comes to an end whether or not you've got the stomach for Polly Scattergood.

If the opener leaves you cold then you're not going to be impressed by much of what follows; if on the other hand you like it, you may well just be led towards giving Scattergood the benefit of doubt despite the overwrought indulgence that permeates some of the nine tracks that follow.

If you're in the latter camp you'll acknowledge that I Hate The Way, the rocking Nitrogen Pink and the sweet melodrama of Other Too Endless make good songs whilst lamenting the likes of Unforgiving Arms where you can't help but feel the personal lyrics aren't anywhere near as interesting or insightful as you suspect Scattergood thinks they are.

Another graduate of the Brit School, Polly Scattergood is one of those artists who some people will unconditionally love and others will unconditionally hate - with little scope for either side to soften their stance. For me, there's probably just about enough good stuff on the album to at least lead to me giving her the benefit of the doubt that second time around things might really click, but at the same time the flaws with this record might not be so easy to overcome without Scattergood losing the things which could make her an artist worth listening to either. But then no-one ever said that this music malarkey was easy.

Relapse - Eminem

2009-05-26T18:15:00.002Z

There's an argument that Marshall Mathers said all that he had worth saying by the time you'd finished his third album. Indeed, you could even argue that stretching that to 2002's The Eminem Show would be pushing it.

So here we are in 2009, with Relapse (his first album in five years) and things are pretty much still the same. He's still taking pot shots at his mother, his missing in action father and saying rather scandalous things about (imagined, presumably) step-fathers.

But the fact that Relapse is largely exactly what you'd expect from Eminem doesn't mean that is completely without merit. Same Song And Dance may re-visit old familiar themes (this time he's murdering various female celebrities) and it may be vile and cruel but it's a stunning piece of work. Sadly for every song like this there are two or three (such as terrible lead single We Made You) that seem to consist of out-dated pot-shots at increasingly irrelevant targets. Which is all the more frustrating as, whether or not you agree with - or can stomach - his sentiments, when he's good he's still very good.

The "beats" (I'm down with the lingo you know) that are provided by Dr. Dre at least ensure that this album is a lot better than 2004's Encore but it still falls depressingly short of his heyday. With a second volume apparently hitting the shops before the end of the year you might find that out of the two of them you can eventually put together a decent enough album but the good tracks on this album are outweighed by the mediocre, or even worse, dull ones.

Little Boots LIVE

2009-05-22T23:23:00.001Z

It’s amazing isn’t it? Here we are at Liverpool’s O2 Academy, three days before Little Boots debut single is released and the critical backlash against her is already seemingly in full swing. But let’s ignore those doubters/haters (whose main arguments against her seem to be A) she’s reasonably attractive and B) makes “pop” music of such a level that it’s quite catchy and people might actually want to buy it) and concentrate on the facts. All the hype in the world means nothing if the tunes don’t back it up and for the most part, the tunes back it up as far as Little Boots goes.

Granted there were a few people in the audience who seemed to be there for little more reason than they supposed it was a “cool” thing to be seen at, but when the majority of your audience are singing along to album tracks a month before the album is even released, you must be doing something right.

It may be my imagination (or it may be the fact that I was very, very drunk when I last saw her in Preston) but this time around she seemed more confident in her performance which led to more of a stage presence than before. Attempting to dance on top of the speakers in THOSE heels though, might have been a tad dangerous.

The likes of Stuck On Repeat, Symmetry, New In Town and Meddle are fantastic pop singles and whilst not everything can quite live up to those, neither is there ever really a dull moment in the set. There a lot of critics out there who seem eager to berate Little Boots for what she’s not, but they’d be better off celebrating her for what she is; the best new “pop star” of 2009.

None of the above is in any way biased by the fact that I had the good fortune to meet the lovely, and she is very lovely, Victoria Hesketh after the show…

(We’ll mention the support acts considering I got to see them for once; Halo I Love You were apparently performing their first ever gig so we’ll not be too harsh. Not that they were terrible, but their bizarre mix of electro pop and Irish folk ditties (look, it’s what they sounded like to me anyway) didn’t really hit the mark. Soft Toy Emergency were the second support act and the surprisingly warm reception they received from the crowd couldn’t really disguise the fact that they sounded little more than a 21st Century version of Bis. Not that there is anything inherently bad in that (I don’t mind a bit of Bis at all) but neither is it all that thrilling).

Ladyhawke LIVE

2009-05-17T23:21:00.000Z

Day two, and could the delightful New Zealander Pip Brown follow Girls Aloud? Well of course she could. Her album was on of 2008’s best and if the concert didn’t quite match up to the brilliance of the record (due in part, no doubt, to my usual gripe of an “electro” band feeling the need to ramp up their sound during a live gig) it got close enough to make this a very good night’s entertainment indeed.

Her appearance on FM (shit show I know, but I had to at least watch the one with her on it) showed that she had a sense of fun/humour (yes, which was something that was somewhat missing from the show itself in general), something that doesn’t always come across in the live performance of hers I’ve seen on TV. Tonight though, she seemed relaxed and comfortable with the crowd, even at one point admitting that she “didn’t usually talk” as much but felt the need to do so.

The concert was basically a run through of the album, with a couple of B-sides tossed in for fun, but you can’t expect much more from a debut artist. At least she resisted the temptation to throw in some pointless cover versions. The “big” singles such as Paris Is Burning and My Delirium were the crowd favourites but most tracks were welcomed and everybody seemed to be having a great time. Especially the two girls next to me who spent half the night kissing each other. I wouldn’t have noticed, only Dave kept pointing it out….

Perhaps even more so “live” than on record, people who would unkindly say that Ladyhawke offers up precious little that is “new” in terms of her sound would find a lot to back up their opinion. But I say what does it matter? Perfectly crafted pop songs, which rarely veer into mere pastiche, are more than enough for me, regardless of what “era” they hark back to. And whisper it quietly, but I may have enjoyed this a little more than I enjoyed the previous night’s festivities…

Girls Aloud LIVE

2009-05-16T23:44:00.002Z

Well it was that time of year again. It's May, so it must be Girls Aloud at the M.E.N.

After the hilarity of three people in Old Orleans having two starters but four main courses between us (I substituted my desert for two Ice Cream Cocktails - the second of which I was brow-beaten into having by the lovely waitress) and a quick drink in Henry J. Bean's it was over to the arena just in time to miss the final support act murdering Lady Gaga's Just Dance and spend offensive amounts of cash on promotional tat. I don't include the £8 foam finger in that. That was money well spent in terms of it's power to get women either talking to me or slapping my arse.

In many ways there's nothing new to report in the world of Girls Aloud live. As ever it's one hell of a show (and I would have to say that this year's extravaganza must be their best yet from a visual point of view) which surely has to be one of the best on the arena circuit. Cheryl is still by far the most popular (to quote Dave, "she's gone Hollywood), Nicola still looks incongruously pale alongside the other four, Sarah still shouts at inappropriate moments and Manchester, for the fifth year running, is apparently the best place they play. At least this year, Nadine sounded a lot better than she did last year when she was seemingly auditioning for the lead part in a new Bonnie Tyler musical.

My only minor complaint is that there were a few too many songs from Out Of Control at the expense of some crackers from their back catalogue. I can't say I was that pleased that they tossed away three of my favourite songs (The Show, Wake Me Up and No Good Advice) in the show closing medley but hey, at least they did them.

All in all this was another entertaining night from Girls Aloud . We'll sure miss them when they're gone.

Outer South - Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band

2009-05-15T16:58:00.002Z

Ok, so Conor Oberst most definitely isn't the "new Bob Dylan", as if anybody ever could be these days, but he does have a good, and very varied, back catalogue. Which makes the appearance of this album, just months after his self-titled album with the Mystic Valley Band, something of a surprise, albeit a nice one.

As ever there are a range of sounds that he goes for, be it the epic country of Snake Hill or the stripped down starkness of White Shows. Most fans will have grown used to the chameleon like charms of Oberst by now, even if a lot of this is played on his his default alt-country setting.

He may regret giving the "band" their heads (nearly half the tracks are sung by his band mates) as tracks such as Air Mattress (which could indeed be compared to Bob Dylan, if you were saying it was a particularly bad attempt at a Dylan pastiche) prove and like a lot of musicians with too much control over their own output at 16 tracks this checks in at far too long a running time and would have surely benefited from some prudent editing to remove some of the dead weight. Still this spreading out of the duties does at least provide one great song in the form of Big Black Nothing.

So whilst it's nowhere near his best, and indeed very rarely threatens to ever challenge his best stuff, most fans will lap it up, even if they do find themselves permanently removing some of the tracks from their running list.

Transmitter Failure - Jenny Owen Youngs

2009-05-14T17:47:00.002Z

As good as Jenny Owen Youngs' debut album, Batten The Hatches, was it did have that "unfinished" air about it (at least in it's original form) and as ever with these things the question about the second album was always going to be, for me, whether or not Youngs would be able to take on the "mainstream" without losing what made her so delightful in the first place.

Well thanks to the nice people at Amie Street, and indeed the lovely Miss Youngs herself, I picked up a download of her new album, two weeks before it's in-store release, for a bargain $7 (including a charity donation - so shame on anyone who illegally downloads it). And I can safely say that if there ever was a hurdle for her to climb to her second album, she's vaulted over it with ease.

It's everything that I loved about her debut but cranked up about five notches, never mind one. You could argue that it's slightly less off-kilter than her, at times, raw and nervy debut, but it's only a slight change and it's certainly not watered down at all. In fact, it's probably more the fact that a lot of the songs are just so damn catchy that most people will miss a lot of the deeper, more brutal meaning in the lyrics.

Starting with the 40-second First Person perhaps shows that Youngs' sense of humour is intact, and it's a delightful start, even if it's briefness will surprise you first time around. Not to worry though, as Last Person turns out to be a longer and fuller version and is an excellent tune.

And whether it be the up-tempo foot stompers of Led To The Sea or Clean Break or the more reflective moments such as Here Is A Heart or What Beats Within, Jenny Owen Youngs rarely puts a note wrong on this fabulous album. And the sheer scale of emotions she can take you on shows again that she can both tug at the heart strings and, with her tongue-in-cheek attitude, make you laugh.

First time around I said JOY was a talent to watch out. Second time around, she's proved me right.

Scream - Chris Cornell

2009-05-12T07:13:00.001Z

Theoretically the mixing of Chris Cornell and Timbaland wasn't that bad an idea. Cornell needed to do something different from his rock roots to try and inject life into a moribund solo career and Timbaland has never been afraid to experiment, and seems intent on making a "rock" record at some point in his career and is a great enough producer not to be stymied by mere musical boundaries.

Sadly, whilst the theory might have been good (and I'm sure there were many a record executive rubbing their hands with glee upon the suggestion of this collaboration) the result is one of those brilliantly misguided attempts to do something different that manages to fail on almost every level.

Perhaps if this dull, almost continually similar sounding album had been given to the Pussycat Dolls (or someone of their ilk) they might have dragged out something from it as at least they would have added some personality to it, something that Chris Cornell fails abjectly to do. Whether he's wailing tunelessly or whether his voice is being put through a vocoder or Auto Tune, Cornell might as well be anyone. Whilst his vocal style not being your traditional R'n'B style might be the point, rather than finding yourself thinking this is a mix that works, you are just wondering why early in the proceedings someone didn't realise just what a dog of an album this would turn out to be.

Timbaland is on auto-pilot, Cornell sounds hideously out of place. This is probably an album only for those unlucky enough to need something to keep their Naomi Campbell CD company on their shelf.

In A Perfect World - Keri Hilson

2009-05-11T06:52:00.002Z

Until the release of this album, Keri Hilson had been known more for her collaborations (such as her turn on Timbaland's The Way You Are) or her songwriting duties on other people's songs (such as Britney's Gimme More or Mary J.Blige's Take Me as I Am) than she was for any of her attempts at solo success, most of which charted surprisingly low.

Yet with such a wide-range of pre-release achievements with other artists, there was always going to be somewhat of a buzz around this debut album. Even the fact that Return The Favour failed to trouble the American charts (it limped to number 19 in the UK) wasn't too distressing; it was a top quality tune after all.

And there's more like that, at least when all concerned are keeping things up-tempo. Return The Favour is joined by the likes of Turnin’ Me On, which features Lil Wayne, and Get Your Money Up, which are perfectly respectable R'n'B pop tunes that should be huge.

Of course there is the, seemingly ubiquitous, reliance on overwrought (and dull) ballads that seem to ruin most R'n'B albums by female vocalists these days. In, ahem, a perfect world there would have been more of the good up-tempo stuff, less of the filler slush. And sadly, there's just far too much of the slowed-down dross for me to recommend anything other than careful cherry-picking of the best tunes rather than the album as a whole.

Fearless - Taylor Swfit

2009-05-10T18:29:00.002Z

May I just point out that I reviewed Taylor Swift's debut album in March 2007. Apologies if that confuses anybody who has merely happened upon this site and doesn't know me but I hope there's some out there who get my point...

Anyway, since then quite a lot has happened in the world of Taylor Swift, not least this album becoming America's biggest seller of 2008. Not bad for a record that the Guardian labelled as "dull pop-rock". But then again, when did the Guardian know anything? (And to be fair, Q Magazine did give it even more of a slating). I'm not attempting a review to redress the balance mind you, I'm just catching up after a long absence from this site.

Lead single in the UK, Love Story, managed the double whammy of Radio 1 airplay and neat top-of-the-chart status and it's not difficult to see why. You could argue it's nothing mind-blowing but it's a catchy pop tune with sentimental lyrics that nevertheless are never cloying. And therein lies Swift's appeal. Writing (or co-writing) all her own lyrics, Swift certainly seems more of an authoritative voice of the teenage world than many of her "peers" who have all their stuff written for them. So whilst it may not always hit the spot with us oldies, it's difficult not to fall for her sentiments, however naive they may seem on occasions.

Fifteen, for instance, manages to be both authentically "age-specific" to her teenage years, but is remarkably wide-ranging too. The lyrics could well be written by a woman twice her age.

It's "Country" sound will no doubt put a lot of people off, but Fearless is nowhere near as "Nashville" as her debut was and no matter what you try to pigeon-hole a track like The Best Day as, it's so sweet and simple, but genuinely uplifting, that it shouldn't matter what you label it with. And at her best, Taylor Swift cuts through everything else and just comes up with a knockout song.

Hardships - Jenny Wilson

2009-05-07T03:23:00.002Z

An album cover that features the Scandinavian Jenny Wilson (who has worked with The Knife) adorned in a flat cap holding a shot gun will probably give you some idea that this isn't going to be the most straightforward album you'll listen to all year. And within a minute of the opening track, The Path, with lyrics like "I wanted to be born, so I crawled out in the middle of the night, out of my mother" it's clear that this is all going to be, well, a little idiosyncratic.

So it's certainly not your run-of-the-mill female singer-songwriter effort, but don't be put off by that (as if you would be) nor by the fact that, nominally at least, this is some sort of attempt to use R'n'B as a muse because it's certainly nothing like most of the pap released under that guise.

Lead single The Wooden Chair mixes a bouncy drum beat, backing vocal that wouldn't have been out of place in O Brother Where Art Thou and bursts of percussion to startling effect and if it remains true that nothing else on this album quite lives up to the promise of that song, there are numerous other highlights to enjoy.

Pass The Salt turns childish backing vocals into something that Kelis would turn into a global hit, Anchor Made Of Gold is a better stab at a 70's Elton John song than Scissor Sisters have ever quite pulled off whilst We Had Everything slows things down a little and turns out to be quite a beautiful piano-driven ballad.

Not everything Jenny Wilson attempts quite comes off, but enough of it does to make this a very interesting and very good record. If you agree that pop stretches further than the latest abomination from the X-Factor, this is an album you simply have to check out. You shouldn't be disappointed with what you find.

My Paper Made Men - Amy Studt

2009-05-06T11:58:00.001Z

It's perhaps a sign of how Amy Studt's career went that this album has been out digitally for a year and I've only just got around to hearing it. Unfairly labelled a flop (her debut album sold a respectable 200,000 copies) I did like her debut album False Smiles. Ok, so it was possibly a little too close to Avril Lavigne for it to have been a coincidence but the likes of Just A Little Girl and Misfit were catchy little pop ditties and the album as a whole certainly suggested Studt was a girl worth taking a chance on.

Six years later (and having found out about being dropped by her label by reading the paper) My Paper Made Men will probably sink without trace (indeed, it may well already have done so come to think about it) but it proves that indeed, Studt wad worth taking a chance on.

The opening track, Sad Sad World is a dark, brooding song that packs an emotional punch, whist Changing The Light cranks up the rock guitar to full effect. The initial lilting vibe of One Last Cigarette couldn't be any different, but is also a winner. Indeed, Studt's voice is well suited to to vast number of styles, and it deserves it's place as the star of the show.

The one track that sounds most incongruous is Nice Boys, which is the song that most sounds like something off her debut. It's relative lack of punch on this collection at least proves that Studt has definitely moved on from her "old" sound.

Ultimately it doesn't quite show enough personality of it's own to really make a mark on you but it does confirm that Studt is a talent.

Actor - St Vincent

2009-05-05T09:12:00.000Z

Every so often a song comes from out of nowhere and grabs you, punches you in the balls and demands that you not only listen to it but that you immediately seek out more from where it came from. Thus it was with me and Actor Out Of Work by St Vincent (Oklahoma's Annie Clark). It might well be the most exciting two minutes and fifteen seconds of song committed to record so far this year.

Of course upon discovering that Clark was once affiliated with The Polyphonic Spree (who once used a great single to drag me into a baffling mediocre album) I did start to wonder if this was going to be another anti-climax; I'm happy to announce that it wasn't. Actor may well be my favourite album of the year so far.

Never content to limit herself to a particular style, Actor is an album that constantly surprises you. From the opening haunting choir on The Strangers to the last strings on the album closer The Sequel you will listen to this never quite knowing what's coming next. One particular case in point would be Black Rainbow whose pop symphony opening gives way to disturbing scuzzed up guitars reminiscent of some Horror film soundtrack.

Her invention perhaps reaches a peak on Marrow. With it's orchestral introduction segue-waying into a haunting choir and a drum pedal, just when you think that she couldn't throw any more in , the rock guitar kicks in and says hello to disco horns. What is perhaps more surprising is that this "kitchen sink" approach works so well. Everything just seems to fit together like this is the way you are supposed to make music.

At one point she sings "I can't see the future, but I know it has big plans for me." On the basis of this, I hope that she's right. If this isn't up there contending for my best album of the year in December, then the next six months or so must be about to serve up quite a lot of classic albums.

To Be Still - Alela Diane

2009-05-04T13:20:00.002Z

Alela Diane's debut album, The Pirate's Gospel, was an album I rather unexpectedly liked. Still the unashamedly low-fi recording of it (it had been knocking around for a couple of years before it made it's "official" bow) meant that whilst it had a certain charm there was something holding it back from being something really special.

The question regarding it's follow up To Be Still was then one of whether or not it could capture those parts of Diane that made her debut so beguiling whilst at the same time offering us a little bit more. I'm pleased to say that for the most part it does.

Whilst it might all be relative, there is indeed a "bigger" set of production values to be heard on this album and it certainly does the trick whilst never neglecting the fact that the real star of the show should be Diane's captivating voice.

Whether it be White As Diamonds proving that Yodelling can still be cool, the playful slightly off-kilter harmonies of Every Path or the way that The Ocean moves from it's low-key starting point of just her voice and a drum beat to a cacophony of guitars, harmonies and mandolin's, there is rarely a duff moment on the album.

To Be Still has taken all that made Alela Diane such an intriguing prospect in the first place and taken it up a notch. It's delicate folk stylings still may not be to everyone's taste (and there's no guaranteeing that this slight "commercialisation" of her sound will pay off) but no-one with a love for the folk side of Americana will be disappointed with what they find here.

Nonsense In The Dark - Filthy Dukes

2009-05-01T15:56:00.002Z

Trumpeting the fact that you've recorded your debut album on the mixing desk of producer and Krautrock legend Conny Plank (as the story goes on the very same desk that Kraftwerk used in their heyday) not only gives reviewers a nice little hook to place their coats on (guilty as charged) but it also gives you certain preconceptions about the album before you even put it in the machine for a spin.

Indeed it's almost as if DJ's Tim Lawson and Olly Dixon, the men behind Filthy Dukes, are pushing this as the main reason why you might want to investigate this album. And whilst it goes without saying that this certainly doesn't live up to Kraftwerk (after all, what could?) it does have it's moments.

As you listen to the opening track This Rhythm you might be convinced that you are really onto a winner. Featuring guest vocals from Samuel Dust (Late Of The Pier) it's a foot stomper that simultaneously takes you back to the Electro 80's yet sounds utterly of the moment. Sadly it's not a trick that they pull off too many times on the rest of the album.

The likes of Light Skips Cross Heart (which sounds like a Depeche Mode out-take, but in a good way) and Twenty Six Hundred certainly hit the spot but far too often Filthy Dukes mis-fire. That the instrumental Twenty Six Hundred is one of the best tracks highlights one particular problem with the album; the lyrics are often ponderous and clumsy and whilst few would ever suggest that the success of dance music hinges on its lyrics, when you go to such lengths to create something that tries to appeal to the head as well as your feet anything that falls short is going to cast a shadow on proceedings.

Nonsense In The Dark is by no means a terrible album, and it has just about enough highlights to keep you interested, but neither is it a great one. In fact the one overriding feeling it gives you is one that being great DJ's doesn't always mean you are going to deliver a great record.

Duke Special LIVE

2009-04-30T23:37:00.002Z

As you will see when I get around to reviewing his new album, Duke Special has never quite convinced me on record. I enjoy his records, but never quite love them. Live, however, Peter Wilson never disappoints. And suffice to say, this sold out concert at the Manchester Academy proved to be another winner.

Refreshingly free of performer's ego, Duke was joined on stage at various points by support acts Foreign Slippers (who I missed, but who had a gorgeous voice when she joined Duke on stage) and Bailey and Bowles (as in The Temperance Society Chip Bailey, a long-time cohort) and even delivered a trio of songs inspired by little known 1920's silent movie star Hector Mann.

Indeed it was these interludes which made for some of the most special moments of the evening. Foreign Slippers joined him for a spellbinding version of the title track of his new album, I Never Thought This Day Would Come, and two of the "Hector Mann" tracks, The Jockey Club and Jumping Jacks were two of the most well received songs of the evening.

Throw in a liberal sprinkling of some of his earlier work, including the eternally brilliant Salvation Tambourine and you had a great night of music, part vaudeville part old time music hall, but always fascinating. Even if you remain unconvinced by his recorded work, give him a go live...you won't regret it.

Time To Think - Sarah Whatmore

2009-04-29T18:21:00.000Z

On the surface, Sarah Whatmore's proclamation that she had no interest in becoming yet another cookie-cutter popstar churned out and spat out by Pop Idol is commendable. After all, she was a budding singer-songwriter before her appearance on the aforementioned show and she did capitalise in the early days after that show with two top 20 hits. If we're to believe her, she decided that continuing on that route wasn't "her" and she wanted to make it on her merits.

That it took eight years or so for her debut album to hit the shops suggests that the journey might not have been paved with the gold she was hoping for. Indeed the only things of note about her in the intervening years was the story that she was gazumped by Britney for "Toxic" and that one of my mates once rather bizarrely accused an ex-girlfriend of mine of being "large" because she was the same build as Sarah Whatmore. Don't worry though, his guide dog is fine now.

All of this would become an irrelevance if female singer (some-time) songwriters weren't all the rage (in some ways making the timing of Whatmore's reappearance right on the money) and if her album was actually much cop. Sadly it isn't.

You've certainly heard worse and I couldn't sit here and tell you the album is awful. But it contains nothing that makes it stand out from the crowd and contains absolutely nothing that sticks in your head ten minutes after you've heard it.

One paced, this album gives you nothing that you can't get better elsewhere. So whilst it might be a commendable effort in one sense, in another it's almost certain to sink without trace.

Still, for what it's worth, back in the day I loved Automatic.

It's Blitz - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2009-04-25T14:59:00.000Z

It's easy to be cynical isn't it? Rock-punk band comes back with an "all-new" electro sound...not exactly the most unheard of concepts in the 21st Century is it? Yet one listen of It's Blitz, the third album from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is enough to melt away any pre-conceptions you might have about the new sound being little more than clever marketing. Because when an album is as good as this, who cares why it's here?

Opening track, and new single, Zero was easily the most overtly "pop" thing the group have ever done (not that that's a bad thing in my book...) but the brilliance of that is soon blown away by the track that follows it, Heads Will Roll. It might be trite to label it Blondie for the 21st Century, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.

I'd have to admit that, from a "pop single" point of view, these two tracks are never beaten, but that's not to say that what follows isn't extremely good either. Dragon Queen in a slinky slice of Disco (which reminds me of Franz Ferdinand's latest album - again, a good thing in my book) and the likes of Soft Shock and Runaway slow the pace down from these up-tempo Disco numbers but still manage to be genuinely affecting songs.

It's by no means a perfect album but neither are there too many moments where you think that this change of sound isn't working. It might not be the album that long-standing fans were expecting (or hoping for) but in it's own way it's a definite success.

Sounds Of The Universe - Depeche Modde

2009-04-22T14:40:00.002Z

Like any act with more than a two decade back catalogue to fall back on, Depeche Mode have perhaps struggled to live up to their "glory" days, despite continued commercial success. And whilst, surprise surprise, their 12th album Sounds Of The Universe is no Violator, it's certainly one of their better albums of recent years. It's certainly a better listen than 2005's Playing The Angel.

Sonically it sounds like an attempt towards capturing the "old school" sound but isn't as retro as early suggestions may have led some to believe. Indeed it is perhaps a testament to the currently popularity of "electro" that, if anything, it sounds like it's completely of it's time now.

There are problems though. Whilst you would never listen to the album thinking "they've lost their magic touch", neither would you listen to it thinking that the old magic is completely back. What it really boils down to is that whilst it contains its fair share of good tracks (mostly contained in the first half of the album with the likes of In Chains, Fragile Tension and lead single Wrong) there is nothing that REALLY grabs you and instantly demands inclusion on any home-made "best of" you would put together.

The die-hards will lap it up, and even casual fans will probably enjoy it. If pushed though, most would probably have to admit that this is a good, rather than great album.

My One And Only Thrill - Melody Gardot

2009-04-20T14:08:00.002Z

Melody Gardot is one of those artists whose name I've heard, and indeed heard great things about, but never really bothered to properly check out. So when I saw her new album, My One And Only Thrill, getting rave reviews I decided the time was right to correct that flaw. And boy, am I glad I did.

Granted, if you are going to enjoy Gardot you're going to have to be pre-disposed to her lilting late-night jazz and introspective blues sound but if that seems like it could be your kind of thing you are going to love this.

Whether it be the the jazz-noir of Your Heart Is As Black As The Night, the string-laden Deep Within The Corners Of My Mind or the sultry shuffle of Who Will Comfort Me, Gardot has unleashed an album packed full of quality.

Indeed, perhaps the only wrong note is the uncharacteristically breezy bossanova version of Somewhere Over The Rainbow. It's a perfectly pleasant version of a famous tune, but seems incongruous in the company of Gardot's self-penned tracks and you are almost tempted to think that it's been tagged on purely for commercial reasons. Still, you can't let that spoil all the greatness that came before it.

Jigsaw - Lady Sovereign

2009-04-17T18:14:00.000Z

It seems a long time since the days that Lady Sov was signed by Jay Z to his American label and when the world did indeed seem like her oyster. The reasons behind Sov moving from the Def Jam label onto her own are somewhat vague, although there is the suggestion that it's a chance for her to return to what she knows best. Which makes the "electropop" sound of Jigsaw all the more of a surprise.

The Cure-sampling opening single So Human was a surprise, and at first didn't seem like a particularly good one, but after a number of plays revealed itself to be a decent tune. Sadly it's one of the few out and out memorable tunes on a patchy second album.

When it's good, like on the lilting Guitar (which admittedly tries it's best to through away any goodwill over the tune by being about how Lady Sov can't play the guitar - which strikes me as slightly pointless) or the magnificent I Got The Goods, it almost matches up to her best, but far too often the tunes simply don't stack up.

Which is a shame because the album does feature the wit that marked out Sovereign as someone to listen to. But when the tunes don't thrill you, the lyrics aren't quite enough to save the day.

Bat For Lashes LIVE

2009-04-07T23:25:00.000Z

Given how much I enjoyed the last Bat For Lashes concert, in the summer of 2008, where the new songs that we’re debuted sounded absolutely awesome, I was really looking forward to reacquainting myself with the delightful Natasha Khan (complete with a new band). For the most part I wasn’t disappointed.

There’s no depreciably downturn in quality on Two Suns from what was on her debut album Fur And Gold. If anything, whilst it could unfairly be labelled “more of the same” in terms of style, she has notched up the ambition quota and provided another stunningly beautiful collection of songs.

The likes of Sleep Alone and Daniel were well received, as were “older” classics such as What’s A Girl To Do and The Wizard. My only complaint about the set list would be the baffling omission of Priscilla. That may have been, however, a victim of the continued technical problems that interrupted the evening. It wasn’t Khan’s fault of course, but despite her good natured banter with the crowd it didn’t help the flow of the evening.

My only other point of concern surrounds her new band, which includes former Ash axe-woman Charlotte Hatherley. They seemed a little pedestrian compared to the band that had backed up Khan previously; which is not to say there were bad in any way, just that they didn’t quite match their predecessors.

Still, it may have been first night nerves and none of these minor quibbles in anyway spoiled the evening too much. Khan seems to be finally getting the recognition that she deserves (I’m still peeved over her not winning the Mercury Prize you know) and it’s difficult to see how anyone in attendance could begrudge her that success.

Yes - Pet Shop Boys

2009-03-18T18:13:00.001Z

Every since 1993’s Very, critics have always been looking for, or touting, a “return to form” for Pet Shop Boys. Indeed it’s a process that every long-standing act eventually faces. What makes this even more strange for Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe is that they’ve never really made a terrible album and you certainly never get the feeling that they are about to start now. But whilst it may be a cliché to say it, there is little doubt in my mind that Yes, their 10th Studio Album, is indeed a return to form. With the help of the wonderful Xenomania, PSB have, largely, gone back to what they do best – catchy, pithy and warm pop music that gets your feet tapping and your brain thinking.

The opening track Love Etc, despite a certain reader of this page’s feelings, is up there with any single they’ve done since Can You Forgive Her and it’s by no means the only cracker on the album.

All Over The World lyrically apes the Behaviour classic The End Of The World but wraps it up with a touch of Tchaikovsky whilst Beautiful People drags in the strings arranger from the Last Shadow Puppets to great effect. Building A Wall is the most Fundamental-esque track lyrically (thankfully this time around the politics are kept down to a minimum as a whole) and is another delightful entry into the Chris Lowe “singing” canon, More Than A Dream is a slice of effortless pop that would fit very nicely on Very (still my favourite PSB album) and, perhaps best of all, Pandemonium mixes lyrics inspired by Kate Moss and Pete(r) Doherty, Harmonica provided by Johnny Marr and a souped up version of the Doctor Who theme to provide four of the most joyous minutes of pop you’ll hear all year.

Ok, so it’s not a perfect album; the boys can’t resist more “experiments” but at least Legacy, which ends the album on somewhat of a mediocre note, isn’t the dog that the likes of Boy Strange or Love Is A Catastrophe were on Nightlife and Release respectively.

All in all the “back to basics” approach and the reinvigorating effect of Xenomania have resulted in the Pet Shop Boys finest album in a decade. And if I’m being honest, that’s more than enough to keep me happy.

Lily Allen LIVE

2009-03-15T23:22:00.000Z

I have to admit that in the time since her debut album, I’ve grown bored of Lily Allen. I’m sure its of no consequence to her, of course, and given that her new album and single shot straight to number one in their respective charts all the evidence would suggest that I’m in the minority. A sold out Manchester Academy would also appear to prove that point.

My main problem with “It’s Not Me It’s You” was that for all the talk of a “maturing” Lily Allen, the album was largely more of the same from Alright, Still just not as good. Perhaps when you’ve heard one song about a boyfriend being crap in bed you’ve heard them all.

So all didn’t really bode well for the evening’s entertainment and the end result was pretty middle of the road too. Focussing largely on the new album, the crowd’s reaction to most of the songs at least proved that Allen has fans who are interested in more than just the singles; the fact that it was largely young teenage girls singing along to the likes of “Fuck You Very Much” and “It’s Not Fair” might well suggest the core audience who would find such songs amusing in any sense.
Cover versions of Dance With Me and Oh My God were pointless, assuming you can call singing the chorus of the former a few times and one verse of the latter as “cover versions” and the likes of Smile and LDN from the debut album were well received.

It was perhaps telling though that arguably the biggest reaction from the crowd was reserved for her final song, a rollicking cover of Britney Spears’ Womanizer. It ended what had been up until that point, for me anyway, a fairly frustrating evening. My growing boredom with Lily Allen could have been diverted by a killer second album. The fact that I just can’t bring myself to listen to it for any length of time means that this concert was pretty much dead to me before it even kicked off. And that’s not to decry the hundreds of people who were seemingly having the time of their lives but I think my position on the Lily Allen “Style or Substance” axis has been irreversibly shunted towards the style end of the scale.

LITTLE BOOTS LIVE

2009-03-12T23:19:00.001Z

Hype in the music industry can be a terrible thing. Hype doesn’t necessarily mean that what’s being hyped is any good. It also doesn’t mean in any way shape or form that any artist will have any success. And I’m as cynical as the next person, but if you only bring one thing away from this review it is this. Little Boots is worth every bit of the hype. My evening didn’t exactly start off too well as SOMEONE had booked a hotel four miles away from where we were supposed to be…a necessity after finding out AFTER I’d bought the tickets that the doors only opened to the venue at 9:30pm. Having got into Preston by five o’clock, it’s safe to say I was rather inebriated by the time we got to the venue, and then had to wait more than another hour for Little Boots to appear.

And yet, against all the odds, the concert itself was brilliant. Victoria Hesketh has the tunes (and, yes, I’ll admit, the looks) to make a serious dent on the charts, (even if secretly I fear it may well be another Annie all over again) and its fair to point out that there wasn’t really a duff moment in the entire set Those who have followed her for a while will have been familiar with most of the songs (particular highlights included Meddle, Stuck On Repeat and Too Late) but the unveiling of her first proper single (the name of which I’ve forgotten, but includes Phil Oakley on guest vocals – a fact preceded by a deadpan Hesketh informing the crowd that Oakley couldn’t make it to the show) proved that she’s got more to come.

Rather bizarrely after the concert I ended up being accosted by her brother (who had spotted my Little Boots pin badge) and being introduced to her mother, shortly before being chatted up by a group of 18 year old girls who had no idea there was such a thing as Little Boots.

I may be falling into the “cool” trap, but I think you can give me the benefit of the doubt that I’m not just doing it for the sake of looking cool. Little Boots is amazing.

Franz Ferdinand LIVE

2009-03-06T23:23:00.001Z

The fact that I once saw Franz Ferdinand headline (and fill) the cavernous MEN Arena and yet in 2009 they’re playing the much smaller Manchester Academy might suggest that the intervening years haven’t been kind to the Scottish quartet, commercially.

And indeed the general conception critically now is that their second album, You Could Have It So Much Better, was a disappointment and critical reaction to their latest album, Tonight, has been decidedly mixed. Yet for my money, whilst admitting that their debut album remains their finest achievement, they had continually made some great pop records and their latest album is chock full of cracking tunes. A point that was proved on this particular occasion.

Whether it was Take Me Out, This Fire, Do You Want To or upcoming single No You Girls, there was rarely a dull moment throughout and almost every song had you tapping your feet (or, heaven forbid, dancing). The days of filling arena’s may be over, but Franz Ferdinand remain as good as ever.

It's Not Me, It's You - Lily Allen

2009-03-02T18:09:00.001Z

The problem with having a smash hit debut album that sounds so fresh and new is that when the time for the follow up comes along, more of the same can often lead you to be labelled as a one-trick pony. Lily Allen seems to have avoided this commercially, this album smashed right to the top of the charts, but she hasn’t convinced this particular listener that she’s moved on one iota from Alright Still.

If this is meant to be the new “mature” Lilly (and I acknowledge here that she has to some extent distanced herself from this label, but has echoed the sentiment behind it) something must have been lost in the translation. You could take the catchy lead single The Fear and its apparent attack on the growing commercialism of modern life at face value if Allen hadn’t been an almost constant figure in the tabloids over the past two years. Some might say that “personality” has nothing to do with how good a record is, but considering Allen has made a career of being the personality of Lily Allen its impossible to detach yourself from it.

So it might be that those who haven’t long since got bored of her might find the humour in songs like It’s Not Fair, but those who found her first album such a breath of fresh air might come to the conclusion that that particular song is merely a “less good” version of Not Big from the debut. And it’s a similar feeling me throughout the album. Even when I find a catchy tune to tap my foot along to, there’s the nagging feeling that you’ve heard it all before and, more pertinently, you’ve heard it done better.

I wanted to like this, especially after having stuck out my neck out so far in favour of her debut, but try as I might, it’s just no good. The worst thing a “personality” can do is make a boring record; sadly, Lily Allen appears to have done just that.

Tonight - Franz Ferdinand

2009-02-27T18:11:00.001Z

Critically the knives seem to have been out for Franz Ferdinand ever since their “disappointing” second album failed to produce a smash hit along the lines of Take Me Out. Me? Well I liked You Could Have It So Much Better almost as much as I liked their fantastic debut and it certainly provided enough catchy pop hits to keep me entertained. However when the stories abounded about the difficulties they were facing producing their third album even a dedicated fan like myself had to pause and wonder if it really was all about to implode. As it turns out I needn’t have worried.

Setting out to make a fantastic Dance-Rock record, Franz Ferdinand achieved that aim with a style and panache that leaves you wanting to put the record straight back on once it’s finished. Lead single Ulysses is a fantastic electro-pop record that at once sounds completely fresh and unmistakably Franz Ferdinand. The likes of No You Girls, Turn It On and What She Came For keep up that pace and the result is an album that might lack a little of the characteristic wit you might expect from the boys but gets you onto your feet and onto the dancefloor every time.

If “Tonight” was a girl, she might not be the one you’d want to marry, but you would sure enjoy her company whilst it lasted. This is a fun, danceable and downright catchy album which, to my mind, confirms that Franz Ferdinand still do have it, indeed if they ever actually lost it in the first place.

Katy Perry LIVE

2009-02-25T23:18:00.001Z

It’s not a good sign when you don’t really know why you are even going to a concert. It’s not as if I particularly like Katy Perry. I Kissed A Girl is fine as a novelty pop hit, and Hot and Cold does enough to save Perry from being a one-hit wonder but other than that there’s nothing I would ever want to listen to on her album again with any great relish.

Of course the rantings and ravings of a man who left high school almost 14 years ago matter little in terms of Perry’s core audience. She herself may be under some illusion (although I actually think that Perry is savvy enough to know which side her bread is buttered on) but a quick glance around the sold out Manchester Academy sees a definite bias in her audience towards teenage girls. I was certainly one of the few straight males there who wasn’t either dragged there by their girlfriend (chance would be a fine thing I suppose) or by their daughter’s.

So whilst I could bang on about the fact that I don’t rate Perry all that highly, that her stage set up was something akin to a low budget Elton John (or Flaming Lips) presentation, that her lyrics are at times cringe worthy and that her between-songs banter was, by turns, irritating and hugely annoying all that might be somewhat missing the point. The fans sung heartily (even along to selected album tracks) and there wasn’t a disappointed face to be seen as the fans shuffled onto the streets when it was all over. When you please your audience to that extent, what does it matter about that one miserable bastard in the crowd anyway?

And even I would have to admit that, after an admittedly dodgy start which could kindly be put down to the effects of flu that were noticeable at last week’s Brits, Perry can sing. And as her acoustic version of Thinking Of You proved, so can play too. But, frankly, I spent most of the evening in a state of mild irritation, wondering how better I could have spent my Wednesday night.

The Fame - Lady Gaga

2009-02-14T18:07:00.001Z

I dismissed Lady Gaga as a flash in the pan upon hearing Just Dance. It was a decent enough pop record, or so I thought, (well if you take that bloke’s bit out of it) but hardly suggested that Gaga’s album would be anything worth hearing. But then it kind of lodged itself in my head and wouldn’t go away. When follow up single Poker Face did the same there was little point in resisting. Even if the album only had those two good songs, it would have two more good pop songs than the last Madonna album.

Thankfully, The Fame does indeed have more than those two singles to offer. Granted, at 16 tracks the UK Special Edition drags on for FAR too long, but if you jettison five of six of the tracks you’ve got the makings of a really rather decent pop record. The likes of Love Game, Eh Eh and title track The Fame are just as good as the two singles and should keep her in hits for the rest of the year.

Ok so there isn’t much going on lyrically (half of the songs seem to be about liking rough sex – not that you’ll find me complaining on that score) and if you played a drinking game where you drank a shot every time she sang “cherry cherry boom boom”, “love game” or “ga ga” it wouldn’t be too long before you passed out.

However, Gaga’s avowed intention with this album was to make a fun pop record that people would enjoy listening to. With a little bit of judicious editing of the track list, you can certainly say she’s achieved that aim.

Imelda May LIVE

2009-02-11T23:14:00.002Z

The first concert of 2009 kicked off in style at the swanky Baby Blue in Liverpool’s Albert Docks. I have to complain about the scallops’ starter though. For £8.95 (minus my 20% discount of course) I expect more than 3 scallops the diameter of a penny and the thickness of, well, something not very thick at all. They won me back with the delightful Black Pudding Mash that accompanied the lovely Pork Tenderloin though.

The venue itself was a little but strange (getting in to it was a bit like Eyes Wide Shut) and I have to say that it was the “oldest” crowd I’d ever seen at a “non-oldie” concert. To explain that, I have seen “older” crowds at things like Neil Diamond, but Imelda May, despite her retro sound, isn’t old herself is she? Well, you hopefully know what I mean.

What isn’t in any doubt is that Imelda May is absolutely bloody fantastic. Her love of Rockabilly, Jazz and SKiffle may not be conducive to mega-chart stardom but there is no denying that if you are into that kind of thing, May is sublime. Most of her impressive Love Tattoo album was unleashed, with my particular favourite being Wild About My Lovin'. We were also treated to some entertaining cover versions, including wicked versions of Patsy Cline’s Walking After Midnight and, best of all, Tainted Love.

Sure at various times you could have felt like you were in some bizarre episode of Heartbeat but that’s just my warped mind at work. I was quite taken by Imelda May prior to this concert. Now I think I may just be in love with her.

Circus - Britney Spears

2008-12-30T19:21:00.002Z

It's easy to laugh at Britney and it's fair to say that once again her actual input into this album will have been little more than turning up to sing the lines she's told to. But you know what? For the second album in a row she's comfortably outpaced Madonna. This is everything that Hard Candy wasn't in terms of a great dance-pop record.

In many ways this is an album of two halves. The first is perfectly acceptable glossy pop that never quite takes off like you would want it to. The likes of Womanizer and Kill The Lights are a lot better than most that is served up to us in the name of American Pop. The album has some even better tracks in it's second half, starting with Unusual You, where it gets more adventurous and actually has something interesting to say (again, unlike Hard Candy).

Ok so it's at least four tracks too long, but Britney Spears isn't necessarily an "album" artist. This has more than enough great singles to ensure her ongoing success and sometimes that's enough, no matter what those "proper" music lovers might tell you.

Top 20 Albums of 2008

2008-12-21T15:33:00.002Z

20) Lenka (Lenka)
Bright, breezy and sweet pop that could be a little twee for some but had me under it's spell.

19) She Ain't Me (Carrie Rodriguez)
To carry on from the theme of the last entry, if you were disappointed by Sheryl Crow's 2008 efforts, Carrie Rodriguez should certainly cheer you up. Proof that even in these days of cookie-cutter Nashville stars there is still some genuinely emotive Country music knocking about.

18) Not In A Million Years (Beangrowers)
Not the most original album of 2008 I would have to admit but when a band makes as much good use out of it's influences as this, it would be churlish to complain.

17) New York City (Brazilian Girls)
The party record of the year. The fact that the singer Sabina Sciubba sings in at least four different languages on this record only heightens the "anything could happen" feel of the record.

16) Synthetique (Prototypes)
French pop always comes up with something good and this year's electro-goodness came courtesy of Prototypes. There wasn't an album this year that mixed electro-pop, 60s rhythms, folky guitars and punk crunch quite so effortlessly.

15) Curioser (Kate Miller Heidke)
If you spent some part of 2008 lamenting the fact that Natasha Bedingfield had sold her soul to American airplay demographics, you should find some solace in the Australian Kate Miller Heidke. Absolutely barmy, the former opera singer never forgets that its the tunes that make a pop album.

14) Jukebox (Cat Power)
Largely cover versions this may have been, but it was inimitably Cat Power all the way. Proof that she's a genuine talent.

13) Flight Of The Conchords (Flight Of The Conchords)
A comedy record it may be, but it's put together with such obvious affection for the songs that they are sending up that it actually gets better with repeat listens. The only down side is that it can't compete with the sheer genius of the TV show.

12) Get Awkward (Be Your Own Pet)
They annoyed me in concert in 2008, but that doesn't change the fact that this album is a stomper.

11) Sound Soldier (Skye Sweetnam)
It may have been a 2007 album in North America, but it's later release dates elsewhere meet my criteria for this list! Mental bonkers pop that never forgets that pop music is supposed to be fun, which was even more welcome in the year that Girls Aloud went a little too serious.

10) Me And Armini (Emiliana Torrini)
Taking the best bits of her two previous albums and merging them into one great big ball of delight. "Big Jumps" especially is one of my favourite tracks of the year.

9) Rockferry (Duffy)
Adele may get the critics vote (unless you count me as a critic...) but Duffy was the people's choice. Arguably had the year's greatest collection of singles, but there's more to enjoy on the album as well.

8) Pretty Runs Out (Amanda Shaw)
Praise the lord that Amanda Shaw failed to grab the role of Hannah Montana because this major label debut was blissful. Much more than a mere fiddle player, Shaw proved here to be quite the talent, merging Louisiana Jazz with Nashville Country to great effect.

7) I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too (Martha Wainwright)
Some decried that this was more "commercial" than her debut effort, but it was no less effective for that.

6) Alas I Cannot Swim (Laura Marling)
Stunning considering her age, which makes you wonder that if she can be this good now, just how great could she be in the years to come.

5) Count To Ten (Tina Dico)
Ignore anything you may find from 2006 about her on this site as I've finally realised just what a great singer/songwriter Tina Dico is. Count To Ten was her best yet. It was so good that my next door neighbour popped his head over the garden fence when I had this on to ask who it was.

4) Another Country (Tift Merrit)
No one in the UK buys her records, but that's their loss. This was a delightful album borne from serious personal heartbreak. But it never wallows in sorrow and tugs at your heart strings until you have no option but to fall completely for it.

3) Ladyhawke (Ladyhawke)
Paris Is Burning underwhelmed me which kind of led me to dismissing the whole idea of Ladyhawke for a while. But once I got the album I was firmly under her spell. "Electropop" didn't get any better than this in 2008.

2) Acid Tongue (Jenny Lewis)
People who know me are probably sick to death of me praising Jenny Lewis. But she is delightful. Upon reflection I think that Acid Tongue is even better than Rabbit Fur Coat, which is high praise from me indeed! What amazes me about this album is the sheer amount of variety it has on it, without ever missing a beat.

1) Tales Of Silversleeve (Cathy Davey)
Released in her native Ireland in 2007, this only got an official release in England in 2008. So that's why it's in my list. And to be honest, it was the front runner for my number one spot from the moment I heard it. The opening five tracks are probably the best stretch of songs I've heard on an album all year and there is little appreciable drop in quality from there.

TOP 20 SINGLES OF 2008

2008-12-20T15:44:00.002Z

20) Hearts On Fire (Cut Copy)
Ok so Cut Copy's default setting is "try to sound like New Order" but there are worse bands to ape and when you get it right like they do with Hearts on Fire, you can't really complain.

19) Outta My Head (Ashlee Simpson)
She may be fantastically useless but you can normally rely on Ashlee Simpson, or at least the people controlling her, to come up with one good song per album. This may have veered a little too close to Gwen Stefani territory for it to be a coincidence, but this kicked the pants off anything on Madonna's new album.

18) Violet Hill (Coldplay)
You see when people accuse me of being biased, it's really not true. Sure, the video to this did nothing to dissuade you that punching Chris Martin in the face wouldn't be great fun, but not even I would deny that this is a bloody brilliant song. I'm still not sure on the "white snow" thing but it would be churlish to dismiss this song purely on inane lyrics...

17) When I Grow Up (Pussycat Dolls)
If only all pop music was as manic as this. In a year where Girls Aloud went a little bit too serious for my liking (still some good tunes, but without the bizarre nonsensical lyrics) this was a mad, random and funny pop ditty. And it was an pretty damn infectious one.

16) Stepping Stone (Duffy)
The best song of the year that made me cry...

15) The Beginning Of The Twist (Futureheads)
I always like it when fantastically crap bands come out with something amazing. Or at least something that is listenable. It took being dumped by their record label for the Futureheads to do it, but all credit to them.

14) Dusk Till Dawn (Ladyhawke)
I was slightly underwhelmed by Paris Is Burning, namely it didn't live up to the hype, but that proved just to be an aberration as far as Ladyhawke is concerned for me. This was one of those songs which only needed to be heard once for it to lodge itself in my brain. Indeed I think I greatly annoyed people at work with constantly singing "doo doo doo dooo, do doo doo dooo, bang bang bang, on the wall from dusk till dawn" over and over again for about a week.

13) Save The Lies (Gabriella Cilmi)
A proper pop record that did the seemingly impossible...it made Gabriella Cilmi seem interesting. Of course its atypical of her efforts, with most of her album sounding like Sweet About Me but I suppose that's what pays the bills. I would in 2009, mind you, like to see an advert on TV that she HASN'T provided a song for...

12) Boyfriend (Alphabeat)
Another act in 2008 who I didn't really like and I have to admit that their "we're hear to save pop" routine was annoying me before I heard the original version they did of this. But I'm not one to complain about artists changing their sound for commercial reasons, especially when the song is as good as this. For three minutes we're back in the glorious 1980's.

11) Ready For The Floor (Hot Chip)
This had a "mentalist" that was missing from most pop records in 2008. It actually shouldn't work, but somehow it does.

10) I Know Ur Girlfriend Hates Me (Annie)
Ok so the general apathy from the record buying public towards the delightful Annie continued, but that doesn't make this any less of a brilliant pop song. If Kylie had done this it would have been number one for weeks.

9) Guilt (Long Blondes)
Distinctly underwhelmed by the album I may have been, but Guilt was the kind of song which had everything that made you like the Long Blondes in the first place.

8) Love Song (Sara Barellies)
A refreshing antidote to the usual singer-songwriter crap. Simple, but no less catchy for it.

7) I Kissed A Girl (Katy Perry)
Hey, when I criticised Katy Perry's very mediocre album, I did say that in the terms of a novelty pop record this is pretty bloody fantastic. Yes I know I also criticised the lyrics as being trite, but I'm allowed a bit of leeway. Who cares if most of the rest of her album is rubbish; this was pop gold.

6) Beat Control (Tilly And The Wall)
Ok, so I first heard this on the Jo Wiley show (honestly, my car radio went to Radio 1 of it's own accord) but I can't hold that against the song can I? Proof that Tilly & The Wall have been unfairly ignored previously.

5) American Boy (Estelle & Kanye West)
The fact that Estelle's follow up single where Kanye West was replaced by Shaggy didn't have half the success that this did perhaps might be telling, but anyone who can get Kanye rapping about WAG's and Ribena gets the thumbs up from me.

4) Spiralling (Keane)
I've always thought Keane were a bit boring and, well, wet. But right from the first "ooh" this is a quality tune. I actually became quite obsessed with this when I first heard it, needing to hear it all the time. Gets extra marks for the "did you want to be an Icon" spoken interlude.

3) My Delirium (Ladyhawke)
Ladyhawke becomes one of only two "artistes" to crack the top 20 twice. I can't really say much more than the fact that this is brilliant.

2) Mercy (Duffy)
Proof positive that you can have all the advance press in the world, but you have to have the songs to back it up. Duffy did have the songs. I would admit that in some senses it's not exactly groundbreaking, but what it is, is a bloody good song.

1) Dance With Me (Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris)
I quite like Dizzee Rascal anyway, but it was a stroke of genius to put his lyrical flow to the dance pop beats of Calvin Harris. I doubt that I listened to any other song in 2008 as much as I did this one. And if that's not a reason put it at the top of the list, well I don't know what is.

It Might Like You - Julia Marcell

2008-08-31T18:54:00.002Z

I have to admit to a slight bias here. Female singer-songwriters backed by the piano are certainly good in my book. But in a way it means that Julia Marcell has quite a mountain to climb with me before she's begun. In the shadow of the likes of Fiona Apple and Nerina Pallot, to name just two, something has to be pretty good indeed to stand out to me.

When it works, It Might Like You is indeed pretty damn good.

Tracks like the spiraling Words Won't Save You, the quirky and stuttering Carousel and the charming Fear Of Flying are catchy and just a little different from the generic songs record companies tell you are brilliant but actually fail to excite. Not all of it matches the high standard of those three, but there are no real out and out stinkers that force you to press skip track (at least on the first listen through).

Not to everyone's tastes (but, then again, what is) but fans of the aforementioned females, and those of the likes of Regina Spektor to boot, will find plenty to enjoy here.

Made Up Stories - Go:Audio

2008-08-30T18:51:00.002Z

The common theme in the reviews I've read seems to be that Go:Audio tread the American punk-pop sounds that are so familiar to anyone who listens to commercial radio these days. For what it is, it's not half bad.

Granted, it never comes close to threatening to be more memorable than the songs it gains its "inspiration" from but it's catchy, melodic and rocks along at a decent pace. The only thing is that it already seems out of date; it's target audience may well prove to have already moved on.

However, it's not a terrible album and anyone who likes "this kind of thing" won't be too upset by their purchase. Why anyone would NEED this album in their collection though when the likes of The Killers and Fall Out Boy do similar things a hell of a lot better is a different question entirely. But lets put it this way, it's a lot better than the likes of Scouting For Girls.

She Ain't Me - Carrie Rodriguez

2008-08-26T18:56:00.002Z

Her time on tour supporting Lucinda Williams is probably going to give you an indication of what Carrie Rodriguez sounds like. A little bit Country mixed in with other disparate influences would be a fair reading of her based on this, her second album.

Kicking off with the bluesy driven Infinite Night, it is clear that Rodriguez isn't your cookie-cutter Nashville star. It's a catchy tune, but the sheer venom in some of the lyrics certainly make you sit up and take notice. And whilst there's nothing else to quite match it, it's safe to say the album contains a few more gems.

El Savador is the song Sheryl Crow has been looking for since The Globe Sessions whilst the title track She Ain't Me is almost good enough to be on a Jenny Lewis album (high praise from me, I might add).

The only real misfire is Let Me In, where Rodriguez goes for raunch but fails to convince.

Other than that one though, the classically trained violinist Carrie Rodriguez has fashioned a very listenable album. Her pleasing slight Texan drawl draws you in and the catchy tunes keep you hooked, for the most part at least.

What Am I Waiting For - Heidi Newfield

2008-08-25T19:11:00.002Z

Once in a while an album appears that puts your reviewer in a quandary. I couldn't tell you that Heidi Newfield's What Am I Waiting For is a bad album, not by any means, but I also couldn't honestly tell you that I find it a great one.

Those who like the slower side of modern country will probably lap this up. It's thoughtful, contemplative and a nice enough listen. However, some will find it a little too one paced. It's bookended by two feisty numbers, Can't Let Go and Knocked Up, but large parts of what comes inbetween is deliberately slow paced. If there'd been more like Can't Let Go, I might have loved this album a little bit more but as it is, I can't attach myself to the album.

There is one exception to this. Newfield's tribute to Mr & Mrs Cash, Johnny & June is heartfelt and could almost, almost, bring a tear your eye. Somewhere, if they're listening up there, I'm sure they'd approve.

Carter's Chord - Carter's Chord

2008-08-15T07:04:00.000Z

It was perhaps written in the stars that sisters Becky, Emily, and Joanna Robertson would end up in the music business; after all their parents Barny and Carter Robertson, both played in Waylon Jennings road band The Waylors in the 1970s. As you might guess then, this isn't a hip-hop record; the girls have followed their musical upbringing all the way to a good, if not great, debut album.

The three tier harmonies will certainly bring the Dixie Chicks to mind, but as of yet Carter's Chord don't show any signs of offending the Nashville market by going for a more polished, and dare I say it marketable, pop sound. Indeed it's a classic country sounding album all the way and whilst it may not show too much in the way of genuine originality (in common with a lot of modern Country records if we're being nasty) it is a well produced and catchy album that has more than enough highlights to keep most Country fans entertained.

Whether it be the, yes, Dixie Chicks sounding Young Love, the bluesy Song Of Love or the catchy Country-Pop of Boys Like You (Give Love a Bad Name) it's difficult to not tap your feet along to the catchy tunes and impressive harmonies. The best of the bunch may be Different Breed, even if it does remind this listener of Alannah Myles’ Black Velvet.

Whilst I may have bemoaned the lack of originality it's also true to say that this is a cut above the cookie-cutter sound of Nashville that some producers seem intent on serving us with. With their dad helping Toby Keith on the production, they've fashioned something that's both traditional and has unique character. A solid debut that hints at greater things to come.

The Virgins - The Virgins

2008-08-14T07:00:00.002Z

The hype suggests The Virgins are something akin to The Strokes. Listening to the album, I'm more inclined to think that they're something akin to Maroon 5. Now I'm sure that will be taken the wrong way by anyone who likes The Virgins, but it's not meant to be disparaging in any great sense. Just to say that the Virgins specialise in funky, upbeat pop, not the sometimes pretentious and serious sound of The Strokes.

For what it's worth, the album is catchy and has some tunes that you can't help but sing along too. The problem is that far too little of it reaches out and ultimately grabs you.

If you want half an hour or so of fun that will entertain you whilst you listen to it, then this is a fine record. If you're looking for something a bit more meaningful, you won't hear it here.

Not In A Million Lovers - Beangrowers

2008-08-13T06:53:00.002Z

Well this must be a first for me. I don't think I've ever bought an album by a band from Malta before (although I'm aware that someone will quite possibly point out some obvious band that I've completely forgotten about). Although, to be honest, there's nothing on the album that particularly screams Malta at the top of its lungs.

In fact the immediate thing that comes to mind upon listening to the album is just how much of it you've heard before. There is glimpses of Blondie, snatches of PJ Harvey, moments of Elastica, bombast to rival the Killers...but despite this, there is no denying that the album seems to, well, work. Good Band Bad Name matches sonic beats to pulsating guitars, whilst Quaint Affair gives us a slice of ambient pop.

Of course, the lack of originality can't help but drag the album down a notch, but it would be churlish to complain too much when so much of what is on the album hits the mark to some extent.

Fans of the Postal Service, The Cardigans or even The Pixies will probably find lots to enjoy on Not A Million Lovers. It may not be the most original album you'll hear in 2008, but that doesn't make it any the less enjoyable.

Comme si de rien n'etait - Carla Bruni

2008-08-12T04:30:00.000Z

2007's No Promises, made before Carla Bruni became Mrs Sarkozy, was a surprisingly good album considering it's concept. A French-Italian super model setting music to 11 classic poems, including works by the likes of WB Yeats, Emily Dickinson, WH Auden and Dorothy Parker...who wouldn't want to avoid that like the plague?

But here we are, 12 months down the line and Bruni has done it again. Only the one song is in English this time, You Belong To Me, and this proves to be a wise move. The bubbly Je Suis Une Enfant is one highlight, the breathy and sophisticated sound of Le Temps Perdu is another. But in reality there's not really much on the album that you wouldn't want to listen to again and again.

But there is no way that Comme si de rien n'etait can be seen in any other context that being by the wife of the French president, if only to consider the sheer horror of Cherie Blair trying the same after her attempt at a Beatles song in the far east that time. Few will probably care about any political context if we're being honest, unless they are a broadsheet music critic with an agenda, and tackling the album from this perspective does it a disservice. On it's own merits, away from the context of Bruni's very public private life, you can accept it for what it is - another surprisingly good album that will delight and charm you in equal measures.

Volume 1 - She And Him

2008-08-11T02:01:00.000Z

Well if Scarlett Johannson can do it, why can't Zooey Deschanel, teaming up with singer-songwriter M. Ward, have a go as well? But whereas Scarlett went for an album largely based on cover versions, only three of the tracks on Volume 1 are covers (and one of those is the hidden track Swing Low, Sweet Chariot).

And, ahem, covering them first would give you a distorted view of the album as a whole. You Really Got a Hold on Me is superfluous at best and whilst the cover of the Beatles I Should've Known Better has some merit, it does come perilously close to pastiche and/or novelty. Luckily the majority of the self-penned tracks are a hell of a lot better.

The vibe is something akin to 60's pop (provided by Deschanel's melodies and lyrics) meets 50's Nashville (provided by Ward's arrangements) with a little bit of folk added in for good measure. Any notions that this is some form of vanity project from the actress is quickly dispelled by the realisation that she can sing (having already proved it to some degree in films, even if most people would remember her singing alongside Will "I'll say the name of my character over and over again because it's so hilarious" Ferrell in Elf) AND has a voice that can fit a number of styles. She can croon on Take It Back just as well as she can be playful on I Was Made For You. Mind you, would you expect anything less from an actress?

For all the positives, I can't say that I find the album a complete knock out; it's a little too slow paced, with faster, more upbeat tracks like This Is Not A Test tending to prove more memorable (a fact not helped by the fact that most of these tracks are at the beginning of the album) and where it's most obvious modern point of reference for comparison, Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat had a heart and a soul, Deschanel's lyrics do tend to verge on cliche at times.

Still, it's a strong debut album which certainly leaves you hoping that you will get to hear a Volume 2, with the hope that more pieces of the puzzle may just fall into place next time around.

New York City - Brazilian Girls

2008-08-10T10:21:00.002Z

There's three of them, only one of whom is a Girl, and none of them are from Brazil.

Now that's out of the way, let's get onto the record, their third album. With a multilingual lead singer, Sabina Sciubba, (English, French, Spanish, German are just some of the languages you will hear on this record), it's hard to pin down exactly how to describe the sound of the album such is the wealth of diverse styles that the band attempts to pack into one record. And if this mish-mash leads to an uneven experience it also means that it's a record that is constantly surprising you.

Thus whilst you may not appreciate the pared back sound of, say, Berlin, as much as the more dance and pop end of their spectrum, one such example being the wonderfully silly Good Time, you can't help but be intrigued by how many different sounds you will hear over the 50 minutes of the record.

As CSS unleash a desperately disappointing second album, anyone who was hoping for more from that is sure to be pleasantly surprised by New York City. Fresh, funky, funny and, for the most part, fantastic. This is a party record that is almost guaranteed to get you going.

One Of The Boys - Katy Perry

2008-08-09T13:36:00.004Z

Does it really only take a song about dissing an ex-boyfriend for being metrosexual (Ur So Gay) and one about secret sapphic lust (I Kissed A Girl) to become a star these days? Well it's certainly enough to get Perez Hilton excited and to take Katy Perry towards the top of the charts on both sides of the Atlantic.

Of course one can understand Perry's desperate sounding attempts to garner attention when one considers her childhood; the daughter of two pastors, Perry's first musical venture was a Christian gospel record, released in 2001, and indeed Gospel was the only music she was apparently allowed to listen to. Perhaps the music world would have been better if she'd taken the traditional British route of rebellion, hanging out on the street corner drinking White Lightening.

Make no bones about it, much like with Ida Maria's "naked" lyrics, Perry's global airplay has nothing to do with musical talent, more to do with the idea that her girl-on-girl imagery is funny or in someway shocking, surely passe notions in 2008. Most observers would see the song for what it is; a novelty record.

Things don't really get any better either. There's no doubting that there are a handful of catchy tunes on the album but even those are ruined beyond comprehension by inane and/or ridiculous lyrics that most of the time stirred up nothing other than complete and utter boredom for this listener.

On Fingerprints, Perry says she wants to "break the mold". She hasn't even come close. For all her record company's talk of her "zeitgeist-capturing sassiness" there's nothing on display here to suggest that she's anything other than the novelty one-hit wonder I Kissed A Girl would have you believe.

Me and Armini - Emilíana Torrini

2008-08-08T13:15:00.000Z

Emilíana Torrini is now best know for her work on the Lord Of The Rings soundtrack, or perhaps through co-writing Kylie Minogue's Slow, although most would probably still not recognise her name. After a handful of releases in her native Iceland, she first came to wider prominence with 1999's Love In The Time Of Science, a brilliant slice of electronically driven "chill out" music. It was 2005 before she resurfaced on album, with the patchy Fisherman's Woman, a more sparse and acoustically pared back version of Emiliana which failed to totally convince me. It was good in parts but was perhaps a little too gentle for it's own good.

2008's Me And Armini merges the two previous styles with the more gentle side of 2005's album intact but with a little more urgency and pace injected. The end result is really rather good indeed.

Lead single Me And Armini mixes a lilting reggae sound with a blissfully chilled out arrangement and if there was any justice, international airplay would be a certainty. Chances are that it is too unique for that, but that shouldn't spoil your enjoyment of what is a fantastic track.

Other great tracks include Big Jumps, which is quite frankly simply adorable, and the apparent next single Jungle Drum, which adds a vibrancy and excitement to Torrini's sounds that was missing from Fisherman's Woman.

However, as if to attempt to label me a hypocrite, even on a track such as Hold Heart, which is little more than her backed by an acoustic guitar, she proves to be stunning.

Whilst perhaps not quite managing to surpass Love In The Time And Science, this is still a fantastic album which deserves a wide audience.

Pretty Runs Out - Amanda Shaw

2008-08-07T12:45:00.000Z

It would be easy to be cynical about 18 year old (just) Amanda Shaw. At the age of seven she became the youngest performer ever to solo with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and in more recent years has cemented a place as a firm crown favourite at New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival. She also apparently was once in the running for the role of Hannah Montana, having appeared in two Disney movies. On the basis of her debut on Rounder, Pretty Runs Out, we should all be grateful that she eschewed the Disney route because she sounds quite the talent.

Her expert "fiddle" playing, combined with a strong Cajun sound that mixes Louisiana jazz with modern country, saddled with burgeoning songwriting skills make this an impressive first shot at worldwide stardom.

The blues-driven Chirmolito, inspired by two Mexican's who helped to rebuild Shaw's home in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is a winner, as is Brick Wall with its, always welcome, trombone backing. It's also hard, after listening to Shaw make it her own, to imagine that Cyndi Lauper could ever have sung I Don't Want To Be Your Friend.

She even excels at instrumentals; French Jig and McGee's Medley are foot-stompers that can't fail to put a smile on your face and Reels: The Gaspe Reel/ Sam's Slammer/ Imogen's Ridge repeats the trick towards the end of the album.

Shaw has a good voice and, more importantly, one that has character. It never sounds too polished and merely ends up sounding like all good voices should; unique and personable.

All in all this is a great major-label debut for Shaw and one which hints at great things to come. Anyone with an open mind will surely fall in love with this album.

Sound Soldier - Skye Sweetnam

2008-08-06T19:17:00.002Z

Noise From The Basement, Skye Sweetnam's debut album, was one of those albums that was excellent, in a disposable way, without ever getting it's fair due. Albums that were a lot, lot worse ended up selling millions more.

Sound Soldier probably won't reverse her commercial fortunes, but it is a bloody good pop album which shows more invention in the space of one album than the majority of her peers do in entire careers. Yes, the hands of The Matrix and Tim Armstrong are all over the project but Sweetnam has an infectious character than inhabits all her songs and makes you believe she actually had some input into them, rather than them just rolling off the latest conveyor belt.

Whether it's the ska sounds of (Lets Get Movin') Into Action (which, incidentally reminds me of Ant & Dec's finest moment You Betta Watch Out - a good thing I tell ya) or the pop/rock/rap melange of Music Is My Boyfriend, Sweetnam is never anything less than interesting.

They are not the only highlights either; Cartoon is infectiously catchy and has a chorus that will simply lodge itself in your brain (resistance is futile) whilst even her attempt at a ballad in Scary Love isn't that bad.

Yes towards the end the quality certainly drops, but overall this is throwaway pop at it's finest. No matter whether anybody buys it or not.

Fortress Round My Heart - Ida Maria

2008-08-05T19:07:00.000Z

Someone I know, mentioning no names, picked up this album in a local music shop, took one look at the "missing link between The Strokes and Amy Winehouse" sticker on the front and put it straight back on the rack. As far as I'm concerned he had a very lucky escape.

First time around all I could stomach was 30 seconds each of the opening four tracks. But I'm nothing if not fair so in the interests of, well, this review I tried again and made it all the way through. Again I was far from impressed.

Make no bones about it, it's the "funny" lyrics to I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked that have got Ida Maria any mainstream attention at all.

Derivative, unoriginal and, frankly, not very good at all. One reviewer suggested she's almost the "female Jack Penate". And to be honest, I would tend to agree. Yes, she is THAT bad.

Structure & Cosmetics - The Brunettes

2008-08-03T18:52:00.000Z

Sweeter than a vat of Sugar, The Brunettes hit Sub Pop for their first major release, Structure & Cosmetics. They're also unashamedly purveyors of bubbly, light and breezy pop which, I would imagine you'll generally love or hate. There's not too much room for the middle ground.

Of course I'm now going to disregard that and say that I'm somewhat in the middle. I can certainly appreciate the quirky pop melodies in songs such as Obligatory Road Song but then you come to something like Stereo (Mono Mono) and you can't decide if the twin vocals that lament the singers separation that, naturally, come at you from separate speakers are a touch of genius or a trick too far.

Fans of The Postal Service or Rilo Kiley or The Shins will probably find enough here to delight them, but I have to say that a whole helping of The Brunettes in one sitting is a little too much for my taste.

Donkey - CSS

2008-08-02T18:36:00.001Z

It's two years since Cansei De Ser Sexy's album and by the sounds of Donkey, the party is well and truly over.

It's not that it's a dreadful album per se, although it does come close to being labelled that, just that if someone had specifically taken the trouble to eradicate everything that made CSS a thrilling proposition and at the same time wash away all traces of individuality they couldn't have done a much better than this donkey of an album. A cheap shot for sure, but one they set themselves up for.

It was perhaps expected that a professional polish would be added to the proceedings (lets not forget this was a band who when, in 2003, formed didn't know how to play any instruments) given the success of the previous album but it still comes as a huge disappointment that it's so generic and, well, normal.

Granted if you take the handful of decent tracks on here, the likes of Let's Reggae All Night and Move, and replaced the duff songs on the other album with them as a whole you'd have an absolutely brilliant album. But the new tracks would still be the ones that stand out as being a couple of notches below the likes of Let's Make Love (And Listen To Death From Above).

All in all, this is a hugely disappointing listen which has aimed for chart success but merely ended up removing everything that made you love CSS in the first place.

Fire Songs - The Watson Twins

2008-06-29T14:50:00.002Z

Two years on, I still don't know which one of the Watson Twins it was that I met properly. But in a way, that just makes it all the more "hilario" doesn't it?

Anyway, now that Jenny Lewis has gone back to Rilo Kiley, it's finally time for the Twins to properly step into the spotlight, with Fire Songs, their debut album. Their collaboration with Lewis on Rabbit Fur Coat (an album which no less an authority than my father said was "morbid beyond belief") led to a certain amount of expectation for their full-length debut but it was also difficult to gauge just what an impact they could have on their own.

At first, the overriding impression is one that they are better suited to backing singers than front women. For the first couple of songs, at least, they are in danger of fading into the background of their own songs; not a good sign.

But things do start to pick up with their cover of The Cure's Just Like Heaven and from that point on there are more hits than misses. Map To Where You Are is a slinky number, which to me sounds like it's from the soundtrack of some spaghetti western (I mean that in a good way), Sky Open Up is an atmospheric belter and Bar Woman Blues may sound like a typical MOR 1970's throwback...but bloody hell it's a good MOR 1970's throwback.

I think the criticism that The Watson Twins at times get lost on their own record is, sadly, a fair one in parts and there's nothing on here that matches up to the best cuts on their record with Jenny Lewis, but it remains a very promising debut and certainly leaves you hoping that you haven't heard the last of the Watson Twins.

Bittersweet Symphony - Jade Valerie

2008-06-28T14:33:00.000Z

I can allay your fears straight away; this has absolutely nothing to do with Dickie Ashcroft.

Sometimes I kinda miss the early-mid 1990's. You could be fairly certain that some Scandinavian pop gem would blast the charts for a few weeks before the act in question disappeared quicker than they'd come to your attention.

Jade Valerie isn't Scandinavian (she was born in America) and has had precious little western success (as lead singer for Sweetbox, it was mainly Asia that succumbed) but there are certainly some songs on her debut full-length album that have the sort of appeal that I mention above.

The likes of No, You Don't and Undone are hardly going to be remembered as pop classics, but they are the kind of song that lodge in your brain sufficiently to the point where you're humming along hours after you last heard them.

As ever, when we get to the balladry things get very dull, very quickly, but as I've said before anyone who buys a pop album specifically for the ballads is asking for trouble.

Still if you like a bit of pop, don't mind the umpteen classical tunes thrown in, and want a bit of a good time, however fleeting, you'll not be too disappointed with this.

The Waves & Both Of Us - Charlotte Sometimes

2008-06-24T01:34:00.002Z

If you were sat at home this morning thinking "what I really need to hear is an American Amy Studt" then I may have found the artist just for you.

20-year-old Jesse Poland is a young and talented singer-songwriter who will no doubt in a good few years time regale us of how she didn't really want to go the "all out pop" route that personified her debut album. Which is a pity in some ways because, like Studt's False Smiles, whilst The Waves & Both Of Us isn't packed with wall to wall stunners, it's an accomplished, and occasionally really rather good, album.

Pick of the bunch are AEIOU, a slinky little number with a ridiculously catchy chorus and funny lyrics (it's her version of Misfit, but even better), In Your Apartment (which draws me in, anyway, with its brass backing - this must be brass band week here at The Music Room) and Sweet Valium High, which is the kind of thing that Lily Allen would kill for on her upcoming second album.

Occasionally the production is just a little too glossy for it's own good, as if somebody somewhere wants to knock out every bit of individualism out of her and there are some ordinary songs to endure, but when it's right, it's bang on.

In years gone by, this would have been regarded as a great starting point for a pop career; in the 21st Century it's probably not going to sell enough and she'll be dumped by her record label as result. But such is the price we pay for "progress" right?

Somewhere In The Real World - Vanessa Amorosi

2008-06-23T19:12:00.002Z

Ok, so I picked this up thinking it was some new young ingenue that I'd never heard of. Imagine my surprise then when I looked her up on Wikipedia and found that this was her fourth studio album and she'd already had a greatest hits CD out as well.

If you're looking for something to compare it to, we're probably talking Kelly Clarkson before she started to believe her own hype a little too much. Which means that it's not perfect, but it has more than enough pop delights to keep you entertained.

I really liked A Little Love, even before the totally ace Sax riff starts coming in towards the end; simply it's the kind of song Kylie should be doing (and would no doubt top the charts for weeks if she did). My House, which also has brass on it (always a winner), is another funky stomper which has something a lot of pop music doesn't have these days...a sense of humour. It's also just a little bit naughty, which is also always a good thing. I Want Your Fire is also another funky dance track which hits all the right spots.

Of course, this being a "modern pop album" TM there has to be ballads, and they're not very good. But I don't buy a pop album for the ballads, so I'm never going to listen them to again anyway.

I couldn't really recommend this as a "must buy" as there isn't really enough to justify the purchase cost, but if you're a little flush this month or can find someway to lay your hands on the standout tracks, this is well worth a little bit of investigation.

Count To Ten - Tina Dico

2008-06-20T15:03:00.002Z

Perhaps better known for her collaborations with Zero 7, Count To Ten is Tina Dico's fourth album, and the follow up to 2006's Into The Red. If there is any justice in the world (thanks Lemarr) Tina Dico might finally get recognised more for her own work.

If acoustically-tinged pop is your thing then there will be much to delight you within the tracks here. On The Run is a gently rocking track that moves from it's 60's-esque guitar backed verse into a stomping sing-a-long chorus, My Business is the hit-single Sheryl Crow has been looking for for the past decade, Everybody Knows is a an emotional tear-jerker and Open Wide had my next-door neighbour looking over the fence (quite literally) and asking me who the artist in question was.

Things do get a little pedestrian at times, and you do find yourself wishing that Dico would rock out just a little bit more at times, but this is still a very good record. Intelligent lyrics, catchy melodies and a compelling voice, Tina Dico has everything you could want in spades.

Youth Novels - Lykke Li

2008-06-19T18:34:00.001Z

As the old joke never went, you don't have to be Scandinavian to musically conquer the UK, but it helps. Hence Swedish 22-year-old Lykke Li and her debut album Youth Novels.

Much of the anticipation for this album is down to recent single Little Bit. Listening to it it was almost a "Young Folks with a bit more of a dancey vibe" (not surprising considering it bears the influence of co-producer Bjorn Yttling, one third of Peter Bjorn and John) but I couldn't quite make my mind up whether it was charming and ever so slightly adorable or whether or not it was highly irritating. On balance, it just about worked it's way into the former category. The question, to my mind at least, was whether or not an entire album could follow suit.

Alarmingly, I only got two tracks in, with Dance, Dance, Dance to get worried that the album was going to fall firmly into the "irritating" camp. With it's similar sensibilities to Little Bit, but zero of that song's charm, it's not something I can enjoy listening to. Quite frankly, I couldn't find the skip button fast enough.

But thankfully, there is more to Lykke Li than this would suggest. I'm Good I'm Gone does sound, ahem, a little bit like something Feist would do, but there's no denying it's a catchy tune; Tonight is a melancholic and sparse track that underscores her strengths. Breaking It Up's vocal chorus makes it stand out and she saves the best for last with Window Blues. The spooky backing and simple two-note piano riff combine to make an excellent end track (and as you know, I can never resist a girl speaking/singing in French).

There's enough of a variety of good tracks to make this very much a worthwhile listen; sadly there's also just enough that's irritating and cloying. Still, first time around, you can't expect everything to hit the mark.

Tales Of Silversleeve - Cathy Davey

2008-06-18T18:04:00.002Z

It's easy to be flippant isn't it? Yet another female singer-songwriter, following up a critically praised but, outside her native Ireland, slow selling debut album. But please, stay with me. For a start this isn't your typical dross, forced on us by record companies chasing the next easy pound for their accounts.

Wit, invention and rhythm are lacking in a lot of modern music (of course, really they're not, but I'm making a point here), three things that Tales Of Silversleeve has in spades.

In fact if I hear a better opening to an album than the first five tracks on here, (Sing For Your Supper, Reuben, The Collector, Moving, Mr Kill) then I will, quite literally, eat my hat. Sing For Your Supper is, simply, a beautiful love song but has so many levels that I couldn't possibly begin to list them all here. Reuben is a piano driven stomper and is the kind of thing that Scouting For Girls might come up with if they weren't a tool of the devil designed to lure 12 year old girls into buying a "proper" record. Indie comes next, with the delightfully jaunty The Collector and just when you think you've got as close to working her out as you are likely to, Moving steps in, with a dancey vibe (technical term that) to totally shatter your conception of what Davey is capable of. Then she changes tack, with the fantastic baseline of Mr. Kill, a funky groovetapper if ever I've heard one.

What follows the amazing opening quintet isn't half bad either. In fact it's probably only that the first five tracks are SO excellent, that you even notice there is an ever so slight drop in quality. And if we're being honest, anything from track six onwards would still be the best song on Adele's album by a country mile.

It even has a 60's style track, Rubbish Ocean, to please those looking for the next thing to take Amy Winehouse's place if she ever gets around to dying from that drug overdose.

And whilst some might argue, and not entirely without merit, that her musical promiscuity stops the album from having an overriding identity of it's own I would take the opposite view. Tales Of Silversleeve is too good to be allowed to limit its scope. Better records may come along in 2008, but I'd be surprised if any are better than this.

Weezer - Weezer

2008-06-16T02:21:00.001Z

Or the "Red Album" if you're losing track as this is the third self-titled Weezer album out of six. It's also the first since the debut (the Blue Album for those keeping track) to see Rivers Cuomo slightly loosen his autocratic leading of the band to let his bandmates show us their own songwriting chops.

Things didn't seem all that promising at first; not only were there rumours that this album was to see a highly experimental Weezer but record label Geffen were apparently of the opinion that the album didn't have any hits on it. The result was Pork and Beans, the album's lead single and one written entirely as a sly knock to the label's opinions. "Timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the charts" sneers Cuomo, "maybe if I work with him I can perfect the art". Ironically, of course, it turned out to be Weezer's biggest American hit in years.

Long-term Weezer fans are certainly catered for here; alongside Pork and Beans the likes of Troublemaker

That said, there are definite departures from what you might expect. Heartsongs, which sees Cuomo list the songs and artists that have shaped his musical identity may eventually "rock out" but it's lilting and saccharine sounds take some getting used to. Nothing I write could amply explain The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn) to you but if you imagine six minutes of sonic eccentricity that takes in such different musical styles as metal, hip-hop, male voice choir, folk and glam rock then you get some idea of the huge scale we're talking about. More amazingly, it's a catchy track too.

Of the band members contributions, I Thought I Knew is passable, but nowhere near becoming a Weezer classic, Cold Dark World is plodding and only drummer Patrick Wilson's Automatic comes close to matching the best of what Cuomo can deliver.

Naturally, the "Red Album" is no Pinkerton (still Weezer's finest collective moment for me) but, to put it into perspective, it's nowhere near the disappointment that was Maladroit. It might not convert to many new listeners to Weezer, but those of us that have been with them for over a decade will find much to enjoy on this fine collection.

21 - The Mystery Jets

2008-06-15T13:58:00.002Z

The Cure, Tears For Fears, The Cars, Duran Duran...if there's one thing this album is guaranteed to do it's to remind you of the 1980's.

Recent single Two Doors Down was one of those classic divisive pop hits. Some would appreciate it for what it is (a catchy pop hit) whilst others would probably be unable to look past the obvious 80's sound (complete with gratuitous sax solo) that it undoubtedly represents. Those of you who land in the "hate" category for this one might as well steer clear of MJ, which almost transcends into parody.

Lead single, Young Love, was, on the other hand, criminally overlooked by most, but is one of the better songs on the album. Laura Marling pops in to lend a hand and whilst it may be very much one of those "boy meets girl" style songs, it's one of the better examples of that mini-genre. It's got feeling, which is rare in a modern day pop song and, like the other standout tracks on the album such as Half In Love With Elizabeth and Veiled In Grey, it is completely devoid of cliche.

It's not a trick that they can completely keep up for the entire album and towards the end there is a definite lull. It's not to say that the lesser tracks are awful, but they are overshadowed by the brilliance on display elsewhere.

Still, a good album with a handful of excellent tracks is certainly worth the investment in my opinion.

LIttle Dreamers - Beth Rowley

2008-06-14T13:26:00.002Z

Beth Rowley has been knocking about for a good few years; is it any surprise that her big breakthrough (this album debuted at number 6 in the UK charts) has come hot on the heels of the 2nd tranche of "Amy Winehouse followers" (Duffy, Adele et.al.)? Perhaps not, but it's no reason to hate her, or be dismissive of what is a decent album.

It's at its best on the more, dare I say it, old fashioned entries. Almost Persuaded with its simple piano backing is a winner, as is her version of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground" (featuring Peter Wilson of Duke Special fame).

When she, or her producers, try to take things in a more contemporary "pop" route, the gloss adds nothing to the proceedings. A case in point is So Sublime. It's pleasant, but doesn't make enough of the undoubted talent Rowley has.

Flavours Of Entanglement - Alanis Morissette

2008-06-13T15:01:00.003Z

On the plus side, we can at least rejoice in the fact that Alanis Morissette has remembered how to pack in a tune on Flavours of Entanglement. Indeed musically it is perhaps her most immediate collection since Jagged Little Pill, not that her rabid fans would want to see another review making comparisons to that monster of an album from whose shadow she will never truly escape.

The problem is that her lyrics are as dreadful as ever. Her fans would call them simple and profound, but simplicity in itself in nothing if the insights into her personal life (the album largely concerns her breakup with actor Ryan Reynolds) are surrounded in enough psycho-babble to confuse even the most attentive counsellor.

Still, its a fairly pleasant listen as long as you don't pay TOO much attention to it. And at least she's largely stopped trying to fit a hundred words into a line with only enough room for five.

Angles - Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip

2008-06-12T14:34:00.001Z

As good as Thou Shalt Always Kill was, there was always the danger that it would prove to be a one off novelty for Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip. That the follow up single, The Beat That My Heart Skipped, made it as my top single of 2007 proved that there was life beyond novelty for the duo, but still the doubts remained. Could they sustain the "phat beats" (I believe that's what they are called these days) and the lyrical witticisms over the course of a full album.

The answer is "not quite" but they come perilously close.

Lyrically, Scroobius Pip certainly has a lot to say and a lot of it is worth listening to. You may not always agree with what he says (although, really, who can argue with "thou shalt not read NME"?) but there is little in the way of banality. And Dan Le Sac matches the brilliance of the lyrics step for step with some amazingly catchy tunes.

Of course not everything hits that spot, and there are a handful of tracks where the skip track function becomes necessary, but overall this is a very good debut album indeed.

And lets face it, where else are you going to find a song dedicated to Tommy Cooper in 2008? And though I know of a good friend of mine who would totally disagree (Hello Jazz Hands) "beauty is more than a nice pair of tits".

Cat Power LIVE

2008-06-11T23:35:00.000Z

Notoriously a reluctant live performer, it was somewhat of a surprise when I saw that Cat Power was playing in Manchester; indeed her last few visits to this country have seen her play one date in London and then bugger off back home. All I can say now is, it was definitely worth the wait to see her.

In an era where "attitude" is almost a prerequisite for an aspiring musician, Chan Marshall's continuing fragility and near-shyness is a breath of fresh air. For once the music was allowed to speak for itself.

The set list drew heavily on recent covers album Jukebox, and also tossed in varying other cover versions (Tracks Of My Tears, All I Have To Do Is Dream). Not that you would immediately recognise them as cover version, such is the transformation. Few artists could make an iconic a song as New York New York sound as if it had been written just for them. Backing band Dirty Delta Blues Band were in top form although occasionally they threatened to drown Marshall out.

The only complaints were an over reliance on said cover versions and the fact that, for once, an artist gave TOO much value for money. After an hour and a half, people started to drift away and I have to admit that even your esteemed reviewer was looking at his watch and wondering if Marshall had ever heard about leaving your audience wanting more.

Still, it was a night that was hard to beat. Beguiling and refreshingly "showbiz" free; this was certainly a concert to remember.

Perfectly Clear - Jewel

2008-06-10T19:06:00.002Z

It was perhaps only to be expected that Jewel would deliver a "Country" album; perhaps it's a case of her "making the record she's always wanted to do" (as she suggested with the, I think, unfairly maligned 0304) or perhaps its an attempt to carve out a new audience. Long term it's impossible to tell if this is a single flight of fancy or a concerted move into new territory. Perhaps that will depend on record sales.

Things don't look good with opener Stronger Woman. If you were looking to set down a Female sung Country cliche in four easy minutes, you couldn't go far wrong with this. The sense is one of Jewel playing a Country star, rather than actually being one. It's a feeling that album struggles to shrug off.

Occasionally the pastiche is tossed aside to deliver something genuinely lifting, the main case in point being the title track, even if it seems to be little more than a Country retelling of one of her early hits, Foolish Games. I Do is another one that hits the right spot.

All in all this is far from a terrible album and there is no denying that Jewel has the ear for a catchy melody; the problem is as I've mentioned earlier, you're left with the feeling that she's merely "playing" at being a Country star, right down to the, at times, comedic attempts to effect a southern drawl.

Maybe if Country proves to be a long-term proposition for Jewel, she can get it right next time.

Julianne Hough - Julianne Hough

2008-06-09T18:52:00.002Z

I'm reliably informed that Country music's Julianne Hough is a two-time winner of Dancing With The Stars in America (and I'm assuming by that, she's a professional dancer); which doesn't really bode well for this album, until one realises that she's not some "past-it" fading star looking for one last pay-day before riding into obscurity forever. Indeed, Julianne is 19, and this is her debut album.

So momentum is on her side, but does she deliver enough to capitalise it? The answer is "not quite" it seems.

There's nothing to particularly dislike on this album, but precious few moments that jump up and grab you by the throat. Occasionally, on tracks such as That Thing In My Head and About Life, you think that she may well have a future, but there's too much in the way of banal lyrics, delivered with complete and utter sincerity, to leave the kind of impression that she would wish for.

Still, she seems a likable soul and could one day deliver something really worth listening to.

The Pink And The Lily - Sandi Thom

2008-06-08T14:38:00.002Z

It's easy to mock Sandi Thom. I should know, I've done it enough.

But really, was it her fault she was hyped to buggery over the "webcast" thing? Probably not, and it's worth noting that the majority of people who objected to her success on that score will all be fans of other artists who have come to prominence on similar levels of promotion.

Of course none of this makes up for Punk Rocker, one of the worst songs in living memory to have got anywhere near the top of the charts and it is fair to say that Thom has little that stands her out from the pack.

But what she does, she does to reasonable effect. Pleasant enough, without ever really threatening to become a vital listen, Thom does at least have an ear for a melody and certainly has a voice that is better than her detractors would give her credit for.

In the form of Devil's Beat she has at least one good song, but sadly there's nothing on her second album that matches up to that one. Too often, the album is lyrically laughable (and that's most certainly not the intention) and really there's little here that you would seek out for a second listen.

But really, in terms of the dross that is out there, Thom is by no means the anti-Christ some would have you believe. After all, banal lyrics set to pleasant tunes haven't done Coldplay any harm have they?

Bat For Lashes LIVE

2008-06-04T23:18:00.002Z

A new band and a high-profile Radiohead support slot meant that Natasha Khan needed to take Bat For Lashes on the road for a small handful of "warm-up" shows. I can be eternally thankful that Liverpool was chosen as one of the venues.

Because, quite frankly (and despite not being able to see very much of the stage at all "thanks" to the dreadful sight lines in the Carling Academy 2) this was one of the best concerts I've seen in a long, long time.

The old songs had been given a "beefier" edge, which one can only presume was to ensure that the songs don't get lost in the cavernous stadiums that they'll be playing in with Radiohead, and the new songs, of which there were four, sounded very good indeed. In fact they made it seem as if the follow up to Fur & Gold has chances of surpassing the delights of the debut.

After the show, Natasha was as delightful as ever (and thanks to Alan for taking about two minutes to snap the necessary pictures) and even more than ever you were left feeling that Khan is a national treasure and, once again, just how ludicrous it was to pass her over for the Mercury Prize in favour of the Klaxons.

Girls Aloud LIVE

2008-05-31T23:56:00.002Z

It's not often a night out entails getting mocked by teenage girls, getting chatted up by a gay bloke and being accused of going out with a 14 year old girl...but what can I say? Strange things happen at Girls Aloud concerts.

It's no secret that I love Girls Aloud; in terms of fantastic pop records, they have few equals. It matters not, to me anyway, that the girls themselves have little to do with the process (they famously disagreed with Love Machine as a single). A fantastic pop song is a fantastic pop song.

But "live" that isn't always enough.

And whilst you cannot deny that the majority of the classics were there, and that the spectacle itself was, well, spectacular there has always been something missing when it comes to Girls Aloud in the flesh. And this was no exception.

From a personality point of view, the girls leave a little something to be desired and so any in-between song banter is perfunctory at best, and as ever the ballad's section was the cue for quite a few people to have their piss-break.

But, the girls looked like they were having fun, the majority of the crowd were having the time of their lives and there was enough quality pop tunes to make it a good night. But, perhaps to the delight of many snobby music critics, the Girls Aloud "live" experience is far from essential.

...Earth To The Dandy Warhols...

2008-05-24T14:00:00.002Z

Ever since the critically mauled, and poor selling, Welcome To The Monkey House, The Dandy Warhols seem to have eschewed any notion of radio-friendly hits in favour of "out there" psychedelia. Which is something of a sad notion to me. Whilst Monkey House may have been a step too far towards mainstream gloss (although I still think it was an album that had more than it's fair share of moments), Come Down and Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia managed to meld catchy melodies with a more "credible" (I use that term under duress) ambiance.

And if their sixth studio album isn't as disappointing as Odditoruim or Warlords Of Mars was last time out, it still can't be said to be a return to form.

As even the worst of the Dandy Warhols back catalogue, Earth To The Dandy Warhols has its moments, primarily The Legend Of The Last of The Outlaw Truckers and Mis Amigos, far too often it descends into what I would probably describe as noise for the sake of it.

Next time around, if I'm still listening by then, I'd appreciate a few more tunes.

Cha Cha Cha - Tilde

2008-05-23T13:21:00.002Z

Tilde is from Denmark. I know little more about her than that salient fact. What I do know however is that if you like your pop-tinged electronica, then you will find much to enjoy on her album Cha Cha Cha.

If Calvin Harris was a woman, and was Scandinavian rather than Scottish you might imagine him sounding a little something like this. The likes of Feet Turn To Stone and Multiply tread that fine line between "electronica cool" and "pop melody" superbly, and the album never threatens to drag. Tilde's breathy vocals add another layer of, erm, niceness to the proceedings as well.

All in all, this is a good album, with more than enough in the way of "potential hits" to warrant a listen.

Feist LIVE

2008-05-22T23:01:00.002Z

Well that's what an I-Pod advert can do for you. Last time around in Manchester Leslie Feist played in front of around 300 people. This time around the Palace Theatre was full to the brim, packing at least two and half thousand people in.

Yet despite the new found adulation, and the aisles of the Palace were well and truly rocking, this particular listener couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was missing. There is no doubt that Feist is a genuine and unique talent but on this occasion she failed to keep my attention for the full 90 minutes.

The "shadow puppetry" was a nice touch but at times was a little too distracting; whether that was a fault of the production itself or symptomatic of problems with the front-woman herself, is down to personal interpretation.

The versions of her more mainstream (and dare I say listenable) songs were a little leaden (her vocal was almost lost in the noise of My Moon, My Man and Mushaboom lacked the charm of the recorded version) and it's perhaps telling that I was most captivated when her band left the stage and Feist was well and truly centre stage.

You may think from all this that I didn't enjoy it, but quite the contrary, I did. It's just that it didn't match up to last year's visit to Manchester. But anyone going to see her this time around shouldn't worry; Feist still serves up a unique and intriguing night of music.

One's Not Enough - Femme Fatality

2008-05-21T18:59:00.003Z

A couple of tracks into this album you might be sat there thinking "this is alright". Please, ladies and gentlemen, don't be fooled. It's not.

It's repetitive, moronic and not very good. I suppose those of you with an "electronica" leaning might see some merit in it, but there's a hundred and one other similar acts out there would surely would deserve your custom more.

One's not enough? No. One is one too many.