Usually when my brother marches in my room bellowing ‘Turn it down’ or ‘Not again’ or an amalgamation of the two, I simply ignore him. However by the fifteenth time I’d listened to ‘Check It out’; the first track on Fingathing’s new single, I had to give in. –some people simply don’t appreciate how pleasant it is to be able to listen a dance track that isn’t just bits of other peoples work shoved in a new case and titled remix.



From the sleazy beats of ‘Mulletfunk’, that sounds cautiously like a certain Mark B and Blade track, but I say no more, to the more original and harsher breakbeat experimental sounds of ‘Check it out’ it is hard to believe all this was created on just two instruments; one turntable and one double bass.

Having toured extensively after the release of last November’s album, ‘The Main Event’ with everyone from the likes of Muse to the clubbers at Turnmills, Fingthing are getting their fair share of press, and although extensively they are just another dance band, Fingathing like the latest hip hop dance crossover bands, add a touch of style to dance music, and make the whole thing that more bearable, whatever my brother says.



Check It Out is out on CD and 12” on Grand Central Records on 30th July.

Check ‘them’ Out on tour this summer:
13.7.01 Essential Festival, Brighton
27.7.01 The Shelter, Dublin
11.8.01 Headstart stage, Knebworth

www.Fingathing.com

I was quite scathing about Mo*ho*bish*o*pi earlier in the year, when they supported King Adora in Edinburgh, and I was well within my rights to do so, as they sucked.

However, a man is entitled to change his mind about a band, and this album has been growing on me over the last weekend like unexpected bodily hair, but in a good way. Mo*ho*bish*o*pi have been variously described as “ramshackle punk”, “welsh rockers”, and “high class UK lo-fi”, and they meet almost all of these descriptions here. There are some dull tracks, but they’re outweighed by the better ones. “E to C” for example, is terrible, but the following track “Playboy” is great, with imaginative lyrics – “I’m in love with your daughter/ you’d better call the police”.

They get bonus marks for the track “Kids on Cake”, which is clearly a didactic story of those poor souls who become addicted to Cake, the Czech made-up drug which affects the part of the brain known as Shatner’s Bassoon. Or maybe not. “The Push” is short but sweet, cleverly split into Parts 1, 2 and 3; and previous single “Names (For Nameless Things)” is good in a “we want to be Pavement” kinda way. The album opener, “Maverick”, has some rocking screechy guitar work, and the title track “Vague Us” is nicely lo-fi. “Fista Blista” works well– it was by far their best live track – as does “Hear the Air”, which has breathless vocals, a rocking tune and cool electronica notes, but “Drop Jaw” is a poor imitation of US lo-fi. “All Your Health” sees them just going through the motions, although “Navel in a Suitcase” is a surprisingly good shouty-shouty track. Closing track “Harpers” is strange in that it features no drums - only vocals and bass, but is all the better for it – it actually comes across with a lot more feeling than the majority of the rest of the album.

Like the Little Girl who had a Little Curl, when Mo*ho*bish*o*pi are good, they’re very very good, but when they’re bad they’re horrid. More consistency needed please.

“Vague Us” is out on V2 Records on the 27th August

I’m out of work at the moment, and as a result I’ve been getting a bit stressed. Then along came this mini-album (there’s only 6 tracks here), the perfect antidote to job-seeker’s stress.
This album is quite hard to classify - Exodus 77 is a guy called Sean Reveron, and his influences are many and varied. It’s part hip-hop, part Reggae, with a bit of lyrical poetry and laid-back beats thrown in for good measure. It reminds me of the recent Michael Franti & Spearhead album, “Stay Human”, but it lacks that albums’ strong social message.
Reveron’s voice is well suited to the mood of the album, and his accompanying female vocalist, Petra Jean, provides a great contrast, most notably on “Just Time”, the title track of the album. “Just Time” tells us of Exodus’ influences, from his teenage years of punk to Reggae, from Joy Division to Jane’s Addiction, and how he uses his past influences in the present.
Both “3D Effect” and “3D Reconstruction” feature the hook “I’m not afraid of dying, I’m afraid of not living”, and that seems to be one of the main themes of the album – living life to the full, despite the obstacles that may be encountered. I must say that “3D Reconstruction” is the better of the two tracks however, as it not only has funkier beats, but also features Roots Manuva on guest vocals. Other star “guests” on the album include the Stereo MC’s and The Kreators, who both produced the album – indeed, those Catweazle-lookalikes the Stereos halted work on their recent album to produce this.

“1 ounce of nothing” is more upbeat, but is nothing special, except that it contains the great line “Iggy to the Pop/ Hip hop don’t stop”; and the last track, “Candlelight” is also pretty run-of-the-mill stuff – nice to have in the background, but not amazing.

Reveron says “I wanted my music to represent every culture I’ve lived through, all the one’s I haven’t and everyone I’m going to”. It’s an admirable aim, but one which “Just Time” doesn’t quite achieve on its own, although its tracks hang together well, and it’s very chilled. It’ll be interesting to see whether Exodus 77’s next album can further develop this aim.

“Just Time” will be released through Regal on the 25th June.

The buzz for this gig had been building for a while. It was decidedly low-key, really only being announced via Manchester University’s own advertising. Regardless, the venue had to be moved due to demand to a larger venue, the Academy. An impressive feat considering that it’s the university’s summer break and there aren’t any students to fill out the crowd. Further more, the gig sold out without the backing of a new single or album, evidence of the serious hip-hop following in the UK. Thus on the 20th of July, two thousand people made their way expectantly towards the centre of Manchester. The anticipation had grown to such an extent that by the time I had entered the building, 20 minutes after doors had opened, the merchandise stand had sold out of it’s entire stock of T-shirts for the UK. The Academy was rammed 30 minutes after doors, and was only going to get busier as the night wore on.

The initial support from doors to about 8.45 was by DJ Nadine. Nadine played smooth hip-hop whilst the crowd milled around. It was perfect, igniting the blue touch paper of the crowd and setting them on course for an explosion in the form of the next act, Supernatural. Described by J5’s Chali 2na as “the best freestyler on the planet”, to say that he worked the crowd into a frenzy is one of the biggest understatements imaginable. A whirlwind of noise, Supernatural was able to include audience-suggested words such as “Astronautics” and rather impressively, “Supercalafragalisticexpealanatural” seamlessly into his tracks. Further crowd participation was encouraged by Supernatural and he soon had the entire crowd shouting back lyrical hooks. A personal favourite of mine was his “3 rappers” set, where he ‘warped’ coming back as Busta Rhymes and the Notorious B.I.G. A short 30-minute set left the crowd baying for more.

Next came part of the J5 crew, Cut Chemist, for a short 10-minute cacophony of beats and scratches. This certainly got the crowd jumping and champing at the bit for J5. Bounding on to the stage, J5 detonated into a 3-song set including “the influence” from their latest LP, “Quality Control”. The mixing between the songs was exquisite and the energy that exuded from the MC’s and DJ’s was unbelievable. However there was just one missing. Chali 2na made an announcement that MC Zaakir had returned back to the States to undergo an operation. J5 continued on solidly although the lack of Zaakir's voice was definitely discernible in the harmony-esque pieces. Hammering through their hits, J5’s MC’s didn’t exclude the DJ’s Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark. Bounding off centre stage, the MC’s left the DJ’s to their own devices. Again the Academy was filled with breakneck beats, samples and scratching. Cut Chemist even liberated a turntable, bringing it to the front of the stage, showing the crowd exactly how his scratching is accomplished.

The highlight was the “Concrete Schoolyard/ Concrete and Clay” combo which had the crowd jumping as if they were trying to create a hole down to China. However, the gig petered out disappointingly after this. After bringing on some local freestylers and Supernatural to collaborate with J5 on stage, the gig just stopped. No encore, just lights up. It left the crowd wandering around slightly confused and was a slight anticlimax after a night that was 90% amazing.

This limp ending aside, it was a special night. J5 were very humbled that they could sell out a 2,000 capacity venue in the UK, said numerous times to the assembled throng, and as such tried their hardest to make sure that they did themselves justice.

Truly wicked.

'Rock The Nation' is the first single off Michael Franti & Spearhead's album "Stay Human." This is one funky tune, with a light airy feel, yet remains powerful and hard-hitting. The song deals with the human condition and issues relating to today's modern media driven world. Even more impressive is the way this message is delivered in a flowing hip-hop groove that you can't help tapping your feet to.

The vocals on this track are very deep and growley and work brilliantly to convey such a strong passionate message. Supporting the vocals is a steady drum beat and a jazzy flute track. Overall this track has quite a strong jazz feel to it with syncopated notes popping up everywhere.

I'm not a big hip-hop fan myself, but even I'd consider buying this track as it's seriously funky! The album "Stay Human" contains more powerful lyrics and is based around an imaginary broadcast from a community radio station covering the impending execution of a black activist accused of murder. Going on the strength of this single I'd put some money on "Stay Human" being a top-notch album too.



Released 11th June on EMI.

“Jazz, Niiiiiiiice”. Well, that’s what the Fast Show would like you to think. Opening the press release and seeing that Jinrai (pronounced JinRay) are signed to Acid Jazz Records I must admit I had visions of smoke filled rooms, large glasses of Brandy and smooth rhythms. (Well that’s how I see Jazz and all things Jazz related) However, Jinrai’s debut offering is somewhat off that mark.

“Someplace Else” is a light version of acid Jazz. Along with the standard bass guitar and drums, violins and flutes are intertwined. The strange thing is the standard Jazz instruments, Sax and Trumpets, seem to be given backing status, and struggle to make themselves heard, if at all. The tune is average, although totally un-jazz like, as it is light and airy. It’s not something you’ll be humming afterwards.

However, the main problem with the track is the vocals. Having male and female lead singers, Owen O’Brian and Fi Ferguson, it creates some very irritating harmonies. O’Brian’s voice is rather high and when combined with Ferguson’s voice, creates a very distracting and grating cacophony of noise.

I personally can’t see this going anywhere, as they really don’t seem to fit into anything. It isn’t Jazz, and yet it isn’t ‘pop’. It doesn’t seem to be anything.

It’s different, but not necessarily in a good way.



SECOND OPINION

Well, I have to say, I quite liked it Fraser. As you say it is light and airy, but I think that this is a nice break from the norm of crossover pop pieces. Then again, I do play the sax, like jazz, drink brandy and smoke rollies......



Releaseded 9th July on Acid Jazz Records

This is the Beta Bands first new single since the start of 2000. They have managed to gather quite a cult following with their unusual blend of loops, samples and more traditional Indie qualities. Yet despite the ‘cult’ label and their non-mainstream following they still keep managing to produce some superb examples of modern contemporary music.

‘Broke’ opens with a combo of samples and synths, gradually mixing in a blend of haunting background guitar chords and enchanting vocal touches. This is a piece which has the ability to surprise at every turn. Just when it seems to lapse into the overly familiar territory of irksome blandness we are presented with the tinkling of percussion or a sumptuous sampled drum beat. These flourishes are often a pleasure to behold as they are laid before us, almost as an open invitation to listen closer as well as harder. Take up the invite and you may well be rewarded for your efforts, with the possible gain of an insight into one of the most individualistic styles of recent years.

If smooth presentation or a change from the norm is not your thing then you may find it all a bit too much. I will say that if this is your viewpoint you could well be missing out on a superb example of where music can go once a genre has reached saturation point. A compound of styles is always going to be inevitable and it seems that The Beta Band are certainly not going to let anyone get bored along the way.



Out now on Infected Records

Lucy Street hail from the land of Abba. I say that, as usually a mere mention of the word Sweden conjures up images of Saturday night dancing queens and glittery handbags. In this case such a picture is pretty much on the mark.

As you might expect what we have here is a delirious pop record with enough bouncing frivolity to give the likes of Steps a run for their enormous stack of cash. All seems to be present and correct including the harmonious vocals and the sweet as sugar solos, and when combined with some very stereotypical, yet often grin inducing, rhythms a possible hit can be seen flirting on the horizon. The lyrical content has its moments of sickening commercialism but the fact is that music like this is never going to be highly thought provoking.

What it should manage to do is give the teeny crowd something new to bop to between S Club and Steps on their play lists. However, like just about every other pop wannabes trying to create an impact on the charts, the success of this record will depend on the vision of the record companies marketing department rather than any musical adeptness. Despite this though, Lucy Street have created a tune that can happily play ball with the rest of the glitter ‘n’ gloss brigade. Now I wonder what ‘Girl Power’ is in Swedish?



Released 16th July on Epic Records

The Kings Head, home to, well not very much really, is slowly but surely becoming the music capital of West London. Sound impressive? Well perhaps not, but tonight the resident radio station: Total Rock, is holding its second mini festival, and for underground music lovers like myself- this is good news.

Five top bands for just £7- yes it was sold out, and to be honest any one of them could have filled this far from large venue.
Well perhaps the other four bands could.

First on Devon darlings SILVA. To be honest if they hadn't brought 30 odd fans with them from their hometown the pit would have been dead. More like Papa Roach on hot chilli sauce than hardcore extraordinariness, SILVA were pretty poor. They lacked substance and pranced about according to the nu-metal handbook. Nothing original, but worth catching if you haven't anything better to do.

Next up was the mighty VACANT STARE. Surprisingly early on the bill, the boys showed everyone else how to perform, entertain and send gut wrenching shivers down your spine. Finally back on a winning streak after their disappointing Camden Underworld gig which saw them play a fairly poor four song set- despite headlining over the likes of LOST PROPHETS.
Launching straight into 'Prognosis' off their demo 'Inducing crime disorder and fear' the loyal fans manically went frenetic, and the usual hardcore crew appeared.

VACANT STARE are worthy of all the good press they get. They are fresh, angry and energetic, and the new line up and additional vocals makes it, if at all possible- even heavier and generally more confident. All that is left to say is, "why isn't this band signed?"



The full set:
Prognosis
No regrets
I am
Come face up
W.M.F.M.S

Krusher- Total Rock DJ and general hairy git announced CHARGER as one of the best British bands around. The crowd undoubtedly agreed. To be fair their support has massively grown in the past year, supporting the likes of AMEN and headlining on numerous occasions, but somehow I have never really been fond of their angry screaming vocals and stoner rock/metal riffs.

Tonight's line-up was pretty damn good but there was one band in particular I wanted to see. The only band I have been unlucky enough to miss. MIOCENE. Having been compared to the likes of TOOL- a comparison which tends to mean sudden death to most bands- I was curious to see if they could carry all the haunting sounds of album 'Refining the theory' to the stage.



Sure enough MIOCENE were exceptional. As soon as they took to the stage they had everyone's attention, they were structured, heavy and the perfect addition to tonight's line-up. The comparisons have sufficient grounding, but MIOCENE still have their own approach, and much more hardcore than TOOL. If you haven't already, buy the mini-album, or even better see them live. This band are going to be playing main stages without a doubt.

What separates ONE MINUTE SILENCE from their contemporaries is that Yap, Glen, Eddie and Massy have always remained loyal to their original fans. They are one of the few British bands that have actually made it to the level of those from the States, and yet time and time again they return to the 'toilet' size venues and deliver.

Tonight was no exception. They played a full and lengthy set encompassing the classics from debut 'Available in all colours' and their second album 'Buy now save later'. 'Fish out of water' was delivered in its natural glory and opener 'South Central'; grabbed your focus like an almighty punch. The general consensus was one of manic approval, as bodies flew from all corners of the room and sweat accumulated in the tiny space. Only stopping to preach about rainforests and asylum seekers, and to take the odd breathe from outside to prevent fainting, this set was fluent, vibrant and typically OMS.




review by Katia Reiss
photos by Katia Reiss and Annabel House


Check out Miocene with support from Vacant Stare and others at London's ULU on July 28th.

Links:
www.vacantstare.com
www.miocene.com
www.oneminutesilence.com
www.charger.com
www.silva.com

Get Total Rock radio on Digital Channel 985 or on the web www.totalrock.com

If you liked these bands check out the following:
KILKUS- the pattern of self design
EARTHTONE9
[[IMPRINT]]

A packed Liquid Room awaits Rae & Christian, little do they know what is in store for them...
It takes a few songs to warm up the audience but soon the Liquid Room is jumping to the beats these mancunians are ferociously dishing out.
After a few warm up songs, the Liquid Room is jumping to the ferocious beats, dished out by these young talents.
It is now that they decide to unleash their guests.
First off Spike T comes on, warming the crowd with his reggae tunes, but when he leaves the stage the magic starts happening.
For it is the one and only Supernatural that takes centre stage, freestyle champion of years gone by. His lyrical talents that take everyone by storm, no-one expected this. He takes objects from the audience then rhymes with them, and announces that the first person to cause him verbal trouble is entitled to a Rae & Christian CD.
Unfortunately for the audience Supernatural is just too damn good, rhymes flow out of this guys mouth like water from a mountain spring.
All good things come to an end and Supernatural leaves the stage. Performing with just decks and bass, Rae & Christian recreate something reminiscent of the intro to the Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson.
These guys are great at what they do but tonight, putting on too much of a big show has backfired and they were clearly overshadowed by the presence of guest freestyler Supernatural.

Please visit the Miuzik.com exclusive picture gallery by going to http://littlethings.musicdot.com/Ozzfestphotos1.asp. Pictures have been excuded from this article due to loading time issues.

There was once a famous rock star who was renowned for being hard. He was scheduled to play with his band in a big field somewhere, but suddenly when ticket sales flopped his ego did too, and he decided it would be too embarrassing to play to 20 000 people in a 60 000 capacity venue. He cancelled.

There was also another rock star, but this rock star was slightly different. He never let his fans down.

For liable reasons I cannot name these rock stars.

Moving on. DEFTONES at the Kentish Town Forum were characteristically blinding. At last my time had come to see these US superstars at a friendly venue.



First on were whining clean-cut nu-metallers LOST PROPHETS. Having received success ridiculously quickly the Prophets are dwelling in their triumph, and watching record sales steadily rise. For a band that does what many have done before them they are extremely lucky, but they do have sex appeal, and certainly have the necessary commercial tinge, and although I may have suggested otherwise, I, like everyone else dance to ‘Shinobivsdragoninja’ in the clubs. So they delivered their usual action packed set, but to be honest with six of them in the band it's hard not to have something to look at.

By the time the white pony backdrop appeared the crowd was ready to meet Chino with the respect he so deserves. Dressed in uniform baggies and newly bleached hair, he played with the crowd, taunting Limp Bizkit about his apparent injuries, climbing up into the upper level of the Forum, and generally enjoying himself. Oh and every so often he sang a song from one of the three best albums of all time. But then that’s what you expect from a band that has played sell out shows pretty much all over the world.

Circle pits evolved all around the floor and even during calmer songs like 'Change' the crowd were passionately mental. All night from the very first bars of 'Headup' energy was oozing from the band, and didn't glitch even for a second. They stormed through the classics and even had time for the much unheard secret track, 'Damone', and an impromptu performance of the Bizkit's 'Nookie' and the Gorillaz latest single.

Deftones never let their fans down, and this is all the proof you need. They didn't need to play this gig- they wanted to, and the mass of enthusiasm from the whole band made this rare small venue gig a phenomenal night.




review by Katia Reiss
photos by Katia Reiss and Annabel House

What a strange name indeed. To mind come sinking boats, Titanic and the like. Now add the 'Vessels' indie-come-dance tunes and out comes: A recipe for disaster? Not quite. Because some people do get it right you see. That's where the Empty Vessels come in.

The second track on this demo (which appears to be untitled, it could be called "Don't tell the kids now" though) comes across as being a baggy sounding, groovy affair, if anyone still uses those words these days. Talking about the past, stuff like The Space Monkeys or assorted Happy Mondays come to mind, but fortunately without the obligatory spaced out drug-overdose. On the other hand, god knows, drugs have changed since 1993 and the Empty Vessels might as well be on something. According to Robots and Electronic Brains fanzine, this lot's first gig was actually "powered by powder". Well, at least they're putting their pow(d)ers to good use, as this demo is, quite blatantly, just brilliant. It's like coming home at four in the morning, overcome by tiredness because you had a long day. But you just can't get to sleep and things start to get surreal. And when the patterns on your seventies curtains start moving towards you, you will know that The Empty Vessels have just crashed your accidental party.

(for more info please email matt_finucane@hotmail.com)

You can really tell it's summer now. "New York Boy" is about romance and stalking pretty boys in the summertime. The Bangle's "Manic Monday" couldn't have done better, although that's not as much about following around strangers, but more about "kissing by Italian streams". Ah well...sigh.
The lyrics of "New York Boy", blended in with Gloss' typical slightly kitsch 60s vibe work together just splendidly, and out comes a tune just perfect for watching girls (or boys) walk by from a classy French café in some sunny alley, whilst sipping an iced latte.

Borders Bookshop in summer is like being right in the middle of a stir-fry sizzling away in a wok, which is set to medium heat. Still, quite hot though. But, despite the heat, London's twee posse and a good number of possibly Strokes fans had gathered in Border's DIY section to witness this rather unique Moldy Peaches show. The lack of costumes shall be forgiven because, as everyone can easily imagine, an entire bunny outfit would have led to a heat related STROKE (arf arf). And seeing that Moldy boy and Moldy girl had another gig to play that night, the majority of people probably wanted them to pursue this unharmed.

Can there be any certainty that the 'Peaches really survived the Borders show without major psychological damage, as their set didn't start with a song, but with fits of hysterical laughter and giggling? Something you can't really blame them for. Imagine you were in a band and played on a shop floor, and in front of you a painfully indie looking crowd is having a sit-in. Great, isn't it?

Luckily, after they had calmed down, the Moldy Peaches treated us to the ultimate lo-fi can't sing-won't sing experience. Moldy girl was heard squeeking at the top of her lungs whilst Moldy boy was obviously determined to show off what strumming on an acoustic guitar for too long can do to you, but no need to panic, all went down well with the bespectacled crowd. Some lad in the obligatory skinny fit t-shirt even went "whoo" at the start of "Lucky Number Nine" ("Indie boys are neurotic"....). Apart from that, several youngsters were seen mouthing along to songs that mean absolutely nothing ("My name is Jorge Regula"...). Very nice.

And when it was all over, the Moldy Peaches even threatened to hug all of us. Sweet.

Hmmm, what to say about Snowblind’s new single “Easy Girl”. Well it’s a difficult one that’s for sure. The song itself is a strange amalgamation of numerous musical styles. The song starts off with guitar piece that is strikingly similar to many songs from the Wannadies. A simple, yet effective few notes picked out on a light, airy acoustic guitar. It’s after this that things go strange. The vocals kick in, and for a verse or two you really are left wondering…is it a boy or is it a girl? It’s got feminine qualities, yet also has a Charlatan-esque drawl in places. Perhaps it’s a peculiarity of the Manc accent, but I really was confused, until I read the press release and found out that it’s a girl, Jane Murphy. Unfortunately, this was the most interesting aspect of the song, particularly as the singer isn’t from Manchester, or so the press release again states. The rest of the song seems to drift along with no real purpose in a light, soft JJ72 style. It goes nowhere, it’s not exciting. I was more interested with determining the singer's sex…



Released on Heavenly/EMI on July 2nd

This mammoth event, staged in the Glasgow S.E.C.C., consisted of not one, not two, but nine punk and ska bands in one day of exciting madness. Certainly a white event, with little rhythm and plenty of noise instead.

Kicking off were Capdown (short for capitalist downfall), with their crazy frontman Jake. He was as excited as I was as he orchestrated the band and kicked his limbs to the sound of drumbeats and big guitar. The motley crowd was desperate for Ska Wars, which at 3:00 in the afternoon rocked the huge hall.

Then Bouncing Souls, who were less impressive live but made good listening. The gangster singer, in a black suit with a yellow tie also strangely disappeared at the end of the set.

Perhaps he was scared of Avail, who played nothing but hard rock. They featured a charismatic man in a beard who seemed to not have any role in the band other than having a large beard, and inciting public disorder with water spitting antics.

The mixture of music was reflected in the people, including some old-skool Sex Pistols punks, and plenty of skateboarders in shorts and vests. The people who always brought their skateboard to a gig on the offchance were finally rewarded, with a skatepark in the hall adjacent to the arena, and the massive Red Bull ramp, featuring professional ‘boarders and BMX. There were also food stalls, stands and all the fun of the fair, including ‘Quality Caterers’ who charged 50p for a slice of cheese in your burger. And I’m sure their fridges were just for show as they merrily served warm beer and soft drinks.

One of the few bands to take advantage of the autograph dinging arena were the ensemble known as Catch 22, a big geeky band including bespectacled trumpet, trombone and sax. Despite claiming jetlag they stood apart from and above everyone else, producing some hearty ska sounds, without the hysteria of the rock bands. Catch 22 were very enjoyable to watch and would definitely be worth seeing again.

A different mood from Boys Set Fire, whose fierce politics were reflected in a Che Guavara t shirt and spoken vocals. Pretty incoherent and very loud.

Sick Of It All had a large following for their metal music; a mental mohican guitarist scared the kids and the lead singer caught someone who threw a water bottle at him and brought him up on stage for some mild bullying.

Snuff were a classy band. The expressioned singer stood peering over the edge of the stage surveying his subjects as the band played on behind him, but throughout the crowd shouted “arseholes”, which is of course the name of the hit song they wanted to hear. Despite the painfully loud volume, the band repeatedly called for guitar and drums from the beleagured sound man, caught between incurring the angry wrath of the band and melting peoples’ ears.

I noticed in the arena someone’s t shirt – “Rehab is for quitters”. As well as a lot of black many wore identical brown Pennywise t shirts which looked like they had just been bought. Which they had. The crowd were friendly to each other, always willing to help a small child who wanted to crowd surf, but definitely aggressive in the arena, unflagging as each hour brought a new band. Bizarrely between each live band the PA played tinny fairground music, perhaps to clear the arena or maybe just for a contrast.

Lagwagon came and went, serving as a lively warm up to the headliners: Pennywise were amazing. Completely different to anything that went before, they were professional crowd pleasers who worked the whole crowd, receptive to the response and providing banter of quantity and quality (a rare combination of banter) between songs. They gave out ‘merit’ to those in Pennywise shirts, and one lucky man with the Pennywise tattoo got to go backstage. The fat ponytailed behatted Fletcher began by showing off his tits, then fell over later in the act. “Fuck La” it said on his shirt, and the vocalist Jim also wore a cheap hat that he probably bought at the airport. Later he gave it away to one of the kids on stage in an extended version of Brohym.

They played songs people knew like they were being played for the first time. “If you hate President Bush show it now,” was the introduction to My Own Country. Alien featured an improbably dangerous circle, and by request Pennywise also played Pennywise (from the album of the same name) and a much altered version of Stand By Me.

We were still singing as we left the arena, 10 hours after joining the crowds in the enormous warehouse of a hall. This was an epic event that went on to entertain in Manchester and London. To quote one patron Deconstruction was “ too much fun in one day.”

The first release in a while from the lovely Belle and Sebastian is, to be honest, average. It’s reasonable enough while it lasts, but in ten minutes, you’ll have to listen to it again to remind yourself of the tune. And again after another ten minutes, and then once more ten minutes after that and so on until you finally find the chorus, at which point you file the whole thing away somewhere towards the bottom of your CD rack and never listen to it ever again.
That’s not to say that there is no chorus – it’s still nice and pretty and everything you’d expect from B&S, but it’s nothing like as good as anything else they’ve ever done ever (or at least in the last couple of years). One for the crazed fans only.

Available now on Jeepster.

Hut records, home of Weezer, (formerly home of) the Smashing Pumpkins and new home of British act “Crackout”. Things seem to be on the up for the band, what with being signed to Hut records and being confirmed as guests for Weezer’s upcoming UK tour. So do they live up to the hype?

Well “EP2” certainly doesn’t hold back. A full-on guitar driven frenzy, it’s got bags of energy contained within its 14 minutes 52 seconds. That’s not to say that it’s all full speed ahead. The band shows quite a spectrum of musical abilities within the 4 tracks. The opener “Over My Head”, begins with a rather atmospheric deep and brooding bass line, reminiscent of “Gish” era Pumpkins, combined with a unique vocal from Stephen Eagles. It’s hard to describe; having a very harsh and rough quality and evokes memories of Kurt Cobain slightly; particularly once the track opens up. Powerful guitars and some pretty impressively manic drumming are the order of the day as Crackout move into the chorus.

If “Over My Head” showed some glimmer of “guitar frenzy”; “Forget About Hope” decides show you that it wasn’t some passing phase that they decided to go through. The opening/chorus guitar riff could be mistaken for a Feeder track, but is different enough to not be a rip off. A catchy chorus and verse combo, which is rather upbeat sounding considering the title and lyrical content of the track, “Helpless, standard, filthy, flying, inward, in me”.

The third track, “Empty Head” has a catchy (see it gets stuck in your head) main riff, together with another “Smashing Pumpkins-esque” bass line. It’s easy to see how two of the trio name “Siamese Dream” as one of their favourite albums. It’s overall a much slower track. Eagles voice takes on a smoother, warmer quality during the verse but during the powerful chorus returns to its gravel roots.

EP2 rounds out with “Take Down”. A return to a faster pace, I would possibly call this the best track on the EP, although it’s a tough call as overall I think it’s an enterprising and interesting EP. Again the band use the power chorus, but with the rest of the track played at a high Mach number it fits in perfectly. I can see (or hear as the case may be) this track being a crowd-pleaser at gigs; full of emotion and played fast, getting the crowd moshing and allowing them to scream back the lyrics. It ends off with another scary bass line/drum combo which is magnificent played loud with the bass all the way up.

Overall this is a fantastic EP, showing Crackout off brilliantly. Diversification of rock styles, together with interesting tunes, the only bad thing is that the release has been limited to 500 copies. If I was you I’d try and get one, (I've got one, so there's only 499 left) or failing that see them on tour with Weezer in early July.



Released June 18th on Precious Cargo Records

Ah yes AutoCad, this has been on my “to do” list for two weeks now, unfortunately this reviewing delay was not caused by some hectic exciting social life, it’s just this CD is very bland. The first track sounds like it’s just been lifted from some crappy early 90’s side scrolling arcade game, you know, the one where you get a gun that fires in every direction and is twice the size of your character. Another downside is the occasional really odd and out of place drum fills, these sound like someone in the background has a pair of bongos and is randomly pounding them with frustration. However this is a Demo CD so it is unfair to criticise what is a minor mixing problem on a CD that is on the whole quite well produced.

“Evolution” is definitely an electronic Ep, and is relatively original compared with today’s music. I’m not sure that Mr Darwin would agree though that this CD exhibits evolution, it’s more of a regression back to the heavy electronic sounds of the 80’s discotheques. In fact it sounds like this whole CD was created using one synthesiser and a sampler.

The tracks, while bland, jump wildly between different themes, often not sticking with the same one for more then two repeats. This makes the tunes sound messy and chaotic at times. There are no exciting moves between these themes either, everything is at one volume and there have been no effects added to the tracks to help things blend together. Tracks also tend to stop violently and when you least expect them too.

For all my criticisms, I do think AutoCad’s “Evolution” shows promise, after all this is only a demo CD of what could be. If the songs were refined and the number of musical ideas kept to a minimum I could see this doing well with
retro 80’s fans. Some overall mixing and editing would be nice too, perhaps fading out songs rather than truncating them in such an awkward manner. So my final verdict: Could be good, but isn’t.

Tito Lopez was sadly killed in a car crash at the turn of the millennium. He spent much of his life recording and touring in South America alongside such legends as Eddie Palmieri and Tito Puente. He moved to London during 1995 and in between soaking up our musical culture and performing, he managed to build up a good reputation amongst the Jazz Funk community. It was also during this period that along with former JTQ drummer Harbans Srih he recorded the ten songs we see collected here.

What this album offers is a serious blend of mainly instrumental Jazz Funk which may seem familiar to those of you who have spent any time visiting the summer Jazz festivals. The nearest commercial comparison would have to be Jamiroquai and indeed on a number of tracks here it would not be a surprise to hear West London’s finest mixing his unique blend of vocals into the proceedings. There is no doubt though, that these pieces were recorded along a far more traditional route with the production overflowing with old school Jazz club values. There is a not a sample to be heard within a hundred miles.

The smooth opening of ‘Our Man from Bombay’ starts things on a slow pace. The frontal use of tablas so early on may have some people cringing but the rasping brass section soon settles things back down. There is an excellent mixture of rhythms and beats on offer which manages to continue for the albums runtime. The pace is increased with ‘Monolito’ which opens with a dancing flute melody. If you don’t believe that a flute could ever sound funky or make you want to start grooving then I would suggest you have your limbs firmly secured before sampling this delightful tune. ‘Tito’ offers the first ‘That sounds just like Jamiroquai’ experience with a wacka wacka baseline that could fit quite comfortably in Jay Kay’s ‘Travelling Without Moving’ period. At times like this it is important to remember who's style came from who's. The likes of Tito have been running these vibes for over thirty years before modern contemporary music took a share.

The album continues with a mixture of laid back coolness on the likes of ‘Peace and Love’ and a genuine dance-inducing in-your-face funkiness on ‘Sticky Vicky’ and ‘The Odd Two’. Both of which should manage to bring out the nodding heads or the tapping feet in even the most musically unappreciative personas. It all ends with swinging tablas again but by this time you may find you don’t even notice as you are overdosed on the resonance of some classic fender rhodes and brass.

Many of the tunes seem to blend into each other, which from the perspective of musical variety can unfortunately make you feel a little cheated. ‘It all sounds the same’ is a comment heard about a lot of music these days and it is said truthfully as well. Some genres come off worse than others, especially to an outsider and Jazz is certainly one of them. Despite this fact the album comes off reasonably well. There is enough variety in pace present to make for repeated listening. This is especially true when it is used as a piece of background music, but even when listened to intensely it can offer at the very least a group of talented musicians. I do however suspect that the latter mode of auditioning will be relegated to the goatee bearded jazz brigade only.



Released 18th June 2001 on Acid Jazz Records

This is the first single off Miss Coleman’s new album ‘Bring Down the Moon’ and it lies without a doubt in the realm of perfectly crafted pop music. Female vocalists have held a strong place in the charts over the past few years, so if a relatively unknown artist wants to have a hit then it needs to be well above average to make an impact. Luckily she seems to be pushing the right buttons.
The musical adeptness of this well written piece makes for some fascinating listening. On one level we have a beautiful singing melody tinged with a fusion of samples and traditional percussion or on the other hand we have a great sing-along radio single. Whichever way you wish to look at it there is enjoyment to be had on all levels here. The single includes a remix by Tin Tin Out which despite whisking in some trademark smoothness adds very little to the proceedings. Nevertheless this doesn't detract from a fine pop record. Try it out. You shouldn’t be disappointed.



Released 18th June on EMI Records

Incubus
Hundred reasons
Brixton Academy, London, Sat June 9th 2001

UK support, Hundred Reasons, put on an admirable show - though needless to say they seemed a bit daunted by the sheer size of Brixton academy. Which is understandable, considering it was only this time last year that I saw them at the monarch in Camden, a venue about the size of a garden shed in comparison.

Lead singer Colin, wasted no time in thanking incubus for their support and he made no attempt to hide how exited they were to be playing such a prestigious venue. The set was good, not the tightest I've seen them, but still they managed to put on a good show to a crowd of people you wouldn't necessarily put down as your average hundred reasons fan. If such a thing exists.

With the launch of their first single soon, Hundred reasons are going up in the world, and I somehow doubt that this is the last they'll see of Brixton.

And then come incubus. Yes, we all know the words. The set opens with
'privilege' and although the set's a little predictable (with the exception of two new songs) its pulled off brilliantly. But that's hardly surprising. With four albums under their belt, and a fifth well on its way I think its about time incubus got to Brixton Academy. Especially when compared to other American bands like 'Linkin Park' who also recently played Brixton - lets face it, no-one had even heard of them this time last year, when incubus were headlining the Astoria.

It could be argued that Incubus are selling out. It could be argued
that most bands in their position are selling out, but personally I think they have every right to be here.

After a few tracks we were lucky enough to hear the first of two new songs. It was nice -quite typical of their last album, make yourself, which makes me question whether incubus will have attempted to progress anywhere musically with their new album. But a good song nonetheless, and to be honest I'd like to hear more before judging.

A personal highlight of tonight was the heartfelt rendition of 'The Warmth' which bought the whole of the pit to a standstill. At one point the band stopped playing, allowing the whole of Brixton academy chant the chorus back at them -it was one of those moments when you can really sit back and appreciate the sheer power of the music and the scene you have grown part of.

Of course that was followed with 'Pardon Me'. Then 'I Miss You' for an encore and the gig was bought to a close the gig bought to a close with the manic 'A Certain Shade of Green'. There's something so peaceful about incubus. Even in the middle of the pit, there was something uplifting in the atmosphere, besides than the strong odour of skunk, which left me feeling completely refreshed and 100% satisfied with the night I'd had. Which leaves me with but one thing to say.
Mmmmmmm, Brandon……






Review by Eve
okamis_dream@hotmail.com

This is the first single to be released in the UK from Incubus's second full length album 'Make Yourself'. Incubus have a very hard sound to categorize as they combine heavy rock guitars with samples and drum'n'bass beats and anyone who has heard their first album 'S.C.I.E.N.C.E' will no doubt tell you they did not know what to expect from one song to the next.
'Drive' certainly surprised me as it was not what I expected at all but it was a very pleasant one. 'Drive' has a lovely mellow sound and it combines lifting vocals from Brandon Boyd with sumptuous acoustic guitars that make a beautiful song perfect for summer afternoons, and although fans of Incubus may think this sounds like a bizarre description of one of their favorite nu-metal bands, they should not despair as all of the uncertainty and bitterness that made Incubus great is still there, it's just a lot quieter this time.

Drive is released on the 11th of June by Sony Music LTD.

Ocean Spray is the third single to be taken from the 'Know Your Enemy' album after the historical release of 'So Why So Sad' and 'Found That Soul' on the same day. Although Manics songs can not normally be described as cheery, this song sees the Manics in a much more reflective and sombre mood than in recent times. It is focusing on the death of James Dean Bradfields mother from cancer in autumn 1999 and Bradfield uses the idea of Ocean Spray cranberry juice as a symbol of how his mother clung to life. This song is also interresting to any Manic fans out there as it is the first song written by Bradfield to be released by the Manics.
Musically this song is reminisant of the 'Holy Bible' times with quite a bare instrumental backing to the lone voice of Bradfield but it also displays influence both from the 'Everything Must Go' album and their recent trip to Cuba with a soring trumpet solo. As a huge Manics fan myself I really like this song as it reminds me of the Manics of the past that I first listened too but to any fans of the Manics albums 'Everything Must Go' and 'This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours' probably will not appreciate the rawness of this song.
A hint for anyone thinking about buying this single should try and buy CD1 rather than CD2 as it has far better B-sides on it.

Ocean Spray is released on the 28th of May by Sony Music LMT.

This is the incredibly catchy tune from the new Levis advert (you know the one where they all twist their bodies in horrible double jointed ways). And just because this is an advert song 'Before You Leave' is bound to be a high charter.
But don't even start to think that Pepe Deluxe are another Babylon Zoo or the hoards of bands that have had popular songs that were featured on adverts and then faded quickly into obscurity. Pepe Deluxe are already well known in euro-electronica circles and have supported bands like Reprazent in the US and opened the Sundance Film festival. So they already have a dedicated fan base with one long player, Super Sound, already in circulation.
'Before You Leave' is a remix of an other Pepe Deluxe single, 'Women In Blue', and it helps to show off their considerable skills as do the two B-sides to the single which are further remixes of 'Before You Leave'. Pepe Deluxe are definatly a band to watch with way more potential than a slot on a Levis advert allows them.

Before You Leave is released on the 30th of April by INCredible/Catskills records.

Check your CD player. Does it have a repeat function? Good. You can now spend the rest of time listening to the new A*Teens single on a loop. They’ve generously included five versions of the same single (suggesting a slight lack of material?) including a coveted 'kareoke mix', so throw away all your other music and enjoy eternity in pop happyland amidst Marie (17), Amit (16), Sara (16) and my favourite Dhani (16). The single is cleverly set in a history lesson, so look out for a rare mention of one of pop’s neglected rhymes, Peter the Great. Other features of the song include giggling girls, a stunning key change and repeat chorus to fade. It seems to work - their debut album “The ABBA Generation” sold an unlikely 3 million copies, and they have already toured with pop heavyweights NSYNC and Britny Spears. Don’t let the fact that their success is mostly limited to Scandinavia put you off. A*Teens are a breath of fresh air, and here to stay. Of course, I’m lying. A*Teens are rubbish.

Released by Polydor Records on 28 May 2001

According to the press release, Rhona is, “in a word, the next big thing.” Her producer Rodney Jerkins is responsible for such marvels as Whitney Houston, Destiny’s Child and J’Lo. Rhona Bennett has a similar, almost identical style, a sort of R&B pop for the kids. She uses her full vocal range, having spent time singing in church choirs at home in Chicago, inspiring Rodney to pant “When I first heard Rhona, I was dying to sign her.” For her part Rhona says it was a lot of work “going through the creative process,” and she should know, having cut her teeth on Disney’s 'Mickey Mouse Club' a US show which also debuted Christina Aguilera and Britny Spears. The single ‘Satisfied’ is a confident funky song, which is harmless but so unadventurous as to be worthless. You don’t even have to listen to it to know what it sounds like: vapid pop. Buy it and jump up and down on it until it breaks.

Released 11th June on the Darkchild/Epic label.

It’s difficult to write about the Stereo MC’s without mentioning That Bloody Advert. The band have not produced any new material for ten years, and for many people the Stereos will be permanently linked with mobile phones - for the rest of you, does the lyric “Gonna get myself connected” mean anything to you? Shuddering yet? Me too.

Making the grade as a band seems all too easy these days, but staying good seems practically impossible. Ten years is a long time for an active band to last, for an inactive one it’s almost unfeasible that they’re still alive. The Stereo MC’s have a lot of ground to cover - so, Mr. Birch, let’s see how good you really are....

The first track, Deep Down and Dirty, is lot less than great. The beat is OK, heavier than before, and the bass is, literally, kind of funky. But the real problem, unfortunately, seems to be Rob Birch’s rapping style. It’s forced, it sounds kind of quaintly British, it really doesn’t suit him at all. Imagine Robbie Williams in ten years time trying to produce a dangerous hip-hop sound. In fact, come to think of it, it’s a lot like the rapping on “Rock DJ”. The backing singers don’t help either.

This song sets the tone for much of the rest of the album. There are some interesting beats and some pretty cool basslines going on, but then Birch starts up again and it just kind of grates. This is most obvious on less vocal tracks, especially Graffiti Part 1. It stands out as a funk driven instrumental reminiscent of “Shaft” type 70’s TV shows with many many car chases. Which is a good thing, except it’s been done better before. Also, try listening to Running without wishing that that daft old geezer would shut up.

The lyrics aren’t the best in the world either. Although it’s possible to get away with singing some pretty duff lyrics and nobody really minds, if you’re trying to rap them then goofy rhymes stand out a mile off. Finishing any verse with “..and this my rhyme” is surely a sign of not really knowing what it is you’re trying to do.

There are positive elements here, certainly Graffiti Part 1 has a few good bits to it, but as the Stereo MC’s are hardly a youthful new force it’s hard to see them advancing their style very far. They have potential, no doubt, but the chances of them making the most of what they have is, regrettably, pretty small.

So, on the whole, a poor album propped up by a couple of decent tracks.

Giving a fair review to a CD with a brown and pink sleeve is not easy. It’s fair to say that the cover of this particular release is utterly atrocious. Anastacia should have “Sack my cover designer” at the top of her to-do list.

Come to think of it, there are a lot of people that Anastacia should ditch. Her producer wouldn’t be missed, the entire backing track set up is a completely ham-fisted stab in the dark from the “Let’s just put everything on” school of thought. There are acoustic guitars, at least 2 electric guitars, swooshy synth-type noises, strings and big cheesy backing vocals all at the same time. It’s not even remotely coherent, and everything just gets swamped by everything else.

The song itself is mince. It’s just so unutterably, hopelessly bland. It’s the kind of junk you hear in Woolworths on Sundays. The lyrics don’t even try to relate to each other, they don’t try to compensate for this by rhyming. Mr. Songwriter - you know where the door is.

Leaving just poor Anastacia’s voice. I’m pretty undecided about this one, it kind of mixes Des’re with Macy Gray, but is it the better for it? Maybe if she had a completely different recording crew with a different agenda then she would do OK, but here she just sounds like an excruciating Vonda Shepard xerox. Which is not a good thing.

‘Spiders have eight legs you know’ Ed Harcourt tells us on his first single off the forthcoming album ‘Here Be Monsters’. This gives you the general idea of what this song is like, quite predictable, and generally average. A sleepy Neil Finn very late at night jamming with Mark Linkous from Sparklehorse would probably stumble on a song like this. Then probably forget it.

Then again, its not all that bad you know, quite catchy I suppose and does bounce along at a nice enough pace. It definitely is a pretty song. Begins with a simple acoustic theme and is broadened by conventional drum and bass set up. Here Be Monsters is constantly reminiscent of Sparklehorse, but also ‘No Suprises’ by Radiohead with the simple xylophone accompaniment. If the way to do a song is by having nicely defined verses and chorus, starting slowly and building to an important sounding climax then Ed certainly is being very polite and following these rules with some success. Don’t get me wrong, this guy does have a great voice, but you are left with the feeling that Ed Harcourt can do better.



Released on June 11th

54 year old James Jewel Ostenberg has not mellowed out like his contemporaries Lou Reed and David Bowie. ‘Beat 'Em Up’ is a vindictive invective against anyone he comes across, from fellow V.I.P.s to people in general. His attempt to "cut through the bullshit" begins with a song called ‘Mask’, which sets the tone for some dirty slander and grim guitar riffs. Iggy's voice sounds as good as ever, in fact the old age makes it all the seedier, for corrupting tracks like ‘Talking Snake’ There is slight single potential in ‘L.O.S.T.’ (featuring the prophet of doom) and the excellent ‘Saviour’, though Iggy Pop has never been Top 40 material, his one success coming in 1987 with a cover of ‘Real Wild Child’, well after his peak in the ‘70s playing alongside his mentor David Bowie. In fact the title track of his definitive album ‘Lust For Life’ (1977) was written by Bowie, and sparked a mild Iggy Pop revival as the theme tune for Trainspotting.
But Iggy does not attempt to win new fans or please the media, record companies (he is on at least his fourth) or in fact anyone with ‘Beat 'Em Up’. It is typically indulgent and will appeal only to those who liked him before. The album is almost uncompromising, with a little relief in the metaphor for life ‘Football’ and the satire of ‘V.I.P.’ The other extreme is the blunt ‘Death is Certain’, ‘It's All Shit’ and ‘Go For The Throat,’ which begins "I was laying in a coma."
Don't be put off by the aggressive songs, the music is still very good, and perhaps the titles and other songs like ‘Jerk and Ugliness’ are only there to keep Iggy Pop to a select audience. He has always shied away from mainstream success, continually not reinventing himself to keep the pure punk sound. Iggy Pop says in one of the songs himself "Fuck it I feel like howling," which is just what he does.



Released June 18th

Having made dramatic successes of four decidedly strange LPs with at least two singles under two minutes, a song called ‘Ice Hockey Hair’ (?) and an all-Welsh album along the way, the Super Furry Animals really had to do something else for fifth album 'Rings Around the World'. And they have. Over a year in the making, this is to be released simultaneously on CD and DVD formats, with Surround Sound also included (for those who've got the equipment to enjoy it all). The DVD will feature hyperlinks, bonus tracks and specially commissioned films, but all this technology is apparently not intended to either detract or distract from the music. It's strictly complementary, and the culmination of a project that was originally dreamed up for 'Guerrilla', so it should sound good in mono and it does. What more could you possibly want?

'Rings Around the World' is the most coherent album to date from the perennial indie favourites, in lyrical terms at least. It's been liberally peppered with social and cultural comment, and although railing against extreme sports (among other things) might seem a bit, well, extreme, it all somehow makes sense.
Perhaps it's through the music - it gets quite orchestral in places, but don't worry - it still sounds like the Super Furry Animals (with the exception of one unfortunate Catatonia-evoking moment on the single ‘Juxtaposed With U’, which is to be released in early July). Shades of the pop brilliance we know and love crop up repeatedly on ‘(Drawing) Rings Around the World’ and on ‘Receptacle for the Respectable’ (which despite its awful title and the fact that it's in four distinct sections, including a mock-metal finale, works incredibly well). On the other hand, there's no instant favourites: Like 'Guerrilla', 'Rings…' needs repeated listening to really shine.

This is also the Super Furry Animals' longest album so far, which might go some way towards explaining why it takes a bit more effort to listen to. The trouble is that the longest songs are also the least superficially appealing: ‘Run! Christian! Run!’ takes over 7 minutes to go roughly nowhere, making it all too tempting to use that hi-tech CD player to skip it.

Nevertheless, the album as whole is good enough. If you're a fan, you'll love it; if you're not, go and buy 'Fuzzy Logic' to find out why you really should be.

Released 16th July 2001 on Epic Records

Seeing a band live can completely change your opinion of them. Some bands just can't cut it without all their expensive studio recording and re-mastering machines. A brilliant minority though are born performers and entertain beyond your wildest expectations on stage. Ozric Tentacles definitely fit into the second group.

The Liquid room is quite a small venue and when I first arrived the staff outnumbered the people there to see the concert. People slowly started coming though. There was no support band and the Ozrics came on stage quite unexpectedly and started playing. People gathered around the stage, taping their feet to the loud but beautiful psychedelic music coming from the speakers. They started very dynamically and kept the enthusiasm and the intensity going till the end. It's one of very few concerts in which I liked each song just as much as the one before it.

There were only about 100 people and the atmosphere was very cosy. The band talked to the audience quite a bit and it was like we were all just one big happy group of friends. By the end a lot of people were dancing around.

They played songs like Vita Voom and ended with Sploosh! But they came back for an encore of two more songs. For the last song I'm sure they wired the bass up to the floorboards because you could feel the music coming up from the floor.

Apart from the brilliant music they had impressive lighting effects to go with it. All together the atmosphere was very psychedelic and everything fitted together marvellously.

If I had the chance to see Ozric Tentacles again I definitely would.

"Bionic" is the first single to be released off of King Adora's debut album "Vibrate," and it's amazing! It's one of those tracks you can put on repeat and listen to until your CD player's laser burns holes in it. That's not all, the video of the single also featured on the CD kicks ass too!

"Bionic" is a very schizophrenic track, Matt Browne, the lead vocalist starts singing in a lustful, grainy tone of voice, but switches to manic falsettos before dropping back down to sing the chorus where he switches between his grainy tone and a deep growl. The guitars also follow suit, starting all heavy, changing to lighter tones with some chorus every now and again.

The Video features the band playing "Bionic" in a darkened warehouse, each with chips on their bodies that produce neon sparks every now and again. It also follows the schizophrenic style of the song, jumping suddenly between band members.

Sadly "Bionic" is only around 2:30 minutes long, it might have been nice to see the song expanded on a little more with a longer guitar solo and bridge. However the song is excellent as it stands, and perhaps adding to it would have just diminished the overall effect.




Released 21st of May on Mercury Records.

The Offspring release their third single off the album "Conspiracy of One"; but is it just more punk by numbers or does this song have something new? Well at first glance it may appear to be a generic Offspring song, a good one, but still not very exciting. However on your second listening you'll start humming along to the infectious "oh oh oh" chorus line. Like many of Iron Maiden's songs, it's a line that you can easily imagine the band stopping and an entire audience singing this for hours on end.

While the chorus is excellent, the verse is a bit dull really, with nothing really standing out. However the guitar playing makes up for this, it's lots of fast power chords with loads of crunch! The guitar solo in 'Million Miles Away' is also quite impressive, while like most punk solo's it's quite short, it's also very fast at parts.

This song rocks, and I'd like to see it at No.1 for a few weeks, but I don't see it having the mass appeal of "Pretty Fly For A White Guy" so it'll really depends on the fans how well this one does.



Released on Sony.

With a single firstname music maker like this, you would probably expect some little North American female who sings forlornly about how she hates men but still loves them really and other such Alanis styled rantings. Instead Neve consists of four males hailing from College Rockville, USA. (Or Los Angeles, California to be geographically correct).

The band first came into public view in 1999 with a classic “college rock” song, “It’s Over Now” on the soundtrack to my teachers an alien flick, “The Faculty”. From this the band gained a huge following, me included, particularly on the ‘net where they gained the unofficial title of “most supported band on the Internet” for a while. This may have been sustained by the fact that Sony Records kept stalling the release date for their eponymous album, fuelling the fervour. The album was finally unleashed during the middle of 2000, although it’s taken the 9 months or so for me to get my hands on a copy. So was it worth the wait?

The opener, “Digital On” is a power chord frenzy. A pleasing, if text book, college rock song, (see Matchbox 20, Nine Days, Goo Goo Dolls – the post punk version, 3rd Eye Blind, any of the more upbeat songs on ‘Dawson’s Creek’ etc) it’s got a nice sing along chorus and is an upbeat, competent start.

“Six Feet Under” follows on in the tradition of the first track, if slightly slower. John Stephens, the lead singer, shows a different vocal style. The vocals are warmer, less raucous than the initial track, although the lyrical content dictates this, “So long/I won’t forget to write/Cause I’ve tried but my world was so much colder” Not exactly a happy go lucky summer song.

It’s with the third track where this album begins to shine. “It’s Over Now”, the aforementioned track from “The Faculty” soundtrack. Another of the more delicate Stephens vocal pieces, this is a wonderful track. The track begins softly enough with a single guitar, but soon envelops drums, bass and a second guitar. The song is rather upbeat in tempo, although it is another melancholy one in terms of lyrics, “you don’t ever understand/it’s right here in our hands/the outline of our lives/it’s over now”. The chorus develops into a boisterous sing a long and with a fantastic guitar bridge in the middle, this is a memorable song.

“Motor” takes the sheen off slightly as it fails to live up to the previous track. It’s not bad, although takes after the first 2 on the album, medium to fast paced with a powerfully sung chorus. Unfortunately track 5 “Same Old Story” also follows this trend too. The band seem to have got stuck in a rut, with only “It’s Over Now” pulling them out of it.

Fortunately they take a different tack with “Absent”. This is a much slower song, much more dramatic and emotional than the previous “power cord”-fest. It’s not perfect, as the opening verse has a very annoying vocal and infuriating guitar piece, but this soon is washed away in the body of the track.

“Freeform” shows a much harder side to the band, but once again the sing a long chorus rears its head. Stephens, the main writer as well as lead vocalist can’t seem to get away from boisterous, full-on, upbeat chorus lines.

The least said about “Skyfall” and “Trip and Glide” the better. Vocals that seem out of tune and annoying tunes, the album definitely takes a turn for the worst here.

It redeems itself somewhat with “3 Years”, a truly heartfelt and highly impassionedly charged song by Stephens, trying to get his lover of 3 years to stay with him and “don’t waste the last 3 years”. Sweeping strings are overlain with pretty impressive harmonies and unassuming guitar work.

“Anything” is another guitar-fest, but one of the ones that works this time. Backed up by harsh and angry lyrics “You won’t get anything from me”, it spits and snarls (as best a College Rock band can) through 3 minutes of faux punk.

“Step Up” is just bland. It doesn’t introduce anything new into the album, its just there to fill the album out, but at 13 tracks anyway, it’s one that have been left out. That leaves “Drift”. Another slow, emotionally charged one, about Stephens’s girlfriend (surprisingly!), it is a bit strange in the lyric department. Somehow he manages to get tectonic plate movement into a love song “It’s continental drift”. It’s a good choice as the end track though.

Throughout the album, the stand out tracks have been the slightly slower, more emotion filled ones. Stephens voice lends itself perfectly to this sub-division of college rock and produces some outstanding tracks. The faster ones are more hit and miss though. A few work, but a few are just grating to say the least. Overall, I’m quite impressed with the album, although there are a few totally awful tracks and it could be said that the album does lack originality, as there are basically 2 track types, fast and slow. However the genre of music that Neve play isn’t famous for new and innovative tracks. There’s a huge market for this genre in America, and Neve fit neatly into the middle of it, without causing to many upsets.

Competent.



Released on Portrait Records, a division of Columbia Records USA.

You should watch out for this band. They are called South and they are doing nothing especially new or innovative, but have got something special with their own brand of lazy acoustic funk-pop. Not to worry though, we all know that innovation in music is overrated anyway. In a hundred years when people are flying round in family sized astral cars and saying how 'Kid A' is just "so retro", they will still find time to put a bit of Beatles or even Status Quo on their micro playback unit.

The point is that a great tune will always be a great tune and this definitely is a great tune. It opens with a simple guitar riff, joined by a cool bass line, and complimented by husky vocals. ‘Keep Close’ is released on Mo-Wax records, and produced by hip-hop remix king James Lavelle. His influence is obvious and at times a little overbearing, some of the effects used may work on his expansive, beat-heavy creations, but serve to cloud the simple appeal of this song. Take for example the moment South reach the bridge, the vocal and guitar is steeped in a heavy flange when it probably would have sounded better without it. A minor gripe though, for an otherwise very catchy and enjoyable song.

My first reaction to this song was one of complete horror.....till I thankfully realised he was taking the piss.
The debut from the 24 year old hailing from Leyton East London, is a smooth piece of clever electro-pop fun. The mood of the song described as a 'ragga-superstar-on-viagra' is not far from the truth; however, it's the fact that he’s exactly not that which gives the song its cleverness. The vocals at first were a put off, but the catchiness of the tune is so much that they’re eventually easy to stomach.

The chilled 'Break Me Off' finds Farrell nestling comfortably somewhere between Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz. Like the first track, this is another that quickly grows on you though this is a mellow shadow to the funky 'Worlds Greatest Lover'. A very nice relaxed melody, suitable for the taxi-ride home after a heavy night.

The unfortunately named 'Stupid Look On My Face' from the Jamie Oliver look-a-like, finishes up the single nicely. The 'Gomez' guitars supply the base for the inoffensive mellow tune, which in a way acts an explanation, but not an apology for the title track. A suitable tune for relaxing to on a summer's day.

His voice may be a put off to some, being a bit whiny in places, but undoubtedly Farrell will find his audience, just as long as they get the joke that I nearly didn’t.




Release date - 4th June

Following up their successful debut 'The Hardware EP' the six-piece from Reading are back with 'The Warfare EP'. Once again the successful blend of music, passion and energy is evident for all to see on the first track 'Panzer Attack', where the band is found in a suitably angry mood. The use of effects gives a reminiscence of Pop Will Eat Itself at their heaviest.
The second track, 'I'll Still Write' is very different in style, and wouldn’t sound out of place on a Coldplay album, but to make comparisons would be unfair. The mellow vocals of lead guitarist Dan Fisher are complimented well by the acoustics and clever use of effects. The resulting ensemble would do well as a single in its own right.
Once again, the band pull a whole new sound out of the bag with the atmospheric 'Mansell'. Sounding not unlike the 'hidden' track on Placebo's 'Without You I'm Nothing', even down to the use of an answer-phone message, this mostly instrumental song is a fast moving energetic effort which shows the abilities of the band as great musicians, but I wouldn't recommend it for the easily paranoid.
The EP is concluded with a bonus live version of 'Panzer Attack'. Managing to sound like music from an old spectrum game, the track adds an element of fun to the EP, and that's rarely a bad thing.
The ability to successfully perform a variety of styles will do will well to guarantee not being being dumped in the same basket as the Starsailor’s and JJ-72's of this world. Having already supported Muse for half their recent sell-out tour, the band will undoubtedly have already gained much respect. This new offering will not do much to ruin their reputation.



Release date - 11th June

By Andy Wilkinson

Matthew Jay is hotly tipped. His parents are folk musicians, he grew up in Wales (home of all the greats) and his debut album Draw has elicited praise of the highest order, with comparisons to Elliott Smith veritably flying around the press. He even has that floppy haircut that young indie blokes are so fond of. The poor lad is going to have some trouble fighting his way past the clichés.

The trouble is, the music isn't particularly outstanding either. 'Please Don't Send Me Away' is melodic, folky, pretty, and nice, but it's hardly ground-breaking. On the other hand, it's not really very demanding either - I promise you won't come away with a headache. Makes a nice change from Limp Bizkit, but then again so do S Club 7.

Released 18th June on Food

Wow. This is Paradise. Look around you. Can you see the small cottage on the mountain? Can you feel the light breeze? Can you smell the fresh air? Can you hear the stream running gently over the rocks? (If you're a guy, you might even be seeing gorgeous naked women, walking towards you. Smiling.)

Now turn the stereo off. What's your reaction?

"Good fuck, where did Paradise go?"

That wasn't Paradise. Sorry. That was Goldfrapp. The latest drug, and conveniently available in all the best record stores.

Like with all drugs, you get the different qualities. This one is called Utopia, genetically enriched. Cultivated in the same fields as Felt Mountain, it assumes the same taste and qualities.

The new "genetically enriched" Utopia will take you through the waves of downtempo, electronic and lounge. With it, you will also receive its lab modified versions, distilled and fermented by Professors Tom Middleton, Jori Hilkonnen, Tim Wright and other colleagues.
If this powerful drug were to be compared to music, one could but remember the late 60s soundtracks, influenced by the likes of Ennio Morricone.

Now please excuse me for a moment, I have to pop back to Paradise. I'll be back in 3 minutes 49 seconds.


Released June 4th on Mute Records

She has been in the business for over fifteen years you know? So she should know a thing or two about knocking out a decent tune and it seems with this, her new single, she has really been painting by the numbers. Take her silky smooth voice, blend in some atmospheric guitar rifts sauté with a nice flowing rhythm and you have pretty much got the same old dish Sade has been serving up since the Smooth Operator day’s way back when chicken actually tasted like chicken.

Still, this is a smooth record that manages to show off Sade’s voice to full effect. Everything is done correctly and all the flibbits and jibbits are in place, but as is too often the case that is roughly where the ride ends and dumps you dejectedly into the novelty gift shop. You may well find yourself a little disappointed, or possibly even a little more morbid afterwards, going to show of course that mediocre music with depressing overtones rarely go well together. Yet for fans of her gliding groove style Sade clearly knows what buttons she needs to press to top up the receding bank balance.



Out now on Epic Records

Mention the words world music to most people and the dreaded thought of Eurovision will likely spring to their mind. We are not often exposed to music from outside of our own or the good old USA's borders and when we are it tends to be dismissed as cultural garbage. Natacha Atlas has had most success in France although her last album Gedida did sell well in the UK and she has gathered up quite a following in these parts, especially amongst those bored with what most everyday music has to offer.

For the most part this new offering is voiced in Arabic, which may of course be a problem for some people. Really this only eliminates a small percentage of what actually deems music as good or bad and when looking upon the work as a whole it should be possible to find appreciation much deeper than just with the lyrical content.

Style wise we have traditional Middle Eastern beats mixed with modern samples, rhythms and what some might call wailing, to create a cacophony of sounds which can unfortunately become a little muddled in parts. On the whole though an image is created that can be very beautiful and at the very least interesting to listen to.

The opener 'Shubra' is very traditional with vibrant strings and haunting vocals. This leads into the only English language track on the album, a bewitching cover of 'I put a spell on you'. With it’s scratching vibes and accompanying Arabic yo’s this cover is likely to please if you are a fan of the standard, although I dare say that some people may be tempted to mutter the word ‘murdered’ under their breath. Other tracks mix themselves up and lie in limbo between the classical and contemporary styles and it is not until the finale that we can see one genre overtaking the other. This consists of a sly (you need to check the inlay) Nitin Sawhney credited remix of ‘Manbai’. Sawhney has crafted a truly modern adaptation and it could well be tacked on at the end so that when all is done you are fooled into thinking that the last hour was not entirely wasted. For those looking for something a little different though there is definitely joy to be found. The blending of genres is skilfully executed but at the same time the problem lies with it not being able to make up its mind where it wants to go, despite insisting it is fine cruising along in the middle.

Although it is interesting to listen to, music such as this is always going to be tricky to market. Natacha Atlas has tried to merge the old with the new and it has to be said that in some areas she has succeeded. There is clear musical ability and the talent to perform her craft is evident but for now at least this is going to have to stay with the Eurovision...sorry I mean world music fans.



Out Now on Mantra Recordings

“Song Yet To Be Sung” is a strange album; it doesn’t seem to fit any particular genre. It’s not Rock, it’s not Hip-Hop and it’s not Dance, but at times it sounds like all of these. Perry Farrell seems to be quite happy making his music the way he wants, and good for him. The problem I see facing Mr Farrell is going to be attracting listeners. There will be a few out and out fans as there is with everything, but he’s not going to attract many others, as the music is quite inaccessible.

The album, “Song Yet To Be Sung” begins with a quiet church like sound; this is built upon with backward samples, moaning and some weird electronic sounds. Just as you’re beginning to wonder what sort of weird crap this is, a big fat dance beat starts up with plenty of break-beats. The vocals then come in; they have a strange, almost Indian, sound to them. The track proceeds to jump sharply from this to an ambient sound and then back.

The rest of the album is much the same as this, a mix of ambient sounds and heavier sections. The ambient parts of this album are very good in fact; they are very flowing and smooth and have some very nice tones in them. Most of the album appears to have been made electronically, but there are occasional guitar parts and there are vocals on every track.

Perry Farrell’s vocals are the best feature of the album. He has quite a natural voice, but like the whole album, it sounds a little strange too. At times his voice soft and free, while at others he is almost straining to get the words out. Often there are many vocal tracks layered on top of each other, this allows Farrell to provide his own backing vocals.

This album will defiantly suit people who like music that is ambient and slightly trippy, Jazz fans and people looking for something a bit different in today’s bland pop orientated market will also be happy with this album.



Released 18th of July on Virgin Records America.

Four Tet is just one man and that man is Producer, Writer, Musician, DJ and general wonder boy Kieran Hebden. For those who are unaware Kieran is part of the group Fridge who last year formed Badly Drawn Boys live band for touring and have achieved critical success with their last few albums, albeit on a non commercial scale. Pause represents Kieran’s latest solo offering and although dance is the chosen category this has more to do with the electronic nature of the work rather than the literal meaning. I would love to see you groove to this one baby.

This is ambience at its finest but before you scurry away muttering something about damn hippies just bear with me, as what we have here is a record that may well reform your opinions. The instrumentals offered here range from the obscure yet interesting to the truly beautiful and often heartwarming.

The albums opener ‘Glue of the World’ begins oddly with typing sounds but quickly the clacking gives way to smooth guitar plucks and paced drum beats to offer as chilled a piece of relaxation material as you will find just about anywhere. Right from the start there is a complex layering of instruments and samples that never ceases to amaze. We are then led into the sounds of waves on a beach but make no mistake, this is no whale song relaxation tune. We are given another chilled beat, then another and another whilst at the same time being drawn deeper into the intricate labyrinth of detail that is offered. It is often wise to do as the albums title suggests and look a little closer. The uniqueness of a track such as ‘Parks’, which opens with the sounds of children playing and transforms itself into an almost mystical Chinese composition, is a fine example of a work you could analyze all night if you really wanted to. There is never a beat too far away though. With the likes of ‘Untangle’ and the excellent ‘No more mosquitoes’ we are offered more conventional rhythms and pace whilst still maintaining a stunning use of samples and effects. The fly swatter opening alone will have you hitting the backtrack button.

On the whole Four Tet have produced a very near perfect chillout collection and unlike many other efforts such as much of the material on The Ministry of Sounds recent collection this has the ability to make you believe, ponder and reflect. Possibly on world issues or perhaps just why music such as this does not achieve more success.

So there must be a downside right? If the musical skill of the artist was all that was being judged then this would get a five without question. However there is some monotony to be seen. Whilst most tracks should keep you enthralled there may be moments when the temptation to hit next on the remote may become a little too much. Some of the more slowly paced or non tuneful tracks may put some people off as well but if there was ever a reason to give something a go then this is it. It has to be said though, that at the end of the day if you don’t like your music to be challenging and thoughtful then you may as well just get your coat. Oh…and close the door on your way out.



Released 28th May 2001 on Domino Records

Recipe for how to make a Shaggy Song…
Take one Shaggy, (making sure it’s not of the Scooby Doo variety). Mix with an unknown R&B star and sprinkle over the top of a smooth Caribbean reggae influenced tune. Heat for 4 weeks on radio and release. And voila! One Shaggy song ready for the upper echelons of the music charts.

A slight over simplification, but that’s about the gist of this one. To be fair though ‘Angel’, the second single to be taken from Shaggy’s latest album “Hot Shot” is a competent, if a very classic Shaggy tune. A much slower track than “It wasn’t me” it’s pleasing enough. However, like seemingly a lot of music around at the moment it just doesn’t get going. It goes along at a rather sedate non-threatening “it’s warm out I can’t be bothered to do anything hectic” pace.

It takes after “It wasn’t me” by not actually having Shaggy singing the verses. The collaborator, Rayvon, takes the lion’s share of the verses, as Shaggy seems to enter rap territory by having collaborators on all his tracks. But hey, it worked with “It wasn’t me” didn’t it?

An average summer tune, but it doesn’t have the hook to make it get stuck in your head and go round and round and round and round and round…



Released on the 26th of May on Universal Records.

This single from quirky pop outfit Snowblind offers a reasonably degree of escapism even if you are likely to forget it a few minutes later. There are obvious similarities with The Lightning Seeds and from the parping brass sections to the tuneful orchestrations this is a distinctly sugar coated affair, even if the song does appear to be about domestic violence. The premise of a chirpy tune coupled with sombre subject material works surprisingly well mainly due to the fact that you will be assuming it is all about daisies and sunshine or such like. Remember to listen and you might be in for a shock.

Despite the tunes character though, it does fall into the same trap that much of the aforementioned Lightning Seeds efforts fall into. Namely that it is a touch bland and it is likely to vanish from your memory very quickly indeed. As an album track this is interesting indeed but as a single it feels a little watered down.



Out Now on Heavenly Records

This is the second single from Jill Scotts acclaimed 'Words & Sounds Vol. 1' album and it proves that the Philadelphia diva really knows how to craft a smooth love song. The usual R&B beats are apparent but despite a few varied rhythms jumping around to grab your attention there seems to be nothing new to report musically. It is however Jill's voice and writing which stand out. She carries a smoothness and style that either matches or beats into submission most other R&B artists out there. Some may find it all a bit too sickly but you really shouldn't. In contrast to so much other similar styled writing these days where angst seems to be the key focus point, a flowing piece like this should be seen as a blossoming rose in a desert of pain. Or perhaps just as quite nice.



Out Now on Epic Records

This brother/brother/non-brother 3 piece hailing from Downpatrick, Northern Ireland have notched up a Top 10 single and a Top 5 album on their native island. They’ve also gained a support slot for U2 at the Slane Castle gig in August. On the strength of this debut track it’s very difficult to understand how.

‘You I’m thinking of’ is an embodiment of the bands “distinct Rock/Soul driven sound”. I’m not sure if distinct is the correct word as this song is the exact bland soft rock that even BBC Radio 2 don’t stoop low enough to play. Bad lounge music is the best description that I can muster for this. Over the top easy listening vocals screeching the worst Gorgonzola smelling lyrics (Sample “it’s you I’m thinking of/yes it’s you/yes it’s you/yes it’s you/Ooooooooooooooooo yeah”) coupled with an organ that must have been lifted from a piece of lift music and a “smooth” guitar jumble. Just the sort of garbage you hear on “Local tin-pot radio, your easy listening station ™ “, although they probably won’t go that low either.

It’ll make your ears bleed, and not because it’s loud…



Second Opinion

Well, come on Fraser, it ain't that bad! There is a place in this world for light guitar music, and I think that this is a good example of the genre. Yes, I'll give you the cheese lyrics and the basic guitar rift, but I actually quite like it. Good, old fashioned summer music at it's best or worst, depending on your perspective. It allows you to smile briefly in recognition, and carry on with whatever you were doing.

Matt Fenby Taylor



Released June 25th on Lime Records (A division of EMI)

Art-rock huh? Well that’s what its called and apparently that’s what Mogwai write, well art it most certainly is, but rock, nope, not if my meaning of rock is true!

This is the third full-length outing from the Scottish four piece and is the first for their new record label Southpaw Recordings.

Having tired of there previous music, “Look, there are a lot of bands making the kind of records Mogwai made two or more years ago, so we had to do something different” says Stuart Braithwaite (guitar), they have decided to change there sound, and by god there’s some singing! “Fuck It! We’ve brought on the banjos, the violins, the trombones and I did some singing.” he continues.

The album opens with ‘Sine Wave’, a weird instrumental track that sounds like it could have been written for a computer game. The song is built using plenty of sounds and is actually quite atmospheric, I actually found myself having to look over my shoulder to check there wasn’t anybody there! Weird!

The following track ‘Take Me Somewhere Nice’ starts with a lonely guitar but is soon joined by the rest of the group. This I must say is one of the most depressing tracks I have ever heard. The first time I played it, I had to turn it off cause I had sudden thoughts of razor blades. Hmmmmm, now this could be a good thing, that the group can create this feeling, but I’m not so certain, it is a very atmospheric song, and has nice sounds and an excellent string arrangement but its not something to listen to if you like taking life easy.

The fourth track on the album “Dial: Revenge” is definitely the stand out track on the album. This features guest vocals from Gruff from the Super furry Animals on vocals and is actually a very fine track. Good guitar sounds build the song up nicely, joined by a soothing bass line. Gruffs’ vocal is quite good on this track and again the strings give the song an extra touch. It is very moving this time, in a good way!

The long haul that is “You Don’t Know Jesus” goes nowhere, starting quite and building up then fading away, it just doesn’t do anything. It’s these songs that seem to do the most damage to the record, maybe if they had shortened the track it wouldn’t be so ‘samey’, but it is and now there is nothing that can be done.

“2 Rights Make 1 Wrong” is quite an upbeat tune, which kind of puts it out of place with the rest of the album, the rest of the album being quite depressing. This is another super long track weighing in at a hefty 8:03 and features some excellent sounds and a plucky guitar riff. When the drums come in they do sound superb, you can see your-self in the studio with the group. This is probably one of the only strengths of the album, it is well produced and every thing sounds very live and they do appear to be very good musicians.

The final track on this 8 track album “Secret Pint” sounds like some scene from a western at the beginning, with rattling drums and an acoustic guitar picking around in the back. This then ends and we are joined by a subtle sounding piano. There are even words, but I can't for the life of me tell what he’s saying! It carries on at a deathly pace, something for a funeral parade I think. Oh dear, I thought last tracks were supposed to leave me up uplifted?

This album, if you can call it that (with only 8 tracks, 2 of which are meaningless and only last 0:56 and 1:04) just fail to impress me enough. Some of the sounds and string arrangements are superb on there own, but when you put them in the context of the album as a whole, they cannot turn what is basically a boring album which doesn’t do the group any favours.

Time for a rethink me thinks!

Out now on Southpaw Recordings

The first time I heard this song it stuck in my head for two days so I guess you could say it is catchy. The vocals remind me of a hybrid between Cypress Hill and Cake. Spek's lyrics are full of contradiction and he seems to be a very confused man…'I'm a hippie but I've got a tattoo, I'm a rasta but I got short hair…'. He is a bit monotonous though and most of the song seems to consist of the repetition of the chorus which is sung one too many times for my taste. The music isn't particularly complex or impressive but you wouldn't really expect that from a pop song, however it does all tie in together nicely and if heard in moderation it could be quite a pleasurable experience.

Is it just me or does the intro subtly resemble George Michael's song 'Freedom'?

Released the 4th of June on Echo Records

Opening for Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds were another Australian group called The Dave Graney Show. The band, along with Dave the eccentric front man (every band should have one...!), played songs like 'Drugs Are Wasted On The Young', 'Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye' and 'Melbourne Mafia' before ending their performance.

The excitement levels rose while the stage was being set for the band to come on, and then the Bad Seeds marched out followed by Nick Cave. They opened with a dynamic version of 'As I Sat Sadly By Her Side', the first single that was released from the new album.

Cave stood on the very edge of the stage for most of the concert, leaning out towards the crowd, and successfully managing to juggle the roles of lead singer, performer and conductor of the band. Blixa Bargeld, the only one cool enough to wear sunglasses, didn't have such a central part and he would leave the stage during the time he wasn't playing. A particularly impressive performance was given by violinist Warren Ellis (member of the Dirty Three), whose originality stood out even though he had his back turned to the audience for most of the evening.

They played new songs like 'God is in the House' and 'Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow' (the second single being released from the new album), but didn't fail to treat the audience to some old favourites like 'Do You Love Me?', 'Red Right Hand' and 'Henry Lee'. The concert, on the whole, was intense, however it was interspersed with moments of tranquillity during songs like 'The Ship Song' or 'The Weeping Song'. The highlights of the evening, for me, were the extremely powerful renditions of 'Mercy Seat' and 'Papa Won't Leave You, Henry' which I couldn't help but sing along to.

They played two encores, finally ending with 'The Curse of Millhaven', for which Nick Cave had to read the lyrics from flashcards. It was great!

Not having been exposed to much Tindersticks material before, my first reaction to this album was not that positive. It has been growing on me though...

What struck me most was the 'I'm going to sing so no one can hear me or understand what I'm saying' vocals. Listening to the album the picture of a smoke filled lounge type area, with a singer who no one is paying that much attention to, springs to mind.

This music blends into the environment and after a while you stop hearing it, which means its great for background music, studying and elevators. This doesn't mean that it is bad though.

There isn't really a wide range of musical styles on this album, which is its greatest weakness. If there was a bit more variety perhaps it wouldn't sound so dull. The whole middle part is quite chilled out and the songs are rather uniform. The music is interesting and sophisticated but too much of a good thing just isn't good anymore.

Dying slowly, the first track on the album, is impressively good. It has that uniqueness that distinguishes it from the pointless noise that masquerades as music these days. It also has abrupt stops and violins! What more could you ask for?

Unfortunately this pleasant music does not extend very far past the first track. 'People Keep Coming Round', the next song, has a deceptively good intro only to creep into the mediocrity that is characteristic of the rest of the album. The only thing that saves this song from blending in completely with the rest is the cool sounds in the background.

What can I say about the next track? 'Trickling' is one of those songs that prevents you from saying anything bad about it in fear of showing your ignorance of higher 'art'. I'll take my chances though and say that even though I can see the plan behind it (recreating the idea of trickling); I don't see any reason for such a song to be written. But maybe that's just me…

From this point on the songs start becoming indistinguishable and the music starts to fade. To be fair though, the last track 'chilitetime' is a bit more rock then all the rest. I think it is the tindersticks attempt at a grand finale.

By the way does anybody else think that 'No Man in the World' the second to last track has a suspiciously similar riff to REM's 'Everybody Hurts'?

Released on Monday the 21st of May on Beggars Banquet.

8pm, I walk into The Attic. Music is way too loud. People are way too few. But the latter will change. This is Echoboy, Lord Of The Live.

Echoboy a.k.a. Richard Warren is just not the same man he is in the studios (see Turning On review). On stage, this punk converted to the electronic will find you a guitar tune, play around with it, fit it into his algorithm, return the result and then pump up the volume. Leaving you with a final psychedelic sound. He will distort your perception. He will alter your states of awareness. This is Echoboy, Crazy Lord Of the Live.

The Attic starts to fill up. Is it the hypnotic Echoboy tune? Is it sucking them in? Or are they all here to see Lupine Howl, to be playing after Warren & Co.? Whatever the reason for this sudden immigration, if you like loud mescaline overdosed tunes, the vicious beats spat out from this electro punk is definitely one to experience.

A pity Echoboy The Demon mutates into Echoboy The Uncreative when shut in a studio.

Bumped up to the Astoria this Meanfiddler planned gig had a line-up consisting of some of the most talked about bands this year. All 3 have received truck loads of press, especially King Adora since their phenomenal Reading debut last year. Mo*Ho*Bish*O*Pi are clearly the in thing and Easy World are surfing the success of having a song featured on teen soap Dawson's Creek.

Despite this, all 3 bands lacked the stage presence that you need at the Astoria. They can manage to infuse the right atmosphere in smaller venues like the Monarch and even the Meanfiddler, but it is questionable whether King Adora are ready for this size of success- only playing a half hour set. Still I imagine 90% of the audience had already missed their 10:00 curfew.

The audience, with an average age of 14 were adorned in freshly purchased fishnets and all clearly loosing their gig virginity- marvelling at the size of the Astoria.

However, all credit to King Adora who have done what Rachel Stamp tried to do for years- put glam into the mainstream- then again if they put a bit of weight on and removed the nail varnish they would be like any other Indie band.

You can't help loving KA's 'Bionic', and Mo*Ho*Bish*O*Pi do get the crowd into it, and so this Kindergarten Glam fest was entertaining, but please someone point out to Easy world frontman, you can look good in glam.

This is the follow up single to the hugely successful major label debut single 'Last Resort'. 'Between Angels and Insects' follows in the same new metal vibe as Last Resort but is darker and more brooding (if that's possible). The Californian rockers are huge in America and as the new metal revolution sweeps through Briton's under sixteen population this single will only help to promote them further. Papa Roach are,in sound at least, the younger cousins to bands like Limp Bizkit and the Deftones and because of this and the extremely catchy chorus and bass line of Between Angels... this song is guaranteed a lot of air play and is very infectious so if you don't feel like buying this record straight away after a week of hearing it on radio one five times a day you will.
You should buy this single if you ever liked Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park or basically any new metal band on the market but be warned you may have to fight your way through hoards of small children dressed in black to get at it.

Between Angels and Devils is released on the 21st of May on SKG music.

Mo*Ho*Bish*O*Pi have been described as ramshackle punk, scratchy hip hop, loud, young and exciting. Well they may be loud and young but the rest I wasn't too sure about. This single is released to coincide with the end of their tour supporting King Adora and they are obviously hoping that the fever created from that tour will result in big single sales but judging from the lackluster performance of this song I doubt that will happen. The band have collaborated on Names with mixer Jagz Kooner (Chemical Brothers, Regular Fries) and this does add some driving electronica beats to the song and there also is a nice catchy riff from the guitars but overall it feels like the song never really gets going and you are left waiting for something that doesn't kick in. Big fans of Mo*Ho*Bish*O*Pi will no doubt like this song but I feel evens those dedicated fans will be fairly disappointed with this release plus the B-sides sound like two really bad Long Pigs tracks which in my opinion isn't really a bonus.

Names(For Nameless Things) is released on the 21st of May by V2.

I love Ugly Duckling. At a time when hip hop seems in danger of becoming dominated by chart topping Gangsta rap, Ugly Duckling have joined the likes of Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas and The Roots in the ranks of those who want to get back to the original spirit behind hip hop, of concentrating on great lyrics and music, and of leaving your problems behind and having a good time. This is the Long Beach trio’s first album, and will be sure to increase their already sizeable fan base here in the UK.

The tracks on the album range from old-skool to samba (no lie), and many of them are autobiographical, recounting not only the “Journey” to the creation of this record, but also time spent learning about hip hop, watching cartoons and having fun. “I Did It Like This” talks of recording your own compilation tapes when first getting into hip hop music, “Friday Night” recounts the Duckling’s excitement at their first gigs, whilst “Introduckling” and “Rock on Top” address their international travels.

Ugly Duckling have obviously had fun making this album. “A Little Samba” is a brilliant piss-take of hip hop style and attitudes (I may never be able to take those who rap about Bitches, Benjamins and Bentleys seriously again); “Eye On The Gold Chain”, the current single is the best track about a necklace I’ve heard for a long time, featuring a cameo from HRH the Queen; and “Pick Up Lines” is a must listen for all those would-be Swiss Tonys out there.

There are flavours here of Tribe Called Quest, Jurassic 5, Arrested Development, the Beasties and many more, but that’s not to say that Ugly Ducking are derivative – “Journey to Anywhere” has a sound all of its own, with great beats and breaks, with spot-on samples and rhymes.

“Journey to Anywhere” is out on 7th May on XL Recordings

This is undoubtedly an album with a message – as with most of his work, Michael Franti is exploring issues through music. With “Stay Human”, Franti is taking on an issue that is on many people’s minds at the moment, the death penalty. With all of the media and public interest in the upcoming execution of Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma Bomber, this record is surely a timely one.

The album is built around a community radio broadcast on the night before the execution of Sister Fatima, a fictitious activist who many think has been wrongly accused. There are radio segments throughout the album, including a highly charged telephone interview with the state Governor, played here by none other than Woody Harrelson, but the real story is told through the music. The tracks vary from mellow funk to up-front rock, whilst still maintaining a common vibe throughout the record – a celebration of the power of the human spirit.

The opening track, “Oh my God” has an almost Gospel quality, and is an expression of frustration at the state of modern America, politics and indeed the world, whilst “Rock the Nation” takes a different path, with a Daftpunk-esque electro beginning which moves into a rocking call for direct action. “Do You Love” is more laid back and mellow, with the underlying message that it’s not important who you love, but that you do love at all. The tracks “Soulshine”, “Every Single Soul” and “Love’ll Set Me Free” all hold out a ray of hope, the hope in people’s souls and spirit, and “Speaking of Tongues” is a fine example of rap poetry at its best.

How does the story end? Listen to the album and find out. A good record, with an important message.

“Stay Human” is released on the 7th May on Infected Records.

Philadelphia born superstar EVE; the only female member of mulitplatinum selling New York bad boy HipHop crew, Ruff Ryders, is finally getting the success she has earned.

Releasing the first single from album 'Scorpion', EVE is making her name around the world. Her smooth, up-beat, sample free rap is adding a new dimension to the influx in hip hop based music. She is sexy, talented and has enough guts to challenge the hardest of emcees.

Its Fast moving focused beats with stylish vocals are swamping commercial radio, clubs and publications. Unsurprising considering her ride to fame which started in a bar with the extraordinary producer Dr Dre:

"Out of nowhere they [friends now managers] put the tape on and I stood up and started rapping and he was looking at me like, 'Why is this girl rapping?'," recalls Eve. Liking what he saw after only a few bars, the executive cut the audition short and promised to bring Eve to California to work with the good Dr.

However it wasn't quite as smooth as this, due to record deal problems her contract run out and she returned to Phili. Starting bands with then unknown DMX and bonding with Ruff Ryders back in NYC she was invited to join, and eventually became known as the EVE she is today.

"Certain people still call me Eve of Destruction. I don't mind it 'cause I'm still her -- I'm still destroying emcees."


Full Track Listing:
1. Who's That Girl? (Main Pass) 4.42
2. What Ya Want (featuring Nokio) 4.21
3. Who's That Girl? (C.I.A.S Remix) 4.28
4. Who's That Girl? (CD-ROM Video)

The Ruff Ryders' "Ryde or Die Vol. II" is set to drop on June 27, the first single is supposed to be "Got It All" by Eve and Jadakiss.


released on 7th May 2001
on Interscope records

Do you sit at home at night bemoaning the sad and untimely demise of Pavement, with only your Steven Malkmus solo album to keep you company? Have you been waiting for someone else to come and take on the indie crown once held by everyone's favourite eccentrics? Here's the would-be answer to your prayers: Lapland. The only problem is that, if this is anything to go by, they're not very good. The Pavement and Beck-inspired moments are all too obvious, and the rest is bland, forgettable guitar-pop with a singer who sounds as if he's in almost as much pain as Axl Rose did.

Opening track 'Itching Powder' is full of country-rock whistling and cheesy cadences, followed (of course) by the obligatory sad song, 'The Great I Am', which expands from its inauspicious piano intro into an equally inauspicious 'big' chorus. Bad on a similar scale is 'That Hitchcock Moment', which embodies everything that's not quite right about middle-of-the-road indie: it's boring, it sounds too long despite being only just over three minutes and it's way too dependent on the guitars. This is really the problem with the whole E.P. - its not that it's awful as such, its just that it's so much less good than a lot of what else is around at the moment.

Available on Green Back records

The King of Woolworths seems to be a strange man. The title track to his second release opens on a slightly creepy, effects-heavy sample of a supposed interview with a victim of a stalking (which crops up again later) and it just gets weirder from there. The main body of the recording sounds a little like a more-frightening, less-interesting version of the Propellerheads, with similar sounds but less texture. As for the B-sides, there's just more craziness. 'Minitel Conspiracy' is apparently a "sonic public information film," whatever that is, but is decent enough while 'Catnip' (in equally peculiar fashion) samples the work of the King's cat. Maybe someone in press-release land is kidding me…

Either way, the King of Woolworths is probably worth investigating further, even if for his name alone. His music might not be for everyone, but Steps will always be around to fill the inoffensive pop market, so who cares?

Released 7th May on Mantra Recordings

“Ordered from the Catalogue” is a compilation CD from Manchester’s Grand Central Records profiling some of the artists to appear on their label throughout its 6 years in existence. It is a completely live mix by Mark Rae (of Rae & Christian) and each track flows so smoothly into the next so that you completely loose track of where you are on the CD very quickly. That’s not to say it’s all the same, the CD starts off with quite and ambient tone, but after a few tracks there’s some cool scratching and more Rap-orientated tracks.

There are three Rae & Christian tracks on this CD and one track by Mark Rae and Mr Scruff, which isn’t surprising being that Mark Rae mixed the CD. Rae & Christian’s “Ain’t Nothing Like Nextman Remix” is one of the highlights of this CD, the rapping on this track compliments the funky drum and bass backing perfectly, with some nice scratching thrown in for good measure. Sadly the Mark Rae and Mr Scruff track, “The Squirrel,” isn’t as good, it has a good jazzy/funky sound to it but the beats are just too heavy and overpowering for it.

Only Child also feature heavily on this CD, “When 6 Looses 9” kicks of the album with a cool feel and some laid-back beats. “Getting It On Aquanote Remix” is also very chilled, there’s an almost soul feel to the vocals which is complimented by some smooth tones with the drums helping to keep the track moving and prevent it from becoming stagnant. Only Child’s other track, “I’ve Got A Right,” has a much more abrasive rap vocal line, but the backing stays cool.

Overall the CD covers a lot of ground, “Riton” adds a very electronic sound and there are some jazz, funk and rap sounds too. However it is obvious this is a Hip-Hop album, this is down to the drums, which carry the hip-hop feel through all the tracks. Another common feature is scratching, this is always of a high standard and fits in perfectly to all the tunes, even some of the wilder scratches still make sense and don’t seem out of place.

It’s amazing just how well this CD is mixed especially when you consider that Mark Rae claims to have answered the phone twice and made a sandwich while making it! The main drawback of this continuous mix is that it makes it hard to distinguish between different artists. Another downside to the CD is that while it is varied, there aren’t many really good tracks to keep you coming back to the CD to hear them. It makes for good background music, but if you want something exciting to listen to you’ll be disappointed.

Released 7th May on Grand Central Records

Damon Gough returns with yet another single from highly acclaimed album The Hour of Bewilderbeast, a newly re-recorded version of Pissing in the Wind, which is now extra radio-friendly. This boasts all that Badly Drawn Boy's ever-expanding audience has come to expect: the folky air and the tiny idiosyncracies are still there, alongside the slightly more questionable seal of quality that is a starring appearance in the video by none other than Joan Collins. The trouble is that the song is just not as likeable as any of the preceding singles from the album - it's a little too plodding and repetitive to be as entertaining as 'Once Around the Block' or 'Disillusion', and not quite unconventional enough to be as much fun as 'Another Pearl'. Still, there's plenty to appreciate here, not least the unlikely-sounding Minotaur Shock Mix of 'The Shining' that features as a B-side on CD one. In all, it's a pleasing enough but ultimately unsatisfying release from someone who can certainly do better.

Released on May 7th

'Sing' is the first track of Travis’s forthcoming LP “The Invisible Band,” and if the rest of the tracks on the album are like this, Travis may indeed do a nice vanishing act. The problem with “Sing,” aside from the fact it has a banjo in it, is that it’s got no hook. If you think of their last single, “Coming Around,” you can already hear Fran and the band playing it in your head, however 5 minutes after hearing “Sing” all you’ll remember is that it had a banjo.

Despite the plain nature of this song, it does have a nice warm sound to it and no matter how much I hate banjos, they do add an interesting element to the song. The track as a whole has a very easy going swing feel to it and would do well sat somewhere in the middle of an album, but it just doesn’t have the weapons to fend for itself in the Top 40.

Released on May 28th on Independiente.

Gerry and the Pacemakers, the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Kiss, Bachman Turner Overdrive.... A new band can now be added to that list of seminal rock ‘gods’…the Shirehorses.

Comprising of Mark, Lard, The Dark Prince and Dick ‘the buttocks’ Scruttock, the mighty Mancunian four piece have finally produced their “obviously very difficult second album”. Following on from the multi-tens selling debut album “the worst album in the world ever…EVER!” the mighty 'Horses follow on exactly where they left off; showing the world that all their songs have been ripped off by “those robbing gets” ranging from Oasis to Mousse T via Eminem. As the liner notes say…”First there was rock, then there was roll, then there was THE SHIREHORSES”, now with added guitar solos in every song!!!

But losing the Mark and Lard overtones, “Our Kid Eh” is a continuation of the BBC Radio 1 DJ’s comedy covers. Unlike the majority of the songs that came from the debut album most of these new tracks have not been broadcast on national radio, although the content of some of them might just cause one or two little complaints and I suspect that’s why they’ve not been showcased. What they’ve done to Robbie Williams “Angels” really has to be heard to be believed, along with the Dido impression on “Tony” by M&M featuring Bridie from the canteen.

Radcliffe and Riley have a great knack for very clever lyrics and also for being able to play instruments very well as they show on the tracks “No Big Sizes” by Radioshed and “Why is it always Dairy Lea?” by Dave Lee Travisty. These are immensely funny covers, no matter how many times you hear them. The rest of the album doesn’t quite live up to these two, but it comes pretty close. The Indecipherable Boys spew out their usual top class white 40-year-old male “hippidy hoppidy” raps, and Blurb make their feelings clear about fat wives in “Country Spouse”. A special mention must also be given to Foreplay making their debut with “Bellow” a ‘dead nice song’ about Mark’s tribute to Lard. It has to be said at this point that the actual playing on the record makes a departure from “the worst album in the world ever…EVER” as it’s rather well done and is very tight on many of these songs, which makes it a much more professional sounding record than their debut.

It’s just a shame that there are a couple of tracks that are slightly annoying and make you wonder why they were included. “Horny” by Chocolate Mousse Tea is just about funny the first time you hear it, but then gets rapidly irritating, and is skipped over the next time the CD is played. “Planet of Sound” by the Pixiedancers is also another mystery inclusion as it’s not written by either Mark or Lard and is totally out of context with the rest of the album…it’s not remotely funny. Finally on the “why?” list is “Feel Like Shite” by Doofergrass. I’m not saying that this is a bad song, it’s actually rather good, but it was on the last album too. Hmmmmm.

In all seriousness for a fan of “The worst album in the world ever…EVER!” this is a great continuation of the mighty horse tradition. Any Mark and Lard fan will happily sing along and join in with the catch phrases contained within. However for non-Mark and Lard fans, this probably will be humorous the first time you hear it, and will probably rapidly become irritating afterwards…

For Fans only



(Although for those fans, )


Released now on Sony Records.

Their second gig, a 6 song support slot at the back of beyond: deepest Kingston, and yet there is something inherently magnetic about this band that I can't escape.

Immense concentration is written on their faces as Max, Nick, Jess and new bassist, Greg, launch into the drilling intensities of 'Symphony'.

Once again they play a masterful set, from my personal favourite 'Tsunami', with its blistering amalgamation of the blinding beats and angst vocals, to the new addition 'Downfall', which airs the inherent emotional metaller lurking inside vocalist, Max Hitchings.

With little movement on stage SAMSARA play as a unit, captivating the sparse but privileged audience here tonight. They mix the strength and passion of Tool with the spiritual intensity of Soulfly, and prove firstly that not all new bands have to be squeaky clean nu-metal or indie, and second that with an average age of 17, a band can still be talented.

SAMSARA are unquestionably going to make it.



Their three track demo is on release now, including Tsunami, Disconnect and Control.
E-mail me for information.

See SAMSARA:
headline@ The Grey Horse with LOST CHILD in support. Monday 14th May doors 8pm

@ The Grey Horse Pink Kangaroo Festival
28th May,
along with SPECIMEN and other up and coming nu-metal, hardcore and punk bands. 3-11pm

What with nu-metal and rock all over the airwaves right now, it would seemingly be ideal timing for an album like this, but although there is nothing inherently wrong with it, it does suffer from a certain blandness.

Perhaps the least known of the acts featuring on this years Ozzfest bill, San Antonio Texas four piece, The Union Underground, are hoping to gain the support of the British Rock scene the way they have just about done in the States. Touring with Manson and issuing their first major label release 'An Education in Rebellion', they have been compared to Metallica, Rob Zombie, Godsmack and Powerman 5000, all of whom are highly credible, but it is the lack of originality and the emphasis on doing what's popular that frustrates me. Although ‘Union have been together since 1996, they are not showing us anything new. Godsmacks debut outshines this by the end of track one.

It's not bad but then you could describe certain pop groups in a similar light.

If you are sensible enough to be going to Ozzfest check them out, but don't be to excited. Save yourself for Tool.

Full track listing:
1. …An education in rebellion
2. Drivel
3. South Texas deathride
4. Turn me on Mr 'Deadman'
5. Until you crack
6. Killing the fly
7. Natural High
8. Revolution Man
9. Trip
10. Bitter
11. The Friend Song



Released on Columbia Records.
www.theunionunderground.com
www.ozzfest1.com

In these modern times that we live in it’s rare for a band or group to keep going for any extreme length of time. Hey even the Beatles had only 7 years 2 months between releasing their first and last albums. Teenage Fanclub however have been battling away for 11 years now. Having survived ‘Mad’-chester, grunge, the ravages of manufactured pop and recently a change of record label, Teenage Fanclub keep on releasing new material.

“Dumb Dumb Dumb” is taken from their new album “Howdy!”. It’s a nice enough track, beginning with a guitar riff moving from speaker to speaker that sounds like it’s been ripped off from the Wannadies “Bagsy Me” album. It’s a slow melodic rhythm that’s certainly pleasing enough and fits perfectly with the tone of the lyrics. The band sings rather forlornly about ‘drifting all alone in the dark’ and 'wanting to feel alright'. It never pretends to be an upbeat happy song, (although the press release would try to make you think otherwise) and it’s a perfectly competent little tune. But that’s it; it’s just a tune. You keep expecting it to break into a full on guitar frenzy, but it doesn’t. It just plods along at it’s own slightly depressed pace.

Pleasing, but nothing more.



Released on Columbia Records.

The first time I ever heard Elbow was when I saw them supporting Doves last year. Having met the lead singer earlier on that day and decided he was a very nice chap I decided to make sure that I watched the support (which also included indie newcomers Starsailor).

They were excellent that night and it was quite clear that they were a band to watch out for. Having just released their new single ‘Red’, I had no other choice than to go and see them again.

Now I must admit, I don’t think the Leadmill is a great music venue, there are so many in Sheffield that each venue has a lot to live up to, but tonight Elbow transformed my opinion. The place was a buzz of excitement; a great atmosphere and when they arrived on stage the place went crazy! Each member walked over to their place and exploded into ‘Any Day Now’. This was an excellent opener, moving along at a nice pace letting each member get in his step.

The set is filled mainly with songs of there debut album ‘Asleep In The Back’, and tonight this is not a problem, Elbow ooze class and playing songs like the epic ‘Newborn’ and the heart breaking ‘Powder Blue’, class is all you see tonight. Visuals adding to the effect of the songs portray scenes from their videos and the band playing onto a screen at the back of the stage creating a first class atmosphere.

Elbow are at the start of what I see being a rapid rise to stardom, there songs are excellent, well built pieces of art, and live they are superb. Guy’s voice is so unique and emotional he makes the band a wonder to watch!

When there on the way around again, do not miss them!

Elbows Debut Album ‘Asleep In The Back’ is out know on V2

Tonight is Shed Seven's last gig of there present tour, and as you would imagine after a 24 date tour, 23 of them in April they look pretty ruff, especially Rick Witters voice which had all but completely gone. But tonight, this does not matter, this has been one of there biggest tours and there’s plenty of stuff to celebrate.

The performance tonight consists of old favorites ‘Going for Gold’, ‘Dolphin 9’, a rather sterling performance of ‘Where Have You Been Tonight?’ Witter pushing his vocal capabilities to the limit, ‘She Left Me On Friday’ along with other singles and also plenty of new tunes, such as new single ‘Cry for Help’.

They may look ruff, but there performance is that of a band on there first night, every song played to perfection, new guitarist Joe Johnson fits in perfectly as you would expect the original guitarist in the group to do and the rest of the group looked fired up.

During the gig, you can see that Shed Seven are still a huge force in the British Music Industry, its absolutely packed and you can barely move, at the front there’s the normal mosh pit, people throwing themselves around to music, jumping up and down.

The front row tonight get an especially good show, Witter sometimes asking them to sing the songs so he can give his voice a rest.

At the end the group retire to there end of tour party and the fans leave slowly. They’re happy, and so they should be! Shed Seven are still alive and coming on strong!

Shed Seven’s New Album ‘If The Truth Be Told’ is out now on Artful.

So Everclear, the Oregon rock trio has a new single. Excellent? Well its pretty much looking that way.

Everclear follow on from their previous album ‘Songs From An American Movie Vol. 1’ and it's singles by releasing the second, ‘Songs From An American Movie Vol. 2’ and the new single ‘When It All Goes Wrong Again’. The title seems to be predicting a downfall, this is not so.

Promising that Vol. 2 would be a lot heavier than Vol. 1 we are met buy a meatier sounding single. Distorted guitars are used to maximum effect on this song and everything seems much louder and in your face. But behind this disguise there still stands that happiness of Vol. 1 and that certain type of song that just makes you wanna bounce.

It’s a very lively track and extremely catchy, Art Alexakis’s voice sounds wicked in front of this background of angry guitars and smashing drums, this trio really do work well together and it’s a great opener for the new stuff.

Expect to be hearing this on a radio near you soon!

Out on 28th May on Infected

Shed Seven, who are they again? That may well be the question you are asking yourself right now. Well I’ll tell you! They are those indie rockers from York, who’ve had 13 Top 40 Hits including ‘On Standby’, ‘Going for Gold’, who used to have Oasis as their support on tour, and who used to be signed to Polydor, but are now signed to Artful (home of The Fall and The Clint Boon Experience).

There’s been a bit of change to the band since then, Paul Banks, there lead guitarist left and was replaced with original guitarist Joe Johnson. ‘Banks leaving was the best thing that could’ve happened’ according to Witter explaining that there’s a ‘Proper ‘up’’ atmosphere in the band again.

And so we now have the new album ‘If The Truth Be Told’, a new start maybe? Well yes and no.

The opening track ‘If the Music Don’t Move Yer’ rips in straight away with that Shed Seven guitar sound that’s been there all along. It’s a thumping starter track, plenty of noise, plenty of style and shows that the band can still write those rocking tunes and Witter asking ‘Remember me?’, of course!

‘Cry For Help’, the bands first single of this album, a love song about separation, and has Witter pondering over love ‘And it really hurts when I think about you’. Sweeping string arrangements fill the track, making sure you can tell it’s an indie track. It’s a good single and should do well, having that unique Shed Seven sound and a very competent vocal.

The album strolls along at the usual Shed Seven pace in the middle after an excellent start, ‘Thinking Again’ and ‘Be Myself’ being nothing special but still decent songs. The last part of the album really makes this album a good listen.

‘To The Wind’, is a brilliant tune, piano lead with Witter at his emotional best. A quick paced song, with excellent harmonies, seems to be about unrequited love, ‘And I still get this lingering hope, that I'll get up this slippery slope to you’ and ‘You threw me right out to the wind’. An acoustic guitar picks about in the background, filing out the song nicely.

The penultimate track ‘Love Equals’, screams to be a single, and is a great summer tune. ‘My love, equals, your love, yeah!’ goes the joyful chorus with cutting strings poking there way through the noise at intervals and a fine guitar track this song really kicks ass!

And sadly this leaves us with the last track. ‘Step Inside Your Love’ starts with a piano riff, then bursts into guitar. Witter is on his best form on the album, hitting the notes perfectly, pushing at the write times to get the emphasis and you cant help but think this guys got some thing to say. ‘You think that you’re in touch, you aint been round that much’ he shouts at maybe a former lover? This song ends the album on a great high, with vocals building up in front of brass score with all the band playing there part, as usual, perfectly!

This new outing for Shed Seven, shows that they can still hack it up at the top, though the last year may have been a heavy ride, with a new single, album, guitarist and record label they have it all in there own hands. This is a fine collection of songs, there’s not a bad one on the album, but there’s not a ‘Going for Gold’ or ‘On Standby’, and this is probably a good thing. In an attempt to put a line under there past they need to but those songs behind them and get on with the next part. This is probably the best way to do it!

Out now on Artful.

S.I.O.S.O.S starts with a powerful hip hopping to the gentle repeated flute track in "Other Script". With the usual female vocals in the background and the gangsta rappin', one might think the Spooks are just that. 'Gangsta rappin' self-named hard ass getto thugs.

With Spooks, you'll get that too. But loads more. Influences range from a clear Fugees (Things I've Seen) to the whole-paragraph-rhyming Busta Rhymes influence in tracks like 'The Mission' and a taste of the Liquid Crew in 'They Don't Know'.

Whichever mentor the track is inspired from, rest assured you'll get the clear, well produced Spooks product the hip hop world has been waiting for.

The Spooks will take you through a winded long road through the history of rap 'n hip-hop, driving by groovy old skool raps, melodic female vocals, slow funky tunes, hardass bitchslapping gangsta tracks, ethnic roots, breakbeats and more.

The Spooks have done their homework and laid down a clearly good product.

Track listing:

1. Other Script
2. The Mission
3. Things I've Seen
4. They Don't Know
5. I Got U
6. Flesh Not Bone
7. Sweet Revenge
8. Deep Cutz
9. Karma Hotel
10. Safe House
11. Something Fresh
12. Swindley's Maracas



Released May 23, 2001 on ANTRA/ Epic/ Artemis Records

Vacuum cleaner brands. Not really the first thing that you?d consider naming your group after. However the Belgium trio that comprise Hooverphonic obviously have their reasons for it?

Hooverphonic have apparently released their 3rd album ?The Magnificent Tree?, from which this track is taken, but I must admit that I?d never heard of them before. However if this track is anything to go by, I?ll be out looking for a lot more stuff from them.

An all-encompassing strings section lunges and plunges throughout the whole song, entwined with a laid back, chilled beat line. Geike Arnaert, the vocalist places her delicate, yet powerful and captivating voice over the top. A happy and upbeat Portishead is the most succinct way of describing this, together with a rather groovy xylophone bridge in the middle.

According to the press release the band have provided music for a number of film scores and this has the same feeling. It?s got the qualities that would work with either a love scene or a scene where someone has just had an argument with their lover and is reminiscing of the good times.

The CD I received also came with a further four remixes, two of which run over 8 and a half minutes! They are suitably ?chilled? and offer a range of styles from trance to very funky house. All offer different and insightful takes on the original and are worth the price of the single alone, particularly the ?Llorca Radio Shot? funk version.

A truly wicked track



Released May 7th on Columbia Records

Ahhhh Toploader. The lead singer, Joe Washbourn, with his Muppet hair and engagement to Gail Porter. The other 4 who no one really knows. It’s true, for all the hype and press that they received over the last single (overplayed) release, “Dancing in the Moonlight”, Toploader are like Catatonia, no one knows any of the band members other than the lead singer.

The new single, is a different direction for the band from “Dancing…”. “Only for a While” is more reminiscent of the first big hit, “Achilles Heel”. More downbeat and atmospheric, ‘ole Muppet hair Joe shows his full vocal range on this track. Ranging from low and croaky to high and light, it is certainly impressive, although at times the gruff qualities distort the lyrical content to such a degree that the words are totally incomprehensible, but as the lyrics say, it’s ‘only for a while’. A pleasing Hammond Organ lead tune lilts and meanders along without ever becoming grating to the ear, whilst Joe sings harmless lyrics about how everyone should take time out…’only for a while’.

All in all, a nice, harmless track that will be quite fitting when played either
a) Just as the sun is setting on a Festival site
b) Sat in the sun drinking and just relaxing.



Out now on Sony Records

Ahhhh ‘pop’ music. I quite like some of it. I mean who doesn’t sing a long when you’re drunk to Britney et al? Right, that’s just me then… And for the summer months it’s hard to imagine sitting in the sun or having a kick around without the blissfully happy upbeat chords of the song of the moment just reaching your ears from some tinny radio or car stereo.

According to the press release “My Superstar” by the Dimestars “will be the tune you hear coming from cars, shops, open-windows and doors and radios everywhere this summer”. However I think that “My Superstar” will be filling the bargain bins of record shops everywhere this summer.

A relentless whiney vocal squealed over a “play by numbers” guitar lead and a drumbeat that makes Ringo’s early Beatle work look like a Grateful Dead 45 minute drum solo are the main constituents of this “song”. Throw some inconsequential piano and the simplest bass line…EVER and you have the 3 minute 24 second horror known as the Dimestars second single. There’s a slightly interesting bit with the bridge as it’s reminiscent of the Bangles or the Go-Go’s. But it’s over after a few seconds and the song returns back to play by numbers roots.

However the 2 remixes are actually quite good. The first one, the “Members Only Club Mix” gives the song a whole new tune and although is very commercial house, is rather quite good. It sounds a bit “Republica-ish”, and is far superior to the main offering. The “Dirty Beatniks” remix gives the song a total hard house revamp, making it totally unrecognisable apart from the distorted vocals.

A truly awful main song, slightly redeemed by a couple of decent remixes.



Released on May 21st through Polydor

You know sometimes when you go for a night out, and the next day you wake up late for work and have to phone in, and you’ve got a really gruff voice? That’s what Everlast’s voice sounds like, but better.

This single is the third from Everlast’s current album “Eat at Whitey’s”, and continues the hip-hop blues sound that has become associated with the ex-House of Pain frontman. It successfully mixes strings, acoustic guitar, hip-hop beats and Everlast’s trademark growly vocals, to produce yet another surprisingly moving song. Everlast again manages to evoke images of dignity in the face of despair, of being down but not out.



“I Can’t Move” is released on 14th May on Tommy Boy Records.

This is brilliant. I had never imagined that a rap about a gold necklace could be so good! Apparently, the Gold Chain of the title has been passed down the generations from DJ to DJ, instilling hip hop power into however wears it. The story began when hip hop legend Afrika Bambaataa gave his apprentice the young Jam Master Jay the great gold rope, and Run DMC was born. Through time, the gold chain has gained more and more power and spirit until it reached DJ Young Einstein, who now wears it at his shows. It is said that “there’s not a pair of eyewear that could stop the glare”.

The track itself has great beats, scratches and rhymes, and even a sample from HRH The Queen, and there’s also the added bonus of a remix from Jurassic 5’s Cut Chemist. The B-side, “Cardiff”, is very Tribe-esque ,and extolls the virtues of various places, including Cardiff (“they know how to rap”) and Belfast (“they were top notch”). The track has wicked scratching along with top samples and beats. Excellent.

Some people like their music to uplift them, some like it to make them think, or to chill them out. This EP from the Belgian-based Airlock definitely falls into the latter category. It is very chilled, and orchestral, with beautiful vocals provided by the exotically named Esra Tasasiz, who originally hails from Scotland.

The opening track, “Face Down”, is reminiscent of “Everything But the Girl”, with tripped out beats and nice vocals, and comes with a remix by Buscemi who is apparently a rising star in Europe and not a bug-eyed character actor. This was a bit of a shame, as I feel that a sample of Steve Buscemi’s work would have fitted right in. How about “I drove through three states wearing her head as a hat” from Con Air? Perhaps not.

“Dramatic” is a better track, with a Portishead-meets-Massive Attack sound, and “Escape” has certain haunting quality about it, and is the stand out track on the EP, although “Movement In The Second City” has some quality dubbed out scratching.

As background music it’s fine, but this sort of thing isn’t really my bag, and I found myself becoming slightly bored by the end of the EP.



“Face Down” is out on the 7th May, on One Little Indian records.

Mr Rae and Mr Christian’s first single since their collaboration with Bobby Womack sees them team up with West Coast rappers The Pharcyde, to produce what I can only describe as a truly excellent piece of hip-hop. “It Ain’t Nothing Like” has great beats and great rhymes – anybody who can get the phrase “strawberry cheesecake, lemon meringue” into a rap song has to be doing well. The track also has a more refined sound than was found on their debut album, “Northern Sulphuric Soul”, with less samples than before.

Also included on the single is the amazing Nextmen remix of “It Ain’t Nothing Like”, which is bound to keep the cooler dance-floors of the nation jumping. The very laid back, very cool Atjazz remix of “Not Just Anybody” which features the most beautiful vocals I’ve heard in a long time completes the single, and is perfect for just chilling out to.

If this single is anything to go by, their new album “Sleepwalking” will be well worth a look.





“It Ain’t Nothing Like” is out on the 17th April, on Grand Central Records.

The latest release from the Brixton-based band’s new album, “La Peste” (named after a novel by existentialist author Albert Camus, French philosophy fans!) has that typical Alabama 3 sound. Larry Love’s distinctive vocals always sound to me like Huey Fun Lovin’ Criminal with a sore throat, and not in a bad way either. The track itself bounces along well enough, with some nice guitar work, but is otherwise quite immemorable.

The B-side “Shake A Tailfeather”, however, is superb. It’s a much darker track than “Mansion…”, featuring a slightly out of place synthesiser and some wicked Alabama gee-tars. It evokes images of the Deep South; of the slow, languid waters of the bayou. Or something like that. I’m always surprised when a B-side is better than the main track, but I like surprises when they’re as good as this. The remix of the single is also pretty cool, with a funky Moby-esque sound.

Alabama 3’s new album, "La Peste", is out now on Elemental records.






“Mansion on the hill” is a fantastic return for the dance/alt. rock cross over combo who are famous for having more than 3 members and contributing the title music to some TV show called “The Soprano’s”.

Combining the shear raw, almost antique quality of the voice, which evokes images of the US Deep South and Southern Comfort with a modern and moody musical score it’s certainly an original piece. Opening with distorted fuzz guitars overlain with the vocals it’s not long before the deep, resonant and relentless beats kick in and don’t let go until the very abrupt ending. This is dance/alt. rock at it’s best, although at times the lyrical content does become slightly strange, but since when has dance music had deep and meaningful lyrics? Not getting much radio airplay, this deserves to go into the chart in a high position.


By Fraser Reid

Despite being a regular at “Motherfunk”, I’d never been to The Venue for a gig before, and so was initially confused by which entrance to use. That aside, and the fact that both me and a friend were refused drinks at the bar despite being 20, it’s not a bad place to have a gig – intimate without being oppressive.

We had gone along with completely open minds about the bands on show, and so were pleasantly surprised by the opening act, a threesome by the name of Easyworld. Emerging to a sample from 2001: A Space Odyssey, they played what I can only describe as pop rock, which pleased the crowd – which at that early stage of the night had an average age of about 15 – and indeed pleased me. Special mention must go to the playing of the mandolin and the Fischer-Price mouth-keyboard on the track “Junkies and whores”, which the band dedicated to the people of Edinburgh. We should have been offended, but we weren’t. They were bursting full of the energy of youth, and for me seemed to herald the start of the summer. Oh, and the bass player was quite fit too.

The other support act were welsh-rockers Mo-ho-bish-o-pi (although none of them are welsh), who initially impressed with their mullet wigs, dodgy ‘taches and sun-visors. Their website says that they “sound great when played really loud”. They were indeed loud, but didn’t sound that great. They made, in their own words, a “vague attempt” at their new single, “Names (for nameless things)”, but their best track by far was “Fister Blister”, which also had a really cool name. The interchangability of their band members – the drummer and lead guitarist swapped roles half way through – is to be commended, however, as both singers have quite distinctive voices, giving them a good range of sounds.

After an unnecessarily long changeover, King Adora finally took to the stage, and made it their own. The crowd had steadily grown over the course of the evening, and now had an age range of about 14 to 40. Kicking off with the excellent ”The Law”, it’s fair to say that they truly rocked. Their re-released single “Bionic” (out on the 14th May, King fans!) went down in style, with many fans seeming to pogo themselves into a frenzy, although their best received track was their closing one, “Suffocate”. I especially liked “Muff Diver” myself. Their half-hour set flew by, and like all good things was over far too quickly. If you’re at a festival this summer and King Adora are there, go and catch them – you won’t be disappointed.

Carina Round has been treading the music scene for a few years now. She started out acoustically on her own, supporting artists such as David Gray, Cousteau and Elbow. Since teaming up with Simon Smith on double bass and drummer Marcus Galley she has managed to provide support for recent favourites Coldplay as well as recording this, her first album.

‘The First Blood Mystery’ is a collection of seven acoustic tracks, which are carried on the whole by Carina’s often fascinating vocal talents and song-writing skills. She manages to create a tight, mature atmosphere throughout and it is often worth reminding yourself that she is a mere 22 years young. It has to be said that there is certainly no room for the ‘pop’ genre in this collection. Parallels with the likes of Kate Bush and Tori Amos can be drawn but should purely be used as an example of what style to expect, rather than to draw direct comparisons.

The album opens with ‘Message to Apollo’ a smooth as silk vocal workout. This however soon leads to much darker themes and it can at times be a challenge to understand the lyrical content from one line to the next. “They say I am just the blood that drags from the black cunt of Venus, be spit from a split lip or slip from the slit body of a madman...” Controversial? Quite possibly, but more due to some of the baffling content rather than any harmful language, of which there is actually very little. Much of the album follows similar unusual lyrical rifts such as these but there are some great moments to be heard. Pieces such as ‘How I See It’ with it’s lovingly crafted muted trumpet and backing vocals, along with ‘The Waves’ with it’s stunning use of whispered accompaniment, show a tremendous flair rarely seen in anyone as new to the business as this. In addition expertly penned lyrical flourishes such as “You stay here like a poison in my blood stream” remind you to listen hard in case you miss some of the special touches.

This is a solid first album from a clearly talented individual. Whilst some may not find the lyrical style, or the raw quality of the recordings (the studio and mixing time for the record totalled only ten days) to their personal taste, for those who persevere it could very well leave them a slightly happier human being. It is most likely though that you will soon be looking forward to hear what the future holds for this developing artist. Age and experience often counts for a lot in music and hopefully Carina Round has plenty of these to gain in the coming years. The seeds have been sown, so now you should be watching very carefully to see if the harvest is going to be golden.



Released May 14th 2001 on Animal Noise Records

It’s been 5 years since the demise of Crowded House. The New Zealand ‘sometimes 3, sometimes 4’ piece group decided to call it a day as they neared critical mass in terms of success in 1996. But are they dead? Well the main force behind the band had always been acknowledged to have been Neil Finn. After Crowded House’s final concert, played to 120,000 people in Sydney, Australia, Neil began work on his first solo album, “Try Whistling This” which was released in 1998.

2001 has brought the next installment of Neil’s solo career with “One Nil”, so what does it hold?

The first track, 'The Climber' is low key, infused with an ‘e-bow fuzz guitar’ according to the liner notes, which sounds remarkably like a double bass, and a delicately picked ukelele. The vocals are unmistakably Finn with that peculiar quality and character that is his and his alone. It’s a mellow and gentle opening track during which he expresses his affection for his lover.

The next track is ‘solid pop’ according to the press release. 'Rest of the Day Off' certainly has a definite ‘Crowded House pop song’ feel to it, particularly the chorus sections which loops and soars with whimsical harmonies and strange sounds that are assured to make you smile after the first few listens. It’s not classic ‘Crowded House’ but it’s certainly on the way there.

'Hole in the Ice' merges without pause into the end of 'Rest of the Day Off' rather awkwardly as it’s a much harsher track. Grating guitars and Neil hammering out the words in a ‘machine-gun’ staccato style announce the first verse. However the chorus segments then drift back towards the harmony filled 'Rest of the Day Off'. I must admit that on the initial listen I wasn’t sure if 'Rest of the Day Off' had taken a dramatic turn half way through the song or if there were two songs.

Out of the next three songs, two different musical styles are apparent, with 'Wherever You Are' and 'Don’t Ask Why' overflowing with the classic ‘Crowded House’ funny sounds. You know what I mean, the ‘bleepy bloopy’ sounds that permeated their work. These two songs use the ‘bleepy bloopy’ route so much that the beat is almost exactly the same. Playing the intros one after the other it’s difficult to pick them apart. They seem like filler tracks, ‘classic’ Finn and not much more.

'Last to Know', which breaks the other two apart is a much more mellow and intimate affair with Neil almost whispering the lyrics about his lover once again throughout the verses before launching into a powerfully sung ascendant chorus. A short and powerful song.

'Secret God' is a further return to the softly, but emotionally sung song. Initially a very ‘dark’ feeling song, a deep and raucous fuzz guitar breaks in half way through the track and injects the second half with new energy, although it still keeps the dark feeling. A grower.

'Turn and Run' is another slow soft one, unremarkable in most ways except for the backing vocals of a certain Sheryl Crow. She started off as 'Wacko Jacko’s' backing singer and turns in a pretty good performance as a result. She pops up again on 'Driving Me Mad', another staple Finn track, although it has a rather buoyant chorus in which Sheryl is used to good effect.

Overall the final few tracks are nothing special at all, all coming from the ‘slower more dramatic’ school of Finn writing, apart from track 10, 'Anytime'. The verses are sung with such emotion that you can’t help falling for the track. Combined with a well writing tune, it is the highlight of the second half.

So what do I think? Well owning “Crowded House, the best of” and liking a good proportion of it, I was really looking forward to this album. The first half of “One Nil” is a proficient and diverse album; showcasing Neil’s song writing talents and certainly living up to the press release statement that Neil has “a reputation as one of the finest songwriters of any generation”. It’s certainly moved on from the ‘Crowded House’ style, but it still has unmistakable elements in there. Initially it’s not the easiest thing to listen to and it takes quite a few listens to get into the first half, but once you do I think that you will be well rewarded. The second half that begins to tail away as Neil gets ‘moody’ and slightly repetitive, and sounds as if he got a bit bored, which is a shame as if continued in the same diverse and eclectic style as the first half, this could have been an amazing album.



Released 9th April on Parlophone.

Wigan band Starsailor has a lot to live up to. Having been given the front page of the NME complete with “Best New Band in Britain” headline, they now have to prove to the masses that they deserve that title. And on the basis of this single, they are definite contenders for the throne previously held by Coldplay as “indie band of the moment”.

A semi acoustic guitar and a mass of drums and cymbals hold a strong main melody whilst the vocals are delivered with raw emotion by James Walsh, the lead singer. The song pitches wildly from the depths of depression and loneliness to unreserved euphoria at the end as James discovers something happy; a good soul I am assuming, well that’s how I’m interpreting the lyrics. (Although some of the content could be seen as rather questionable ‘Dive straight in on your girlfriend’…. Hmmmmm) The track slowly builds the emotion as spiralling guitar riffs punctuate the track before ending with an extended ‘la la’ sing-a-long and guitar frenzy.

Together with a remix, a cover of “The Way Young Lovers Do” by Van Morrison and the wicked video this is a definite buy.



Released Now on Chrysalis

Hood have been around for ages it would seem, but I must confess I have never heard of them. This new release is there first since 1999 when they released the ‘Cycle Of Days And Sessions’ album. From there early days in 1990, Chris and Richard Adams created Hood in there bedroom, not able to play anything but interested in music and how it worked and what they could do with it.

This EP starts off with the title track of the EP ‘Home Is Where It Hurts’; this is a simple guitar song, that ticks along at a healthy pace, but just never seems to get going. Vocals are not particularly interesting but work well within the song. Interesting noises click away in the background and the guitar riffs are well implemented but it doesn’t save it from the fact it doesn’t go anywhere.

The second track on the EP “The Fact That You Failed” is a instrumental affair, very atmospheric and well put together and happy to say it builds up well at the end of the song to clashes of drums and angry guitars slashing it out, but it took five minutes to get there!

Through the next two tracks I hear nothing to shout about, apart from maybe the interesting drum n bass type loop in ‘The World Touches Too Hard”.

The last track, like it's name, is a long do (‘It’s Been Along Time Since I Was Last Hear’), building up nicely through the instruments, and containing a bass beat that makes you bop along with the track. The introduction of a trumpet carries the song along nicely, and then the vocals come in, and take away some of the atmosphere that has been built up, as they are the same monotone vocals that have appeared in previous tracks.

This EP could have been a lot better, they just don’t go anywhere with their music, and from a band that’s had well over 23 releases it’s a shame to say that I don’t think this new ones gonna help them along at all!

Available now on Domino

New London based band Bareface are one of those bands that you’re certain you have never heard before, but sound so familiar.

A punchy guitar song with a very catchy hook line starts off the song, and when the vocals kick in you suddenly realize why it seems so recognizable, ever heard of “Smaller”? Perhaps not, but they sound much the same.

Lead singer Ian Harrison strains his voice throughout the song to good effect and the other members of the band come across as very competent. During the chorus I am reminded of “Tied to the 90’s” by Travis as they shout out “Float!”.

This song is very catchy and should do quite well in the charts, as long as the current trend for guitar music continues. Hopefully they will not falter as “Smaller” have (where are they?) but I must say this song is an excellent starting point for a band that sounds like its up for a laugh, nice to see something not so serious!

Released 7th May on Run Records via Prime

For a band that’s been together for over a decade, and has been through all that Ocean Colour Scene have been through, they’re looking rather well these days. From the disastrous first album to the glorious ‘Moseley Shoals’, then to a B-Sides/Rarities album through to there last release ‘One From The Modern’, Ocean Colour Scene have had numerous highs and lows, which usually end on a magnificent high!

They now have a new album, ‘Mechanical Wonder’ which Simon Fowler the lead singer describes as “It sounds like us, you know, a complete band”, and this it does.

Having already heard the first single ‘Up On The Downside’ (with a great ‘Shaft’ intro) my hope for this album was high, this being in my opinion there best single to date. It is also the first track that opens the album in style. Catchy harmonized guitar riff linked with a solid vocal performance gives the rest of the album something to live up to, something that later tracks cannot achieve.

I shall skip over the next track as the less said about it the better, but I have good news, apart from this one flaw the rest of the tracks on this album are well put together and sounds great.

‘Sail On My Boat’ finds OCS on ‘Moseley Shoals’ territory, this is what I think is great about this album, the way its sounds reminds me so much of when I first heard them. The guitar effects produced by Steve Craddock are amazing and always make you stop and listen to them. This song is a great ‘pick me up’ after the previous track and lets you know that all is not lost and the following track follows on in the same way. Soothing vocals from Simon Fowler and stabbing guitars make this a wonderfully atmospheric tune.

‘Biggest Thing’, the next track sees the strings added to give this a fully rounded feel, another class song, which I could see as a single, as it’s very radio friendly but also it gives a good feel of the album.

The title track of the album ‘Mechanical Wonder’, is already being played on the radio, and its only fair, it’s a very good track, there are better ones on the album, but I must say I completely agree with its saying, “The mechanical wonder, its just a noise in my room”, same in mine, this complete ‘dissing’ of dance music is almost as good as the opening scene of ‘The Criminal’. The song marches along at a great pace, and features a very catchy guitar riff, which just seems to stick in your head.

The penultimate track ‘Can’t Get Back To The Baseline’ see OCS at there rockiest on this album; this is a pure belter of a track, feedback starting off the track and then the introduction of a thumping bass and drum track. Swirling guitars circle the track and Simons vocals are first class, straining his voice to perfect effect; this is a song that craves to be played very loud and I bet its superb live. This track leads us into the final track on the album ‘Something for Me’, a slow number, with acoustic guitars making up the majority of the track. An emotional performance by Simon gives this album a solid and cheery ending.

This band is as Simon said “a complete band” and the album is, well, its ace. So much of it takes me back to the years of ‘Moseley Shoals’, a great time when guitar music was the tops. With the current renewed interest in guitar music, and the number of albums by ‘Indie’ bands that are to be released over the following months, this albums sounds fair very well and the singles should sit quite nicely in the charts. This is the sound of OCS of old, and as people say “If its not broken, don’t fix it”. Go get it!

Out now on Island.

Find an annoying tune, 6 or 7 beats long, press the LOOP button on the mixer and voila: Echoboy's new single.

Two weeks from the release of 'Turning On' (May 7th) a special limited 12" remix package will follow. And I'm thinking: Good Lord, please tell Mute Records that maybe not everything Echoboy gives them is to be released. As it seems like this 6 minute expensive hint has not done it's job.

'Turning On' is the second single to be taken from his "Volume 2" album and is backed by three new tracks. "Every Household Should Have One", "I'll Always Remember" and "Shortwave". All of which walk down the same path as 'Turning On', with an average 8 minutes of looping annoying beats.

The best part of each track? The last 10 seconds, when Echoboy aka Richard Warren decides to fade the music away and you finally hear that reassuring voice in your head. Its whispering, "Its all over now, don't worry, its all over".



Released 7th May 2001 on Mute Records.

This is the follow up to Naimee Coleman's 1997 album 'Silver Wrists' which achieved critical acclaim in her native Ireland. Since then, the Dublin born singer has been maturing her song writing talent, as well as collaborating with the likes of Sinead O'Connor and Stewart Copeland. Nashville has also beckoned, so she has clearly been taking pointers from somewhere.

This short collection of songs represents an extremely diverse set of styles all centralised around a popular theme. Coleman has managed to blend together a vast number of instruments and musical methods across the albums forty minute run time, with nods towards the likes of Alanis Morrisette, The Coors and even the Queen of Pop herself being discovered around every corner. This is by no means a bad thing, far from it. Each style has been developed and layered to such a degree that you can't help but grin as each piece of work opens up before you like the first flower of spring.

The opener 'My Star' also happens to be the new single and is a tune firmly rooted in the realm of pop. All the elements are there from the rhythmic guitar twanging to the harmonious vocals but even in a simple tune such as this there is so much more to discover if you let your mind wander just a little. This open style lends itself to a lot of the album. Standout tracks such as 'Sparkle' and 'Misunderstood' often continuously amaze with their exquisite completeness, the later adopting a rather well executed drum & bass pulse. They have the rare ability to never leave you wanting more. On the other end of the scale the staggering minimalist beauty of 'Delicate' shows that simplicity has a place in all visions, even those as well developed as this one. Strings and piano are mixed with enticing vocals to create the definition of serenity. Combine this with some radiantly absorbing lyrics and you have the makings of a masterpiece.

It seems a shame then that there has to be darkness somewhere. Inevitably with an album that has such standout pieces as this you become more aware of any mediocrity that is present. The title track lends itself to this category along with a few other areas showing too much evidence of the 'been there, done that' scenario that is unfortunately inevitable in so much music today. It is clear that nothing is defective as such but certain areas do leave an empty space in the heart. Luckily it usually doesn't last too long.

Forgetting obvious influences and the "She sounds just like that other woman" quotes that will be inevitable from some corners, this is an album of perpetual diversity and charm. It does emphasise the musical difference between artistically skilled pieces and commercial pop, but a very talented musician is bridging the gap. Naimee Coleman, you know who you are.



Released 2nd July 2001 on EMI Chrysalis Records

Whenever a new song opens with the optimistic buoyancy of "La La La La La La La" in the delirious tones of a rabid Pinky and Perky, you can be sure that the season of flowery meadows and fake suntans is just around the corner.

'Waiting for the Summer' will be looking to jam itself onto radio stations from June onwards and you can bet that it's airtime will double when the heat turns up. With its feel-good lyrics and bouncing baseline this tune will manage to have even those with the most sombre outlook on life bopping for three straight minutes at a time. The toes will be tapping, the hummers will be humming and from this perspective it makes a great single.

However this is a textbook effort. The guitar rifts may be vibrant and keyboards engaging, yet there is nothing here that we have not heard before. Also, unlike classic summer singles such as The La's 'There She Goes' or even many of the Gallaghers contributions, it falls short when it comes to that soul reforming feeling.
Be assured though that this one will be making it onto the car mix tapes for quite a while. Just don't blame me when the only words you can remember are the four that will end up driving you insane.



Released 4th June 2001 on Furious? Records

Having never heard of Nash before I thought I’d read the info. sent with it to see what they were all about. After reading it I thought they were going to be yet another hip hop band with a bit of soul mixed in who would immediately enter the charts and then disappear never to be heard of again. I have to say that I was slightly wrong about them…

I knew from the start that I wasn’t particularly going to like the music because of having read their description of themselves – ‘an easy mix of funk, folk, old school soul and hip hop’. I don’t think I had ever listened to any of those types of music before in my life, apart from the odd bit of hip hop but I was still willing to give them a chance.

After listening to most of the album (I admit I skipped a couple of tracks) I came to the conclusion that it was less of the hip hop, and all of the other stuff, and a lot more of the soul. I thought I’d give it a second chance and listened through again and came to the conclusion – slow drumbeats, female backing vocals and an acoustic guitar comprised the majority of songs. If you like that kind of thing it’s probably a really good album but it just isn’t my cuppa tea.

Listening to it now I can easily see how their single ‘100 Million Ways’ (released on 19th March) will make the charts because it is still more original than all the pop junk in there at present.



Release Date: April 9th
Label: Go Beat Records
Track Listing:
1. Black Box
2. 100 Million Ways
3. Just A Little Sign
4. The Chancer
5. Keep Rising
6. Breakaway
7. Time
8. Soon To Be
9. I Don't Care
10. Waiting For You
11. What Can I Do?
12. When The Truth Comes Out
13. Alone
14. 100 Million Ways (Live)

Taken from their debut album, 'The Optimist EP', Turin Brakes have released yet another strong single. Using their secrete recipe to mix folk, acoustic rock and pop, they have managed what Coldplay almost managed to pull off. Songs that you can not only enjoy almost any place, at any time, but songs that make you listen and think. While 'Parachutes' may make you sleepy, 'Underdog' and the rest of their releases will make you think and react.

'Underdog (save me)' is a perfect example of Turin Brakes talent. Simple beat, simple semi-acoustic riffs and lovely harmonies and vocals melding into something that oozes emotion. From the lovely steel string guitar solo to the duo's velvety lyrics 'Underdog' is well constructed and produced. Even without the amount of radio play that they deserve, Turin Brakes should be please with this release. A well crafted acoustic tune that should win them many new fans.


Released on the 30th April on Source Records

The Fatboy returns as funky as ever with two tunes struggling for supremacy on the same single. 'Star 69' has been tearing up the dance floor as well as doing the radio rounds, albeit the bleeped version for a little while. It's Mr.Cook going a little harder, kinda Big Beat grows up, with a seriously addictive bass line. 'Weapon of Choice' provides a complete contrast, with a funkier, scratchier sound and possibly the best music video of the year so far - the surreal but beautiful Spike Jonze directed video with the all dancing Christopher Walken . On balance, 'Star 69' probably deserves it's place as first tune, but both are certainly worth your hard earned cash, and will more than likely boost album sales of 'Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars'.


Released on the 23rd of April on Skint Records

It is hard to believe that The Divine Comedy have been around for nearly ten years. Until recently they have achieved only modest success with their mainstream audience but if the bands recent hard work pays off this could soon change.

This is the bands second single from their new album Regeneration and like much of the new material it marks a bold new direction for them. From the opening tinkling triangle to the final faded flourish this is a tune that demonstrates a skilled ability to create a thriving landscape, without resorting to wearisome power rock. The theme maintains the quirky upbeat style that we have heard in tunes such as 'National Express' and 'Something for the Weekend' but here Neil Hannon and the boys prove that they can certainly kick it with the best of them.

So if you have been put off by what some would call the poptastic inanity of past DC offerings then this is certainly worth a warm listen. This is not to say however that fans of old should poise themselves to be disappointed. All the old touches are still there including the lush sweeping orchestrations and engaging lyrical content. "I'm gonna absail down my ivory tower and buy myself a Jaguar." Ah yes, definitely still The Divine Comedy then.



Released May 14th 2001 on Parlophone Records

Supporting the likes of System Of A Down, Incubus and Papa Roach is usually enough to stir up hype. If that wasn’t enough the news that GGGarth (Rage Against The Machine) is producing the self titled second album should be.

Having had a somewhat tiring time of years on the gigging circuit, LA nu-metalers Boy Hits Car are finally signed to an notable label and ready to get big. The now permanent line up; Scott (bass), CRegg (vocals), Louis (guitar) and Michael (drums), have put together an impressive, comprehensive album. They follow in suit of Taproot and Linkan Park in the recent brand of nu-metal but without the boyband tactics of the latter, and just a touch more variation in song style.

With a range of radio friendly tracks including 'Going to India' and the more aggressive 'As I Watch the Sun F**k the Ocean', Boy Hits Car could easily have equal success to that received 'State side. It is inevitable that that could have something to do with the timing of the record - Nu-metal is without a doubt the in thing - but somehow Boy Hits Car, with their more mature Creed-esque vocals, could have made it anyway.

Catch them on tour soon.


Full Track Listing:
1. The rebirth
2. Lovecore (welcome to)
3. As I watch the sun f**k the ocean
4. I’m a cloud
5. Man without skin
6. A letter from prison
7. Unheard
8. Going to India
9. Turning inward
10. Benkei
11. Before we die


Epic/Wind-up Records
released: April 2nd 2001

Som, Ravi, Carolyn and Seth emerged last year and to be honest they haven’t really stopped gigging since. Supporting the likes of A Perfect Circle and stepping out on several headline tours including their most comprehensive to date in February and March this year.

‘Finelines’ is the culminating result of all the hard work of four intelligent Londoners and in particular the song writing excellence of guitarist and vocalist Som Wardener, who proves that the British, despite reports from our counterparts in America, can write worthy lyrics. With song titles ranging from ‘the gentle art of choking’ to ‘losing touch’ you don’t expect this to be a happy album, but it is strangely uplifting.

Indeed several of the sixteen tracks on the album are what can only be described as beautiful. The haunting power of ‘Always: your way’ and the more mellow ‘Grounded' alone, make the album worth buying. However, as is the case for so many Indie bands these days, they dwell in the success of those one or two songs and seem to lose the drive. It has to be said although My Vitriol are gifted they are not revolutionary. Mix Foo Fighters with anyone of the other obvious influences from the Pixies to Ride and you are almost there.

This is definitely the start of something good, and I am certain My Vitriol will release a more constructed, defined record in the near future. As people look back at Nirvana’s 'Bleach' with the knowledge of what came next, in a few years with the inevitable success of My Vitriol, ‘Finelines’ will become a classic as well.

Full Track Listing:
1. Alpha Waves
2. Always: your way
3. The gentle art of choking
4. Kohlstream
5. Cemented shoes
6. Grounded
7. C.O.R (Critic-Orientated Rock)
8. Infantile
9. Ode to the red queen
10. Tongue tied
11. Windows and walls
12. Tabrobane
13. Losing touch
14. Pieces
15. Falling off the floor
16. Under the wheels


Infectious Records
Released - 5 March 2001

28 Days' success has gone from strength to strength this year and the new single ‘Sucker’ exemplifies this. It featured on a limited edition EP back in September but due to its popularity it’s being released officially, if you like. Having pretty much monopolised the Aussie circuit back at home, touring with the likes of The Offspring, it’s time to take over the UK, and live they have no problem. Selling out their debut UK gig at the Camden Monarch back in March, 28 Days proved the critics right and received the warranted reviews.

The secret to their quickened fame is not a complicated one. They do not come offering technically stimulating lyrics or dressed as ballet dancers. They don’t offer anything new. Perhaps that is it; they simply give the people what they want: simple, catchy as hell, power punk.

‘Sucker’ is exactly that. Whether you like it or not you’ll be singing along to it, if not going the full hog and polishing off your air guitar. 28 Days are going to be everywhere by the summer. Be sure to catch them, sucker!

The second album Upstyledown was released in March this year, also on Mushroom Records.



Mushroom Records
released: May 7th 2001

The British metal scene has been stirring for some time now but few have the merit to make it big. Defenestration have proved several critics wrong in demonstrating that their hardcore riffs, and blistering vocals can be transported from the manic stage of underground clubs to the racks of HMV.

The debut album, 'One Inch God', mixes a blend of fat, aggressive, energetic riffs, with what can only be described as gut wrenching Raging Speedhorn-esque vocals. Undoubtedly the first thing observers will notice is that lead singer, Gen Tasker looks undeniably like a younger baby spice, but beware, looks can certainly be deceiving. Dueting with the likes of Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway on ‘All Fours’ and Raging Speedhorn’s John Loughlin on ‘Till the Cows’ she is not quite the sweetie you would expect.

The album has the credibility to go far, but with perhaps more variation in songs this could have be monumental not only for Defenestration but for the British music scene in general.


Dream Catcher
Out now

Thanks to a very confusing organization on behalf of the Red Eye, Leaf's set was about an hour earlier than it was meant to be.

Unfortunately this rather important fact was announced one day before the actual gig. Hence various people turned up way too late and obviously missed the whole thing. The few people were crammed into some corner, halfway underneath the mixing desk, but hey, it's art for art's sake, so it didn't really matter!

Obviously wanting to pull this through, no matter what, Leaf went through their fairly straightforward set, apart from a guitar string that didn't quite make it to the last song. Nevermind. Rock'n'Roll is mainly about breaking stuff, so no problem there. Another thing rock'n'roll is *apparently* about is waving lighters around for slow-ish songs. But then, Leaf are not Van Halen and only three people (who were, of course, sitting on the floor and underneath the afore mentioned mixing desk. Tsk.) joined in the lighter experience. And that does include Leaf's drummer. Hoorah! Initiative! Enthusiasm!

Talking about enthusiasm, that definitely seemed to be on Leaf's side. Despite the lack of audience you got bouncing and jumping guitar players and the odd *two people play guitar, number one is on his knees and playing to number two* thing. And enthusiasm and attitude are the only way to survive gigs like this one. And I think Leaf survived brillantly. Although they probably should avoid The Red Eye in the future, but who needs the Red Eye?

Leaf's next gig will be at The Bull & Gate on the 8th of May. For more information check out the official site @ www.leaf-band.com

The Manics; disillusioned punks with the ‘Holy Bible’, to nationally revered ‘indie’gods with ‘Everything Must Go’ to “This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours” and mid-table mediocrity to…

Well on the basis of this album, possible relegation from the premier musical league that is having a record contract. (I’ll stop sounding like a stuck up music journo…sorry) The album itself starts off brightly with lesser played of the double A-Side singles, “Found That Soul”. A stirring chorus raises the song above its otherwise repetitive ‘hit the same piano key/guitar chord’ underpinnings. Rapidly following this is the next single “Ocean Spray”. A melodramatic tune in which Wire’s clashing lyrics are delivered in a monotone by Bradfield. Again it’s redeemed by the chorus, although this time only by the tune, during which the Manics show what they used to be able to do, write powerful tunes, before nose-diving back down into weak monotony.

‘Intravenous Agnostic’ also briefly shows what they used to be able to achieve. A heavy (for this album) track, it’s ruined by the lyrical content. “Intravenous Agnostic” they drone out. For me, Wire is just trying to prove how ‘clever’ he is. “Look at me, I can use big clever words”. A semi-decent musical tune destroyed by the pompous lyrics. Another example of this perceived grandiosity comes in the horror that is the primary single “So Why So Sad”. “A smile as real as a hyena’s”, you can almost see Wire, Bradfield and the other one sat around congratulating themselves at being so clever with the paradox in that line. This time the tune isn’t ruined by the lyrics, as it’s just as bad as the lyrical content. [Cool video though...Ed.]

The rest of the album consists of approximately 3 tunes (slightly fast, slow and moody), with slightly re-jigged lyrics launching a number of ‘aren’t we clever, we’re attacking the establishment’ tirades. The CIA, America in general and politicians all get the treatment of Bradfield’s by now totally grating vocal talents belting out Wire’s tedious lyrics. These were acceptable targets when they were in their disillusioned punk stage, but now it just sounds contrived. They preach against the establishment, but they now ARE the establishment, able to fill the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Only “The Convalescent” shows something more than the norm, with fuzz guitars and possibly some fleeting glimpses of true ‘angst’ in James Dean’s voice.

Monotonous.



Released on Epic Records, March 19th

Skratch 22 in action

Everyone knows everyone. Everyone loves everyone. And everyone hates that bitch in the corner. College gigs are invariably the same. But tonight the showcase celebrating the Richmond College funded CD, is surprisingly well organised.

With about a third of the crowd inside the most mellow but by no means quietest band hit the stage. A Bizarre group image whys makes it difficult to know what to expect. SAMSARA are a hippy Amen adorned drummer; Jess, a Sabbath loving tight jean guitarist; Nick, a blatantly punk bassist; Adam and a small shoeless feisty tribal frontman; Max.

Perhaps the incense is getting to me, but before SAMASARA even begin the crowd begins to sway. ‘Symphony’ is beautifully mastered and connects the mysteriously calm vocals with the drilling sounds of the guitar. They have a captivating and charismatic set, with the echoing pounding rhythms of ‘Tsunami’ to the unnamed finale which can only be described as raucous, riotous and a definite winner with the multitude

Those wise enough to venture in from the bar will realise that this band with perhaps a bit more communication with the crowd could go far. Their sleazy Soulfly beats and enchanting vocals puts them in a separate league to the other groups performing tonight.



Like SAMSARA, this is 2 PHAT 4 PORN’s debut performance. Why do I know this? Because they made the fatal mistake of telling us as they took to the stage. These three girls were nervous, it was evident but once they got into the swing of things and decided they liked the limelight they excelled themselves and brought in a promising sized crowd.

With the speak and scream style vocals and intense riffs, adorned in netting, dog collars and neatly trimmed hair, the inevitable Kittie/Tarrie B comparison had to be made, but in no bad way. Mix this with the punky piss take of ‘Becky’ and they're sorted. They are talented, particularly the drummer who surpassed herself when keeping the beat whilst searching for a misplaced drumstick.

Joined on stage by college favourite Eve who did vocals for a somewhat slow ‘obsessed’ and System’s ‘Sugar’ the girls know how to have fun. They came with the right intentions and clearly enjoyed it. They look good. They sound good. They have an excellent name. They just need to relax.



You may have seen ARTICLE 10, previously known as Support at one of their many slots at Heathem House. They have had their fair share of gigs and therefore know how to get the interest of the crowd. However perhaps even more practice could get the somewhat stilted performance a bit sleeker. The frontman, Dave, who can only be described as an oversized Aaran Carter, does have the necessary nu-metal moves, but it seems that ARTICLE 10 are perhaps a little unsure about what they are. All the other bands tonight had a definite angle to their music, be it mystical or punky, but ARTICLE 10 jumped from half decent Deftones style to clearly an in-joke with Mexican Ska-punk.

Clearly I am being too sceptical as the crowd love them. Well the crowd do mix with them everyday at college… They redeem themselves with ‘Lamb at Play’ and I suppose it is quite catchy. Perhaps I am simply not drunk enough?



With the recent implosion of trendy nu-metal bands you come to expect the same from most groups who adorn the stage in baggy trousers. SKRATCH 22 whether they like it or not, are a nu-metal band. There influences are clearly fed to us through their image and their sound. With frontman, Richard Wynne, adopting everything from Chino infused growls to Jahred (Hed planet earth) style raps. They even have the necessary decks to add that Lost Prophets/Vacant Stare touch. But unlike most nu-metal bands they turn their influences into original talented sounds.

Opener ‘Fallen’ gets everyone’s attention with its catchy chorus and confident onstage antics. They play together and with the audience. Unlike the previous three groups SKRATCH 22 actually acknowledge the existence of the 100 or so people standing in front of them and this doesn’t just include the front row of moshers. With respect this band has been together the longest, forming early September 2000, but Richard, Jon, Joe, Ade and Tom have ability and undoubtedly attitude.

Racing through their set they form an impressive mosh with ‘Squeal’ and ‘7 Words’ infused with decks, but then Deftones always does. Finishing with crowd and band favourite ‘Face Lift’ SKRATCH 22 have finally heated up the atmosphere in the Peel.

SKRATCH 22 have the ego of stardom and are ready to play larger venues. They have the look, the sound and unquestionably the support, it’s now simply a question of whether they can pull in crowds who are not direct family or in their maths group.


Information about the CD and photos of the gig will be posted as soon as I receive them. Article 10 demo will be available May 1st.

Also see www.Skratch22.co.uk
and www.article10.co.uk or www.support.iswhatyouneed.com

Check out Specimen @ The Red Eye, Kings Cross on Friday 13th April. (includes members of Samasara and for this gig only 2 Phat 4 Porn).

Also Check out Skratch 22 and 2 Phat 4 Porn, with Aphid@ Heatham House, Twickenham on 21st April.

Limp Bizkit have a lot to answer for. Apparently appearing from no-where in the past year on this side of the pond, they’ve been in the public view for a couple of years in the USA. They have obviously been mainstream long enough to have spawned new genre of music, the so-called ‘rock/rap’ crossover.

A lot of people are placing Crazy Town in the same genre, but on the face of this single, that’s unfair. 'Butterfly' is a well-crafted tune, which doesn’t deserve having the “Limp Bizkit copy” millstone hung round its neck. Strangely hypnotic riffs (that wouldn’t be out of place on some “flowerpower” record) fill the air as the strangely monikered Epic Mazur and Shifty Shellshock semi-rap lyrics about beautiful women. A warning though, this is unusually music for the 7 piece from LA. Having heard another song of their's, the emphasis is definitely more on the “rock” side.

A hypnotically pleasing tune.



Released on Columbia Records, March 26th 2001

After the initial listen to this I had suspicions that I had heard this before. Scouring the recesses of my memory, and then giving up and searching the ‘net, I discovered that this had been chosen as one of Mark and Lard’s songs of the week a month or so ago. Historically this resulted in the song usually failing to reach even the top 100, but the lads seem to have lost their curse and have picked a couple that have actually been hits.

So does this deserve to be a hit? It’s a charming little song with an infectious acoustic/bass guitar riff. The clever and well-written lyrics are delivered in a gentle, almost lilting style. It’s a wonderfully relaxing song, which just sweeps you up, gently carries you through the middle and places you at the other end, where you find yourself singing along with the fade out “ooo ooo ooo” bits. A fantastic song that deserves much more airplay than it received.



Released on Wild Records, March 26th 2001

I have to admit when asked to go to this gig I was not in high spirits. Promises of relaxed melo atmospheric chants is not usually my cup of tea. The Dandy Warhols, when I first heard of them, were lucky if they got ten people to their gigs. Seeing them on the second of two sold out nights at the The Astoria, you can imagine is somewhat surreal.

The Dandys are talented, whatever you think of the music. I found myself literally captivated by the mystic hypnotizing rhythms. They look good and frontman Courtney knows it. He takes off his tight T-shirt to cries of 'sexy' but seems somehow uneffected, and simply carries on with the country style pop.

Classics like 'Not if you were the last Junkie' infuse a bit of a sway in the audience of neat indie kids, but there is no mosh tonight. Tonight I was able to relax, and leave feeling fully revitalised after last nights traumatic Deftones experience.


Check The Dandy Warhols out at The Brixton Academy in June.

Having seen Mata Hari five times now, but all in support slots, I was curious to see if they could carry off headlining. The Monarch, Camden was fuming with the usual hardcore crowd, but it became clear once BDF had left the stage, that they were not here for Mata Hari.

Cry for Silence have the right idea: give the crowd what they want. Launching into sludge/beatdown crossovers and a large dosage of rage, Cry for Silence are definitely worth checking out. Like One dice, they add an edge to hardcore, and could very easily make into the mainstream.

BDF standing in for last minute cancellations Snubb, admit straight away they haven't practiced for 3 months. Borrowing random equipment and not looking back, BDF prove just how hardcore they are. BDF are naturals; practiced or unpracticed.

Mata Hari are left with about a third of the original crowd, but this doesn't cause many problems. Every time I've seen them they draw in more people but somehow they do not have the original tinge that say Vacant Stare or Specimen have. Mata Hari, may not have the squeaky clean looks of Lost Prophets, but they have twice the sound. The new stuff featured on the forthcoming second release is sharp, clean and to certain extent punk. Their mix of sharp edge catchy tunes like 'stop/quit' and the more violent 'Restrain' could get the boys far, but more is needed in a headlining set.

When I received this through the post I was quite interested to find out exactly how it sounds. I’d heard a number of promising things about Jellicoe and the fact that they’d received a John Peel Session on Radio 1 gave me even more hope. However this was soon extinguished.

Billed as “Placebo-esque…with nil angst” by the NME and “Ash and Sonic Youth” by Music weekly the title track from the EP sounds much more like a bad sixth form band. Jay McAllister’s vocals sound strained even when he places any power behind them. The tune behind the song is definitely Placebo-esque drifting from light to medium heavy and back again, but the overall sound is much rawer, sounding as if this was recorded as one in one take with slightly out of tune instruments. An instantly forgettable track.

The second track, “please don’t cry” however has more promise. There is a definite chorus and overall the song is better musically, i.e. it’s got a definite tune and an agreeable one at that. The sound quality is still raw, although there does seem to be some attempt at production on the vocals which improves the song overall. This should have been the title track, not a track recorded to fill out the EP

The final two tracks are just rehashes of the first two, although with “Aeroplane Crash”, the final track, some harder guitar riffs and shouty background vocals (with definite angst in there…NME take note) are introduced, which don’t really complement the still out of tune guitars.

I’ll have to say, I was disappointed having heard all the good vibes that have been put out about this band. “Please Don’t Cry” is defiantly the high point of the EP, but it’s more molehill sized than anything else.

For Fans Only



Released on Do-Little Records, 26th March

Barenaked Ladies, bit of a weird name for a band don’t you think? Well if you've seen them live, you'll understand that it fits fine with this lot as they aren’t the sanest bunch of people you ever meet, but that’s not a bad thing in this case!

The band had already been on stage once tonight before they came on to perform there set, they played backing to the support who were "The Lilac Time", or Stephen Duffy, who was once in a band with John Taylor from Duran Duran for a short spell, I've been told. When they finally arrive as Barenaked ladies, we see them dressed up very smart in orange shirts and gray pants, looking like a smart boy band! "Welcome field of shefs" they announce and follow on to ramble about "Octagon" and "Pentagon" and invite US and it's spy planes to "come and have look what’s going on here, in the Octagon".

This is pretty much the standard for tonight, for they are insanely funny, I haven’t had this much fun at a gig in ages and the crowd (which is pretty small for an Octagon gig, and made up of a wide spectrum of people, teenagers, students, and the old folk, most of which cannot dance) are loving it. You can tell the band are having fun to. Steven the lead singer in the group (although Ed joins in on most songs and sings lead on others) jumps around all over the place, waving his bum at the crowd and enticing screams from the girls (why???). After playing a 'normal' song they usually slip into comedy mode and the whole thing goes weird, singing about their manhood (the size or lack of), or singing "Oops I Did It Again" over the top of Darth Vader’s music from Star Wars, with comedy lyrics of course! And why is there a guy dressed as a chef in the corner with a tambourine??? hmmmm...

The band is definitely on form tonight, every song sounds and looks brilliant, you can't take your eyes of the stage as you might miss something, like Ed playing with one of the security guards hair right in the middle of a guitar solo during "Its All Been Done" causing Steven to burst into a fit of hysterics, so much so that he has trouble singing the rest of the song, but its not just Steven and Ed that are having fun, Jim the bass player, Tyler on drums and Kevin on keyboards and guitar as just as mad, joining in the boy band dance that takes place at the end of a comedy medley featuring "Clint Eastwood" by Gorillaz, "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins, "Music" by Madonna, "My Name Is" by Eminem and lots others. You get the picture.

The highlight of the show for me though is when they burst into "One Week", its a stunning performance and has some interesting twists!

The set lasts for just under 2 hours, which is very good value and they even play a medley, which they announce as containing a bit of every song they have ever written, so as to please everyone in the room!

The night has it's problems though, during "If I Had A Million Dollars", they lights fail and all they are left with are the two spots. To waste time they go into a story about a guy they met called "The Whistler" who apparently goes to whistling comps, the lights then come back up and they thank the whistling god and the gig continues!

It’s so good to see a band that doesn’t seem to take anything seriously, and look like they are honestly enjoying themselves. Barenaked Ladies mix of rock, jazz, folk and lots of humor is something that I think everyone should see. If you get the chance, and I am sure they will be back again, then you can't go wrong spending a night with these guys!

So The Divine Comedy are back, after a 3 year holiday since their last proper album "Fin de Siecle" sporting a new image, a new haircut and most importantly a new sound! To look at now they don’t look like the same band. They’ve all gone rather indie and Neil’s dropped his trademark suit and tie and grown his hair long!

Anyway, enough of this image malarkey and on to the important stuff, which is of course, is the album any good? The short answer to this question is YES, its bloody brilliant!

From the first track 'Timestreched', we can see that Neil Hannon has changed the way The Divine Comedy sound. 'Timestreched' is very laid back with a lovely acoustic riff playing nicely in the background. Here we can still here all the various instruments each of the members is able to play.

Following this we have "Bad Ambassador". This has the trademark lyrics that make listening to the Divine Comedy a wonderful experience. Neil tells us “I’m not the pope and I don’t wanna be, the Arch Bishop of Canterbury”. As in some of their best tracks the orchestra sweeps in the background moving the song along, but its here that you can see that Neil has really started to write some wonderful guitar songs. The whole album is a lot more guitar oriented and this makes the reviewer a lot happier!

The next track follows along the same lines. 'The Perfect Lovesong', is exactly that, a simple love song which hits all the right notes, with quality lines such as "like heavy weights in the final round, well hold on to each other so we don’t fall down", and as I mentioned earlier the recorder featuring heavily throughout - cool!

After a few tracks that hold the middle together nicely, including the excellent “Lost property” the album suddenly makes you sit up and listen. The first single taken from the album “Love What you do” is one of the best songs that has ever appeared on a Divine Comedy album. We are told to “ditch your superstitions”, “loose your inhibitions”, this I will gladly do, listening to a song as sublime as this! This for me is the standout track on the album and definitely deserves to be a single!

This song is followed superbly by “Dumb it Down”, which sounds a little Longpigs-esque, the music that is, not the voice. This is also a brilliant track, which shows just how much they have moved along from the last album.

From here we move through “Mastermind”, which is probably as close as you’ll get to the old Divine Comedy. This is a lovely gentle number, which leads us into the title track of the album “Regeneration”. I saw the band live the day the album came out and I must be honest, I thought they weren’t that good, possibly me having a bad day, but I remember this song standing out due to the fact it was the most rocking song I had heard them come out with! The guitars pump out over the chorus and Neil is at his heaviest vocal wise!

The album finishes off with “The Beauty Regime”, a song about how obsessed we all are with our appearance, he tells us “so many lies, condemn for no need, cause people don’t buy the right magazines”, and “don’t let them sell you impossible dreams, don’t be a slave to the beauty regime”, so true Mr. Hannon, but will they listen??

Regeneration is what this album is all about. The Divine Comedy have changed there look and sound, but they have managed to retain their ability to write exceptional pop-songs. The music and the lyrics work so well together, and Neil’s voice is outstanding all the way through, so emotional and also so hard in places, you have to stand back and remind yourself its actually him! This in my opinion is their finest moment to date (any song on this album could in fact be released, there all that good) and surpasses even the divine (no pun intended) “A Short Album About Love”.

This is a must for all fans and even for those who aren’t. The Divine Comedy are here to stay and the world is a better place with them in it! GO BUY IT!



Currently Available on Parlophone.

It is rare these days to see a band ignite on stage - come alive with electrifying passion and enthusiasm - a passion that cannot be manufactured. Each time I see (hed)planet earth I am left even more breathless. Jahred, Mamk, DJ Product, Chad and Westyle are at their peak.

Having released new album BROKE, (hed)planet earth sold out the Mean Fiddler in a matter of hours. You would therefore expect a support band to be almost irrelevant. Any band but Apartment 26. They have some time to go, but Biff's boys have a fan base, have the look, and are able to consistently churn out the cyber riffs and post Pitchshifter beats.

Apartment 26 knew this was (hed)planet earth's night, and indeed it was. Ridiculously tall frontman Jahred celebrating his birthday sends the crowd into a frenzy with run after run of classics including 'Killing Time', 'Waiting to die' and 'Bartender' off the new album, and old favourites 'Darky' and 'Serpent Boy' from the self titled 1997 debut.

(hed)planet earth have it sorted. They switch from funk to punk, nu-metal to the soft rhythms of 'The Meadow'. Nu-metal maybe trendy but (hed)planet earth have been around longer than the fashion, and I'm sure will stay way after it has died.

Change. Is it a good thing? Musically it can lead to a couple of situations. You could take the Oasis route and ignore it completely, getting slated on the way by the musical press. You could take the Blur route and change, getting slated on the way by the musical press. Finally there’s the Beatles route, slowly metamorphosing from pop band with 3 chords and one drum beat into the creators of “yesterday” and “imagine” (Yes I know that was Lennon on his own with “imagine”, but you can see where I’m coming from)

So what has this got to do with the Stereophonics new album I hear you cry? The last ‘phonics album, “Performance and Cocktails” got slated by the musical press for being too much like the debut. So have the Stereophonics changed? And if they have what route have they taken??? Read on and I will endeavour to explain all…

The opening song from the album, “Vegas Two Times” begins with a gospel choir warming up for a minute before belting into the ‘phonics. The track itself is unmistakably Stereophonics, although with Kelly’s Vocals it could hardly be anything else. With the gospel choir contributing towards part of the chorus vocals it is certainly different though. A definite possibility as a ‘feel good’ single.

However with “Lying in the Sun”, the band suffers a relapse back to “Performance and Cocktails”, and not the good bits of it which are the singles. This track could be any of the mid album mediocrity that blighted “P&C”. Bland, slow, not really going anywhere. A definite filler track, although why it’s so early in the album is a mystery.

“Mr Writer”, is the first single. If you’ve not heard this where have you been? The ‘phonics at their best. A showcase for Kelly’s gravely “Marge Bishop”™ vocals with a chorus that will reverberate around the summer crowds. When I was discussing this with a friend he noted that this single is very similar in style to Oasis returning with “Do You Know What I Mean?” both monumental, almost imposing tracks that announce the bands return.

With “Have A Nice Day” the Stereophonics accomplish what the Manics tried to do with “So Why So Sad” but failed miserably, a nice happy song with nice happy vocals. A fantastic song with an upbeat tune and sing-a-long chorus that demands to be played on a blazing hot summers day whilst driving to the beach.

With the next few tracks the ‘phonics delve back to what they know, slower guitars with melodramatic vocals. However unlike the aforementioned wasteland that was the middle of “Performance & Cocktails” they are enjoyable songs to listen to. In a way, they hark back to “Word Gets Around”, but they sound much more polished than the early stuff and are much more mellow, particularly “Watched Them Fly Sundays”.

It’s with “Maybe” that Kelly Jones takes a rather unexpected step. A piano laden number in which Mr Kelly muses about ‘life and stuff’. It’s certainly a departure from the guitar driven formula that the Stereophonics have based themselves on, and it’s a welcome one. I’m not saying that the ‘phonics are bad. I am a great fan, (except for the middle of ‘P&C’ which I think is utter mediocrity), but it’s good to see that they are trying something new (Oasis take note).

The album rounds out with “Rooftop”. I had great expectations for this as historically the Stereophonics have ended their albums with arguably their best tunes. Rooftop itself is a ‘builder’. It takes a very long time to get started, but once it does, it kicks in with Kelly giving it all on the vocals before it fades away into a multitude of guitar riffs and drum beats.

Overall a much better album than P&C, although there are one or two tracks that are slightly reminiscent of P&C. The Stereophonics have altered their style somewhat, integrating pianos, gospel choirs and rather strangely in places steel ‘country and western style gee-tars’. There is a definite progression from P&C and “Word gets around”, but one that the fans should approve of. I certainly do.

Released April 9th on V2 Records

The debut EP from this Manchester four piece is certainly an interesting one. Described as “arty but un-arsy” within the press release, Rocketfield show a range of musical tendencies on the EP, none of them being particularly “arty or arsy”.

The lead track “Divide” is a delicate track that gradually begins around the female vocals of Kate Perry and light electric guitar melody before the main guitar/drum section emerges. A downbeat tune which sounds, to a degree, like Chicago female band ‘Veruca Salt’ prior to their. It could also be described as “JJ72-esque”, but with a much harder edge than the new acoustic movement leaders.

The second track “CIA/LSD” showcases the vocal talents of Jon Adams, the vocalist within the group. This is a much harder track than “Divide” and is also much ‘rawer’. Although both tracks are lifted from the forthcoming album “MINITINFINITY”, both have an edge on them which gives them an ‘under produced’ feel. This could be due to the producer Jon Delph, who is a live sound technician for such bands as Mogwai and the Delgados or it could stem from their Sonic Youth influences.

The final three tracks from the EP’s are all demos, “Ocular Auto Enucleation”, “Fatal Light Awareness” and “Whoosh”. “Ocular…”and “Fatal…” are both competent and both are in keeping with the raw sound of the lead tracks. Nothing shines from either of them though. However it’s with “Whoosh” that the band shines in the later stages of the EP. A sweeping simple guitar lead instrumental that shows a great deal of promise. If the song writing continues with pieces such as this, Rocketfield could gather a large following.

All in all an enterprising, if raw and edgy debut.



Released 23rd April on Do-Little Records. (Little 015 CD)

Yes ‘Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds’ are back with their first new material since 1997, 'The Boatman’s Call'. If the opening track on this three track CD single, which is lifted from the forthcoming LP 'No More Shall We Part', is anything to go by then the natives will be restless no more.

This is quite simply put Nick Cave at his atmospheric, melancholy, angst ridden, humorous, angry, beautiful and romantic best! With its strumming guitar rifts, uplifting vocals and sense of forbidding you can’t help but fall under this track's spell.
This is a must buy, even more so when you consider that the two extra track's, 'Little Janey's Gone' and 'Good Good Day' (which just has to be listened to at 3 in the morning) aren't on the LP.
Buy it, Buy it now and make up for past musical misdemeanours.


Released 19th March
Mute Records

After spending the last eleven years being the driving force behind the critically acclaimed, if not commercial hit outwit their native Australia, My Friend The Chocolate Cake, David Bridie finally releases his first solo album 'Act of Free Choice.'

Twelve months in the making and no doubt many years from its conception, Bridie lets the listener take things at their own speed, no bad thing in these dark days of multiple sampling and soaring trebles. That being said there are times that you simply forget that it’s on. If that sounds a bit unkind, well it is what David Bridie has set out to do here and achieved.

From the opening track 'The Koran, The Ghan and The Yarn', which tells the story of a meeting of cultures, with beautifully crafted lyrics and haunting percussion, you are taken willing around a natural story tellers domain.

But as with all albums with substance, just when you think you have the measure of the artist, comes 'Float' with a bass line that screams sleaze and a beat that makes you demand more. It is on this track and 'Sad' in particular that you begin to realise why David Bridie was (rather unfairly as he HAS talent) in some quarters, compared to Scotland's very own Ricky Ross. The rasping quality (once equated to forty Marlboro a day) and the sense of haunting in his voice, are granted very similar, but his lyrics and feel for the instruments he plays, gives the whole album a mature feel.

Probably the best track on the album is the last one, 'Found Waiting', which for the best part seems to have no idea where its going. By the end of the track you have reached David Birdie's intended destination for you, which more or less applies to the whole album.

David Birdie along with co-producer Ian Caple ( Tricky, The Sugarcubes) have come up with an album which at no time explodes in to life but never the less demands that you pay it attention.


Released 9th April
Chrysalis Records

Everclear have always defied convention. Their alternative musical direction has been a source of much confusion for the average music journalist. They have normally either been lumped in to the void known as "post-grunge" with a postscript noting that they have melodic overtones. Or they’ve been described as a "lite-rock" band that occasionally get moody and heavy. Such is the woe of being Art Alexakis, what exactly does he write? Which music journalist camp is right? But Art being the nice guy that he is, decided to please both camps by writing and releasing a record for each definition.

Going against the wishes of their record label, 2000 saw Everclear releasing not one, but two brand spanking new albums. Even though a double album would have netted them more money, they released two separate albums, "Songs From An American Movie Part 1: Learning How To Smile" and "Songs From An American Movie Part 2: Good Time For A Bad Attitude".

Part One was Everclear showing off that they can be like the beach boys and other light rock (god I hate that term) groups with a pleasing, light, floaty album that just demands to be played on the beach in the middle of summer. However to please the "post-grunge" set they promised that Part 2 would come back with a snarl and a roar, which it does. To an extent.

Part 2 certainly starts off in a raucous manner with the lead single in America "When It All Goes Wrong Again". A heavy guitar and drumbeat lash out, only to mellow out when the vocals actually kick in. Art just can’t get away from his melodic, light happiness. For example, "I’ll be sitting on top of the world/when it all goes wrong again" Even in the lyrics he can’t get away from happy thoughts before plunging down into despair once again. He certainly gets angrier in the next track "Slide", with lyrics such as "I think she slept with me just so she could piss off her father". He just can’t get away from his happy melody backing tunes, even though they are drowned out in over produced guitars.

The album follows on in this way, with angry snarling guitars playing immensely hum-able tunes, with "Rockstar", "Short Blond Hair" and "Misery Whip" However it’s not all doom, destruction and beach boy melodies. There are a couple of songs half way through where Art just gives up and writes "nice" tunes. "Good Witch of The North, The" is an ‘almost ballad’ for his latest lover/wife, talking about how she keeps him sane. Even the punk track on the album, "All F***ed Up" isn’t overly harsh and punk and contains the repeated phrase "you’re happy". (An interesting point is that it does follow an instrumental track "Halloween Americana" in a replica of "Amphetamine" following "El Distorto Melodica" from So Much For The Afterglow"…scary).

The final track "Songs From An American Movie Pt. 2" is an extended version of the first track of from the first album, but with electric guitars and much heavier drums over the top. This is where Art gives up totally trying to be snarls and growls and sings of how listening to his daughters laughter makes him happy.

So what is the album is it "post-grunge" or "lite-rock"? In reality you need both albums, as neither is totally delineated into "post-grunge" or "lite-rock". There is crossover between them, but it’s a good thing. Although Part 2 is a spitting, swearing evil brother to Part 1, it’s a twin brother. It still has the Everclear qualities of fantastic tunes and clever lyrics, along with another Everclear trade mark, the one totally duff song per album.

After ‘Black Jesus’, Everlast returns with this dark track. Featuring B-Real of Cypress Hill, this track is simple yet effective. A slow beat combined with subtle brass set the atmosphere while Everlast and B-Real add layers of suspicion, deceit and general evil. Effective, dark and moody this tune ain’t half bad, but it’s lacking something. It doesn’t quite hold up as a single. Save your pennies and get Everlast’s latest LP, ‘Eat At Whitey’s’.


Release Date - 5th March

‘X’ is taken from Xzibit’s third album. This guy has been in good company recently. Touring with Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Dr Dre seems to have rubbed off on this West Coast rapper. With great rapping, beats and Snoop backing it sounds good. Add to this Dr. Dre adding his touch with the production, and you have a damn good tune. Will this put Xzibit over the top in this country? Well, it deserves too, but that never counts for a thing...



Release Date - 12th March

The first single of Muse’s second album shows all of the promise that I expected. Muse return with the form that won them not only nominations but awards from the music industry last year. ‘Plug In Baby’ is Muse at full throttle, continuing along the rock path that Radiohead left with ‘OK Computer’. With a fast driving symbol lead beat and raging guitars Muse have produced a punchy, emotive tune. However, Muse will always sound like Radiohead. I don’t know why, but it is something that they will never escape. The problem with that is that they will also get compared to Radiohead. How does this square up to Radiohead’s best? Well, not bad, but then again, if you like Radiohead, then you will like this. Anyway, go and buy it for the cool CD if for nothing else...


Release Date - 12th March

The Welshmen are back, and nothing seems to have changed. It seems that there are some things that are guaranteed in life. The Earth will continue to spin, day shall follow night, men will never understand women and the Manics will always sound the same. I know that it is a new song, and new lyrics, but it sounds just the same, if a little more tired then anything they released last year. Only redeeming feature - good video.


Release Date - 5th March

I was a little apprehensive when the first thing that I heard coming from my stereo was a very westside ‘BO!!!’ It conjured up an image of Craig David and the Architects. Not good. Still, I listened a little further and I was rewarded. Above the garage/R&B beat is a lovely song, with some great samples and damn good vocals. As the guy says, this sound is taking over...


Release Date - 5th March

This week’s award for weirdest tune goes to this one. Think ‘ambient’ on valium. Think of a tortoise with concrete shoes, and you get an idea of the pace of this release. The first track is twenty minutes long, and so long that it can not technically be classed as a single, but this isn’t the point. The entire twenty minutes probably does not contain more that 20 notes. There are samples that seem to go on forever. If this was meant to be slow and soothing, it ends up having the pulse of a copse. Even though I only got an album sampler, I have the distinct impression that this was just so that the reviewers would not fall asleep. Avoid.

Imagine a James Bond theme tune, remixed by the Propellerheads and featuring any major 50’s female vocalist, and you have pretty much got this tune. Stong vocals, string accompaniment and a raft of samples create a very ‘soundtrack’ type of tune. The only problem is that it isn’t a soundtrack, and as such it feels out of place as a single. One thing I will give it, however, is that it has one damn fine remixed B-side - but surly it isn’t a good thing to have a better B-side?


Release Date - 26th February

You can see why NME love these guys. Britpop with guitars and the all important organ type thing create a sound that has been heard many times already this year. Never the less, it does try to stand out from the crowd. James Welsh’s vocals combined with a nice melody make you take notice. However, it is let down by an unextraordinary beat and bass line. Could be worse, could be JJ72...


Release Date - 5th March

These guys are the ultimate in Lo-Fi. With a single that sounds as though it was recorded on a 4-track in a garage, they are certainly a break from the norm. The roughness, however, adds to their sound of total contempt for everything. With a punk beat, roaming bass and overdriven amps, they sound as though they should be in an underground club in the ‘70s. It is nice to hear something as Lo-Fi as this for a change though. If you fancy a unique experience check them out.


Release Date - 12th March

With silky, yet dark vocals and gentle, brooding guitars, Snow Patrol are back with a new album, and this, their first single of the Millennium. Despite the fact that they have played in Potterrow, Snow Patrol failed to make a big impact with their first album. Things may change though, because this is a nice tune. Flowing beats melding with typical ‘Britrock’ guitars make a good tune, which is well worth a listen.


Release Date - 26th February

The return of the Stereos sees the Welshmen do what they do best - emotion. With Kelly Jones’s unique voice and a musical style which is much more laid back than ‘Performance...’ The song dwells upon the bands bad experience in the past with journalists, but despite this, the song could be an anthem for anyone who has had a rough ride due to someone else. With a slight change in style, and a damn good video, ‘Mr. Writer’ is a taste of things to come when their next album, ‘Just Enough Education To Perform’ is released - and on this evidence it will be one hell of an album.


Release Date - 19th March

Starting with an intro that could have been lifted of the Mission Impossible theme tune, Mo Solid Gold are back. In a true ‘70s pimp style we have flutes, keyboards and maracas creating a very funky beat. The chorus with the guitars and more aggressive beat is the only thing would make you think that it may be a modern tune. However, this can be a good thing. With vocals that are strong and fluid (but remind me of Tom Jones for some strange reason) and great lyrics, this makes a good tune that will have you humming all day.


Release Date - 19th February

Fingathing, in case you haven’t come across them before, are big on samples and breaks. Very big. This single is a collaboration with Sneaky, the double-bass player for ‘Rae & Christian’. It sees samples a brumy giving a guitar lesson with a surreal bass line (courtesy of a double bass), weird harpsichord, and jazz drums. Sounds strange? Well, you have got the idea. This has to be one of the strangest singles to land on my desk recently, but in some strange way it makes your foot tap - however, this record should be purchased for novelty value only - unless you are a serious fan scratch, samples and breaks.


Release Date - 19th February

This is Straw’s second single from their upcoming album, and sees them serve up another helping of guitar pop. This melodic little ditty has a nice little beat, gentle guitars and Mattie’s distinctive vocals. Before you turn away in disgust at yet another guitar pop band, give them a chance. Yes, it may be a formula that is being well overused at present, but Straw produce good music. With a ‘Grandaddy’ sort of sound they are easy on your ears while still managing to make you take notice to what they say.


Release Date - 19th February

This tune may be one of the saddest love songs I have ever listened to. A lovely melodic, dreamy acoustic lead, piano, cello drums and bass providing what little beat and bass is required. On top of this is the amazing harmonic vocals of the Nordic band members. I don’t know how they do it, but in this case less is defiantly more.


Release Date - 12th February

Garbo are a Danish trio from Roskilde and this is their first release in this country. With a laid back mix of acoustic guitars, jazzy drums and harmonic vocals, their music flows over you like a cool breeze. The sampler that I was sent contains five tracks and every one of them is more relaxed than a stoners weekend in Amsterdam. Even when they seem to try to get angry, they fall back into a soothing slow beat faster than you can say ‘hash’. However, laid back is not always good though, and there are some tracks on this sampler that could have been written by any collage band. ‘Sarah’ is a song about a girl called Sarah who asked for a song to be written about her... and that’s about it. If you like your music non-intrusive and generally chilled, this is an album for you.


Release Date - 12th February

This aptly named quartet hales from West London, and they ain’t half messed up! These boys have grown up on a musical diet of Nirvana, Hip-Hop and Spinal Tap, and this is the result. An infusion of rock guitars, hip-hop/metal beats and one hell of a lot of teenage angst & anger. It may sound like the love child of the devil, but some how it works. Too melodic and vocal to be metal, too damn rock to be hip-hop, it is a maelsetom of sounds that bind to make a half-decent record.


Release Date - 5th February

After years in the musical wilderness without a record contract, Terrorvision have persuades Papillon that they can still sell a record or two. This album is what resulted. The first track is one of my favourite releases so far this year, ‘D’ya Wanna Go Faster?’ and it sets the tone of the album well. Punk rock beats and full-blast rock at it’s best. It may not be the deepest album so far this year, but it is certainly the jumpiest. This album has had so much enthusiasm and energy distilled into it that you can’t help tap your foot and smile, just a little. This is how rock should be - pure, unadulterated fun. Saying this, it isn’t an album which will win any awards. The style is pretty linear and it suffers from a little mid-album similarity. However, these are just minor glitches compared to how much fun you could have with this album in your car stereo, tearing down the open road.


Release Date - 5th February

Semisonic seemed to peak too early with ‘Secret Smile’. However, this is forgivable, as it happens to many people at one time or another. The question is, can ‘Chemistry’ make up for it? Well, it at least goes some way to it. It is unmistakable a Semisonic tune. This, however, is a wee bit of a problem. They have not changed their sound at all, so if you are not a Semisonic fan, then this won’t appeal to you. One for the fans only, I fear.


Release Date - 19th February

This tune was originally released in May last year. Grandaddy obviously wants to try and make some more money off it, so it’s here again. I don’t know what it is about Grandaddy, but I just can’t seem to like them, no matter how hard I try! In theory this should be a good tune. Manic/Mansun type guitars, nice beat, funky bass and cool samples. The problem is that it just doesn’t do it for me. I know that quite a few people are fans, so I will just have to agree to disagree. I still don’t like it though...


Release Date - 29th January

Creed’s latest offering is a classic rock ballad. Slow beat, lots of symbols, nice guitar solo and a boring bass line. ‘With Arms Wide Open’ manages to include all of this with vocals that sound scarily like Eddie Vedder. However, even with Eddie Vedder's evil twin on vocals, this track is nothing that hasn’t been done before. You could swap it with any American rock bands mid-album ballads and you would not notice. Nice tune, but it ain’t no ‘Lightning Crashes’, which is a pity, as Creed have potential, buried underneath all of this.


Release - 29th January

Despite the single being nothing above medeoka, this album is actually rather good. It’s obviously ‘American Rock’ but it manages to carry it off some how. ‘Hey 66’ has more drug references that an entire Dandy Warholes album, but it is neither unnecessary nor over the top. The album is a collection of songs, that on their own range from average to good, but put together in this EP they manage to complement themselves to make a damn good album. Worth a look.


Release Date - 12th February

I am prepared to forgive the fact that the Vegastones have supported Duran Duran and give them a fair crack at the whip. Did they make amends? Well, not really. Drag Queen Eyes is an average song, but not enough to make up for the Duran incident. An average beat, with average lyrics and average licks. Get the idea? Overall, rather average. I would not turn the radio over; but then again, I would not buy the single. However, their album is better that this, so watch out for future releases. They may manage to make amends.


Release Date - 29th Janurary

This single features the legendary Bobby Womback (‘Jackie Brown’ title track). A nice, laid back tune that soothes your ears and calms the soul. Gentle guitars, strained vocals and a lovely soul beat lend this tune to any Romeo’s collection. This tune is defiantly meant to be accompanied by candle lit dinners and dimmed light.


Release Date - 5th February

This is the Spooks debut single, though you would not notice the fact. Incredibly well produced, the band’s electric mix of silky vocals, an amazing hip-hop beat and lovely samples produced one of the most laid back tunes this year, yet still managing to pack in attitude and great rapping. The Spooks will make a big splash, and rightly so. They stand head and shoulders above any hip-hop release so far this year. Buy it. Now.


Released - 15th January

I have never been a huge fan, but this single has made me think again. A nice, foo-esque beat, rawcus licks and subtle, melodic vocals make a very listenable tune. I still think that they suffer from ‘american collage rock band’ syndrome, but it ain’t at all bad. My Vitriol have the potential to make a decent sized dent on the UK scene, but I don’t think that this tune will be the ‘one’. Pity.


Release Date - 12th February

With a new record contract, Terrorvision return with another insanely catchy single. Imagine the addictivnes of ‘Tequila’ in a much rockier song. A racing beat, urgent licks and simple, shouted lyrics really make this song feel fat. It may not be up to much in the deep and meaningful stakes, but I can guarantee that you will be humming the tune all day!


Release Date - 15th January

This latest Dum Dums tune sees them return with another ballad. This latest tune could have been taken from the ‘Dawson’s Creek’ sound track. Whether this is good or bad, however, is hard to tell. As ever, the vocals are strong and emotive, the guitar licks different and subtle. The whole equals less than the sum of the parts though. When you take the song as a whole, it just doesn’t make the grade. Another one destined for mid-chart obscurity.


Release Date - 22nd January

For a debut single this is nondescript and mostly harmless. Simple lyrics, nice enough guitar licks and a few samples thrown in for good measure. The production makes it sound as though it was recorded in their garage, however. This tune falls squarely between rock and pop, and does not really endear itself to either genres. Too fluffy for rock, this tune lacks the vital ‘foot-tapper’ factor that makes guitar pop work. Pity, as there is obviously some musical talent here.


Release Date - 22nd January

Does everyone from Iceland sound the same? Or is it just Emilliana and Bjork? You could be forgiven for getting the two mixed up. This track, however, has none of the Bjork ‘eccentricities’. ‘To Be Free’ is a remix of a track taken from her debut album. Bjork’s, sorry, Emilliana’s vocals blend well with the ever so slightly rock/pop melody creating quite a good track to be honest. Even the obligatory ‘dance’ re-mixes aren’t absolutely appalling. However, the ‘Dreemteam’ garage remix should be avoided like the Ebola virus.


Release Date- 15 January

U2’s new album has shot them back into the spotlight. The question is, with their pensions fast approaching; can they still hack it? Well, I am afraid to say that they can. This lovely little melodic tune may not be any ‘Fly’ but it is full of feeling, and proves that Bono and the boy’s haven’t left the rock ballad scene completely to Bon Jovi. Overall, a nice tune from the Dublin boys.


Release Date -15 January

The Orb returns with this track taken from their new album, ‘Cydonia’. In true Orb style the track consists of a nice beat and some random female vocals. Nothing special. It is the re-mixes that do this tune justice. The Bedrock mix, (Nick Murr and John Digweed) takes this to a totally different place. Fluid beats and ghostly samples add layers that just weren't there in the radio edit. Not only that, but you also get the Tenaglia’s Detour mix of ‘Little Fluffy Clouds’ thrown in too. Not a bad tune, but it is the re-mixes that shine.


Release Date - 29th January

It is nice to see a band that has taken off like the Criminals still doing small gigs. Even though this was basically a One2One sponsored gig, the audience was strictly taken from the Criminals fan base. The Garage is also a cracking place for such a gig. A half-decent capacity, but it still feels small and intimate, with the band obviously enjoying being as close to the fans as they are. The set was the usual fare, with a healthy mix of new and old material. 'Scooby Snacks' got the loudest cheer, of course, however the new material, especially 'Loca' went down well. Unlike your average gig, the band stopped every 3 or 4 songs and had a question and answer session with questions that the audience had used to win their tickets. Huey and the boys were as cool as ever, and Huey's acting school made its usual appearance, this time with a scene from 'Apocalypse Now'. The crowd seemed to love every minute of it and their regular chants of 'Huey, Huey', just go to prove that he is still the coolest man in rock.

Punk is not dead, according to the 9000 plus people who turned up on a bleak winters night to the SECC. Green Day, on of the most prolific modern punk bands, did not disappoint. Opening with 'Hitchin' a Ride' Green Day proved that they still have what it takes. The entire set exuded energy and emotion, despite Billy Joe's attempts at a Queen-esque 'Eoohhha's at every opportunity. All of the old crowd pleasers where there, with energetic versions of 'She', 'Longview' and the compulsory 'Basket Case'. Yet despite all of the bands antics, there did not seem to be the raw electricity that flowed in the Green Day I remember of yesteryear. There were the Supersoakers for the mosh pit and the ludicrously dressed backing musicians et al. Billy even got one lucky lad who got to go up on stage and played the 3 cords required to join in with his heroes for one chorus, and then stage dived back into the crowd. Yet despite all of this there seemed to be something missing. Very few early tunes got an airing and the bands trademark destruction of kit at the end of the show was more than a little half hearted. Perhaps it was the end of a long tour. Perhaps it's fact that this is their umpteenth world tour. Perhaps the fact that the average age of the fans was a good 15 years less than Billy's. It may even have been the Scottish weather. Well, whatever it was, the crowd didn't seem to notice. Every chord, every beat, every line was sung along to. The non-acoustic version of 'Time of Your Life' could have been an instrumental, as the crowd had no intention of letting Billy Joe do all of the singing. By the last song of the encore, Green Day had proved, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that punk is alive and well.

"But I’m supposed to be there…"

March 5th, 2001. The re-launch of BBC Radio 1’s evening session’s flagship show "Lamacq Live". In honour of such an event, Feeder were booked to perform a live gig from the BBC’s Maida Vale studios in London Village. The Evening Session also ran a competition that allowed 50 or so listeners into Maida Vale to watch.

Yep, you’ve guessed it; your intrepid reporter here won two of those tickets. Being a Feeder fan, this seemed like an unbelievable opportunity. However as the tickets didn’t arrive until the day of the concert I couldn’t arrange transportation from Lancaster to London Village…so this review of the concert is from the broadcast, with yours truly clutching his tickets (well, piece of paper) imagining he’s there.

Feeder burst onto the scene in 1997 with their debut album ‘Polythene’. The main hit from this was ‘High’ which also made it somewhat big in the states due to being inserted in a US teen comedy film. Ah well, you can’t have everything. They followed that ‘Polythene’ with ‘Yesterday Went Too Soon’ in 1999 from which the band achieved minor hits with ‘Insomnia’ and the title track from the album.

But enough background, back to the gig…

As Feeder have a new album out in April, ‘Echo Park’ (which was the answer to the question in the comp, just in case anyone was wondering), a lot of new songs were played in the set, including the first single, ‘Buck Rodgers’, the song with the fantastic and much misheard line "get a house in Devon/Drink cider from a lemon". Why anyone would drink cider, let alone from a lemon is beyond me, but I’m losing the point again.

The second song to be released "Seven Days In The Sun" was also given an airing. This is a lighter song for Feeder, especially when compared to their earlier stuff, such as 'Tangerine', 'Polythene Girl' etc from the first album. Feeder have always had ‘catchy pop hooks’ (as the mainstream music press constantly say) built within hard-hitting guitar driven melodies, but "Seven Days In The Sun", is definitely one of their ‘poppy-est’ singles.

The rest of the songs that they debuted from ‘Echo Park’ do seem to be from Feeders harder side. There was no indication of what the third single from ‘Echo Park’ would be, although as ‘Seven Days In The Sun’ was still a month away from release that’s no surprise. From what I heard, and taking into account the lighter side of what has been released from ‘Echo Park’ I would say that if they continued on that vein, then ‘Disco’ would be a definite possibility.

‘Polythene’ wasn’t forgotten, with ‘Cement’ being played along with a very delicate version of ‘High’, which for your intrepid and fearless reviewer (sat in his room at Uni) was the high point (pun not intended) of the concert.

So am I upset that I wasn’t there? Well yes. The chance to watch one of my favourite bands in an intimate atmosphere and probably get to meet them afterwards is one that I’ll probably not get very often.

But from what I could gather from the radio, the atmosphere wasn’t fantastic. The crowd were either very subdued or very far from the stage, or both. But they didn’t come across well on the radio. Grant (the lead singer) noted this himself at the beginning of the set, but his remarks didn’t seem to make much difference.

The band themselves played really well. Ah well, I guess I’ll just have to enter more competitions. It’s either that or get the guy on my floor who knows Feeder's manager to get a private gig…

This is the dawn of a new digital age, and 57th Dynasty are a new digital band. They are an almost totally digital rap crew. They signed with Peoplesound.com in early 2000. Their first album received over 20,000 downloads and streams. Not bad considering they had had no promotion at all. Are they any good? Well, yes. One of their previous releases is the most frequently played UK tune on the Yo MTV show. Go check them out at peoplesound.com.



Release Date - 26th February

‘Another Late Night’ is a new mix series from the people who brought you ‘Back To Mine’. Each one will be mixed by producers who instructions were to create ‘a mix of their favourite wind down sounds.’ Pretty general huh? Well Fila Brazilia have created on hell of a random album. From the ‘Persuaders’ theme tune to Infesricons, Marvin Gaye and David Holmes, this mix has a lot of influences - and in this is it’s strength. Everyone will like a majority of the album. This is not something that you will put on for any other occasion than what the title suggests - a late night chill session, be it during revision, after a night out or just when you happen to be in need of some late night musical sustenance. This will be a regular on my playlist.


Release Date - 19th February

Wheatus’ major UK hit with ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ will ensure that this album sells by the bucket load. Well, it should, because it deserves to. Wheatus manage something that few rock bands have pulled off. They are happy rock without being silly. Sort of Foo’s meets Blink 182, and it works well. With a sound that is different and catchy they will appeal to fans of the rock and pop genres equally well. I have to admit that I was not expecting much, but from the first song I was tapping my foot. ‘Truffles’ is a typical ‘I hate you’ song, but with a nice twist and grin in there too. ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, in case you have been in a hole with no radio for the last month, is a one hell of a tune. Mixing a rock beat, pop vocals, aggressive chorus and sly samples, it has been on the major playlists since it’s promo release. ‘A Little Respect’ is the obligatory acoustic tune, and is a cool cover of Erasure, which is far better than the original. You also get the generic ‘yank rock’ tracks like ‘Leroy’ but overall, this is a good debut album with enough toung-in-cheak tunes and just plane good song writing to keep you listening.


Release Date - 19th February

Having never heard of ‘Turin Brakes’ I casually chucked the CD on when I got in from work. Nothing could have prepared me for what I heard. Treading the very dangerous line between folk and pop/rock, they manage to produce some of the most innovative, eye-opening music I have heard for a very long time. ‘Turin Brakes’ manage the impossible - they take equal parts of folk, pop and rock and manage to produce something listenable. ‘Emergency 72’ is a lovely mix of understated, melodic acoustic guitars and a beat to die for, creating a warm, yet immensely sad song. ‘The Door’, which is their first single, is a great duet between to two band members, back by yet more melodies and subtle slide guitar. ‘State of Things’ has a very cool ‘bong’ beat, which strangle works with folk-esque guitars. One thing that I did notice, and like, is that every song, with no exception, is dripping, no, saturated with emotion. Yet, at the same time it manages to be detached enough to be relaxing. A superb debut album that shows a hell of a lot of promise for the future. Buy it. Now.


Written by Sam Hopkins

This is the debut EP from the Reading six piece, and my God, it rocks. There is something about a six piece that allows a greater degree of depth, and this EP has the depth of an ocean. With a maturity that hides their years, these boys (the youngest is only 19) have mixed harmonic vocals, rambling bass lines, driving beats, kick ass guitars and fucking cool samples to land themselves somewhere in between rock, indie and metal. ‘Way Out West’ is a slow, dark track, which sees the three vocalists harmonising in ways that rock doesn’t, but should. Behind that is dark samples, a great beat and even strings. ‘The Devil Walks On Sand’ has a Soundgarden influenced vibe, and again cracking vocals. This is a great debut, but if you want a copy, you had better be quick. It is being released as a limited edition double 7" with only 500 numbered copies. Seek, and you shall find... one hell of record.


Release Date - 19th March
Written by Sam Hopkins

After ‘Shining Light’ I was dreading this moment. To say that I thought that ‘Shining Light’ was bad was like saying that Hitler had been a ‘little naughty’. I couldn’t stand it. However, ‘Burn Baby Burn’ may have just been able to win me back. This tune sees Ash return to what they do well. Good old-fashioned guitar lead ‘happy rock’. Punchy beat, melodic tune, harmonic vocals and those little gaps that they do so well. If you didn’t like ‘Shining Light’ give this one a chance - they may be able to redeem themselves...


Release Date - 2nd April
Written by Sam Hopkins