Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Top 10 Albums 2009



1. Martyn – Great Lengths
2. Ethan Rose – Oaks
3. Fennesz – Black Sea
4. The XX - XX
5. Tim Hecker – An Imaginary Country
6. Mark Eitzel – Klamath
7. Moritz Von Oswald Trio – Vertical Ascent
8. Richmond Fontaine – We Used to Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River
9. Antony and The Johnsons – The Crying Light
10. Gary War – Horribles Parade

The Martyn Myspace Page - http://www.myspace.com/martyndnb

Monday, November 09, 2009

Mark Eitzel Bristol November 2009

Mark Eitzel St Bonaventures Social Club Bristol.

A piano, a voice and the solid gold song writing of Mark Eitzel. This was some night. Mark was on sparkling form at St Bonventures Social Club. His voice of wine bruised wisdom and burning regret. That voice infused the material with a gravitas, wonder, soul and strength. The tales of losers, the lost and the lonely burnt with a passion rare and wise. From the warm introduction of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” to the closing requiem of “Nightwatchman” there was nothing to fault. A great review here from Extreme Listening Mode of the Mark Eitzel gig in Edinburgh.

Thanks to Jane Oriel for the videos.







Friday, October 30, 2009

Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala Review


Night Falls Over Kortedala sounds effortless. It glides like a kite of angel wings on a soft summer breeze, all twinkling keys, kettle drum rolls, soaring strings and Lekman’s glorious croon. It belies the difficult genesis of the record. Three years in the making, the songs were honed live, written and rewritten until they sparkled. Lekman was so disenchanted at one point that he talked of retirement. We should all be thankful that he persevered.

I guess Jens Lekman is a singer-songwriter. That tag does him such a disservice, loaded as it is with images of acoustic guitars and a stripped-down, wooden authenticity. Yes, he writes and sings his own songs, but this is The Brill Building via Gothenburg, Tin Pan Alley retooled by a sampler and a vivid imagination.

Lekman writes and performs in heavenly technicolour. This is late '60s Scott Walker performed by The Magnetic Fields. The timpani roll and glistening strings of the opening “And I Remember Every Kiss” is built around a sparkling sample from easy listening violinist Enoch Light. Jens declares his allegiance to the sect of doom romantics, yearning in his dark baritone that every kiss burns with the passion of his first kiss.

“Sipping On The Sweet Nectar” is glorious, punchy brass, bleeping bass synths, and a sighing melody. The first single, “The Opposite Of Hallelujah,” with its handclaps and chopped out piano chords, is perfect. The chorus is as sticky as honey in a heat wave. I have woken up humming it twice this week. The wry observations of “A Postcard to Nina” make it the sort of song that no one, bar Jens, seems capable of writing. So witty and tender with a chorus of drunken trombones and children’s percussion, the doo-wop harmonies in the bridge alone would melt the hardest of hearts.

Lekman can produce musical gold from the strangest collusion of influences. The MOR strings and clipped drum samples of “If I Could Cry (It Would Feel Like This)” are the sort of thing Timbaland would have produced if he had been raised on indie 7” singles in Sweden—inventive, catchy and soulful.

This a wonderful record make sure you treasure it.

Tony Heywood (c)

First Published on Kev Chino - http://www.kevchino.com/review/jens-lekman/night-falls-over-kortedala/1358

100 Greatest LP's Since I Was Born























My Favorite 100 LPS since I was born.



My Top 100 LPs since I was born!
1. American Music Club – California
2. New Order – Low Life
3. The National – Alligator
4. Momus – Tender Pervert
5. Tricky – Maxinquaye
6. Pixies – Surfer Rosa
7. Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
8. Burial – Untrue
9. Portishead – Dummy
10. PJ Harvey – Rid of Me

11. The Human League – Dare
12. My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything
13. Band of Holy Joy – Manic, Magic, Majestic
14. Galaxie 500 – On Fire
15. The Smiths – Meat is Murder
16. Belong – October Music
17. Talk Talk – Laughing Stock
18. Jens Lekman – Oh Your So Silent Jens
19. Disco Inferno – D.I. Go Pop
20. Art of Noise – (Who’s Afraid of)The Art of Noise

21. Prince - Parade
22. Mark Eitzel – Sixty Watt Silver Lining
23. William Basinski – Disintegration Loops
24. Antony & The Johnsons – I am A Bird Now
25. The Caretaker - Theoretically Pure Anterograde
26. Blue Nile – Hats
27. Underworld – NodubbasswIthmyheadman
28. Bjork - Debut
29. Arctic Monkeys – My Favourite Worst Nightmare
30. The Smiths – Hatful of Hollow

31. The Cure – 17 Seconds
32. Arab Strap – The Week Never Starts Round Here
33. Stone Roses – Stone Roses
34. Depeche Mode – Black Celebration
35. Lilly Allen – Alright Still
36. Jesus & Mary Chain – Psychocandy
37. Vic Chesnut – West of Rome
38. This Mortal Coil – It’ll End In Tears
39. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs
40. Billy Bragg – Workers Playtime
41. Pet Shop Boys – Please
42. PIL – Metal Box
43. Tim Hecker – An Imaginary Country
44. Bob Mould – Work Book
45. Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
46. Cowboy Junkies – Caution Horses
47. R.E.M. – Document
48. Morrissey – Vauxhall & I
49. Primal Scream – Screamadelica
50. Galaxie 500 – Today

51. Talk Talk – Sprit of Eden

52. Junior Boys – No Exit
53. Joy Division – Closer
54. Michael Jackson – Off The Wall
55. Yellow Swans – Drift
56. My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
57. Burial – Burial
58. The The – Soul Mining
59. Kraftwerk – The Man Machine
60. Soft Cell – Non Stop Erotic Cabaret
61. Robert Wyatt – Rock Bottom

62. New Order – Technique
63. Afghan Whigs – Gentlemen
64. Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous
65. Nick Cave – The Boatmans Call
66. PJ Harvey – White Chalk
67. Vic Chesnut – Drunk
68. Big Black – Atomiser
69. American Music Club – United Kingdom
70. The Cure – Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
71. Beach Boys – Surfs Up

72. Brian Eno – On Land
73. Suicide – Suicide
74. Buzzcocks – Another Music From a Different Kitchen
75. Big Star – Third/Sister Lovers
76. Nirvana – In Utero
77. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
78. Durutti Column – Vini Reilly
79. Malcolm Middleton - Into The Woods
80. Times New Viking – Born Again Revisited

81. This Heat – Deceit
82. The Go-Betweens – Tallulah
83. His Name Is Alive – Mouth by Mouth
84. Goldmund – Corduroy Road
85. The XX – XX
86. Matson Jones – Matson Jones
87. Wedding Present – Sea Monsters
88. The House of Love – The House of Love
89. A.R. Kane – 69
90. Scott Walker – Drift

91. Leila – Like Weather
92. Deerhunter – Microcastle
93. Nick Drake – Pink Moon
94. Billy Bragg – Lifes a Riot with Spy vs Spy
95. Liars – Drums not Dead
96. Bjork – Homogenic
97. Jack – Pioneer Soundtracks
98. Beloved – Happiness
99. Martyn – Great Lengths
100. Bon Iver – For Emma, forever ago.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Worst Band In The World - The Killers


The Killers – The Worst Band in the World?


Who are the biggest band in the world? Frankly who gives a dam! The worst band in the world that’s far more interesting.

In the marathon path to claim the coveted prize of The World’s Worst Band same big names have fallen by the wayside. Coldplay, U2, The Strokes even the Kaiser Chiefs where all in contention until The Killers sprinted past them all to steal the prize.

Why The Killers? What makes The Killers the worst band in the world? How have they managed to claim the gold medal when they are so many other bands that could have reached the top of the podium? Well let me explain why.

Brandon Flowers and his fellow Las Vegas cohorts ring as hollow and empty as a death bed religious conversion. The Zang Tumb Tuum they produce is a wretched empty confection of heritage pop influences with nothing added. They dry hump the corpse of 80s music in a misplaced act of affection. They aren’t postmodern simply pastiche. The Killers are all sign and no signifier, eyeliner over heartbreak, affectation over emotion. Artless and heartless. A decaf skinny soya latte of a band.

The Killers started well but have rapidly descended into bland soulless artifice. The opening fours tracks on Hot Fuss blended a warped sense of New Orders rain soaked melancholy, with a hint of sexual tension and a wide screen desert escapism. On Day and Age they sound like a Spandau Ballet b-side from 1985. That’s like starting out dreaming of being Picasso and ending up painting fences for a living. The warning signs of The Killers fate arrive by track five of their debut record, All These Things I’ve Done. Anyone who thinks that the lyric “I’ve got soul but I am not a soldier” is anything other than the dribbling ramblings of three year old child should be shot. It is beyond risible and to think it should be committed to record. Heaven help us.

The Killers journey to becoming the worst band in the world has been astonishing. The speed of the diminishing returns is well in place before the end of Hot Fuss. From synth pop to the school boy Springsteen rip offs on Sam Town’s to the cocktail bar car crash that is Day and Age. When I first heard Day and Age I was reminded of Greil Marcus opening line in his review of Bob Dylan’s Self Portrait. “What is this shit?”

Yet The Killers are headlining festivals, shifting units and gaining acres of press coverage in everything from Sunday supplements to the tabloid press. They are the Oasis of indie pop without Noel’s wit and charisma or the belligerent magnetism of Liam. They repackage a comfortable sound with an empty centre and flog it as something new. They are no juxtapositions, no surprises, no leaps of faith of strange exotic detours. No searching, no ache, no pain, no bliss. The Killers revisionist, reactionary and soulless. The Worst Band in the world? No issue!

Tony Heywood 2009(c)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Mark Eitzel Live - i left my heart in san francisco

Another video from the Hoboken Show. Mark Eitzel ripping through a delightful version of I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

Mark Eitzel Plays American Music Club - Me and Mr Jones

A little taste of Marks upcoming tour. Just Mark Eitzel singing and Marc Capelle playing the piano.

Marks wonderful cover of Me and Mr Jones

Mark Eitzel Live 2009

The ever wonderful Mark Eitzel is touring with Marc Capelle. They will performing American Music Club Songs, some covers and some new songs.

They is a good post on Mark Eitzel's blog.


Sat 7/18 New York, NY at Le Poisson Rouge
Sun 7/19 Hudson, NY at Jason’s Upstairs
Mon 7/20 Hoboken, NJ at Maxwell’s
Tue 7/21 Boston. MA at Lizard Lounge
Wed 7/22 Albany NY at Lindas at WAMC
Thu 7/23 Rochester, NY at Lovin’ Cup Cafe
Fri 7/24 Buffalo, NY at Marty & Susan’s House
Sat 7/25 Baltimore, MD at Metro Gallery
Sun 7/26 Chapel Hill, NC at Memorial Hall Theatre w/ She&Him & Wye Oak (part of the Merge XX celebration)
Mon 7/27 Arlington, VA at IOTA Club
Tue 7/28 Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s
Wed 7/29 Brooklyn, NY at Bell House

Mark Eitzels upcoming tour for his new solo album looks a bit like this.

04.10.09 Exeter -Phoenix
06.10.09 Winchester – Tower Arts Centre
07.10.09 London - St Giles in the Fields
08.10.09 Brighton – The Basement
15.10.09 I-Milan, House Concert
16.10.09 I-Massa Carrara, Tagomago
17.10.09 I-Turin, House Concert
18.10.09 CH-Zurich, El Lokal
20.10.09 Karlsruhe, Jubez
22.10.09 L-Dudelange, Centre Culturel opderschmelz
23.10.09 B-Brussels, AB Club
24.10.09 B-Brugge, Music In Mind Festival
01.11.09 NL-Utrecht, Ekko
03.11.09 Bristol – St Bonaventures
04.11.09 Birmingham – Glee Club
05.11.09 Manchester - St Margaret's Church
07.11.09 Edinburgh – Cabaret Voltaire
08.11.09 Newcastle – Cluny 2
09.11.09 Leeds - Brudnell Social Club

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The National - The Runway (Live on Q TV)



Wonderful new National tracked titled The Runway has arrived on youtube via Q TV. It's graceful, aching, hushed, whisky bruised and deep rooted in melancholy. I can’t wait for the new LP on the back of this. The fragile beauty of the track looks like it’s going to be a classic!

Friday, June 26, 2009

Steven Wells RIP


It was sad to hear of the passing of Steven Wells ex NME scribe. He died on Tuesday after a three year battle against cancer. He was found to be suffering from Hodgkin's lymphoma three years ago and despite the disease going into remission, he later contracted stomach cancer.

He was a firebrand and full of fury and polemic when writing for the NME first as Susan Williams and then later under his own name. He took on the pomposity of musicians, class and homophobia. He was a champion of the Manic Street Preachers and clashed with Shaun Ryder and Bez from the Happy Mondays about their blatant and sickening homophobia. I can remember reading the piece at the time and being both angry at the Happy Mondays and glad someone had taken them to task about it. He also found time to write about football, American Sports Culture,TV and media and his battle against cancer plus this one..

It such a shame thats the NME is currently so vanilla, inane and flat.

May he Rage in Peace

Here are some of the tributes:

Pitchfork
NME
Guardian Sport
Guardian - James Brown
Clash

Some examples of Steven Well’s work
Happy Monday and Steven Wells

Friday, May 29, 2009

Free Momus Downloads


Free Momus


I have just discovered that Momus(Nick Currie) has posted up all his Creation era LPs free on URU Web. The LPs come with some wonderful notes for Momus himself explaining the inspirations and the music behind the tracks.

They have been up since Christmas but somehow I missed them!

Here is Nick Currie's statement

“"Okay, this is quite a big decision, but I've taken it. Six Momus albums -- the ones I recorded for Alan McGee's Creation label between 1987 and 1993 -- are out of print. Creation doesn't exist any more, and in theory Sony owns the rights to these albums, but isn't doing anything with them and probably never will. In the meantime, only Russian pirates are profiting, charging punters for illegal downloads.

So, during the rest of December, I've decided to release mp3s of my six Creation albums here on Click Opera, for free. Think of it as a sort of Creation Advent Calendar, with a new old Momus album every couple of days. If you're the sort of person who likes to donate to the artist when you download, do it here. But it's not really necessary; these albums paid for themselves long ago. Think of this as a Christmas present. Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!"

- Momus”


I love The Tender Pervert, it is one of my favorite LPs of all time. The word play and the music sit so well together, the themes are close to my heart and I am sure Jarvis Cocker spent a good few years listening to it. I Spy by Pulp bares an uncanny resemblance in my mind to The Homosexual by Momus although the Momus track bites much harder, it is simply amazing even if Neil Tenant told Nick that it didn’t have enough melodic hooks!

Download the LPS here:

Momus Free Downloads


Some late 80s Momus!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Caretaker - V/Vm Test White Death




The Caretaker (James Kirby) has a wonderful blog History Always Favors the Winners. They are links to various media articles, interviews and free downloads.

One is this beautiful V/Vm Test album - White Death.

This is the text for the album.

"For nearly a year-and-a-half, the twenty five men and one woman aboard the Saint Anna endured terrible hardships and danger as the icebound ship drifted helplessly north. Convinced that the Saint Anna would never free herself from the ice, Valerian Albenov and thirteen crewmen left the ship in January 1914."

V/Vm Test - White Death

Snatch Tapes 30th Anniversary Tape









The wonderful DIY sound art producer Snatch Tapes have a free release on their website to mark their 30th Anniversary. It has two tracks to download and record to tape. Labels and cover art. You can also send your tape to them for them to frank and record as a collectors item.

I am a lover of the cassettes and find them a wonderful source of field recordings and untraceable music.

Snatch Tapes describe the music on Carriage Returns.

"Focussing on music and voice-overs originally recorded for various film and video projects Carriage Return weaves a fragmented narration concerning ghost sightings, car crashes, ley lines and hidden bends in and around Bluebell Hill in Kent, England. Mixed with the spoken words is prepared piano, VCS3 synth, circuit bent Casio, shortwave radio, pots and pans and the usual melodic cacophony we have come to expect from Snatch Tapes."

Well Worth a listen and I am off to record mine onto tape tonight.

Snatch Tapes - Carriage Returns

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Free Clash Magazine Download


Bought a copy of Clash to read on the train back from London the this week. I always find something worth the cover price in terms of new music. I can live without the Enemy - heavens they are so dull and the interview is riddled with the inconsistencies of youth.

Tom Clarke goes out of his way to point out how normal he is and how he wanted the new record to sound like they do live. Then in the next breath talks about the backward drums and reverb on one track and how much he loves Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon. Hardly a live sounding records!

The free download they are current offering is rather wonderful.

Its worth the short download time just for Bleach - Mondays. Sisters Jennifer and Katherine O’Neill fashion a garage band storm with its nagging riff and soring vocals its a little bit of heaven for free.

Worthy mention to the bassline remix of the Virgins track Rich Girls that swirls and sways on top of well a spongy bassline and a wobbler!

You can go get it all here - June Cross Section Download

Good work Clash!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

International Record Shop Day April 18th 2009



I love record shops. They are one of my favorite places to spend time. When I say record shop I mean local record stores not huge chains. I have seen the rise and fall of Our Price (where I once worked), Fopp (well most of them) and Virgin/Zavvi(eaten alive by HMV) in the last five years or so. Bath used to have a great collection of record shops from the second hand vinyl treasure trove (Nashers, 10:15), indie chains (Replay and Reckless) and chains (two Our Price, two Fopp, MVC). All that is left is a terrible HMV, a wonderful specialist Jazz shop Broad Street Jazz and a cool shop flogging dance music on vinyl - Drop Records.

I mention all this because of International Record Shop Day. A day to celebrate the wonder of the record shop.

"This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Franscisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April."

There will be all manner of goodies on sale on the day including limited edition 7" vinyl, The Flaming Lips, Mute Math, Oasis and Green Day!

There is a list of the stores in the UK taking part here: Record Store Day UK

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Time Travel with Wire Magazine








I had a great find on Sunday in Lyme Regis in Dorset. In the Sanctuary bookshop I discovered a huge bundle of old copies of Wire.

For the sum of £15.00 I have four years of the magazine to work through reading reviews, interview and generally running backwards through time and electronic music.

First couple I have read through have had a great interview with Mark Hollis,Disco Inferno and a wonderful piece on John Oswald and The Grateful Dead/John Oswald Grayfolded which I have since downloaded from emusic.

All great stuff. I am in magazine heaven.

Monday, March 02, 2009

88 Albums - If You Think Radiohead’s Kid A is Weird, Then You Should Really Hunt This Music Down



This list is from the Paul Morley's Book - Words and Music

It is a list of albums he recomends you find if you start a conversion about what makes music weird "...and then after the weirdness - what happens, what changes, whats goes on, whats the point.."

I have created a Spotify Playlist from the selections though not all the LP are listed on spotify and not all the artist are available either, I have just dropped in tracks and not completely LPS but its a great starting point.

There is a second list which I will try and do this week.

If You Think Kid A Is Weird - One

This is the list below.

Thanks to Rocklists for saving me the time typing this our

88 Albums - If You Think Radiohead’s Kid A is Weird, Then You Should Really Hunt This Music Down

“After you have listened to at least twenty-two of the following, then perhaps you can begin a discussion, with Kylie or her ghostwriter, about just what makes music weird, and then – after the weirdness – what happens, what changes, what goes on, what’s the point – is it just a pleasure listening to weirdness that is just straightforward pleasure, or is the weirdness making the world, you mind, your mind in the world, a better place thing space capsule container mind room, etc… ?”

There is an order to the following – the order that it comes in, which I thought about short and hard. I was delighted with the order. It worked perfectly…

o Lindsay, Arto – Subtle Body
o Bailey, Derek – Guitar, Drums ‘n’ Bass
o Frith, Fred Guitar Quartet – Ayaya Moses
o Niblock, Phill – Four Full Flutes
o Scott, Raymond – Manhattan Research Inc
o Branca, Glenn – Symphony No 3 (Gloria)
o Palestine, Charlemagne – Strumming Music
o Satoh, Somei – Incarnation II
o Yellow Magic Orchestra – Technodelic
o Fullman, Ellen – Body Music
o Oliveros, Pauline – Suspended Music
o Partch, Harry - Collection Vol 1
o Cowell, Henry – Piano Music
o Zorn, John – Spillane
o Faust – So Far
o Fripp, Robert – That Which Passes
o Pan Sonic – A
o Budd, Harold – Lovely Thunder
o Incredibly Strange Music Vol 1 (Various Artists)
o Cage, John – Indeterminacy
o Rich & Lustmord – Stalker
o Borden, David – Continuing Story of Counterpoint Parts 1-4
o Nikolais, Alwin – Electronic Dance Music
o Johnston, Ben – Music for Piano
o Butler, Ken – Voices of Anxious Objects
o Harrison, Lou – Rhymes with Silver
o Vangelis – L’Apocalypse des Animaux
o Cyberchump – Dreams Groove
o Reed, Lou – Metal Machine Music
o Kruth, John – Cherry Electric
o Subotnick, Milton – Silver Apples of the Moon
o Lustmord – Place Where the Black Stars Hang
o Labradford – E Luxo So
o Hassell, Jon – Surgeon of the Nightsky Restores Dead Things by the Power of Sound
o Young, La Monte – Trio for Strings
o Supersilent – Supersilent 4
o Nyman, Michael – Decay Music
o Swswthrght – Essence or Residue
o Ashely, Robert – In Sara Mencken Christ & Beethoven There Were Men & Women
o Carlos, Wendy – Sonic Seasonings
o Residents – Duck Stab
o Sonic Youth – Goodbye 20th Century
o Fennesz – Endless
o Stockhausen, Karlheinz – Kontakte
o Mad Professor – Psychedelic Dub: Dub Me Crazy Part 10
o Varese, Edgard – Arcana/Ameriques/Ionisation
o Parker, Evan – Breaths & Heartbeats
o Fila Brazillia – Maim That Tune
o King Crimson – Larks Tongues in Aspic
o Magma – Live
o Arvo Pärt – Tabula Rasa
o Holland, Dave Quartet – Conference of the Birds
o Can – Tago Mago
o Art Ensemble of Chicago – Bop Tizum
o Hendrix, Jimi – Are You Experienced?
o Ligeti, Gyorgy – Lux Aetena
o Pablo, Augustus – King Tubby Meets Roots Rockers Uptown
o Sun Ra – Cosmic Tones for Mental Therapy/Art Forms of Dimensions Tomorrow
o Bj̦rk РSelmasongs
o Peach Orchard – In Order to Survive
o Conrad, Tony/La Monte Young/John Cale – Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol 1
o Ribot, Marc – Saints
o Towner, Ralph – Sounds & Shadows
o Sylvian, David/Holgar Czukay – Plight & Premonition
o Cabaret Voltaire – Conversation
o Grateful Dead – Dark Star
o Talk Talk – Laughing Stock
o Throbbing Gristle – In the Shadow of the Sun
o Nurse with Wound – Spiral Insana
o Hassell, Jon/Brian Eno – Fourth World Vol 1: Possible Musics
o Henry Cow – Concerts
o Moss, David – Dense Band
o Eno, Brian – Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy
o Pere Ubu – Dub Housing
o Palestine, Charlemagne – Schlingen Blangen
o Scriabin, Alexander – Preparation for the Final Mystery
o Takemitsu, Toru – Quotation of a Dream
o Mouse on Mars – Autoditacker
o Feldman, Morton – Crippled Symphony
o Frith, Fred – Clearing
o Fall – This Nation’s Saving Grace
o Russell, George – Electronic Sonata for Souls Loved
o Mitchell, Roscoe Sextet – Sound
o Coltrane, John – Meditations
o Mother Mallard’s Portable Masterpiece – 1970-73
o Walker, Scott – Tilt
o Momus – 20 Vodka Jellies
o Mantler, Michael – Beckett/No Answer

Friday, February 27, 2009

John Peel Festive 50 1988 - Spotify Playlist


Are you using Spotify? If not you really need to beg an invite. I think I have two left if anyone really needs one.The playlist function is cool as mud and I have been playing about with it. Thought I should create something we could all could share. So I created one for the John Peel 1988 Festive 50.

I picked 1988 as it was one of the years that I remember listing to loads of Peel as I left work and went back to college to do my "A" Levels. Lots of The House of Love, The Fall and The Pixies. Its not completely as they where missing The Wedding Present tracks from that period and a few of the more obscure tracks (No Spit - Road Pizza or Shalawambe - Samora Machel)which is a real shame. For a full list of the John Peel Festive 50 from 1988 visit Rock Music List.

For my playlist – John Peel Festive 50 1988 Spotify

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

American Music Club - The Golden Age Number 4 - 2008





American Music Club - The Golden Age

Mark Eitzel reformed American Music Club with a new rhythm section and the inscrutable Vudi along for the ride. The band fashioned a lighter than sound than their churning bruised glory. Laurel Cannon sunshine anchored by Eitzel sonorous crumpled vocals and his weary romantic Bukowski world view. The Golden Age soared upwards on harmonies of All The Lost Souls of San Francisco and the astounding bleak beauty of Windows of The World. Vudi bleeds his guitar grime into the mix and Eitzel opens his heart and our eyes as only he can.

Tony Heywood (C)

Goldmund – The Malady of Elegance Number 5



This was a late entry into my musical universe. It may had been higher up if I had time to immerse myself in its dark reverberations. Its fractured obtuse sense of melody, filigree and shadow, sparse piano notes drifting on the wind. Keith Kenniff plays like Satie freed from ad breaks and muzak hell and sent tumbling through inner space. Stilted, angelic and frozen.

Goldmund – The Malady of Elegance

Goldmund - Myspace Page

Tony Heywood (C)

Yellow Swans – Deterioration - Number 6 2008



The sudden, gracefully and friendly demise of Yellow Swans was my personal musical low point. Pete Swanson and Gabriel Mindel Saloman and have parted ways to pursue separate music journeys’. I will miss their warm noise blast, their unmatched flare for combining cantankerous white noise tension with burnt melancholy reflection. Cavernous and claustrophobic as ever. Electronic split ends flickering and sparking in an endless feedback loop. I wait with bated breath to see what comes next.

Yellow Swans - Myspace Page

Tony Heywood (C)

Number 7 - Glasvegas - Self Titled

Glasvegas - Glasvegas



I very nearly didn’t get beyond the name conjuring as it does the image of some terrible wedding band. Then there was the hype – Best New Band in Britain headlines that make you yawn and laugh long and hearty about Suede. Thankfully they sound like the love child of a drunken tryst between The Jesus and Mary Chain and Lily Allen. All corrosive feedback squall, submerged melodic gold and whip smart modern lyrics. The looked like they needed sunlight, orange juice and a good nights sleep. Imagine the Velvet Underground sharing a half time tangerine with Philip Larkin and Alex Turner. The choruses are huge, the soul deep and clobber blacker than black. Odes to social workers as angels in a world of post baby P witch hunts. Scotland The Brave.

Glasvegas - Website

Tony Heywood (C)