May 2007 Rick Danko - Times Like These (Breeze Hill) Why are the greatest figures in popular music forever damned to suffer odious comparison with their most innovative work, which inevitably appears early in their careers, leaving them at the mercy of cynical opportunist rock critics for pretty much the rest of their lives? Certainly the likes of Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Captain Beefheart can stand testimony to this, all of whom have had fine latter-day recordings roundly rubbished, simply for not being Astral Weeks, Hejira or Trout Mask Replica all over again. So how then, do we assess this last word from the Band’s bassist and vocalist Rick Danko? Well, we can start by dispensing with the completely bloody obvious. In the international food chain of great records this isn’t going to be as high up as The Band, Music From Big Pink or Stage Fright. It isn’t as “good” either as the much maligned High on the Hog or Jubilation (although this writer for one agrees with Greil Marcus that the latter particularly is worthy of urgent reassessment), and it probably isn’t as strong as his earlier solo outings. Happy now? But this is still Rick Danko for Christ’s sake, and unless we’re going to endorse the banal (but widely held) idea that there should have been a blanket ban on anyone who appeared in The Last Waltz even leaving the house after the credit’s had rolled, then much respect must surely still be due. It’s true that the voice here may crack from time to time, and with age and ill health taking their toll, is less resonant than of old; but it retains a timeless quality which should be the envy of many an upstart Americana wannabe snuggled up in the comfort blanket of digital production software. The writing and the playing probably don’t precisely compete with the casual excellence of the Band’s early output, but show me some that does. Several of the songs here, including ‘This Wheels on Fire’ and Jubilation’s ‘Book Faded Brown’ were probably performed better first time around, but so what? Let’s not forget that Danko co-write both, and it would be churlish to question his right to revisit them. In fact, you can take any track here on its individual merit and you won’t find it wanting. There’s a glorious version of the Dead’s ‘Ripple’, and a haunting ‘Chain Gang’, while self-penned title track ‘Times Like These’ is hesitant but ultimately convincing. As with the last days of the Band, troubadour Tom Pacheco lends a hand on acoustic guitar and in the provision of two new songs, plaintive ballad ‘You Can Go Home’ and closing anthem ‘People of Conscience’. Neither of these do any harm to Danko’s formidable legacy. Support throughout comes from a predictably stellar cast including Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Joe Walsh and many more, and together with producer Louis Hurwitz they work up a sound that is fluent and full. Times Like These isn’t a starting point for anyone coming to the man and his work for the first time, but for those who already know and understand what Rick Danko meant to music this is a collection they would be foolish to overlook. Neil B. Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood - Canisanubis (mymwly) Their name, Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood, instantly projects a certain expectation and accordingly they have a penchant for creating intensely haunting improvisations. By way of example ‘Augustifolia’ certainly sets darkly ritualistic scene, with it’s muted chanting. Tinkled bells and various tappings are laid over shadowy electronics throughout and when strings are presented they are scary enough to make the music of the Wicker Man seem like a children’s film soundtrack. An offering of shake and rattle for the witching hour, certainly one to keep the lights on for. Will F. Brothers of the Occult Sisterhood - SFS (mymwly) The painted cover uses the technique of applying paint, folding the paper to produce a symmetrical abstract image which can look like various things - sometimes all at once. This aesthetic mirrors the music on the hand sprayed CD contained. Not quite as eerie as it’s predecessor, ‘SFS’ is certainly open to many more interpretations. It is predominantly ramshackle percussion driven improvisations (including broken drums!). The key track, ‘Alerting the Vast Echos’ strays through seemingly accidental rhythms and repetitive melodies, includes one of the occasional vocals - sounding like they are whispered in tongues - and concludes with gloriously chaotic crescendo. A lightless treasure to behold. Will F. Paul Brill - Harpooner (Scarlet Shame Records) Somehow Paul Brill has managed to slip unnoticed down the cracks between the fantastic marble crazy paving stones that are Bonnie Prince Billy and Elliot Smith (come back Elliot Smith to us now). It focuses largely on creating acoustic soundscapes layered over unusual but strikingly pleasing melodies. Apparently he cut his song writing teeth penning tunes whilst ‘holed-up in a bleak rustic cabin’ in Vermont. You can hear that cabin on this record. You can also hear the icy landscapes and the bitter sea. It’s a melancholy meandering selection that you will have you reaching for the hot chocolate and Battenberg. Best played in November. Dave B. Junkman’s Choir - Steel Linin’ Chant (Yonko) This takes me back to a time when bands like the Folk Devils, the Men They Couldn’t Hang and of course, the mighty Pogues, ruled the club scene. Junkman’s Choir plough similar furrows to those bands - high octane acoustic sounds for the most part, but equally rooted in post-punk and traditional music. Formed from the embers of Scottish agit-folk outfit Nyah Fearties and the marginally obscurer Dub Skelper, Junkman’s Choir fine tune their techniques for their second album, and emerge all conquering. Steel Linin’ Chant is a glorious mish-mash of styles, instruments and songs. It’s an album where brawny, accordion spiked ditties about mining disasters get a reggae treatment, Joe Strummer gets a tribute song, Mariachi trumpets collide with Cajun shuffles and ska beats, and there’s nothing to be done except smile and lap it all up. Most pleasing. www.junkmanschoir.co.uk Rob F. Jacanda - Back To The Sky (Hillside Recordings) Fuck me, this is earnest. Jacanda is singer-songwriter Chris Pritchett and on Back To The Sky he bares his soul, gets all sensitive and shares his hurt with whoever will listen. It’s all done in a classic laid-back English guitar pop style, but this is about the songs, and I guess love and the opposite sex (I assume the opposite sex) provide nothing but pain, confusion and, eventually, inspiration for Chris. It’s not my cup of tea, but if you’re recently jilted, prone to bursts of uncontrollable weeping, like the idea of proper tunes and solid songs sung with emotion, then knock yourself out. www.jacandamusic.com Alex A. Bobtail Yearlings - Yearling’s Bobtails (Dogies Almondine Records) Intriguing and disconcerting, this confessional album is a work of literature, a folk pop concept album and a Brechtian song-cycle. Alienated, you bet. Hooked, without doubt. I spent ages listening to the multi-layered rhythms and the collage of influences. Eventually, I succumbed to the voice of singer Bennett Lin, which takes a while to adjust to. I spent even longer surfing the web to find out about the Bobtail Yearlings. Lin and his compatriots are fascinating, and I urge you to peek into their world and their music. Power to the vegans! www.bobtailyearlings.com Carl J. Gandalph Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams - Flapjacks from the Sky (High Noon Records) Don’t be put off by the Dungeons and Dragons, pixielfish name. This is great. It’s Neil Diamond with the Devil on his back and mid seventies Pink Floyd for a backing band (or it might be the Heartbreakers). Either way we’ve got soulful ballads that drip with longing and aching; Lyrically, we’ve got addiction and heartbreak and yet it still vibrates with hope and optimism and manages to make me chuckle in so many places. It also finds time to merge country and grunge together (gruntry music if you will), which works, for me on many levels. Just bloody buy it and be glad that they took the trouble to land on this planet. Dave B. Jack - Pioneer Soundtracks 10th Anniversary Edition (Spinney) It’s nice to welcome this album back into the land of the living. Initially released a decade or so ago, Pioneer Soundtracks received a glowing reception from critics (myself included) and fans alike. It’s aged well. The original album was split into two very distinct parts. The first half was very upbeat, and wore it’s post punk influences on its sleeve. Think Momus, Tindersticks, John Foxx’s Ultravox and you’ll understand that although it bounced along, it did so in the shadows. The second half was a different story altogether. The shadows were left far behind, and instead we’re left wandering slowly through the pitch black darkness. ‘Didn't Mean It Marie’ and ‘Dress You In Mourning’ would probably felt just as at home on Lou Reed’s Berlin album. It always seemed to work better on vinyl than CD, but that’s a fairly minor quibble. Buy it on CD and programme your player however it works best for you. Anyway, this being a special edition, we get a bonus CD which compiles some singles, EPs, alternative versions, a live studio outtake, a demo, and half a dozen tracks recorded live in Paris. All are worth having, especially the ‘Kid Stardust’ 45 and the live versions of ‘...Of Lights’ and ‘White Jazz’. Rob F. Catfish Keith - Sweet Pea (Fish Tail Records) Catfish Keith has released ten solo albums in the last 25 years, two of which have been nominated for WC Handy awards in the acoustic blues category. He’s got every excuse to have become middle aged, tired and complacent. But he hasn’t (except the middle aged part). From the first track, ‘Goin’ Up North Gonna Get My Hambone Boiled’ to the last, ‘I’m Going to Germany’, this album is full of freshness, enthusiasm, vibrancy and energy. There are great new original songs, including track 1, and covers including Leadbelly’s ‘When I was a Cowboy’ and Skip James’ ‘Put a Bucket in Your Basket’. There’s also a song written by the cartoonist Robert Crumb (Fritz the Cat and Keep on Truckin’, in the 70s) with the chorus, “baby I’m a fine artiste, and I deserve to be kissed”. Catfish Keith is a guitar maestro with a fine voice. Highly recommended. www.catfishkeith.com Paul C. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band - Now You Know (Self Released) Few genres of popular music have divided along cultural and racial lines as the funk. As it peaked creatively in the early 70’s it also lost out commercially, routed in the mainstream record market by the anodyne but more easily digestible disco, and while no major black artist of the last forty years has been untouched by it, few of those rock musicians who shamelessly plundered blues, soul and reggae managed to meaningfully take it on board. To be fair, funk was never going to be easy for a suburban white audience, driven as it was by a riotous combination of stylistic inputs, unpredictable pace and mood, a heavy brass sound, and a loud street-wise image. It steadfastly refused to water down, and sickeningly Wild Cherry was what we got when it was forced to. The fact that you could move to it was never any guarantee of chart success or popular acceptance. However, as anyone who caught the recent Soul Britannia outing by Madeline Bell, Linda Lewis and others, backed by members of Cymande, Gonzales and the Average White Band can confirm, there was a profound sophistication in its combination of jazz , deep soul and afro beat that raised it above the level of the dance floor. Three decades on from The Meters and The Ohio Players, coinciding with the recent death of funk’s founder James Brown and the resurgence of its most dramatic exponent, George Clinton, Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band choose the term “bounce” to describe the package of driving rhythms, strident horns and muscular guitar licks that constitute their first studio album. There’s a noticeably stronger hip hop presence here than would have been the case with their antecedents, but otherwise it’s very recognisably the funk, with blasts of full-on energy as the default position, occasionally deferring to mellower moods such as the cool summer jazz of ‘Self Celebration’, or the New Orleans-influenced ‘Ma, There Goes the Band’. ‘Natural Art’ recalls late period Miles, while ‘Hey Man’ deploys some nicely lyrical flute playing to pleasing effect. While there is no reason to suspect that this hard working amalgamation of grooves and beats will be enough to break the band to a national audience, the many followers they have picked up during four years incessant touring of the Southern states and the Gulf Coast should be more than happy with what they have here. www.bootyband.com Neil B. Stacey Board - Look at the Sun (Self Released) Raised in the South but currently based in Utah, it shouldn’t be long before a label looking for another solid acoustic troubadour stumbles upon Stacey Board. It’s not going to mobilise the masses to rise up against international injustice and suffering; but that’s okay. I’ve nothing against sitting in a field, by a brook, eating raspberries and drinking cheap Cava. Which is what these songs are ideal for. The songs are, crisply strum, with well-crafted melodies and tender, often stark lyrics. There’s a helping of Joni in there, a smidgen of Laura Cantrell and a side salad of Rickie Lee Jones. The song,’ Not the Way’ exemplifies the whole collection, so if you can treat yourself to this track. Dave B. Cara Luft - The Light Fantastic (Black Hen) Cara Luft helped found The Wailin’ Jennys before leaving in 2004 to resume her solo career, which began and stalled with 2000’s Tempting The Storm. Well, she’s back now, and The Light Fantastic announces the fact with a big, impressive bang. Unafraid to wander the Americana backroads; folk, country, country-rock and even some blues are featured, all are there to showcase what an accomplished songwriter Luft has become - both ‘Talk For Awhile’ and ‘No Friend Of Mine’ stand out. If I had a criticism, it’s a touch too long for one sitting, but if you wait seven years between solo albums, you’re going to have a lot to say. For the most part, it’s worth hearing. www.blackhenmusic.com Rob F. Santo Subito - Xavier (Accretions) Xavier is a collection of improvised works, grounded mainly in drone, and is remarkable for it’s continual high standard. This is aided by the virtuosity of violin and bass clarinet, which lead predominantly, and balance each other perfectly. Accompaniments come from by an array of sounds, some traditional and others concocted using electronics and home-made instruments, such as the Flubaphone. ‘Radiosonde’ displays Santo Sabito in up tempo avant-classical lilt with Xavier’s least droned piece. An almost 19 minute ‘Whole Trees In Motion’ is an astonishing work that captivates and never stagnates, where each movement transits seamlessly to the next, from the screeching chaos of Hades through to heaven. www.accretions.com Will F. The Heise Bros. - The Continuing Saga of… (Choose to Loose Music) The Heise Bros. are Nelson and Robert Heise, plus five other band members, although all seven of them don’t play together on any of the ten tracks. This is their second album. The sound is punky, but a bit sweet - like Mercury Rev meets The Ramones. But there is also a hint of Lou Reed and a slight aftertaste of Blondie. ‘Island Wake’, track 5, has distinct notes of psychedelia, and the one and a half minute track, ‘Zodiac’, is a powerhouse of wild berry fruitiness in 3/4 time. All in all this is an album of smooth, steely freshness. On ‘The Revenge of the Self-Imposed Hero’, the band sing “Fuck the critics and their bullshit”. But, hey, I think you guys are ok. www.theheisebros.com Paul C. Brightboy - Love For the Streets (Helsinki Music Company) Just over a year after the release of their first single, ‘1989’, Finland’s finest release the sparkly debut album Love for the Streets. Opening track ‘Wear Out The Soles’ bounces into view with a nod to Hard-Fi and then things get really Scandinavian. Crisp and clean, Brightboy sound like the bastard sons of Aha. Sorry to bang on about the influences but there’s also a real Savage Garden vibe, particularly in the prettyboy vocals. There’s plenty to admire in this melodic pop and the future looks er… bright for Brightboy. www.brightboy.fi Carl J. Alberta Cross - The Thief & The Heartbreaker (Fiction) London-based Alberta Cross do everything right on their debut, except seven tracks in less than half an hour just isn’t enough. Permanent members and songwriters Petter Ericson Stakee and Terry Wolfers mix up sepia-tinged Californian folk, country rock and blues influences like it’s the most natural thing in the world, write the songs to match and should be snuggling up either side of Joni Mitchell at night. Fortunately, they manage to pull it off with a contemporary feel. Like they say, the result is a sound that is inspired by Laurel Canyon circa 1969 but shaped by East London 2007. Looking forward to seeing them at Summer Sundae. www.myspace.com/albertacross Rob F. Freddie Stevenson - Body On The Line (Juicy Musical Creations) Scot Freddie Stevenson’s debut comprises 11 songs of crisply played, often quirky acoustic based pop. Stevenson has a pleasant voice with a hint of Paul Heaton about it and his songs demonstrate an often witty turn of phrase. Some of the album is a tad too laid back, clean cut and polished, but on opening cut ‘Lost American’ he’s at his best incorporating intriguing lyrics, amidst a deceptively catchy, bouncy shuffle of a tune. Stevenson’s been able to call on some impressive and somewhat surprising musicians to back him up - on drums and percussion is Brady Blade who’s previously worked with Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris, but most intriguing is the revelation that the album was produced by Only Ones lead guitarist John Perry who also guests on almost every track on the album. Whilst interesting in part, the news that Stevenson has apparently already written his next album and intends to adopt a tougher, more rock-oriented approach makes that a more enticing and exciting prospect. www.juicymusicalcreations.com Geraint J. Cloudviewishwater - Abar Olam V’ad Olam (Self-Released) This 2 track debut from Steve Roffeld (half of Californian experimental duo, Receptor Sight) was “designed to be listened to in an intimate environment” and in such an environment is totally consuming. The 25 minute plus opener is created around a haunting drone and very subtle changes take place around it - without concentrating some of these intrusions could easily be missed whilst they are absorbed into the drove of sound. After a long pause track 2 begins, with it’s really muted bells and implied distant locomotives, and, by comparison, barely gets started before the CD closes. Ambience really is the name of Cloudviewishwater’s game, and they play well. www.receptorsight.com Will F. Barton Carroll - Love & War (Skybucket Records) This is not an album to be put on in the background, it must be listened to, though the listening is difficult. These are the stories of real, ordinary people, who want to have love in their lives, but who find themselves in times of war. The pivotal track is ‘Small Thing’, about a young German woman in Berlin at the end of the WW2: “our brothers and our fathers did the same thing on their side”, “in war God looses care for small things, and I was a small thing”. In ‘The Way Back to Her’ a soldier returns to his love in search of redemption from the horrors he has been involved in. In ‘Scorched Earth’ he sings, “lucky I found you, I’ve been needing a reason to live… and die”. Powerful, affecting, difficult, intelligent songs. www.bartoncarroll.com Paul C. Kevin Stonerock - Land Of A Thousand Smiles (Two Moon) Kevin Stonerock’s been around since the late ‘70s, intermittently making country-folk-rock albums and by my reckoning, Land Of A Thousand Smiles is his fourth or maybe fifth. In the early part of his career he was considered too country for the folk folks and too edgy for the country crowd so never found a proper home for his style, or audience for his sound. Now we’ve got the Americana genre, which welcomes everyone from Bright Eyes to The Hold Steady, homelessness is no longer a problem. Finding an audience remains an issue - but Land Of A Thousand Smiles is a start. Stonerock’s gentle, easy-on-the-ear style brings to mind a rustic Poco or James Taylor, and it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine Bob Harris making a radio hit of ‘Working Class Guitar’. www.kevinstonerock.com Rob F. Filthy Jim - Night Killers (Lowe Farm) The best that might be said about Filthy Jim’s earlier efforts was that they were mercifully brief. 2002’s ‘Whiskey and Porn’, for example, rattled off its twelve numbers in just 26 minutes, and although the band claimed influences from Mudhoney to Metallica, the overall impression was more akin to a collection of cast out b-sides by the Circle Jerks. This year’s ‘Night Killers’ paradoxically marks both a significant artistic advance and their recording swansong, coinciding as it does with their farewell shows on New Year’s Eve. It’s a much more polished affair altogether, with longer songs drawing from a range of classic rock sources. There’s an undeniable debt to Black Sabbath throughout, starting with stand-out opener ‘The Amazing Ignatius’ and Iron Man references on ‘Lip, Hips and Fingertips’, while ‘Sucking Life’ is a second cousin to Paranoid. Vocals recall the shriller voices of sometimes Ian Gillan, elsewhere Burke Shelley, while a couple of songs invoke early Led Zeppelin via The Answer. At the end of the day the album lacks the power and ambition of a genuinely top flight metal act, and there are no really great songs, but as a parting shot from the Massachusetts four-piece this is certainly no disgrace. www.lowefarmrecords.com Neil B. The Early Hours - Lights, Guitar, Action (Off The Hip) There has been a serious road traffic accident on the A47, just outside of Hinckley, involving the Smithereens and the first Oasis album. Thankfully no serious damage has been done to either. Hailing from sweaty Perth, circa mid nineties, this complete collection of all their stuff sails by nicely enough, blown along with west coast melodies, entwined with that upfront, garage Epiphone guitar sound . Whilst this is no classic, it should appeal to those who appreciate simple, tuneful but thrashy, 3 chord songs with decent if not hypnotic melodies. The song titles give the game away: ‘Sunshine Changes Everything’, ‘Groovy Kind Of Girl’, ‘The Girl I Haven’t Met Yet’. Dave B. Celestial - Celestial (SkippingStonesRecords) Nothing happens, several times, in this delicate, ethereal collection. Shoegazing pop, nods to the early Creation sound and beautifully breathy vocals make this a nostalgic curio with a modern sensibility. There are Stone Rose tints on the gorgeous ‘Lake Como’ that make me want to jump in the car, drive fast and swirl the music around me like the blur of the passing streetlights. ‘Brighton Girls’ is as sweet and light as pastel seaside candyfloss. And I’m a sucker for the Swedish accents. The light gleams an instant catch Celestial before it is night once more. www.SkippingStonesRecord.com Carl J. Windmill - Puddle City Racing Lights (Melodic) This first Studio outing from Windmill (aka Matthew Dillon) is heavily influenced by, and has the vocal stylings of, the American indie-psych-pop greats such as Mercury Rev, Flaming Lips, et al. It is a very accomplished indulgence with a primary theme surrounding air travel. The lyrics take ordinary and mundane observations and transpose them into an abstract , and seemingly paranoid, form of expression. Where tracks don’t surge from the outset they start as simple piano ballads can skew and become engulfed in orchestral strings and strong rhythms (delivered by members The Earlies live band and ex-Alfie's Ian Smith) and are further augmented by surreal little flourishes. Powerful and melodic. Will F. Murder by Death - In Bocca Al Lupo (Cooking Vinyl) Shane McGowan, Johnny Cash and Tom Waits went for a walk in the park late one night. The weather was close and sultry. They got to talking about Tennessee Williams and how, sometimes, only sometimes, secretly, they wished they could sing like Joe Soap, with the kind of voice that wimps don’t blanche at. So, anyway, they caught a rig down to Big Pink, with some test tubes, half a bottle of Red Rose bourbon, a bottle of Guinness and some chemicals. They mixed them all together, and behold, in a sulphurous flash - that they’re still talking about in Woodstock today… Murder by Death. I love it and so should you. That voice, by the way, came out all Johnny Cash. Check out ‘The Big Sleep’ and ‘Shiola’. Love and peace. Dave B. Joshua Marcus - Make / Believe (Contraphonic Music) Opening proceedings with the distant sounds of rumbling thunder and cascading rainfall, Joshua Marcus’ intimate 8-song debut makes a memorable impression from the off. Marcus’ distinctively reedy voice has an intriguingly appealing fragile quality though is perhaps more effective in conjunction with the foil of a duettist, as often is the case here; ‘Coal Or Smoke’, where he’s joined by Amy Pickard, being the best example. Utilising banjo, guitar, mandolin, upright bass, violin and occasional harmonica and with no percussion, while there’s an undeniably old-timey influence at play, there’s no denying Marcus’ contemporary resonance either – the song titles perhaps the biggest giveaway - ‘Nostrils Break Or Create Silence’ – unlikely to be found on a Carter Family anthology. One to watch for, much like Sufjan Stevens, Joshua Marcus has appropriated and simultaneously updated some of America’s oldest musical styles and consequently should find appeal with both open minded traditional audiences as well as today’s more left-field palates. www.contraphonic.com Geraint J. Steve Mayone - Understories (Umver Records) Accomplished outing from the Boston based singer-songwriter. Powerful lyrics and great guitar and mandolin work are a testament to Mayone’s experience as a sought after sidekick. As a soloist, he has a world-weary voice that raises the songs above the average folk troubadour fare. ‘Poor Poor Heart’ is a weepy highlight and ‘Strange Affair’ is one to catch if you hear of him playing a small club in MA, or on one of his sporadic jaunts across the ocean to Blighty. Available from cdbaby.com, if you’re tempted. www.stevemayone.com Carl J. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum (Graveface) Retro synths lead the way though a round of rock driven synth pop tunes, at times influenced by Disco (‘Rollerdisco’) and Hip Hop (‘Drippy Eye’). Although disguising every lyric with heavy use of vocoder becomes formulaic and wears a little thin their use of analogue (sounding) equipment gives a reminiscent pleasure in drawing parallels with synth pioneers, Kraftwerk, Beck and even a heavy version of Air. Whilst fairly heavy throughout there are some catchy day-glo psychedelic tunes - ‘Sun Lips’ begins in Strawberry Fields fashion - others are enhanced by tambourine and maracas (‘Melt Me’) and ‘Untitled Roadside Demo’, with it’s acoustic guitar louder in the mix, shows potential. www.blackmothsuperrainbow.com / www.graveface.com Will F. Gada - Unknown Individuals (Self Released) Not being a huge fan of the kind of early 70’s soft rocker that saw the Crosby / Nash coupling as the high point of creativity, I was poised to give this release from Sacramento three piece Gada an almighty kicking. To be fair, their case wasn’t helped by the inclusion of a song by the utterly unspeakable Dan Fogelburg (if you don’t know him just don’t go there, right?) and the fact that their name, enticingly taken from the Navajo word for “dirt”, a reference to Mother Earth, seems to have no relevance to their music, and is consequently more than a bit of a disappointment. However, as a fair-minded sort of bloke I persevered with this to such an extent that I first developed a grudging respect for the undeniably competent musicianship on display here, enlivened by some gentle psychedelic guitar licks throughout, and then a grudging appreciation of the two or three songs that break out of the regular mould to suggest a promise of better things to come. The longer numbers such as ‘Puppet Machine’ and ‘Hazel’ in particular have a bit more muscle behind them and are allowed to develop into something more interesting, and the insistent and slightly surreal ‘Blue Phase’, while not necessarily the basis of a whole album at least hints at a creative spirit trying to break free. This isn’t going to make your party go off with a bang, but if it inadvertently finds its way onto the decks during the chill out hour you probably won’t get too many complaints. www.gadamusic.com Neil B. The Fall - Reformation Post TLC (Slogan) With Mark E Smith just having hit 50 and The Fall having amassed nearly as many former members as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; fast approaching a fourth decade together as a group, The Fall and its infamous front man remain just as valid today as ever. With well in excess of 25 studio albums and numerous compilations, it’s testament to Smith and co’s continuingly unique perspective that ‘Reformation Post TLC’ is as good a place to start as any. Smith’s often wry invective remains intact, yet there’s also a palpable sense of fun and adventure permeating the album which you may not have expected. Frustrating, occasionally self indulgent, ‘Das Boat’ for example – ten minutes of droning and bizarre vocals is hard going, though overall RPLC represents The Fall at close to their hypnotically brooding best. Geraint J. The Broken Remotes - Tonight’s Last Stand (Room206 Records) Stick with this one. The album starts off promising and just gets better and better as the pace dips, the intelligence shines through and the music breathes. Hailing from L.A., the Broken Remotes tap into folk, punk and indie, with a dash of Neil Young and a splash of country. It’s a heady brew, culminating in the quietly anthemic ‘On the Take’. Early tracks ‘Arms Held Aloft’ and ‘Stick With Me, Kid’ have bombast and bluster like a version of Dirty Pretty Things for adults. Check out the band’s website for a listen and to buy the excellent T-shirt! Who needs T.V when you’ve got the Broken Remotes? www.thebrokenremotes.com Carl J. Shedding - What God Doesn’t Bless, You Won’t Love: What You Don’t Love, The Child Won’t Know (Hometapes) Shedding’s second release is, by Connor Bell’s own admission, influenced by, and pays tribute to Eric Dolphy and Birds. Opener, ‘GB’ is a dark melding of processed drones, minimal percussion and clarinet. ‘W’s’ duetting, complex horn patterns are soon joined by lolloping, dark, trip-hop drums. Spiritual (animal) whines add to the overall feeling of being lost in the woods. When the drums drop out the sense of being surrounded by trees is brought further into being with the sampled bird calls and clarinet duets, which recall Basil Kirchin’s ‘Quantum’-era bird call, horn response experiments. ‘YDK’’s near 20 minute closer is built on textural drones with sparse jazz interludes (and the odd howl) which is like reassignment of the fact that track 2 has got us lost and that settling down to sleep, however difficult, is the best option. A real trip and packaged wonderfully. www.home-tapes.com Will F. Valient Thorr - Legend of the World (Volcom Entertainment) Back in the uber-radical days of the seventies, somewhere in the jungles of South America, a Marxist sect by the name of the Revolutionary Workers Party held that the only escape from international capitalism lay in a fresh start from the ashes of Armageddon or invasion by extra-terrestrials. If they were around today, Valient Thorr would be their first choice of house band. The music here is less complicated than the concept behind it. Basically a rough and ready mix of all shades of garage metal encompassing MC5, Hellacopters and Viking Skull, the songs are essentially a vehicle for their anger with the state of the planet, especially their homeland’s part in destroying it. This includes the wonderfully titled ‘Goveruptcy’ - “The veil of lies is gone. No democracy was real”, ‘False Profits’ - “They’re gonna get you somehow”, and inevitably a scathing hit on the Iraq debacle, ‘Exit Strategy’ - “Don’t waste your time stealing oil for Bush and Uncle Sam... This mission is fucked”. The interesting twist to this is in their solution of choice. Eschewing both the bullet and the ballot box they acknowledge our race’s direct descent from aliens, and reach the logical conclusion that salvation lies in the cosmos and a return to outer space, notably to the ‘Lime Green Net’ that “connects possibility”. At this point our heroes (Valient Himself, Professor Strangees, and the Thorrs, Oden, Elden and Lucien) leave me light years behind. Neil B. Walt Wagner - In The Pink: Music of Pink Floyd (Semaphone) The concept of the music of Pink Floyd being reworked as solo piano pieces would produce a cringe in any fan. Beginning with ‘Another Brick in the Wall’ and ‘Money’ does nothing to dispel this belief: these are ambitious translations and sound a little Dave Bruebeck (no bad thing but not in this context) and come across as too jovial and lack the drama of the originals. Enduring with the album does predominantly pay off, marred only by ‘Brain Damage’ (sounds too ‘Candle in the Wind’) and ‘Eclipse’ (too bright) as once the tempo is slowed Wagner’s virtuosity instils the sadness and atmosphere initially behest upon the tracks. This is certainly no novelty record, wholly entertaining and to a listener unfamiliar with the originals (and thus not compelled to sing along) would be truly rewarding. www.waltwagner.com Will F. Southern Tenant Folk Union - S/T (Ugly Nephew) Founded by Pat McGarvey (Coal Porters) as an outlet for his more traditional songs, the London-based Southern Tenant Folk Union sound like they were washed down a Virginny hillside, fully formed and raring to go. Their ragged melancholic bluegrass stylings draw comparisons to Crooked Jades and Jim And Jenny And The Pinetops, and in that esteemed company, they are not misplaced. Both the playing and the songs are beautifully evocative of another time and place, and seeing as first rate UK Americana / bluegrass outfits are thin on the ground, it might be wise to introduce yourself to these folks. www.southerntenantfolkunion.com Rob F. Arthur Autumn - Styrofoam • Pills • Heartbreak • Shaker (Magnolia Blue Electric Records) With a name that conjures up vague memories of some lost cult figure from the deepest recesses of quintessentially English psychedelic whimsy, Arthur Autumn is in fact the nom-de-plume of one Brent A. Nuffer, front man of contemporary Detroit alt-rock outfit Studiotone. Not remotely evocative of 60s revivalism, in the guise of his alter ego, Nuffer fleshes out his reflective relationship-focussed songs in warmly minimalist style, his voice often quite reminiscent of a reigned in, less bombastic Eddie Vedder, and the contributions of cohort Zack Pearce, particularly impressive on lap steel, lend the proceedings a fluid almost dreamy quality, that ought to find favour among some alt-country fans. The album might be lacking immediacy and is perhaps shy of a few strong hooks, but perseverance with the album reveals a work of quietly deceptive appeal. www.arthurautumn.com Geraint J. Shanna Sharp - Calling Amsterdam (Self Released) Shanna Sharp is beautiful. It could be said that it’s worth buying this five track EP for the photo on the cover. I would certainly buy a ticket for a gig - especially if she’d be wearing the same dress. Stop it. Guitar, piano and drums give a jazzy accompaniment to Shanna’s throaty, soulful voice. The record has been carefully produced and has a sophisticated sound. The songs are all about relationships, mostly failed, although the title track is a high energy song about lovers running away together. She sings with feeling. She has talent as well as looks. www.shannasharp.com Paul C. Plainswalkers - Ramskull (Dynamo! Sound Collective) A single, 15 minute live improvisation limited to 50 copies. The duo (consisting of Droopy Septum and Tusk lord) creates heavy, rumbling industrial drone which is accompanied, at first, by cymbals. They transform the sound of rain into the crashing of thunder and lightning creating the perfect horror background for the howls heard midway. Arpeggiated guitar notes and bass join the melee briefly but do not seem to have the power to change the course of the drone. The packaging is striking and seems that a lot of effort was put in for such a short release. www.dynamosound.cjb.net Will F. Jaimi Shuey - Wrong Girl (Boronda Records) Impressive debut set from the itinerant Jaimi Shuey - she moved from Southern California to the Pacific Northwest in her youth, although she’s now seemingly returned to her roots, given the album was recorded back in California. Gifted with a distinctive frayed around the edges quality to her voice, that imbues these occasionally blues and jazz-inflected takes on rootsy-Americana with an unforgettably soulful honesty, Jaimi Shuey evocative songs make quite an impact. Backed-up by a fine band that melds the likes of Don Heffington on drums and Kip Boardman on piano (whose own solo albums are well worth seeking out), Wrong Girl sounds right to me. Deny the everlasting pleasure of ‘Ouija’s sultry nightclub allure or the more traditional honky-tonk of ‘Country Girl’ at your peril. Geraint J. The Skylighters - The Skylighters (Red Beet Records) The sleeve notes tell us The Skylighters are a Nashville trio called Last Train Home, together with bluegrass legends Mike Auldridge and Jimmy Gaudreau. This is an album of 13 love songs plus the compulsory gospel song, which is called ‘Going Up Home to Live in Green Pastures’. It’s mainly mainstream country music, heavy on the pedal steel and with some good breaks on the mandolin. Only one of the songs is written by a band member, ‘See What Love Can Do’, and that’s one of the strongest tracks. The songs are delivered competently enough, but there’s not much of a spark here. I’m not familiar with the band members’ previous work, but my guess is the whole is less than the sum of the parts. The outstanding track is ‘Nevertheless’, a slow ballad that puts me in mind of Peter Skellern. www.redbeetrecords.com Paul C. Magick Markers - Feel the Crayon (Not Not Fun) This purple vinyl repressing (with fantastic hand-screened sleeve by George W. Myers of Grey Skull) of a limited 2005 CDR is here shortened by 2 tracks and showcases Magick / Magic / Magik / Magique Markers immense, shambolic free art punk. ‘White Bikini’, one of the few tracks with discipherable lyrics, offers adhoc radical feminist diatribe (‘there was no humility in her, she did not take care of babies’) and switches (un)easily between 1st and 3rd person. Throughout there is an overwhelming wont for pure chaos and almost no concern with any perceived quality of recording (listen to sudden volume ride in ‘Hero for Our Times part 1’) or playing - which is their obvious aesthetic. Only occasionally do the fed back guitars, drums and vocals coheres into any recognisable form and this would appear to be pure accident. Awe inspiring noise. www.notnotfun.com Will F. Big Daddy Lee and The Kingbees - Early in The Morning (Self Released) Twelve bar blues. Comfort blues. Stuff to listen to when you don’t want anything too fancy. Big Daddy and The Kingbees are a four piece of guitars, bass, drums and harp, and on this album there are guests playing Hammond organ and sax. It’s recorded as live, and it comes across as a live set. The fine original track, ‘Premonition’, says that “the blues is coming on me”, and in the following tracks it comes on. The penultimate track, ‘Don’t Turn Around’, is a smoochy dance number, and then we finish with the stompin’ encore, ‘Bullfrog Blues’. Early in The Morning - as in after midnight, not breakfast time. www.bigdaddylee.com Paul C. Dimi Dero inc - Sisyphus Window Cleaning (Off The Hip) Four friends from France with a penchant for decadence and a love of like minded Australian musicians (they have just toured Oz with the Drones). The thank-you to collaborators, and others, reads like a list of miscreants. Vocalist Dimi Dero has a fine pedigree of time spent with a host of musos from a land down under and English / German counterparts. His sometimes slow almost spoken vocals have a slight vehemence and are sung mostly in English with the benefit of his accent. The whole CD is a devastating noise with pounding (and good) drumming throughout. Attitude all the way in a similar mood to Bad Seeds / Crime & The City Solution and some New Rose label bands - the twangy guitar reminded me of The Hives on one track. Window Cleaning the last track is best almost like ‘Next’ by Alex Harvey. A saint will feel at peace in the midst of any din and noise - this CD may require a saint. Terry W. Secretary Bird - Secretary Bird (In De Goot Recordings) ‘Imaginary you’, track 2 on this debut from Mike Semple’s sobriquet, would have The Modern Lovers looking up at the radio from their papers, cwarfee and cigarettes, thinking, ‘When did Jon write this?’. I love Jonathan Richman, I also love fuzzy Crazy Horse guitar work and Arcade Fire and this lot are not far behind in the egg and spoon race, except Arcade Fire know their eggs and their mam’s given them much bigger spoons. Nevertheless to be even at the same sports day as Arcade Fire is not bad going. ‘I’m So Sick Of Your Stories’ (track 8) also stands out. Dave B. Mike Aiken - Just Add Salt (Self Released) The sleeve notes tell us the salt in the title might be salt air on the breeze, salt water under the keel, or salt on the rim of the glass. This is laid back, ain’t-life-great country music by a guitarist who lives on a boat and seems to enjoy life. ‘Ninety Miles to Hemmingway’ is about his dilemma, as an American, whether or not to set off in his boat from Key West to see the sights and taste the pleasures of Havana. My advice to him is go for it. Live a little more dangerously. Paul C. The Space Heaters - Warming Up (Self Released) For my money you can’t have too many garage bands. Styles come and go, but for forty-odd years rock’s default position has been the three chord thrash band with a judicious bag of cover versions and a bad attitude. Fuelled by the right intoxicants this is always going to add up to a half decent night out, and there’s always the outside chance they might accidentally throw up just one timeless nugget of their own that seals them a tiny chapter in the history books. Detroit’s The Space Heaters haven’t produced their own equivalent of ‘Psycho’ or ‘96 Tears’ as yet, but have their place nonetheless. Their 7 track debut is medium-paced punk, coming on like a less sleazy Dolls or slightly gentler Damned / Ramones / Vibrators, featuring five original songs and two covers. It’s one of these, Curtis Mayfield’s ‘(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below We’re All Gonna Go’, which stands as the most interesting moment, with a sax freakout behind it which would be quite at home on ‘Fun House’ itself. The album as a whole isn’t strong enough to draw in the casual listener, but as a souvenir of a memorable hot and sweaty club gig it’s one you’d be pleased to take home with you. Neil B. Breadfoot featuring Anna Phoebe - Tea with Leo (Jeeziepeezie Records) He did better with this one. This is the second Breadfoot album I’ve reviewed. I was a bit critical of the earlier one, saying it lacked variety. This is much, much better. Breadfoot plays guitar and banjo; Anna Phoebe plays violin and fiddle. A seven track mini-album of instrumental music - American folk, railroad tunes, hillbilly, Stephane Grappelli jazzy, emotional, cerebral, wistful, playful. The guitar is kept simple and repetitive and the fiddle cuts loose with the melodies. The partnership is highly agreeable. The notes say the album was fuelled by, and named after, tea and biscuit binges with producer Leo Abrahams. Not Jack Daniels with Micky, then, or coke with Phil. Good music. www.breadfoot.com / www.annaphoebe.com Paul C. Past Reviews: March 07, April 07