2010 Music Chart - April

No new albums this month.

1. I Speak Because I Can by Laura Marling
   
2. The Betrayed by LostProphets
3. The Winter of Mixed Drinks by Frightened Rabbit
4. The Quickening by Kathryn Williams
5. Acolyte by Delphic
6. The Courage Of Others by Midlake
   
7. July Flame by Laura Veirs
8. Year Of The Black Rainbow by Coheed & Cambria
9. When This Was The Future by Lisa O Piu
   
10. Handmade Life by Chris Wood
    
11. End Times by Eels
12. Fire Like This by Blood Red Shoes
    
13. Graceful Bow (EP) by Jason Ward
    
14. Rotten Pear by Andrew Vincent

Later Live... with Jools Holland - Series 36 Episode 4.

I have been having a break from writing about the Jools Holland shows for a number of reasons, which I won’t go into right now, but this week a few artists caught my eye/ear. One of these is the wonderful Laura Marling and I was interested to hear how her new songs from the brilliant I Speak Because I Can would be performed live. We were treated to a taster on the live Tuesday show when Laura and her band delivered a perfect Devil’s Spoke. I will certainly be tuning in, or more accurately catching up on BBC iPlayer, based on this performance.

But there is plenty more to shout about this week which will make Friday one of the best Jools Holland Laters in many years. ‘Headliners’ Gorillaz enlisted Mos Def and legend Bobby Womack, who also ’jams’ with Jools and talks briefly about his music and life, but as with most shows it is the variety and talent across all the guests rather than the big names who do much more than just make up the numbers. Yet another band from Athens, Georgia, Drive-By Truckers are great, as is another US-export Diane Birch. The big surprise is Bobby McFerrin who stole the show with his unique a cappella style. There is more to the man than the 80s hit ‘Don’t Worry, Be Happy’.

So it promises to be a good show on Friday after a couple of lukewarm starts.

New LCD Soundsystem album This Is Happening

James Murphy is back with LCD Soundsystem and a new album, out next month, This Is Happening. On first preview listen, the album is a bizarre mix of 80's retro, goth and shoegaze influenced electro-dance. 9 tracks with 5 around the 8 minute mark, this is huge and ambitious, sprawling and embracing. It doesn't sound massively ground breaking and very different from the LCD Soundsystem of the eponymous 2005 album that spawned hits such as Daft Punk Is Playing At My House, Losing My Edge and On Repeat. Nor does it echo Sound Of Silver and the might of North American Scum. But it does sound interesting. And that's all we ask from LCD.

Thea Gilmore - Angels In The Abattoir Update (April 2010)

This month's Angels In The Abattoir track started life as a Mike Scott (Waterboys) song and was 'given' to Thea to finish, during the time the two worked together when Harpo's Ghost was being recorded. The two songs We Built A Monster and Whistle And Steam were created during that time.

So this is a stripped down acoustic song that doesn't sound like a Thea Gilmore song, but she breathes life and soul into every word and note. She describes it as 'a grumpy song about counting down the days to cutting loose'. It's actually quite upbeat and not at all moody and angst-ridden.

An interesting song but clear that it is a collaboration. Albeit a decent one.

Oli Brown - Psycho session

Oli Brown Band- Psycho - The funniest movie is here. Find it

Malcolm McLaren RIP

RIP Malcolm McLaren 1946 - 2010