Music Chart - 2014 Review

So after a brief hiatus, here is the final chart of 2014... Some new entries of note are:

It's Nearly Tomorrow by Craig Armstrong - more beautiful and elegant instrumentals from a true genius, mixed with tracks featuring some distracting - if equally elegant - guest vocalists.
Fall Together Again by Andy Burrows - continuing to prove there is life after Razorlight, Burrows delivers wonderful songwriting yet again.
I Forget Where We Were by Ben Howard - a darker, more introspective collection of personal songs and intensity then Howard's début.
Super Critical by The Ting Tings - the band that completely refuse to conform take on the likes of Chic and guitar-funk disco with another party album.
In The Seams by Saint Saviour - the best songs Saint Saviour has put her name to; heartfelt, beautiful and vocals to die for.
Storytone by Neil Young - if you remove the 'big band' versions, this is a stripped-down open-hearted album of quite wonderful songs - that said, the filled-out numbers occasionally hit the mark.
The Endless River by Pink Floyd - the band's swansong featuring outtakes and material from the late Richard Wright; a fitting end to a huge legacy.
Sonic Highways by Foo Fighters - the best album from Dave Grohl and the boys for many years - this is a full-on and committed guitar-fest.
Monuments To An Elegy by The Smashing Pumpkins - a brave attempt to do something different which often works thanks to Billy Corgan's sharp lyrics and listless delivery; not the band they once were but now a different animal.

The final top ten features amazing bands and great singer-songwriters. The War On Drugs were never to be beaten.

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines 
3. Syro by Aphex Twin
4. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
5. Morning Phase by Beck 
6. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis
7. Somewhere Under Wonderland by Counting Crows
8. Forgetting The Present by Remember Remember 
9. Built For Storms by Nigel Stonier
10. In The Seams by Saint Saviour
11. While 1 is less than 2 by Deadmau5 
12. The Fire Inside by Luke Sital-Singh
13. Sonic Highways by Foo Fighters
14. It's Nearly Tomorrow by Craig Armstrong
15. Royal Blood by Royal Blood
16. My Favourite Faded Fantasy by Damien Rice 
17. Beauty & Ruin by Bob Mould 
18. Super Critical by The Ting Tings
19. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies 
20. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
21. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
22. Ryan Adams by Ryan Adams
23. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
24. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders
25. Fall Together Again by Andy Burrows
26. Storytone by Neil Young
27. This Is All Yours by Alt-J
28. Alarms In The Heart by Dry The River 
29. I Forget Where We Were by Ben Howard
30. Popular Problems by Leonard Cohen
31. Owl John by Owl John
32. Mandatory Fun by Weird Al Yankovic
33. 48:13 by Kasabian 
34. The Endless River by Pink Floyd
35. Indie Cindy by The Pixies 
36. Ghost Stories by Coldplay
37. Running With Scissors by Janet Devlin 
38. Bones + Longing by Gemma Hayes
39. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
40. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
41. Pe'ahi by The Raveonettes 
42. A New Nature by Esben And The Witch
43. Grinning Streak by Barenaked Ladies 
44. Phantom Radio by Mark Lanegan Band
45. Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst 
46. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
47. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
48. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
49. Lazaretto by Jack White 
50. Get Hurt by The Gaslight Anthem
51. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
52. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club 
53. Nobody Wants To Be Here & Nobody Wants To Leave by The Twilight Sad
54. 1984 by Ryan Adams 
55. Playland by Johnny Marr
56. Heartstrings by Howling Bells
57. We Come From The Same Place by Allo Darlin'
58. El Pintor by Interpol
59. Honeyblood by Honeyblood
60. Futurology by Manic Street Preachers
61. IX by Corrosion Of Conformity 
62. Pale Communion by Opeth
63. Into The Lime by New Mendicants 
64. The Day's War by Lonely The Brave
65. 9 Dead Alive by Rodrigo y Gabriela 
66. Monuments To An Elegy by The Smashing Pumpkins
67. A Letter Home By Neil Young
68. In The Silence by Asgeir
69. Held In Splendor by Quilt
70. Blood by Pulled Apart By Horses
71. Wilderness of Mirrors by Lawrence English
72. Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
73. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
74. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
75. Alvvays by Alvvays
76. Supernova by Ray LaMontagne
77. Echoes by Emily Smith 
78. Everyday Robots by Damon Albarn
79. Atlas by Real Estate
80. Croz by David Crosby
81. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
82. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
83. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
84. Wildewoman by Lucius
85. Luminous by The Horrors
86. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
87. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
88. Waking Lines by Patterns
89. Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos 
90. Complete Surrender by Slow Club
91. The Future's Void by EMA
92. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
93. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
94. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
95. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
96. Warpaint by Warpaint
97. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten
98. To Be Kind by Swans
99. Eagulls by Eagulls 
100. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
101. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
102. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
103. None The Wiser by The Rifles
104. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

Music Chart - September 2014

Another amazing month of new music. Not one...but two Ryan Adams albums!, each showcasing the man's unique talents. 1984 is down and dirty punk meets garage rock and the eponymous album is borderline ironic - he has spent years detaching himself from 'almost namesake' Bryan Adams yet the latter release brings together soft-rock influences and clichéd scansion. The contrast makes the former more interesting but musically inferior. Then comes a much welcomed new album from Counting Crows, returning from something of a slump: a nice, yet limp covers collection after a 'more of the same' mid-tempo drawl live album. But Somewhere Under Wonderland is magnificent - upbeat, energised and committed in equal measures, with Adam Duritz sounding better than ever.

To compliment this trio, Leonard Cohen - now a feisty 80 years old - brings us one of his best albums, well, since the last one. Wonderful song writing and a stilted, yet charming, delivery makes Popular Problems an engaging and compelling listen. Then, another stalwart of the music industry: Aphex Twin returns with a list of incomprehensible and unpronounceable songs on the brilliant Syro - a masterclass of electronic genius. And lastly the sublime, weird and often wonderful Alt-J return with an album that is arguably better than their award winning début.

A late entry to the 2014 chart is Coldplay's Ghost Stories... while clearly a shadow of their former selves, Chris Martin and the boys deliver a beautiful heartfelt and inoffensive collection of love songs - the band's best for a very long time. And in total contrast, Pulled Apart By Horses continue to thrash things up while Lonely The Brave have a long way to go before they can claim Biffy Clyro's crown.

Nothing challenges the mighty War On Drugs who hold the top spot.

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines 
3. Syro by Aphex Twin
4. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
5. Morning Phase by Beck 
6. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis
7. Somewhere Under Wonderland by Counting Crows
8. Forgetting The Present by Remember Remember 
9. Built For Storms by Nigel Stonier
10. While 1 is less than 2 by Deadmau5 
11. The Fire Inside by Luke Sital-Singh
12. Royal Blood by Royal Blood
13. Beauty & Ruin by Bob Mould
14. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies 
15. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
16. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
17. Ryan Adams by Ryan Adams
18. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
19. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders
20. This Is All Yours by Alt-J
21. Alarms In The Heart by Dry The River 
22. Popular Problems by Leonard Cohen
23. Owl John by Owl John
24. Mandatory Fun by Weird Al Yankovic
25. 48:13 by Kasabian
26. Indie Cindy by The Pixies 
27. Ghost Stories by Coldplay
28. Running With Scissors by Janet Devlin 
29. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
30. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
31. Pe'ahi by The Raveonettes
32. Grinning Streak by Barenaked Ladies
33. Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst 
34. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
35. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
36. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
37. Lazaretto by Jack White 
38. Get Hurt by The Gaslight Anthem
39. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
40. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club 
41. 1984 by Ryan Adams
42. Heartstrings by Howling Bells
43. Honeyblood by Honeyblood
44. Futurology by Manic Street Preachers
45. IX by Corrosion Of Conformity 
46. Pale Communion by Opeth
47. Into The Lime by New Mendicants 
48. The Day's War by Lonely The Brave
49. 9 Dead Alive by Rodrigo y Gabriela
50. A Letter Home By Neil Young
51. In The Silence by Asgeir
52. Held In Splendor by Quilt
53. Blood by Pulled Apart By Horses
54. Wilderness of Mirrors by Lawrence English
55. Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
56. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
57. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
58. Alvvays by Alvvays
59. Supernova by Ray LaMontagne
60. Echoes by Emily Smith 
61. Everyday Robots by Damon Albarn
62. Atlas by Real Estate
63. Croz by David Crosby
64. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
65. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
66. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
67. Wildewoman by Lucius
68. Luminous by The Horrors
69. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
70. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
71. Waking Lines by Patterns
72. Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos 
73. Complete Surrender by Slow Club
74. The Future's Void by EMA
75. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
76. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
77. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
78. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
79. Warpaint by Warpaint
80. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten
81. To Be Kind by Swans
82. Eagulls by Eagulls 
83. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
84. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
85. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
86. None The Wiser by The Rifles
87. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

Music Chart - August 2014

One of the best months of the year for new albums and a 2014 return for some great bands. One of the biggest releases of the year is Alarms In The Heart by Dry The River - a solid, yet sadly inferior second-best to the brilliant Shallow Bed. I'll give it time but it lacks not only the songs but much of the wide-eyed wonder of its predecessor. The Gaslight Anthem get heavy with the New Jersey charm with Get Hurt...for me not quite as slick as Handwritten but plenty of commitment and passion, as always. One of the new shining lights this year finally follows up a bunch of EPs, and the intriguing Film Songs, with the excellent The Fire Inside - a marvellous début featuring one of the best songs of the year: Bottled Up Tight. And another new act promising so much - and delivering: Royal Blood release their eponymous début; kicking off with the astonishing Out Of The Black and blistering Figure It Out. Echoes of White and Homme everywhere but the startling combination of vocals, drums and bass guitar performed by a duo is truly exhilarating. Last but no least, Thea Gilmore's right-hand man Nigel Stonier, a brilliantly talented songwriter and performer who doesn't release enough albums of his own, has made Built For Storms - filled with stark observations, smart lyrics and beautiful poignant reflections.

Elsewhere, Frightened Rabbit take time out for Owl John, The Raveonettes bring back the bleak, Slow Club attempt to engage, Howling Bells pull the Heartstrings and Honeyblood get feisty.

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines
3. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
4. Morning Phase by Beck 
5. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis
6. Forgetting The Present by Remember Remember 
7. Built For Storms by Nigel Stonier
8. While 1 is less than 2 by Deadmau5 
9. The Fire Inside by Luke Sital-Singh
10. Royal Blood by Royal Blood
11. Beauty & Ruin by Bob Mould
12. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies 
13. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
14. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
15. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
16. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders
17. Alarms In The Heart by Dry The River
18. Owl John by Owl John
19. Mandatory Fun by Weird Al Yankovic
20. 48:13 by Kasabian
21. Indie Cindy by The Pixies 
22. Running With Scissors by Janet Devlin 
23. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
24. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
25. Pe'ahi by The Raveonettes
26. Grinning Streak by Barenaked Ladies
27. Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst 
28. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
29. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
30. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
31. Lazaretto by Jack White 
32. Get Hurt by The Gaslight Anthem
33. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
34. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club 
35. Heartstrings by Howling Bells
36. Honeyblood by Honeyblood
37. Futurology by Manic Street Preachers
38. IX by Corrosion Of Conformity
39. Into The Lime by New Mendicants 
40. 9 Dead Alive by Rodrigo y Gabriela
41. A Letter Home By Neil Young
42. In The Silence by Asgeir
43. Held In Splendor by Quilt
44. Wilderness of Mirrors by Lawrence English
45. Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
46. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
47. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
48. Alvvays by Alvvays
49. Supernova by Ray LaMontagne
50. Echoes by Emily Smith 
51. Everyday Robots by Damon Albarn
52. Atlas by Real Estate
53. Croz by David Crosby
54. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
55. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
56. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
57. Wildewoman by Lucius
58. Luminous by The Horrors
59. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
60. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
61. Waking Lines by Patterns
62. Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos 
63. Complete Surrender by Slow Club
64. The Future's Void by EMA
65. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
66. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
67. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
68. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
69. Warpaint by Warpaint
70. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten
71. To Be Kind by Swans
72. Eagulls by Eagulls 
73. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
74. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
75. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
76. None The Wiser by The Rifles
77. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

The Vinyl Frontier - Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell

Two more gems recently entrusted to my care...

In 1969 Bob Dylan defied convention and instead of making a political statement - at the time there was much to protest about - he made Nashville Skyline, a sublime and quirky country-rock album.  Featuring Johnny Cash and a host of other great musicians there is much more to this than Lay Lady Lay, and Dylan's best album after Blood On The Tracks. This was the ultimate protest singer making the ultimate anti-protest album.

History really does repeat itself. I have the same feeling listening to Song To A Seagull, Joni Mitchell's wonderful début album, as I do with Laura Marling's Alas I Cannot Swim... The same idealistic lyrical craft mixed with swirling acoustic guitars in a simple, unruffled and raw production. Not many singers get away with a concept album as their first effort but Mitchell made her mark on the music world from the very first note. Her voice is both powerful and un-threatening, every song tells a story, while the strings add the atmospherics.

-- CS

The Vinyl Frontier - The Beatles

I am not a huge Beatles fan. I have my own favourite songs and I only own Revolver and the two anthologies (on CD)…until now. Recently, I inherited (with great privilege) some ‘old’ records including all twelve original Beatles LPs (thirteen if you include Magical Mystery Tour) plus a few other compilations and rarities collections.

Here they are: 

The Beatles’ albums cover a mere eight years, from the debut Please Please Me in 1963 to Let It Be in 1970. Often making two albums a year during this time, it is an incredible catalogue of music and culture. The development of the band’s music can be divided into four trilogies: Please Please Me, With The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night is poster-boy jangly pop; Beatles For Sale, Help! and Rubber Soul is a band exploring and expanding; Revolver, Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album is creativity, risks and reward; and Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road and Let It Be is the sound of self-indulgence, fractures and reflection – Abbey Road feels like the start of Harrison’s solo career with some of his best songs and Let It Be, mostly recorded before Abbey Road, doesn’t feel like a ‘break-up’ album although The Long And Winding Road always seems to be an obvious swansong.

For me, the height of The Beatles’ creativity and power was 1966. The reason I bought Revolver is that I still think it’s a masterpiece – although it does seem to divide fans somewhat – and listening to my new vinyl copy, even more so. The album has just about everything from the dark sad Eleanor Rigby to the playful nursery-rhyme Yellow Submarine, punchy Got To Get You Into My Life and the eclectic closer Tomorrow Never Knows. Vocals are shared and Harrison wrote three good songs. In comparison, the follow-up Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is overrated (but still very good). Having listened to the most of the earlier albums in full, A Hard Day’s Night is a highlight, with its fuzzy production and Lennon and McCartney writing together wonderfully.

I do recognise why and how The Beatles are so popular and why the songs and albums are iconic works of art, not only as part of British music but around the world. The song-writing partnership of Lennon and McCartney is still legendary and combined with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, one of the best-known and loved pop bands lives on.

-- CS

Music Chart - July 2014

A sparse month for good new music... but great new albums from Deadmau5, Remember Remember, Weird Al Yankovic and Jenny Lewis, plus a decent effort from Manic Street Preachers and Barenaked Ladies.

And again, nothing new to challenge the best album of the year from The War On Drugs...

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines
3. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
4. Morning Phase by Beck 
5. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis
6. Forgetting The Present by Remember Remember 
7. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
8. While 1 is less than 2 by Deadmau5
9. Beauty & Ruin by Bob Mould
10. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies
11. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
12. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
13. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders
14. Mandatory Fun by Weird Al Yankovic
15. 48:13 by Kasabian
16. Indie Cindy by The Pixies 
17. Running With Scissors by Janet Devlin 
18. The Voyager by Jenny Lewis
19. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
20. Grinning Streak by Barenaked Ladies
21. Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst 
22. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
23. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
24. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
25. Lazaretto by Jack White
26. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
27. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club 
28. Futurology by Manic Street Preachers
29. IX by Corrosion Of Conformity
30. Into The Lime by New Mendicants 
31. 9 Dead Alive by Rodrigo y Gabriela
32. A Letter Home By Neil Young
33. In The Silence by Asgeir
34. Held In Splendor by Quilt 
35. Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
36. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
37. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
38. Supernova by Ray LaMontagne
39. Echoes by Emily Smith 
40. Everyday Robots by Damon Albarn
41. Atlas by Real Estate
42. Croz by David Crosby
43. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
44. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
45. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
46. Wildewoman by Lucius
47. Luminous by The Horrors
48. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
49. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
50. Waking Lines by Patterns
51. Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos 
52. The Future's Void by EMA
53. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
54. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
55. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
56. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
57. Warpaint by Warpaint
58. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten
59. To Be Kind by Swans
60. Eagulls by Eagulls 
61. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
62. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
63. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
64. None The Wiser by The Rifles
65. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

Suzanne Vega - Live at The Lighthouse, Poole (3rd July 2014)

A warm Summer evening on the south coast of England, and the promise of great music from a true legend, drew us to Poole and the majestic Lighthouse. A venue that has been transformed in recent times from the old Arts Centre to a now modern, bright and vibrant concert hall was to be graced by the presence of Suzanne Vega. And having only seen her live once before (briefly at a dark and wet Glastonbury, from the back of a packed noisy acoustic tent many years ago), I was more than a bit excited to see one of my musical idols in a proper venue for the first time.

 
...But first, the support act. No big name: Chris Simmons from Brighton (who I suspect no one, including me, had heard of) walked on stage with his guitar to a smattering of applause, plugged it in, and just got on with it. With a limited collection of his own songs to choose from he managed to fill his half hour with two Squeeze covers including a superb version of Up The Junction. At one point he asked us, 'as you are so quiet, do you mind if I unplug my guitar?' and he did, playing completely acoustically. It was mesmerising. I have absolute admiration for anyone in this business who can get up on a stage with a voice and just sing. There is nowhere to hide and he didn't have to. Definitely one to watch for the future and hopefully this (short) run of support gigs will bring him an audience...

This year Suzanne Vega has, in the words of my fellow gig-goer JC, 'got her mojo back'. The release of her eighth studio album: Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles, after nearly five years re-working her own back-catalogue for the 'Close-Up' series, is her first new music for seven years and she is clearly re-energised and motivated. This was a no-frills performance with no big screens, light shows or huge orchestra. Backed by the brilliant Gerry Leonard (aka Spooky Ghost) on guitar (he also produced 'Pentacles') and Doug Yowell on drums, the three musicians more than filled the stage with Vega's words and music.

Naturally songs from Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles featured heavily in a set that blended old and new. The intro was the trio of theatrical Fat Man And Dancing Girl, anthemic Marlene On The Wall (with added top hat) and the sultry Caramel before three new songs: the wonderful Fool's Compliant, mysterious Crack In The Wall and enlightening Jacob And The Angel. By this stage, Vega was chatting to the audience in such a charming, funny and engaging way, trying to explain the new songs and their significance. The beautiful Small Blue Thing, gorgeous Gypsy and dramatic poetry of The Queen And The Soldier followed by the endlessly playful Don't Cork What You Can't Contain, spiritual Laying On Of Hands / Stoic 2 and moody Left Of Center formed the delicious centre-piece. To bring the main set to a close, latest crowd-pleaser I Never Wear White lived up to the billing - a definite highlight, lead to the reflective Some Journey, heart-breaking Luka and then to finish a full-on 'DNA'-esque version of Tom's Diner. I'm a huge fan of the original vocal-only take but this worked better on stage.

We didn't have to wait too long for the inevitable encore. Vega explained that they were off to Lisbon for the next leg of the European tour and songs featuring Portuguese Women are the order of the day... so she re-started with a modern update of the elegant Iron Bound / Fancy Poultry before asking us what we wanted. Now was my chance...do or die. I yelled 'Blood Makes Noise' (yes me, really), a song I was surprised didn't make the main set and I was determined to hear it. Turning to Leonard who was already setting up his effects pedals, 'shall we do it?'. And they did, a brilliant 'solo-vocal' version complete with fuzzy guitars and electronics, capturing the spirit of the original. Vega said afterwards that she didn't expect that 'the people of Poole' would be up for that. I'm not from Poole. Then, someone else asked for the melodic In Liverpool, so thankfully I didn't have to - another wonderful highlight, before Rosemary brought the night to a close.

Suzanne Vega did not disappoint. The lack of anything from Songs In Red And Gray and Beauty & Crime was a noticeable omission: Bound, Unbound, Penitent, If I Were A Weapon etc... and World Before Columbus would have been my second shout of the night, but with a wealth of songs to choose from it was not possible to fit in everything. But clearly Vega still has the love for a performance and the feeling is mutual. A magical evening that could have gone on forever, listening to one of the best voices in the business, performing at brilliant as ever.

-- CS

Music Chart - June 2014

A quiet month but some big hitters return with new albums. Jack White backs up a couple of great preview songs with the mixed Lazaretto which is far too adventurous and unnecessarily ambitious for its own good. Granted, White is a wonderful showman and songwriter, with ideas brimming and overflowing but sometimes keeping things simple is the best policy. Kasabian, on the other hand, have a more straightforward album with 48:13; ignoring the grungy disco of lead single 'eez-eh', there are moments of brilliance here as the recent Glastonbury headliners provide their unique blend of scuzzy electro-rock. And to complete this month's important trilogy, Bob Mould is back with Beauty & Ruin, not as polished as the wonderful Silver Age but guaranteed to please fans of the legendary songwriter. Elsewhere, X-Factor loser Janet Devlin proves there is life after reality TV: Running With Scissors is a gorgeous album of wide-eyed musings, lost loves and storytelling (also it includes a rather nice cover of The Cure's Friday I'm In Love). The Pains of Being Pure At Heart continue the delicious jangly guitar-pop on Days Of Abandon and Lana Del Rey flirts with controversy with Ultraviolence. The mighty Corrosion Of Conformity bring the noise to IX and finally the overrated Sharon Van Etten asks the non-question Are We There.

...but as yet, nothing to knock The War On Drugs from the number one...

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines
3. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
4. Morning Phase by Beck 
5. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis 
6. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
7. Beauty & Ruin by Bob Mould
8. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies
9. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
10. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
11. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders
12. 48:13 by Kasabian
13. Indie Cindy by The Pixies 
14. Running With Scissors by Janet Devlin
15. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
16. Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst 
17. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
18. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
19. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
20. Lazaretto by Jack White
21. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
22. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club 
23. IX by Corrosion Of Conformity
24. Into The Lime by New Mendicants 
25. 9 Dead Alive by Rodrigo y Gabriela
26. A Letter Home By Neil Young
27. In The Silence by Asgeir
28. Held In Splendor by Quilt 
29. Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
30. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
31. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
32. Supernova by Ray LaMontagne
33. Echoes by Emily Smith 
34. Everyday Robots by Damon Albarn
35. Atlas by Real Estate
36. Croz by David Crosby
37. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
38. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
39. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
40. Wildewoman by Lucius
41. Luminous by The Horrors
42. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
43. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
44. Waking Lines by Patterns
45. Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos 
46. The Future's Void by EMA
47. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
48. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
49. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
50. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
51. Warpaint by Warpaint
52. Are We There by Sharon Van Etten
53. To Be Kind by Swans
54. Eagulls by Eagulls 
55. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
56. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
57. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
58. None The Wiser by The Rifles
59. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

Music Chart - May 2014

More of an interesting month for music than a great one... the long awaited solo effort from Damon Albarn, Everyday Robots is as prosaic as it is charming - given his recent collaborative work and adventures into soundtracks, this is the sound of the former Blur front-man growing old gracefully. In contrast, the guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela return with 9 Dead Alive, another tribute album, with each track inspired by someone; a more varied collection than 2009's 11:11. This month also brings back The Pixies, a truly extraordinary and inventive band show their class on Indie Cindy. And the other album of note this month is A Letter Home by Neil Young, taking retrospective to the extreme - a covers album (avoiding the obvious, mostly) recorded, with the help of Jack White, on vintage equipment. This works, up to a point, and the under-production is engaging at first but slowly grates. If nothing else, this shows Young is still full of ideas, and music, and long may it continue.

Elsewhere, new material from Swans (To Be Kind) is challenging, Conor Oberst doesn't quite bring back the majesty of Bright Eyes (Upside Down Mountain), Ray LaMontagne (Supernova) goes 60s smooth and Tori Amos (Unrepentant Geraldines) twists and turns her way through a strange, but ultimately underwhelming, landscape.

(...a late addition, thanks to the recent gig supporting The War On Drugs at The Koko, Quilt's Held In Splendor makes it onto the Underwurld chart...Speaking of The War On Drugs, Lost In The Dream still tops the list...)

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines
3. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
4. Morning Phase by Beck 
5. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis 
6. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
7. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies
8. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
9. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
10. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders 
11. Indie Cindy by The Pixies
12. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
13. Upside Down Mountain by Conor Oberst 
14. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
15. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
16. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
17. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
18. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club
19. Into The Lime by New Mendicants 
20. 9 Dead Alive by Rodrigo y Gabriela
21. A Letter Home By Neil Young
22. In The Silence by Asgeir
23. Held n Splendor by Quilt
24. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
25. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
26. Supernova by Ray LaMontagne
27. The Future's Void by EMA
28. Echoes by Emily Smith 
29. Everyday Robots by Damon Albarn
30. Atlas by Real Estate
31. Croz by David Crosby
32. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
33. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
34. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
35. Wildewoman by Lucius
36. Luminous by The Horrors
37. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
38. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
39. Waking Lines by Patterns
40. Unrepentant Geraldines by Tori Amos
41. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
42. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
43. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
44. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
45. Warpaint by Warpaint
46. To Be Kind by Swans
47. Eagulls by Eagulls 
48. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
49. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
50. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
51. None The Wiser by The Rifles
52. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

The War On Drugs at The Koko (27/05/2014)

We headed for London on a rainy Tuesday night in May to the Koko, just a brief walk from Mornington Crescent tube station, for what promised to be one of the highlights of the year: The War On Drugs (Lost In The Dream tour). The venue, formally a theatre, cinema and BBC studio, hosted The Goons and Monty Python’s Flying Circus back in the day before it became the Camden Palace in the 80s, to be renovated in 2004 into the magnificent music hall it is today. So, after queuing in the drizzle and failing to recognise members of support band Quilt heading for the VIP entrance, we hurried inside…

Finding a suitable vantage point on top left walkway in front of the bar, it wasn’t long before Quilt walked on stage for one of their first European (support) gigs, a (now) four-piece band from Boston who have recently released their second album Held In Splendour. The slight (and very cute) Anna Fox Rochinski and imposing (handsome) Shane Butler, banishing guitars and microphones equally, is a delicious combination and the band made the most of their short support slot. Songs from Held In Splendour featured heavily including the brilliant Arctic Shark and Tie Up The Tides, and live the band added a vibrancy and energy lacking on the record.

[Photo credit: ThreeBeams]

During the break, the usual sound checks took place and we had our first glimpse of the mighty Adam Granduciel with his unkempt hair, sorting out his guitars and peddles. And then the band took to the stage. Granduciel has recently described The War On Drugs as a ‘one man band’ which is a huge disservice to David Hartley, Robbie Bennett and Charlie Hall. Given the intimate song-writing of latest album Lost In The Dream, we all know what he means but this was a massive performance by the quartet. The set was a curious mix of previous masterpiece Slave Ambient and most of Lost In The Dream, with new arrangements of the former framing the newer songs. It (mostly) worked, in that Slave Ambient works beautifully as a single end-to-end album; ebbing and flowing as it glides between familiar sounds and themes, constantly revisiting itself. So, within the more stand-alone Lost In The Dream tracks, songs like Brothers, Some To The City and Baby Missiles added a strange, yet wonderful, glue. 

Granduciel’s guitar work throughout was especially sublime, as was Charlie Hall’s ferocious drumming. The big highlights were Burning, Under The Pressure (without the unnecessary prolonged outro of the original) and the perfect Eyes Top The Wind. The encore provided the night’s big surprise:  starting with a cover of John Lennon’s Mind Games, which was quite amazing. The depth of songs from two great albums made this one of the best sets of any gig I’ve experienced. A great night at an iconic venue.

-- CS (with JC)

Music Chart - April 2014

New albums this month from loser/hipster Mac Demarco - back with the endearing Salad Days, the sublime ethereal jangly-guitar pop of Atlas from Real Estate, and Brooklyn's ferocious Lucius and their album Wildewoman. This month we can also hear the return of Kaiser Chiefs and Education, Education, Education & War - an album which has its moments, both good and bad. In complete contrast EMA fuses passion and technology into an eclectic mix of rough and smooth on The Future's Void, Paul Thomas Saunders satisfies with Beautiful Desolation and Smoke Fairies follow-up their difficult second album with a much more accomplished set of beautiful vocals and solid songwriting. Last but not least, Eels release yet another album of self-deprecation, heartbreak and mournful songs with The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett.

The War On Drugs hold the top spot...

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines
3. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
4. Morning Phase by Beck 
5. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis 
6. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
7. Smoke Fairies by Smoke Fairies
8. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
9. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
10. Beautiful Desolation by Paul Thomas Saunders
11. The Cautionary Tales Of Mark Oliver Everett by Eels
12. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
13. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
14. The Take Off And Landing of Everything by Elbow
15. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
16. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club
17. Into The Lime by New Mendicants
18. In The Silence by Asgeir
19. Salad Days by Mac Demarco
20. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes 
21. The Future's Void by EMA
22. Echoes by Emily Smith 
23. Atlas by Real Estate
24. Croz by David Crosby
25. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
26. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
27. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
28. Wildewoman by Lucius
29. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
30. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
31. Waking Lines by Patterns
32. Here And Nowhere Else by Cloud Nothings
33. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
34. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
35. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
36. Warpaint by Warpaint
37. Eagulls by Eagulls 
38. Education, Education, Education & War by Kaiser Chiefs
39. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
40. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
41. None The Wiser by The Rifles
42. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

The Vinyl Frontier - The Cure, The Jesus And Mary Chain, Bruce Springsteen, Kirsty MacColl, Bob Dylan

The USR music fair at the Rivermead in Reading (UK) on Friday 18th April (Good Friday) was too good to miss this year... one of six biggest UK one-day events and a huge selection of records on offer.

First up, an album I've been waiting for... the limited edition gatefold of Automatic by The Jesus And Mary Chain. By no means the band's finest work, this is the transition between the feedback-strewn gloomy shoegaze of Darklands (and the mighty Psycho Candy début before) and the brilliant Honey's Dead. Fans loved this album, while the critics hated it (Q Magazine struggled to award 2 stars) and I remember listening my cassette copy over and over until it fell apart. And it still sounds great on vinyl today, especially Blues From A Gun and UV Ray.

I've always been a big fan of The Cure but never a big collector...until recently. I keep seeing copies of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me but never The Head On The Door - an album I've been seeking for ages. Boasting one of the band's most creative collection of songs, and the brilliant singles Close To Me and In Between Days, for me this has always been the prelude to their finest work, Disintegration. On side B, A Night Like This and closer Sinking are both the sound of a band coming of age.

I'm always on the lookout for records by Bruce Springsteen and Nebraska was high on my list. A truly challenging record of sparse, dark songwriting - a stopgap between The River and Born In The USA and an album that may have never existed. Springsteen originally recorded it with the E Street Band and then decided to release the 'demo' version. The result is haunting and desolate with piercing vocals and harmonica - Springsteen's folk album, made better by the occasional crackle and blip on the record. The production and songwriting are both superb.

A rose between two thorns, Kirsty MacColl's Kite is still one of my favourite albums of the eighties and a perfect example of an artist doing their own thing in time when so many musicians weren't. This is an eclectic mix of sounds and styles including the cover Days and turns from Johnny Marr and David Gilmour, and Steve Lillywhite on production. This is filled with witty observations, sharp and poignant lyrics, all brilliantly delivered by an artist who left us well before her time.

And last, but not least...the find of the day. For as long as I can remember I have been trying to find a decent copy of Blood On The Tracks. So when I spotted a 'VG' copy for a modest price, I had to investigate. Easily the best thing Bob Dylan has ever made; an album with so much poetry, poise and power doesn't come along too often. From opener Tangled Up In Blue to the vitriolic Idiot Wind, to Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts and the mighty Shelter From The Storm, this is now one of the best in my collection. And for a record that is nearly as old as I am, it sounds wonderful.

Music Chart - March 2014

Another great month yields three new albums by three great artists: Julie Fowlis weaves her vocal magic and mystery on Gach Sgeul (Every Story), Elbow continue to charm and captivate with The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, and The War On Drugs return with Lost In The Dream - a wonderful follow-up to Slave Ambient (and another early contender for album of the year). Elsewhere St. Vincent pushes the aural boundaries, Blood Red Shoes bring the trash-noise and The Hold Steady prove they are still as intense and focused as ever.

1. Lost In The Dream by The War On Drugs
2. Augustines by Augustines
3. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
4. Morning Phase by Beck 
5. Gach Sgeul (Every Story) by Julie Fowlis 
6. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
7. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
8. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
9. Teeth Dreams by The Hold Steady
10. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
11. The Take Off And Landing of Everything
12. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
13. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club
14. Into The Lime by New Mendicants
15. In The Silence by Asgeir
16. Blood Red Shoes by Blood Red Shoes
17. Echoes by Emily Smith
18. Croz by David Crosby
19. Benji by Sun Kil Moon 
20. St. Vincent by St. Vincent
21. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
22. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
23. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
24. Waking Lines by Patterns
25. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
26. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
27. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
28. Warpaint by Warpaint
29. Eagulls by Eagulls
30. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
31. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
32. None The Wiser by The Rifles
33. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream (Album Review 2014)

The War On Drugs has been, and will always be, a band of one... Adam Granduciel has taken his labour of love further into his own mind on third album Lost In The Dream, to explore his conciousness, his life and his emotional state. It was always going to be tough to go one better than previous album Slave Ambient, a swirling vortex of prog-rock, subtle floating soundscapes and brilliant guitar-led pop songs - all washed with Granduciel's Dylan-like vocals. So, given the inward, self-indulgent nature of The War On Drugs, Lost In The Dream, a new album of material written mainly while touring, undergoing many rewrites and reworks, was never going to be as good.


But it is. Lost In The Dream is a different album than Slave Ambient, subtly different in its approach and delivery. While the previous album is big, bold and wide-eyed, Lost In The Dream is closed, introverted and personal. From opener Under The Pressure, it is clear that Granduciel wants to share his pain and anxiety of being in the spotlight and living up to expectations. At nearly nine minutes, this is the longest song on the album; it ebbs and flows with lifts and falls before the only truly weak point: instead of dropping into a quiet, ambient lull for a minute before returning with shining guitars and pounding drums for the big finish, absolutely nothing happens. A deliberate ironic statement about not following predictable convention? Possibly...but the lack of inspiration right from the start is a real surprise.

Red Eyes provides the early 'pop' song, blending ethereal synths and guitars with racing drums. The effect is not too far from Razorlight (back in their prime), Granduciel punchy and with purpose - even throwing in an over-exuberant woop before the guitars rain-down. In contrast, Suffering is light yet melancholy, slow-paced and beautifully sublime. The gorgeous piano arrangement in the second half contrasts the oddly-random guitar work. Then the album takes a more ambitious turn with the beguiling An Ocean In Between The Waves, which could be the Dire Straits song that never was; Granduciel more Knofler than Dylan while exquisite guitars and thumping drums lead to a frantic peppering of vocals in the second half.

Continuing the lighter feel of Lost In The Dream, Disappearing provides a superb centre-piece - shining like a magnificent 80s soft-rock influenced interlude between what has come and the second act. This starts with Eyes To The Wind, one of the best songs Granduciel has written - his vocals are exposed and the arrangement unwinds with a supreme elegance; the vocal delivery a nod toward former band-mate Kurt Vile. All this is blended with more guitars, drums and the most wonderful piano. What makes this so good is that Granduciel is not hiding behind a massive stadium-filling sound. This leads to the album's only return to a trick from its predecessor: the three-minutes of The Haunting Idle gives a brief Floyd-esque reprise, but without the original song, before the final trilogy...

...begins with another album highlight and superb pop song, Burning. This feels heavily Springsteen-fuelled with ever-present organ (circa Darkness On The Edge Of Town) and driving drums. And then the title track, with delicious (never-overused) harmonica, brings another moment of class to build like a lost Neil Young classic. Obvious influences aside, this is reinvention and reinterpretation of the tried and tested and not mere copycatting. To close, In Reverse is delivered as the quiet reflection after a turbulent, cathartic, and often painful journey, never overstated and fading delicately into a soft aftermath instead of unleashing the explosives. A perfect end to a near perfect-work.

Lost In The Dream is a slow-burner...it doesn't grab your attention and sweeps you along for the ride; it draws you in, further into the inner world of Adam Granduciel on each listen. He hasn't done this all on his own of course, and the 'band' play to their strengths throughout and new boy Patrick Berkery is supreme with the sticks. But the songwriting and song-craft is every bit as strong as the new standard we now expect from The War On Drugs and ultimately Adam Granduciel has opened his heart, poured out his soul, and made another brilliant album.

-- CS

Mogwai - Usher Hall (8th March 2014)

As part of the centenary celebrations of Edinburgh's magnificent Usher Hall, bringing together contemporary and classical music, and comedy across five nights, I was drawn to the great city to see Mogwai. Not only a Scottish institution and much maligned 'cult' band, Mogwai are in the highest echelons of musical greatness, and the chance to see one of the best bands in the world was too good to pass up.

So, armed with train tickets, a guest house booking and gig tickets for the upper circle, I ventured north of the border via London for a weekend of culture and music. I took the opportunity to see Edinburgh's sights - the Castle, Palace, Royal Mile, Cathedral, Arthur's Seat and National Monument, the pubs and restaurants, and the hoards of French descended on the capital for the 6 Nations rugby. But the highlight was Saturday Night at Usher Hall, at 7pm. Waiting for the doors to open, to be escorted up the stairs and through the corridors and bars to the concert auditorium with its rows of seats looking down on the stage and stalls - the excitement quickened.

Mogwai's support for the night were two other Scottish bands: Remember Remember and The Pastels. Both did much with the limited time they had - two half hour sets flew by. It would be easy to describe Remember Remember as 'Mogwai-lite' but they bring their own personality to their music - delicate xylophone, keyboards and interesting electronic flourishes. The Pastels added vocals and a more organic depth, but kicked off with Slow Summits, a blistering 6-minute instrumental, before more typical songs from the full-on Baby Honey to the delicate Summer Rain. Both bands seemed to enjoy and relish the experience.

But it was Mogwai's night. A stage packed with amps, keyboards, a huge drum-kit and guitar stands awaited Stuart, Dominic, Martin, John and Barry, complete with 'Rave Tapes' themed lighting rig and graphics looming above. The set for the night wasn't entirely dominated by the latest album - no bad thing but there was barely room for the best of the rest - and the Mogwai back catalogue is extensive and impressive in any live environment. This was the full set:

Heard About You Last Night
Rano Pano
Helicon 1
Take Me Somewhere Nice
Master Card
I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead
Deesh
Hunted By A Freak
Mogwai Fear Satan
How To Be A Werewolf
Remurdered
We're No Here
---
The Lord Is Out Of Control
Ithica 27/9
Batcat

The best of the set was the trio of Hunted By A Freak, the epic Mogwai Fear Satan (complete with fantastic explosive reboot) and the swirling guitars of How To Be A Werewolf. The mighty We're No Here completed the main set before a subdued encore climaxed with the awesome ferocious noise of Batcat. Within the venue, the sound slicing through the crowd and echoing from the rafters, reflected back into the stalls, the immense force of guitars and drums were amplified beyond belief. I could feel the music pounding in my chest as much as in my ears, even from my lofted vantage point (a brilliant view down on the stage). The loud became louder. The delicate melodies were somewhat lost in the noise at times but even the set's weaker songs were given a new dimension - most notably Master Card had a much needed lift, and the new songs sounded brilliant live. It would have great to hear more from The Hawk Is Howling...and in a set designed to showcase the new material (obviously), there was no Friend Of The Night, Auto Rock, You Don't Know Jesus or R U Still In 2 It. They were never going to create a set to please everyone.

So my first experience of Mogwai live was a unique and overwhelming experience. As we left the Usher Hall, still shaking from the acoustic-battering (both the crowd and the building), I overheard someone say they had seen Mogwai live many times but that was one of the loudest. They set out to do the venue and their kin proud, and they really did bring the noise.

-- CS

Album Chart - February 2014

New albums this month from (among others) the stadium-bound Augustines, with their brilliant eponymous follow-up to Rise Ye Sunken Ships, the ever-wonderful Suzanne Vega - back after a reworking sabbatical with new material Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles, and the beguiling Beck who has released his most serene, sublime work of his career: Morning Phase. Elsewhere, Mary Chapin Carpenter is cinematic, Seth Lakeman is genre-redefining, and Sun Kil Moon is autobiographically challenging.

1. Augustines by Augustines
2. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
3. Morning Phase by Beck
4. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
5. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles by Suzanne Vega
6. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
7. Burn Your Fire For No Witness by Angel Olsen
8. Word Of Mouth by Seth Lakeman 
9. So Long, See You Tomorrow by Bombay Bicycle Club
10. Into The Lime by New Mendicants
11. In The Silence by Asgeir
12. Croz by David Crosby
13. Benji by Sun Kil Moon
14. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
15. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
16. Songs About This And That by Karin Krog & John Surman
17. Waking Lines by Patterns
18. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
19. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
20. Too Much Information by Maximo Park
21. Warpaint by Warpaint
22. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
23. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
24. None The Wiser by The Rifles
25. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

Suzanne Vega - Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles (Album review 2014)

Since 2007's Beauty & Crime, Suzanne Vega has revisited her own back catalogue for the 'Close-up' series - a quartet of albums sub-titled: Love Songs, People & Places, States of Being and Songs of Family. With varied results, these form an interesting and intriguing retrospective (making the 1998 and 2003 'best of' compilations largely redundant), both a celebration for fans and much needed inspiration and reflection for Vega; not to mention income and 'ownership' - to reclaim her prized work from major labels. Now, seven years since her last studio album of new material, Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles brings new life to Vega's music. The title is a reference to the Tarot card representing fertility, or impending motherhood - but also a double-meaning of youthful maturity, artistry and wisdom.

It would be difficult to suggest that the 'Close-up' work has had no effect on Suzanne Vega's approach to music. On one hand, she could have ignored her past completely and continued the thread started with the deep, painful and beautiful Songs In Red And Gray, but Vega - in collaboration with producer/musician Gerry Leonard - has injected a much needed sense of fun and adventure into her storytelling. The vocal delivery of opener Crack In The Wall may be uneasy and lack the precision of, say, Penitent, but this only forms the first half of the song, as the vibrant guitar-work shines throughout. Lyrically, this is a series of beguiling metaphors while Fool's Compliant is a good a single as Vega has produced, a punchy folk-pop lament filled with jangling guitars and a superb chorus. Some gorgeous backing vocals lift the arrangement further. In contrast, I Never Wear White is pure character, Vega inhabiting a darker soul - 'Black is the truth... of my situation, and for those of my station...' is the Gothic refrain before harsh, edgy guitars kick in. The two are conjoined for the angst-driven finish.

It is now clear that Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles is a blend of styles and substances... On Portrait of The Knight Of Wands (another Tarot card - this time referencing a man of ideas and invention, and a time of travel and progress), Vega sings delicately of a struggle and strange imagery - 'His mission, a transmission... of technology'. The final minute is an odd juxtaposition of guitars and electronic flourish to fade. Don't Uncork What You Can't Contain takes this approach to another level, with sampling meeting Eastern rhythms for a mythical tale of curiosity and misadventure. This is the most divisive song on the album, mixing different styles and sounds but ultimately failing to deliver - a rare weak drop in form. Likewise, the constant distracting hand-claps underpinning Jacob And The Angel plague an otherwise interesting song, which glides beautifully into an instrumental string-filled finale.

Further into the second half of Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles, Silver Bridge is wonderful. Simple, measured and perfectly executed. 'All those nights when you can't sleep...your heart and mind is racing. Are you standing on that bridge? Which way are you facing?', sings Vega, with wide-eyed optimism, in one of the album's best moments. Song Of The Stoic take the album into different territory, a tale of abuse, fighting control and ultimate flight, as the music meanders from acoustic folk to epic soundtrack. The second half brings in vocal experimentation, somewhere between Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and (dare to say) Mumford & Sons. The second part of this story, Laying On Of Hands / Stoic 2 is a funk-folk fuelled tribute to Mother Theresa (yes, really), an odd choice of styles with no hint of irony, before the song accelerates in a completely different direction to a soulful soup of vocals and thumping drums. Sublime. To close, Horizon (There Is A Road) is an elegant finish, even with the unexpected trumpet solo and Vega's vocal excursions (the attempt at falsetto just about works).

Suzanne Vega, as the title of this album suggests, is both an artist and a provider; a women of knowledge and wisdom. Tales From The Realm Of The Queen Of Pentacles is a rebirth, and has recaptured her youthful energy and enthusiasm via the process of examining her own songs through reinterpretation. She has survived the ruthless music business that made her a star and has come back fighting, smarter... and the result is new, risky, often brilliant, always compelling and above all, relevant. Much of the album is unexpected, yet familiar - not quite a reinvention (the albums 99.9F degrees and Nine Objects Of Desire are a world away from the humble New York poet beginnings) but this is certainly a reinvigoration and a chance to experiment and expand. What emerges is the most challenging and exciting Suzanne Vega album in fifteen years. And possibly one of her best.

-- CS

The Vinyl Frontier - Sugar, Carter USM and New Order

Another record fair today, this time in sunny Guildford at the wonderful (yet small and cold) Guildhall. It was the usual mix of old and new, boxes of ragged dog-eared Beatles and Rolling Stones, plenty of poor-quality Bob Dylan and Bowie, and a smattering of 'newer' music.

And for me, a real find: Sugar's Copper Blue, one of my favourite albums which kept me sane on many a bus journey to university in the early 90s. Like many records of this time, the pressing isn't perfect and slightly 'treble' heavy but in good condition. Two other albums caught my eye: 101 Damnations, the début from Carter, The Unstoppable Sex Machine - again, for an album that's 25 years old, it plays very well. This is a real angst-driven album of frustration and social-political songwriting which still sounds new and relevant today (and yes, Sheriff Fatman is forever magnificent). To complete the trio, Joe Jackson's Night and Day. I'm not a huge Joe Jackson fan but this is a great album; a deft blend of rough and smooth, paying homage to Cole Porter and New York City. Stepping Out is the undisputed classic but elsewhere there is astute observations and commentary.

I don't usually buy 12 inch singles these days but I couldn't let these go. I've always wanted a copy of New Order's Blue Monday and the FAC73 'seven and a half minute' original single (the 12" backed with The Beach) is the grandfather of all versions since ('88 and '95'). And it plays wonderfully. From the same year is Lovecats by The Cure, another brilliant song, and the 1998 re-issue 12" of Wild Wood by Paul Weller, originally released to promote the Modern Classics greatest hits, this is backed with The Sheared Wood (Portishead) remix and Science (with The Psychonauts - Lynch Mob remix). Try and find these on Spotify :)

Album Chart - January 2014

Another new year and another new album chart. A slow start to the month has picked up in the last two weeks and three great albums from Mogwai, Model Village and The Gloaming.

1. Rave Tapes by Mogwai
2. The Gloaming by The Gloaming
3. You Chose These Woes by Model Village
4. In The Silence by Asgeir
5. Croz by David Crosby
6. Cursing The Sea by September Girls
7. High Hopes by Bruce Springsteen
8. Waking Lines by Patterns
9. Wig Out At Jagbags by Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
10. Total Strife Forever by East India Youth
11. Warpaint by Warpaint
12. The Crystal Method by The Crystal Method
13. Kid Face by Samantha Crain
14. Oh My Sexy Lord by Marijuana Deathsquads

Mogwai - Rave Tapes (Album Review 2014)

The musical chronology of Mogwai can be defined as three acts. The début masterpiece Mogwai Young Team with its epic triplets Like Herod, R U Still In 2 It and Mogwai Fear Satan, the difficult and inconsistent but often brilliant Come On Die Young, and the textured ground-breaking keyboard-infused Rock Action, form act one. Added to these are the band's early EPs, collectively released as EP+6. Act two is one of the best trilogies of albums by any band: Happy Songs For Happy People, Mr Beast and The Hawk Is Howling are the combined sound of a band ascending to greatness; if anyone wants to own a near-perfect example of 'post rock', they should look no further than these. This era also includes the first adventurous steps into film scoring, something Mogwai were born to do: Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait is a dark, ambient and subtle soundtrack. And now, seventeen years after the band's début, Mogwai are expanding their horizons in act three: the live album Special Moves, the Earth Division EP and 'upbeat' studio album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (in spite of the harsh title this is one of Mogwai's lighter and more liberated albums, including the wonderful Music For A Forgotten Future), then another wonderful soundtrack: Les Revenants to accompany an extraordinary series of French television (The Returned in the UK) followed a slightly disappointing remix album A Wrenched Virile Lore. An impressive body of work, now complimented by Mogwai's eighth studio release, Rave Tapes.

From the opening song, Heard About You Last Night, it's clear that Rave Tapes is an electronic-infused artistic return to The Hawk Is Howling; a typical Mogwai introduction: building slowly as a soundtrack fragment before the guitars glide in, to provide the melody, then joined by strings and synthesizers. The loose, lumbering arrangement is held together with Martin Bulloch's sublime percussion. This fails to translate into momentum (in the same way as Mr Beast's Auto Rock dives into Glasgow Maga-Snake and Batcat arrives early on The Hawk Is Howling to drive the album forward), as the fuzzy production and slow-pace of Simon Ferocious makes for a subdued start. Again, the drumming is superb. It is not until the start of Remurdered that Rave Tapes shows its teeth - the dark, menacing dread of a 'bass line' and creepy atmosphere juxtaposed with fragmented drums and guitars. Three minutes in and the keyboards and drums arrive, like the soundtrack to a movie in which 8-bit machines take over the unsuspecting world. The song builds as more layers of guitars add to the threat, while the electronic threads march to the cold, calculated finale.

Hexon Bogon is a flash of brilliance; a rare two-and-a-half-minute swathe of guitars, drums and epic production before the beguiling wonder of Repelish, an uneasy mix of start-stop guitar melody and spoken word - talking of the dangers of demonic subliminal messages in rock music. Easily the most eclectic song on any Mogwai album; unique, compelling and unexpected. Master Card is back on course, a furious staccato guitar-led piece building to a messy and abrupt finish, before the magnificent Deesh provides another highlight: a gorgeous blend of guitars, drums and keyboards used to construct a melodic arrangement of hope and despair. Mogwai at their supreme best. The final trio of songs on Rave Tapes add more vocals to an otherwise, and typical, instrumental world. Blues Hour reworks Cody beautifully with added muddy guitars and stirring piano, the soft vocals creating a new instrument instead of talking centre-stage, while No Medicine For Regret is the late highlight, with its breathtaking vibrato melody washing over the dense brooding backdrop. To close, The Lord Is Out Of Control is a lazy, droning, vocoder-filled non-entity which feels like an unnecessary distraction.

It isn't clear if Rave Tapes is the end of act three or the start of act four for Mogwai. What is clear, is a return to safety as if the band need to revisit their most creative and productive period. This makes the album a predictable and unsurprising experience, which is no bad thing - when listening to the new Bob Dylan you wouldn't expect 80s electro-pop. Mogwai's signature and unique personality is all over Rave Tapes, a thoroughly enjoyable hybrid of past and present, safe yet edgy, different but the same - exactly what you would expect from a band consistently redefining their post-rock world.

- CS

The Vinyl Frontier - Crosby, Stills & Nash, Throwing Muses

My first record fair of the year (Southampton Solent University Conference Centre, Saturday 18th January), uncovered some interesting gems. First up is the début Crosby, Stills & Nash album, with gatefold sleeve featuring slightly out-of-focus photos of the band and lyric sheet, and is now the oldest vinyl recording I own (1969). It plays well on my Pro-Ject carbon, Kenwood amp and Q speakers, although the bass fights to come through and the production sounds a little fuzzy. It's a great album that hasn't aged too well in terms of song-writing but the combined vocals of CSN are without question, beautiful. Likewise, a German release of Harvest by Neil Young is equally lovely, the follow-up to the brilliant After The Goldrush and is always in its predecessor's shadow.

I am always looking out for 'cult' bands and artists from the 80s and 90s and whenever I frequent fairs and new record shops, I am instantly drawn to any boxes labelled 'punk/new wave' or 'alternative' (if there are any). One band's recently re-discovered catalogue is Throwing Muses (their album Purgatory/Paradise from late last year is a masterpiece) but I have never found any decent vinyl...until now. I wait years and two come along at once: Hunkpapa and Limbo - neither are the best Throwing Muses albums but great nonetheless, both in good condition and sound like they have hardly been played.

Three more to finish: Midnight Oil's breakthrough mid-eighties tribute/protest album Diesel and Dust (picked up at a new record shop I found on the way home from the record fair) - this has been well-played but has enough huge arrangements to hide any imperfections. The Echo & The Bunnymen singles collection Songs To Learn & Sing has plenty of great songs, although not a rarity. And lastly, the début Happy Head from The Mighty Lemon Drops - a band always second to The Teardrop Explodes for me but another great addition to my growing collection of vinyl.

Bruce Springsteen - High Hopes (Album review 2014)

Revisiting old material isn't always easy, but if anyone can pull it off, it's The Boss. Given that in recent years, Bruce Springsteen has lost two of his closest friends and long-serving members of The E Street Band: Danny Federici and Clarence Clemons, it's fitting that he should give them one final walk on stage (they each appear on two songs and together on one). High Hopes comprises many reworks, two covers and studio recordings of tour favourites, with the former Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello (who toured as part of The E Street Band in 2008/9) instrumental (pun intended) in bringing this album to life. His presence and skill is (almost) ever-present.

To say this doesn't feel like a proper Springsteen album would be wrong; if you didn't know High Hopes is a collection of covers, re-recordings and 'rejects', most wouldn't know or case. Obviously even a passing fan would pick up on The Ghost Of Tom Joad but as a cohesive work, it stands alone. Not all albums have a strong narrative and a central 'story' and the last few Springsteen albums (Wrecking Ball and Magic most notably) are good examples. The title track (originally from the Blood Brothers EP - and not written by Springsteen), complete with brass flashes and odd arrangement, is a solid, attention-grabbing opener, followed by The Rising cut Harry's Place, a song better than half of those that made the album. This is a running theme in the world of Bruce...as The Promise shows.

The two covers on High Hopes almost steal the album. Just Like Fire Would, originally by The Saints, is wonderfully faithful to the original but sounds very 'Springsteen', with added organ, denser guitar work and, of course, the trademark rasping vocals. And Suicide's cold, stark Dream Baby Dream is given a warmer interpretation with softer keyboards, stronger vocals and a fuller sound. A brilliant reworking. To complement this, Hunter Of Invisible Game wouldn't be out of place on the marvellous Devils & Dust, perfectly produced with delicate strings and guitars, Springsteen on top vocal form delivering his poetry. But the two stand-out moments have to be twin seven minute epics of American Skin (41 Shots), brilliantly recorded to capture the spirit of the live recording, and the legendary masterpiece The Ghost Of Tom Joad, complete with Morello's manic impossible guitars filling out the second half.

High Hopes is far from ground-breaking and not beyond criticism - after all if you are one of the most famous musicians in the world you better live up to it... and even here, Bruce Springsteen can make an album that is engaging and warm. It's not all good news as songs like the obvious Heaven's Wall, the hapless Frankie Fell In Love and the Celtic-infused This Is Your Sword drag the middle of High Hopes down but the gorgeous balladry of The Wall is another understated gem - Springsteen at his best when he just tells a story, plain and simple; especially poignant when it's a story close to your heart. The trumpet solo to finish and organ from the late Federici, are breathtaking. This album is more a labour of love than a statement of intent.

-- CS

Sam Smith wins BBC Sound of 2014

Congratulations to 21 year old Sam Smith for winning this year's BBC 'Sound of' poll. In a longlist that was shamefully low on guitar bands and heavy on urban acts and solo artists, Smith pipped fellow dance vocalists Ella Eyre and BANKS to the top spot. Sadly, no place for the wonderful Luke Sital-Singh, but George Ezra grabbed fifth place behind the equally enigmatic Sampha. A top five of soloists.

Smith is best known for the Disclosure song Latch...an acoustic version (arguably better than the original) can be found on his Nirvana EP and is easily the best thing he's recorded. His voice is magnificent yet subjected to massive over-production (Safe With Me is particularly baffling). So, the world may be out in front of him but an album is in the waiting to test his talents.

I'm all in favour of the BBC promoting and showcasing young British talent but the absence of bands this year is a real worry. Haim won last year so I can't complain too much...

BBC Sound of 2014 - The Longlist

The BBC Sound of 2014 Longlist has been announced and the top 5 artists will be revealed in the next couple of days.

The longlist is:

• Banks
• Chance The Rapper
• Chloe Howl
• Ella Eyre
• FKA Twigs
• George Ezra
• Jungle
• Kelela
• Luke Sital-Singh
• MNEK
• Nick Mulvey
• Royal Blood
• Sam Smith
• Sampha
• Say Lou Lou

The list is heavy on solo artists with only one 'band', the duo Royal Blood. Arguably Say Lou Lou and Jungle can be tenuously added but that is about it...2014 is all about 'individuals'.

The stand-out talent in this year's fifteen is the brilliant Luke Sital-Singh with a trio of impressive EPs: Tornados, Old Flint and Fail For You. His vocals and songwriting skills from 2013 are clear to see. The gorgeous angelic soundscapes of Say Lou Lou also impress although their back catalogue is limited, while Sampha shows promise with Dual. Sam Smith is an incredible vocalist but the songs have yet to appear.




Royal Blood, George Ezra and Nick Mulvey stand-out as everyone else falls into the same category: over-produced, unemotional R&B. Banks adds a dark edge and Chloe Howl brings the ladette charm (No Strings is excellent) but it's all very uninspired this year.