Music Chart - July 2013

Over halfway through the musical year and July takes the albums in the Underwurld chart to over a hundred. New records this month from Tom Odell, Palms, Kodaline, Editors, Leagues (from earlier in the year), Maps, Deap Vally, Pet Shop Boys, Smith Westerns, The Icarus Line, Mark Mulcahy, Solas, F Buttons, The Duckworth Lewis Method, The Electric Soft Parade and Thea Gilmore.

Top spot is still The National, from Kurt Vile and Laura Marling.

1. Trouble Will Find Me by The National
2. Wakin On A Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile 
3. Once I Was An Eagle by Laura Marling
4. Opposites by Biffy Clyro 
5. Push The Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 
6. Kveikur by Sigur Rós
7. Waiting For Something To Happen by Veronica Falls
8. Love Has Come For You by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
9. Regardless by Thea Gilmore
10. ...Like Clockwork by Queens Of The Stone Age 
11. Sticky Wickets by The Duckworth Lewis Method
12. Dear Mark J Mulcahy, I Love You by Mark Mulcahy
13. Impossible Truth by William Tyler
14. The Beast In Its Tracks by Josh Ritter 
15. Slow Focus by F Buttons
16. Nocturnes by Little Boots
17. Heartthrob by Tegan And Sara
18. Long Way Down by Tom Odell
19. Standards by Lloyd Cole
20. Welcome Oblivion by How To Destroy Angels
21. Les Revenants Soundtrack by Mogwai
22. More Light by Primal Scream 
23. The Weight Of Your Love by Editors
24. Shamrock City by Solas
25. Let It All In by I Am Kloot
26. The Sun Comes Out Tonight by Filter
27. Spectre At The Feast by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 
28. Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
29. Slave Vows by The Icarus Line
30. Palms by Palms
31. You Belong Here by Leagues
32. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here by Alice In Chains 
33. Soft Will by Smith Westerns
34. Black Pudding by Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood 
35. Modern Vampire Of The City by Vampire Weekend
36. Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner
37. Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO by Besnard Lakes 
38. Electric by Pet Shop Boys
39. Howlin by Jagwar Ma 
40. IDIOTS by The Electric Soft Parade
41. Silence Yourself by Savages
42. People, Hell & Angels by Jimi Hendrix
43. Fade by Yo La Tengo
44. Wolf's Law by The Joy Formidable
45. Vicissitude by Maps
46. Heart Of Nowhere by Noah And The Whale 
47. The Graceless Age by John Murry
48. Paramore by Paramore
49. Tales From Terra Firma by Stornoway
50. Electric by Richard Thompson 
51. Oblivion OST by M83
52. AMOK by Atoms For Peace
53. Wonderful, Glorious by Eels
54. In A Perfect World by Kodaline
55. Immunity by Jon Hopkins
56. A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart by Bill Ryder-Jones
57. Volume 3 by She & Him 
58. Hubcap Music by Seasick Steve
59. Wait To Pleasure by No Joy
60. A Long Way To Fall by Ulrich Schnauss 
61. Machineries Of Joy by British Sea Power 
62. Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant
63. All The Little Lights by Passenger
64. Tooth & Nail by Billy Bragg
65. Sound City - Real To Real by Sound City - Real To Real
66. Disarm The Descent by Killswitch Engage
67. The Messenger by Johnny Marr
68. If You Leave by Daughter
69. Pollen by Wave Machines
70. Sistrionix by Deap Vally
71. Mosquito by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
72. Back Into The Woods by Ed Harcourt
73. Clash The Truth by Beach Fossils
74. Country Sleep by Night Beds 
75. The Next Day by David Bowie
76. Rules By Passion, Destroyed By Lust by Asphodells
77. Blood Oaths Of The New Blues by Wooden Wand
78. Centralia by Mountains
79. In Love by Peace
80. Ores & Minerals by Mazes
81. Pedestrian Verse by Frightened Rabbit 
82. The Invisible Way By Low
83. Lysandre by Christopher Owens
84. English Rain by Gabrielle Aplin
85. Monomania by Deerhunter
86. California X by California X
87. Field Of Reeds by These New Puritans
88. Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy
89. 180 by Palma Violets
90. News From Nowhere by Darkstar
91. Almanac by Widowspeak 
92. Bloodsports by Suede
93. Graffiti On The Train by Stereophonics
94. Wash The Sins Not Only The Face by Esben And The Witch 
95. Comedown Machine by The Strokes
96. The Moths Are Real by Serafina Steer
97. {Awayland} by Villagers
98. Out Of Touch In The Wild by Dutch Uncles
99. Lost Sirens by New Order
100. Girl Talk by Kate Nash
101. Beta Love by Ra Ra Riot
102. Early Rocking by Paul Simon
103. Collections by Delphic

Thousand Lights - The E.P. review (2013)

 

Thousand Lights is a band from Southampton based around the gorgeous vocals of Emma Cummins and Harriet Lea-Banks, the guitar stylings of Gary 'amp destroyer' Holcombe and super-cool bassist Simon Kolstoe. Their music is Christian-themed, filled with delicious acoustic strings, percussion and vocals; driven by faith and belief - a true inspiration, washing through their clear, precise lyrics and music.

The début eponymous E.P. features five songs, opening with the wonderful Already Blessed, lead by Cummins, her vocals neatly placed between Natalie Merchant and Thea Gilmore, to deliver a superb vocal arrangement. Holcombe provides supreme acoustic guitar-work to create the flowing upbeat sound, complete with a few neat flourishes. The slower, sombre, more intense, Our Creator is equally good, bringing in Lea-Banks for backing vocals and a soaring chorus, the duo blending perfectly. And it is Harriet who takes the lead for Matthew 16, centred around the biblical text in which Jesus foretells his death and resurrection. "What price to pay for my soul, there'll be no angels, no glory, no truth... Take up your cross and follow him. We surrender..." is heartbreaking and beautiful songwriting. Your Light is another superb arrangement framed with Holcombe's shimmering guitar-work juxtaposed against the stern, serious vocal - a fascinating contrast. The dual vocals at the halfway point work brilliantly, adding to the intense atmosphere. The closer, Unfailing Love is the band at their most ambitious, with a raw emotional chorus and Cummins showing her power and range. Holcombe provides the final surprise - a sharp, crisp, guitar solo - a truly wonderful moment!

Faith is obviously important to Thousand Lights and a huge energy for their music and their songwriting. From humble live band to the heights of the recording studio, it has certainly been an inspiring journey and the results show what the band can be - a delicate touch of production to bring out their message, up to the next level and... beyond? Based on this 'teaser' E.P., a full album has to be in the wings, waiting to be lovingly crafted. And maybe guitarist Holcombe can show us more of his skills with a fifteen and half minute solo in the style of Hendrix or Gilmore. Anything is possible...

-- CS

Music Catch-up - Smith Westerns and Leagues

Now is the chance to catch-up on some new music from the last few months...

Chicago's Smith Westerns released their third album last month, Soft Will; a much more adventurous collection of shimmering sun-kissed pop songs than the band's previous albums with wonderful understated melodies, vocal harmonies and big guitars. They have stepped up to the next level in a promising and emerging career in fantastic style. 3am Spiritual is a downbeat self-referential opener with gorgeous choral vocals, echoes of Flaming Lips and swathes of guitars. Idol and Glossed provide the early pop-tinged mood before the stirring piano-led instrumental XXIII brings four and half minutes of class. The Brit-pop influences arrive with Fool Proof and the big 'ballad' White Oath, washed with smooth guitar work and  vocals from Cullen Omori. Vocally, Only Natural is triumphant, diving from low verses to high soaring chorus, while the guitars shine. Credit has to go to Chris Coady for production and maintaining a good balance between Smith Westerns' gritty 'garage' sound and this new polished sound - it's not as thick and oppressive as Beach House, for good reason. The second half of Soft Will is certainly more serious and reflective than the first, as Best Friend tugs the heartstrings, before the oddly pitched Cheer Up brings closer Varsity and a final highlight. Soft Will is the sound of Smith Westerns not so much growing up, but coming of age.

One from the start of the year that somehow slipped through...

The Pledge Music campaign is delivering some real gems (as well as less-interesting projects from more established bands trying to give 'fans' a chance to get their hands on exclusive material) and You Belong Here by Leagues yields another success. Comprising Thad Cockrell, Tyler Burkum and Jeremy Luito, the trio has added to their début EP and produced an album of punchy, upbeat pop songs. Opener Spotlight is a great introduction with Cockrell's post-funk vocals driving the song forward. The title track draws distinct similarities to Vampire Weekend before the wistful Haunted deftly blends stirring emotion with pop stylings and cool guitar work. The big highlight of the first half is wonderfully emotive Lost It All, with Cockrell providing an outstanding vocal range. This is mirrored in the second half by a completely different, yet equally engaging, sound, as the guitar/drum stomp of Magic...quickly followed by another instant hit: Mind Games with its delicious chorus. You Belong Here never capitalises on this momentum as the final duo are oddly downbeat - Pass My Way is sunny-day vocally-textured musing while Friendly Fire is a fragile piano/vocal ballad with Cockrell stretching the metaphor and his voice in equal measure. But ultimately You Belong Here is a good idea, helped by fans and for fans. Only they will know if it has met their expectations.

Moby - new album Innocents

Moby releases a new album in September, entitled Innocents, featuring collaborations with Wayne Coyne, Cold Specks and Mark Lanegan. Scary album cover:

The two new songs, A Case For Shame and The Lonely Night, sound great and can be heard on Moby's website.

The album track listing is:

1. Everything That Rises
2. A Case For Shame (with Cold Specks)
3. Almost Home (with Damien Jurado)
4. Going Wrong 
5. The Perfect Life (with Wayne Coyne)
6. The Last Day (with Skylar Grey)
7. Don't Love Me (with Inyang Bassey)
8. A Long Time
9. Saints
10. Tell Me (with Cold Specks)
11. The Lonely Night (with Mark Lanegan)
12. The Dogs

Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks album covers revealed

The new Nine Inch Nails album, Hesitation Marks, out in September this year, will be issued with separate album covers for each format. Each cover is designed by artist Russell Mills who says about the artwork: “I’ve tried to lock into the album’s prevailing mood and echo the album’s essence. The ideas are not communicated in a literal or easily digested form, as this would be boring for me and would insult the intelligence of a potential audience. I’ve tried to make works that obliquely allude to the essence of the subject matter, to its emotional core.”

Standard CD:

 Deluxe CD:

 Digital cover:

 Vinyl:

Mazzy Star - new song California and new album Seasons Of Your Day

Mazzy Star release a new album - Seasons Of Your Day, in September this year, their first in 17 years. New song California has Hope Sandoval's gorgeous vocals and typical moody, ethereal feel. It's like they never went away. Read about the band's comeback here on the Spin website.

Pie & Vinyl - record shop, pie shop, cool place

I don't normally plug shops but I recently discovered Pie & Vinyl in Southsea, Portsmouth. I can't speak for the Pie, but they have a decent stock of new records.

From their website:

"First of all I’ll talk about the music. We aim to specialise in new music and new artists. We have a rough policy of stocking albums released within the last two years, which will be available in all formats but predominantly vinyl.

Vinyl has come back in a big way, and not many people know that it’s become almost industry standard to include a free mp3 or cd of the album when purchasing  an LP. For us, this is the ultimate way to purchase music as you can hold the product tightly, admire the artwork whilst being able to play the music on your hardrive [sic] device. A little piece of history you own, with a story of how you bought it or maybe a memory attached to it forever.

Feel free to visit the Record Room at the back of the building. But before you do, take a moment to look around you… for the artwork of the vinyl records is as important as the music. Our new releases are found displayed on the wall as you enter pie & vinyl, while a selection of our current favourites are found towards the back room where we hold the majority of our collection."

Pearl Jam - new album Lightning Bolt and song Mind Your Manners

New single: Mind Your Manners:

This Week - Editors and Palms

Editors' fourth album, and first after the departure of guitarist Chris Urbanowicz, is a definite shift towards a more commercial, accessible sound, while trying to keep the band's identity. They tried this with previous album In This Light and On This Evening, working with producer Flood, ultimately ending in a mixed, slightly confused, and flat, collection of songs. But with The Weight Of Your Love, they sound more energised, and singer Tom Smith is magnificent throughout, even providing a delicious range on big emotional ballad What Is This Thing Called Love. Prior to this, The Weight is a great scene-setting, self-referential opener (Smith declaring ironically that he will try not to talk about death, against a deliberately moody backdrop) but it is the instant highlight A Ton Of Love stealing the show - a solid pop/rock anthem with an attention-grabbing chorus. Honesty comes a close second; exquisitely arranged, before a perfect blend of vocals and strings on the wonderful Nothing. The last third of The Weight Of Your Love loses the early momentum with the awkward politically-aware Hyena and the listless Two Hearted Spider but closers The Phone Book and Bird Of Prey provide a spirited, if downbeat, finale. Editors still have far to go to reach great heights but The Weight Of Your Love is moving them in the right direction - led by Smith's baritone, some superb arrangements and excellent song writing.

When Isis split in 2010, a new band was always going to rise from the ashes - the band were just too good for the ex-members to disappear without trace. Bassist Caxide, drummer Harris and guitar/keyboard maestro Meyer teamed up with Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno to form Palms - an unlikely but intriguing combination. The eponymous album is six songs of 'Isis'-like trademark post-rock with Moreno adding his voice 'as another instrument'. The two halves meet in the middle, rather than sounding like an 'old' band with a 'new' singer, to create something different and unique. Granted, this is more Isis than Deftones, in terms of mood and atmosphere. The ten-minute centrepiece Mission Sunset drifts from delicate sound-scape to huge emotional epic within the first four minutes, the guitars and drums magnificent throughout. Shifts of tempo and texture create several songs in one into the second half before a swathe of crashing drums and guitars bring Moreno back for more pained vocals. This leads into the album high point, the near seven-minute Shortwave Radio, filled with big haunting guitars, supreme bass, and Moreno's best vocal performance. Plenty of echo in the cleaner moments compliment the chaotic swamp when the band collide, all with excellent production. Opener Future Warrior is a compelling quiet/loud introduction to the project with a great vocal centre while Patagonia is more controlled and ethereal. And the final duo provide the pleasant Tropics followed by the elegantly crafted Antarctic Handshake building through nine minutes from psychedelic ambience through crashing guitars to a fuzzy electronic close. Palms is a wonderful collaboration that has produced a rich and textured album of depth and hidden complexity. Hopefully, it won't be a once only side-project.

Music Chart - June 2013

This month brings us new albums from Alice In Chains, Seasick Steve, Gabrielle Aplin, John Murry, Queens Of The Stone Age, Jon Hopkins, These New Puritans, Vampire Weekend, Jagwar Ma, Filter, Sigur Rós and Lloyd Cole.

The National now hold top spot from Kurt Vile, Laura Marling, Biffy Clyro and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.

1. Trouble Will Find Me by The National
2. Wakin On A Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile 
3. Once I Was An Eagle by Laura Marling
4. Opposites by Biffy Clyro 
5. Push The Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 
6. Kveikur by Sigur Rós
7. Waiting For Something To Happen by Veronica Falls
8. Love Has Come For You by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
9. ...Like Clockwork by Queens Of The Stone Age
10. Impossible Truth by William Tyler
11. The Beast In Its Tracks by Josh Ritter 
12. Nocturnes by Little Boots
13. Heartthrob by Tegan And Sara
14. Standards by Lloyd Cole
15. Welcome Oblivion by How To Destroy Angels
16. Les Revenants Soundtrack by Mogwai
17. More Light by Primal Scream
18. Let It All In by I Am Kloot
19. The Sun Comes Out Tonight by Filter
20. Spectre At The Feast by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 
21. Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
22. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here by Alice In Chains
23. Black Pudding by Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood 
24. Modern Vampire Of The City by Vampire Weekend
25. Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner
26. Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO by Besnard Lakes 
27. Howlin by Jagwar Ma
28. Silence Yourself by Savages
29. People, Hell & Angels by Jimi Hendrix
30. Fade by Yo La Tengo
31. Wolf's Law by The Joy Formidable
32. Heart Of Nowhere by Noah And The Whale 
33. The Graceless Age by John Murry
34. Paramore by Paramore
35. Tales From Terra Firma by Stornoway
36. Electric by Richard Thompson 
37. Oblivion OST by M83
38. AMOK by Atoms For Peace
39. Wonderful, Glorious by Eels
40. Immunity by Jon Hopkins
41. A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart by Bill Ryder-Jones
42. Volume 3 by She & Him 
43. Hubcap Music by Seasick Steve
44. Wait To Pleasure by No Joy
45. A Long Way To Fall by Ulrich Schnauss 
46. Machineries Of Joy by British Sea Power 
47. Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant
48. All The Little Lights by Passenger
49. Tooth & Nail by Billy Bragg
50. Sound City - Real To Real by Sound City - Real To Real
51. Disarm The Descent by Killswitch Engage
52. The Messenger by Johnny Marr
53. If You Leave by Daughter
54. Pollen by Wave Machines
55. Mosquito by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
56. Back Into The Woods by Ed Harcourt
57. Clash The Truth by Beach Fossils
58. Country Sleep by Night Beds 
59. The Next Day by David Bowie
60. Rules By Passion, Destroyed By Lust by Asphodells
61. Blood Oaths Of The New Blues by Wooden Wand
62. Centralia by Mountains
63. In Love by Peace
64. Ores & Minerals by Mazes
65. Pedestrian Verse by Frightened Rabbit 
66. The Invisible Way By Low
67. Lysandre by Christopher Owens
68. English Rain by Gabrielle Aplin
69. Monomania by Deerhunter
70. California X by California X
71. Field Of Reeds by These New Puritans
72. Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy
73. 180 by Palma Violets
74. News From Nowhere by Darkstar
75. Almanac by Widowspeak 
76. Bloodsports by Suede
77. Graffiti On The Train by Stereophonics
78. Wash The Sins Not Only The Face by Esben And The Witch 
79. Comedown Machine by The Strokes
80. The Moths Are Real by Serafina Steer
81. {Awayland} by Villagers
82. Out Of Touch In The Wild by Dutch Uncles
83. Lost Sirens by New Order
84. Girl Talk by Kate Nash
85. Beta Love by Ra Ra Riot
86. Early Rocking by Paul Simon
87. Collections by Delphic

This Week - Sigur Rós, Queens Of The Stone Age and Filter

Iceland's finest Sigur Rós are usually predictable and safe. You know what to expect from their music: the soaring instrumentation, string arrangements, stirring piano, big guitars and angelic floating vocals all add to the glorious mix. But this time, a year after the release of the subtle beauty of Valtari, the departure of founding member Kjartan Sveinsson, and nearly ten years on from the masterpiece Takk, Sigur Rós have gone in a new direction. Kveikur is positively industrial, harsh and magnificently raw, like Takk in a blender. The core of the album is focused around the wonderful voice of Jónsi Birgisson, which is the big difference from the piano-led Takk and the controlled chaos of Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust. Opening song Brennisteinn sets the mood perfectly, with a backdrop of grinding machinery and melodic vocals, it introduces the new brutal landscape. Hrafntinna arrives like something from the Game Of Thrones soundtrack before Ísjaki, the album's big highlight and a supreme combination of Jónsi and the band driven forward by Orri Páll Dýrason's drums. After this build-up, Kveikur never reaches the same heights but Stormur is another emotive piece with Jónsi's unique voice shining through. The dark title track makes way for the lighter Rafstraumur and the simple closer Var brings this strange, intriguing adventure to an end. This is the sound of Sigur Rós shaking off the past to make a raw, fractured, yet emotional record.

Josh Homme is a genius but life as a genius in Queens Of The Stone Age is not easy. Homme was hospitalised in 2010 and had to 'fire' drummer Joey Castillo about a third of the way through recording new album, ...Like Clockwork, to bring in Dave Grohl. Former bassist Nick Oliveri provides backing vocals on a couple of tracks but has not officially rejoined the band, and Homme has brought in guests Mark Lanegan, Trent Reznor, Alex Turner, Jake Shears and Elton John (yes, really). In spite of this turmoil and a host of side-projects (most notably the brilliant Them Crooked Vultures), Queens Of The Stone Age remains a solid, coherent and formidable musical force. That said, ...Like Clockwork feels like a band fighting themselves and the future; but ultimately it's rewarding. Darkness is everywhere, even in its lighter, more positive moments and the approach is much more interesting than the listless Era Vulgaris. As always Troy Van Leeuwen is excellent, providing supreme guitar work, while Grohl and the much maligned Castillo add solid percussion. This is evident from attention-grabbing prog-rock opener Keep Your Eyes Peeled, followed by the equally impressive I Sat By The Ocean. The Vampyre Of Time And Memory is something of a departure but Homme's subtle vocals and more incredible guitar work create an uneasy yet satisfying atmosphere. If I Had A Tail, Fairweather Friends and Smooth Sailing are instant highlights while Kalopsia is verging on Pink Floyd, until the last minute and half brings the noise. The title track closes the album in style, with Homme's delicate falsetto and piano making way for startling guitars and drums(this time from Jon Theodore (ex-Mars Volta). ...Like Clockwork is order from chaos and the best Queens Of The Stone Age album since Songs For The Deaf.

Filter, lead by Richard Patrick - brother of actor Robert and former touring guitarist in Nine Inch Nails, has not had a typical life as a band. With many more ex-members than current personal, and a very new present line-up, Filter are a different band than that of the mid to late nineties. Short Bus and Title Of Record remained their best work but new album The Sun Comes Out Tonight takes the approach of 2010's The Trouble With Angels and provides some genuinely excellent results. The songs fall into two styles - venomous vitriol (opener We Hate It When You Get What You Want, What Do You Say and This Finger's For You) and more reflective acoustic style (the wonderful Surprise, the elegant pop of First You Break It and the sweet It's My Time). The title track is something in between while Take That Knife Out Of My Back deftly switches from soft to hard - but Filter remain a schizophrenic outfit, able to produce full-on alt-metal and light, airy pop with equal and effortless ease. Closer It's Just You is the album's most coherent and unique moments, as it seems to transcend this juxtaposition. The Sun Comes Out Tonight is Filter at their best and this is a tremendous, and worthwhile, comeback.

Music Chart - May 2013

A definite case of quality over quantity for a busy May. New albums this month from Little Boots,  Noah And The Whale, Deerhunter, She & Him, Savages, Primal Scream, Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood, Daft Punk, The National and Laura Marling.

Kurt Vile holds the number one spot from Laura Marling and Steve Martin/Edie Brickell.

1. Wakin On A Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile 
2. Once I Was An Eagle by Laura Marling
3. Love Has Come For You by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
4. Trouble Will Find Me by The National
5. Impossible Truth by William Tyler
6. Opposites by Biffy Clyro 
7. Push The Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
8. Waiting For Something To Happen by Veronica Falls
9. The Beast In Its Tracks by Josh Ritter 
10. Nocturnes by Little Boots
11. Heartthrob by Tegan And Sara
12. Welcome Oblivion by How To Destroy Angels
13. Les Revenants Soundtrack by Mogwai
14. More Light by Primal Scream
15. Let It All In by I Am Kloot
16. Spectre At The Feast by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 
17. Black Pudding by Mark Lanegan & Duke Garwood
18. Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner
19. Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO by Besnard Lakes 
20. Silence Yourself by Savages
21. People, Hell & Angels by Jimi Hendrix
22. Fade by Yo La Tengo
23. Wolf's Law by The Joy Formidable
24. Heart Of Nowhere by Noah And The Whale
25. Paramore by Paramore
26. Tales From Terra Firma by Stornoway
27. Electric by Richard Thompson 
28. Oblivion OST by M83
29. AMOK by Atoms For Peace
30. Wonderful, Glorious by Eels
31. A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart by Bill Ryder-Jones
32. Volume 3 by She & Him
33. Wait To Pleasure by No Joy
34. A Long Way To Fall by Ulrich Schnauss 
35. Machineries Of Joy by British Sea Power 
36. Random Access Memories by Daft Punk
37. Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant
38. All The Little Lights by Passenger
39. Tooth & Nail by Billy Bragg
40. Sound City - Real To Real by Sound City - Real To Real
41. Disarm The Descent by Killswitch Engage
42. The Messenger by Johnny Marr
43. If You Leave by Daughter
44. Pollen by Wave Machines
45. Mosquito by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
46. Back Into The Woods by Ed Harcourt
47. Clash The Truth by Beach Fossils
48. Country Sleep by Night Beds 
49. The Next Day by David Bowie
50. Rules By Passion, Destroyed By Lust by Asphodells
51. Blood Oaths Of The New Blues by Wooden Wand
52. Centralia by Mountains
53. In Love by Peace
54. Ores & Minerals by Mazes
55. Pedestrian Verse by Frightened Rabbit 
56. The Invisible Way By Low
57. Lysandre by Christopher Owens
58. Monomania by Deerhunter
59. California X by California X
60. Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy
61. 180 by Palma Violets
62. News From Nowhere by Darkstar
63. Almanac by Widowspeak 
64. Bloodsports by Suede
65. Graffiti On The Train by Stereophonics
66. Wash The Sins Not Only The Face by Esben And The Witch 
67. Comedown Machine by The Strokes
68. The Moths Are Real by Serafina Steer
69. {Awayland} by Villagers
70. Out Of Touch In The Wild by Dutch Uncles
71. Lost Sirens by New Order
72. Girl Talk by Kate Nash
73. Beta Love by Ra Ra Riot
74. Early Rocking by Paul Simon
75. Collections by Delphic

This Week - The National, Laura Marling, Alice In Chains

Few bands make a trio of really great albums and The National have now made it four in a row. Alligator, Boxer, High Violet and now Trouble Will Find Me continues the impressive run from an American band at the top of their game. Unlike the immediacy of Alligator and High Violet, Trouble Will Find Me is a slow burner, an album of subtle complexity and hidden messages which have to be teased from the music on repeat listens. Vocalist Matt Berninger delivers his unique melancholy tones throughout, with a few pleasant surprises: Heavenfaced is excellent while Humiliation is a gloriously successful experiment of dark chamber pop. Don't Swallow The Cap is right up there with the best, as is opener I Should Live In Salt, and to finish Pink Rabbits is several ideas in one, transforming and evolving to make way for the wonderful Hard To Find. The National continue to enthral and beguile with wondrous effect.

In the same week as The National make it four from four, Laura Marling does the same. From tentative, charming début Alas, I Cannot Swim to the more confident duo I Speak Because I Can and A Creature I Don't Know, Marling has expanded her musical landscaping further with Once I Was An Eagle. The album magnificently builds through an introduction of connected songs (You Know into Breathe is especially slick) into the brilliant Master Hunter, with Marling in full flow. Devil's Resting Place concludes the first half before a more subdued collection: the lovely country waltz of Where Can I Go?, vocals, keyboards and guitars blending perfectly. Once is equally arresting, as Marling reminisces on her childhood, and the dark tones of When Were You Happy? (And How Long Has That Been) brings in yet another character to the stage of a musician who is more of an actor than a singer. And while the album's encore is not as strong as its prelude and centrepiece, it is consistently compelling and utterly absorbing.

Veteran alt-metal legends Alice In Chains reunited in 2005 following the death of Layne Staley and their first album without their original singer was the heartfelt and beautiful Black Gives Way To Blue, an album of tribute and nostalgia. Given that there was a fourteen year break, and mainly due to the steerage of Jerry Cantrell and lead singer William DuVall, Alice In Chains sound remarkably familiar and refreshing. New album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is spirited and powerful, often lapsing into mournful dirge, while soaring above their muddy sound. The seven-minute Phantom Limb is an obvious highlight and the venomous Stone has echoes of Queens Of The Stone Age and Tool (puns intended?). Among the swampy metal, there are moments of clarity: Voices is uplifting and melodic and closer Choke is a mash of sounds and ideas echoing back to 1992's Dirt.

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories (Album Review 2013)

After enjoying huge success with the Tron: Legacy soundtrack, French dance duo Daft Punk realised that the approach to their next album was too much of a synthesiser overload. They set about making Random Access Memories, a celebration of the 1970s/80s US disco sound, and something of a rarity: a dance record with 'proper' instruments, singers and musicians, limiting the use of drum machines and performing live in a studio. That said, vocoders feature heavily  - Bangalter and de Homem-Christo sharing vocal duties - with mixed results and form a huge part of the album.

Random Access Memories features some notable guests and Nile Rodgers (Chic) provides guitars for several songs including opener Give Life Back To Music, a huge slice of smooth funk. But the big early highlight is the nine-minute genius that is Giorgio by Moroder, starting as spoken word, with Giorgio explaining his part in the early days of electronic music. He introduces himself and the cool vibrant electronica starts, moving from funky to classical, back to full-on beats and bass, driving drums and keyboards with a huge swathe of instrumentation, stuttering into a swirling mass of guitars. This is a wonderful tribute. Of the other collaborations, Pharrell Williams brings most to the party - his voice free of robotic production. Lose Yourself To Dance starts well but lapses into the predictable, while the excellent Get Lucky is perfect dance/pop again with Nile Rodgers adding his sparkling guitar work.

Elsewhere, Random Access Memories is a mix of brilliance and frustration. Touch is inspired (after an odd start), with Paul Williams adding a great vocal turn, some bouncy jazz/skiffle fusion before a choral/electronic arrangement. Williams provides the lyrics for Beyond, the smooth soundtrack opening and excellent outro are marred by clumsy vocals and a poor delivery. This and Instant Crush would work better as an instrumental, in spite of Julian Casablancas delivering a decent, if mashed up, vocal for the latter. Late on, Motherboard is a neat track and it's not every day you hear a cristal baschet in full flow, and the soulful Fragments Of Time (with Todd Edwards) is smart and uncluttered. Closing track Contact is a great idea, blending samples, the magnificent sound of a modular synthesiser (with DJ Falcon) and pounding drums into something old-school; it builds then builds again before ending in slightly underwhelming chaos.

Random Access Memories feels more like an experiment than a well-crafted album but when they are brilliant, Daft Punk are truly inspired and enchanting. They have revitalised a vintage sound and with the help of Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams (among others), created something quite wonderful. But this is nowhere near perfect and the early emotional ballads (The Game Of Love and Within) are slow and lifeless - it's hard to convey power and generate empathy when fronted by Marvin, the Paranoid Android. You can't fault the approach however - more often than not Random Access Memories sounds real and relevant. An audacious celebration.

-- CS

This Week - Primal Scream and Vampire Weekend

Primal Scream has never been a band to bow to convention, never staying in the same place for very long and frustrating fans and critics. Without question Bobby Gillespie and the band are at their best when they cut loose with psychedelic pop, none more so than the glorious timeless rhythms of Screamadelica and later the magnificent industrial stomp of XTRMNTR. But it's the disastrous forays into soft indie rock that has been Primal Scream's undoing: the hapless Give Out But Don't Give Up and the woeful Riot City Blues are huge blots on the landscape. So with new album More Light, the band (now without Mani who has returned to The Stone Roses) has returned to what they do best. This is weird and wonderful from the outset, a dark twisted and compelling album which opens with the nine minute monstrous epic 2013, sounding like an orchestra of which Jason Pierce would be proud. A great opening is let down by a weak first half: River Of Pain has sultry guitar work, Gillespie's breathless vocals and big strings, then the immense dark-funk bass and drums of Culturecide; both are impressive but Hit Void is a hopeless mess. A mixed bag leads to the brilliant stomp of Elimination Blues, all supreme guitars and drums, backing vocals and percussion. Only Invisible City, with guitar/trumpet combination works well after the spirited stirring ballad Tenement Kid. More Light shrugs off the inconsistencies and ends in style. Turn Each Other Inside Out is another fantastic bass line with pounding drums and guitars. Walking With The Beast, with echoes of Gillespie's ex-band The Jesus And Mary Chain, is a highlight - gorgeous guitars and vocals deliver throughout, before closer It's Alright, It's OK brings back the Screamadelica-era pop, all jangling guitars, hippie choral vocals and exquisite piano. Easily Primal Scream's best work since 2000 - ambitious, adventurous and wonderfully unique.

Vampire Weekend's third album has delivered the band's most interesting album to date, building on their auspicious eponymous début and adding focus to the pop rhythms of follow-up Contra. Modern Vampires Of The City is smart, precise and cool - exactly what Vampire Weekend should be. Up to now, they have always seemed more style over substance but, as opener Obvious Bicycle proves, the focused industrial acoustic sounds, wonderful songwriting and Fleet Foxes vocals are a winning combination. Unbelievers is an immediate pop-punk highlight while Step is an odd spiky piano-led Elizabethan waltz. Modern Vampires Of The City never quite revisits this opening but Hannah Hunt is a lovely mixed tale of road-trip and love-song with a big Dylan-esque outro and some of the best vocals from Ezra Koenig. Everlasting Arms is cool pleasant string-pop while Finger Back is completely different - punchy and fast, like following song Worship You, they take the album up a notch. Sadly, Ya Hey is a great song ruined by some grating vocal blending, the absurd chipmunk crooning a horror show - the album's only obviously bad move. Then Modern Vampires Of The City falls flat at the end with the spooky drawn-out mournful strings of Hudson followed by fragment closer Young Lion, this is a downbeat ending to an otherwise enjoyable work. Still unique and compelling, Vampire Weekend is full of character, intelligence and pointed observations, but the band still need more substance to dispel the often empty style.

Kurt Vile - Wakin On A Pretty Daze Album Review (2013)

When Kurt Vile left The War On Drugs in 2008, a great music collaboration ended. Vile was already a solo artist (of sorts) and his backing band The Violators continued with The War On Drugs co-founder and front-man Adam Granduciel still on board. Granduciel left The Violators in 2011 and went on make one of the finest albums in the last decade, Slave Ambient, as Vile blitzed through four solo albums, with mixed results. So now, on his fifth attempt to make a solid, coherent and engaging work, Kurt Vile and Wakin On A Pretty Daze have finally delivered.

Vile has always been a free and liberated musician, blending styles and moods with seemingly incoherent abandon but he has yet to do this with such elegance. Wakin On A Pretty Daze opens with the cool sublime nine-and-a-half minute, sleek, sun-kissed guitar-led epic Wakin On A Pretty Day, with Vile musing on thoughts and observations like a philosophical stoner. 'To be frank, I'm fried...but I...don't mind', he sings before drifting off into a series of uninspired, yet entirely appropriate, 'yeah yeah yeahs'. As the song enters a fourth minute it's difficult to know where it could go. One wonderful guitar solo later and Vile is back with more of the same with additional random empty lyrics. Yet the effect is mesmerising and sublime, as another swathe of swirling guitars drives the song on into its last minute like the eighteenth minute of a classic Neil Young And Crazy Horse adventure.

KV Crimes opens with a blistering guitar riff before Vile starts the tale of self-analysis. The chorus, while not the most inspired, is wonderfully structured around a laid-back delivery: 'Well, right...what now? It's fine. I think I'm ready, to claim what's mine, rightfully, yeah...'. Vile's voice is not so much of a clear and concise storyteller but it's an incredible instrument, to compliment more supreme guitar work. To complete an impressive opening trio, Was All Talk is another highlight, with injected pace and energy. Vile, again, is examining his own life and achievements: 'There was a time in my life when they thought I was all talk' he claims dismissively and then later 'Making music is easy...watch me!' before repeating the aforementioned accusation, all framed with psychedelic swampy guitars. Vile is not scared of letting the music run and go where he feels it should, as the outro hurtles into an eighth minute.

The mid-tempo Girl Called Alex rolls lazily through its six minutes, occasionally lifted by some neat guitar-work from Jesse Trbovich and organ from Vile. It's not quite a weak point but feels more like an interlude between the first part of the album and what is to come. This leads into Never Run Away and the closest Wakin On A Pretty Daze comes to producing a three-minute pop song while being utterly unique and odd. Vile simply fuses empty lyrics with repetitions of the song's title. Pure Pain echoes Pavement covering The Pixies, a modern proto-punk stomp, before changing completely, only to return later in the third minute. It's a brief re-visit as the song drifts again into a series of delicious guitar loops. And another huge eight minutes produces Too Hard, with Vile at his most heartfelt and honest: 'I will promise not to smoke too much. I will promise not to party...too hard...too hard...It's too hard', he sings before the profound 'Life is like a ball of beauty that makes you wanna just cry...then you die...'. Again, the guitars shine with added hope to Vile's inward, self-deflating lyrics. This is a great example of a song drawn thin with over-extended lyrics and wide-open instrumentation.

Shame Chamber is another brilliant pop song, more ego-bashing and catharsis set to a playful soundtrack, complete with maddening 'woops'. This begins an impressive end to a great album. Snowflakes Are Dancing is the late high-point with Vile on top form, the music blending perfectly into a swirling mass of guitars, percussion and voice. The quality continues with Air Bud, which could easily be The War On Drugs doing an acoustic set. And as if the album needed a big finish, Goldtone is a final ten minutes of icing on a massive cake. Opening lyrically with 'Sometimes when I get in my zone, you'd think I was stoned...but I never, as they say, touch the stuff. I might be adrift, but I'm still alert, concentrating my hurt into a gold tone...'. This is an album in one song, an autobiographical account of a musical journey, with more sublime musical moments: layers of guitars, sweet backing vocals and harmonies. Into the ninth minute and the music rises to a mini final crescendo.

Wakin On A Pretty Daze is one of the most interesting albums of the year and is set to remain so. Vile's unique and unstructured approach and delivery makes it sound as if this is the product of a series of experimental, improvised and shambolic jam sessions. This may be the case but it captures Vile (and The Violators) at their most creative and consistent, yielding a huge album that drifts in and out of ideas and themes; at times drawn-out and threatening to lose focus, but rightfully so. The open spaces, protracted sequences of guitars and often thin lyrics add to the overall feel and charm and create the right atmosphere. This is Kurt Vile's most ambitious and ultimately rewarding album: huge, expansive and, above all, enjoyable.

-- CS

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell - Love Has Come For You (Album Review 2013)

The contrasting duo of comedian, actor, and now accomplished bluegrass banjo player, Steve Martin and singer, songwriter Edie Brickell might seem an unlikely combination for a new album but proves to be a perfect match. Martin's love of the banjo started in his teenage years and he has been playing ever since, while Brickell started her musical life as part of New Bohemians and made one of the finest pop albums of all time, Shooting Rubber Bands At The Stars, before briefly going solo. She is now part of The Heavy Circles and The Gaddabouts so another collaboration was always inevitable. This new project: Love Has Come For You follows Martin's Rare Bird Alert (with the Steep Canyon Rangers), and the Grammy winning The Crow: New Songs For The 5-string Banjo, and the inclusion of Brickell's vocals adds character and charm to his music.


What makes Love Has Come For You such a charming and engaging folk album is that no part of it is over-done. The ever-present banjo is a core instrument but it never overwhelms or consumes the storytelling. And Brickell's voice soars and shines throughout, a controlling presence but never upstaging the music. The title track, for instance, is an understated three-minutes of wonder, tinged with darkness from another time and driven by gorgeous vocal harmonies and subtle percussion. The duo are continuously respectful and honest to the genre as Sarah Jane And The Iron Mountain Baby shows - a superb tale of a baby thrown from a train in a suitcase, found unharmed and raised against adversity. Both Martin and Brickell are playful and bring a sense of fun and energy to the seemingly macabre subject matter - even the odd train impersonations work as the banjo echoes the frantic wheels of the runaway engine. As an introduction, Yes She Did is a stark, cold and honest account of suicide, delivered without emotion. Opener When You Get To Asheville breathes modern life into a classic sound as Brickell asks '...send me an email', while Siamese Cat is more like something from her New Bohemian days. Both work in their different ways. Martin's best performance is Shawnee, a master-class of string work, as Brickell tells the story, that of a love-lost girl trying to avoid the advances of her 'creepy cousin'. And the heartfelt ballad of King Of Boys is simply wonderful, if way too short, providing Brickell's finest vocal. As the album closes, Love Has Come For You leaves one of its finest moments for last. Remember Me This Way is another song washed with dark cold tones, perfectly judged and uncomplicated.

Love Has Come For You often feels like music from a different era while remaining current and timeless, bringing old stories and forgotten souls back to life. It runs hot and cold, musically, with vibrant rhythms and energy making way for a darker, colder side. As musical collaborations go, this is a triumph of songwriting and execution. The combination of Martin and Brickell is so natural that you wonder why they haven't done this before and Love Has Come For You sounds like a partnership that has been years in the making.

-- CS

Music Chart - April 2013

The music chart for April features new music from The Strokes, British Sea Power, M83, Paramore, Killswitch Engage, Kurt Vile, Fall Out Boy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Besnard Lakes, Bill Ryder-Jones, Frank Turner, No Joy, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell and William Tyler. This has definitely been a month for quality over quantity with some new albums breaking into the top ten and knocking Biffy from the number one spot.

1. Wakin On A Pretty Daze by Kurt Vile
2. Love Have Come For You by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell
3. Impossible Truth by William Tyler
4. Opposites by Biffy Clyro 
5. Push The Sky Away by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
6. Waiting For Something To Happen by Veronica Falls
7. The Beast In Its Tracks by Josh Ritter 
8. Welcome Oblivion by How To Destroy Angels
9. Les Revenants Soundtrack by Mogwai
10. Let It All In by I Am Kloot
11. Spectre At The Feast by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 
12. Tape Deck Heart by Frank Turner
13. Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO by Besnard Lakes
14. People, Hell & Angels by Jimi Hendrix
15. Fade by Yo La Tengo
16. Wolf's Law by The Joy Formidable
17. Paramore by Paramore
18. Tales From Terra Firma by Stornoway
19. Electric by Richard Thompson 
20. Oblivion OST by M83
21. AMOK by Atoms For Peace
22. Wonderful, Glorious by Eels
23. A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart by Bill Ryder-Jones
24. Heartthrob by Tegan And Sara
25. Wait To Pleasure by No Joy
26. A Long Way To Fall by Ulrich Schnauss 
27. Machineries Of Joy by British Sea Power
28. Pale Green Ghosts by John Grant
29. All The Little Lights by Passenger
30. Tooth & Nail by Billy Bragg
31. Sound City - Real To Real by Sound City - Real To Real
32. Disarm The Descent by Killswitch Engage
33. The Messenger by Johnny Marr
34. If You Leave by Daughter
35. Pollen by Wave Machines
36. Mosquito by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
37. Back Into The Woods by Ed Harcourt
38. Clash The Truth by Beach Fossils
39. Country Sleep by Night Beds 
40. The Next Day by David Bowie
41. Rules By Passion, Destroyed By Lust by Asphodells
42. Blood Oaths Of The New Blues by Wooden Wand
43. Centralia by Mountains
44. In Love by Peace
45. Ores & Minerals by Mazes
46. Pedestrian Verse by Frightened Rabbit 
47. The Invisible Way By Low
48. Lysandre by Christopher Owens
49. California X by California X
50. Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy
51. 180 by Palma Violets
52. News From Nowhere by Darkstar
53. Almanac by Widowspeak 
54. Bloodsports by Suede
55. Graffiti On The Train by Stereophonics
56. Wash The Sins Not Only The Face by Esben And The Witch 
57. Comedown Machine by The Strokes
58. The Moths Are Real by Serafina Steer
59. {Awayland} by Villagers
60. Out Of Touch In The Wild by Dutch Uncles
61. Lost Sirens by New Order
62. Girl Talk by Kate Nash
63. Beta Love by Ra Ra Riot
64. Early Rocking by Paul Simon
65. Collections by Delphic

Sigur Rós to appear on The Simpsons

Sigur Rós are to star in an episode of The Simpsons on May 19th. Entitled 'The Saga of Carl', Homer heads to Iceland in pursuit of Carl and the band feature, provide new music for a score and have a go at the classic theme song.

Read more on Eighteen Seconds Before Sunrise.

RIP Storm Thorgerson