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Saturday, May 31, 2003

Sat, 31 May 2003 16:41:51 GMT

Cerys Matthews
Album: Cockahoop
Release date: Out Now
This is the debut solo album by Cerys Matthews.
The album, recorded in Whites Creek, Nashville with producer Bucky Baixter (best known as steel guitarist for Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams and Steve Earle) marks an inspired change of direction for the former Catatonia singer.
The playing is as vivid and potent as you'd expect from musicians such as guitarist Richard Bennett (Travis Tritt, Emmylou Harris), drummer Ken Coomer (once of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo) and multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke (Confederate Railroad).
But mostly, it's a record that puts the spotlight on the songs and Cerys'voice, which has taken on a richer patina than we've ever heard from her before.
There are traces of folk, country, soul and pop - and much more besides. 'Cockahoop' is all and none of them at the same time and its felicitious agility doesn't fit easily into any musical category.
Some of the tunes are catchy, while some of them retain the tuneful quality of a nursey rhyme which is in itself quite appealing. And it is these songs which stick in the memory, especially the opening track, which is called chardonnay.
With this album, you don't get Catatonia or anything approaching chart bound sounds such as Road Rage and Mulder and Scully. What you do get is a fresh approach which is both interesting and stimulating.

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Sun, 18 May 2003 10:58:33 GMT

The Dandy Warhols: Welcome to the Monkey House
Release date: Out Now

The Dandy Warhols new album 'Welcome To The Monkey House'is their fourth, and is the much anticipated follow up to 2000's 'Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia', which has sold over 200,000 copies in the UK and contained the worldwide mega-hit 'Bohemian Like You'.

The new album, which takes it's title from Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s classic 1968 short story collection, features guest appearances from Chic guitarist/ producer Nile Rodgers, who joins the Dandys on 'I Am A Scientist', and Duran Duran frontman Simon Le Bon, who lends backing vocals on 'Plan A'. Ex-Lemonhead Evan Dando also contributes, co-writing 'You Were The Last High'with The Dandy Warhols' Courtney Taylor-Taylor.

'Welcome To The Monkey House'was produced by Taylor-Taylor and Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, except for 'The Dope You Are' and 'Rock Bottom' produced by TaylorTaylor & Tony Visconti, and'You Come In Burned'produced by Taylor-Taylor.

Based in Portland, Oregon, The Dandy Warhols are Courtney Taylor-Taylor (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Peter Holstrom (lead guitar), Brent DeBoer (drums, vocal harmonies), Zia McCabe (keyboards).

The first single from'Welcome To The Monkey House'is'We Used To Be Friends'.
This is in many ways a challenging album, laden with complex melodies and song structures, but it all works exceptionally well.

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Sun, 18 May 2003 10:58:03 GMT

Cinerama: John Peel Sessions: Season 2

Release date: Out Now

Like The Wedding Present before them, David Gedge's Cinerama have had a close association with the John Peel Show from the outset.I'm a big fan, so this release is something special for me.

This second collection of recordings made exclusively for the programme, both in live performance and in studio sessions at the BBC's famous Maida Vale Studios in London, features the earliest renditions of songs that went on to form the the core of the band's second and third albums, Disco Volante and Torino, released in 2000 and 2002 respectively.

Included are six songs that eventually became singles, among them the string-laden epic, Health & Efficiency, Number the in 2001's Festive 50 and a French vocal version of the ultra-sexy Lollobrigida. The album also features Quick, Before It Melts, Number two in 2002's Festive 50 and Your Charms, written to order for a title supplied by Peel himself!

Cinerama's transition from Gedge's solo project to full band is now complete, and the surprise ending to the group's enchanting cover of The Carpenter's Yesterday Once More even shows The Wedding Present's trademark guitar sound starting to filter back through. However, the songs were recorded with a string section, flute and trumpet and display the full orchestration that has become Cinerama's trademark.

David Gedge is currently living in Seattle, Washington and writing material for a new album. Looking forward to it....
Tracklisting...
Your Charms
Heels
Apres Ski
Superman
Because I'm Beautiful
Lollobrigida (French Version)
Sly Curl
Yesterday Once More
Careless
Get Smart
Quick, Before It Melts
Health And Efficiency

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Sun, 18 May 2003 10:56:58 GMT

INSPIRAL CARPETS: "COOL AS"
RELEASE DATE: out now

The Inspiral Carpets have released a deluxe three CD package, "Cool As", containing two audio CDs and a DVD on the respected Mute Label.

The album coincided with a tour featuring the definitive band line-up of Tom Hingley/vocals, Clint Boon/keyboards, Craig 'Noddy' Gill/drums, Martyn Walsh/bass and Graham Lambert/guitars.

The "Cool As" package contains a CD of all the band's singles, Including their first two releases (on Playtime and Cow) and the unreleased, new track 'Come Back Tomorrow' while the second CD features the three unreleased tracks, 'Iron', 'I Don't Want To Go Blind' featuring Basil Clark and 'You've Got What It Takes'. CD2 also contains B-Sides, rarities and mixes never before released on CD as well as their take on '96 Tears'; the Northern soul classic 'Tainted Love', most famously recorded by Soft Cell and Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. The DVD contains all the Inspiral Carpets' promo videos, live tracks, a new exclusive interview with the band plus hidden extras - all for the first time on DVD.

The Inspiral Carpets' music and spirit epitomised the creativity of the early 90's, and together with the Happy Mondays and The Stone Roses brought psychedelic indie-guitar "Madchester" kicking and screaming into the mainstream. The Inspiral's achieved huge success in the 90s, earning.13 Top 40 singles with the likes of 'Joe, 'Dragging Me Down', 'Saturn 5', 'This Is How It Feels' and 'She Comes In The Fall' and four Top 20 albums including "Life" (1990) "The Beast Inside" (1991), "Revenge Of The Goldfish" (1992) and "Devil Hopping.
This is an excellent look back over their career.

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Sun, 18 May 2003 10:32:52 GMT

MARTIN L.. GORE: "Counterfeit2"
Out Now

Martin L. Gore, songwriter and one of the founder members of Depeche Mode, has released 'Stardust', a version of the David Essex classic, as the first single to be lifted from this album. So, nothing like Depeche Mode then.
"Counterfeit" is the second in Martin L. Gore's counterfeit cover version series and, like his first Counterfeit release, it is a wildly diverse and passionate collection. The new album sees Gore radically rework 11 tracks, originally made famous by the likes of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, John Lennon, Brian Eno and David Essex.

Recorded over 18 months at his home studio, Gore revisits and reinvents songs which have touched him deeply over the years. The tracks range from sultry 21st Century blues to achingly lovely sci-fi lullabies; sublime alt-country crooners to engrossing electronic torch songs. A glittering haul of buried treasure, their only guiding spirit being the visceral emotional attachment felt by Martin towards them.

"I really wanted to get across a fan's perspective." Martin told MusicWeb. "There is something about the songs I like that somehow gives the album a thread. Deep emotions, I suppose. There has to be a personal connection."

Friday, May 16, 2003

Fri, 16 May 2003 11:07:34 GMT

DAVE GAHAN: PAPER MONSTERS
Released June 2

This is the solo debut by the voice of Depeche Mode. Composed with multi instrumentalist Knox Chandler and produced by Ken Thomas (of Sigur Ros fame), it is 10 tracks of a very back-to-basics nature. You know, guitar, drums, a few synths and THAT voice. The first track, Dirty Sticky Floors has been plucked from the album for release as a single and gives a flavour of the concept for Paper Monsters. Gahan told MusicWeb: "This album is about feeling and I wanted to hear something that makes me feel good. That has been the train of thought throughout this record and Ken's been really great with that."
Although he has fronted Depeche Mode for 22 years, Paper Monsters marks his debut as a fully fledged songwriter. Before now, career commitments, distractions and personal confidence barriers kept him from finding his true voice. "Hence the title of the album, because I had created these monsters which have got bigger and bigger over the years," he explained. "But in the last few years, I realised that it is only myself who has created them."
A lot of the tracks of the album are brooding and introspective, dark and wistful. But there is also sardonic humour and more than a little swagger. Gahan is a man who has spent years making music which pleases other people. This one, he's made because he wanted to, perhaps even needed to..

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Thu, 15 May 2003 20:00:05 GMT

SKIN; FLESHWOUNDS

Skin is a goddess...ok? She looks as cool as a butcher's chopping block and has the voice of a fallen angel. Fronting Skunk Anansie, she was all pent-up aggression, frustration and fury. Remember the singles Charity and Brazen (Weep). They were anthems. Still are in many respects.

On her own, she has turned into a pussy. And she's made an album of late night, log-fire love songs. Which is bloody odd, not to say a bit of a waste you might think.

But hold on a second, we may mourn the passing of the pouting, baldy rock chick, but we damn well ought to welcome the entry of a more subtle Skin. A Skin bathed in Clinique (bad pun, I know). Beautiful melodies, incisive lyrics...Fleshwounds is an album of heartaches, of relationships of conscience.

She is a superb singer who has an exciting back catalogue of albums, including Paranoid & Sunburnt, Stoosh (my favourite) and Post Orgasmic Chill. Fleshwounds opens a new chapter in her songbook

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Thu, 15 May 2003 19:46:08 GMT

FLEETWOOD MAC: SAY YOU WILL

Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie are reunited for their first studio album together since 1987.

And they are currently planning a world tour...which is scary. At their age, they should be tucked up with a mug of luke warm Ovaltine.

What's the album like? Well, it's like Fleetwood Mac...and that's not being dismissive. It simply means they have a certain sound and it ain't changed over the years. There are 18 fairly laid back tunes on here, spiced up a little with a few screaming Formula One type guitar solos and a lot of sex-and-strawberry close harmonies.

If you doted on Rumours (released 1977 and owned by everyone over 35) then you will love Say You Will. Youngsters may reckon that Say You Will sounds a little like 'dad rock' against today's nu metal icons, however, Fleetwood Mac are pros who have put in their time - and it shows. The production is bloody astonishing. The more I listen to this record the more I like it. And I defy any hetro bloke not to get a semi stiffy listening to Stevie Nicks' voice. It's oozes like warm chocolate dripped over the belly of a freshly bathed model.

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Thu, 15 May 2003 19:28:25 GMT

PEPPERCORN: BAREFOOT

Peppercorn is new. You won't have heard of her yet. But you will. Trust me. Her music is a catchy folk rock hybrid and her debut album, Barefoot, is crammed with singalong tunes which stay with you hours after the first listen.

The tunes are emotional and the lyrics are cross-culturally diverse and often surprisingly cutting for someone so young.

Her first single from this cd is Hyperventilating and it is due some solid airplay. It's an up tempo ditty comparing love to an asthma attack (not really, but it was a fair image). If there is any justice, Peppercorn should be all over Saturday morning TV.

Scheduled for release May 19.

Thursday, May 15, 2003

Thu, 15 May 2003 19:20:11 GMT

THE MATRIX:RELOADED SOUNDTRACK.

Face it, you're not gonna get away from this film. It's the big release of the summer. There's a lot riding on its success and so the soundtrack has been carefully chosen to create the correct ambience - featuring major rock acts such as Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against the Machine and the Deftones. That's CD1..CD2 is a different kettle of fish, with the title tune and various bits of 'incidental' music.

As you would expect, the whole thing is as cool as a threequarter length leather coat. If you are 13, wear a hooded top and have a long key chain dangling from your trouser pockets then this is your record of the year. For the rest of us, it's a nice reminder of a pretty damn good action movie.

The highlights are Reload by Rob Zombie and Session by Linkin Park. Lowlights are This is The New Shit by catwalk rockstar Manson.

One thing is v certain tho...just about every track on this album will become a single at some stage....oh the power of marketing