Music
The Charlatans : Who We Touch : Album Review
02 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
Yes they’re back again, 20 years after their debut album ‘Some Friendly’ and 14 years after their Britpop heyday, its sometimes easy to take The Charlatans for granted. Every couple a years a new release followed by a quick tour around the countries smaller sized music venues, never really making a mark on the nations consiousness. Maybe they’re happy to carry on like this, a real shame really as despite their recent struggles to dint the charts Tim Burgess and co are still capable of creating great music as ‘Who We Touch’, their 11th studio album fully demonstrates.
A mixed bag of styles that offers something for every Charlatans fan, no matter which era is your particular fave. ‘Love is Ending’ and ‘My Foolish Pride’ are instant classics while ‘Your Pure Sure’ (my current favourite) sounds like an outtake from ‘Us And Us Only’. Moving on through the album we hit several tracks that are more of this Millenniums Charlatans before hitting the Pink Floyd inspired ‘Oh!” and the shockingly bizarre finale bonus track ‘I Sing The Body Eclectic’ featuring Penny Rimbaud on lead vocals, a great one off track but leave the singing to Tim in future Penny.
The last few years have seen the boys trying out various different styles and themes for their LPs. I didn’t really get the reggae vibe on Simpatico, whilst the New Order influenced ‘You Cross My Path’ was great at the time but listening back now its hard to pick out any of the classic Charlatans moments that this new album captures. In a nut shell ‘Who we Touch’ is the best album they’ve created since the Holy Trinity line up of ‘Up to our Hips’, ‘The Charlatans’ and ‘Telling Stories’.
Shockingly the album only debuted at number 21, not really good enough but considering the lack of radio airlplay they now get its understandable. A problem that the ‘Manics’ Nicky Wire has also recently commented on, Its a crying shame and something needs to be done. Radio 1 might be for the kids but surely Radio 2 could make more of an effort to get these great bands that still have plenty to offer more play-time. Maybe at the expense of Katie Melua or some other modern muck.
Frackin Cool album review : 4 STARS (out of 5)
The xx take the Mercury
02 years ago
by Dan Belcher
in Music
Despite my colleagues prediction that Mumford and Sons would easily walk this years Mercury Music Prize 2010, the actual award went to The xx for their debut album ‘xx’.
Kudos to them, the album is extremely good and the trio who all hail from London faced some very stiff competition from some very big names.
They picked up the £20,000 winners cheque from host Jools Holland last night (7th September 2010) at the end of a thrill packed show in which all the nominees performed, kicking off with fellow contender Paul Weller.
It will now be interesting to see if The xx can kick on from here and make it big or just fade into obscurity as so many Mercury Prize winners have done before.
Arcade Fire : The Suburbs : Album Review
12 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
In one word simply ‘Wow’! The Arcade Fire come back with their third stunning full length release in a row.
Following on from 2005s Funeral and 2007s Neon Bible, the Fire have decided to follow the path of further development and sonic progression rather than churning out the same old sounds and cashing in.
Not that it’s a totally new sound mind. It’s still distinctly Win Butler, Régine Chassagne and co.
But the soundscapes of The Suburbs is a mix of the old and the new, part Funeral, part Neon Bible blended with bits of New Order, Depeche Mode and an added splash of Badly Drawn Boy.
Old fans will be delighted with this combined essence of the first two albums. The uplifting anthems of Funeral and the
Melancholy of Bible sit well together although personally I’ll always be more in favour of theirs (or anyones) dark side.
For me a good measure of any new album is it’s bedtime factor. A truly great record will after only a couple of listens swirl around my mind whilst trying to sleep. Not in an annoying Girls Aloud type way but in an classic Achtung Baby way and last night my semi-conscious self was filled with the glory of Rococo, the power of Month of May and sheer blooming catchiness of Sprawl II (Mountains beyond Mountains). I defy anyone to listen to that last one and not be humming it’s chorus hours later.
Yesterday I read another reviewers remark that The Suburbs brings to a close the greatest 3 albums set release by any band in the 21st century. I’d go one step further and declare it the greatest 3 album set release by any band ever! If anyone can think of a better set feel free to leave your comments below.
Ones things for sure, fans heading to Reading and Leeds this Bank Holiday are in for a rare treat.
Frackin Cool album review : 5 STARS (out of 5)
The coolest band in the world, Ever!…
42 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
Who are the coolest bands of all time? Its a tough call and one that greatly depends on your point of view with regards to the word cool!
Narrowing down this list to just 5 acts was incredibly hard. Many many acts were considered and many many hours were spent deliberating, just who has what Bruce Forsyth calls ‘It’!
Finally after a heavy session the list was complete, and lo it came to pass that the Frackin Cool shortlist of coolest bands of all time is…
• The Velvet Underground
• The Ramones
• Joy Division
• Massive Attack
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The problem we had were most bands have had moments of being both cool and uncool. Memories of the early Rolling Stones for example are now forever tarnished with the vision of stadium-filling wrinklies, which whilst great fun definitely isn’t cool. The early Beatles were a bit girly. Early Oasis soon became annoying Oasis. Blur, Country House will be on their tomb stone. The Sex Pistols were followers not setters. U2, too preachy. The Stone Roses, just too darn obvious.
So who do you rate as the coolest? Cast your vote in the poll on the left and if you feel we’ve missed anyone out let us know by adding your comments below. Oh no! We forgot about The White Stripes, Nirvana, shi…
Mercury Prize Nominees announced
02 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
The Mercury Music Prize nominees for 2010 were announced yesterday evening (20th July), once again leaving the average man scratching his head in puzzlement.
Dizzy Rascal, Paul Weller and Corrine Bailey Rae are the biggest names along with post brit-pop indie rock veterans I Am Kloot, whilst Mumford and Sons get a nod with their very first release.
The £20,000 prize is voted for by a mixture of music industry bods and critics and now has a history of choosing the unexpected. Fun in the mid-ninties With Roni Size/Represent and Gomez but now it seems like one big cliche. Shock tactics only work for so long. Who bought last years winner Speech Debelle’s album? Or who even remembers her now?
Get it wrong again and the Prize risks becoming a laughing stock.
My prediction goes to Mumford and Sons although don’t rule out a ‘well done – pat on the back’ to Paul Weller.
The winner will be announced by Jools Holland on September 7th 2010.
The full list of 2010 nominees…
· Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions
· We Are Villagers – Becoming A Jackal
· Corrine Bailey Rae – The Sea
· Mumford and Sons – Sign No More
· Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation
· Wild Beasts – To Dancers
· Kit Downes Trio – Golden
· Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
· Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N’ Cheek
· Foals – Total Life Forever
· I Am Kloot – Sky at Night
· The xx – xx
Liam’s Beady Eye and big mouth
02 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
Oh Liam, you and you big mouth. Just when you think Mr Gallagher has vanished from your vile-ometer, up he pops again with another spurious spout about his favourite subject, himself.
“It’ll be bigger. I’ve got no doubt about the music, no doubt about me.
“I’ve never sounded better. It’s proper rock ‘n’ roll. Oasis was a pop band compared to what we’re doing.”Liam speaking to the NME about his new band ‘Beady Eye’
How many times have we heard this rubbish now. Every time Oasis released a new album it was supposed to be massive! The best thing they’ve ever done! which of cause it continuously wasn’t. lets hear some music and we’ll make our own mind up thanks Liam, until then shut up!
Sounding like yesterdays man desperately trying to squirm his way back into the limelight. Look at me I’m brilliant I am!
The fact that Gallagher or any of the other members of ‘Beady Eye’ haven’t recorded anything decent since 1994 (1995 at a push) means they don’t really warrant anybodies time of day.
I’d love you to prove me wrong Liam but somehow I doubt you will.
U2 reschedule USA tour, Glastonbury to follow?
02 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
Irish rock band U2 have today announced the dates for the rescheduled US leg of their 360 tour.
The 3rd leg of the record breaking tour was due to hit America this summer but was canceled at the last minute due to lead singer Bono needing an operation on his back. Disappointingly for fans though is the near year long wait they will now have to endure as the new dates do not start until 2011, kicking off in Denver on May 21st.
U2’s manager Paul McGuinness thanked fans on the U2 website for their ongoing support, “We’re delighted the dates are rescheduled and in all the same venues we originally planned to play. It hasn’t been easy to accomplish this and I’d like to thank the managers of the many venues and sports teams across North America and Live Nation Global Touring for their help and cooperation in making this complex new plan possible. Above all we want to thank the U2 fans for bearing with us. They’re the best and the band wants to get back to where they belong, surrounded by their audience.”
Rumours have also emerged of a forth leg of the tour, travelling over to Australia, New Zealand and the Far East, this would be their first tour of Oceania since Popmart in 1997 and would probably happen after the European leg at the end of 2010 into early 2011.
The big question for me though is whether they have been penciled in to play Glastonbury 2011 or not? This year they were going to fit an appearance in between the show in Edmonton on the 23rd of June, play Glastonbury on Friday 25th of June, then back to the US to play Minneapolis on the 27th of June.
That was a tight schedule, but one they could easily repeat next year as well, playing Anaheim on the 18th of June, over to Glastonbury for friday 24th of June, then back to East Lansing for the gig on the 26th of June.
All speculation at the moment but keep your fingers crossed!
Arcade Fire return
02 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
The arcade Fire are warmly welcomed back in August with a new album ‘The Suburbs’ out on all formats from the 2nd in the UK and the 3rd in the US. The first single release, a double A side containing ‘The Suburbs’ and ‘Month of May’ can be heard on radios across the world right now.
I haven’t been this excited about a bands comeback single since Blur’s ‘Fool’s Day’ (all of 12 weeks ago). While that tune was yet another move forward from the Britpop survivalists, this track is far more immediate and very obviously Arcade Fire from word go. Not that thats a bad thing mind – far from it in fact.
Whether the new album continue on such a familiar themes remains to be seen. Hopefully over the corse of the LP they’ll still be more than capable of springing at least a couple of twists and side-shimmys.
Glastonbury 40th Anniversary » Review
02 years ago
by Dicki Ware
in Music
Either I’m starting to show my age or was Glastonbury 2010 was a massive let down. Even more dissapointing on its 40th birthday.
Yes I know its not all about the main stages and yes I know the real gems are to be found at the smaller far out stages but please! DIZZY Rascal, The Scissor Sisters and Shakera should not be anywhere near our premier summer festival. T4 on the Beach Yes! Glastonbury No!
It was like some middle aged dad trying to prove he’s down with the kids instead of embracing what he knows and loves best.
What happened to the plan of having an act from each of the last 40 years appearing on the Pyramid stage, resulting in some of the smaller stages having to accommodate some of the bigger new names? Sounded like a fantastic idea to me.
Fair enough, U2 had a legitimate excuse for pulling out and The Gorillaz did their best, but you can see Muse live at any old festival on any old year.
Where was Bowie? The Rolling Stones? Led Zeppelin? The remaining members of Pink Floyd? Radiohead? A Smiths reunion? A Stone Roses Reunion? Macca? Pulp even?
None of the big acts from the last 40 years were there (Except for Rolf) and to me it all felt a bit meh! It lacked that magical moment that sends a shiver down your spine so exquisitely provided by Blur last year.
Roll on Glastonbury 41, lets hope you remember your senior years and act accordingly.
