I hardly said a word

I've had a thoroughly splendid week in terms of listening pleasure. I had an interesting conversation about musical snobbery and what makes a good pop song during several hours in bar that played the most chronic selection of shite I've heard in some time. A quick comment about how the Girls Aloud track playing when we went in was probably the best thing that they'd managed in about two hours spiraled off into something far more complicated. Anyway, the conversation leads me nicely to my first point of interest this week, Lily Allen.

A few months ago I read that she'd posted a couple of new tracks on her Myspace and I made a mental note to have a listen at some point. I finally did that today and I'm pleasantly surprised. There were some decent tracks on debut album; sampling Allen Toussaint is always good by me and 'Alfie' is pop genius, but for the new record she's gone in an electro-pop direction. The two new tunes are splendid, in particular the first offering, 'I Don't Know' which has an enjoyable quiet/loud Girls Aloud/Sugababes feel to it. Not that I imagine she'd be especially thrilled with the comparison. The second track, 'I Could Say' sounds a little like a Pet Shop Boys ballad. Anyhoo, whatever I think, I'd recommend having a listen via the link above.

Speaking of the PSBs, they recently recorded a cover of Madness' 'My Girl' while rehearsing for a live performance with Suggs. On this delightful demo, Neil takes lead vocals and it's a wonderfully quirky take on a classic tune. You can access it via the 'exclusive tracks' page in the 'Product' area on their website. Or you could just click here. You choose, why don't you?

A final true 'pop' moment before moving on. As I'm pointing out rather splendid bits of popular music that I'm rather fond of, I'll give a quick mention to Rihanna's 'Don't Stop The Music'. Now, I know this isn't exactly new and I know that you probably cut your ears off after the ninety-seventh time you heard 'Umbrella', but this is a true pop classic. Meticulously crafted, never quite as fast as you think it's going to be and yet deceptively uplifting. Ver Tube allows a listen below.

I've been living with Weller's '22 Dreams' for a week now, and it's almost as good as the reviews are suggesting. Let's get one thing straight before we go on - it ain't a five-star kind of album. It can't be, really, because of its quite deliberate ebbs and flows. A few tracks add nothing, and the final, noodly instrumental track, 'Night Lights' really outstays its welcome. But it's a definite four-star kind of album and one which repays repeated listens. That's not especially surprising when you bear in mind that there are 21 tracks to absorb. Apparently, the deluxe edition has sold out already, but you'll not be missing much if you've not got it. 'Rip Up The Pages' and 'Love's Got Me Crazy' are the additional tunes - both rather good, and probably more deserving of a place on the main album that some of the more fanciful farting about, but all of that stuff does rather add to its charm. Have a listen via the link below and make sure you do it in one sitting; it works better that way.

I should just finish by noting the fact that a true great, Bo Diddley died earlier this week. If you know nowt about the man or his music, you should probably get that sorted. One of the 'Chess' collections should suffice. Some far more professional and worthy tributes can be found via the following links:

1. Richard Hawley's tribute on the BBC site

2. First ten minutes of Gary Crowley's show, filling in for Tom Robinson on 6music on Friday 6th June

3. Mark Lamarr's 'God's Jukebox' from Saturday 7th June. Various tunes and references throughout.

Yes, another new artist decorated in hyperbole!

£17.50! £17.50! That's all it cost to see Richard Hawley in a tiny little venue in Derby last night. Not only that, and that's more than enough for that price, but the support act was absolutely beguiling. Pete Molinari has, rather shamefully, not been on my radar up to this point, save for a decent tune that appeared on a recent Mojo cover CD.

Playing solo, with nowt but a guitar and a harmonica, Molinari's raw vocal performance had me entranced from start to finish. It's hard to capture quite why. For a start, he has a deep, languid speaking voice but, at times, he sounds almost feminine when singing. He's bluesy and folksy and, on certain songs, there's hints of Dylan, in line with his traditional influences. In amongst the rather splendid self-penned songs came what I truly believe to be the best version of 'Satisfied Mind' I've ever heard. Words won't do it justice, so I'll not even try. Instead, allow YouTube to win you over...

And find out more about Pete Molinari via this fantastic interview on the Undercover website.

(Oh, and check the mux for a track. Plus, new stuff from Occasional Keepers, Northern Portrait, Bon Iver and Elbow, plus classic Trashcan Sinatras and Band Of Horses)

Shuffle The Third

1. Jens Lekman - Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo

Ooooh, now there's a tune to start with. This is taken from the absolutely wonderful album, 'Night Falls Over Kortedala' on the equally splendid Secretly Canadian record label. The good folks at Norman Records pointed out a few similarities to Barry Manilow on this album, and while the notion is horrifying I can see what they mean without that reflecting badly on Jens. He's from the stable of slightly fair vocalists that is headed by Stuart from Belle and Sebastian. Actually, there are some musical comparison points there too, but he's very much his own man. This album really swings and is a joy from start to finish. Vinyl comes with a code for a free download too!

 

2. Richard Hawley - Serious

Splendid track and it'll give me an excuse to post the sublime video that accompanied its release as a single. 'Lady's Bridge' is a wonderful album, although perhaps not as sublime as 'Coles Corner', and this is one of many highlights. Not particularly representative of the overall sounds, but perfectly in keeping with the jolly, skiffle-for-the-noughties sound he uses from time to time and which is a real delight witnessed live. The man loves his music and it's bloody obvious when you realise just how many wonderful songs the man has written. If you don't anything by him, sort that out now.

 

3. Soil & Pimp Sessions - Red Clay

Now here's a curious one. Downloaded this album from eMusic after seeing them on Later towards the end of last year. Their performance was, to be frank, fucking bonkers. But, despite straying a little close to Jamiroquai's wet dreams at times, their enthusiasm was enthralling and there is something genuinely great about the musical synergy that occurs when they've on stage. I'm not entirely convinced that that same magic is there in the record tunes, and this isn't one of their strongest tunes. Heavy on the sax and manic jazz drums.

Here's the track 'A.I.E.' as performed for Jools.

 

4. R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (Sheffield Hallam Fm Arena - 25/02/05)

This is a weird flashback from my past. Travelled up to Sheffield in the snow and frankly horrific driving conditions to see R.E.M. live for the first time. Finally got warm, stood not too far from the stage only for the intro tape to go quiet but the lights remained on full. At this point, a rather subdued looking Michael and Peter walk out to inform the crowd that Mike had an ear infection and couldn't stand up. Stipey was clearly battling nerves and emotions as he made the announcement and, having explained that the date would be rescheduled, told the dismayed throng that they'd do a few songs for us as an apology for us not doing the show. A wonderful little acoustic set followed, this being one of the tunes. A strange, but beguiling performance, with two men doing what they do best, but with the house lights up and everybody united in a mass singalong. Not to be forgotten. Amazingly, although perhaps not surprisingly, there's a video of it on Ver Tube!!

 

5. Dexter Gordon - Flick Of A Trick

My affinity with Dexter Gordon came about as a result of the rather well-known Blue Note record, 'Go'. That we can buy so many of the wonderful Blue Note albums these days for a fiver or less is something to be truly chuffed about. There's so much great music there for the taking. The only downside is that I never really feel like I ever get to know the music as well as I'd like, although I guess that's as true of any of the genres as much as it is of jazz. As a result, although I have a faint memory of this tune, I'm hearing it with essentially fresh ears. Delightful Sunday evening listening; a ten minute stroll through a master class in the saxophone.

Here's 'Cheese Cake' from the aforementioned, 'Go'.

Smooth Trading

I made my first visit to Rough Trade East yesterday and found it to be quite a pleasant experience. For those not aware, Rough Trade closed its Covent Garden store last summer in order to open what was widely described as a 'megastore' off Brick Lane. This new store has been much hyped by the media and hit the headlines with the free Radiohead gig back in January that was so popular it actually had to be moved down the road.

The internet community is littered with people unhappy with the prices in Rough Trade and so I approached the store uncertain about what I'd find inside. As it goes, the first thing that you're greeted with is a cafe, offering the chance to grab yourself something to drink as you wander about amongst the racks. There is something fundamentally wrong about this, it seems to me, although at the time I didn't allow it to sour the mood. As someone who practises the 'two-handed rummage' when looking through racks, I'm not sure where the coffee's meant to go when you're actually looking at the records you presumably went there in order to purchase. Am I over analysing this?

Anyway, the record shop is presumably what you're interested in. Firstly, the selection is huge but, as a result of being in a bloody big building, the shop is enjoyably spacious. Having sweaty, middle-aged men in raincoats squeezing past you as a fug of warm fart hangs over the artist-alphabetical section that you're battling to get a look at loses its allure pretty bloody quickly. Filing is pretty simple and none of the artists I could think of - and I did try to be a little bit awkward at times - were filed out of my grasp.

Price-wise, I take the point of those who mutter about how much certain things cost, although I don't think that they're particularly over the top for the majority of items. I have to say, my main focus was on the vinyl which was pretty reasonable all round and when I strayed into the CD sections the odd item was a little more than I'd have expected. To use a couple of the items I purchased as examples, £13.99 to add a vinyl copy of Richard Hawley's 'Coles Corner' to my collection is pretty standard and The Superimposers' new album, 'Harpsichord Treacle' was £9.99 on CD, with a bonus - Rough Trade only - disc featuring remixes and unreleased tracks.

Rough Trade East seems pretty good at stocking those items that you struggle to track down. In amongst the racks of 7" singles, I noticed Duffy's 'Rockferry' (ok, I know, I'm just using it to make a point) and Adele's 'Hometown Glory' at their original prices, rather than the inflated eBay nonsense that's occurred since they became famous. They've still got stocks of the 'Fat Children' 12" that Jarvis put out a while back, which everyone else tells you has sold out. Ok, so it's on their own label, but it's worth a rummage if you're after something in particular.

The other reason for visiting is the sheer exposure to different records. A sustained browse - caffeine assisted or not - will present you with all sorts of records you'd forgotten about or never seen physical copies of. In addition, the reasonably hyperbole-free description labels on everything help you to dig up something new that you just might like. Be in no doubt, there are plenty of better record shops out there, but this one is a worthy addition, and I can't help thinking it'll still be there long after many of my current favourites have pulled down the shutters for good.

I just can't deal with all of the success

Musical Revelations Of The Week:

M.I.A. - 'Kala' - See yesterday's post for the rapturous response to this record. I still can't quite think how to describe this sufficiently. That said, it's an enormous mish-mash of music and noise and it'll hold your attention right through the eventual whirring of the CD player grinding to a halt.

Richard Hawley - 'Lady's Bridge' - There are those who would have you believe that this record is Hawley treading water. Such nonsense. To me it seems the logical follow on from 'Coles Corner', and by that I don't mean he's simply remade his previous album, I mean that he has continued the lush orchestrations, developed the styles and honed his voice to its finest sound to date. Treat yourself to this one; you'll not be disappointed with it.

Wilco - 'Sky Blue Sky' - So, it turns out it was the album of the summer after all. Finally got a chance to test it during some lovely weather on Wednesday.

*MROTW is somewhat concise this week due to it being a bank holiday and us having guests. Sorry about that. Likewise for the NMROTW, although I suspect I'd have gone with this whatever the situation.

Non-musical Revelations Of The Week:

Gareth Jenkins is a clown - No further explanation required.

The Welsh rugby team has not bulked up like virtually every other team in advance of the World Cup - We get bullied. A lot. If we can't be a constant force, we can't win.

Realising that all the effort I went to track down my World Cup tickets was probably a waste of time - *cries a little bit - in a manly way, like*

Just like the rain. Again. Where is the summer?

The Richard Hawley album is now out there. For anyone holding out to find out if the vinyl is a decent pressing, I can confirm that it sounds splendid. Apparently there are only 500 copies, but that could just be one online retailer drumming up business. According to the forum on his website, the bonus DVD edition is also worth your hard-earned, featuring a selection of performances and interview material.
None of that has made Ver Tube just yet, but here's a splendid acoustic take on the recent single, 'Tonight The Streets Are Ours', from Newsnight.

You're a pussy-boy

Musical Revelations Of The Week:

Catherine Feeny - 'Hurricane Glass' - While flicking around the music channels prior to turning in the other night, I happened upon a rather lovely track, 'Mr Blue,' by Catherine Feeny. Now, I've since found out that it was used on The OC, which is enough to put me off virtually anything, but as I've already got the album and found it to be excellent, I don't need to concern myself with such trivial concerns. It's a collection of fairly laidback folk music, with clear late Sixties/early Seventies influences. When the word 'fuck' popped up I was almost shocked, but having played it a few more times since, it's quite clear that Feeny has made the album she wanted to make and the fact that it suits all kinds of marketing ploys is just a happy, financially beneficial coincidence. There's a spiffing vinyl edition available for a little while. Follow this clickage, then select 'video' from the bottom, to watch various stuff, including a charming acoustic performance from Glastonbury.
Richard Hawley - Just the bloke himself, if that's ok? I'm a bit fucked off with certain aspects of the press deciding that it's time to have a go at Richard for having a few albums with a similar sound. It is, let's be honest, to be expected. Very, very few artists will make dramatically different sounding consecutive albums. More likely is the case that Hawley was one of their 'finds' because of the Mercury nomination for 'Coles Corner', despite most of us knowing about him for years prior to that, and now they've moved on to somebody new. Well, balls to them. The new album is great, much like everything he's done as a solo artist. Likewise the Super Furries. If I read another review that says they're standing still or lacking in enthusiasm when they've made a record as perfect as 'Hey Venus!' I'm going to... well, get annoyed and pace up and down a bit. But you understand the sentiment.
Candie Payne - 'I Wish I Could Have Loved You More' - Now I get it. When I heard the opening track from this album a few months back I was decidedly unimpressed. Something didn't click. It didn't sound particularly well thought-out or particularly innovative. However, constant recommendations from people whose musical taste I can trust caused me to finally purchase a copy of the vinyl. It's a feel good pop/soul album that sounds just a little bit weird. Weird in a good way, I hasten to add. Kind of like the songwriting team can make pop gems, but have a habit of getting absolutely smashed when doing so and so they come out a little bit psychadelic or just a little screwed up. That said, putting fake crackle on something is just silly. It becomes all the more silly when you're listening on vinyl and the crackle fades out at the end of the track to complete silence!

Non-musical Revelations Of The Week:
Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip - This is now reasonably established on More4, despite everybody knowing that it's already been junked by the American networks and won't make it to a second series. The writing is just as sharp as one might expect from the man brought us The West Wing, but Sorkin's slight problem here is that it's hard to be convincing without being a little bit 'in-jokey' and it's hard to be endearing if you're being that convincing. It's all rather neatly polished, and Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford are outstandingly good as the two leads, but I can kind of understand why it wasn't a huge success. That's not to say that I'm not sad that that was the case. It makes a change to have something that accepts an audience can be intelligent on the TV, and I'll be savouring every episode.
Apple and Mango Juice - Delightful
Tony Wilson - The way he spoke, you almost believed he was invincible. Hard to quantify his impact on the music scene at various points in his illustrious career. He'll be greatly missed.

No really, the Longpigs!

He's back. I do love the Cherry Ghost album, but is there any substitute for the one, the only, Mr Richard Hawley.
'Tonight The Streets Are Ours' will be the first single from 'Lady's Bridge', his fifth album, which will be released on August 20th.