I'm on the point of giving up....

When I started this it was just meant to be a note of a couple of albums released on a Monday which may be worth listening to. I forgot to consider that the last two months of the year do not fit well with my plan, given the dearth of albums that are not either:

1. greatest hits
2. Christmas collections
3. Re-releases
4. reality show contestants' efforts
5. a bit shit
6. a combination of the above (Susan Boyle's Christmas album anyone?)

So what do I do now?

Well I went to see The Jesus & Mary Chain play the whole of Psychocandy the other day, what a sonic assault that was! Psychocandy came out in 1985, just about the same time as I moved to London. Them being a Scottish band, I was full of enthusiasm for their new sound*, but my new London type mates were not so sure - "it's just noise and awful feedback" they said. "Can't you hear the pop tune underneath?" I said. "Nope".  As it turned out, I was right and these London people wouldn't know a decent band if it hit them between the eyes, which was actually was quite probable at a JAMC gig. 

Anyway, 30 years on I finally managed to see them (when I first moved to London I didn't get to too many gigs, for various reasons) and what a gig! Middle-aged mosh-pit, all in black, dark glasses indoors and big hair (or no hair).  So music, very noise, much reminisce. Wow!

ps - if the noise on Psychocandy doesn't do it for you, try Darklands, which came out 2 years later.


*technically not new, just a mix of Velvet Underground & Phil Spector really. A bit like mixing Guinness and Champagne, nobody thought of doing it, and then somebody did.

A quick one, for it's a difficult week....

Not the best time to be doing a blog on new albums; this time of year is, as I have said before, full of re-issues, greatest hits and Christmas tat.

From this week's list I have therefore highlighted five albums that may be worth a listen, and two that should be avoided, if only on principle as they may be good but I'm just not giving them the opportunity.

I'll try not to be so lazy next week.

This week's releases:

Alfie Boe - Serenata 
Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers 
Ariel Pink - Pom Pom 
Armin van Buuren - Armin Anthems - Ultimate Singles Collected 
Bette Midler - It's The Girls 
Bloodbath - Grand Morbid Funeral 
Bo Street Runners - Never Say Goodbye - The Complete Recordings 1964-1966 
Bruce Springsteen - The Albums Collection Vol. 1 (1973-1984) [CD] 
Bryan Ferry - Avonmore 
Captain Beefheart - Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 To 1972 
Carcass - Surgical Remission- Surplus Steel 
Dame Shirley Bassey - Hello Like Before 
Daniel O'Donnell - Stand Beside Me 
David Bowie - Nothing Has Changed 
deadmau5 - 5 years of mau5 
Depeche Mode - Depeche Mode Live In Berlin 
Emigrate - Silent So Long 
Fugazi - First Demo 
Hans Zimmer - Interstellar (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 
In This Moment - Black Widow 
Jeff Wayne - Highlights From Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds - The New Generation 
Joris Voorn - Nobody Knows 
Katherine Jenkins - Home Sweet Home 
Kings Of The South Seas - Kings Of The South Seas 
Kristin Chenoweth - Coming Home 
Luther Vandross - The Greatest Hits 
Michael Ball - If Everyone Was Listening 
Nickelback - No Fixed Address 
Old Man Gloom - The Ape of God I 
One Direction - FOUR 
Pentatonix - That's Christmas To Me 
Robert Wyatt - Different Every Time 
Savages and Bo Ningen - Words To The Blind 
The Jam - Setting Sons 
The Kinks - The Anthology 1964 - 1971 
The New Basement Tapes - Lost On The River 
The Stranglers - Here and There: The Epic B-sides (1983-1991) 
Thompson - Family 
Trisha Yearwood - Prizefighter: Hit After Hit 
TV On The Radio - Seeds 
Various Artists - Christmas Words For You 
Various Artists - NOW That's What I Call The 90s 
Various Artists - 80s Mix 
Various Artists - The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) 
Various Artists - Anthems House 
Various Artists - Punk Goes Pop 6 
Various Artists - American Music Library (Hits of 1962) 
Various Artists and Bob Dylan - The Art Of McCartney (Amazon Deluxe Exclusive) 
Voices - London 
Whiskey Myers - Early Morning Shakes [UK Version] 
Within Temptation - Let Us Burn (Elements & Hydra Live In Concert) [2cd + Blu-Ray] 
Zac Brown Band - Greatest Hits So Far...

Two final albums, ever.

#1 daughter said to me the other day, "dad, stop comparing everything to Robyn", well this week I don't have to, for she's only on the last ever album by Röyksopp, called appropriately The Inevitable End - the Norwegian kings of electronic music have always been better live than on an album, but they are always, or maybe mostly, worth a listen. I'll miss them, but will always try and catch up with whatever they do next.

The other final ever album this week is from Pink Floyd. It's a lazy money making exercise of a collection of tracks that weren't deemed good enough to get onto The Division Bell, which was released over 20 years ago. Listen if you must, it's called The Endless River, which seems to describe a lot of their output.

Another big name with a new album this week is The Foo Fighters, with Sonic Highways. It's the poppy side of rock, and there's loads of guests on the album, but I like Dave Grohl, and he seems to be having fun, so why not carry on as before. Nothing new here.

If that lot doesn't tickle your fancy you could always try Christmas at Downton Abbey (seriously), Now That's What I Call Disney, or Cheryl's new album, Only Human.  In fact, here's a good game: listen to Cheryl's album, then search out a recording of Cheryl singing with no autotune, or production of any kind, and compare what you hear, then ponder the album title.

It's Tuesday

I had a busy day yesterday, and to be honest I was struggling to find a decent album to talk about from this week's releases. There's Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Wings, The Doobie Brothers and a cover version of Sgt Pepper's by the Flaming Lips - all a bit 70s and beyond.

However....

I've found a gem: Run The Jewels 2 by Run The Jewels is filthy sweary hip hop and an absolute belter. I was listening to it on the train home last night (it was quite late) and sitting opposite me was a bloke wearing a Bath University sweatshirt, Beats Solos on his head and a pale blue iPhone 5c in his hand, and he probably thought he was cool as. What he didn't know was that the 50 something bloke opposite was listening to more hipster music than he was. I don't know that for sure, but I'd put good money on it. Make sure you listen to this one, but don't tell your mum it was me that recommended it.

Talking of hip hop, if you've not yet discovered Young Fathers please do so, they have just won the Mercury Music Prize with the wonderful Dead, and they are exciting, in a scary choreographed way, when they play live. Stars*.

Good, Scottish, hip hop <--- words that I never expected to see in the same sentence.



*Anne and I saw them live about 18 months ago, in a crowd of about 30, and we knew then they'd be stars. Take that cool dude in the Bath Uni sweatshirt.

Gloomy Scottish indy rock, dancefloor bangers & Japanese post rock

I'll start with one that I missed last week, just because it was not on the list of releases I work from, but I ended up listening to it most last week, Pour It On, by New Build - electropop from the band that consists of two from Hot Chip, and one from LCD Soundsystem (although one of them was in both bands) so of course, I'm going to like this. This one's a classic case of let it settle in for a bit, it needs a few listens, and you'll find a great album to work/study/run/clean kitchens to, and whatever it is you're doing will be a bit more fun.  The NME gave this album 3/10, so they're obviously dicks.

Remember when Prince released two albums in one week, well it's now a thing. Japanese post rockers, Mono have two new albums out today; The Last Dawn & Rays of Darkness - I'm not sure if there's a difference in style between the two, but you'll probably get lots of soft melodic beginnings, big apocalyptic middles, and either abrupt ends or gentle fade outs. Both will be worth listening to on your best sound equipment. Ideal music for driving through a misty Glencoe and destined to be incidental music in Scandinavian thrillers and David Attenborough documentaries. Personally, I love this stuff.

Then there was The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to Be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave. Have you ever heard a more gloomy album name, by a more gloomy sounding band? Jeez - cheer up guys, your music is great, and life's not that bad! Think The National with broad Scottish accents and you'll be there. If you like the sound of that, listen to their first album too, Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (another gloomy title), it's a genuine all-time great.

All albums to get lost in this week, if that's not your thing there's always Taylor Swift's new album, 1989.

The first Christmas albums are here. Really!

Anyone fancy the Elvis Christmas Album by err.... Elvis Presley? No?

Ok, let's try and find something a bit more....   us.  Heard of Mark Lanegan? He's an old style rocker with a great CV, having worked with Kurt Cobain, Queens of the Stone Age and his own band, the Screaming Trees; one of the original Seattle grunge bands. For me, his best moment came with the collaboration with Isobel Campbell, one time singer and cellist with Scotland's finest, Belle & Sebastian. They did three albums together and Ballad of the Broken Seas is one of the best 20 albums of the last 10 years (it's really that good). If you get a chance have a listen, the contrast in their two voices couldn't be starker, one fey Scottish indie whispering and the other sounding like a sack of gravel that smoked 60 Marlboro a day. It's wonderful.

Anyways, Mark Lanegan has a new album out today and it's a bit of a departure (slight) in that there's no bluesy rock, it's more tunes and ballads. But he can play, sing and obviously knows how to put a good album together. So this week's must listen is Mark Lanegan Band - Phantom Radio.

Another one that might be worth a visit is Inspiral Carpets, by Inspiral Carpets - their first album for 20 years. A band that was famous for being one of the lesser lights of the Madchester scene (The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays being leaders of the pack), and also for having a roadie, or guitar technician, called Noel Gallagher. Where's he now eh? If you liked their one big hit "This Is How It Feels", then you should give this album a listen. If you've never heard it, make sure you do - it's a classic of it's kind.

Not much else that I can see in today's releases, and we're getting into Christmas, greatest hits and x-factor failure (that's all of them imho) season - so stay with me through the storm, I'll try and find some light amongst the dark.

2 Bears... and not much else.

But no worries folks, for all you need to listen to this week is the new album from The 2 Bears - The Night is Young.

There's albums out today from Jessies J & Ware, Ozzy Osbourne, U2, and others, if that's your bag, but I'll only be listening to The 2 Bears this week. And dancing.

The 2 Bears consist of Joe Goddard, from dad dance band Hot Chip, and producer Raf Rundell, of whom I know very little. Originally there was going to be a third Bear, in Joseph Mount of Metronomy, but I guess there can only be one Bear called Joe. Or something.

In truth, I've had a busy weekend and not managed to look into/listen to this week's releases, but this album, or bits of it, have been up on Soundcloud for a while and it's an instant hit with me.  You know the feeling when you walk into a club* and there's a tune playing, and you just must find out what and who?  Well this is an album of these tunes, there's a bit of rap, a bit of reggae, a bit of African music and lots and lots of dance tunes. Old school dance tunes.

So, if you're having a party, put this on. If not, organise one. If you can't do that, just listen to it wherever and whenever this week and I'll bet you a beer that you won't be able to resist dancing. If anyone is on the Stansted Express this week and you see a middle aged man doing a ridiculous foot tapping shuffle, with a pair of Sennheisers stuck to his head, that will be me. Say hello!








*I think it's 20 years since I walked into a club, but I'm sure things haven't changed that much.

Clever music.... .... and a new album from Weezer

Five albums to listen to this week (or maybe four within the strict rules, but one is a bit of a mystery):

First is Caribou - Our Love: if you only listen to one album this week, make it this one and make sure you concentrate when you listen. Caribou is basically one Canadian bloke that does electronica with smarts. I've listened to a couple of tracks already, and it's clever stuff, as you would expect from someone with a doctorate in pure maths from Imperial College. He also made his first album whilst working for HP's research facility in Bristol, so as well as being an ace at music, he's also cleverer than you. Or me, at least.

Next is Zola Jesus - Taiga: I'm going to see her in Camden next month, so this needs a good listen. It starts off just like her previous stuff, sort of dark and deep synths and wail(y) vocals but it then moves into the sort of Scandi synth pop that Robyn does. And as anyone who knows me knows; I like Robyn.

There's always a band that you don't want to like, but can't help liking. The band that made an album when you were young*, that got played and played and you never got sick of it. They then made another album, and another, and another - and you felt the same about each one, even though they were all the same basic album. Well now they've made their ninth and I'm probably going to play it over and over and over again - it's Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End.

*it's a relative term

Anais Mitchell - xoa - is the wildcard this week, and included because I married someone called Annie Mitchell, and that's all really. If you like folk, American folk, you'll like this one.

Finally an album that I'm sure came out last year, as I've heard most of it before, but it's appeared in the list of today's new releases so that's why it's here. When I'm at a festival (ok Latitude for I don't go to any other festival) I often mark up a few acts that I might pop in to listen to, just to see what they are like live, and often discover music that sticks with me. Only once however have I been completely ignorant of what I was going to see, and then so transfixed by that music that I couldn't leave until it was finished, even though I had other stuff I had planned to see. A piano, a singer, two cellos and a violin (or viola maybe) can make a great racket you know! Have a listen to Agnes Obel -Avantine and turn the volume up to 11.

Monday 29th September - a Jamie T & Prince sort of week

A good week to start this.

First up there's Jamie T  - Carry on the Grudge: how can anybody not like Jamie T?  His 3rd album, after a 5 year gap, and it's just like the first two, only a bit more grown up - which you should expect as we're all a bit more older and wiser since 2009.

Anyways, I've listened to this a couple of times, and heard a couple of tracks for a month or two, and if there was ever an album I should really like, it's this one given that it's seemingly a straight mix of the best bits of Joe Strummer and Damon Albarn; tuneful, spiky, smart & gritty.

Other albums I need to listen to this week:

Prince - Art Official Age: he's released about 1,800 albums, but he's meant to be on top form

Prince & 3rdeyegirl - Plectrumelectrum: so why not release two in one day? This is the heavier, more guitar based one he made with his recent touring band. I'll probably listen to this first.

Gerard Way - Hesitant Alien: Because he's Gerard Way, from My Chemical Romance.

The Vaselines - V for Vaselines:  Legendary Scottish duo who were Kurt Cobain's favourite band. Nirvana covered two Vaselines tracks on Insecticide and one on the MTV Unplugged Album. He also named his daughter Frances after the Vaseline's Frances McKee. This is only their 3rd album since 1986, and if you've never heard of them, now is the time to fix that.

That lot should keep you going this week, let me know what you think.

About this blog

I was talked into this, and I don't expect many to read it, but I will attempt to list all the albums, released each Monday, that I think are worth spending a bit of time to listen to during the week.

There's no agenda, nothing to sell and probably very little point in this exercise, but I'll keep it going for a few weeks and see how we get on.

There's only 3 rules:

1. Album must be released this week & available on Spotify and/or Google Music
2. It can't be a re-release, greatest hits or movie soundtrack compilation (original soundtracks are ok, e.g. Mogwai's soundtrack for Les Revenants)
3. There must be no connection to Simon Cowell

I will not attempt to review all albums listed, merely comment why an album is worth listening to, although I am allowed to revisit and revise my opinion if the more hipster sites have a different opinion to my original view.

Feel free to pass on, comment & even contribute.

Thanks,

Graham