May 2008 Archives

A belated Happy birthday to the forever lovely Kylie Minogue! Can't believe she is 40! It only seems like yesterday when she was Charlene in Neighbours, dressed in overalls, working at an Erinsborough garage accepting Scott Robinson's proposal. She was the love of the life of 11-year-old me. And I still have a copy of her debut album, which I got for my 12th birthday, somewhere.

So, in tribute to a true star, this week's selection of singles will be reviewed against the following Kylie-influenced ratings:

***** Some Kind Of Bliss
****I Should Be So Lucky
***Confide In Me
**Never Too Late
*Come Into My World

"Warwick Avenue" - Duffy
One of the best songs off her brilliant debut album Rockferry (which still delights with every listen) and my personal favourite.
Her voice is stunning and the song is gorgeous. Something right from the Dusty Springfield school of soul and proof that she is living up to the hype.
*****

"Mistress Mabel" - The Fratellis
Oh dear, oh dear, oh deary me. If this is a taste of what's to come on the new LP, then it seems The Fratellis have cracked trying to follow up their debut.
Quite plodding and nowhere near as catchy as Chelsea Dagger. Although, having said that, Cheslea Dagger was little more than a moronic football chant so perhaps they are trying to move forward and that will come to light on the new album.
**

"I Feel It All" - Feist
A typically quirky offering from Leslie Feist and her band - sounding both fragile and uplifting at the same time.
Her voice is just wonderful and, amongst a generally strong week for new releases, this gets the nod as my single of the week - just pipping Duffy.
*****

"Underneath" - Alanis Morissette
Wow! This is really good. I don't know why, but I just wasn't expecting this to be any cop but it's great!
The verses move along to an almost trip hoppy beat before the chrous soars and Alanis' unmistakable voice bellows out the lyrics. A lovely surprise.
****

"Guilt" - The Long Blondes
This band so desperately wants to be Blondie. I mean, they even have Blonde in their name!!
This could have been a disaster but it certainly isn't. A decent pop song, powered by a disco beat and jangly guitars.
***

"Falling Out Of Reach" - Guillemots
A terrific, laid back little gem of a record from the talented band, who seem to get better every time I listen to them.
This is perfect for the Sunday morning after a Saturday night out on the town. Expect it to be on TV drama soundtracks before long.
****

"Have You Made Up Your Mind" - Paul Weller
Tut, tut! He didn't put a question mark on the end of the title! But that aside, this is a welcome return to form for the Modfather.
This soulful song sits alongside Wild Wood and Changing Man as examples of his finest solo songs. The sound of a 50-year-old former punk with nothing to prove except that he can still pen a great tune.
****

"I'm Good I'm Gone" - Lykke Li
This week's guilty pleasure for me. How cute is this?! An irresistable beat, helped along by handclaps, and sulty vocals from the Swedish star in the making.
Great fun to listen to. Just enjoy!
****

So another Eurovision Song Contest has come and gone, eh?

And where did Britain come? Joint last!!! Got to love the controversy that has followed. Yes political voting played a part, as it has done for years, in deciding the winner (whoever that was). We knew it would so it is no suprise.

But that doesn't explain why the UK entrant Andy Abraham came last with just 14 points. One current theory is that the whole of Europe wanted to see Britain humiliated so everyone voted against us!! While it would come as no surprise to find some countries dishing out poor marks to the UK based purely on a hatred towards this island, it's hard to believe almost everyone was thinking like this.

Perhaps, instead, we should look at the actual song. Abraham wrote Even If himself and let's just say he's no Dylan. A sample lyric: "Even if the world stops love, I could never stop loving you. Even, if the sun stops rising, I want to wake up with you." What?? I wrote better lyrics than that when I was a fifth former dreaming of being in a band like Guns N Roses.

How about "Even if cows stop being milked, I want to make a milkshake for you" or "Even if I never become deaf, I want to have hearing problems when this song comes on the radio"?

Ah, Andy Abraham. Where did it all go wrong? He was a bin man but then his career took a nosedive when he, not only appeared on X Factor, but lost. To Shayne "UK's Justin Timberlake" Ward. (Does that make Andy the UK's Dustbin Timberlake?).

Britain prides itself on not taking the contest seriously and then spends forever complaining when the chosen song does extremely badly. But Even If came joint last because it was rubbish, quite frankly.

So, to paraphrase the greatest bit of football commentary ever, I just want to say Terry Wogan, Gordon Brown, Maggie Thatcher, Simon Cowell, Lord Nelson, Dot Cotton, The Queen, Cliff Richard, Sandie Shaw and Bucks Fizz. Can you hear me? Bucks Fizz, your boy took a hell of a beating...because he was Euro trash.

I got bored of trying to think of a pun for the title of my weekly singles review so I went for a "does exactly what it says on the tin" effort. Plus I couldn't think of a witty one so here we are. This week's bunch will be reviewed against the following ratings guide:

*****Berry Gordy
****Chuck Berry
***The Cranberries
**Strawberry Switchblade
*Nick Berry

"Soul On Fire" - Spiritualized
Well what a start to this week's single review. Brilliant and very welcome return from Jason Pierece's psychdelic, experimental mob. And considering he was in intensive care following a serious illness in 2005 makes this even more triumphant.
This single will go down a treat live (speaking of which they will be at the Academy in Brum on October 15). But wait till you hear the new album Songs In A&E, released on Monday. It's a majestic, sweeping beauty (particularly the epic Baby I'm Just A Fool)!
****

"Take A Bow" - Rihanna
Look, I know. She drove everyone mad with her Umbrella (ella, ella, eh, eh, eh etc) track but credit where it's due. This is a pretty good ballad, she proves she has a fine voice and I can't see it being half as annoying as the Umbrella (ella, ella, eh, eh, eh etc) single.
Plus, as ever, she looks great in the video - just as she did in the video for that Umbrella (ella, ella, eh, eh, eh etc) song.
***

"Radio Heart" - The Futureheads
Maybe it's because I liked their version of Kate Bush's Hounds of Love, but I really wanted to like this song.
But, while it isn't the worst in the world, it's just a bit underwhelming. Left me with the feeling of, "Oh, is that it?" Perhaps they should stick to doing quirky cover versions...
**

"Not In England" - The Daves
Speaking of underwhelmng. Actually, not so much underwhelming as just plain old dull. If I was to be kind, I would say it was like a Noel Gallagher-sung Oasis track from one of their last two or three albums - one never likely to make it as a single but on the album all the same.
It's almost as if they recorded it to give the words ' below average' an audio definition.
**

"Tickle Me Pink" - Johnny Flynn
Oh this is much more like it. I was begining to think this week's best singles had peaked at the first with Spiritualized's "Soul On Fire".
This is a delightful country, folk-rock effort. An engaging, charming little romp on CD. Can't say I'd heard much about him before but this will encourage further investigation.
****

"Even If" - Andy Abraham
Even If this was a good song (see what I did there?), it would be lambasted because it is part of the pathetic joke that is Eurovision and the fools at BBC have postponded the awesome Doctor Who in favour of screening this ridiculous competition.
Then to rub salt in my wounds, this song is pants. You know when people say things like "my two-year-old can write better songs than that" and you just think, "yeah, right"? Well, I have a nephew who isn't even two yet and he really can do better than this. Check out the lyrics - they are laughably bad. Perhaps I should write a separate blog about it...
*

"Snowflake" - Garage Jams feat Clare Evans
Oh, for crying out loud, what's this? A meeting of the rubbish lyricists? After the genius of Andy Abraham's Euro trash effort, I give you: "Kiss me like a snowflake that melts on my skin". What?!?!?!?!
Incredibly stupid lyrics sung over the tired, repetitive beat the drives all dance club hits these days - GO AWAY!
*

"Turn Tail" - The Young Knives
This is a brilliant single but, leaving that aside, the way they recorded the acoustic version of this deserves special mention.
Apparently, they cut it directly on to vinyl in one take at their London studio. How cool is that?!
****

"Lamb & Lion" - The Mai Shi
A glorious mish mash of different songs - some electro, some rock and some just plain mental!
Almost impossible not to bounce along to this, a silly grin fixed permanently to your face. Absolutely love it - and it pips Spiritualized to my coveted single of the week award.
*****

I know I don't usually do album reviews but I couldn't let this one pass without saying something. Hollywood starlet Scarlett Johansson unleashed her debut album Anywhere I Lay My Head - a collection of mostly Tom Waits' covers this week.

And it's fantastic. Totally fantastic. As I have said previously, her voice is very Nico-like and she just blends into the dreamy, mellow songs rather than try to dominate them. The result is an astonishing, beguiling album.

Falling Down is a wonder, as is the title track and I Don't Wanna Grow Up. Oh, and did I mention a bloke called David Bowie does backing vocals on a couple of tracks? I recommend you buy it - you'll be pleasantly surprised.

But the most impressive thing is I've managed to write this without mentioning how incredibly gorgeous the girl herself is - makes me want to include pictures in a blog for the very first time...

So, this week, the music industry was dealt a massive blow. Victoria Beckham announced she is retiring from pop music. Her singing career is now officially over.

Now forgive me for asking this because I am in my 30s and, therefore, I might be a little out of touch with things, but...WHAT SINGING CAREER?!

A decent batch of singles this week which is a shame as I wanted to be nasty. But I can only work with what's put in front of me so, without further ado, here is a selection of the new releases. This week, they'll be judged by the following ratings:

*****Kelly Brook
****Trevor Brooking
***Smallbrook Queensway
**Brooke Hogan
*Steve Brookenstein

"That's Not My Name" - The Ting Tings
One of the bright new things of 2008 (yawn) although I'm not sure of that - especially with lyrics such as "they call me Jane, that's not my name".
But I have to admit that I actually kind of like this. A sort of guilty pleasure, very much like Shampoo's "classic" Trouble in 1994.
***

"The Only One" - The Cure
Jangly guitars, introspective lyrics and Robert Smith's unmistakable whiney vocals means I'm in bliss!
It's classic Cure and to add to the joy, they'll be releasing a single on the 13th of the next three months until the as-yet-untitled new album is released in September.
****

"I Want It" - Chanelle Hayes
I don't. I really don't want this. What was I saying about this week's good singles? It's like the worst Britney Spears song, gone totally wrong.
But what was I expecting from a Big Brother reject, Posh Spice wannabe? Although, to be fair to Chanelle, Mrs Beckham would probably kill to be this "good".
*

"Ghosts" - Ladytron
A killer slice of dark, slightly ghostly, electro indie pop from the Liverpool four-piece.
And, if this fantastic single is anything to go by, their fourth album Velocifero (released next month) will be a new wave corker.
****

"This Is An Emergency" - The Pigeon Detectives
They are either adored by their loyal fanbase or vilified by the indie music press but, to be honest, I can't see how they provoke either reaction.
You see, this is just predictable samey guitar pop and if it was on the radio right now, I probably wouldn't realise it was them.
**

"Bad Kids/Leroy Faster" - Black Lips
What's not to like about Black Lips? They sound like a psychedelic, 60s guitar band but play with their tongues planted firmly in their cheeks.
They can be childish and outrageous, but they are also witty and the fact that they refer to themselves as 'flower punks' means they deserve the single of the week label.
**** (and a half)

"Salute Your Solution" - The Raconteurs
Blues meets garage pop. Led Zeppelin meets punk. Whatever...this is another delightful piece of rock n' roll!
Surely the band deserves to be seen now as more than just a side project for Brendan Benson and Jack White while they take a break from the day job.
****

"Nobody's Diary" - Yazoo
A textbook early 80s, synth pop gem and it still sounds awesome today. It has been remastered and the great melody and superb vocals by Alison Moyet sound as fresh as they did all those years ago.
A box set featuring the band's two albums, along with other goodies, to coincide with a reunion tour are also set to send the UK Yazoo mad.
****

Sir Paul McCartney. One quarter of The Beatles. The McCartney in the Lennon-McCartney song-writing partnership which changed the face of British pop music in the 60s.

And yet according to a poll, he is the most annoying pop star in the world. What on earth do they base this on? Well, according to Craig Dawson, head of www.musicmagpie.co.uk, who published the list, people are fed up with Macca because he has "driven people up the wall with his 'holier than thou' approach to his divorce, two-fingered peace gesture and penchant for wearing trainers with suits".

Well, there you go then. He is the most annoying musician because of non-music related reasons. More annoying than Robbie Williams, Liam Gallagher, Mick Hucknall, Jay Kay, The Spice Girls, Bono, Bob Geldof, The Cheeky Girls, James Blunt and Johnny Borrell.

Well, sorry, I can't accept that. Macca should never have been anywhere near the Top 10 based on his contribution to music. I don't care for the reasons given, he was the driving force behind most of The Beatles best work. Ok, his subsequent Wings and solo work was patchy and at times awful (The Frog Chorus anyone?) but I'll forgive him anything because he gave us Penny Lane, Hey Jude, Here There and Everywhere and Blackbird to name a few.

Of course, he is upstaged in most people's eyes by John Lennon but I suppose that is what you get when you are not gunned down at a relatively young age. No one would deny Lennon's brilliance, but Paul was his equal. And he is far more likeable as a person than Lennon ever was.

It was Paul who formed a band, got in a bus and toured Student Unions and small venues after The Beatles split, while the others revelled in their rock God status - a far more punkish and man of the people attitude than "imaginging no possessions" while sitting at a grand piano in your plush New York home.

John was a genius and worthy of hero worship. But it would be nice if people got over themselves and stopped mocking a true music legend.

Here are a few of this week's new singles that I have put before my critical ears. And, as always, they will be judged using the following ratings:

***** Rocky
**** Rambo - First Blood
*** Cliffhanger
** Lock Up
* Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot

"Falling Down" - Scarlett Johansson
She's beautiful, a great actress and just to prove she is closing in on perfection, she releases this dazzling, unique, Wall Of Sound-ish gem.
It's a Tom Waits cover with David Bowie on backing vocals and is far better than people may have been expecting. SJ's deep, near-Nico style vocals add to the sense of drama on this track. An unexpected delight.
****

"Beloved" - Minnie Driver
Another song, another Hollywood actress crossing the divide. But the difference here is Minnie already has last year's Sea Stories album, where this is lifted from, under her belt.
A more conventional, country-tinged rock effort than Scarlett's single, but a solid effort nevertheless.
***

"In My Arms" - Kylie Minogue
I will argue till the day I die that Some Kind Of Bliss remains her best song, despite the British public largely ignoring it.
But here she sticks to her current winning disco formula and she delivers again. Deliciously catchy, a dancefloor filling hit-in-the-making from a girl it's impossible not to adore.
****

"That's What You Get" - Paramore
Maybe it's just me, but this sounds more like an "edgy" effort by someone who was probably the winner or runner-up on American Idol.
Of course. it's anything but edgy and has radio-friendly stamped all over it. It's not bad, it's just a tad unremarkable and the sort of power pop effort that could be on in the background without you ever noticing.
** (and a half)

"Alone" - Celine Dion
Incredible. And not in a good way. She somehow contrives to make Heart's orginal, overblown, epic sound as soft and under-stated as a Nick Drake song.
Having a voice that can shatter windows from 100 miles away is NOT good. It's been 10 years since she inflicted that horrid Titanic theme on us, but unfortunately her career hasn't gone the same way as the famous old boat did...
*

"Poison" - Martina Topley-Bird
What a welcome sound for sore ears! Her long awaited second album The Blue God is finally out next week, five years after he first LP, and this is a superb taster.
It's clever, it's infectious and it's actually pure pop but, as ever, her gorgeous voice remains the main highlight - just as it was on her debut Quixotic and Tricky's first two albums back in the 90s.
*****

"Daddy-O" - Wideboys feat Shaznay Lewis
A little curious, this collaboration. Why would the most talented one from All Saints lend her vocals to what is really a monotonous dance track?
Whatever her reasons, this isn't the mess it could have been, although it'll probably struggle to avoid not getting lost amongst a million other dance tracks out currently out there.
***

"Galaxy of the Lost" - Lightspeed Champion
A quite lovely piece of folk rock from the former Test Icicles man.
It may be acoustic driven but there are enough twists and turns to lift it beyond the ordinary.
***

"Bluebirds Flying High" - James Fox and Cardiff City FC
Oh how we laughed as all those David's slayed Goliaths including Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, in this year's FA Cup.
But we are not laughing now we realise Portsmouth v Cardiff awaits us at Wembley. Be honest, other than fans of the clubs, how many will watch without a Ronaldo, a Torres, a Drogba or a Fabregas on show? Thought so.
Oh the song? Well, it's sub standard Championship fare, like the team it backs, and is littered with golden lyrical nuggets such as "We are Cardiff City and we're going to Wembley". Where's Chas & Dave when you need 'em?
**

My review of some of the singles out this week. A little later than intended because Paul Scholes, to paraphrase the Manics, stole the sun from my heart on Tuesday. But here goes anyway:

***** Grange Hill
**** Benny Hill
*** Cypress Hill
** Damon Hill
* Jimmy Hill

"Daylight" - Kelly Rowland
Upbeat, catchy and full of joy so this is either a great tune to lift your day or an annoyingly happy one that makes you want to smash the radio - it all depends on your mood.
So this week I hate it...but recognise I might not feel this way next week.
*/****

"God" - Attic Lights
Their name might be pants but this is pitched somewhere between The Flaming Lips and Lemonheads and is a jaunty little song.
But ignore that. Go on their MySpace page and look in the blog where they offer you an exclusive online chat with God itself! That's much more fun...
***

"It's About Time" - One Night Only
What is it with people this week? Don't they know I'm in a football-related bad mood? Why do they taunt me with their bouncy feelgood songs?
Although, got to give kudos for the suckerpunch of a line "then it came to me clearly that I don't need you anymore" after spending most of the song pining for a great lost love. Nice.
****

"Propane Nightmares" - Pendulum
Pendulum are getting a bit of grief from drum and bass purists for incorporating rock into their sound, but if they get over themselves, they'll realise this is a quality tune.
And, anyway, the EP has remixes on it to keep the old school fans happy.
****

"Maybe" - Jay Sean
Bland, polished, over-produced - so no doubt destined to be a massive hit.
Really, who buys this rubbish? Whoever you are, stop it! You are only encouraging him to make more...
*

"Rich Woman" - Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Amidst all the Led Zeppelin reunion hoo-hah, it was easy to let this collaboration slip under the radar and out of view.
But it works really well and this laid-back bluesy number is a fine advert for the Raising Sands album.
****

"Never Never Love" - Pop Levi
How can you not like this? Irresistable, unforgettable slice of electronica which will get into your head and stay there. For ages.
He is kind of like an electronic Beck in terms of his inventiveness and ear for a great tune.
****

"Who's That Girl?" - Robyn
This is the latest single from the Swedish star who enjoyed massive success last year with that With Every Heartbeat song.
And if you get the impression that I haven't actually bothered listening to this song yet and am just buying time by rambling on about one of her past hits, you'd be right.
***

"Swords Of Truth" - These New Puritans
If a big beat dance group, such as Underworld, was fronted by The Fall's Mark E Smith, it might sound a little like this.
It's clever, it's eclectic and light years ahead of anything most other new British bands will offer up this year. Single of the week for me.
****

"Let's Talk About It" - White Denim
Let's not.
**