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Warrior Soul 5 Album Remastered Re-Issues The five-year span between Warrior Soul’s 1990 Last Decade Dead Century debut, 1991’s Drugs God And The New Republic, 1992’s Salutations From The Ghetto Nation, 1993’s Chill Pill, and 1995’s Space Age Playboys bespeaks a fascinating continuity. You can hear the curve. If the debut had that trippy Doors feel to it, complete with singer/songwriter Kory Clarke’s spoken-word poetry and his angry politics, by the time he was a Space Age Playboy, he just wanted to rock ’n’ roll. In revisiting all five releases for digital re-mastering sessions, Clarke considers the criminally ignored body of work as, “obviously cohesive yet I got a lot of criticism,” he says, “for not sticking to one certain kind of style. I always argued that [eclecticism] is my style.” Read more
Calexico and Iron & Wine Live Manchester Academy, 21 April 2006 Read more
Breaks Co-op THE SOUND INSIDE. Parlophone There are some records that one dismisses after one play, but then there are some which one decides to give a second chance to inspire. Well, this is one of them and it’s gradually worked its way into my psyche not for any one special reason, but for a number of reasons. I would mention just two of them: It’s a beautifully crafted record, and it communicates some interesting messages. For me that’s pretty good for starters… Breaks Co-Op is Zane Lowe, Hamish Clark and Andy Lovegrove. Read more
Devics PUSH THE HEART. Bella Union This is the third album from USA duo The Devics, and after you’ve heard this one you’ll want to check them all out. Wistful, understated, gentle and distinctive is the way I would describe this record, and it’s therefore right up my street… Read more
Howling Bells HOWLING BELLS. Bella Union Bella Union is fast becoming the most adventurous International indie record label out there. Its roster is diverse, original and bursting with quality. Howling Bells is an Australian band that has garnered a fair amount of media attention recently and deservedly so. I’m looking forward to seeing them live supporting Low very soon, so look out for the live review – it promises to be one helluva show… Read more
The Vines VISION VALLEY. Heavenly Despite the hype and blanket positive reviews, I didn’t like the previous album. To me it seemed to be pastiche, and yet more pastiche. It did not reflect the music of the band I had seen live on the NME tour. However, this new album seems to me to be closer to the musical truth, the real essence of this band… Read more
Sarah Harmer I’M A MOUNTAIN. Zoe Since her last album I’m a serious fan of this wonderful Canadian singer/songwriter. This album shows another side to Harmer’s musical persona with a much stronger country vibe. And of its genre, I doubt whether I’ll hear a better record all year. Read more
Soledad Brothers THE HARDEST WALK. Polydor This is one of the most surprising albums I’ve heard in some time, and mainly because I’m not really a fan of the band. This changes all that with its dominating blues tinged rock. Read more
The Imperial Vipers SEARCHING FALLING SILENCE. Eminence From the moment this album starts, you are in no doubt about the nature of this band’s music; from the opening rhythmic burst, this is Rock, pure and simple. Read more
The Alarm UNDER ATTACK. Liberty Recordings/EMI So hands up! Who the fuck believed that there would EVER be another Alarm record that could stand up next to the 80’s incarnation of the band? Well, for the few that believed, you get your ‘told you so’ moment, for those that didn’t, well these words may echo: “You may be seen as false, You may be a king or a vagabond, You may be up, you may be down, You may sit in judgement with the rest of the clowns, You may have love, You may have hate, You may be the president of the United States, but even you can’t sit and hide.” Read more
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