Ani DiFranco CANON - A Collection. Righteous Babe
After having covered this lady for many years I’m often asked which studio album to buy first as a taster, and I’m always unable to give a definitive answer, until now. DiFranco has released some nineteen albums on her own label in career spanning fifteen years, and besides her classic live 2CD compilation (LIVING IN CLIP) this is the first time she has put together a ‘best of’ (for want of a better word). So, to anyone wanting to dip their toes in DiFranco waters, this is the place to start.
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Ani DiFranco European Tour Autumn 2007
Ani is touring Europe with Todd Sickafoose on upright bass and Allison Miller on drums, and in September Mike Dillon will add percussion and vibes, at the following venues:
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Air Traffic Live In Manchester
Manchester Academy 2, 12 September 2007
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ALL MY LOVING (DVD) Directed By Tony Palmer. Voiceprint
Back in 1967/68 things were very different in the world of TV broadcasting. The BBC had a virtual monopoly on what we saw and when we saw it. Musically things were changing with a move away from pop to a more serious, meaningful version of rock and roll. The Vietnam War was in full and fatal swing, while Bob Dylan was emerging as the poetic folk legend that he is today. The UK boasted some of the most influential and successful music acts in the world including Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, The Who, Donovan and Cream. Tony Palmer was completing his final year at Cambridge University when he was asked to cover a press conference being given by a rock band. He sat amongst the journalists listening to the typically inane questions, and being inexperienced decided just to observe. When it was all over, one of the musicians approached him having noticed that Palmer had not asked a question. The band was the Beatles and the enquiring musician was John Lennon. Lennon seemed to like the young man and gave him his phone number. The seed had been sewn for one of the most important rock documentaries of our time.
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Maps WE CAN CREATE. Mute US
Every year we have these silly awards ceremonies, of which the headline-seeking, self-satisfying, industry piss-up that is the Nationwide Mercury Music Prize is regarded as the most respectable. There is always speculation by the mass media on who are the most deserving on the list, e.g. Fionn Regan in 2007.
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Beach House BEACH HOUSE. Bella Union
It is fair to say that when I first saw Beach House at the Bella Union 10th Anniversary shows at the Royal Festival Hall earlier this year I didn’t really get it. I felt that the venue and the event were just too big for a two-piece band, and a very odd choice to open the celebrations. However, what I should have realised that it was exactly the curveball a maverick label like Bella Union were always going to throw and I’d have only been disappointed if they had played it safe.
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Chris Cornell Live
Birmingham Academy. 4 September 2007
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Katie Melua PICTURES. Dramatico
The accompanying PR material states that Melua rates this as her best album. I wish she was right. Unfortunately, the reverse is true. It is the most pedestrian, monotone, mono-paced, unadventurous album I’ve heard in some time. They say that the third album is the really critical one, and if that’s true then this album signifies that a dramatic change is required, which may be difficult under Mike Batt’s stewardship. There is just one song written solely by Melua, a couple of joint ventures with other writers, a couple with Batt and the rest by Batt. I really thought that Melua had more potential as a singer/songwriter, but now I’m not so sure. And in so saying, I’m comparing this with some excellent, recent female singer/songwriter material including, Stephanie Dosen, Bats For Lashes (Natasha Khan), Catherine Feeny, Kate Nash, Keren Ann, Regina Spektor, Amy Winehouse and Lisa Lindley-Jones.
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Catherine Feeny HURRICANE GLASS. Tallgrass
It’s highly unusual for us to acquire and review an album after seeing the act perform live. But after Catherine Feeny’s great show in Manchester at the weekend we simply had to acquire her new album. Listening to it I’m convinced that she’s a noteworthy new talent.
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King Creosote BOMBSHELL. Warner
And there I was thinking that King Creosote was some white rapper… Well of course he’s not (stupid me!); he’s a Scottish contemporary folksinger/songwriter that goes by the name of Kenny Anderson; and his new album has got to be one of the best released in 2007.
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