Young Guns ALL OUR KINGS ARE DEAD

Live, this young Brit band deliver the goods, on record the band proves that it’s a musical force to be reckoned with… There are so many great heavy rock songs here, starting with the thunderous opener ‘Sons Of Apathy.’ The song comes with a monster melody, powerful choruses, belting solo and backing vocals, and solid instrumental performances. And that’s pretty well the story for the whole of this record. ‘Meter & Verse’ drops the rampant pace and increases pop sensibility, before ‘Weight Of The World’ offers diverse pace and ‘D.O.A’ romps away in top gear. I had real difficulty in selecting tracks to play on our radio shows because there are so many good ones - and all well-produced.
Standouts: Sons Of Apathy, Crystal Clear, Meter & Verse, Weight Of The World, Winter Kiss, Elements, Endless Grey, and some…
4.5/5

John Butler Trio APRIL UPRISING

It’s been a few years since I first heard John Butler’s Trio on CD and raved over it. These guys hail from Australia which right now is producing some truly great indie rock music. And this record is one of the very best the best I’ve heard so far in 2010, from any country. Opener ‘Revolution’ is a slam-dunk of a song that given UK airplay would take flight and make this underground band very much over-ground. It has everything including fabulous melody, building crescendos, good lyrics, marvellous vocals and stonking instrumental backdrop. ‘One Way Road’ adds a reggae vibe while ‘C’Mon Now’ gathers pace and spits out total pop joy! ‘I’d Do Anything (Soldier’s Lament)’ takes on a contemplative and angry vibe before ‘Ragged Mile’ wanders firmly down a modern folk path. This is a potential album of the year, no question! Watch out for the band’s UK tour this autumn - they’re brilliant live.
Standouts: 100%
5/5

Laurie Anderson HOMELAND (plus 40-minute DVD film)

And here’s another potential album of the year… Anderson is now in her 64th year and has been creating innovative performance art since the ‘70s. It amazes me to find her still able to create the level of beauty and adventure offered up by her first studio album for close to ten years. These songs were part-written during her more recent global touring: “This record was written on the road. I wanted the fun and spontaneity of doing live shows and it had gotten so lonely making records just sitting in the studio staring at Pro Tools files. So I began HOMELAND by making an ever-changing series of stories and songs about America, without worrying about finishing the songs, I just went out and started to play them.” Anderson worked with many different musicians including Tuvan throat singers, jazz players from the New York experimental scene and classical orchestras. “I never thought of myself as an improviser, but the creation of live music was the most exciting part of HOMELAND. Each version was unique, born in public, its many versions documented on YouTube.”

“At the end of the road, I began a process of putting all the versions together, re-recording things I liked and stitching and welding parts together. So there I was, back in the studio, staring at audio files. And it was beyond daunting. Thanks to my husband, Lou Reed, who produced the last round, I was able to finish this record.” Anderson added, “I’ve always felt like a nomad. I travel between many scenes - the art world, the music world, the world of political activism, and the world of books and ideas, never quite fitting into any of them. I love to keep moving.”

HOMELAND sounds like a combination of her best sonic work since the mid-80s, but this time with a specific subject focus - homeland America. Opener ‘Transitory Life’ is one of several haunting, reflective songs here with some of the most awe-inspiring vocal and instrumental effects. Anderson’s voice is one of the most compelling to listen to, and her sense of melody is as powerful as ever. ‘My Right Eye’ opens with the lyrics, “Concentration. Empty your mind/Let the rest of the world go by/Hold your breath. Hold your breath. Close your eyes.” Orchestral sounds pepper the song and I wondered whether it describes her perhaps tortured efforts in recording this album… ‘Only An Expert’ is one of my favourites here with its acerbic and steely take on the use of ‘experts’ to define and solve every problem, even problems specially created to provide work for those high-earning consultants… This is an extraordinary album from an extraordinary artist.
Standouts: 100%
5/5

Collapse Under The Empire THE SIRENS SOUND

We loved the last album by Collapse Under The Empire (Chris Burds and Matthew Jason) and find this one even more interesting. The five songs here are described as ‘taking the listener on an instrumental trip into the unknown’, however, I also suspect that the creators hope that the listener may find their own meaning, as I did. The opening song, ‘The Sirens Sound’, to me, is a ten-minute warning of impending doom masterfully created through an array of instruments and electronics, with keyboards and guitar particularly noticeable. There’s a sense of drama here driven by a strong melody and featuring the most subtle changes of pace together a building sense of foreboding. I played this on a recent radio show and my producer commented that it did not seem anywhere near a ten-minute song because he was transfixed by the sound made by these two guys…

Next song, ‘Grade Separation’, is half the length and weight but no less dramatic as a quite humorous opening keyboard passage suddenly turns serious and rocky with guitars leading the charge. Lightness returns before drums and guitars take the song down that rocky road again finally fading into the distance - it’s one hell of a journey! ‘Violet Skies’ is five-minutes of relatively calm, although short periodic wake-up calls in the form of semi-thrashed drums and guitars remind one that peace is really just an illusion…

In these days of rampant mainstream musical commercialism, I take my hat of to this pair of musicians for sticking to music they really believe in, and for creating an album that is thought-provoking but highly accessible and always entertaining.
Standouts: The Sirens Sound, Grade Separation, Violet Skies, A Different Complexion.
4.5/5

Blue Eyed Shark Experiment THE FLUFFER

This is the debut album from a singer/songwriter known simply as Bes, backed by his band The Experiment. Unknown even to his lawyer, Bes put this record together following success with his first EP which went into rotation on 130 US radio stations and was featured in the movie ‘Black Art Black Out.’

“Sit back and enjoy his blend of indie pop that begins its musical journey in the New York living room of Sean Lennon featuring some other names, notably Lennon’s Chihuahua.”

Interested? Well let me tell you that while the preamble may sound as though this music is as light as a feather, it’s only part of a story that unfolds and includes the dark subject matter of the artist’s personal fight with Cancer. The opening instrumental title track is nothing less than compelling with its dominating piano notes, dark and light moments, and cinematic ambience. ‘Goodbye My Little Friend’ is deceptively light in tone describing as it does his victory over cancer. There’s a monster of a melody and a distinctly retro pop feel to a song which could be a chart-busting single with radio support. ‘What To Do’ is more of the same while ‘Sleep Next To Me’ is the most beautiful lullaby sung by a young, natural and fluid voice which reeks of sincerity. This album is a rare, joyful homespun treat.
Standouts: The Fluffer, Goodbye My Little Friend, Sleep Next To Me, Beautiful.
4/5