David J Roch SKIN + BONES. Dram Music

“Formed from the remains myself after everything around me came crashing down. I fell out of love with music for a good 6 months and think that the world may well have fallen out of love with me. After 6 months of falling over words and melodies in my mind I started to write and perform again, first solo, then with a drummer and eventually with a full band. The songs I wrote and still write are chapters from my life put to music to allow me to make sense of what I have done and what I will do. I hope that this has given you an insight into why I
perform and play, until we meet again this is a very humble David; saying goodbye. take care. x”

I believe Mr Roch hails from Sheffield - at one time the heart of the stainless steel industry. Well, here is a record that fits in very nicely with that era of unique quality, utility and design beauty… In fact I believe that in 2011 that probably won’t find a more moving, haunting or beautiful record. Yes folks it’s yet another wonderful recording that you will not hear on the radio airwaves, including BBC Radio 1 or 2, and it’s nothing short of criminal.

Opening track ‘The Lost Child’ sets the tone with a folk-pop song that is utterly beauitiful and highly original. Check out Roch’s quite unique voice; its almost impossible range; and bask in the song’s jaw-dropping melody… ‘Hours Of Need’ with its stupendous opening bass rhythm, truckloads of melody, excellent lyrics and vocal performances, including the most angelic female backing vocal. It’s difficult to pick a favourite here although next track ‘Evil’s Pillow’ comes dangerously close with its stunning melody and vocal performance which includes heartbreaking moments when his falsetto soars to the heavens. I frankly doubt that I will hear a better song in 2011. Roch uses a number of well-judged instrumental devices including some gorgeous orchestral moments. ‘The Devil Don’t Mind’ for example features a strong blues vibe and bare-bones instrumental arrangement that gives pride of place to the vocal which at times is a capella.

And the same story continues through the rest of an album that has already become an early contender for album of the year. And if you thought Ed Sheeran - heavily promoted by FC on Radio 1 - is great, this record will make you think again…

5/5

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Seasick Steve YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS. Play It Again Sam

In an interview with an Australian magazine, Seasick Steve attributes much of his unlikely success to his cheap and weather-beaten guitar, ‘The Trance Wonder’ and reveals the guitar’s mojo might come from supernatural sources. “I got it from Sherman, who is a friend of mine down in Mississippi, who had bought it down at a goodwill store. When we were down there last time he says to me, ‘I didn’t tell you when you bought it off me, but that guitar used to be haunted’. I say, ‘What are you talking about, Sherman?’. He says, ‘There’s 50 solid citizens here in Como who’ll tell you this guitar is haunted. It’s the darnedest thing: we’d leave it over in the potato barn and we’d come back in and it would be moved. You’d put it down somewhere and the next morning you’d come back and it would have moved. When you took that guitar the ghost in the barn left’. He told me this not very long ago and I said to him, ‘Sherman! Why didn’t you tell me this before?’ and he said, ‘Well the ghost was gone – I didn’t want it around here no more!’”

Can this man ever make an average or bad record. The answer is a simple and categoric NO! From the moment Seasick Steve stepped into the limelight on British TV (on Jools Holland’s LATER show) his live performances and numerous recordings just get better and better. This album is a blues stunner with songwriting, vocals and instrumentals of the highest order. On this occasion he’s also taken the production tiller and done an amazing job - the sound quality is pristine! From the dark and moving contemplation of opener ‘Treasures’ to the rampant rock of ‘You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks, to the threatening bass and deathly pace of ‘Burnin’ Up’, to the rapid unmitigated joyous vibe of ‘Don’t Know Why She Love Me But She Do’, Steve doesn’t put a foot wrong.

I would love to hear the whole of this beauty performed live because it’s that good. What a great record!

4.5/5

Beatsteaks BOOM BOX. Warner

Peter Baumann, Stefan Hircher, Alexander Ross Waag and Bernd Kurtzke founded the Beatsteaks in 1995. Shortly after Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß joined the band as a singer and additional guitarist. In 1996 the band won a local music competition in SO36 and played a concert in Berlin with the Sex Pistols as opening act. This was also the tenth performance for the band.

In 1997 the band recorded its first album 48/49, named after the number of their rehearsal space. It contains several songs in German, while the more recent albums are in English. In 1999 their second album Launched appeared on the American punk label Epitaph Records. Thomas Götz already played the drums at that time. On bass, Torsten Scholz replaced Alexander in 2000. This was followed by tours with Bad Religion, Die Ärzte and Die Toten Hosen, bringing the band to a wider audience.

Their breakthrough was achieved in Berlin in 2004 with the album Smack Smash, especially with the second single I Don’t Care As Long As You Sing with which they won the MTV European Music Awards 2004 in the category Best German Act. At the end of 2005 they released the double-DVD B-Seite, which included a self-produced documentary on the band’s history, a compilation of several concerts and music videos of the band up to this time. In 2006 they played a short summer tour, consisting of 3 concerts and two festival performances. Following the publication of the preliminary single Jane Became Insane on March 9, 2007 appeared the current album .limbo messiah on 30 March 2007.

This is the album that knocked Adele off the top of the album chart in Germany and I can see why. Opener ‘Fix It’ gives a solid clue to why with its blues rock vibe, stunning instrumental backdrop and crazy vocals. It’s one of the strongest opening gambits I’ve heard on a rock record, and highly original with it! ‘Milk & Honey’ is the first single off the album - a more conventional tune but ok none-the-less. What’s so good about this
record is that the band has progressed beautifully considering its 16 year vintage… ‘Cheap Comments’ is a rhythmic humdinger with a powerful dance vibe while ‘Let’s See’ is a reggae-infused pop song and ‘Bullets From Another Dimension’ sounds like a modern day Adam And The Ants.

The diversity of sounds here is mind-blowing, while the quality of material and performances is sustained throughout. This is an album to put a smile on your face and a new spring in your step. Love it!

4/5