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PageThis London band's sophomore effort is definitely more wanky and pretentious than "Olympian" (especially with the cinematic theme that accompanies it). But it's not a bad record either. "Fighting Fit" and "Voice of the Father" are two of the stronger tracks to be found, if only for their more aggressive nature. It's just that the rest of the record leaves me wanting loads more. (DW)
20-odd years since The Specials. Slightly less since Fun Boy Three, and Terry Hall's still kicking aroundÉand his voice still sounds the same. In the era of the "new ska" revival, his influence is more important than the music he's actually been producing since the early 80's (The Colourfield? Terry, Blair & Anoushka? Vegas? PassÉ) A distinction between the aforementioned acts and this, a "proper" solo album, is that he actually sounds his age here. Collaborations with Stephen Duffy & Damon Albarn haven't helped him, as the worst sides of both songwriters (wistful Britpop from the former, oompah horns & British music hall stylings from the latter) are allowed nearly free reign. The saving graces are the first single, "Ballad of a Landlord," (very pretty in a nearly-melodramatic manner, but doesn't quite go over the top) and a surprisingly straightforward cover of the Todd Rundgren-penned classic "I Saw The Light" that will put a smile on your face for the "I remember this songÉ" value, then a bigger smile when you realize it carries a little of the Terry-Hall-of-old. Otherwise, this is better left alone in favor of the music that made his name in the first place. (AE)
The links between the songs were recorded by Belfast's Holmes while tripping on a visit to New York. Apparently he wandered around the Lower East Side, dictaphone in hand, talking to every random psycho he happened to encounter. Even if you don't like 'dance' music, these blips are worth the money alone. If you do, you're in for an even bigger treat as Holmes once again shows that there's a lot more to being a DJ than spinning a few disks. (TW)
Personally, I think "Lonesome Billy", the debut album from Buffalo Tom's Bill Janowitz was recorded (and written it would seem) with the help of about 2 crates of whiskey, 700 cigarettes and a bunch of drunken friends. A lot of "Lonesome Billy" finds Janowitz exploring the more country edge of his songwriting, without ever leaving the passion and, above all, solid songs, that make Buffalo Tom such a great band behind. All of which, in my humble opinion, combine to make a great album. Some have described this as a Buffalo Tom album without the other two, and songs like "Gaslamp" and "Shoulder" do sound like they could be off some of the band's earlier efforts. Which is not a bad thing at all. However, to dismiss this as a bunch of tracks the other guys couldn't be bothered to record, just isn't on folks. Songs like "Peninsula" and "Talking to the Queen" stand out in their own right, as does his cover of Leonard Cohen's "My Funny Valentine". And just to prove his songs are not all written after a particularly bad bust-up with the missus, check out "Ghost In My Piano" which sounds like some hillbilly with a guitar was let loose in a drunken street party in Marsailles. While some songs do verge on the corny (which makes great drunken listening by the way) these seem to confirm there's more to "MiseraBill" than some would like to believe after all. (TW)
These pretty boys specialize in the seductive sounds of organ-laced sex rock. That's the way it's always been for this NYC five piece that prioritizes a sultry style almost as much as the music itself. And although Dreamworks apparently threw a large wad of cash their way, Jonathan Fire*Eater weren't affected one bit-they were wonderfully smug long before their high-powered record deal.
And so here we have their major label debut. It's ten tracks crammed full of hormonal pride and inherent soul. You can detect hints of 60s R&B and The Rolling Stones of course, but this band crafted their influences into a sound that's all unadulterated Jonathan Fire*Eater.
"Wolf Songs For Lambs" is a crafty record guaranteed to make you swoon. It's just a matter of how many songs you'll need to fall into the trap. (DW)
On first listen: ridiculously catchy music, vocals that are a little growly, sometimes a little playful or suggestive, oblique reference-free lyrics - a lot about drinking and screwing, y'know, normal stuff. You can be forgiven for thinking "Hey, it's Sleeper", becauseÉ wellÉ it pretty much is. A little more feedback in the music and this singer knows her limits (so the vocals are lower in the mix and free of those nearly hit notes), but, yeah, it sounds A LOT like Sleeper. No clunky contents, but also nothing here that's highly memorable. Unlike that other band, I have a feeling this band's output may really rock live. But committed to record it just sort of sits. (AE)
Title says it all. Dude's bummed about something, not surprising as they're from Nebraska. Definitely a starin' at the whiskey in the tumbler type of record, perfect for those nights when you want to kick the shit out of everybody you encounter just for the hell of it. Stay far, far away if you're suicidal, but everybody else with even a small soft spot for country-tinged mope rock should buy this and file it next to Nick Cave's darker records and Mark Lanagan's solo effort. (TW)
Luna are one of the few bands around that can pull off musical vignettes - lyrical tellings of life-around-me stories without excluding the listener or condescension toward the subjects - with music that matches the mood of the stories being told. There are lots of drawn-out guitars, sparse bass and drums. When it does pick up, it's only slightly. The vocals are either detached and ironic or wistful, but always low key - Dean Wareham's never going to indulge in vocal gymnastics. Which also sums up the band nicely: they create low-key, moody (often 'moody') music without busting their asses over it. This is pretty much what they've done from the start, and four albums in, it's still effective. (AE)
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